The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-23 00:00:00

UST.

A MAID'S REVENGE.

" A poor woman lived a miserable life with her children
and her sickly husband. Her only hope was in her eldest
son, a lad who had already begun to go hunting for his
mother and relatives, and was becoming the head of the
family and bread-gainer.
" Hence it was a crushing blow to these poor people when
this hopeful youth was attacked on a distant huntiug ex-
pedition by treacherous Sioux, murdered, and scalped. The
whole family fell into a state of melancholy, and blackened
their faces ; they were utterly helpless, but, before all,
thirsted for revenge. The poor sickly fatherl sang the life-
long day, mourning songs for his murdered son, and com-
plained of his own impotent condition, which prevented him
from going on the war- trail, and taking vengeance on the
enemies of his tribe and family. He was nearly alone in
the world, and had but few relations who would take com-
passion on him, There was nought in his house but
mourning, grief, and a vain cry for vengeance.
" At length the grown-up daughter, a girl of seventeen,
began to beat the war-drum, mutter wild songs, and ques-
tion destiny, or, as they term it, dream." She had a
dream, in which it was revealed to her that the only method
by which to obtain consolation and cheerfulness—that is,
revenge—for her family, was by sacrificing her own lover.
" This beloved of her heart was a youth of the Sioux
tribe, whose acquaintance she had formed in happier and
more peaceful times, and whom she loved fervently, in spite
of the,blood-fued between the two tribes. They had often
met in secret, and were enabled to do so with ease as their
villages lay on the frontier of the two hunting-grounds.
He belonged to the band which had murdered her brother,
and as the revengeful girl did not know how to get hold of
any other warrior, she determined to act in obedience to
her dream, and choose her beloved as the victim. These
Indians regard their enemies as responsible en matte for
the excesses committed, and their revenge is hence
satiated when it falls on one of the relatives of the culprit.
" The girl marched across mountain and forest to the
neighbouring territory of the Sioux. In the night she made
her way into their encampment, and crept up noiselessly
and unnoticed to her lover's lodge. She gave him a love.
signal, whispered to him through the cracks of the airy
branch-hut, and invited him to come out. The young man,
filled with longing, went into the forest with the maiden
of his heart to spend an hour in c'inverse sweet. While in
her embraces, she-was suddenly converted into the angel of
death ; she thrust a knife through his heart, scalped him,
and hurried home, where she was regarded as a benefactress
of her family and a peat heroine."
THE BBAR'S POTATO AND THE HUSK-RAT.

" Now and then Du Roy pointed out to me spots in the
forest where the bears had been scratching for the ' mako-
pin." This is a small tuber, which the Canadians call the
bear's potato, nearly a translation of the Indian term. We
dug some, and I tasted them, but found them marvellously
bitter. But man digs after them just as greedily as the
bear, and, indeed, this shaggy bourgeois—as the Canadians
often call the boar, like the Ojibbeways give him the title of
Forest-man—digs after, and is fond of, many things which
men also like. Ah 1' said Du Roy, 'this bourgeois often
works in his potato-fields like a treasure-seeker. He is a
dainty gentleman, and eats the bitter fruit with as much
enjoyment as au American chews tobacco. Lately, I dis-
turbed one eating makopin as I went through the forest.
He only went a little out of my way, and sat down on a
large log, where he smacked his lips and yawned, like a
man picking his teeth after dinner. Unfortunately I had
no gun with me, and went on my way. He let me pass,
and looked after me. Ah, oui !it est bon enfant, cc bour-
geois-la I' As the bear is no less a gourmand than the In-
dian, and as it tries all the edible productions of the forest,
and has a number of favourite articles of food among them,
the Indians have named at least a dozen plants after the
bear : bear potatoes,' bear roots,' bear nuts,' bear
berries,' &c. The latter we frequently found growing in
the wood ; the English call it ' service,' and also bear-
berry,' which is the translation of the Indian word 'mak-
wimin.' It is a variety of the lote-tree, and grows eery
handsomely. At this time we found it covered entirely
with splendidly glistening red berries, and our Canadian
told us that the bears bend down the whole trees with their
paws, and then eat off the berries, like children do with a
blackberry bush.
" In the thick reed-beds by which our canoe at times
passed, I noticed now and then very curious excavations,
holes, or little bays. I was told that the musk-rat produces
this phenomena when getting in its harvest. We saw the
nests or hay piles of these interesting animals all around us,
and it is, indeed, one of the most common creatures in
North America. The Canadians told me that the loon (the
great northern diver) lived here in a species of community
with the musk-rat, in the same way as the owl with the
prairie dog. The loon lays its eggs in these loges de rat
d'eau,' as the Canadians call them, and they run no risk
from the excellent teeth of its little friend. I had, how-
ever, no opportunity of verifying this fact in any of the
musk-rat dwellings I have frequently inspected. Still I
had the pleasure at any rate, which I had not yet enjoyed,
of seeing a heavy loon flying far above my head. Hitherto
I had only seen the loon swim and dive, and almost doubted
whether it could fly.tln fact, flying causes it some diffi-
culty ; at least rising in the air does. People say it requires
wind for the purpose, and can hardly do it in calm weather.
But, when once under way, it flies not only high but for a
long distance, and makes great journeys both in spring and
autumn. The loon we saw was quite alone, and soared like
an eagle. I also hoard here for the first time its clear, loud,
and harmonious cry. Our Canadian replied to it from the
canoe, ' Vol 1 vol ! vol !' He said he could entice the loons
down with it."