strikingly handsome, for it lacked the
usual melancholy of the redman, having in its place a haughty, daring
expression that gave it the appearance of extreme bravery, and even a
dash of wild majesty. That he was a favorite with the older men of his
tribe was generally acknowledged, for he was a magnificent hunter, an
unerring shot, and, best of all, he could go without food for untold
hours, always a thing to be very proud of among the Indian people. So
the two old hunters told their stories and laughed over adventures with
the same freedom as if the boy had not been present.

"Yes," said old "Fire-Flower," beginning his story, "that was the
strangest bear hunt the Grand River ever saw. These white men think they
can come here and kill game, but a bear knows more than a paleface, at
least that one did."

"Fish-Carrier," the other hunter, nodded his head understandingly,
refilled his stone pipe, and said tauntingly, "I know some Indians that
don't know as much as a bear."

Fire-Flower chuckled, passing the insinuation with a knowing smile. "No
bear knows more than _this_ Indian," he boasted. "At least no bear I
ever came across could outwit me."

"We'll hear what you have to tell," answered Fish-Carrier, with great
condescension.

Young Wampum sat erect then. He knew the tale was going to be a good
one.

Teasingly, old Fire-Flower took an unnecessarily long time to "light
up," but his two auditors were Indians, like himself, and had patience
with his whims. Then the great hunter settled himself, and began his
story by shaking his head, boastingly, and chuckling:

"It was two white men, and, as usual, they knew nothing, but they had
good guns, and a fine canoe, and they paddled many days to get to the
'Indian Bush' to hunt. I was up there, across from the island in the
river, when I first saw them, and their faces were paler than any
paleface I ever saw before or since. It seems they had pulled up on the
shore, built a little campfire to make their tea and to eat, when out
of the bush arose a big black bear, gruffing and grunting and eating
berries. When they saw it they gave a worse war-whoop than the Cherokees
ever did. They reached for their guns, then started to shake and tremble
as though the bush ague were upon them. 'He's chewing!' yelled one.
'He's chewing at us, he'll eat us alive.' But the other put on a face
like a great brave. 'We'll kill him,' he said with great boasting.
'That's what we came for,