d upon a blanket, when the two parties playing, numbering perhaps
thirty people, sit down in a circle. The game consists in striking the
edge of the bowl so as to throw all the counters into the air, and on
the manner in which they fall upon the blanket or into the bowl depends
the player's gain or loss. If the player is fortunate in the first
instance, he strikes again and again until he misses, when it is passed
on to the next. So excited do the Indians become that they often
quarrel desperately. They will play on at this game for hours together,
till they have staked everything they possess.

"On one occasion Shegaw, who considered me as one of his goods and
chattels, staked me, and I was lost to a Cree chief.

"My Indian mother, on hearing that I had been staked and lost with other
property, cried very much, and declared that she would not agree to my
being given up. On this Shegaw, who was afraid of offending her, agreed
to challenge the other Indians to a fresh game, and to stake several
packs of peltries, the whole of our remaining property.

"I stood by, watching the game with some anxiety; not that it signified
very much to me who became my master. Our party won, and I was restored
to Kezha. It was only for a short time, however. She was as fond of
the fire-water as are many other Indian women, and when once she began
to drink she would give everything she possessed to obtain more liquor.
For a short time she made more of me than she had hitherto done.

"I managed to regain, too, my credit with the young men of the tribe. I
had obtained a bow and arrows, and by constantly practising, became
tolerably expert. During the winter I was allowed to go out by myself,
for the Indians could always trace me, and they knew well that I could
not travel far should I attempt to make my escape.

"I was one day crossing a small meadow, an open space encircled by
trees, when I unexpectedly fell up to the middle into the snow. I
easily extricated myself and walked on; but remembering that I had heard
the Indians speak of killing bears in their holes, it occurred to me
that it might be a bear's hole into which I had fallen. I accordingly
returned, and looking down into it, I saw the head of a bear lying close
to the bottom of the hole. Had I gone down farther I should have fallen
into his very jaws.

"He did not appear to be inclined to move, so fixing an arrow in my bow,
I shot it with all my force into the ani