s deserted camp
and appropriate such of its properties as suited his fancy.

From the very fire beside which the old man crouched and shivered, he
took a blazing brand and using it to light his way entered the lodge
from which the former had emerged. It seemed empty of everything save
that in one corner, on a heap of dried grasses, there lay an old
wrinkled hag, who stared at him with keen beady eyes, and then set up a
shrill screaming that caused him to beat a hasty retreat.

He fared better in other lodges, some of which were empty of inmates,
and some occupied by persons too aged or ill to harm him. These either
cowered trembling before him, or spit at and reviled him with distorted
features and gestures of impotent rage. It was an unpleasant task,
this taking advantage of helplessness to walk off with other people's
property; but under the circumstances it seemed to Donald right, and he
was soon clad in the complete buckskin costume of a warrior, besides
having accumulated a comfortable store of provisions. He was
grievously disappointed at not discovering a rifle, nor indeed a
firearm of any kind, and being obliged to put up with a hunting-knife
as his sole weapon. Still, on the whole, he had so little cause for
complaint that as he left the camp and made his way to the landing
where he hoped to find a canoe he congratulated himself upon his good
fortune.

It seemed to fail him, however, at the river-bank; for, search as he
might, he could not find a canoe nor a craft of any kind. Now, he was
indeed in a quandary. It would be worse than useless to return to the
Indian camp, that might at any moment be repeopled. He dared not go up
the river, for that way lay the hosts of Pontiac; nor could he cross it
and make his way to the fort. There was obviously but one course to
pursue, which was to keep on down stream until he had put a safe
distance between himself and the Indian camp, and then to wait for
daylight by which to resume his search for a canoe.

This he did, first wading for a long distance in the shallow water
close to shore to conceal his trail, and then plodding sturdily ahead
through the bewildering darkness of the forest for hours, until
finally, overcome by exhaustion, he sank down at the foot of a great
tree and almost instantly fell asleep.

When Donald next awoke, stiff and aching in every joint, the rising sun
warned him that he must lose no time in placing a greater distance
between hi