ighted a fire, putting up a screen of birch bark to keep off the
wind, while they sat down to regale themselves on the humps and other
prize portions of the animals. Here, while their horses were left to
pick up their food from beneath the snow, the hardy hunters purposed,
without seek any other shelter, to pass the night.

The sky had been for some time overcast, and snow began to fall heavily;
but their fire blazed up brightly, and as they sat close round it,
enjoying its warmth, they cared little for the thick flakes which passed
by them. Steak after steak of the buffalo meat disappeared, as they sat
eating and boasting of their deeds of war and the chase, and fully
giving themselves up to savage enjoyment.

Laurence listened to their tales, wondering whether he should ever
perform similar brave deeds. Unaccustomed for so long to the ways of
his wild companions, he had soon satisfied his hunger, and in spite of
the fire, feeling the cold severely, he had gone a short distance into
the wood to bring some large pieces of birch-bark with which he could
form an additional shelter for himself, by putting up a small wigwam.
Having found the pieces of bark, he was on the point of returning when
the sharp report of several rifles rang through the air, and looking
towards the fire, he saw two of his companions stretched on the ground,
while the other was in vain struggling to rise. A fierce yell followed,
and directly afterwards the light of the fire fell on a party of Cree
warriors, who came springing out of the darkness towards the spot. He
stopped to see no more, but, urged by the instinct of self-preservation,
he made his way through the wood till he reached a thick mass of bushes,
into the midst of which he threw himself, in the hopes that he might
escape the search of the savages. He lay there, expecting every instant
to be discovered, and put to death. He could hear the shouts of the
victors as they hastily partook of the feast prepared by those they had
slaughtered, and having caught their horses, loaded them with the
buffalo meat. He judged by the sounds of their voices that his enemies
were moving from the spot; and as they got further and further away, he
began to entertain the hope of escape. Still fearing that they might
come back, he dared not move. He felt very cold and wretched, yet the
horror of the scene he had witnessed kept him from going to sleep. Poor
Laurence, as he lay there almost frozen to