y pistol with snow; so that
when the bear left the Indian and rushed towards me it missed fire, and
I had only left me the poor, almost hopeless, chance, of stunning the
savage animal with a blow of the butt-end. Just as he was rearing on
his hind legs, my eye fell upon the Indian's axe, which fortunately lay
at my feet; and seizing it, I brought it down with all my strength on
the bear's head, just at the moment that he fell upon me, and we rolled
down the hill together. Upon recovering myself, I found that the blow
of the axe had killed him instantly, and that I was uninjured. Not so
the Indian: the whole calf of his left leg was bitten off, and his body
lacerated dreadfully in various places. He was quite sensible, however,
though very faint, and spoke to me when I stooped to examine his wounds.
In a short time I had tied them up; and placing him on the sledge with
part of the bear's carcass, which I intended to dine upon, we returned
immediately to the fort. The poor Indian got better slowly, but he
never recovered the perfect use of his leg, and now hobbles about the
fort, cutting firewood, or paddling about the lake in search of ducks
and geese in his bark canoe."

Mr Cumming concluded his story just as we arrived at the little bay, at
the edge of which the Indian village of Rossville is built. From the
spot where we stood the body of the village did not appear to much
advantage; but the parsonage and church, which stood on a small mound,
their white walls in strong contrast to the background of dark trees,
had a fine picturesque effect. There were about twenty houses in the
village, inhabited entirely by Indians, most of whom were young and
middle-aged men. They spend their time in farming during the summer,
and are successful in raising potatoes and a few other vegetables for
their own use. In winter they go into the woods to hunt fur-bearing
animals, and also deer; but they never remain long absent from their
homes. Mr Evans resided among them, and taught them and their children
writing and arithmetic, besides instructing them in the principles of
Christianity. They often assembled in the school-house for prayer and
sacred music, and attended divine service regularly in the church every
Sunday. Mr Evans, who was a good musician, had taught them to sing in
parts; and it has a wonderfully pleasing effect upon a stranger to hear
these dingy sons and daughters of the wilderness raising their melodious
v