light she sprang upon her prize, and bore
it in triumph into the hut, where she speedily plucked it. Then she
split it open, and went down to the lake and washed it quite clean and
spread it out flat. Her next proceeding was to cut a short stick, about
two feet in length, which she pointed at both ends, making one point
thinner than the other. This thin point she thrust through the bird,
and stuck it up before the fire to roast, placing a small dish, made of
birch bark, below it to catch the dripping.

"I hope he won't come back till it's ready," she muttered, as the skin
of the bird began to brown and frizzle, while a delicious odour began to
fill the hut.

Just as the thought was uttered, a footstep was heard outside, the
covering of the doorway was raised, a tall figure stooped to enter, and
the next instant a gaunt and half-naked savage stood before her.

Nelly uttered a faint cry of terror, but she was so paralysed that she
could make no effort to escape, even had escape been possible.

The appearance of the Indian was indeed calculated to strike terror to a
stouter heart than that of poor Nelly; for besides being partially clad
in torn garments, his eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and his whole
person was more or less smeared with blood.

As the poor child gazed at this apparition in horror, the Indian said,
"Ho!" by way of salutation, and stepping forward, took her hand gently
and shook it after the manner of the white man. A gleam of intelligence
and surprise at once removed the look of fear from Nelly's face.

"Wapaw!" she exclaimed breathlessly.

"Ho!" replied the Indian, with a nod and a smile, as he laid aside his
gun and snowshoes, and squatted himself down before the fire.

There was not much to be gathered from "ho!" but the nod and smile
proved to Nelly that the intruder was indeed none other than her old
friend Wapaw.

Her alarm being now removed, she perceived that the poor Indian was
suffering both from fatigue and wounds--perhaps from hunger too; but
this latter idea was discarded when she observed that several birds,
similar to the one she had just killed, hung at the Indian's belt. She
rose up quickly, therefore, and, running down to the lake, soon returned
with a can of clear water, with which she purposed bathing Wapaw's
wounds. Wapaw seized the can, however, and emptied the contents down
his throat, so she was constrained to go for a second supply.

Having washed the wounds, whi