as never seen
in that part of the country again. Some tribes say he went South, and
there, when he was stealing children and carrying them off in his ears, he
was caught by the angry parents and burned to death on a big wood pile."

"Did the little boy get better?" asked Minnehaha.

"O yes, he did, after a while; but he was a long time in getting over the
fright he had had. It did him good, however, for after that he was never
rude and saucy to his mother and did all he could to help her."

"Did it do the mother any good?" asked Sagastao, who had not been
altogether satisfied with her treatment of the boy.

"Yes, indeed," said Mary; "for after that terrible fright she was never
known to shout out at her boy such words as, 'I hope the ghost will catch
you,' or any other of the unpleasant ones which she sometimes had used when
she was angry with him."

"Thank you, Sakehow," said both the children. "A pretty good story, that."

Then what a jolly romp they had with Jack and Cuffy! The two splendid dogs
were the children's special protectors and companions.

[Illustration: "Their dog trains were in almost constant demand."]

CHAPTER VIII.

Happy Christmas Holidays--Indians Made Glad with
Presents--Souwanas Tells How Nanahboozhoo Stole the
Fire from the Old Magician and Gave It to the Indians.

The Christmas holidays were times of innocent festivities and gladness
among the Indians and their white friends, both at the mission and at the
trading post.

The gifts which it was possible to give to the Indians were not of very
great value, but they were articles much needed and were always prized by
the recipients even if they were never very profuse in their words of
thanks. Minnehaha and Sagastao were wild with delight at these times, and
were eager to be the almoners of the mission, and carry the gifts to the
Indians whom they loved so well. The fact that the temperature of those
bright, cold Northern winters kept steadily many degrees below zero did not
chill their ardor nor lessen their enthusiasm. Their dog trains were in
almost constant demand, for they kept flying over the various icy trails
until in the different wigwams all had been remembered with some useful
gift.

Faithful Mary had made for them the warmest of fur and blanket suits.
Dressed in these, and tucked in among the robes in the cariole by their
careful driver, they sped along the trails. They made the woods echo with
their merry shouts a