“Have ye got anything to eat?” inquired Jasper, when the canoe reached the place.
They had not got much, only a few fish and an owl.
“Poor miserable critters,” said Jasper, throwing them a goose and a lump of venison; “see there—that’ll keep the wolf out o’ yer insides for some time. Have ye got anything to smoke?”
No, they had nothing to smoke but a few dried leaves.
“Worse and worse,” cried Jasper, pulling a large plug of tobacco from the breast of his coat; “here, that’ll keep you puffin’ for a short bit, anyhow.”
Heywood, although no smoker himself, carried a small supply of tobacco just to give away to Indians, so he added two or three plugs to Jasper’s gift, and Arrowhead gave the father a few charges of powder and shot. They then stepped into their canoe, and pushed off with that feeling of light hearted happiness which always follows the doing of a kind action.
“There’s bears up the river,” said the Indian, as they were leaving.
“Have ye seen them?” inquired Jasper.
“Ay, but could not shoot—no powder, no ball. Look out for them!”
“That will I,” replied the hunter, and in another moment the canoe was out among the rapids again, advancing slowly up the river.