ce, Wahadah!"

The kind-hearted factor could not refuse, and as the great bell used to
mark the hours of work and of meals pealed out untimely upon the frosty
air, the Indian started up and in that moment breathed his last. He had
given no news, and McLeod and his sons could only guess at the state of
affairs upon the Mouse River.

While the men were in council with her father, Magaskawee had turned
over the contents of her work-bag. She had found a small roll of
birch-bark in which she kept her porcupine quills for embroidery, and
pulled the delicate layers apart. The White Swan was not altogether the
untutored Indian maiden, for she had lived in the family of a missionary
in the States, and had learned both to speak and write some English.
There was no ink, no pen or pencil, but with her bone awl she pressed
upon the white side of the bark the following words:

MR. ANGUS McLEOD:--

We are near the hollow rock on the Mouse River. The
buffalo went away across the Missouri, and our powder and
shot are gone. We are starving. Good-bye, if I don't see
you again.

MAGASKAWEE.

The girl entrusted this little note to her grandmother, and she in turn
gave it to the messenger. But he, as we know, was unable to deliver it.

"Angus, tell the boys to bury the poor fellow to-morrow. I dare say
he brought us some news from White Lodge, but we have got to go to the
happy hunting-grounds to get it, or wait till the exile band returns in
the spring. Evidently," continued McLeod, "he fell sick on the way: or
else he was starving!"

This last suggestion horrified Angus. "I believe, father," he exclaimed,
"that we ought to examine his bundle."

A small oblong packet was brought forth from the dead man's belt and
carefully unrolled.

There were several pairs of moccasins, and within one of these Angus
found something wrapped up nicely. He proceeded to unwind the long
strings of deerskin with which it was securely tied, and brought forth a
thin sheet of birch-bark. At first, there seemed to be nothing more,
but a closer scrutiny revealed the impression of the awl, and the bit
of nature's parchment was brought nearer to his face, and scanned with a
zeal equal to that of any student of ancient hieroglyphics.

"This tells the whole story, father!" exclaimed the young man at last.
"Magaskawee's note--just listen!" and he read it aloud. "I shall start
to-morrow. We can take enough provision and ammunition on tw