n6 MOOSWA 



fat back if you come prowling about the Shack 

 to steal food.&quot; 



&quot; Dogs,&quot; growled Blue Wolf, coming into the 

 circle, &quot; who s got Dogs ? &quot; 



&quot; You 11 have them on your back, pres 

 ently,&quot; snapped the Jay. &quot; Saw you sniffing 

 around there last night. If your jaws were as 

 long as your scent you would have had that leg 

 off the roof, eh, Rof? Burnt Feathers! but I 

 smell something,&quot; he continued ; &quot; has any one 

 found a Castoreum Bait, and got it in his 

 pocket ? I don t mean you, Beaver, you don t 

 smell very bad. Oh ! here you are, Sikak ; it s 

 you I might have known what sweet Forest 

 Flower had cut loose from its stalk. Have you 

 been rolling in the dead Rose leaves this morn 

 ing, my lover of Perfume ? &quot; 



The white-striped Skunk pattered with quick, 

 mincing little steps into the group, his back 

 humped up and his terrible tail carried high, 

 ready to resent any insult. 



&quot; Smothered anybody this morning, Sikak ? &quot; 

 asked the Bird. 



A laugh went round the circle at this sally of 

 Jack s ; for Skunk s method of fighting did not 

 meet with universal approval. Blue Wolf thought 

 Sikak was a good piece of meat clean thrown away. 

 When hungry he could manage Badger, or even 



