" remarked Andre Morel, who, besides being young, was strong and
enthusiastic.

"So thought some of us at first," returned Dan, "but when we found that
the thermometer fell to somewhere between 40 and 50 degrees below zero;
that walking in snow-shoes, trapping, hunting buffalo, and shooting,
were not to be learned in a few days; and when we saw our women and
children dependent sometimes on the charity of Indians, and reduced
almost to starvation, we changed our minds as to the pleasure of the
thing. However, if the school was rough, it made the scholars all the
quicker, and now I think that most of us are equal to the Redskins
themselves at their own work.

"When that winter came to an end," continued Dan, "we returned to Red
River, in the month of May, wiser men, thoroughly determined to plant
and sow, and make ourselves independent of the savages. But hunger
followed us, for fish were scarce that season; so were roots and
berries; and, if it had not been for a kind of parsnip which grows wild
in the plains, and a species of eatable nettle, I do believe some of us
would have gone under altogether."

"And did your first sowing turn out well?" asked the young Swiss, who
having been bred a watchmaker, had only hazy notions as to farming.

"Ay, there was a gleam of prosperity there that led us to hope great
things for the future," answered Dan; "but the gleam did not continue.
Why, one fellow, not far from our place, sowed four quarts of wheat, and
reaped twelve and a half bushels; but we had terrible trouble to save
our crops from the birds. In the Spring and Fall, blackbirds and wild
pigeons pass over the prairies on their way north or south, in immense
numbers. They pass in such numbers that they could, I do believe,
swallow our whole harvest, if they got only a grain a-piece. The
berries failed them that year, an' men, women, and children had to work
hard wi' guns, bird-nets, and rattles, from morning to night, to say
nothing o' scarecrows. We had resolved never to go near Pembina again,
but what we saved of the harvest was little more than enough for seed,
so we were forced to try it for another winter. Troubles again awaited
us there. The half-breeds and Indians--who had been kind at first--
became jealous. A plot was discovered to murder two of our party who
had undertaken to hunt, so we were obliged to buy our provisions at a
high price, and even to barter away our clothing to avoid starvation,
and we