Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue in the Big Woods Part 14

"Of course, if they wear moccasins," agreed Bunny.

"No, if they wear shoes," said Sue. "Our teacher told us about it."

"What is different in an Indian's footprint and ours, Sue?" asked Mr.

Brown.

"Why, an Indian, even if he wears shoes like ours, turns his toes in, instead of out, as we do," went on the little girl.

"Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho!" laughed Bunny. "Whoever heard of such a thing?"

"But it's true, isn't it, Daddy?" asked Sue.

"Yes, it is true," said Mr. Brown. "A real Indian has a sort of pigeon-toe, as it is called. That is, instead of pointing his toes out when he walks, he turns them in. At least most Indians do, though there may be some who do not. So if you are looking for Indians' tracks, Bunny, look for the kind that turns in."

"I will," the little boy agreed. "I didn't know you knew so much about Indians, Sue."

"Our teacher used to live out West among the Indians, and she taught them," explained Sue. "She tells us lots of Indian stories."

"Goodness! I wish I could be in your cla.s.s!" cried Bunny. "Even though I am a grade ahead of you," he added. "Does she tell about Indian fights with bows and arrows, and taking prisoners, and all that?"

"No, she tells about tame Indians, not the wild kind," explained Sue.

"The tame ones are just like the ones that live on the preservation here--the Onondagas. But I like tame Indians, though I hope none of them has taken my Teddy bear."

"I hope not, either," said her father. "For Eagle Feather and his Indians are good friends of ours, and I would not like to feel that they would take anything from our camp. Still we must look everywhere."

"Sue, you said the Indians lived on a 'preservation.' You meant 'reservation,'" corrected Bunny.

"I don't care. They live there, whatever it is," declared the little girl.

They circled about the tents, but the footprints, as far as they could tell, were those of white men--none of them toed in.

"Are you going to the Indians' camp?" asked Bunny.

"Yes, I think we'll go there, and also to----"

But just then came the voice of Mrs. Brown calling:

"Breakfast is ready, and if you wait very long the pancakes will be spoiled! Hurry!"

"Oh, hurray! Pancakes!" cried Sue. "Don't you like them, Bunny?"

"I should say I do! I hope I can have ten."

"Oh, Bunny Brown!" cried Sue, "you never could eat ten pancakes at one meal!"

"Well, anyhow, I could try," he said. "And I can eat five, I know."

"That's better," said Mr. Brown with a smile. "I can eat a few myself."

They hurried back to breakfast, telling Mrs. Brown they had had no luck in finding the person who had taken Sue's Teddy bear.

For that the toy with the electric eyes had been taken away and had not walked off by herself was now believed, even by Bunny, who had at first insisted that Sallie Malinda had been hungry and had gone off to find honey.

"Though some mother bear might have come in and taken her to her den, thinking she was her baby," said Sue. "My Sallie Malinda looked just like a real bear when her eyes were lighted up."

"But there were no bear tracks around the tents," said Bunny; "and there would have been if there had been any bears here to carry off your Teddy. There are no other bears here."

"I'm glad of that," said Mrs. Brown. "Teddy bears are the only ones I want to see."

"Well, maybe no real bears came for Sallie Malinda," said Sue, after a while. "I guess it was an Indian or some man who wanted my toy for his little girl. But I hope I get her back--Sallie Malinda, I mean."

Bunny managed to eat five of the cakes his mother baked, and he might have eaten another only his father called to him to hurry if he wanted to go to search for the missing toy bear.

Sue and Bunny went with Mr. Brown off into the big woods after breakfast. As they walked along they looked on either side of the path for a sight of the missing Teddy bear or Bunny's toy train. But they saw neither one.

"Whoever took them is keeping them well hidden," said Mr. Brown. "Now, we'll go to the Indian camp."

Though they called it a camp, it was more of an Indian village where the Onondagas lived. There were many tents, log or slab cabins, and one or two houses built as the white people built theirs. These were owned by the richer Indians, who had large farms and many horses and cows. Some of the Indians were very poor, and their cabins had only one room, where they cooked, ate and slept.

Eagle Feather was the head, or chief, of this particular tribe. He was not like the old-time or wild Indians. He owned a farm and he worked hard to grow fruits and vegetables.

When Eagle Feather saw Mr. Brown, with the two children, coming to the Indian village, the chief came out to meet them.

"How do!" he exclaimed in English that could be understood. "Eagle Feather glad to see you. Come in an' sit down. Squaw make tea for you, or maybe coffee. Coffee better; more has taste."

"No, thank you, we haven't time to eat now," said Mr. Brown. "We came looking for bear."

"For bear?" cried Eagle Feather in surprise. "No bear here. Bear maybe 'way off in woods. Why you no go there and shoot 'um?"

"Oh, this isn't that kind of bear," said Mr. Brown.

"Funny bear, no live in woods," said the Indian.

"This bear have eyes go like so," and Mr. Brown took from his pocket a small electric flash light. By pressing on a spring he made the light flash up and go out, just as had the eyes of Sue's bear.

"Oh, now Eagle Feather know," said the Indian quickly. "Lil' gal's heab big medicine doll gone. Where him go?"

"That's just what we don't know," said Mr. Brown. "In the night, when we were all asleep, some one came and took the bear. Maybe he came to Indian camp. Not sure, but maybe we can look." Mr. Brown tried to talk as he thought Eagle Feather would understand. And the Indian seemed to.

"Your lil' gal's bear no here at Eagle Feather's camp," he said with a shake of his head. "Much big medicine, like baby puff-puff train doll is, but Indian no take lil' gal's play bear. See, I and you look in every house."

"Oh, no, that isn't necessary," said Mr. Brown. "If you tell me the bear isn't here I believe you."

"That right, for I speak truth. But wait--we ask other Indians. Maybe they think no harm to take bear lil' while for big medicine, and bring him back. I ask."

Eagle Feather stepped to the door of his house and gave a loud whistle.

In a few minutes there came to him many of the older Indian men. Eagle Feather spoke to them in their own Indian language. He listened to the answers.