"All very good for you," said Michel's wife; "who like the white man
and know how to take him, but my man will have nothing to say to him.
The very sight of a pale face makes him feel bad, and sends him into
one of his fits of rage and madness. Oh, it has been dreadful,
dreadful," continued the poor woman, while her voice melted into a
truly Indian wail, "for my children I kept alive, or else I would
have thrown myself into the river many a time last year."

"Bah," said Peter, who being the brother of Michel, would, with true
Indian pertinacity, take part with him whatever were his offences;
and, moreover, looking with his native instinct upon woman as the
"creature" of society, whose duty it was to endure uncomplaining,
whatever her masters laid upon her. "Bah; you women are always
grumbling and bewailing yourselves; for my part, if I have to starve
a little, Kulu (the meat) is all the sweeter when it comes. I suppose
Michel has killed enough to give you many a merry night, seated round
the camp fire with some good fat ribs or a moose nose, and a fine
kettle of tea; then you wrap yourself in your blanket, or light your
pipe and feel like a 'big master.'"

Peter's picture of comfort and enjoyment pleased the Indians, and
they laughed heartily and testified their approval, all but poor
Accomba. She hung her head, and sadly fondled the baby at her breast.
"You may laugh, boys," she said at length, "and you know what
starving is as well as I do, though you are pretty well off now; it
is not for myself I speak, I can bear that kind of thing as well as
other women, but it comes hard for the children. Before Se Tene, my
man, killed his last moose, we were starving for nearly two moons; a
little dried fish and a rat or two, and now and then a rabbit, was we