Rollo at Play | Page 4

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,
"The wigwam is mine as much as it is yours, for I helped make it, and I will not have a window here."
So he took hold of the branch that Rollo had hold of. They both felt guilty and condemned, but their angry feelings urged them on, and they looked fiercely at each other, and pulled upon the branch.
"Rollo," said James, "let go."
"James," said Rollo, "I tell you, let my wigwam alone."
"It is not your wigwam."
"I tell you it is."
Just then they heard a noise in the bushes. They looked around, and saw Jonas coming towards them. They felt ashamed, and were silent, though each kept hold of the branch.
"Now, boys," said Jonas, "you have got into a foolish and wicked quarrel. I have heard it all. Now you may do as you please--you may let me