They did not go the right way to work. Had I not polluted (spoiled, as he said) my person last fall (alluding to an Indian he had then killed) I should try. And I believe that my familiars would be charitable to me. However, I shall let them go on until they are done, after which I shall make a trial. Perhaps on your accounts they may shew me their wonted attention.
I took this as wind, but as he spoke in so very earnest (si naivement) a manner, I concealed my sentiments. The second night after the others had finished, he began a little after dusk. But what a difference between them!
He had an immense large drum, as large [as] those among the military, and stretched hard. Upon this he beat time, but very hard, to accord with his songs which were as loud as he could bawl. At certain intervals also he used only his rattler, but with as much violence as he could. Thus he continued alternately singing, praying (or making speeches) and smoking, 'till broad daylight. When he began we thought this fellow was mad or only jesting. But the Indians of our lodge reproved us.
At sunrise he came out of his lodge, and made a long speech in which he told one to go one way, a second another, and himself by another route. "Thou," addressing the first one, a young lad, "thou wilt soon find thy (bear)."
"But thou," addressing the father:
On thy way on thou wilt pass very near, but will not see him. Thou'lt search along and return giving up all hopes. But when come to this, thou must return again and between this, thy last track and the first one thou shall make this morning, thou'lt see him in his nest. As for me, I shall have much trouble to get mine.
I heard him speak, but not understanding sufficiently the language, the women explained to me. I need not tell you how we laughed at the poor devil, and so went off hunting ivy which had been our support for a long time. But in the evening we found all that he predicted perfectly verified. This I assure you is a fact, and will maintain it notwithstanding everything skeptics, (excuse the term) or those unacquainted, or but superficially so, with these people may say. And I am also certain that he had no previous knowledge of their being there, for there was plenty of snow, and there were no other tracks but those of these two hunters, [and] we had pitched up (the river) that day.
But, here I am digressing—to return therefore.
[Fugitive Pieces]
I am altogether out of the regular track that I had proposed to myself at my first setting off. My time is too short and my memory too bad to read over the whole so as to resume the regular course. The remainder shall be composed of fugitive pieces. Indeed the nature of some of them being a compound will not admit of their being treated of but in sections if I may use the term.