SMITH.) KINGFISHER AND HIS NEPHEW. 109 



among his uncle's things until he found two sticks, and then he set off 

 to the same log where he bad seen his uncle sitting, which projected 

 above the water in the river. He saw the fishes swimming about, so he 

 at once stuck the two sticks into his nose, and plunged in. Then the 

 sticks went deep into his nose and made it ache dreadfully, and he felt 

 very sick. Home he hun'ied and lay down, thinking he should die of 

 the agony. When his uncle came home he heard him groaning, and 

 said, "What ails you? Are you sick?" "Yes, uncle," replied he, "I 

 think I shall die. My hcail is sore and pains me." " What have you been 

 about?" asked the uncle, severely. "I have been fishing," confessed the 

 young man ; " I took your things, and I know I have done wrong." " You 

 have done very wrong," said the uncle; but he took the pincers and drew 

 out the sticks, and the young man promised never again to fi.sh in the 

 west, and got well. 



After a while, however, he thought that he would go and see once 

 more, although he had been forbidden. So he started west. He heard 

 boys laughing, and he had noae to play with, so he joined them. They 

 invited him to swim with them and he accepted, and they had a very 

 gay time together. At last they said, "It is time to go home; you go, 

 too." Then he saw that they had wings, and they gave him a pair and 

 said, "There is an island where all is lovely; you have never been up 

 there — over the tall tree up in the air; come." So they started up in 

 the air, far away above the trees, till they could see both sides of the 

 river; and he felt very happy. "Now," said they, "you can see the 

 island"; and he looked down and saw the print of their tracks on the 

 island; so he knew they had been there. Then said they, "Let us go in 

 swimming again." So they went into the water. Then they said, " Let 

 us see which can go down and come up the farthest " ; and they tried 

 one at a time, and he was the last, so he must go the farthest; and while 

 he was in the water the rest put on their wings and, taking his also, 

 flew up in the air. He plead in vain for them to wait; but they called, 

 as though speaking to some one else, " Uncle, here is game for you 

 tonight." Then they flew away in spite of his entreaties, and he thought 

 to himself, " I shall surely be destroyed, perhaps by some animal." 



As he looked around he perceived tracks of dogs which had clawed 

 the different trees, and then he concluded that perhaps they would tear 

 him to pieces. In order to confuse them in their scent he climbed each 

 tree a little way, and so went on until he reached the last tree on the 

 island, in which he remained and listened in suspense. He soon heard 

 a canoe on the river and some one calling the dogs. Then he concluded 

 his conjectures were true. After making a fire the man sent out his 

 dogs. The man had a horrid-looking face, both behind and before, 

 which the poor nephew could see by the fire-light. Then the dogs be- 

 gan barking, having traced the tracks to the first tree; they made such 

 a noise that the man concluded they had found the game, and went to 

 the tree, but found nothing. So they went on to the nest, and the next, 



