w more than we are
likely to give them credit for. Here comes Minnehaha, and we ask her the
cause of such an early gathering of the Indians, and the reason why they
are so unusually interested in some matter unknown to us.

[Illustration: "Their babies with them."]

"Why, don't you know?" the bright little girl promptly replies. "They have
come to form a Naming Council, to give my little baby sister an Indian
name. You see," she added, "Sagastao and I were born among the Cree
Indians, but baby was born here among the Saulteaux. Just think: the first
little white baby born among them! And they want to give her a nice
Saulteaux name. The reason why they are talking so much now, before they
form the council, is that lots of them have pet names they want to give our
baby, but of course she can only have one."

"Yes," said Sagastao, "and our old Mary is trying to get the women to
oppose the name that Souwanas will offer, just because she is down on him.
But I'll bet he will beat her yet."

"You should not say, 'I'll bet.' Mother has often told you that it was very
rude," reprovingly said little Minnehaha. "You never learned it from father
or mother. You must have picked that up from some rough trader."

"Well, all right, I'll not say it again, but I'll bet--no, I mean--hurrah!
for Souwanas and his side, anyway," and off he ran.

"Dear me!" said the little sister. "I do have so much trouble with that
boy!"

Soon the council assembled. The men and women arranged themselves in a big
circle and spent some time in drinking some strong, well-sweetened tea that
had been prepared for them. They had been desirous of having their usual
pagan ceremonies, but of course this could not be allowed, so the
ceremonies of tea drinking and their usual smoking were substituted. Then
the little baby was brought in by her nurse and handed to one of the oldest
women. She took the child, and after kissing her and uttering some words of
endearment passed her on to the woman on her left. She in her turn kissed
her, uttered some kindly words, and passed her on to the next. So baby went
from hand to hand until she had made the complete circle of women and men.
This was the ceremony of adopting the child into the tribe.

Mary, the nurse of the older children, was excluded from this circle as she
was of another tribe. After some more tea had been drunk the child was
again sent on her rounds. This time each person, as he or she held the
child, pro