ing yarns in the bush, resolved to find out for 

 himself, and being of a reckless disposition, he 

 sat on our window-ledge one morning, and pushed 

 his impertinence over the table, where there were 

 some peanuts that Charlie had left scattered about. 

 We stood still and watched him, and he sat up and 

 tasted the new order of nut with a trembling kind 

 of bravado, carrying one of them away with him 

 to corroborate his story, knowing very well that 

 he would be called a liar if there was a crow about. 

 He must have made up a most interesting account, 

 for the next morning several of them came and 

 kept at a safe distance in the trees to watch him 

 go through the performance that he had evidently 

 boasted of. He was such a pretty picture of tiny 

 electrical energy, and so incapable of interfering 

 in any way with our lax duties, that I could not 

 find it in my heart to frighten him. That fellow 

 became quite familiar and visited us regularly, and 

 when the window was barred with mosquito net 

 ting he went round and came in through the 

 kitchen door, always being rewarded with a few 

 peanuts. Having at some time called him a 

 &quot;jack o lantern,&quot; w th reference to his marvel 

 lous swiftness of motion, Charlie shortened it 

 into &quot;Jack,&quot; and by that name he was known in 

 the family as long as we stayed in the hut. Late 

 in the fall he had the impudence to come with a 

 companion and make a nest in a corner of the 

 woodshed, much to the annoyance of Gabe Hotch- 

 kiss, who ranked him as &quot; vermin,&quot; and to the 

 standing amazement of the yellow dog, that could 



