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pointed in the direction of the high land toward the north.

For an instant the woman bowed her head in humility over the open palms of the hands she extended towards him. She then turned hastily away, and was followed by the grave warrior and the two friends toward the Kaya.

As they went on, Gardiner explained the scene to his companion. "The warrior informed the woman, in the language of signs, that twenty mounted braves, of the Crow tribe, are now sweeping the high country north in pursuit of the Blackfeet. You know, Kaya's squaw is a woman of the Crows. Her brother is their most celebrated chief. I think some runner must have carried to a party of the tribe intelligence of the approach of the Blackfeet to the camp of Kaya. The Crows have not reached them, though, or we should have heard the reports of the guns. Ah! there goes one now. But look! look at the Crow! mark the expression of his face! he holds up his head like a Canada hare at the first cry of the hounds!"

The Indian had paused at the sound of the gun, and, disregarding the look of solicitation with which the woman endeavored to arrest his attention, stood before them upon a high hussock of the swamp, as if turned into an image of stone.

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diner, "and if we were not within a few paces of Kaya. I don't think the presence of two white men would prevent his giving a war-whoop that would make this old wood ring again."

During their absence it was evident the squaw had unpacked the mule, for their blankets were arranged in a half-circle to the right and left of the mountaineer. A small fire burned in front of him. The woman stepped hastily forward and filled his pipe, which she placed by his side, and then sat down at some distance behind him. The Crow warrior advanced without speaking. and placed himself upon the blankets to the right of Kaya. Making a graceful gesture to the friends, he invited them to the place of honor beside him. When they were seated, the pipe was lighted by Kaya, and silently passed along the circle to Gardiner, who, taking a few whiffs, handed it to Wilson, who sat at his left, and nearest the Indian. It thus passed on to the half-breed, who smoked and laid it down.

The warrior now rose with great quickness, and sprung into the centre of the circle. He extended his right arm toward the south, as if beckoning to some distant object; then, pointing the fore-finger of the same hand to the earth, he stamped energetically. He then said a few words, with great earnestness, in the Indian tongue, and suddenly leaving the circle, returned with the wife of Kaya, whom he led forward

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Suddenly, and as if by effort, she raised her head, drew herself up, and, with the dignity of a warrior, looked with calm, unblenching eyes, full in the faces of the friends, and then turned them as steadily upon the Kaya and the attentive Indian.

The half-breed immediately arose and came forward. He placed himself by the side of the squaw, and took hold of her hand, as if to reassure her. Looking proudly around him, and then fixing his gaze upon the warrior, he said, in Eng. lish: "Where this running water which moistens our feet is no longer broken by the dams of the beaver, a canoe lies hid in the bushes, and there the only child of the Kaya holds up his little hands to the setting sun; but he does not laugh, and ask for it for a plaything; he knows that his mother has followed it away, and he is afraid that her eyes have gazed upon it so long that they are dazzled, and will not find her boy again. All to-day he has not tasted food, but he is the child of a warrior, and has not cried out; but the night is now come, and the mountain wolves will steal down into the meadows. It is time for a squaw of the Crows to remember, what the scent of a wolf might teach her never to forget."

Pausing for a moment, he turned to the attentive brave, and, making signs with his hands, still continued his remarks in English:

"The eyes of an eagle are so sharp, that they see further than to-day or tomorrow. The great chief of the Crows can find the scalp of a Blackfoot in every month of the year, but he will not raise up another Grizzly to fight for his children, if the son of his sister should starve upon the bottom-lands."

Gardiner clasped the hand of his companion, and said: "That is really, then, the Black Eagle! The most celebrated chief of all the northern tribes running about these meadows without a horse, and now gone, at last, to hunt up a papoose! Wilson, this is a great adventure. If you wish to study Indian character, keep your eyes open on such circumstances as these. Why, the mighty warrior has turned scout;

and let some other brave lead his fierce band into the presence of the enemy !"

"But look at Kaya-he has sunk back, exhausted, yet his eyes follow the retiring form of his wife with a look of solicitude and affection which he did not venture to betray in the presence of her brother!"

At this moment, the distant sound of the galloping of horses was heard. It approached the thicket-then the scalpwhoop, given by a dozen voices with thrilling vehemence, was answered by the Kaya with frightful intonations, which rang through the recesses of the copse, and were flung back as by an echo from the woods towards the south. Then the jarring, jumping bounds of the Indian horse, reined suddenly up from full speed, shook the earth; then, through the rustling bushes, the wild Indians of the plains came crowding around the camp-fire.

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most confoundedly. I declare I have eaten a pound of this pemmican, but I am still hungry."

"I agree with you there," said Wilson. "I would like some coffee from our stores, if only to wash it down. But, as to Kaya, he is hardly a dying man, if that fright ful long yell of his may be taken for a symptom."

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"Hush!" replied Gardiner, "there come the Indians; now let us be silent and sober, and these formalities will soon be over." Each warrior now walked round the inside of the circle, shaking hands with Kaya and his friends, and then sitting down in the group as befitted his rank-the older or more celebrated braves taking the front line. pipe was filled by the half-breed, lighted and passed from hand to hand. When it had made the circuit of the party, Kaya stood up and advanced to the front. My friends are very welcome," he said in English. . When a wounded buffalo cannot keep up with the herd, the wolves soon gnaw off his hamstrings; but a Grizzly is not a buffalo, though the wolves of the north did not find it out until they followed him into the bush." He then repeated the same words in the Indian tongue, and thus alternately expressing himself, he continued: "They have made work for the women of the Crows. It is better to camp in bushes when so many twigs are wanted for scalp-hoops. My brothers have looked upon a Grizzly so many times, that he need not tell them that he cannot eat berries without making red stains on his hide and his paws." Pointing with a gesture of contempt at the blood upon his clothing, Kaya sat down.

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A white-headed chief rose and came forward. He looked steadfastly at the white companions of the half-breed, and said: "When a man is old, it is no wonder if he be famous. His life is like a long winding trail, that leads up a high mountain many lodge-poles may have been drawn over it, until it is rubbed white, and may be seen a great way off. But when a young man is famous, his life must have been like an open trail in green woods. It is white and is bright, because there has been a shining blaze cut on every tree."

He sat down, and the eyes of the grave circle were turned on Gardiner, who stepped forward without hesitation, and addressed them.

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"What are words," he said. heart of a white man is not like the crop of a pigeon, that a girl of the Crows may cut open and find seeds that do not grow on the northern prairies. The Great Spirit made men alike in one thing, if he has given a different color to their skins. They all like to look upon a brave man, and to see a woman whose light is the face of the warrior she has chosen. But white men and Indians do not look apart to-day; for here is one who is neither a white man nor an Indian, but who has shown how much good there must be in both of them, when from both of them the Great Spirit could form a man like the Kaya." He then turned away from the circle, and after being absent a few moments returned with a variety of small Indian presents. These he placed before the old chief. While Kaya was interpreting his address to the Indians, Gardiner and his companion, assisted by one of the young warriors, made arrangements for preparing an evening meal. It consisted of pemmican, rendered more inviting to both Indian and European by the addition of flour and a supply of coffee from the stores of the friends. This was served out too, to the new-comers, and the ceremony of the meeting having thus been broken, the Indians soon fell into groups. Their guards were thrown out for the night, dry wood was brought to the fire, the horses provided for, and, thoroughly wearied by the eventful day, Wilson soon slept soundly and peacefully on the blankets, where Gardiner still sat wakeful by the fire beside him.

Later in the night he perfected the arrangements for their departure in the morning, and as he again threw himself on his blankets by the side of his comrade, said, "Well, my wild boy, you can start as early or as late as you choose to-morrow, and as for me I'm like the 'Three Elks,' my heart is easy, so I don't care which way we turn."

"Who is the Three Elks ?'" replied Wilson.

"A long story that I will tell you at another time," rejoined Gardiner. "I mean that having led the Kaya away from his family, and exposed him and them to such great danger, I have aided in uniting them again. The squaw is happier than a queen; for now she is a famous woman. Kaya, saving his

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shall hear the story of the Three Elks' when we return to the fort."

The two young men, so unceremoniously introduced to our readers, had come up the river Missouri on the boat of the American Fur Company, which is annually sent to their fort at the mouth of the Yellow Stone. Gardiner, who had spent many years of his life in the wild interior of the American continent, had first encountered Wilson in a city of the south. A mutual attachment grew up between them, and, with that reckless spirit of adventure so peculiar to the citizens of the United States. they had undertaken to cross the Rocky Mountains together, from the head-waters of the Missouri to the frontier settlements of Oregon.

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T was on a bright

morn

ing of the month

of July, 1854, that your humble servant, Tom Fairfax, counselor at law, having a week or two of leisure to throw away on health and relaxation, after a winter of hard professional work, determined to take a trip to Lake George. Most eventful to me was the hour in which I took my seat in the long train rushing through the town of -, on its way northward. A civil spoken friend has lately told me, that at that time Tom Fairfax was considered a clever fellow enough, in easy circumstances, good-looking, of sound health, unimpeachable character, and as fair professional prospects as most young

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men of his age. There is little vanity in recording the declaration, for I am no longer what I was. Two years, made up of twenty-four months teeming with the chances and changes of Yankee life, have wholly altered matters. That my faculties are unimpaired. I have humbly to thank Providence. That my character is still as good as ever, I hold to be especially due to the home lessons and example of two persons of honest hearts and clean hands, whom, probably, you never heard of. But in almost every other particular, save character and capacity, things have changed with me. Fortune is essentially impaired. Health is broken. Good looks are gone. Professional prospects are ruined forever. The strong voice, which once filled spacious court-rooms without an effort, can now, at times, scarcely be heard across a narrow study. The limbs, which, only two summers ago, carried me so nimbly up Round-top and Beacon, are shrunken, shriveled, crippled. Yes, I am a cripple-a crawling, crutched cripple for life, they tell me. There are evil spells and malign influences at work to-day just as they were in the time of Sycorax and Archimago. If you

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