h a nut
in his little paws, and each with an alert and cunning look in the
corner of his eye, to prevent, no doubt, being surprised out of a
portion of his nut. Caesar was lying on all fours, growling and
tearing at his breakfast, while the dog looked on with a superior
air, as if he knew they would not have had any breakfast but for
him.

"Are you fond of canoeing and fishing?" asked Betty, as they
returned to the house.

"Indeed I am. Isaac has taken me out on the river often. Canoeing
may be pleasant for a girl, but I never knew one who cared for
fishing."

"Now you behold one. I love dear old Izaak Walton. Of course, you
have read his books?"

"I am ashamed to say I have not."

"And you say you are a fisherman? Well, you haste a great pleasure
in store, as well as an opportunity to learn something of the
'contemplative man's recreation.' I shall lend you the books."

"I have not seen a book since I came to Fort Henry."

"I have a fine little library, and you are welcome to any of my
books. But to return to fishing. I love it, and yet I nearly always
allow the fish to go free. Sometimes I bring home a pretty sunfish,
place him in a tub of water, watch him and try to tame him. But I
must admit failure. It is the association which makes fishing so
delightful. The canoe gliding down a swift stream, the open air, the
blue sky, the birds and trees and flowers--these are what I love.
Come and see my canoe."

Thus Betty rattled on as she led the way through the sitting-room
and kitchen to Colonel Zane's magazine and store-house which opened
into the kitchen. This little low-roofed hut contained a variety of
things. Boxes, barrels and farming implements filled one corner;
packs of dried skins were piled against the wall; some otter and fox
pelts were stretched on the wall, and a number of powder kegs lined
a shelf. A slender canoe swung from ropes thrown over the rafters.
Alfred slipped it out of the loops and carried it outside.

The canoe was a superb specimen of Indian handiwork. It had a length
of fourteen feet and was made of birch bark, stretched over a light
framework of basswood. The bow curved gracefully upward, ending in a
carved image representing a warrior's head. The sides were
beautifully ornamented and decorated in fanciful Indian designs.

"My brother's Indian guide, Tomepomehala, a Shawnee chief, made it
for me. You see this design on the bow. The arrow and the arm mean
in Indian language, 'Th