Swallows--How Some Cruel Men were Punished who Teased
an Orphan Boy.

When Mary entered the children's bedroom one bright, pleasant morning she
was amazed at finding both of the beds empty and a piece of foolscap paper
pinned to the dressing table. The writing on it was beyond her power to
read. She remembered now that the children had begged her not to come very
early in the morning to wake them up, and as their requests were as a law
she had lingered as long as she dared, and indeed had only gone to call
them when her mistress had asked the reason for their nonappearance. Not
until she had shown the paper, with its inscription, to the kitchen maid,
who could read English, did its full meaning burst upon her. Of course, she
was very much troubled, and yet such was her loyalty to the children that
she hesitated about letting the parents know what had occurred. She was
fully aware that she could not long keep the startling news from them, and
yet she was still resolved that never should any information be imparted by
her that might bring down upon them any punishment, no matter how much
deserved.

It was a long, rough trail through the primitive forest to the wigwam of
Souwanas. How long the children had been away she could not tell. Mary,
with Indian shrewdness, had felt their beds, and had found them both quite
cold, so she knew the little mischiefs had been off at least an hour. She
interrogated not only the maid in the kitchen but also Kennedy, the man of
all work, outside. Neither of them had seen or heard anything of the
children, and as they did not share Mary's ideas the escapade of the
children was soon known.

The parents were naturally alarmed when they heard the news. At once the
father, accompanied by Kennedy and the dogs, Jack and Cuffy, started off on