or him.
Thus it came to pass that Tony was soon thoroughly broken in. Meekeye
taught him to make leggings and to ornament moccasins, for the boy was
omnivorous in his thirst for knowledge. He swallowed everything with
avidity, including immense quantities of food, so that his frame and
mind developed together in a marvellous manner.

Of course the red man did not take Tony with him on his longest hunting
expeditions, but he took him considerable distances from home
notwithstanding, and showed him the "far west" sport in all its phases,
insomuch that Tony, who could scarcely sit a trotting horse in the
settlements, became Tonyquat the Fearless in the course of time--could
ride bare-backed steeds with ease, and could send his little arrows into
the flank of a buffalo with as much coolness, if not as much force, as
his instructor.

Tony even got the length of drawing first blood from a grizzly bear. It
happened thus:--

He was out with Petawanaquat one day, in a narrow defile of the
mountains. The Indian carried his gun; the boy his bow. Tony's quiver
contained two sorts of arrows, one set shod with iron, and sharp, the
other set not only blunt, but with a lumpy wooden head, meant not to
pierce but to stun birds.

"Ho, look here!" exclaimed Tony, fitting a blunt arrow to the string,
and pointing up at a tree, among the branches of which sat a bird
resembling a grey hen in size and colour.

Petawanaquat stopped, let the butt of his gun fall to the ground, rested
his hands on the muzzle, and smiled approval.

The arrow flew, hit the bird on its astonished eye, and brought it down.

"Good! Tonyquat will be a great chief," said the red man, with another
grave nod.

"Ho, look _there_!" whispered Tony, glaring in the direction of a
thicket while he fitted a sharp arrow to his bow.

Turning quickly, the Indian saw a grizzly bear rise from behind a rock
and look at the hunters inquiringly. Before he could raise his gun he
heard a twang, and next moment saw an arrow quivering in the bear's
neck. The roar of the enraged animal and the report of his own gun
commingled. Another instant, and Tony found himself in the midst of the
tree out of which he had just brought the grey bird, hurled there by
Petawanaquat, who was himself not a moment too soon in climbing to the
same place of refuge. From this point of vantage the Indian, having
carried his gun up with him, fired several deadly shots, and killed the
bear, who