ng game that is never out of season, and which
is just actyve and instinctyve enough to give a pleasure to death. So I
wouldn't ricommend it to you to start Hist on that idee."

"Hist can't be so wicked as to believe any such thing," returned the
other, earnestly. "No Indian hunts after he is dead."

"No wicked Indian, I grant you; no wicked Indian, sartainly. He is
obliged to carry the ammunition, and to look on without sharing in the
sport, and to cook, and to light the fires, and to do every thing that
isn't manful. Now, mind; I don't tell you these are my idees, but they
are Hist's idees, and, therefore, for the sake of peace the less you say
to her ag'in 'em, the better."

"And what are your ideas of the fate of an Indian, in the other world?"
demanded Judith, who had just found her voice.

"Ah! gal, any thing but that! I am too Christianized to expect any thing
so fanciful as hunting and fishing after death, nor do I believe there
is one Manitou for the red-skin and another for a pale-face. You find
different colours on 'arth, as any one may see, but you don't find
different natur's. Different gifts, but only one natur'."

"In what is a gift different from a nature? Is not nature itself a gift
from God?"

"Sartain; that's quick-thoughted, and creditable, Judith, though the
main idee is wrong. A natur' is the creatur' itself; its wishes, wants,
idees and feelin's, as all are born in him. This natur' never can be
changed, in the main, though it may undergo some increase, or lessening.
Now, gifts come of sarcumstances. Thus, if you put a man in a town, he
gets town gifts; in a settlement, settlement gifts; in a forest, gifts
of the woods. A soldier has soldierly gifts, and a missionary preaching
gifts. All these increase and strengthen, until they get to fortify
natur', as it might be, and excuse a thousand acts and idees. Still
the creatur' is the same at the bottom; just as a man who is clad in
regimentals is the same as the man that is clad in skins. The garments
make a change to the eye, and some change in the conduct, perhaps; but
none in the man. Herein lies the apology for gifts; seein' that you
expect different conduct from one in silks and satins, from one in
homespun; though the Lord, who didn't make the dresses, but who made
the creatur's themselves, looks only at his own work. This isn't ra'al
missionary doctrine, but it's as near it as a man of white colour need
be. Ah's! me; little did I think to