.

A shake of the head was the reply.

"Where you go--_go_?" said Kenneth, in the hope apparently that emphasis
might awaken intelligence.

Again the Indian shook his head.

"What's the use of asking him?" said McLeod senior. "See, here is a
language that is understood by all men."

He pulled a powder flask from his pocket, and, shaking it at the ear of
the savage, offered it to him, at the same time pointing to the
partridges and to his own open mouth.

This pantomime was evidently comprehensible, for the man at once threw
the birds at McLeod's feet, and, taking the flask, emptied its contents
into his own powder-horn.

"Good," said McLeod, picking up the birds. "Now, Kenneth, if we can
prevail on this redskin to remain by us it won't be necessary to send
you to Jenkins Creek."

As he spoke, Flora issued from the opening of the tarpaulin tent,
exclaiming--"Father, I've just--"

On seeing the red man she stopped and gazed at him with much interest.
The native returned the gaze, and for one moment a gleam of admiration
lighted up his swarthy countenance, but it passed like a flash of light
and left that stoical look of impassibility so common to the men of the
American wilderness.

"What were you about to say, Flo?" asked her father.

"That I've just learned a piece of good news from Roderick. He seemed
inclined to talk about the wreck this morning. Seeing him so much
better, I gave him encouragement, and he has just told me that before
leaving England he had taken the advice of a friend and insured the
whole of our goods that were shipped in the _Betsy_."

"That's good news indeed, Flo; better than I deserve after my
unbelieving remarks about the efficacy of prayer. And here is good news
for you of another kind," he added, holding up one of the partridges,
"fresh meat for Roderick, and a hunter who looks as if he could keep us
well supplied if we can only prevail on him to stay with us. Try what
you can do, Flo; if he has a spark of gallantry in him he will be sure
to understand what you say to him; but it must be in the language of
signs, Flo, for he evidently understands no English."

Thus appealed to, Flora advanced to the Indian, and, taking him somewhat
timidly by the sleeve, led him to the opening of the tent and pointed to
the sick man; then to the clean-scraped bones of the last rabbit he had
eaten, after which she pointed to the game just purchased, touched the
Indian's gun, and, making a