band of Indians which he fell in with near a small lake
where they were trapping beaver, that the Angry Snake was not in that
part of the country, but had gone with his band to the westward at the
commencement of the new year. This satisfied them that the enemy had
left immediately after the attempt which he had made to reconnoiter the
premises.

The hunting parties, therefore, as we said, continued as before; indeed,
they were necessary for the supply of so many mouths. Percival, who had
grown very much since his residence in Canada, was very anxious to be
permitted to join them, which he never had been during the former
winter. This was very natural. He saw his younger brother go out almost
daily, and seldom return without having been successful; indeed, John
was, next to Malachi, the best shot of the party. It was, therefore,
very annoying to Percival that he should always be detained at home
doing all the drudgery of the house, such as feeding the pigs, cleaning
knives, and other menial work, while his younger brother was doing the
duty of a man. To Percival's repeated entreaties, objections were
constantly raised by his mother: they could not spare him, he was not
accustomed to walk in snow-shoes. Mr Campbell observed that Percival
became dissatisfied and unhappy, and Alfred took his part and pleaded
for him. Alfred observed very truly, that the Strawberry could
occasionally do Percival's work, and that if it could be avoided, he
should not be cooped up at home in the way that he was; and, Mr.
Campbell agreeing with Alfred, Mrs. Campbell very reluctantly gave her
consent to his occasionally going out.

"Why, aunt, have you such an objection to Percival going out with the
hunters?" said Mary. "It must be very trying to him to be always
detained at home."

"I feel the truth of what you say, my dear Mary," said Mrs. Campbell,
"and I assure you it is not out of selfishness, or because we shall have
more work to do, that I wish him to remain with us; but I have an
instinctive dread that some accident will happen to him, which I can
not overcome, and there is no arguing with a mother's fears and a
mother's love."

"You were quite as uneasy, my dear aunt, when John first went out; you
were continually in alarm about him, but now you are perfectly at ease,"
replied Emma.

"Very true," said Mrs. Campbell; "it is, perhaps, a weakness on my part
which I ought to get over; but we are all liable to such feelings. I
trust