the hay with the bread and butter beside him. Look here! and
here! and there! There's a supper for you. Ha! ha! ha!"

Lucien and Francois had now arrived upon the ground; and seeing Basil
point to the great joints of the buffalo, and turn them over and over,
at once understood the cause of his mirth. _These joints were full of
marrow_!

"Pounds of it," continued Basil; "the very tit-bits of the buffalo--
enough to make suppers for a dozen of us; and yet we were going to sleep
supperless, or the next thing to it--going to starve in the midst of
plenty! And we have been travelling among such treasures for three days
past! Why, we deserve to starve for being so simple. But come,
brothers! help me to carry these great joints to the fire--I'll show you
how to cook a supper."

There are eight marrow-bones in the buffalo, containing several pounds
of this substance. As Basil had heard from the old hunters, it is
esteemed the most delicious part of the animal; and is rarely left
behind when a buffalo has been killed. The best method of preparing it
is by simply _roasting it in the bone_; although the Indians and
trappers often eat it raw. The stomachs of our young hunters were not
strong enough for this; and a couple of the shank-bones were thrown into
the fire, and covered over with red cinders.

In due time the marrow was supposed to be sufficiently _baked_; and the
bones having been cracked by Lucien's hatchet, yielded up their savoury
store--which all three ate with a great relish. A cup of cool water
washed it down; and around the camp-fire of the boy hunters thirst and
hunger were now contemplated only as things of the past. Jeanette was
_respited_, without one dissentient voice.

Our adventurers were surrounded once more with the cheerful atmosphere
of hope. There was still enough of marrow in the remaining bones to
last them for two days at the least; for this marrow is a most
nourishing food. Moreover, by following the buffalo-trail, they would
be likely to fall in with other skeletons of these animals; and all
apprehensions on the score of food now vanished from their minds.
Another fact, which the skeleton of the buffalo revealed to them, added
to their joyful anticipations. They had observed on first going up to
it--that the _bones were still fresh_! The wolves had not been long
gone from it. It could not have been a long time killed. All this
showed, that the buffaloes themselves had but very