they usually did, the two white children cuddled as close to the
inimitable story-teller as they could. Little cared they for the cold
without or even for the occasional puffs of smoke which seemed at times to
prefer to enter the eyes of the listeners rather than to go out at the
orifice at the top of the wigwam.

"A sweet story," musingly said the old man, "in this land of fish, and
bears, and wolves, and wildcats, and wolverines!" Then he paused long
enough to fill his mouth again with the candies which he enjoyed so much.

"A sweet story. Then it must be of a land, south of this, where for some
years I dwelt, many, many moons ago. A land where the Se-se-pask-wut-a-tik
(sugar maple tree) grows and flourishes in all its beauty.

"There, in those wigwams, long ago lived the people whom we call the
Hurons, the Dakotahs and the Ojibways. These Ojibways are cousins of my own
people, the Saulteaux. Well, the story I want to tell you had its beginning
long, long ago. One day there came a great embassage of Indians from the
far South with words of peace and good will. They said that in their
country they had no cold weather, and very seldom saw any snow. They said
that the trees were different, and that many things grew there that they
did not see in our Northern country. They brought with them many presents
and were kindly received by our people, and then, after some weeks of
feasting and speech-making, they returned home laden with the best gifts
our tribes could bestow.

"Among the presents which these Southern Indians brought was a large
quantity of sugar. This was the first time it was ever seen among the
Indians of the North. It was very much prized, and was very carefully
divided among the people so that each one had a small quantity. It did not
last very long, for everybody was fond of it. When it was all gone the
people were sorry, and the question was asked, 'Why cannot we send a
company of our own people and get more of it?'

"This suggestion met with the favor of the tribes, and a large party of the
best runners was selected, and being well supplied with rich presents and
pipes of peace they started off to find the Southland and to obtain
abundance of the sugar. Some weeks passed by before word was heard from
them, and the news was very bad. Fierce wars had broken out among the
tribes that lived between ours and those who dwelt in that far South. Our
Indians had to fight for their lives. Many of them were kille