me no
trapper."

"What matters it whether we are in one part of the forest or another?"
said the chief, addressing Howe. "We have lost our home, now we have
made one, even better in some respects than the red man ever has. The
hunting ground is good--then let us be contented to live here.
Whirlwind is a warrior; he has taken the scalp from his enemies in
battle--he is a chief; he has led his warriors to victory. Let the
white chief give him the antelope for his squaw, and he will no more go
out to battle; but remain here, where the Great Spirit has led him, and
spend his days in filling his wigwam with the softest furs, best fish
and venison in the forest, and the antelope's life shall be happy as
the singing bird, and bright as the sun.'

"Why, Jane, what does this mean?" asked Edward, bursting into a fit of
uncontrollable laughter, that awoke the echoes from the venerable pile
that had slept through a long list of ages. But Jane did not know
herself what it meant, as the expression of blank astonishment on her
face amply testified. But Sidney for one, knew precisely the meaning of
it, and with flashing eyes and clenched hand, he limped to the side of
the chief, with a threatening attitude. Howe saw the material he had to
deal with, and thought it best to interfere to prevent ill-feeling, as
well as to get such an idea out of the chief's head.

"When Jane has grown up she can speak for herself. The white men do not
give away their maidens: when they are old enough they select for
themselves."

"Whirlwind can wait," said the chief complacently.

Jane turned her head, and placed her hand over her mouth to keep down
the smile that would come, as her eye caught her uncle's grave
countenance, for he saw at a glance it would now require all his tact
to undeceive him, in regard to the possibility of such a union, and yet
retain his friendship. Sidney would have had the matter settled on the
spot, but the trapper motioned him to keep silent, which he did, though
his lips were compressed, and his looks angry and threatening.

"Come," said the trapper, cheerfully, "we will clear out the adjoining
room, and take these apples from here, then we will be ready to gather
in our nuts to-morrow.

"A disagreeable place this," said he, as he commenced scraping up the
accumulated mass and throwing it out of the window.

"Probably, it is a long while since it was cleansed," said Jane. "A
very singular place, and if we could get