ake of the fine yellow fat covering
the intestines, which formed an article of commerce at the time between
the red men and the white.

That night after supper time the party busied themselves in making
mosquito-curtains out of a small quantity of green muslin obtained from
Spotted Tiger's father-in-law, who had received it from the
missionaries. The supply being quite insufficient to make curtains for
them all, Quashy had set his fertile brain to work and devised a species
of net which, having never been seen in that country before, deserves
special notice. It may serve as a hint to other mortals similarly
situated and tormented.

"You mus' know," remarked Quashy to his friends, who watched him while
he fabricated the first of these curtains, "dat my gran'fadder was a
injineer, an' some ob his geenus comed down to me. Dat's why I's so
clebber wid my hands. Has you got dem hoops tied, massa?"

"All right, Quashy, I'm just finishing the last one. There--are these
the right sizes?"

"Das right, massa. Biggest two one futt six in dameter; oder two leetle
ones, one futt. Now, you looks here, ladies an' gen'lemen. See, I's
made a bag ob dis muzzlin 'bout two futt six long an' 'bout two futt
wide. Well, one end ob de bag is close up--as you see. 'Tother end am
open--as you b'hold. Vwalla! as de Frenchman says. Now, I puts into de
closed end one small hoop--so. Den de two large hoops--so--'bout six
inches apart. Den de leetle hoop--so. Which makes my bag into what you
may call a gauze-barrel, wid de hoops inside 'stead ob outside. Nixt, I
puts it ober my head, lets de bottom hoop rest on my shoulders, shoves
de slack ob de veil--I calls it a veil, not a curtin,--down my neck
under my poncho, so's nuffin can git inside, an' dere you are. No
skeeters git at me now!"

"But, Quash," said Lawrence, who had watched the making of this
ingenious device, as well as lent assistance, "there are mosquitoes
inside it even now; and with such swarms as are about us, how will you
keep them out while putting the thing on."

"Don' call it a `t'ing,' massa," said Quashy, with a dignified look,
"call it a `veil.' Dere's nuflin easier. See here."

He rose, took off the veil, and flattened the hoops down on each other,
so as to drive out all that might be inside. Then he stepped to leeward
of the fire, held his breath for a few seconds while in the smoke,
quickly adjusted his novel head-piece, and stood up fully armed ag