about noon
Bear 's - meat was offered us , but we did not relish it much , possibly from prejudice ; but we would have been glad of it , doubtless , if reduced to short allowance . Of course wild-fowl of all kinds were plentiful , and many of these were shot by Lumley and myself , as well as by our men . Some of the geese we had at first salted , but , the frost having come , we were by that time able to preserve fish and meat quite fresh for winter use -- so that both net and gun were in constant occupation . One day , while Lumley and I were sitting at dinner -- which we usually took about noon -- we were agreeably surprised by the appearance of a strange Indian , and still more agreeably surprised by his entering the hall and holding out a packet to Lumley . Having delivered it , the man , who looked wayworn , strode to the fire , sat quietly down and began to smoke a pipe which I had handed to him ready charged . `` Why , what 's this ? '' exclaimed Lumley , unwrapping the covering of the packet , `` not a letter , surely !