greatly with Mike's joyous
notes.

"Faix! if it's tears he wants to draw from our eyes, I can bate him
there," observed Mike, when Kakaik had ceased; and he began one of those
sad ditties descriptive of the death of some Irish heroine. Though the
Indian could not understand the meaning, he appeared to be much
affected, and it was some time before he began another song. From the
few words we could make out, we supposed him to be recounting the
misfortunes of his people, and their departure from the hunting-grounds
of their fathers.

Mike had brought his fiddle, but of course he could not play it while
paddling.

"When we get to Kepenau's, I'll show the people what I can do, and set
them all jigging away, and laughing till they split their sides," he
observed.

The scenery amid which we passed was wild in the extreme. Not a sign of
a human being, or a habitation of any sort, was visible. Sometimes dark
rocks rose up in precipitous cliffs on both sides of us, and at other
times the trees of the forest overhung the water. We had several
portages to make, as it was easier to carry the canoes over the land
than to drag them up the rapids, but Kakaik signified that on our return
we might shoot them without danger.

At last, in the far-off distance, we caught sight of a wreath of smoke
ascending from near the bank, and from the gestures of the Indian we
understood that we were now approaching Kepenau's camp. In a short time
shouts were heard, and we saw several wigwams erected on the greensward
in a recess of the forest, surrounded by trees which sheltered them
completely from the wind.

A canoe immediately put off and came paddling out towards us; then
turned round and accompanied us back to the bank, on which Kepenau, with
Ashatea and other members of his family, stood ready to receive us. As
we shook hands he told us how glad he was to see us; and Ashatea had
many questions to ask about Lily and Dora.

"I have been longing to come and visit them again," she said. "Now that
the rice is ripe, I want to take them down to the lake where it grows,
that we may gather our canoe full."

Kepenau said that his people would be very glad to receive the goods we
had brought, and would be ready to purchase them with their beaver-skins
and other peltries, of which they had a considerable store.

When we talked about hunting, he assured us that we need have no fear of
obtaining plenty of sport, as, with our rifles, we s