good many miles before the sun set; and a thick
grove now appearing ahead, with a stream running by its side, they
hurried towards it. Having entered the grove, they immediately began
stripping off the bark from some of the older trees, and collecting
firewood. With the bark they formed a lean-to; and igniting the wood,
they soon had a fire blazing.

While the daylight lasted they allowed me to search for berries; one of
the party helping me, but keeping a constant watch on my movements. The
rest, in the meantime, toasted on sticks some dried buffalo meat, a
small portion of which they gave to me. Having satisfied my hunger, and
feeling very tired, I lay down before the fire, glad of the warmth; for
my clothes, though partly dry, were still damp, and I every now and then
gave a shiver, which made me fear that I was going to be seized with
illness.

From the way in which my captors had hitherto behaved towards me I hoped
that I should not be ill-treated, and believing that I should some day
or other make my escape, I determined not to be unhappy. I was soon,
therefore, fast asleep. Just before I closed my eyes I saw the Indians
sitting round the fire smoking their pipes, and eagerly discussing some
subject or other--probably, what they should do with me--but, in spite
of my precarious position, I never slept so soundly in my life as I did
for some hours. When I at length awoke, I saw that a few embers alone
of the fire remained. One of the Indians was walking up and down,
acting as sentry; while the others lay, with their feet towards the
fire, wrapped in their buffalo robes. I was nearly certain that they
were the same men who had discovered my footprints, and they probably
had then left their robes concealed somewhere while they searched for me
in the river, and had afterwards resumed them.

How I wished that that sentinel would sit down and go to sleep! If he
should do so, I had determined to get up and run away. They would be
unable to follow my tracks in the dark, so that I should have a long
start of them; and I thought that I might possibly reach the river
before they could overtake me, and either swim down it, or get floated
down on a log of timber or a raft of rushes.

I had still my axe in my belt, which the Indians had not taken from me,
as also my hunting-knife. I was nearly throwing away the first when
crossing the river, but, feeling its value, I resolved to keep it as
long as I could, and