s, were all the answers
he could give. But it was very expressive to the wanderers, who were
without surgical aid, or even a bed to lay him on, or roof to shield
him from the dews of night.

"A terrible business, this," said the trapper. "I fear the poor boy has
received his death-wound. How is it with Jane? is she much injured?"

"I think not," said the chief; "the monster jumped too far to do much
harm, save that which she received by the fall, and I gave him no
chance to try a second time."

"We must take off his clothes, examine his wounds, and dress them,"
said the chief, "but first, we must make a bed to lay him on. My
brother will watch him while I make it--it is but a few minutes' work."
So saying, he took his tomahawk, cut and drove four stout posts into
the ground, notched at the top, across which he placed two stout poles,
which constituted a strong bedstead, though of a very primitive order;
yet it was better than lying on the damp ground.

The bed was next to be manufactured, which was done by placing short
poles across the structure. On this hemlock boughs were placed, and on
these again a thick covering of dried leaves. Nor was this bed as hard
as a person would imagine who had never reposed on one. The poles that
upheld the upper structure were springy; the boughs were soft and
yielding, while the leaves filled all the little crevices, and made it
smooth and easy.

Lifting their patient upon his couch, they took off his upper garments,
and then saw, to their dismay, the bones broken and protruding, the
flesh mangled and torn, presenting a terrible spectacle. Besides, there
were two other flesh wounds, but these alone would not have been
dangerous.

"Nothing can be done until I collect some medicine leaves," said the
chief, "which I am not sure of doing before daylight; but as the case
is so urgent, I will try."

Taking a torch of pitch pine knots, he began searching round in the
forest for the plant he desired, which he succeeded in finding very
soon. Pressing some of the leaves so as to start the juice, he put them
into a gourd, filled it with water, and after replacing the fractured
bones as well as he could, with Howe's assistance, who had some
practice that way during his roving life, proceeded to cleanse the
wounds with the decoction: after which he held some of them in his
hands until they were wilted, then laid them smoothly over the wound,
confining the whole with the small fibre of leat