SHELTTR FOR THE NIGHT. 49

She answered in the affirmative. I walked in, took
a wooden stool, and quietly seated myself beside
the fire. The next object I observed was a finely
formed young Indian, resting his head between his
hands, with his elbows on his knees. A long bow
rested against the log wall near him, while a
quantity of arrows and two or three racoon-skins
lay at his feet. He moved not; he apparently
breathed not. Accustomed to the habits of the
Indians, and knowing that they pay little attention
to the approach of civilised strangers, I addressed
him in French, a language not unfrequently par-
tially known to the people in that neighbourhood.
He raised his head, pointed to one of his eyes, and
gave me a significant glance with the other. His
face was covered with blood. The fact was, that
an hour before, as he was in the act of discharging
an. arrow at aracoon in the top of a tree, the arrow
had spht upon the cord, and sprung back with
such violence into his right eye as to destroy it
for ever.

“Feeling hungry, I inquired what sort of fare I
might expect. Such a thing asa bed was not to
be seen, but many large untanned bear and buffalo
hides lay piled in a corner. I drew a fine time-
piece from my breast, and told the woman that it
was late, and that I was fatigued. She had espied
the watch, the richness of which seemed to operate