tter. So far as her choice of a husband was concerned,
she made a bad one, for she received nothing but blows and bad usage. I
had one day driven my wife out of the wigwam in consequence of her
presuming to "talk too much," as the Indian said, when the interpreter
told me that one of the chiefs was willing that I should marry his
daughter, polygamy being one of their customs.

I was very much annoyed at this, for I knew the young girl very well:
she was very graceful and very pretty; and I felt that my fidelity to
Amy would be in great danger if the marriage was to take place; and if
proposed, I dared not refuse so great a distinction.

I replied that I was fortunate, but that I feared my present wife would
make her very unhappy, as she wanted to be the chief woman of the
wigwam, and when I was away I could not tell what the old woman might do
to her, and the conversation was dropped.

This little Indian had, before this, shown me as much favour as an
Indian girl ever ventures to show, sufficient, at all events, to satisfy
me that I was not disagreeable to her, and what the interpreter had said
made me very uncomfortable. However, I consoled myself with the
recollection that if I were compelled to marry this girl, it would be an
involuntary infidelity on my part, and on that account might well be
excused; for the hope of again rejoining Amy never left me at any time.

One day I went out in search of deer, and was led away from my
companions after a buck which I had wounded and attempted to overtake.
They saw me in chase of my quarry, and left me in pursuit. I followed
for several hours, continually coming up with it and as continually
losing it again. At last, I heard the report of a musket close to where
the deer was last seen by me, and I thought that some Indian had shot
it. I walked forward, however, very cautiously, and perceived a white
man standing by the animal, which lay at his feet. I started back, for
I did not know whether I had fallen in with a friend or a foe; but as I
knew that he had not had time to reload his musket, I hallooed to him,
concealing myself at the same time behind a tree.

"Is that you, Evans?" said the man in reply.

"No," said I, "it is an Englishman."

"Well, show yourself, then," said he.

"I am dressed as an Indian," replied I; "I was taken by the Indians."

"Well, come along," said the man, who was attired as a seafaring man.

I came from behind the tree, and when he