t music, gathering strength and courage and hurrying
on to play hide and seek as they dashed under the great icy coverings of
the still frozen lakes. Strong south winds blew frequently, and under
their magic influences the great snowdrifts rapidly lessened and then
disappeared. From underneath the still hard, dry snow some mysterious
melting influence was at work, and the great masses sank down, and soon
all flitted away under the wondrous but unseen influences of the coming
spring.

"I saw a great golden eagle," said Alec, as one day he came in from a
short hunting trip with Big Tom.

"Did you see it first?" said Sam.

"No, indeed," replied Alec; "Big Tom's eyes were more alert, and so he
first saw it and then pointed it out to me as it was flying in graceful
circles far up in the blue heavens."

"The Indians will be all saying that spring indeed has come," said Mr
Ross. "As the appearance of the eagle is, as I think I told you, the
beginning of spring, Mikisewpesim, the eagle moon, is the first spring
month."

"Is it not," said Frank, "a very uncertain way of marking the seasons?"

"The variation is not as great as a person would at first imagine," was
Mr Ross's reply. "We talk about an early spring or a late spring, and
March with us is sometimes like April. Then some other years it is just
the reverse. So the Indians' methods of marking the months by the
arrival of the birds, or other events in nature, is not generally much
out of the way."

"What birds follow the eagles?" asked Sam.

"The wild geese," replied Mr Ross, "and as they do not come until the
great marshes, which are their early feeding grounds, are partially
bared of snow, they are about a month behind the eagles."

"Then is there a goose month also?" asked Alec.

"Yes, indeed," replied Mr Ross, "and it is a very important one to the
Indians, and I anticipate that we, too, will have our share of
excitement in it. It is called Niskepesim, from `niska,' goose, or
`niskuk,' geese, and `pesim,' month. The Niskepesim, goose moon, which
corresponds with our April, is followed by Unekepesim, frog moon, as
then those denizens of the swamps and ponds begin their croakings. In
our North Land frog moon corresponds with May. Then comes `Wawepesim,'
egg moon, as in June the birds are nesting and hatching out their young.
So it is with all the other months, each has some equally expressive
name."

"I am sure we are thankful for all this informa