perate horse thief bent on mischief, ere he can draw his weapons, you
can easily drop him."

These thoughts must have flashed through my brains very rapidly for the
man had not yet entered the barn when I had decided on my course of
action.

So, while keeping him covered with my rifle, and with my hand upon the
trigger, I shouted:

"Who's there?"

"It's only Matthew. Surely you ought to know me by this time."

Instead of an enemy, there came stumbling along in the darkness, one of
our young friends from the camp: a school-teacher, going out to instruct
the Indians in the plains of the Saskatchewan.

Groping his way along, he said: "It is awfully close and hot down there
in the camp, and so I thought I would rather come and spend the rest of
the night with you in the barn."

Foolish fellow! he little knew how near he had come to losing his life
by this direct breach of orders.

As I recognised his voice in answer to my challenge, and realised how
near I had come to shooting one of our party, a quick reaction seized
me, and dropping the gun, I sank back trembling like a leaf.

After chatting away at a great rate, he at length settled down in the
hay, and went to sleep without having the slightest idea of the risk he
had run, or of the part I had played in what came so near being a
tragedy.

I continued my watch until relieved at sunrise, and then, with my
comrade, turned over all the horses safe and sound to those whose duty
it was to watch them while they were feeding on the prairies.

There was a row for a time when I reported to the leaders of our company
the visit to the barn. The good-natured delinquent was the subject of a
great deal of scolding, which he bore with an unruffled demeanour. As
he was six feet, six inches and a half in stature, no physical
castigation was administered; nor was any needed; he was so thoroughly
frightened when he heard how he had stood under cover of my rifle with
my finger on the trigger.

CHAPTER TWO.

ON THE INDIAN TRAIL.

We will call the routes over which I travelled on my large mission
field, "Indian trails;" but the name at times would be found to be
inept, as often, for scores of miles, there was not the least vestige of
a track or path. This was because there was so little travel in summer
of a character that would make a well defined trail, for during that
season the Indians preferred to avail themselves of the splendid and
numerous lakes and rivers,