Watchfulness generally prevented much suffering on account of this deprivation. Bits of driftwood were picked up at several points, so that at dusk the party had enough for cooking purposes, but on the fifth evening they found themselves without a stick of fuel, though encamped within a few rods of a pile of lumber. Deerfoot was inexorable, and all had settled themselves for the night when three Indians came down the bank for a social call. They had seen the canoe put into shore, but were timid at first, though they recognized two of the occupants as belonging to their race. One of the visitors had never seen a white man before. Their wondering scrutiny of the brothers made the latter laugh. Victor rolled up his sleeve to show the whiteness of the skin. The three grunted and seemed filled with amazement. He who met a Caucasian for the first time kept up a series of grunts, passed his hand gently over the faces of the lad, looked into his eyes, and then made Deerfoot, Mul-tal-la and George laugh by his attempts to pluck out the tiny, feathery hairs that were beginning to show on the boy’s upper lip, and which, if left to themselves, would in due time grow into an attractive mustache. “A-o-uah! what are you trying to do?” called Victor, recoiling, the involuntary tears coming into his eyes because of the smarts made by the nails of the Indian’s thumb and forefinger. “He never saw anything like that before,” said George. “I don’t wonder he is puzzled.” “He wishes to shave my brother,” gravely explained Deerfoot. “When the hairs come on his own face he plucks them out. He would do the same with my brother.” “I’ll do my own shaving when the time comes; let him understand _that_,” said Victor, showing his displeasure so plainly that the visitor gravely desisted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXVII DOWN THE COLUMBIA. THE Blackfoot was gratified to find himself able to understand the jargon spoken by the visitors, although he did not know to what tribe they belonged. A marked similarity showed between many words in the two tongues, and conversation progressed better than would have been supposed, Deerfoot being able to comprehend almost as much as his friend. Night was closing in, and the fact that the explorers did not start a fire when such an abundance of fuel was at hand clearly surprised the strangers. They looked at the ground and then pointed to the lumber. He who was apparently the leader began talking earnestly to Mul-tal-la. His meaning soon became clear. He was urging him and his friends to make use of the timber. The Blackfoot shook his head and replied they could not take it without the consent of the owner. The leader grinned and said it belonged to him and the two men with him.