It was then midnight, and
all now retired to seek the rest which might be so needful to
prepare them for the exertions of the next day. The bee-hunter slept
in his canoe, while Margery shared the buffalo-skin of her sister.
As perfect security, for the moment at least, was felt by the
sleepers, their slumbers were sound, and reached into the morning.
Then le Bourdon arose, and withdrawing to a proper distance, he
threw off his clothes and plunged into the stream, in conformity
with a daily practice of his at that genial season of the year.
After bathing, the young man ascended a hill, whence he might get a
good view of the opposite shore, and possibly obtain some notion of
what the Pottawattamies were about. In all his movements, however,
the bee-hunter had an eye to the concealment of his person, it being
of the last importance that the savages should not learn his
position. With the intention of concealment, the fire had been
suffered to go down, a smoke being a sign that no Indian would be
likely to overlook. As for the canoe and the bivouac of the party,
the wild rice and an intermediate hill formed a perfect cover, so
long as nothing was shown above them.
Pages:
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257