168 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



ligent animal, is worse than even the lingering death 

 of being torn to hits." 



" Bnt why does any one like to do so ? " asked Rap. 



'' The excuse given for it in England is that it is an 

 historic sport, a settled custom, that it makes use for a 

 tine race of horses, — hunters as they are called, — and the 

 exercise makes a strong race of people. We have an 

 unfortunate habit of importing customs without suffi- 

 cient reason. It was this spirit of borrowing that gave 

 us the Englisli Sparrow." 



" Perliaps they will stop it now that tliere are such 

 fine bicycles to exercise with. Don't you think bicycles 

 would be nice things to make Dodo and me strong and 

 tender-hearted?" said Nat, so innocently that he was 

 very much surprised when his father asked if he 

 thought his stocking would hold anything as large, 

 and what make he preferred. 



"I wasn't fishing for one," he hastened to explain, 

 " only thinking how good it would be for me," at which 

 his father and uncle burst out laughing. 



***** 



Presently it was agreed that Rap should stay at home 

 with the little boys and Olaf, who was to finish a sort 

 of toboggan, made from a long wide board Avhich he 

 had steamed and rolled up in front for a fender and 

 fastened Avith hide thongs. It yet remained to be orna- 

 mented by a picture of Olaf's painting. 



]\Ir. l)lake was interested in trying on a pair of snow- 

 shoes, that Nez had made partly for old times' sake, and 

 partly in case the snow should be so deep during the 

 winter that he might need them in visiting liis traps. 



The Doctor and Nez prepared to give Nat his first 



