MOUNT RAINIER 



with theirs on the snow. This caudal action produced 

 a dull, muffled sound, as if there were a vast hollow 

 below. 



"Digging with all his force, by and by the seeker 

 for treasure began to tire, and laid down his elk-horn 

 spade to wipe the sweat from his brow. Straightway 

 the fugleman otter turned, and, swinging his tail, 

 gave the weary man a mighty thump on the shoulder ; 

 and the whole band, imitating, turned, and, backing 

 inward, smote him with centripetal tails, until he 

 resumed his labors, much bruised. 



"The rock lay first in plates, then in scales. These it 

 was easy to remove. Presently, however, as the miser 

 pried carelessly at a larger mass, he broke his elkhorn 

 tool. Fugleman otter leaped down, and seizing the 

 supplemental pick between his teeth, mouthed it over 

 to the digger. Then the amphibious monster took 

 in the same manner the broken pick, and bore it round 

 the circle of his suite, who inspected it gravely with 

 puffs. 



"These strange, magical proceedings disconcerted 

 and somewhat baffled the miser ; but he plucked up 

 heart, for the prize was priceless, and worked on more 

 cautiously with his second pick. At last its blows 

 and the regular thumps of the otter's tails called forth 

 a sound hollower and hollower. His circle of specta- 

 tors narrowed so that he could feel their panting breath 

 as they bent curiously over the little pit he had dug. 



"The crisis was evidently at hand. 



"He lifted each scale of rock more delicately. Fi- 

 nally he raised a scale so thin that it cracked into flakes 

 as he turned it over. Beneath was a large square 

 cavity. 



" It was filled to the brim with hiaqua. 



" He was a millionnaire. 



"The otters recognized him as the favorite of Tama- 

 noiis, and retired to a respectful distance. 



"For some moments he gazed on his treasure, tak- 



5 



