t as silk. The hair was easily scraped off and the two pieces
were pronounced all right for drumheads.

Caleb washed them thoroughly in warm water, with soap to clear off
the grease, scraping them on both sides with a blunt knife; then he
straightened the outer edge of the largest, and cut a thin strip
round and round it till he had some sixty feet of rawhide line, about
three-quarters of an inch wide. This he twisted, rolled and stretched
until it was nearly round, then he cut from the remainder a circular
piece thirty inches across, and a second from the "unchawed" part of
the other skin. He laid these one on the other, and with the sharp
point of a knife he made a row of holes in both, one inch from the
edge and two inches apart. Then he set one skin on the ground, the
drum-log on that and the other skin on the top, and bound them
together with the long lace, running it from hole No. 1 on the top
to No. 2 on the bottom, then to No. 3 on the top, and No. 4 on the
bottom, and so on twice around, till every hole had a lace through it
and the crossing laces made a diamond pattern all around. At first
this was done loosely, but tightened up when once around, and
finally both the drum-heads were drawn tense. To the surprise of all,
Guy promptly took possession of the finished drum. "Them's my
Calfskins," which, of course, was true.

And Caleb said, with a twinkle in his eye, "The wood _seems_ to
go with the skins."

A drumstick of wood, with a piece of sacking lashed on to soften it,
was made, and Guy was disgusted to find how little sound the drum gave
out.

"'Bout like pounding a fur cap with a lamb's tail," Sam thought.

"You hang that up in the shade to dry and you'll find a change," said
the Trapper.

It was quite curious to note the effect of the drying as the hours
went by. The drum seemed to be wracking and straining itself in
the agony of effort, and slight noises came from it at times. When
perfectly dry the semi-transparency of the rawhide came back, and the
sound now was one to thrill the Red-man's heart.

Caleb taught them a little Indian war chant, and they danced round
to it as he drummed and sang, till their savage instincts seemed to
revive. But above all it worked on Yan. As he pranced around in step
his whole nature seemed to respond; he felt himself a part of that
dance. It was in himself; it thrilled him through and through and sent
his blood exulting. He would gladly have given up all the Whi