near the lakes."

"The heavy winter made him go a long distance for food, I reckon," answered
Henry; and this was probably the correct explanation.

Little Nell was at the window, arranging a row of pegs Rodney had made for
her in the form of a company of soldiers. The largest peg went for the
captain, and this she called Washington, while another, which would not
stand, but insisted upon falling over, she called General Braddock, for she
had heard the older folks talk over Braddock's fearful defeat at Fort
Duquesne and of what Washington had done to save what was left of the
English troops from annihilation.

"Here they come!" shouted the little miss. "And, oh, such a big deer as
they have!"

"An elk, as sure as fate!" ejaculated Rodney, looking over her shoulder.
"Henry will have the horns he wanted now."

"And we need the meat," said James Morris, as he flung open the door and
hurried outside. "Elk is pretty strong, I know, but it is better than no
fresh meat at all. And I am tired of rabbit."

The party of hunters soon came up, and all of the others, including Mrs.
Morris, surveyed the game with interest, while they listened to how the elk
had been tracked and brought low.

"Certainly worth going many miles for," said James Morris. "The pelt is a
fine one."