he island to the
clearing, while, as we ate our supper, Ella told what a beautiful place
it was. It was so much pleasanter than the boundless prairies which
covered the greater portion of the country. It seemed as if
civilization had been transplanted to my field and forest as I looked
upon Mrs. Gracewood and her daughter. But I was sad when I thought that
the time must come, sooner or later, when they would leave me, and I
should be more desolate and lonely than ever before.

I slept in the barn again that night; but I hoped Mr. Gracewood's house
would be ready for the accommodation of his family by the next evening,
and that we should hear the melodious tones of the grand piano by the
following day, which would be Sunday. Ella was rapidly recovering from
the fatigues of her forced journey with the Indians; and I pictured to
myself the pleasure it would afford me to walk with her through the
forest, and sail with her on the river. When I went to sleep, I dreamed
that I went a fishing with her, and that a big gray trout pulled her
into the water, from which, of course, I had the satisfaction of
rescuing her.

The next morning Lieutenant Pope directed all his men to assist in the
erection of the house. We landed the big box, loaded it upon the wagon,
and hauled it up to the site which had been chosen for the new home of
the Gracewoods, not a hundred feet from the Castle. While a portion of
the troops carted the lumber, the others prepared the foundation of the
house. A series of posts were set in the ground, and sawed off on a
level about a foot above the sod, so as to make the lower floor dry and
comfortable. On those were laid the sills, and before noon the building
was up and half covered. All the boards and timbers were numbered, and
so many men made quick work of it. In the middle of the afternoon the
last board had been screwed on, the sides of the house had been banked
and sodded, and the structure was ready to receive the furniture.

Mr. Gracewood had used a ladder to reach the attic where he slept; but
Mr. Jackson thought he ought to have stairs for his wife and daughter.
I had a decided taste for carpenter's work, and promised to build them
as soon as possible. However, Mrs. Gracewood and Ella thought they
should like the ladder better, as it could be drawn up after them,
which would add to their safety in case the Indians should be
troublesome again.

The grand piano was taken from the box, and put in the