On the third day they fell in with the Pumpkin Pirates.
These were savages who were wont to sally forth from the islands that
lay in the seas thereabouts, and plunder them that sailed by.

For ships they had large pumpkins, each being not less than ninety feet
in length. These pumpkins they dried, and afterward dug out all the
inner part of them till they were quite hollow. For masts they had
reeds, and for sails, in the place of canvas, pumpkin leaves.

These savages attacked Lucian's vessel with two ships' or rather two
pumpkins' crews, and wounded many of his company. For stones they used
the pumpkin-seeds, which were about the bigness of a large apple.

Lucian's company fought for some time, without gaining the advantage,
when about noon they saw coming toward them, in the rear of the Pumpkin
Pirates, the Nut-Shell Sailors. These two tribes were at war with each
other.

As soon as the Pumpkin Pirates saw the others approaching, they left
off fighting Lucian's crew, and prepared to give battle to the Nut-Shell
Sailors. When Lucian saw this he ordered the captain to set all sails;
and they departed with speed. But looking back he could see that the
Nut-Shell Sailors had the best of the battle, being superior in numbers,
having five crews against two of the Pumpkin Pirates, and also because
their ships were stronger. As for their ships, they were the shells of
nuts which had been split in half, each measuring fifteen fathoms, or
thereabouts.

As soon as the Pumpkin Pirates and the Nut-Shell Sailors were out
of sight, Lucian set himself to dressing the wounds of his injured
companions. And from that time on both Lucian and his crew wore their
armor continually, not knowing when another strange enemy might come
upon them.

THE SPIRIT OF THE CORN

AN IROQUOIS LEGEND

BY HARRIET MAXWELL CONVERSE (ADAPTED)

There was a time, says the Iroquois grandmother, when it was not needful
to plant the corn-seed nor to hoe the fields, for the corn sprang up of
itself, and filled the broad meadows. Its stalks grew strong and tall,
and were covered with leaves like waving banners, and filled with ears
of pearly grain wrapped in silken green husks.

In those days Onatah, the Spirit of the Corn, walked upon the earth. The
sun lovingly touched her dusky face with the blush of the morning,
and her eyes grew soft as the gleam of the stars on dark streams. Her
night-black hair was spread before the breeze like a wind-driven