e degree
communicated his ideas to his wife.

"I don't believe in signs," said Minny, but nevertheless she looked
annoyed.

"So I thought," said the chief with a little smile. "Know mamma here think
it all nonsense, or else come over this morning to tell her. Then think
she not believe it and not mind, and so keep quiet. Then storm come up and
wind blow, and couldn't stand it; so set out and walk over here to take
care of her; and she--maybe she laugh at me?"

"No indeed, sir," said I, greatly touched by the anxious affection which
had brought the old man so far in such weather. "How good you are to me!
You mean to stay here to-night of course, and in the morning you will see
that the red fox was simply barking for his own amusement; but I am sorry
he drove you to take such a toilsome walk, though we are glad to have you
here."

"My business take care of you when your men gone. Got no one my own
blood," he said, rather sadly: "boys dead, girl dead, squaw dead--no one
but you two care much for old man."

Minny went and kissed him softly. "You know I belong to you," she said,
"and baby has no grandfather but you."

"Ah! your father!" said the Panther, rocking the cradle. "He and I always
good friends. 'Member when you come, your mother she got no milk for you,
poor little starved thing! My squaw she lose her baby--nice little boy
too," said the old man, with a sigh--"she tell your mother she nurse you;
so she did. You git fat and rosy right off. You all the same one of us
after that. No spoil your pretty white skin, though," said the Panther,
patting Minny's cheek with his brown fingers. "Seem just like that happen
yesterday: now you got baby yourself. Ah! your father--mighty well pleased
he be 'spose he see that little one."

"How often I wish he could!" said "Minny with a sigh, for both her father
and mother were dead.

"You 'pend upon it, he comfortable somewhere," said the chief,
consolingly. "Deacon Adams, he real good man. Look here, mamma! Like to
ask you question. You say when we die white man go to one place, Indian go
to another--"

"I don't say so, sir. I don't pretend to know all this world by heart,
much less the other."

"Well, that what Indian say, any way. Now 'spose that so, what come of
half-breed, eh?"

"What do you think?" I asked, for neither Minny nor I could venture an
opinion on this abstruse point.

"Don't know," said the old man. "Saw young Cherokee in Washington: he
marry pretty