THE LAST FRONTIER 



never knew it: his soul was far away after the 

 blazoned wonder, and when it returned, it was not 

 to prunes at all. They were forgotten, and his 

 wandering eye focussed back to a bright button in 

 the grass. Thus by strict attention to business did 

 Darwin prosper. 



Darwin's attitude was always serious, and his 

 expression grave. When he condescended to romp 

 with Funny Face one could see that it was not for 

 the mere joy of sport; but for the purposes of re- 

 laxation. If offered a gift he always examined it 

 seriously before finally accepting it, turning it over 

 and over in his hands, and considering it with wrin- 

 kled brow. If you offered anything to Funny Face, 

 no matter what, he dashed up, seized it on the fly, 

 departed at speed uttering grateful low chatter- 

 ings; probably dropped and forgot it in the excite- 

 ment of something new before he had even looked 

 to see what it was. 



"These people," said Darwin to himself, "on the 

 whole, and as an average, seem to give me appropri- 

 ate and pleasing gifts. To be sure, it is always well 

 to see that they don't try to bunco me with olive 

 stones or such worthless trash, but still I believe they 

 are worth cultivating and standing in with." 



"It strikes me," observed Funny Face to him- 

 self, "that my adorable Memsahib and my beloved 



33 



