Rollo at Play | Page 4

middle stake by the string, the mark was equally
distant from the middle stake in every part, and that made it exactly
round. Then Jonas laid down the marker, and pulled out the middle
stake; and they looked down and saw that there was a round mark on
the ground, about as large as a cart-wheel.
Then Jonas took the crowbar, and made deep holes all around, in this
circle, so far apart that Rollo could just step from one to the other. But
Rollo could not understand how he could make a house so.
"I will tell you," said Jonas. "You must now go and get some large
branches of trees, and trim off the twigs from the lower end, and stick
them down in these, holes. I will show you how."
So Jonas took a large bough, and trimmed the large end, and sharpened
it a little, and then he fixed it down in one of these holes, in such a
manner that the top of it bent over towards the middle of the circle;
then he went back to his work, leaving Rollo to go on with the
wigwam.

A VISITOR.

Rollo put down two or three branches very well, and was very much
delighted at seeing it gradually begin to look like a house, when he
thought he heard a voice. He listened a moment, and heard some one at
a distance calling, "Rol--lo. Rol--lo."
Rollo dropped his hatchet, and looked in the direction that the sound
came from, and called out as loud as he could, "What!"
"Where--are--you?" was heard in reply.
Rollo answered, "Here," and then immediately clambered along over
the bridge, and ran through the woods until he came out into the open
field; and there he saw a small boy, away off at a distance, just coming
through the turn-stile.
It was his cousin James. It seems that James had come to play with him
that day, and Rollo's mother had directed him down towards the woods.
James came running along towards Rollo, holding up something round
and bright, in each hand. They were half dollars.
"Where did you get them?" said Rollo.
"One is for you, and one is for me," said James. "Uncle George sent
them to us."
"What a beautiful little eagle!" said Rollo, as he looked at one side of
his half dollar; "I wish I could get it off and keep it separate."
"O no," said James, "that would spoil your half dollar."
"Why, they would know it was a half dollar by the letters and the head
on the other side. What a pretty thin eagle! How do you suppose they
fasten it on so strong?"
James said he thought he could get it off; so they went and sat down on
a smooth log, that was lying on the ground, and laid Rollo's half dollar
on the log. Then he took a pin, and tried to drive the point of it under
the eagle's head, with a small stone. But the eagle would not move.

They only made some little marks and scratches on the silver.
"Never mind," said Rollo; "I will keep it as it is." So he took his half
dollar, and they walked along towards the brook.
They showed their money to Jonas, and told him that they had tried to
get the eagle off. He smiled at this. The boys went back soon to the
wigwam, and James said he would help Rollo finish it. While they were
at work they put their money on a large flat stone, on the brink of the
brook. They fixed a great many boughs into their wigwam, weaving
them in all around, and thus made a very pleasant little house, leaving a
place for a door in front. When they were tired, they went and opened
Rollo's little package, and found a fine luncheon in it of bread and
butter and pie; which they ate very happily together, sitting on little
hemlock branches in the wigwam.

DIFFICULTY.
After their luncheon, the boys began to talk about the best place for a
window for the wigwam.
"I think we will have it this side, towards the brook," said James, "and
then we can look out to the water."
"No," said Rollo, "it will be better to have it here, towards where Jonas
is working, and then we can look out and see him."
"No," said James, "that is not a good plan; I do not want to see Jonas."
"And I do not want to see the water," replied Rollo. "It is my wigwam,
and I mean to have the window here."
So saying, he went to the side towards Jonas, and began to take away a
bough. James came there too, and said angrily,