pped
the tree, and it was hollow. Then I saw on the north side, a little
above my head, many deep scratches with moss hanging in strips from
them. The trunk ran up straight, and was so stout that my two arms
would not span more than a tenth of it; but the scratches went up to
the first fork, and there must be the opening, as I guess."

"Said I not that Netawis would become a hunter and bring us luck?"
asked Menehwehna again. "He has found bear."

"Bear! Bear! Our Netawis has found bear!" cried two small urchins
who had been rolling and tumbling with the dogs and almost burning
their toes at the edges of the fire. They were the children of
Azoka's elder sister Seeu-kwa, Muskingon's widow. Scrambling past
Menehwehna, who never spoke harshly to them, and paying no heed to
their mother's scolding, they ran out into the snow to carry the news
to the other lodges.

"Our Netawis has found bear!"

"What news is this?" asked some of the young men who lived in a
lodge apart--the bachelors' lodge--gathering round the doorway.
"Seeu-kwa, look to it that your children do not grow up to be little
liars."

Now John, surprised to find his news so important, had turned to
Azoka with a puzzled smile. The firelight which danced on his face
danced also on the long bead necklace heaving like a snake with the
rise and fall of her bosom. He stared down at it, and Azoka--poor
girl--felt his wrist trembling under her touch; but it was with the
thought of another woman. She caught her hand away; and John,
looking up, saw a young Indian, Ononwe by name, watching him gloomily
from the doorway.

"Ask Netawis to tell the story," said Menehwehna. So John told it
again, and added that it had been difficult to call the dogs away
from the tree.

"But about the bear I say nothing; that is Menehwehna's talk.
I only tell you what I saw."

"The wind has fallen," said one, "and soon the moon will be up.
Let us go and prove this tale of Netawis."

Meshu-kwa opposed this, calling it folly. "We have no axes heavy
enough for tree-cutting," she said; not giving her real reason, which
was that she came of a family which claimed descent from a bear.
When they mocked at her she said, "Also--why should I hide it?--there
came to me an evil dream last night."

"This is the first that I have heard of your evil dream," answered
Menehwehna, and gave order that after supper Netawis should lead the
party to the tree, promising that he himself woul