The children's curiosity was now blended with an absorbing interest, and Anne longed to follow Edward into the enclosure, but hesitated until he called out, "Only look! Anne! what can this be?" Then forgetting all her timidity, she hastened to see what he was dragging out of the rubbish, and as he held it up triumphantly for her inspection, she looked on with wonder and amazement.
"It is a huge plate cover; here is the handle," said Anne, turning it round with eagerness.
"Hardly that," said her brother; "this is two feet across, and is hardly the right thing for a plate cover; it is made of some metal."
"We will take it home," said Anne; "father and uncle Howe will know what it is, don't you think so?"
But Edward was not listening, and did not answer. He was digging down where he had found the thing, and came to a quantity of arrow heads, evidently made of the same material as the other, but of what it was he could not determine. Anne, with a strong stick in her hand, commenced searching, and soon came upon what they knew to be a stone mortar, for they had often seen them before.
Anne now began to complain of hunger, and Edward said he would give her a treat, Indian-fashion, to celebrate their arrival into, as he facetiously said, an Indian palace!
"But what can you give? We brought nothing with us; besides we have been out quite as long as we ought to, and had better return immediately."
"Oh, no; we have not. You know the camp will not move to-day, and I intend to make a day's work of it."
"We certainly must return; they will be alarmed about us. Come, let us go back."
"Not until we have the feast. Now keep quiet, Anne, until that is over, and then I will return with you."