ill forgive us." And as the four
little arms went twining around the parents' necks there was joy and
gladness all round, and it was evident that there was no danger of the
escapade being repeated.

The following are a couple of the legends that Mary told them while they
were prisoners in their own room that day.

THE LEGEND OF THE SWALLOWS.

"Long ago," said Mary, "there were some Indian families who lived on the
top of a very high hill, like a mountain. They had quite a number of small
children, and I am sorry to say they were very naughty and would often
disobey their parents. One of their bad deeds was to run away, and thus
make the father and mother very unhappy until they returned. Their parents
were very much afraid that some of the Windegoos or wild animals would
catch them when they thus ran away by themselves, with no strong man to
guard them.

"So the parents tried to make their homes as nice as possible for them.
They made all sorts of toys for them and gave them nice little bows and
arrows, and other things, that ought to have amused them and kept them
happy at home. All the efforts of their parents, however, were of no use.
They soon were tired of their home amusements, and when their parents'
backs were turned they would run away.

"At length their conduct became so bad, and the parents found themselves so
powerless to prevent it, that they decided to appeal to the Indian Council
for assistance. For a time the stern commands of the Chief were listened to
and obeyed. Then they neglected his words, and about as frequently as ever
they were found playing truant from their homes and parents.

"At length, on one occasion when they had all run away and had been off for
several days and could not be found, their fathers and mothers called upon
Wakonda to look for them and to send them home. Wakonda was very angry when
he heard about these naughty children running away so much, and so he set
off in a hurry to find them. After a long search he discovered them on the
bank of a muddy river making mud huts and mud animals. He was so angry at
them that he at once turned them into swallows, and said, 'From this time
forward you will ever be wanderers and your homes will always be made of
mud,' and so it has been."

"I say, Mary, did you remember that yarn because Minnehaha and I ran away?"
said Sagastao.

"Well, we were not making mud huts," said Minnehaha.

Mary was not to be caught, however, even if she d