NEZ LONG'S MENAGERIE 193 



"We can't undress very mucli," said Nat, beginning 

 and ending by taking off his shoes, " so it will be real 

 easy dressing in the morning, and I want to see the 

 Porcupine that is over in the shed the iirst thing. 

 Don't go to sleep yet. Rap, 1 won't be a minute." Rap, 

 however, was asleep the moment he sank between the 

 new red blankets, — a present from Mrs. Blake to Toi- 

 nette, — that covered the armful of hemlock branches 

 that served avS a mattress. 



The men came back, went to bed and to sleep, and 

 soon the wind outside w\as the only sound, Avhile occa- 

 sional flashes from the smouldering log lire kept the 

 cabin cheerfully light. 



For some strange reason Nat could not sleep; he 

 dozed a dozen times ; then the wind whistled between 

 the logs of the cabin and he started up again. Once he 

 saw a couple of mice chasing each otlier about the 

 hearth, then a shadow moved along the roof timbers. 

 Was it tlie Coon ? No, for both Coon and Fox had 

 been taken to their sleeping-quarters in the shed. 



Nat looked again ; tlie shadow grew deeper, took a 

 solid form, and dropped to the floor. An extra bright 

 flash from the lire showed him what looked like a 

 bundle of some white-tipped fur. The mysterious 

 thing was nothing more nor less than an animal — a 

 Porcupine ! He could see its eyes glitter as it moved 

 awkwardly across the floor to the very corner wliere 

 he was lying. 



