Part 26 (1/1)

As Rolfe pro the rest, the _battue_ of beavers--nearly two thousand of which were trapped and taken

As soon as spring arrived, we ons were prepared--two of them loaded with furs and valuable castoreum The third carried the females--while Rolfe and his sons rode upon horseback

The walls of the deer-park were broken down, and the aviaries thrown open; and, after distributing plenty of food to the numerous pets, we left them to themselves, and took our departure from the valley We struck northward for the old trail; and on reaching it, turned our faces for Saint Louis--where we arrived in the month of May; and where Rolfe soon after sold his furs for a large sum of money

It is now several years since that ti the interval, I--the writer of this little book--living in a distant country, heard nothing o, however, I received a letter froence that they were all well, and in excellent spirits Frank and Harry had just finished their college studies, and had co men Mary and Luisa--Luisa was still one of the family--had returned from school Besides this, Rolfe's letter contained soence No less than _four_ es were in contemplation in his family Harry was about to wed the little ”dark sister,” Luisa Frank had cohter of a Missouri planter; and the fair-haired, blue-eyed, rosy-lipped Mary had enslaved a young ”prairie merchant,” one of those who had spent the winter with us in the valley oasis, and who had been very gallant to Mary all along the journey homeward But ere to be the fourth couple? Ah! that question we must leave for Cudjo and his ”lubbly Lucy” to answer

Rolfe's letter farther infore festivities were over--to return to the valley oasis

All were going together--McKnight, new-ons, with horses, and cattle, and i there for life, and for a little patriarchal colony of themselves

It was a pleasant letter to read: and as I perused it over and over, and reflected on the ood people, I could not help thanking the fate that first led me to the _Home in the Desert_

THE END