rew me
into some bushes, shouting as he went away that he had finished me at
last. I had not, however, lost my senses, and returning to the tent
told my Indian mother how I had been treated. I cannot, indeed,
describe half the cruelties which that terrible man inflicted on me.

"Ofttimes, after the snow had fallen, I was compelled to follow the
hunters, and to drag home to the lodge a whole deer, though they might
have employed their dogs for the purpose, and it was with the greatest
difficulty that I could move along. I had some relief when old Wamegon
was away. He was only preparing, however, to cause me greater grief
than before.

"When he came back he exhibited a hat which I recognised as that worn by
my father.

"`We have killed him,' he said, with a horrible laugh. `You will have
no one now to whom to go should you run away.'

"I fully believed that my father was dead, and shed bitter tears at his
loss. I discovered, however, that what the old man said was false. My
father had, as I suspected, pursued me; but while riding on ahead of his
party, he had been surprised in the wood by Wamegon and the warriors who
had accompanied him. They had secured my father to his horse, and
brought him to their camp. Here they bound him to a tree, intending to
kill him the next morning.

"Though his hands and arms were tied behind him, and there were cords
round his breast and neck, he managed to bite off some of the latter,
when he was able to get at a penknife which was in his pocket. With
this he cut himself loose, and finding his horse, which was feeding near
at hand, he mounted, and though pursued by the Indians, rode off.

"They saw him no more, and he, probably thinking that I was killed,
abandoned the pursuit. This, however, as I said, I did not learn till
long afterwards. Two years passed away, and I still remained in
captivity, though never abandoning my intention to try and escape,
however little hope I had of succeeding."

CHAPTER FIVE.

"ARRAH! NOW, MR. INJUN"--COPPER-SNAKE BRINGS VALUABLE INFORMATION--
DANGER AHEAD--ROBIN CONTINUES HIS NARRATIVE--SHEGAW'S OFFER--HIS NEW
MOTHER KEZHA--INDIAN GAMBLING--ROBIN KILLS A BEAR--MUSKGO--SAD PLIGHT OF
ROBIN AND MUSKGO--PESHAUBA SUCCEEDS IN PURCHASING ROBIN WITH
FIRE-WATER--ROBIN SHOOTS AN ELK--HE IS CHASED BY A GRIZZLY, WHICH TURNED
OUT TO BE OLD PESHAUBA--ROBIN ESCAPES FROM THE INDIANS--HE FINDS A
CANOE--HIS DESPAIR ON MISSING THE CANOE--HE IS DISCO