42 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



Nattie? I am, and all dressed." Bang. " iMy boots 

 laced to the very top, and my teeth cleaned with 

 powder." Bang, bang, bang ! Lacing her boots and 

 cleaning her teeth were usually two weak spots in 

 Dodo's toilet, and the fact that she had done both so 

 early in the morning made Nat feel sure that some- 

 thing unusual was afoot. 



" Yes, I'm up," said Nat, " and I'll be ready in a 

 minute." 



" Father says, put on your thick very old clothes, 

 and the old boots with the scraped skin." 



" Where are we going ? Was there a big frost ? " 

 spluttered Nat, struggling with his sponge full of water. 



"Uncle Roy said he would tell when we are all 

 dressed. I can't seem to make Olive hurry one bit, 

 and breakfast will be at seven, and it's a quarter to, 

 now. Only look out, and you'll see what kind of a 

 frost there was," — and Nat could hear the squeak and 

 flop that she made as she slid down the bannisters and 

 landed on the rug at the foot of the stairs. 



He wiped off the frost with his towel and looked 

 out. Near the house everything was glittering with 

 diamonds, for Jack Frost had only fingered the nearby 

 things, but down in the low pasture by the spring the 

 blackened ferns showed where he had walked with his 

 heaviest boots. There was quite a commotion and 

 bustle over by the barns. The long market wagon 

 with all three seats screwed in place was pulled out of 

 its shed, and Rod was putting bundles of straw in the 

 bottom. Mysterious baskets stood about, and in one 

 Nat thought he saw a tea-kettle. Who was that man 

 in a queer furry-looking cap, thick short coat, and leg- 



