400 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



I've seen never make a scrap of noise; the first thing 

 yon know they seem close to yon and before you can 

 wink they have gone, and daddy sa^'s they will never 

 tonch you or claw your hair, as Rod says they do." 



" You are right ; the flight of a Bat is silent. See if 

 you can tell me why." 



"I can," said Dodo, whose eyes were sparkling and 

 dancing as they always did when she thought of an 

 answer almost before a question was asked. "You said 

 a Nio-hthawk made a noise because the wind blew 



o 



through its wing quills when it dropped, just like w^hen 

 I blow on my little comb and it whistles, and a Bat has 

 only skin wings Avitli no feathers to whistle with ! " 



" The exact reason — a stringless violin makes no 

 sound. But what shall we do with our Little Brown 

 Bat? Suppose I take him back to the root cellar and 

 see if he will hang himself up and go to sleep again." 



"Oh, yes I" said Dodo; "and then by and bye when 

 lie is all aired Rap can see liim." 



***** 



"Did he hang up again?" the children asked eagerly 

 when the Doctor returned. 



"He flew about a few moments and then disappeared 

 in a dark corner. When Rod brouglit a lantern, we 

 found five others all hanging to the roof, like so many 

 cocoons in a row. Their eyes wei-e shut and they 

 showed no signs of life, but I could tell our friend 

 from the others because he was breathing quickly and 

 shifted his position when the lantern flashed on him. 

 So b}^ and bye you can all go and see how Batville 

 looks in winter." 



" It will be nice to go back to camp again," said Nat, 



