"I am Clam, a shell mound boy."

Then the children came up around the raft and shook it so that Thorn
almost fell off.

"Stop, or I will shoot you!" he cried, laughing.

"Oh, he will shoot us!" cried the children, and they hid behind one
another, playing they were afraid.

"Is that your bow?" Clam now asked. "We heard about it. Shoot for us."

"Yes," said Thorn.

He began to paddle to the bank, but the children crowded around the
raft and quickly pushed it to shore. Thorn jumped off and began to
shoot at the trees. The children went along with him and watched with
big eyes. One of the arrows struck a tree and stuck in the bark. The
children laughed and ran and pulled it out.

"Do that again!" they cried.

Thorn did it again to shouts and the clapping of hands. Then a boy
named Periwinkle threw up a piece of bark and cried, "Hit that!"

Thorn tried over and over again, but he could not. At last he grew
tired of shooting. Then the children crowded round him, and Clam said,
"Come home with us. Show your bow to the other children."

"How can I get there?" Thorn asked.