n you will repent having slaughtered so many valuable animals."

The chief laughed. "It is the way of our people," he answered, and
Alick could get no other reply from him.

A considerable portion of the meat, however, was taken off from the
carcasses and carried to the tents, where the women were employed in
cutting it up into slices, afterwards drying it in the sun or pounding
it into pemmican, which was preserved in the fat of the animals.

We now thanked the Cree chief for his hospitality, hoping that he would
without demur now allow us to go.

"I cannot let you take your departure yet," he said, smiling grimly.
"We have plenty of good food now, and we will treat you hospitably. My
young men will not like to leave the camp while the fresh meat lasts."

"We should have been happy to have their company, but we are quite ready
to set out alone," answered Alick. "If you will sell us horses, we will
give you an order in payment on Fort Ross for blankets, or anything else
you may desire."

"You may purchase horses even now with your guns," answered the chief.
"We will sell you four horses for your three guns, and leave you one
with which to kill the game you will require for your support."

Hearing what the chief said, we now guessed the object he had in
capturing us. We were determined, of course, not to part with our guns,
as without them we could neither kill game nor defend ourselves.

Alick told the chief that he would think about the matter, but that at
present we were not disposed to agree to his proposal. We all looked as
little annoyed as we could, and let the matter drop. The Indians were
preparing to make a great feast on the meat of the buffaloes they had so
ruthlessly slain, and we hoped that when gorged with food they might be
off their guard and give us an opportunity of escaping.

The feast took place that night. The squaws had been busy for some
hours in cooking the flesh in a variety of ways. We, of course, were
invited, and sat down with the chief and some of his principal men.
Though generally abstemious, it is extraordinary what an amount of food
they consumed, washed down with whisky, of which they had shortly before
obtained a supply from the traders.

We took but little, pretending often to be eating while we let the meat
drop down by our sides, under the mats on which we were sitting. The
Indians feasted on till a late hour of the night, when they crawled into
their tents and la