ught would prove the
tenderest portion, and dragged the rest of the carcass away. I would
not, however, advise anybody to feed upon wolf's flesh if they can get
anything better. More tough and nauseous morsels I never attempted to
swallow; but it was necessary to economise the rest of my provisions.

I one day went out as usual to exercise my limbs and look for a chance
shot. There was a fine clear sky overhead, not a breath of air was
stirring, and my blood was soon in circulation. I felt more up to
anything than I had done for a long time. I reached the only elevation
in the neighbourhood, near the bank of the creek, when, turning my
glance round on every side, I saw in the far distance towards the
north-west, two specks on the surface of the dazzling expanse of white
spread out before me. I watched--the specks were moving, they might be
deer, or they might be wolves, but from the way they progressed I had
little doubt they were men. They came from a quarter I did not like,
inhabited by Dacotahs and Pawnees--treacherous, thievish rascals, who
will take the scalp of an old woman if they can catch her asleep, and
make as much boast of it as if they had killed a warrior in open fight.
Still it was necessary to be on my guard against them. I waited till I
ascertained without doubt that they were human beings, and then hastened
back to my tent, made up my fire so that the smoke might be seen coming
out at the top, put a buffalo robe inside my bed to personate myself,
and loaded myself with all my fire-arms. I then carefully closed the
entrance of the tent, and stepped back over the marks I had previously
made, till I reached the bank of the stream, where I found ample shelter
behind a clump of thick bushes. I there lay between two heaps of snow
with my rifle ready, perfectly concealed, but having a clear view of my
tent and the country beyond. If the strangers should prove to be
friends, as the precautions had given me but little trouble it was wiser
to take them, but if enemies they were very necessary. When they were
still a long way off, I made out that the strangers were red-skins.
Their costume showed me that they belonged to the tribes I have
mentioned, and I had no doubt that they had come with hostile intent.
They stopped, and I saw by their gestures that they were forming their
plan of proceeding. One was an oldish man, the other was a tall, active
lad; either would give me considerable difficulty to m