This man seemed to be a German; and when he spoke, this impression was at once verified. He informed Verty that he was tired, very hungry, had travelled a long way, and would be obliged to his honor for a little bit of something, just to keep body and soul together till he reached "Wingester." He had gone toward the house, he said, but a dog there had scared him, and nobody seemed stirring. Verty very readily assented to this request, and first stabling Cloud, accompanied the German pedlar to the cabin. The old Indian woman was out in the woods gathering some herbs or roots, in the properties of which she was deeply learned; and in her absence, Wolf had mounted guard over the lodge and its contents. The pedlar had approached, intent on begging, and, if possible, larceny; but Wolf had quickly bared a double row of long, sharp teeth, which ceremony he had accompanied with an ominous growl, and this had completely daunted Autolycus, who had retreated with precipitation. Wolf now made no further objection to his entry, seeing that Verty accompanied him; and the two persons went into the house. "_Ma mere's_ away somewhere," said Verty; "but we can broil some venison. Wait here: I'll go and get it." The boy, humming one of the old border songs, opened a door in the rear of the lodge, and passed into a sort of covered shed, which was used as a store-room by the old woman. The door closed behind him. The pedlar looked around; the two hounds were lazily pawing each other in the sun, before the door, and no sound disturbed the silence, but their low whining, as they yawned, or the faint cry of some distant bird. The pedlar muttered a cautious "goot!" and looked warily around him. Nothing worth stealing was visible, at least nothing small enough to carry away. His prying eye, however, detected an old chest in the corner, half covered with deer and other skins, and the key of this chest was in the lock. The pedlar rose cautiously, and listened. The young man was evidently preparing the venison steaks from the noise he made, an occupation which he accompanied with the low, Indian humming. The pedlar went on the points of his toes to the chest, carefully turned the key, and opened it. With a quick hand he turned over its contents, looking round cautiously. After some search, he drew forth a silver spoon, and what seemed to be a necklace of red beads, the two ends of which were brought together by a circular gold plate. Just as the pedlar thrust these objects into his capacious breast-pocket, the door opened, and Verty entered. But the boy did not observe him--he quickly and cautiously closed the chest, and began examining one of the skins on the lid. Verty looked up from the steaks in his hand, observed the occupation of the pedlar, and began to laugh, and talk of his hunting. The pedlar drew a long breath, returned to his pack, and sat down.