'ere another moon, scalps shall dangel at belt of Spotted Snaik, for in
his futsteps lurk deth, and distruksion. But fear not pail-face, thou
art my brother--fairwell.

Sined
SPOTTED SNAIK.

"There was lots more, but we couldn't get it in," said Dorothy.
Squeezed up into a corner I found this postscript:

If you will come and be an Indian Cheef unkel dick, I will make you a
spear, and you can be Blood-in-the-Eye. He was a fine chap and nobody
could beat him except Spotted Snaik, will you Unkel dick?

"He wants you to write an answer, and I'm to take it to him," said
Dorothy.

"Blood-in-the-Eye!" I repeated; "no, I'm afraid not. I shouldn't
object so much to becoming a red-skin--for a time--but Blood-in-the-Eye!
Really, Dorothy, I'm afraid I couldn't manage that."

"He was very brave," returned Dorothy, "and awfull' strong, and
could--could 'throw his lance with such unerring aim, as to pin his foe
to the nearest tree--in the twinkle of an eye.' That's in the book, you
know."

"There certainly must be a great deal of satisfaction in pinning one's
foe to a tree," I nodded.

"Y-e-e-s, I suppose so," said Dorothy rather dubiously.

"And where is Spotted Snake--I mean, what is he doing?"

"Oh, he's down by the river with his bow and arrow, scouting for
canoes. It was great fun! He shot at a man in a boat--and nearly hit
him, and the man got very angry indeed, so we had to hide among the
bushes, just like real Indians. Oh, it was fine!"

"But your Auntie Lisbeth said you weren't to play near the river, you
know," I said.

"That's what I told him," returned Dorothy, "but he said that Indians
didn't have any aunts, and then I didn't know what to say. What do you
think about it, Uncle Dick?"

"Well," I answered, "now I come to consider, I can't remember ever
having heard of an Indian's aunt."

"Poor things!" said Dorothy, giving the fluffy kitten a kiss between
the ears.

"Yes, it's hard on them, perhaps, and yet," I added thoughtfully, "an
aunt is sometimes rather a mixed blessing. Still, whether an Indian
possesses an aunt or not, the fact remains that water has an unpleasant
habit of wetting one, and on the whole, I think I'll go and see what
Spotted Snake is up to."

"Then I think I'll come with you a little way," said Dorothy, as I
rose. "You see, I have to get Louise her afternoon's milk."

"And how is Louise?" I inquired, pulling the fluffy kitten's nearest
ear.

"Very well, thank y