you get more muscle in your limbs, you will laugh at a
pack twice the weight of that."

Lily was delighted to see Ashatea, and we left them together while we
went on to Mr Claxton's, where old Samson intended to stay. He had
arranged with Kepenau to sell his peltries, and the next day they were
all disposed of at a price which greatly astonished and delighted our
Indian friend. He made an arrangement with Uncle Stephen to sell all
the produce of the chase which he might bring, and to purchase for him
such articles as he required.

Reuben brought his sister Dora over to see Ashatea, and the three girls
seemed very happy together. The Indian girl was as eager to learn
English as Lily and Dora were to instruct her; and she got on rapidly.

Old Samson had suffered more from his long tramp on foot than he was at
first willing to confess, and a fit of illness was the consequence. He
was well cared for, however, by the Claxtons, who treated him as kindly
as if he had been a relation. He was grateful in his way; but it struck
me that there was something hard and unsympathising in his character.
He spoke of his fights with the Indians, of the scalps he had taken, of
his hairbreadth escapes; but he never uttered a word which showed that
he had any religious feeling. Indeed, he seemed to me to be as much of
a heathen as the Indians among whom he had lived so long. It appeared
strange to me that an old man should be so hardened. I was not aware,
at the time, that when people once begin to give up trusting God they go
further and further from him; and thus, of course, as they advance in
years they think less and less of their souls, and, in fact, become more
dead with regard to all spiritual matters.

I had been accustomed to see Uncle Stephen read the Bible to his family,
and offer up prayers morning and night; while he never did any work,
except such as necessity demanded, on the Sabbath. Uncle Mark had been
less exact in these respects, although even he was accustomed to read
the Bible on the Sabbath, and to refrain from work; and occasionally we
went over to Uncle Stephen's on that day and joined his family at
worship. Most of the people of the settlement, however, paid but little
attention to the day, though they ceased from all rough work, and made a
sort of holiday of it. There was no church or chapel of any description
in the neighbourhood, and few paid any attention to what are called
religious duties.

The