weakness in
such as die of cold. I redoubled my efforts, but with an entire
consciousness of the danger of my situation; it was with no small
difficulty that I could prevent myself from lying down. At length I lost
all consciousness for some time, how long I cannot tell, and, awaking as
from a dream, I found I had been walking round and round in a small
circle not more than twenty or twenty-five yards over. After the return
of my senses, I looked about to try to discover my path, as I had missed
it; but, while I was looking, I discovered a light at a distance, by
which I directed my course. Once more, before I reached the lodge, I
lost my senses; but I did not fall down; if I had, I should never have
got up again; but I ran round and round in a circle as before. When I at
last came into the lodge, I immediately fell down, but I did not lose
myself as before. I can remember seeing the thick and sparkling coat of
frost on the inside of the pukkwi lodge, and hearing my mother say that
she had kept a large fire in expectation of my arrival; and that she had
not thought I should have been so long gone in the morning, but that I
should have known long before night of her having moved. It was a month
before I was able to go out again, my face, hands, and legs having been
much frozen.

There is, on the bank of the Little Saskawjewun, a place which looks
like one the Indians would always choose to encamp at. In a bend of the
river is a beautiful landing-place, behind it a little plain, a thick
wood, and a small hill rising abruptly in the rear. But with that spot
is connected a story of fratricide, a crime so uncommon that the spot
where it happened is held in detestation, and regarded with terror. No
Indian will land his canoe, much less encamp, at '_the place of the two
dead men_.' They relate that many years ago the Indians were encamped
here, when a quarrel arose between two brothers, having she-she-gwi for
totems.[1] One drew his knife and slew the other; but those of the band
who were present, looked upon the crime as so horrid that, without
hesitation or delay, they killed the murderer, and buried them together.

As I approached this spot, I thought much of the story of the two
brothers, who bore the same totem with myself, and were, as I supposed,
related to my Indian mother. I had heard it said that, if any man
encamped near their graves, as some had done soon after they were
buried, they would be seen to come out of