46 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



"No mo' do they," she chiiclvled. 



***** 



They stopped at Rap's house and found him waiting, 

 with a feed-bag, all ready for the nuts he expected to 

 get. 



" Which way are the hickory woods ? " asked Olive ; 

 " toward the shore or inland ? " 



" Inland and almost twenty miles due north of here. 

 There was a logging camp there years ago. I am sure 

 that you liave never been in that direction." 



" Is there any river in the woods ? " asked Kap. 

 "Perhaps we may see some wild ducks." 



" There is a strong, swift river be3^ond where we are 

 going, though I am not sure that we shall get so far to- 

 day, but there is a small river and pond near tlie hick- 

 ory woods, where you may see ducks. It is b}^ the big 

 river that the lumber camp is, where Olaf expects to 

 stop for a few months this winter." 



Some of the trees that were almost covered the day 

 before had dropped their leaves entirely after the hard 

 frost, and the Red Squirrels were chattering and running 

 along the stone fences. One little fellow was carrying 

 a nut in each cheek, and looked very comical, as if he 

 either had the mumps or a toothache. 



" I never noticed before how many Squirrels there 

 are about here. I suppose because the leaves liid them. 

 Are they Mammals, Uncle Roy, and what guild do they 

 belong to ? " asked Dodo. 



" Yes, they are jNIammals, and they belong to the 

 same guild as the Woodchuck, — the Gnawers. Watch 

 that little fellow as he sits up and turns the nut about 

 with his paws, which he uses quite as we do our 



