64 STORIES OF BIllDS AXJ) BEASTS 



pronged and forked antlers, and seemed to wink their 

 glass eyes as the fire flickered, casting startling 

 shadows. 



" Let's make mother a throne by the fire," said Nat, 

 drawing out the settle. 



" This old woolly cow skin will mostly cover it," 

 said Dodo, tugging at a bundle that lay partly un- 

 folded in the corner. 



" Gently, gently," called the Doctor, coining to her 

 aid. " That ' old cow skin ' is something that belongs 

 to the past which I could hardly replace. It once 

 belonged to a Buffalo that one whose head is over 

 the window. Nat, take the other corner and we will 

 spread the skin carefully." 



"It's a pretty big skin bigger than any of the 

 beasts we saw at the circus ; but I didn't know that 

 Buffaloes were rare," said Nat. " I thought the wild 

 West was full of them, and all the Indians did when 

 they wanted meat or a coat was to go out and kill 

 one." 



" So they did once, my boy, and not so very long 



"There is a picture of some in your animal port- 

 folio," said Dodo, " and in it there are lots and lots of 

 Buffaloes all over everywhere, more than all the cows 

 in the pasture down at the milk farm." 



" What shall you tell us about to-night, father ? " 

 asked Olive, coming in, followed by the dogs. " How 

 will you manage about the stories ; take the animals by 

 families as you did the birds ? " 



"No, I have another plan. In this portfolio are 

 portraits of our most famous American Mammals, 



