"I am going to learn Indian," Jean declared, "and I want you to tell me
the names of many things."

The studying of the Maliseet language was a new pleasure to Jean, and
she made excellent progress. She asked the names of various things
about the camp, and in a few days she had stored up in her mind quite a
stock of words. She now spoke of the fire as "skwut," firewood as
"Skwut-o-e-to'tch," the mouth as "hu-ton," eyes as "u-si-suk," hair as
"pi-es." There was no end to the words she learned, and both Sam and
Kitty vied with each other in teaching her. When Sam brought in a
rabbit he would hold it up and say "Ma-tu-kwes," or if a partridge,
"se-se-ka-ti-ke-es." Then he would laugh as Jean tried to pronounce
the words.

When the ice was firm enough to venture upon, Jean watched Sam as he
cut a hole, dropped down a line, and brought forth a fine speckled
trout. As the fish flopped about, he exclaimed, "Sko-tum! Sko-tum!"

One day he produced a piece of ash wood, and began to make the frames
of a pair of snow-shoes.

"Ha-kum-mul," he said.

"What is that?" Jean asked.

"Snow-shoes for babby. Long trip bimeby."

"What! am I to use them?"

"A-ha-ha. When wast come."