52 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



Doctor. " Though the biggest trees are gone, the dead 

 ones seem to have been taken away from year to year, 

 and the young growth encouraged." 



" Stop a minute, Olive ; your father, Nat, and I will 

 walk this last mile ; the road is too steep and rough 

 for a full load." 



" Is the far west country wilder than this ? " asked 

 Dodo, who of course wished to walk with the others, 

 holding tight to her uncle's hand. " I think it's lonely 

 enough for Tigers hei'e, if it was only warm enough." 



" Bless my heart, this is not wild ! You have a road 

 to walk on ; you know where you came from and where 

 you are going. To call a country really wild it must 

 have no roads, but only gaps or trails between the trees, 

 and often not even these, but you must cut a path for 

 yourself. You Avill more frequently know where you 

 wish to go than where you are going ; aiid you are 

 never sure when, if ever, you will get back to the place 

 from which you started." 



" What is that ahead ? Smoke coming from the hill- 

 side. It must be from the charcoal-burner's hut that 

 Olaf spoke of last summer. I supposed tliat was the 

 other side of the mountain, but I see the wood here is 

 about right for making charcoal." 



The Doctor and Dodo had fallen behind Mr. Blake 

 and Nat. AVhen they overtook them they found that 

 the lane ended in some high hickory woods, and Mr. 

 Blake suggested they coiddn't find a better place to 

 halt and make their play camp. 



While they were discussing where it would be best 

 to tie the horses, a tall, thin, but wiry man, came noise- 

 lessly from among the trees aiid stcjod looking at the 



