f!

But the thing did not by any means end here. Tarwicadia pulled up the
instant he had passed. Not so our Canadian. Such a clumsy and colossal
frame was not to be checked in a moment. The crowd of Indians opened up
to let him pass, but unfortunately a small tent that stood in the way
was not so obliging. Into it he went, head-foremost, like a shell,
carried away the corner-post with his shoulder, and brought the whole
affair down about his own ears, and those of its inmates, among whom
were several children and two or three dogs. It required some time to
extricate them all from the ruins, but when this was effected, it was
found that no serious damage had been done to life or limb!

CHAPTER NINE.

CRUSOE ACTS A CONSPICUOUS AND HUMANE PART--A FRIEND GAINED--A GREAT
FEAST.

When the foot-race was concluded, the three hunters hung about, looking
on at the various games for some time, and then strolled towards the
lake.

"Ye may be thankful yer neck's whole," said Joe, grinning, as Henri
rubbed his shoulder with a rueful look. "An' we'll have to send that
Injun and his family a knife and some beads to make up for the fright
they got."

"Hah! an' fat is to be give to me for my broke shoulder?"

"Credit, man, credit," said Dick Varley, laughing.

"Credit! fat is dat?"

"Honour and glory, lad, and the praises of them savages."

"Ha! de praise? more probeebale de ill-vill of de rascale. I seed dem
scowl at me not ver' pritty."

"That's true, Henri, but sich as it is it's all ye'll git."

"I vish," remarked Henri after a pause--"I vish I could git de vampum
belt de leetle chief had on. It vas superb. Fat place do vampums come
from?"

"They're shells--"

"Oui," interrupted Henri. "I know _fat_ de is. Dey is shells, and de
Injuns tink dem goot monish; mais, I ask you _fat place_ de come from."

"They are thought to be gathered on the shores o' the Pacific," said
Joe; "the Injuns on the west o' the Rocky Mountains picks them up and
exchanges them wi' the fellows here-away for horses and skins--so I'm
told."

At this moment there was a wild cry of terror heard a short distance
ahead of them. Rushing forward they observed an Indian woman flying
frantically down the river's bank towards the waterfall, a hundred yards
above which an object was seen struggling in the water.

"'Tis her child," cried Joe, as the mother's frantic cry reached his
ear. "It'll be over the fall in a minute! Run, Dick