picked up his younger brother, who was grinning
from ear to ear with delight, and, summoning all his strength, he
poised him over the prostrate form of his father for a moment, and then
dropped him! The prolonged snore which was steadily issuing from the
throat of the sleeping parent, terminated in a sharp, explosive grunt.
As his eyes opened, the boys scrambled away like frogs to the opposite
side of the lodge, under the protecting care of their mother.

"Dunder and blixen! You dunderin' Dutch Indians, dishturbin' your poor
old dad dat is wearing his life out for you! I'll pound both of you
till you're dead!"

Hans Vanderbum's system had suffered too great a shock for further
slumber. He rose to the sitting position, and, digging both hands into
his head, glared at his offspring a moment, and then began his regular
lecture.

"Quanonshet, you little Dutchman, and Madokawandock, you little bigger
Dutchman, vot does you t'ink of yourselves? Vot does you t'ink will
become of you, disgracing your parents in this manner? You oughter be
pounded to death to treat your poor old fader in this manner, who is
working of himself away to bring you up in the way you ought for to go.
Eh? vot do you t'ink of yourself, eh? Vot do you t'ink of yourself?"
demanded Hans, furiously shaking his head toward the boys at each word.

Quanonshet and Madokawandock were too confounded for reply.

"Shposing your poor old fader should go crazy!! Here he is working
himself to skin and bone--Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got
dat cooked?"

[Illustration: "Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got dat
cooked?"]

"No!" screamed the wife. "You big, lazy man, get up and stir yourself!
You don't do anything but sleep and smoke, while _I'm_ working all the
flesh off _my_ bones for you!"

These forcible remarks were made in the pure Shawnee tongue, and were
accompanied by gesticulation too pointed and significant for Hans to
mistake the spirit in which they were given. Although it is the
invariable custom among the North American Indians for the husband to
rule the wife, and impose all burdens upon her, except those of the
hunt, and fight, such, by no means, was the case with the present
couple. Hans Vanderbum's body was too unwieldy for him to accompany
the young men (or even the old men) upon their hunting expeditions; in
short, he contributed nothing toward the support of his interesting
family. The first husband of Keew