, he made up his mind to lay him down and die!

His manner of preparing for his end was somewhat singular. Turning
aside into the woods, he set about making an encampment with as much
vigour as he could summon up. Clearing away the snow from the roots of
a large spreading pine-tree, he strewed branches on the ground, and thus
made a rude couch. On this he spread his blanket. Then he cut some
firewood with the axe that hung at his side, and soon kindled, by means
of flint, steel, and tinder, a good fire. Seating himself before the
warm blaze, the exhausted man rested awhile, with his legs drawn
together and his head resting on his knees.

He sat so long thus that he nearly fell asleep. Presently he roused
himself, and proceeded to make a close examination of his wallet and
firebag--the latter being a beautifully ornamented pouch, which Indians
and fur-traders wear at their belts, for the purpose of containing the
materials for producing fire, besides pipes and tobacco.

Poor Wapaw had already searched his wallet and firebag twice, without
finding a crumb of food or a morsel of tobacco. He knew well that they
were empty, yet he turned them inside out, and examined the seams and
corners with as much earnestness as if he really expected to find relief
from his sufferings there.

There was no expression of pain on the red man's face--only a look of
profound melancholy.

He laid aside the firebag after a little while, and then quietly drew
his knife, and cut a piece of leather from the skirt of his hunting
coat.

The leather had been dried and smoked, and contained no substance
whatever that could sustain life. Wapaw was aware of this--nevertheless
he singed a portion of it until it was reduced almost to ashes, and
mingling a little snow with this, ate it greedily.

Then, raising his eyes to the sky with a long earnest gaze, he sat
immovable, until the sinking fire and the increasing cold recalled his
wandering faculties.

There was a wild, glassy look about the Indian's eyes now, which
probably resulted from exhaustion. He seemed to struggle several times
to rouse himself before he succeeded; shuddering with intense cold, he
crept to the little pile of firewood, and placed several billets on the
fire, which speedily blazed up again, and the dying man cowered over it,
regardless of the smoke which ever and anon wreathed round his drooping
head.

In a few minutes Wapaw started up as if new energy had been i