. It was a warm
June day and it reminded O-hi-o of her courting days. She lived it all
over again, and her heart gave thanks to the Great Spirit for His
kindness--for the wonderful love and happiness that had since been hers
in the possession of her husband and child. And the birds sang as on the
day that Mus-kin-gum first beheld her at the door of her father's
wigwam. She could see his eyes holding her own; she could feel her heart
bounding in her bosom, and the red flushed into her cheek even as it had
done then.

"She spent a pleasant day talking of her two dear ones and her parents
were never weary of listening. They made her repeat the little prayer
said to the Great Spirit by the idolized grandson.

"'I must leave now,' she said, 'and prepare their supper. They will be
watching in the valley for the smoke from our wigwam,' and kissing her
parents fondly she left.

"In the meanwhile it grew dark.

"'Little one,' said Mus-kin-gum, 'we must hasten. I feel rain in the
air. Look at the clouds and behold it in them ready to fall.'

"And the little fellow looked and laughed, thinking it fun to be caught
in a shower. They were close to the edge of the woods ready to descend
the path leading to the valley, when suddenly with terrific force the
rain began to fall, followed by a mighty wind that rent the clouds and
rushed through the woods. Thunder pealed loud and long; lightning
flashed, blinding the eyes. Little Mus-kin-gum grew pale and trembled.
Never before had he feared a storm.

"'It is the voice of the Great Spirit,' he said solemnly, and began to
repeat the prayer.

"Seeing his fright, his father drew the boy's head to his breast and
held it there so that he might not see the lightning as it flashed with
unusual violence.

"At last one flash came, and with it went the spirit of brave
Mus-kin-gum. His arms loosened their hold on the screaming child. He
reeled and fell backward--dead. The last bolt had killed him.

"Then followed peal after peal of thunder. The boy called to him in
vain. He even tried to raise him in his arms. Seeing that it was useless
he threw himself on his breast and moaned, every now and then lamenting
in loud cries.

"The storm ceased. When, after the night fell, and Mus-kin-gum and the
boy failed to appear, O-hi-o gathered together a band of young men from
nearby and started out to search for them. O-hi-o kept calling,
'Mus-kin-gum, where art thou? My little one--art thou safe?'