n such small portion of her own
property as she could secure and had set out to find a new home or
shelter for her little ones.

Since then they had been always wandering. Wahneenah now had a fixed
dread of the pale-faces and had avoided their habitations as far as
might be. They had lived in the woods, upon the roots and dried
berries they could find and whose power to sustain life the squaw had
understood. But now had come the cold of approaching winter and the
Sun Maid had shown the effects of her long exposure. Then, at Gaspar's
pleading, Wahneenah had put her own distrust of strangers aside and
had come with him to the first cabin of white people which they could
find.

"And now we're here, what will you do with us?" concluded the lad,
fixing his dark eyes earnestly upon his host's face.

Abel fidgetted a little; then, with his happy faculty of putting off
till to-morrow the evil that belonged to to-day, he replied:

"Well, son--bub--I mean, Gaspar; we hain't come to that bridge yet.
Time enough to cross it when we do. But, say, that little creatur'
looks as if she hadn't known what 'twas to lie on a decent bed in a
month of Sundays. She's 'bout dried off now; an' my! ain't she a
pretty sight in them little Indian's togs! S'pose your squaw-ma puts
her to sleep on the bed yonder. Notice that bedstead? There ain't
another like it this side the East. I'll just spread a sheet over the
quilt, to keep it clean, an' she can snooze there all day, if she
likes. I'll play you an' Wahneeny a tune on my fiddle if you want me
to."

Gaspar was, of course, delighted with this offer but the chief's
sister was already tired of the hot house and had cast longing glances
through the small window toward the barn in the rear. That, at least,
would be cool, and from its doorway she calculated she could keep a
close watch upon the door of the cabin, and be ready at a second's
notice to rush to her children's aid should harm be offered them.
Meanwhile, for this dark day, they would have the comfort to which
their birthright entitled them. So she went out and left them with
Abel.

The hours flew by and the storm continued. Abel had never been happier
nor jollier; and as the twilight came down, and he finally gave up all
expectation of Mercy's immediate return, he waxed fairly hilarious,
cutting up absurd antics for the mere delight of seeing the Sun Maid
laugh and dance in response, and because, under these cheerful
conditions, Ga