Mrs Grey must have been an energetic woman, and had endeavoured, from
what I could learn, to support her family by teaching music and other
accomplishments. Captain Grey, who had been an officer in the army, did
not appear to have conformed willingly to his changed circumstances, or
to have sought for any employment. His great delight was shooting and
fishing, and he frequently took out Robin on his excursions, for the
sake, notwithstanding his youth, of his companionship.

Mrs Grey appears to have expostulated with her husband, wishing to keep
Robin at home for the purpose of educating him. Captain Grey on one
occasion, however, insisted on carrying off his boy, promising to bring
him back safe. He had bought a small fowling-piece for him, and wished
to teach him how to use it. It was natural that Robin should have no
objection to go, though he was sorry to leave his mother, and brother,
and sister.

"Now, my boy, that we are away, we'll make a long trip, and I hope to
come back with skins enough to pay all our expenses and have a good many
dollars over," said the captain, as they started from home.

They pushed away westward, crossing several rivers, till they reached
the very outskirts of the settled districts. The captain then bought
horses for Robin and himself, and for their two guides, as also a couple
of baggage animals to carry the skins he expected to obtain. They
reached the region frequented by buffalo, and succeeded in killing
several, as also some deer and other animals.

Robin said he liked the life well enough, though they had to go through
a good deal of hard work. He became a good horseman, and expert in the
use of his fowling-piece, so that his father expressed himself highly
proud of him. Robin could not now remember the names of the places they
visited; indeed, as he had no map of the country, his geographical
knowledge was, as may be supposed, very imperfect. His idea was that
all the rivers he saw ran into the ocean.

After hunting for some time, the captain sent his horses with the
produce of the chase back to a certain place to wait for him, while he
took it into his head to descend a river in a canoe, manned by three
half-breeds, for the sake of shooting wild-fowl.

They had gone some distance down, and were steering north or south,
Robin could not recollect which, when they went on shore in the
afternoon to form a camp, where Captain Grey intended to spend the
night. Having