to lift the young folks up and swing 'em round. The fiddle is the
thing;--yis, the fiddle is sartinly the thing. I would give a good deal
if we had a fiddle here to-night, for I see the boys and girls miss it.
Lord-a-massy! how it would set 'em a-goin' if we only had a fiddle
here."

"John Norton," said the Lad, who was sitting on a chair hidden away
behind the Trapper, "John Norton," and the Lad took hold of the sleeve
of his jacket and pulled the Trapper's head down towards him, "would you
like to hear a violin to-night?"

"Like to hear a fiddle? Lord bless ye, Lad, I guess I would like to hear
a fiddle. I never seed a time I wouldn't give the best beaver hide in
the lodge to hear the squeak of the bow on the strings. What's the
matter with ye, Lad?" and he drew the old man's head still closer to
him, until his ear was within a few inches of his mouth. "I love to play
the violin better than I love any thing in the world, and I've got one
of the best ones you ever heard, out there in the bow of the boat."

"Heavens and 'arth, Lad!" ejaculated the Trapper, "Did ye say ye could
play the fiddle, and that ye had a good one out there in the boat?
Lord-a-massy! how the young folks will hop. Scoot out there and git it,
boy, and Henry and me will let the folks know what ye've got and what ye
can do."

The Lad fairly flashed out of the room. He was gone in an instant; and
in a few minutes he had returned, bearing in his hands a bundle which he
carried as carefully as a mother would carry her babe; but brief as had
been his absence it had allowed sufficient time for Herbert to
communicate with the master of ceremonies and for him to announce to the