“To be sure,” replied Malachi; “to wound a bear is worse than leaving him alone.”
“Well, Malachi, you certainly have made a hunter of John,” said Mr Campbell. “I could not have supposed such courage and presence of mind in one so young.”
John was very much praised, as he deserved to be, by the whole party; and then Malachi said, “The skin belongs to John, that of course.”
“Is the bear good eating now?” said Mrs Campbell.
“Not very, ma’am,” replied Malachi, “for he has consumed all his fat during the winter; but we will cut off the legs for hams, and when they are salted and smoked with the other meat, you will acknowledge that a bear’s ham is, at all events, a dish that anyone may say is good. Come, John, where’s your knife? Martin, give us a hand here, while Mr Campbell and the ladies go home.”
Chapter Thirty Four.
Malachi and the Indian.
It was in the first week of June that Malachi, when he was out in the woods, perceived an Indian, who came to wards him. He was a youth of about twenty or twenty-one years old, tall and slightly made; he carried his bow and arrows and his tomahawk, but had no gun. Malachi was at that time sitting down on the trunk of a fallen tree; he was not more than two miles from the house, and had gone out with his rifle without any particular intent, unless it was that, as he expected he should soon receive some communication from the Indians, he wished to give them an opportunity of speaking to him alone. The Indian came up to where Malachi was, and took a seat by him, without saying a word.