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He is either an old man, or overcome with fatigue. He cannot be very far before us, and is going in the direction of your hut." Kepenau pointed as he spoke to some mossy ground, where I could just distinguish a faint outline of the footsteps of a man; but I should have been unable to read anything beyond that fact from the marks left behind.
Wait until I have secured the flesh of the deer, and then I will accompany you." Kepenau quickly cut up the animal, and fastened the more valuable portion's to the bough of a tree out of the reach of the wolves by means of some lithe creepers which grew at hand; then loading himself with as much of the venison as he could conveniently carry, he said, "We will move on."
He was ever their friend, and intends to remain so. You must take some of the meat and present it to your friends." Saying this, he commenced skinning the deer, in which operation I assisted him. He then cut off several slices, which he wrapped up in some large leaves and placed in my basket. "Take the venison to your mother, and say that Kepenau sends it," he observed.
I did not confidently expect to meet Mike on this occasion, for he, I thought, would have come along on his skates, whereas this person, the Indian said, was on foot. We had not gone far when Kepenau stopped. "That is the howl of wolves," he observed; "but it is accompanied by a curious sound, and they are not howling in their usual fashion."
"He has no mother," said Lily. "Is he not your brother?" asked the Indian. "No!" said Lily. "His mother was killed by the Redskins long, long ago." Lily at that time did not know that her own mother had been murdered when mine was. "You do not bear the red men any malice on that account, I trust?" said Kepenau, turning to me.
I said that I would try to communicate with Kepenau, if I could learn his whereabouts from any passing Indians. "Oh do!" said Lily; "and let him understand how glad we shall be to see him and his daughter again." While we were talking Reuben came in, and offered to accompany me back to the hut. He, like me, had been very busy all the spring.
As we emerged into more open ground near the banks of the river, the rays of the sun glancing along it sparkled on the flakes of foam, as the stream hurried rippling along the banks. Nearing the hut, we caught sight of three figures standing in front of it. "I told you so," observed Kepenau. "Yonder is the man whose trail I discovered. A trapper, who has come east with his peltries.
I now observed that those who had been unable to embark in the canoe were making their way in that direction. They had probably caught sight of the strange Indians. My fear was that Kepenau and Reuben might be attacked on their return. I made signs to my companion that we would land the deer and then go to the assistance of our friends.
Kepenau told me that his daughter had so much wished to see Lily, or my sister, as he called her, that he had consented to bring her, and to leave her for two or three days, if my friends would allow it. I said that I was sure they would.
"If it is not well for my daughter to dwell among your people, still worse would it be for you to live with us, natives of the land," he answered. "Stay with your parents, and support and protect them, and you will be blessed, and made far happier than were you to follow the desires of your heart." After spending some days with us, Kepenau took his departure.
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