e to meet with. The proceeds of the
day's hunt were brought together; and now arose a difficulty about an
equal division of the game. Both knew well enough the value of a good
fat turkey; and both were as well acquainted with the utter
worthlessness of the buzzard--which was in fact _worth less than
nothing_, as its filthy odour was extremely repulsive. It was evident
that the only way of making a fair division would have been to cut the
turkey in two equal parts, and each to take one of the halves. The
white man, however, would not agree to this; but proposed that one of
them should take the whole turkey, and the other the buzzard.

"`It's a pity,' argued he, `to spoil the birds. It's better for each of
us to take one.'

"`Very well,' said the Indian. `Shall we draw lots for the choice?'

"`Oh, no,' replied the other. `It's not worth while to do that. I'll
deal fairly with you. I'll take the turkey, and let you have the
buzzard; or, _you can take the buzzard_, and I'll keep the turkey.'

"The Indian reflected, that in either case the buzzard would fall to his
share; but the white man's proposition _seemed_ a just one; and, as he
could find no flaw in its fairness, he was constrained, though
reluctantly, to accept it. The white hunter, therefore, shouldered his
turkey, and trudged off homewards, leaving the poor Indian supperless in
the woods."

"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Francois, "what a shallow Indian he must have been
to be so easily outwitted!"

"Ah!" said Lucien, "he was not the only one of his race, who has been
similarly deceived by white men. Many a _pewter_ dollar has been passed
upon these simple sons of the forest, in exchange for their furs and
peltries. I have reason to suspect that one very rich fur-trader, now
dead, laid the foundation of his immense fortune in this way; but my
suspicions do not amount to positive proof, and therefore I do not
assert it for a fact. Perhaps some historian may one day assail even
the character of the _good_ Penn; who is said to have purchased from the
Indians a territory of three _square miles_, but took care to have it
measured off as _three miles square_! I hope the story is not a true
one."

"Why, that," said Francois, "is almost the same trick as Dido performed
with the bull's hide."

"Yes," replied his brother; "so you see that dishonesty belongs
exclusively to no age or nation. It has existed in the past, and will
continue to exist, until men, bec