We went together, Hammer and I, and more thoroughly explored the forest and found that the “float” there, as we had called it, would last perhaps a lifetime at the rate we were using it, and found also that there were many of the copper boulders in the ravines and glens farther along the mountainsides than we had explored at first. This discovery it was which caused me to have a new belief as to whence the copper had come. One of the heights of the range had once been a fire mountain, as was easy to see from where its vomitings had run down the valleys, and was it not possible that the copper had thus been tossed up from the very bowels of the earth? This I thought must be true, and Hammer agreed with me regarding the thing. So concerning that we gave no further thought. It came at last that those working in and about the forest built themselves huts there and that another village arose, though not a large one, and it came, too, that others built huts along what was now become a beaten highway such as never had been seen, and so we were for a time a long and straggling community. Then came another change and a most potent one. Some leagues to the north of us was a village of a strong tribe with whom we had always been on close and pleasant terms, for they were of our own blood and so we understood each other well. Thus it chanced that they were the first to barter with us for our excellent copper weapons and that there was much commingling of the people and, as a consequence, from that man-woman happening which always seems to come when the youth of each kind are brought much together, the young men and women of each tribe began taking each other for mates and so the commingling became still closer and better. Then followed what was most wise. There was held a council of the chief men of each tribe, in which Hammer and I had much to say, and it was decided that the two should join and that the formidable tribe thus made should build its village upon the copper fields. There were shelter and water and streams, and game and fish, and it was a fine village site in every way. And thus it came. Barriers were built that we might defy all enemies. Not a man or youth but had keen copper-headed spear and arrows and knife and axe and was trained in the sharpening and care of them. We were bravely weaponed. Not always, though, did we use the copper arrows, for they were too precious to be shot lightly in the hunting, those made of stone still serving for the killing of the smaller game. Then followed a small thing which proved in the end a great one: a youth of the tribe, that he might not easily lose his copper arrows, had tied the scarlet feather of a bird to each arrow shaft close to its end in a little groove, that it might not hit the bow and mar his shooting. The brilliant feather would reveal the arrow wherever it might chance to fall, which was a good thing. But more came of it. The youth soon