Tabitha, "should look upon the sight of blood, even in this land where
the White-man's law has no power. Still there are little things that
may serve to amuse you for an hour and hurt no one. Have any of you lost
anything, for instance?"

"Yes, I have," said Tabitha with a laugh.

"Is it so, Little Flower? Then be silent and do not say what you have
lost. Have you told any what you have lost?"

"No," answered Tabitha, "because I was afraid I should be scolded."

"There, _Imba_, there, Little Flower, even that is too much, because you
see the old cheat might guess something from your words. Yes, he might
guess that it is something of value that you have lost, such as a
bracelet of gold, or the thing that ticks, on which you white people
read the time. Nay, be silent and do not let your face move lest I
should read it. Now let us see what it is that you have lost."

Then he turned to his confederates, as Thomas called them, and began to
ask them questions which need not be set out in detail. Was it an animal
that the Little Flower had lost? No, it was not an animal, the Spirits
told him that it was not. Was it an article of dress? No, they did not
think it was an article of dress, yet the Spirits seemed to suggest that
it had something to do with dress. Was it a shoe? Was it scissors? Was
it a comb? Was it a needle? No, but it was something that had to do with
needles. What had to do with needles? Thread. Was it thread? No, but
something that had to do with thread. Was it a silver shield which
pushed the needle that drew the thread?