210 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



tecting some of our foiirfoots, and make you eliief 

 gamekeeper and forester general/' 



'' I'm willin', Doc, but I must get a peep at 'em to 

 make sure," said Xez, liis sporting blood throbbing. 



''Yes," added Olaf, "we Avill go down tliis afternoon 

 to make sure that the Dream Fox has not been showing 

 his picture book to the good Jacque." 



" If you will keep me, I will stay and go with 3'ou ; 

 I must," said Mr. Blake, capering about as gleefully as 

 Nat or Dodo when they suspected a surprise. 



" I shall take the others to the Ridge then and come 

 back and wait here one, two, three days more then, until 

 you are read}," said Olaf, looking pleased. 



"Whicli reminds me that we must be starting home- 

 ward in less than an hour," said the Doctor, looking at 

 his watcli. 



" Oh, I want to see the Deer too I " cried Nat. 



" Sorry to say no to anything so tempting ; but I 

 promised to bring you both safely back to your mothers 

 to-night. Wlio knows, however," said the Doctor, 

 cheerfull}^, " but these same Deer may stray over to the 

 farm woods and make a visit I " 



They Avent back to the cabin for early dinner and 

 to say "good-b}^" to Toinette and the boys and make 

 them promise to return the visit by coming to the 

 Christmas ]^arty at the farm. They found the boys 

 waitino* with a stout bacr betAveen them, in Avhich Avas 

 something that moved about a great deal. 



"What have you there — the ' Porcupine ? " asked 

 the Doctor. 



" Billy Coon," replied Phonse, plucking up courage 

 to speak. 



