smoked
out the little brass-bowled pipe which he carried with tobacco in a
pouch at his belt. This pouch of tobacco and another of parched Indian
corn, were all the provisions the ordinary Indian carried when on the
march. The forest must supply his larder from time to time as he had
need; and if game was scarce the red man went uncomplainingly with empty
stomach.

"Harding and Lot found much pelt?" he said, questioningly, waving his
hand at the bales of furs in the back of the shelter.

"So-so. We can't complain, Crow Wing. You were trapping, too?"

"Yonder," replied the Indian, pointing to the west. "Crow Wing look at
trap; wolves met him; wolves very hungry; make much mad when hungry.
Umph!"

"And they attacked you right away?"

"Umph! Me shoot; then club gun. Hit tree first time; break gun; then run
some more. Catch foot and fall; much hurt. That all."

"Are you alone at your camp yonder?"

"Umph!" said the Indian, nodding affirmatively.

"You had better stay here till your foot's well. I reckon that gun can
be repaired, too. Only the stock is broken."

The Indian's eyes gleamed, showing that this statement pleased him
vastly. Crow Wing's "fire-tube" was his most precious possession. "Me
thought no good," he said.

"I know of a man in Bennington who can fix it," declared Enoch. "Have
you many pelts at your camp?"

On his fingers Crow Wing showed how many beaver skins, otter pelts, wolf
hides, and other and less worthy furs, he had obtained. He also stated
that he had three steel wolf traps and two beaver or otter traps which
he had obtained from a farmer for whom he had worked.

"We can bring 'em all over here. Lot and I will go for them. You can't
get around on that foot much for several weeks. It's bad. You 'tend camp
and stretch pelts, while Lot and I look out for the traps. Then, when we
go home, you take one third of the pelts."

Crow Wing thought of this silently for a moment and then held out his
hand with gravity. "Good! Crow Wing go to Bennington with Harding and
Lot; sell pelts there and get gun fixed. Umph!"

Although Enoch had suggested this scheme upon his own responsibility he
knew Lot would agree to it. Really, it was a good thing for all three.
Crow Wing's gun was useless, and his lame foot made traveling next to
impossible for a while. But he could keep camp all right and look after
the pelts. The traps the Indian had would be of much service to the
white boys and would increase t