im off, for he never would have parted with his skin,
if he had had his senses about him."

"Yes," observed Martin, "his wound was mortal, that's certain."

They pursued the track till they arrived at the forest, and then,
satisfied by the marks on the snow that the wounded man had been carried
away, they returned to the house, when they found the rest of the family
dressed and in the kitchen. Alfred shewed them the skin of the wolf,
and informed them of what they had discovered.

"I am grieved that blood has been shed," observed Mrs Campbell; "I wish
it had not happened. I have heard that the Indians never forgive on
such occasions."

"Why, ma'am, they are very revengeful, that's certain, but still they
won't like to risk too much. This has been a lesson to them. I only
wish it had been the Angry Snake himself who was settled, as then we
should have no more trouble or anxiety about them."

"Perhaps it may be," said Alfred.

"No, sir, that's not likely; it's one of his young men; I know the
Indian customs well."

It was some time before the alarm occasioned by this event subsided in
the mind of Mrs Campbell and her nieces; Mr Campbell also thought much
about it, and betrayed occasional anxiety. The parties went out hunting
as before, but those at home now felt anxious till their return from the
chase. Time, however, and not hearing anything more of the Indians,
gradually revived their courage, and before the winter was half over
they thought little about it. Indeed, it had been ascertained by
Malachi from another band of Indians which he fell in with near a small
lake where they were trapping beaver, that the Angry Snake was not in
that part of the country, but had gone with his band to the westward at
the commencement of the new year. This satisfied them that the enemy
had left immediately after the attempt which he had made to reconnoitre
the premises.

The hunting-parties, therefore, as we said, continued as before; indeed,
they were necessary for the supply of so many mouths. Percival, who had
grown very much since his residence in Canada, was very anxious to be
permitted to join them, which he never had been during the former
winter. This was very natural. He saw his younger brother go out
almost daily, and seldom return without having been successful; indeed,
John was, next to Malachi, the best shot of the party. It was,
therefore, very annoying to Percival that he should always be detained
a