156 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



" What is a fire-letter ? " asked Rap. 



'' The letter whose words come as lightning sparks," 

 said Qlaf, who, in trying to puzzle the boys, fell into 

 the picture language so common in the north countries. 



" Oh, a telegram, of course ! " cried Rap. 



" But the Fox," persisted Nat. " I don't understand 

 about him." 



'' Hush, do not speak loud or he may hear you, for 

 it was a very shy Fox that brought me the news, — a 

 Dream Foxf 



'' Oh, liow you fooled us ! " shouted Nat. 



" No, I don't call it fooling," said Rap, quite 

 seriously ; '' a Dream Fox may be cousin of a Night- 

 mare ! " 



So they started on their sleigh-ride in a very jolly 

 mood, and in a few minutes left behind the dozen 

 houses and store that was called Chestnut Ridge, as 

 they cut down into one of the narrow valley roads 

 that finally zig-zagged up toward Nez' camp. 



" It takes more to make a mountain out in the far 

 west country than it does here, doesn't it, daddy?" 

 asked Nat. 



" Yes, I rather think it does ; but there is more 

 comfort and beauty to the square inch in one of our 

 mountains, even if they do seem only molehills com- 

 pared to the Rockies." 



" I see more Rabbit tracks," said Rap, '' and dog 

 tracks, too, — dogs that have been chasing them, — 

 over by those rocks ! " 



" Not dog, but Fox tracks," said Olaf, " though the 

 print itself might be of a dog." 



'' Then how do you know it isn't ?" 



