With his knife and a nail he would carve
a plum-stone into a miniature basket, with handle across it, all delicately
wrought with flowers and checker-work. The shell of a butter-nut would be
transformed into a boat, with thwarts, and seats, and rudder; with sails of
bass-wood or birch-bark. Combs he could cut out of wood or bone, so that
Catharine could dress her hair, or confine it in braids or bands at will.
This was a source of great comfort to her; and Louis was always pleased
when he could in any way contribute to his cousin's happiness. These little
arts Louis had been taught by his father. Indeed, the entire distance that
their little, settlement was from any town or village had necessarily
forced their families depend on their own ingenuity and invention to supply
many of their wants. Once or twice a year they saw a trading fur-merchant,
as I before observed; and those were glorious days for Hector and Louis,
who were always on the alert to render the strangers any service in their
power, as by that means they sometimes received little gifts from them, and
gleaned up valuable information as to their craft as hunters and trappers.
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