THE RECLUSE

“Why?” he asked abruptly.

I was a little uncertain about telling him.
If I said the wrong thing, the coming tale
might die on his lips before it was born to
speech, but we understood each other so well
that I finally ventured the truth:

“We Iroquois say that twin children are as
rabbits,” I explained. “The nation always
nicknames the parents ‘Tow-wan-da-na-ga.’
That is the Mohawk for rabbit.”

“Is that all?” he asked curiously.

“That is all. Is it not enough to render twin
children unwelcome?” I questioned.

He thought awhile, then with evident de-
sire to learn how all races regarded this oc-

‘ currence, he said, “You have been much among

the Palefaces, what do they say of twins?”

“Oh! the Palefaces like them. They are
—they are-—ohl well, they say they are
very proud of having twins,” I stammered.
Once again I was hardly sure of my ground.
He looked most incredulous, and I was led to
enquire what his own people of the Squamish
thought of this discussed problem.

“It is no pride to us,” he said decidedly;
“nor yet is it disgrace of rabbits, but it is a
fearsome thing—a sign of coming evil to the
father, and, worse than that, of coming dis-
aster to the tribe.”

Then I knew he held in his heart some

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