calmly smoking, and only
barely turned their narrow eyes to glance at the automobile, as it
passed by them.

Near most of the dwellings were outdoor fires, with pots boiling above
them, as few of the Indians can make up their minds to use kitchen
stoves instead of their familiar campfires. Old women sat near the
fires, stringing bright beads, or weaving mats. Some of them were making
Indian blankets on rude frames of logs, set upright some feet apart, and
strung with cords, like an old-fashioned wooden loom.

The chauffeur slowed down and the girls and boys could see that the
Indians were talking about their party, making queer sounds and signs to
one another. The women rushed out with trinkets to sell, the children
sat cross-legged in the dirt, the dogs barked and young women with
babies on their backs crept out of their doors. But among the whole
number, there was no sign of Laska or Josef.

Laura bought quantities of Indian bead-work and pottery. She would not
let her Aunt inquire for the Indian girl's people until she had seen
everything there was to be seen. Frank timidly offered Jack a string of
blue beads, when he saw that Jean had accepted a small gift from Harry
Pryor, and Jack received them very graciously, wishing to show that she
no longer resented Frank's having made the trip.

"Can you tell me where to find the home of Laska?" Mrs. Simpson inquired
of an Indian girl, who looked more intelligent than the others and spoke
very good English.

The girl shook her head. "Don't know," she replied stupidly. Mrs.
Simpson asked half a dozen other people. Some of them spoke, others only
grunted dully. "Crow's Nest," Laska's hut, had apparently never been
heard of.

"Let's don't waste time asking questions, Aunt Sallie," Jack called
back. "The Indians won't tell you about each other unless they know what
you want. Let's drive straight to the school; Olilie's teacher can best
tell us what to do."

In the midst of the Indian village were three well-built houses, the
trading store, a small church and the school. Mrs. Simpson and Jack went
into the schoolhouse together and were gone for half an hour. When they
came out, Jack's face was crimson with excitement and Mrs. Simpson
looked deeply interested. She entered the car after telling her
chauffeur exactly how to find old Laska's hut, but neither she nor Jack
gave any account to the others of what the teacher at the Indian school
had told them of Olilie.

Jean