"And the children," asked one of the party, "I suppose the
neighbours helped you a little with them?"
"One of my cousins took little Tetsi for a while," replied the poor
woman, "and did what she could for him, but they were all short of
game as we were, only their men went off after the deer, and plenty,
of them got to the lakes for duck; but Michel,--"
"Well, what did he do? I suppose he was off with his gun the first
of any of them?" said Peter. "I'll venture there shall not be a moose
or deer within twenty miles, but Michel the Hunter shall smell him
out."
"Yes, he went at last," sighed Accomba; "but my man has had one of
his ugly fits upon him for all the winter; he would not hunt anywhere
near the Fort, for fear of meeting a white face; and he vowed I was
making friends with them, and bidding them welcome to the camp, and
so he was afraid to leave it; and then at last, when I begged him to
go and get food for his children, he swore at me and called me a bad
name, and took up his gun to shoot me."
"Oh, I suppose he only said that in sport," said another of the
party; and yet it was plain that Accomba's story had produced a great
sensation among her auditors.
"_In sport!_" exclaimed Accomba, now fairly roused to excitement by the
apparent incredulity of her listeners; "_In sport_, say you? No, no,
Michel knows well what he _says_, though sometimes I think he is hardly
responsible for his actions; but look you, boys, my husband vowed to
shoot me once, and I stayed his arm and fell on my knees and tried to
rouse him to pity; but I will do so no more, and if he threatens me
again I will let him accomplish his fell purpose, and not a cry or sound
shall ever escape my lips.
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