ad to cross the wide, stormy
lakes, and in every one of them some of the party were lost. In every
rough portage some fell fainting by the way, and sank down to rise no
more. The crouching panther and the fierce wolves in the dense forests
were ever on the alert, and many a man and woman, and even some of the
little children, fell victims to these savage beasts. A feeling of
sadness and despair seemed to take possession of all. Vainly they
called upon the conjurers and medicine-men to get help from their
Manitos to make the ways easier and their sorrows less, and to find out
for them why they were travelling on this trail, and the place to which
it led.

Very unsatisfactory were the answers which they received. They had no
information to give about the trail; yet some said that they had heard
from their forefathers that there was a place called the happy hunting
grounds beyond the high mountains; but the way was long and dark, and
they had no guide to lead them in the gloom, none to tell them how they
could find the passes in the mountains. While thus almost
broken-hearted in the way, the thought came to Oowikapun in his dream or
vision that surely there must be a better trail than this rough one,
wherein so many of the people were perishing so sadly. With this
thought in his mind he resolved, if possible, to break away from the
company, and try to find a safer path. If he failed in his efforts and
perished miserably in his search, why, what did it matter? They were
dying off very rapidly where they were, and things could not be worse.

Then if he succeeded in finding a better road, where the skies were
bright, and the storms came not, and the portages were short and easily
passed, and the breezes on the lakes only wafted them on their way, and
no savage beasts lurked along the trail, and he could find some one who
had been over the way, or could tell him that it ended well, and if he
could succeed in getting his people in this better path, how rejoiced he
and they would be!

Then it seemed in his dream that he made the effort to break away; but
he told no one of what was in his heart or of his resolves, for he was
afraid of being ridiculed by his comrades if he should try and then fail
in his efforts. He found it very hard at first to get out from the old
trail; but he persevered and succeeded, although but slowly at first.
He found the way become smoother, and in some way which he could not
understand hel