292 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
body was rushing about in all directions, and the 
mother at length became hysterical and began 
to scream. There were no wolves, and there was 
no possibility of any hurt befalling the child, 
unless it had gone away and fallen into a pit. 
At length we perceived Peters returning from 
the prairie with a bundle in his arms. He had 
found the vermilion-coloured boy sitting in a 
running stream nearly half a mile from the house, 
in which he would probably have been drowned 
had not his screams been heard by Peters, who 
had searched in that direction. The tumult ceased. 
Towards evening all was in readiness—tents, 
beds, mattresses, a good dinner, and as pretty a 
table as could be found in an English dining¬ 
room. The guests arrived in separate detach¬ 
ments ; probably from an excess of modesty, 
which would have felt the strain of a sudden and 
unexpected influx of nine visitors, some of whom 
were perfect strangers. 
I do not think any person who was present 
will forget the kind hospitality of that evening, 
and the clever manner in which such an im¬ 
promptu entertainment had been provided. 
The sleeping accommodation, although rough, 
was clean and comfortable ; but, just as we were 
about to retire for the night, a most insufferable 
and overpowering odour pervaded every corner; 
it could not be called a bad smell, it was an 
awful stench. “Skunk,” two or three experienced 
voices at once explained. It was indeed one of 
