lowing the track of the animal over the wet ground. They
discovered it next morning with another bear, so busy devouring a swarm
of bees and their honey, that the savages were able to draw near them.
Parabery pierced one with his spear, and despatched him with a blow of
his club; one of his comrades killed the other, and Parabery tasted the
truly savage joy of vengeance. But the poor mother could not be so
comforted. After wandering through the rain all night, she reached the
party as they were skinning the bear and dividing the flesh. Parabery
only asked and obtained the skins, to recompense him for the loss of his
son. They returned home in triumph, Canda following them with bitter
cries, tearing her face with a shark's tooth. From observation of these
circumstances, I concluded that Canda must be the mother of my little
_protege_. My heart sympathized with her, and I even made some steps
forward to restore him; but the sight of the savage crowd, with their
tattooed bodies, filled me with such terror, that I retreated
involuntarily to the grotto, where my children, alarmed by the noise,
were hiding themselves.

"'Why do the people cry out so?' said Sophia, 'they frighten me. Don't
let them come here, mamma, or they may carry Minou away,'

"'Certainly,' said I; 'and I should have no right to forbid them. I
think they are his friends who are distressed at losing him; I wish I
could restore him to them.'

"'Oh, no! mamma,' said Matilda. 'Pray don't give him back; we like him
so much, and we will be his little mammas. He will be far happier with
us than with those ugly savages, who tied him up like a parcel in the
bark, with the moss which pricked him so much; he is much more
comfortable in my apron. How he moves his legs as if he wanted to walk;
Sophia and I will teach him. Do let us keep him, mimi.'

"Even if I had decided, it was now too late; the savages had passed on
to some distance. I, however, explained to Matilda the beauty of the
divine precept, 'Do unto others as you would they should do unto you,'
asking her how she would have liked to be detained by the savages, and
what, then, would be the suffering of her own mamma? She was thoughtful
for a moment, and then, embracing Minou and me, 'You are right, mamma
mimi; but if she loves her baby, let her come and seek him,' said the
little rebel. In the mean time, Sophia had been out, and returned with
some brilliant flowers, fresh after the rain, with which they m