"Ephraim, it is your turn to stir now. My arms is near broke." In a moment Ephraim was beside her, and was straining the muscles of his right arm in stirring the fast cooling sugar.
The contents of the pot were then poured into dishes of various shapes and sizes, which were imbedded in the snow, the largest of which was handed to Machecawa, who sat on a fallen log and began to devour the contents greedily. At length he caught sight of Bearie, who was seated in Gideon Olmstead's cutter talking to Sarah.
"Whoop!" cried the Indian, a ray of light creeping over his dark face. "De young chief's squaw? Some tam she am dat squaw, more some time she am de odder," he said, pointing his finger at Nancy.
Shrieks of laughter resounded through the woods.
"It is precisely what we would like to know ourselves," said Mary, the Chief's youngest daughter, who had made repeated attempts to draw from the boys their purposes and plans regarding the future.
"Choose partners—choose partners for 'Auld Lang Syne,'" said the White Chief.
"They seem to have chosen partners," said Christie, "but the trouble is they won't let any one into the secret."
"No doubt," said the Chief, "they will declare their intentions in due time."
The whole party then, at Mrs. Bancroft's request, gathered in a circle round the fire, and forming a chain, sang:
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?"