their hospitalities; but here had been a
strange innovation, and the question was immediately raised, Who has
done this? But in spite of many inquiries, everybody seemed to be in
ignorance.

Oowikapun's curiosity was now aroused, and he became exceedingly
desirous of finding out who his benefactor was and expressing his
gratitude. Among other plans that were suggested to his mind was to
endeavour to find out who had taken charge of his clothing and fire bag
while he was dancing in the tent. But even here, he failed to get any
clue. Everybody seemed to have become so absorbed in the ceremonies of
the dance, or in watching the endurance of the dancers, that all minor
things were forgotten.

When the conjurers and medicine-men came to congratulate Oowikapun on
his efforts, and called his dances "good medicine," a sudden feeling of
abhorrence and repulsion came into his heart toward these men; and as
quickly as he dared he turned from them in disgust, and resolved to get
out of the village and away from their influence as soon as possible.

His few preparations were soon completed, and saying, "What cheer?" the
Indian farewell, to his relatives, he securely fastened his little bears
with his furs upon his sled, and throwing the strap over his shoulder,
resumed the trail that led to his still distant home. Soon he was out
of the village and in the forest. Snares and traps abounded on each
side of the path, for the game was plentiful. Especially were the
rabbits and white partridges, the beautiful ptarmigan, very abundant
that winter and spring, and hundreds were caught in snares by the boys
and women and girls; and so for a time he had the well-beaten trail over
which these people travelled as they daily visited their snares.

On pushed Oowikapun until nearly every snowshoe track of these hunters
had disappeared, and but few were seen, and the sense of being alone
again in the forest, or nearly so, returned to him with depressing
results. Rapidly and vividly did there pass through his memory the
events of the last few days spent in the village just left behind; and
especially did his singular dream come up before him, and a feeling of
remorse filled his heart that he had yielded to the importunities of his
pagan friends and had been persuaded to take any part in the dance.
Then his thoughts went farther back, and he was with Memotas again, and
the memory of their last walk came up so distinctly, and especially the