CHOOSING THE KING 19 



hide dry ? If one of you land-dwellers were out 

 in a stiff shower you d be wet to the skin; but he 

 won t, though he stay under water a month. If 

 he has n t got Fleas, what is that double nail on 

 his left hind-foot for? &quot; 



&quot; Perhaps he has n t got a split-nail,&quot; ventured 

 Fisher &quot; I haven t.&quot; 



&quot; Nor I ! &quot; declared Mink. 



&quot; My nails are all single ! &quot; asserted Muskrat. 



&quot; Look for yourselves if you don t believe 

 me,&quot; commanded Jack. &quot; If he has n t got it, 

 1 11 take back what I said, and you can make 

 him King if you wish.&quot; 



This made Black Fox nervous. &quot; Will you 

 show our Comrades your toes, please ? &quot; he com 

 manded Beaver, with great politeness. 



Umisk held up his foot deprecatingly. There 

 sure enough, on the second toe, was a long, black, 

 double claw, like a tiny pincers. &quot; What did I 

 tell you ? &quot; shrieked Jack. &quot; He can pin a Flea 

 with that as easily as Mink seizes a wriggling 

 Trout. He s got half-a-dozen different kinds of 

 Fleas, has Umisk. I won t have a King who is 

 little better than a bug-nursery. A King must 

 be above that sort of thing.&quot; 



&quot; This is all nonsense,&quot; exclaimed Carcajou 

 angrily, for he had fleas himself; &quot; it s got noth 

 ing to do with the matter. Umisk has to live 



