he indifference of the little ones to the great danger from which they had
just escaped. After petting Jack and Cuffy for their great bravery and
courage the return journey was begun, much to the regret of the children,
who pleaded hard to be allowed to resume their trip to the wigwam of
Souwanas to hear the stories of Nanahboozhoo.

[Illustration: "Surrounding them were several fierce, wolfish Indian
dogs."]

The father was perfectly amazed at this request, and of course it was
sternly refused. He had started off in pursuit of the runaways with a
resolve to punish them for this serious breach of home discipline, but his
alarm at their danger and his thankfulness for their escape had so stirred
him that he could not punish them nor even chide them at the time. All he
could do was to bring them safely home again and, as usual in such
emergencies, turn them over to the tender mercies of their mother.

Sturdily the children marched on ahead for a while, then Kennedy, the
Indian, took Minnehaha in his arms. He had not carried her many hundred
yards before the weary little one fell fast asleep, softly muttering as she
slipped off into the land of dreams, "Wanted to hear about Nanahboozhoo."

Great was the excitement at home when the party returned. Sagastao rushed
into the arms of his mother, and without the slightest idea of having done
anything wrong began most dramatically to describe how "our Jack and Cuffy
thrashed those naughty Eskimo dogs" that chased Minnehaha and him upon that
great pile of logs. Mary in the meantime had taken from Kennedy's arms the
still sleeping Minnehaha, and almost smothered her with kisses as she bore
her away to bed.

There was great perplexity on the part of the parents to know just what to
do to impress upon the little ones that they had been very naughty in thus
running away, for it was very evident from the utterances of both that they
had not considered the matter in that light. Now, in view of the weariness
of Minnehaha, it was decided to leave the matter of discipline in abeyance
until a little of the excitement had passed away.

In the meantime Sagastao was ready to talk with everybody about the whole
affair. It seems that he and Minnehaha had decided that Mary was "no good"
in telling stories. He said her stories neither frightened them nor made
them cry, but Souwanas was the boss man to tell Nanahboozhoo stories. He
said they got up before anybody was stirring, that morning, and