marks plainly, its bark still fresh and waiting 

 to be eaten when the little owner should 

 come back again ; for that is what he cut it 

 and put it there for, untold years ago. Very 

 few ever thought of this, however; those 

 who came to the spot had all their thoughts 

 for the bullpouts that swarmed in the beaver's 

 old storehouse and that would bite well on 

 dark days. There were ledges all about the 

 ancient dam and on both sides of the woodsy 

 valley below; and among the mossy, fern- 

 covered rocks of these ledges one of the 

 shy children, with whom I had made friends, 

 pointed out an arched doorway made by two 

 great stones leaning against each other. 



" Thome animal livth in there. I theen 

 him. I peeked, one day, an' I theen hith 

 eyeth wink; an', an', an' then I ran away," 

 he said, his own eyes all round with the 

 wonder of the woods. 



We made no noise, but lay down under 

 a bush together and watched the wonderful 

 old doorway until it was time for the shy 

 child to go home; but nothing came out, 

 nor even showed a shining inquisitive eye 



