Cecil. It was undoubtedly trying to Indian dignity,
but the warrior sustained his admirably. "Bad, very
bad," was the only comment he allowed himself to
make. Cecil took his leave, and the brave kept up
his air of indifference until the white man had gone.
Then he quietly selected a cudgel from the heap of
fire-wood by the doorway, and in a short time peace
reigned in the wigwam.
In a lodge not far away, Cecil witnessed another scene yet more barbarous than this. He found a little blind boy sitting on the ground near the fire, surrounded by a quantity of fish-bones which he had been picking. He was made a subject for the taunt ing jibes and laughter of a number of men and women squatting around him. His mother sat by in the most cruel apathy and unconcern, and only smiled when Cecil expressed commiseration for her unfortunate and peculiarly unhappy child. It had been neglected and seemed almost starved. Those around apparently took pleasure in tormenting it and rendering it miser able, and vied with each other in applying to it insult ing and degrading epithets. The little articles that Cecil gave to it, in the hope that the Indians seeing him manifest an interest in it would treat it more ten derly, it put to its mouth eagerly; but not finding them eatable, it threw them aside in disgust. Cecil turned away sick at heart. Worn, already weary, this last sight was intolerable; and he went out into the woods, away from the camp.
But as he walked along he seemed to see the child again, so vividly had it impressed his imagination. It rose before him in the wood, when the noise of the camp lay far behind; it seemed to turn its sightless
