, which told what we
might tell in a letter.

When a stranger carried a message-stick, it was safe for him to do his
errand. People knew what he wanted and why he came, so they let him go
on his way unharmed. But when a stranger had no message-stick, his
life was not safe in a strange land.

[Illustration: "_Mothers taught their children what the boundaries
were._"]

And so people learned to stay on their own lands and mothers taught
their children what the boundaries were. They taught the children to
name them over and over again. They taught them to know how the
boundaries looked.

For a long time Pigeon had to tell her mother each day the boundaries
of the hunting grounds. She would stand on the cliff and point north
to the narrow valley, then south to Little River. Then she pointed to
a high ridge of hills toward the east and west to the River of Stones.

While Pigeon was so small that Eagle-eye had to take her by the hand,
her mother took her to the boundaries. Eagle-eye had taught her so
well that she knew them as soon as she saw them.

Perhaps you have heard the story told about mothers who taught their
children the boundary lines. It is told that mothers used to be so
anxious to have their children remember the boundaries that they
whipped them at each one. Then the story is told that in later times
instead of beating the children, people let them beat the boundaries.
Some day you may be able to learn more about the strange customs of
beating the boundary lines.

#THINGS TO DO#

_Mark out in your sand-box the boundary lines of the hunting ground
of the Horse clan. Show a good place for another hunting ground._

_Ask some one to read you the story, "The Goblins will get you if
you don't watch out." What do you think the story means?_

_Climb a hill, or look out of a high window, and see if you can
find land which at one time was a good hunting ground._

_See if you can make a message-stick._

XIII

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

What do you think had happened to Fleetfoot?

If strangers found him, what do you think they would do with him?

_What Happened to Fleetfoot_

Perhaps you have been wondering what happened to Fleetfoot. Perhaps
you would like to know how he happened to wander away from his clan.

It happened in this way. He cracked all the nuts he could eat; he
climbed trees; he threw sticks and stones; he watched the wild hogs
eating