o the death for the homes and the
lives of their loved ones.

"Friends," said Dan when the hum of voices had ceased "I never
thought as how I'd have to get up here and make a speech to-night or
I might have taken to the woods. Howsomever, mother and Susan says
as it's gettin' late it's about time we had some supper. Somewhere
in the big cake is hid a gold ring. If one of the girls gets it she
can keep it as a gift from Susan, and should one of the boys find it
he may make a present to his best girl. And in the bargain he gets
to kiss Susan. She made some objection about this and said that part
of the game didn't go, but I reckon the lucky young man will decide
that for hisself. And now to the festal board."

Ample justice was done to the turkey, the venison, and the bear
meat. Grandmother Watkins' delicious apple and pumpkin pies for
which she was renowned, disappeared as by magic. Likewise the cakes
and the sweet cider and the apple butter vanished.

When the big cake had been cut and divided among the guests, Wetzel
discovered the gold ring within his share. He presented the ring to
Betty, and gave his privilege of kissing Susan to George Reynolds,
with the remark: "George, I calkilate Susan would like it better if
you do the kissin' part." Now it was known to all that George had
long been an ardent admirer of Susan's, and it was suspected that
she was not indifferent to him. Nevertheless, she protested that it
was not fair. George acted like a man who had the opportunity of his
life. Amid uproarious laughter he ran Susan all over the room, and
when he caught her he pulled her hands away from her blushing face
and bestowed a right hearty kiss on her cheek. To everyone's
surprise and to Wetzel's discomfiture, Susan walked up to him and
saying that as he had taken such an easy way out of it she intended
to punish him by kissing him. And so she did. Poor Lewis' face
looked the picture of dismay. Probably he had never been kissed
before in his life.

Happy hours speed away on the wings of the wind. The feasting over,
the good-byes were spoken, the girls were wrapped in the warm robes,
for it was now intensely cold, and soon the horses, eager to start
on the long homeward journey, were pulling hard on their bits. On
the party's return trip there was an absence of the hilarity which
had prevailed on their coming. The bells were taken off before the
sleds left the blockhouse, and the traces and the harness examined
and