]VAFFLES AND A WALK 27 



hearing than we House People, and you will do well 

 when you wish to watch even a Squirrel to keep from 

 stepping on a dr}^ leaf and to see which way the Avind 

 blows." 



''Only think, we've seen a real Avild animal,'' chuckled 

 Dodo to Nat. 



" I've seen a Coon and a Muskrat and a Mink," said 

 Rap, ''besides Foxes and Squirrels." 



" I know what Mink is," said Dodo ; " it's nice 

 brown fur, and I have some of it on my winter coat. 



" Uncle lloy^ is going to take us to the old log camp in 

 the Owl Avoods some day, and there are fur beasts up 

 around there, he saj^s." 



" Daddy has been all about the wild Avest country on 

 business, and he has seen dreadful fierce, Avild animals, 

 and he is going to tell us about them by and by. You 

 know daddy goes round to find out about the country 

 and look for mines tliat are hidden in the ground," 

 explained Nat to Rap, "and that's AAdiy Ave haven't seen 

 much of him for a long time. You see mines are often 

 in A^ery savage places, and noAv daddy is staying here 

 this Avinter to Avrite doAvn all he has seen and draw 

 plans for people to Avork by in the spring." 



"Oh, then your father is a miner," said Rap ; "I've 

 read about them." 



" No, a miner is the man that digs Avith a pick and 

 shovel ; daddy is the one Avho digs Avith his brain and 

 tells the miner how to Avork so that the earth Avon't 

 fall in on him, and how to cut aAvay the rock and get 

 to the treasure. Daddy is Avhat they call a ^Mining 

 Engineer I " and Nat stopped suddenly, as if tlie tAvo 

 big Avords Avere too much for him. 



