Rollo at Play; Or, Safe Amusements
Page 3
A VISITOR.
Rollo put down two or three branches very well, and was very muchdelighted at seeing it gradually begin to look like a house, when hethought he heard a voice. He listened a moment, and heard some one at adistance calling, "Rol--lo. Rol--lo."
Rollo dropped his hatchet, and looked in the direction that the soundcame 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 thebridge, 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 comingthrough the turn-stile.
It was his cousin James. It seems that James had come to play with himthat day, and Rollo's mother had directed him down towards the woods.
James came running along towards Rollo, holding up something round andbright, 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 themto us."
"What a beautiful little eagle!" said Rollo, as he looked at one side ofhis 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 headon the other side. What a pretty thin eagle! How do you suppose theyfasten it on so strong?"
James said he thought he could get it off; so they went and sat down ona smooth log, that was lying on the ground, and laid Rollo's half dollaron the log. Then he took a pin, and tried to drive the point of it underthe eagle's head, with a small stone. But the eagle would not move. Theyonly made some little marks and scratches on the silver.
"Never mind," said Rollo; "I will keep it as it is." So he took his halfdollar, and they walked along towards the brook.
They showed their money to Jonas, and told him that they had tried toget the eagle off. He smiled at this. The boys went back soon to thewigwam, and James said he would help Rollo finish it. While they were atwork they put their money on a large flat stone, on the brink of thebrook. They fixed a great many boughs into their wigwam, weaving themin all around, and thus made a very pleasant little house, leaving aplace for a door in front. When they were tired, they went and openedRollo's little package, and found a fine luncheon in it of bread andbutter and pie; which they ate very happily together, sitting on littlehemlock branches in the wigwam.