to the will and caprice of the conjuror, who is almost daily
relating some new whim or extraordinary event.

Every thing which is not easily understood is a spirit. Among the
Creek Indians the Whip-poor-will is a spirit; the Jack o' Lantern is
the same: and, with regard to the latter, they agree with the remnant
of the Massachusett Indians, who believe it is the shape which the
Evil Spirit takes in his visits to the sons of men. An old Indian
woman, who lived some time as a domestic in my father's family, and
was possessed of all the genuine traits of Indian character, was
nearly thrown into convulsions by being caught a few rods from the
house when one of these meteors made its appearance.

Tonti, in his account of De la Salle's Expedition, says: "They are so
extravagant as to believe that every thing in the world has a spirit.
It is upon this principle that are grounded all the foolish
superstitions of their jugglers or Manitous, who are their priests or
magicians."

THE TWO GHOSTS.

Once upon a time, many ages ago, there lived, near the shores of Lake
Superior, a hunter, who was considered the most intrepid and expert in
his vocation of all the hunters of the wilderness. His lodge, which
was built with the steady reference to the wants of nature, which are
always seen in the location of an Indian village or habitation, was
situated in a remote part of the forest, at the distance of many days'
journey from any other dwelling. Here, alone, and free from the bloody
spirit of warfare which distinguished the men of his tribe, his days
glided on like the quiet flow of a river that has no fall. He spent
the period of light in the noble amusement of hunting, and his
evenings in relating to his beautiful and bright-eyed wife the
incidents which had befallen him that day in the chace; or he detailed
those which had happened to him before she became the star of his
lodge; or he spoke of their long-tried, and mutual love; or he fondly
sketched scenes of future bliss; or he held on his knee, and pressed
to his heart, the little pledge of their love, which now, for the
first time, began to venture across the floor of his cabin without a
hand to sustain it. As game was then very abundant, he seldom failed
to bring home in the evening a store of meats sufficient to last them
until the succeeding evening; and, while they were seated beside the
pleasant fire of their lodge, partaking of the fruits of his labour,
he would