The Land Claim — page 62: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

58 THE LAND-CLAIM. returned the squaw, with a malicious smile, which did not disguise her lively anger. “Are you jealous again, Ka-shaw?” asked the trader, becoming instantly more cool, and sitting down on the side of tle bed. “ Have not I been faithful to you and your tribe for fifteen years? and do not I allow you every privilege con- sistent with your duty? - Why, you give away to your people every year what would be a handsome income if laid up; and you have for yourself every thing you wish. What more do you expect ?” “That you should be true to your Indian wife, Mauvais.” “Well, well; time enough to fret, Ka-shaw, when you have reason for it. But you must not dictate to me too mutch, for, though I am the friend of your tribe, I have friends among my own people too. Give me my coat!” “If Mauyais wants his coat he can find it,” answered the woman, sneeringly, and never stirring from the place where she had stood by the hearth. The trader arose and opened a clothes-press at one side of the fireplace. There he found the wished-for article, but cut, mangled, utterly ruined. “What is the meaning of this?’ he cried, in surprise and rage. ; The squaw made no reply, but glared at him in silent malice. “You old hag!” exclaimed Mauvais, quite beside himself with wrath. “Ill turn you out of this house this very day !” ‘ Ka-shaw, who was burning with an Indian’s desire of revenge, lost all self-possession at this threat, and, quickly brandishing a knife aloft, she sprung at the trader with the agility of a wild-cat. He caught her upraised arm in both hands, and struggled to deprive her of the knife; bat she threw her heavy weight upon him, and forced him back upon ‘the bed at such disadvantage that he would have been com- pelled to relinquish his hold of her arm in another moment. At this juncture, fortunately, the trader’s agent made his appearance, having just returned from the Reserve. Seeing that she was baffled for this time, the woman begged to be allowed to retire, with a somewhat humbled demeanor. . comicloooks.corn