xhibited
most amazement in their looks at this result. That the crack shot of
the party--the man who could hit a button in the centre at a hundred
yards, and cut the head off a partridge at a hundred and fifty--should
miss a deer at ninety yards, was utterly incomprehensible.

"Is it yer own gun ye've got?" inquired Bryan, as the discomfited
marksman walked up.

"No; it's yours," replied Prince.

A smile, which resolved itself into a myriad of wrinkles, flitted over
the blacksmith's face as he said--

"Ah, Prince! ye'll requare long practice to come to the parfect use o'
that wipon. I've always fired three yards, at laste, to the left, iver
since we fell over the hill togither. If it's a very long shot, it
requares four to take the baste in the flank, or four an' a half if ye
want to hit the shoulder, besides an allowance o' two feet above its
head, to make up for the twist I gave it the other day in the forge, in
tryin' to put it right!"

This explanation was satisfactory to all parties, especially so to
Prince, who felt that his credit was saved; and if Prince had a weakness
at all, it was upon this point.

The deer were now all killed, with the exception of those of the band
that had been last in entering the river. These, with a few stragglers,
had returned to the shore from which they started. The remainder of the
evening was devoted to skinning and cutting up the carcasses--an
operation requiring considerable time, skill, and labour.

While the people at the fort were thus employed, Maximus (who adopted at
once the name given to him by Stanley) returned from his fruitless
journey to the Indian camp, and assisted the men at their work. He made
no allusion whatever to his visit to the deserted Indian camp; but, from
the settled expression of deep sadness that clouded his countenance, it
was inferred that what he had seen there had not tended to raise his
hopes.

The supply of deer obtained at this time was very seasonable, for the
frost had now begun to set in so steadily that the meat could be hung up
to freeze, and thus be kept fresh for winter's consumption. Some of it,
however, was dried and stored away in bales; while a small quantity was
pounded after being dried, made into pemmican, and reserved for future
journeys.

As for the Esquimaux, they gave themselves up, during the first night,
to feasting and rejoicing. During the short time that they had been at
the fort, they had converted the