ng off,
and the animal fell, and could not get on its feet again, and it then
dropped the child out of its mouth to attack the mother. The woman
caught the child up, but the wolf gave her a severe bite on the arm, and
broke the bone near the wrist. A wolf has a wonderful strong jaw,
ma'am. However, the baby was saved, and neighbours came and despatched
the animal."

"What a fearful position for a mother to be in!" exclaimed Mrs
Campbell.

"Where did that happen?"

"On the White Mountains, ma'am," replied Martin. "Malachi Bone told me
the story; he was born there."

"Then he is an American."

"Well, ma'am, he is an American because he was born in this country, but
it was English when he was born, so he calls himself an Englishman."

"I understand," replied Mrs Campbell, "he was born before the colonies
obtained their independence."

"Yes, ma'am, long before; there's no saying how old he is. When I was
quite a child, I recollect he was then reckoned an old man; indeed, the
name the Indians gave to him proves it. He then was called the `Grey
Badger.'"

"But is he so very old, do you really think, Martin?"

"I think he has seen more than sixty snows, ma'am; but not many more;
the fact is, his hair was grey before he was twenty years old; he told
me so himself, and that's one reason why the Indians are so fearful of
him. They have it from their fathers that the Grey Badger was a great
hunter, as Malachi was more than forty years ago; so they imagine as his
hair was grey then, he must have been a very old man at that time back,
and so to them he appears to live for ever, and they consider him as
charmed, and to use their phrase `great _medicine_.' I've heard some
Indians declare that Malachi has seen one hundred and fifty winters, and
they really believe it. I never contradicted them, as you may imagine."

"Does he live comfortably?"

"Yes, ma'am, he does; his squaw knows what he wants, and does what she
is bid. She is very fond of the old man, and looks upon him, as he
really is to her, as a father. His lodge is always full of meat, and he
has plenty of skins. He don't drink spirits, and if he has tobacco for
smoking, and powder and ball, what else can he want?"

"Happy are they whose wants are so few," observed Mr Campbell. "A man
in whatever position in life, if he is content, is certain to be happy.
How true are the words of the poet:--

"Man wants but little here below,
Nor wants that l