54 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



canoe-maker, too, and do a bit o' huntin' and trappin' 

 raound about, and raise some truck t'other side o' the 

 woods, and get out railroad ties. I've a camp o' my 

 own inside the first belt, and a wife, and she isn't a 

 squaw neither, and two young tins. You see I've got 

 some property at last, Doc, in spite of being a sort of 

 wild Injun myself. We live in a log house, though ; 

 we'd choke in any other kind, — my woman an' me's 

 agreed on that. She was 'Toinette Pardeau — old 

 Dominique's daughter. You'll remember him ; he was 

 your guide the day you got that thunderin' big Bear. 

 All these your young tins, Jake?" 



" Wi.at a queer man," said Dodo. "And not very 

 polite. He calls Uncle Roy, Doc, and daddy, Jake. I 

 don't think he is nice." 



" You nitist remember," said Olive, "■ that he has 

 been with them in wild places and they have shared 

 danger, and worked and hunted together as if they 

 were brothers, and when men do this, the ]\Iister drops 

 away from tlteir names, and they feel to each other 

 as you and Nat and Rap do." 



" Of course they must," said Dodo, repentantly, "and 

 he picked the tree off daddy ; " so, without hesitating, 

 she walked up to him, holding out her hand, and saying 

 solemnly, "(iood morning, Mr. Long Nose, I'm glad to 

 meet you and thank you very much for taking the tree 

 oft' daddy's leg." 



" I want to know ! " stuttered Nez, more surprised 

 than if a (Irizzly Bear had spoken to him. 



Every one laughed then, and it did not take long to 

 explain why they were there, and how they were going 

 to cook dinner camp-fashion ; and Xat feeling the sud- 



