him to remain during the night, as he looked thin and
fatigued. He gladly accepted the invitation, and was greatly delighted
when Alick presented him with a musket and some ammunition.

"I shall have no more fear of starving," he exclaimed, as he eyed the
weapon. "I can now kill buffalo and deer, and defend myself too against
all my enemies."

Altogether, Alick was satisfied that the Copper-Snake, though his name
was not significant of good qualities, was an honest man, and he
consequently advised him to come with his family and settle near the
fort.

The Indian replied "that he would think about the matter, but that
though some of the pale-faces he had met with were good men, there were
among them many bad ones, and that he had hitherto preferred keeping at
a distance from them."

He showed, however, no suspicion of us, and lay down to sleep in a
corner of the hall, making himself perfectly at home.

The next morning at daybreak, after he had received as much as he could
carry, with his newly-acquired gun in his hand he took his departure.

Alick and I considered that Copper-Snake's warning should be attended
too, and that every necessary precaution should be taken to avoid
surprise. Sandy, however, was of opinion that he had come with a
cock-and-bull story for the sake of gaining credit for the information,
and thus getting something out of us, as he had succeeded in doing.

Some days passed by, and as no enemy appeared, nor did we hear of one
being in the neighbourhood, we began to think that Sandy was right, and
gradually our vigilance decreased, till we no longer took any unusual
precautions against a sudden attack.

I must continue Robin's narrative, though, as I said, I only picked it
up piecemeal, as he was in the humour to talk about past events. He had
not been so long among the Indians without acquiring somewhat of their
manner and reticence. I had, indeed, to pump him to draw out what I
wanted to know. He was more communicative generally to Martin, to whom
he had taken a great liking from the first.

"Did you ever expect to become like an Indian, and to be contented with
your lot?" I asked.

"No," he answered, "I did not. I always remembered that I was an
Englishman, and resolved to make my escape if I could. I had won the
confidence of Netnokwa, and the young men respected me for my skill in
hunting. At length my powder and shot came to an end, and I could no
longer use my gun. I tri