ish a post
in that region was a good man, and, strange to say, entertained a strong
belief that the soul of man was of far greater importance than his body.
On the strength of this opinion he gathered the Indians of the
neighbourhood around him, and told them that, as he wished to read to
them out of the Word of the Great Manitou, he would hold a class twice a
week in the fur-store; and, further, that if any of them wished to learn
English, and read the Bible of the pale-faces for themselves, he was
quite willing to teach them.

Well, the very first pupil that came to the English class was Skipping
Rabbit, and, curiously enough, the very second was Eaglenose.

Now it must be remembered that we have said that years had passed away.
Skipping Rabbit was no longer a spoiled, little laughing child, but a
tall, graceful, modest girl, just bursting into womanhood. She was
still as fond as ever of the jumping-jack, but she slily worked its
galvanic limbs for the benefit of little children, not for her own--O
dear no! Eaglenose had also grown during these years into a stalwart
man, and his chin and lower jaws having developed considerably, his nose
was relatively much reduced in appearance. About the same time
Brighteyes and Softswan, naturally desiring to become more interesting
to their husbands, also joined this class, and they were speedily
followed by Moonlight and Bounding Bull. Rushing River also looked in,
now and then, in a patronising sort of way, but Whitewing resolutely
refused to be troubled with anything when in camp save his mother and
his mother-tongue.

It will not therefore surprise the reader to be told that Eaglenose and
the skipping one, being thus engaged in a common pursuit, were
naturally, we may even say unavoidably, thrown a good deal together; and
as their philological acquirements extended, they were wont at times to
air their English on each other. The lone woods formed a convenient
scene for their intercourse.

"Kom vis me," said Eaglenose to Skipping Rabbit one day after school.

"Var you goes?" asked the girl shyly--yet we might almost say
twinklingly.

"Don' know. Nowhars. Everywhars. Anywhars."

"Kim 'long, den."

"Skipping one," said Eaglenose--of course in his own tongue, though he
continued the sentence in English--"de lunguish of de pale-fass am
diffikilt."

"Yes--'most too diffikilt for larn."

"Bot Softswan larn him easy."

"Bot Softswan have one pale-fass hubsind,"