Receiving no answering look, nor hearing any friendly whine,
the old man felt for the mouth and endeavoured to force his hand
between the cold lips. The truth then flashed upon him, although he
was far from perceiving the whole extent of the deception. Falling
back in his seat, he hung his head, like one who felt a severe and
unexpected shock. Profiting by this momentary forgetfulness, two young
Indians removed the skin with the same delicacy of feeling, that had
induced them to attempt the pious fraud.
"The dog is dead!" muttered the trapper, after a pause of many
minutes; "a hound has his time as well as a man and well has he filled
his days! Captain," he added, making an effort to wave his hand for
Middleton, "I am glad you have come; for though kind, and well meaning
according to the gifts of their colour, these Indians are not the men,
to lay the head of a white man in his grave. I have been thinking too,
of this dog at my feet; it will not do to set forth the opinion, that
a Christian can expect to meet his hound again; still there can be
little harm in placing what is left of so faithful a servant nigh the
bones of his master.
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