74 FOUR FOOTED AMERICANS 



" Oh, uncle I Oh, daddy ! " cried Nat and Dodo, 

 rolling off the blankets in their excitement. " Nez 

 knows Olaf and lie's coming here ! Don't you see how 

 much we could learn about the fourfoots if we could 

 only live up here in a log house ? " 



" Doubtless you could, and you would perhaps enjoy 

 it vastly for a while, but how about school ? You must 

 begin by being fitted for your lives as House People ; 

 few of us can live the wild life, except now and then 

 for pleasure and as a rest from too much tameness. 

 Don't look so blue, Nat. Dodo, cheer up, even if you 

 may not live in a log house you are not going to be 

 shut up in a prison this winter. Listen, and I will 

 tell you tlie whole of the surprise that you partly 

 learned 3^esterday.'' 



Four heads crowded together, and eight wide-o])en 

 eyes gazed at Dr. Roy, for Olive was as mucli in the 

 dark as the others. 



" Must we guess ? " asked Dodo, clapping her hands. 



" You may all try, if you like, but I do not think you 

 can possibly guess the wliole of the secret." 



" We are coming up here on Saturdays to learn to 

 shoot and hear Nez tell stories," ventured Nat. 



"No," said Olive, "it can't be that, because it w^ould 

 be too far and too cold in winter. Perhaps you will 

 ask Nez to come dow^n some time and tell us stories," 

 said Olive. 



" It takes too long to guess," cried Dodo, Avriggling 

 about in her impatience, "please tell us now ! " 



" Very well ; the surprise has three parts to it. Sit 

 still. Dodo, and remember that you are not to jump up 

 and down or hug me until I have quite finished. 



