o scour the prairies wide,
Upon the bison's trail;
To pierce his dark and shaggy hide
With darts that never fail.

"His is the lion's strength in war,
In peace, the lion's rest;
And the eagle hath not flown so far
As his fame throughout the West."

Upon leaving the Huron, Hans Vanderbum hurried toward the village, as
rapidly as the peculiar structure of his body would allow. As has been
remarked, he was well acquainted with Oonomoo, knowing him to be a
faithful ally of his race. He was anxious, therefore, to show his
friendship to the savage. Down, too, somewhere in the huge heart of
the plethoric Dutchman, was a kindly feeling for the distress of a
human being, and he felt willing and anxious to befriend any hapless
captive that had fallen into the hands of the relentless Shawnees.

So absorbed was he in meditating, that he took no heed of
his footsteps until he was suddenly confronted by his spouse,
Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, who, flourishing a sort of hoe over his
head, demanded, or rather screeched:

"Where's your fish?"

Hans Vanderbum winked very rapidly, and putting his hands up over his
head, as if to protect it, "I forgots all about dem. I goes right back
and gots dem."

He wheeled around as he spoke, receiving a resounding whack from the
hoe, by way of a reminder, and went lumbering through the woods in
search of his basket of fish. He experienced little difficulty in
finding it, and in a few moments was back again to his affectionate
partner.

"How did you get wet?" she asked, looking at his flapping garments.

"Dem little Dutchmen done it; dey fixed de limb and made it proke and
let me down in de water and almost drownded. Quanonshet and
Madokawandock will be de death of deir poor dad."

The wife vouchsafed no reply, but jerking the fish from his hand,
entered the wigwam for the purpose of cooking them, while Hans
Vanderbum himself went lounging on through the village, it being his
purpose not to seem too anxious and hurried in his effort to gain his
news regarding the captive. He was, despite his stupidity, not devoid
of sagacity at times.

He had not long to search. In the very center of the town, his eyes
fell upon a promiscuous crowd collected around a wigwam, gazing at
something within.

"Vot you got dere?" he demanded, in a tone of great indignation, as he
shoved his way through the bystanders. Those addressed made no reply,
waiting for him to sati