"Yes," said Mr. Leonard; "by digging a ditch or making the channel deeper at the outlet, this would become dry land the year around. The soil is deep and rich-better even than the bottom land." "That would spoil the creek, wouldn't it, father?" asked Frank. "Yes, it would run in the spring only," said Mr. Leonard. "Where would the cattle drink in the summer?" asked Donald. "That's the difficulty. The swamp holds enough to keep the cattle in water all summer." "Would the corn more than pay for the loss of the water?" asked Frank. "Yes, I think so," answered his father. "But it would spoil my beautiful creek," said Susie. "Don't do that." "If this swamp were in New England," said Uncle Robert, "the farmers would dig out this rich mud for their poor land." "Oh," cried Susie, "the blue flags are almost in bloom!" "There is one all blossomed out," said Donald. "I'll get it." The boys took an old log and threw it across the wet place, and Donald, balancing himself carefully, went out and picked the blooming flag with its buds. "Thank you, Donald," said Susie, as he handed her the pretty flowers. "I'll put the buds in water and they will open." [Illustration: Blue Flag.] "Do you know the names of all the flowers in your bouquet?" asked Uncle Robert. "Every one of them," said Susie. "This is phlox. There is ever so much of it in the woods now. And this is a trillium. Isn't it big and white? Here is another, only it is red." "We used to call the red ones 'wake-robin' in New England," said Uncle Robert. "I thought they came earlier than the white ones." "They do," said Susie. "They've been here a long time." "The violets are just as pretty as when I came, aren't they?" said Uncle Robert. "Do they stay all summer?" "Not quite," replied Susie. "But they stay a long time in the woods." "What is this?" asked Uncle Robert, pointing to a pale-pink flower on a hairy stem, surrounded by rough green leaves. "That's a wild geranium," said Susie; "but do you think it looks-much like a geranium? I don't." "No, but here is a seed pod," said Uncle Robert. "It looks like the seed of the geranium that grows in the garden. Perhaps that is what gave it the name." [Illustration: Wild geranium.] "I have a flower that you haven't, Susie," said Mrs. Leonard, holding it up for them to see. "Oh," cried Susie, "a yellow lady's slipper! I didn't know they were out yet. Where did you find it?" "I picked it on the bank near the creek while you were talking about the trees," replied her mother. "I wish I could find a pink one," said Susie, looking around. "Isn't it too early for them?" asked Uncle Robert. "They come about the same time as the yellow ones," said Donald, "but we don't find very many of them." "I like the Indian name for that flower," said Mr. Leonard. "Do you mean moccasin flower, father?" asked Frank. "I like that too." [Illustration: Yellow lady's slipper.] "Why don't we call it that?" asked Donald.