ed to shoot with a bow and arrows, but it was
long before I attained anything like the skill possessed by the Indians,
who are accustomed to practise with a bow from their earliest days. I
sank, consequently, in the estimation of the tribe. My great wish was
to obtain some more ammunition; but the Indians always prevented me from
communicating with any white men, from whom alone I could have got it.

"We continued moving farther and farther west, till we met a tribe of
Indians with whom we had never before come in contact. They were far
better mounted than our people, and looked much more savage. They were
Sioux, and from several articles I saw among them I knew that they must
have been in communication with the fur-traders.

"They appeared to be on friendly terms, however, with Netnokwa's people.
I had soon cause to be sorry for this, as I found that one of their
chiefs, Shegaw by name, was bargaining to purchase me for his wife, who
had lost a son, as Netnokwa had done. He offered some blankets,
tobacco, beads, and knives; but Netnokwa would not accept them.

"`No,' I heard her say; `I have lost one son, but I will not willingly
lose another.'

"Shegaw, however, persevered, and at length appeared at our wigwam
followed by several men carrying a ten-gallon keg of whisky, besides the
blankets and other things he had offered. This was more than Netnokwa
could withstand, especially when old Wamegon came in and declared that
he would kill me if she refused it.

"The exchange was at once made. I was handed over to Shegaw, and the
whole of Wamegon's tribe set to work to drink up the spirits. They were
not long in doing that. When last I saw my Indian mother and tyrannical
old father, they both lay on the ground helplessly tipsy. It was not a
very edifying spectacle, but I was very well aware that my new owners
would, should an opportunity occur, reduce themselves to the same
condition.

"I made all the inquiries I could respecting the country and the rivers
running through it, that I might know in what direction to go should I
effect my escape.

"How my new mother would treat me it was impossible to say, but I
thought from Shegaw's appearance that I should not be much better off
under him than I had been while living with old Wamegon.

"The tribes now separated, my new owners moving westward, while the
others returned towards the east. It was considered a wonderful thing
that they should have met without