facts are so plain that any child may see into
their wisdom. The savages are of many minds as to the manner of our
treatment. Some fear us for colour, and would gladly let us go, and
other some would show us the mercy that the doe receives from the hungry
wolf. When opposition gets fairly into the councils of a tribe, it
is rarely that humanity is the gainer. Now see you these wrinkled
and cruel-minded squaws--No, you cannot see them as you lie, but
nevertheless they are here, ready and willing, like so many raging
she-bears, to work their will upon us so soon as the proper time shall
come."

"Harkee, old gentleman trapper," interrupted Paul, with a little
bitterness in his manner; "do you tell us these matters for our
amusement, or for your own? If for ours, you may keep your breath for
the next race you run, as I am tickled nearly to suffocation, already,
with my part of the fun."

"Hist"--said the trapper, cutting with great dexterity and rapidity the
thong, which bound one of the arms of Paul to his body, and dropping his
knife at the same time within reach of the liberated hand. "Hist, boy,
hist; that was a lucky moment! The yell from the bottom drew the eyes of
these blood-suckers in another quarter, and so far we are safe. Now make
a proper use of your advantages; but be careful, that what you do, is
done without being seen."

"Thank you for this small favour, old deliberation," muttered the
bee-hunter, "though it comes like a snow in May, somewhat out of
season."

"Foolish boy!" reproachfully exclaimed the other, who had moved to
a little distance from his friends, and appeared to be attentively
regarding the movements of the hostile parties, "will you never learn to
know the wisdom of patience? And you, too, Captain; though a man myself,
that seldom ruffles his temper by vain feelings, I see that you are
silent, because you scorn to ask favours any longer from one you think
too slow to grant them. No doubt, ye are both young, and filled with the
pride of your strength and manhood, and I dare say you thought it only
needful to cut the thongs, to leave you masters of the ground. But he,
that has seen much, is apt to think much. Had I run like a bustling
woman to have given you freedom, these hags of the Siouxes would have
seen the same, and then where would you both have found yourselves?
Under the tomahawk and the knife, like helpless and outcrying children,
though gifted with the size and beards of men. As