le, could bring to him. Before she left me I told her that in due
form to-morrow I would enter her father's wigwam and open my pack of
rich furs before him, and by their value would win his consent. Then
she kissed me and quickly hurried back again. That night following was
a bad night for me."

For a time Kinesasis paused in his narrative, and seemed, Indian though
he was, to be deeply moved, while his aged wife buried her head in her
blanket and bowed to the floor. Mr Ross, who knew his story, respected
the old man's feelings, and for a short time said and did nothing; then
he filled the calumet and gave it to him. The tobacco and the rest
quieted his perturbed spirits, and handing back the pipe he continued
his most fascinating story:

"Yes, that night I entered the village was indeed a bad night for me.
Evil eyes had been on Shakoona. Cunning steps had followed her, and
sharp ears had heard enough of our story to find out what I was going to
do next day with my valuable furs that I had been eight long moons in
hunting. As I entered the outskirts of the village I was met by a young
Indian with the word that the wigwam of my relatives was cold and empty,
as they had not yet returned from their hunting grounds, which were in
an opposite direction from the way in which I had come. Very cordial
seemed the invitation of that man for me to rest that night in his
wigwam, which was a large one, being made of many dressed buffalo skins
sewed together.

"Without any distrust I accepted his invitation, as was the manner of
our people, and was glad to unstrap my heavy load of furs, as well as my
gun and traps and blanket. With much more attention than is generally
shown to one thus coming in, this Indian helped me in various ways.
With a good deal of show he hung up my gun and traps for me, and placed
my pack of furs tightly back against the leather wall of the wigwam. In
the meantime fish and venison were brought in, and a good supper was
prepared and eaten. Afterward we smoked and talked for some time, and
then prepared to sleep. Noticing that the wind outside was rising, he
showed me a place where I could spread my blanket where there would be
no draft, but it was away from my pack of furs. At first I thought I
would bring my furs from the place where they had been put and place
them at my head, but this I saw would give offence, and now as some
young children were lying down to sleep near them, there was not e