and
girls.

Here the father had to interfere and say that there had been quite enough
for one day. However, before the walk homeward began, Souwanas was pledged
to tell the other story at the first convenient opportunity.

CHAPTER XX.

Passing Hunters and Their Spoils--The Vain Woman--Why
the Marten has a White Spot on His Breast.

As the home where Sagastao and Minnehaha lived was near a trail along which
numbers of Indian hunters were accustomed to travel when on their way to
the trading post with their furs, they frequently called in to see their
loved friends the palefaces. These hunters were always welcome, and as they
were very seldom in a hurry the children drew from them many a quaint
Indian legend or story of animal life.

It was also a great pleasure for the children to have the hunters,
returning from a successful trip, open their fur packs and spread out
before them the rich furs and tell them stories about these animals--the
silver fox, the otter, beavers, minks, martens, ermines, and sometimes even
about great bears and wolves, whose skin they had often had. These valuable
furs were generally well dressed and prepared for shipment by the
industrious women before they were taken to the trading post. Sometimes,
however, a hunter when on the trail to the trading post would find in one
of his traps an animal just caught, and not having time to return to his
wigwam and have the skin dressed and dried he would carry the animal just
as it was and sell it to the fur traders.

One day there called a number of Indians, and among them was a hunter with
a couple of martens which he had caught in his trap that very morning.
Sagastao and Minnehaha had never seen these little animals before, and they
handled them with much interest and asked several questions about them.

"Why has the marten that queer white spot on its throat?" asked Minnehaha.

The Indians looked at each other and a grim smile flitted over their
bronzed faces when they heard this question.

Their conduct only the more excited the curiosity of the children and they
both clamored for the answer. Then one of the Indians said:

"Ask Mary; she knows all about the story, and as a woman was in the affair
she can tell it better than we can."

With this answer the children had to be content, for the hunters, having
drank their cups of tea, soon took their departure.

When the children found Mary they at once demanded the story.

"What st