OUT-DOOR COOKERY 73 



seen a Moose come from the windward side of the 

 cabin, while a Fox sulked in the shade of some firs 

 watching the Skunks fighting over the scrap-pail, and 

 a Lynx crouched, grinning, on a log, taking it all in. 

 AleanAvhile Avhite northern Hares and Ermines nosed 

 about dreadful careless, not knowing when they might 

 make food for Owls, and Meadow Mice squealed among 

 the logs and left their little tracks like birds' claws in 

 the snow. When they think there's nobody round, 

 beasts have their playtime, just like folks." 



" Oh ! " sighed Rap and Nat in chorus, " all those 

 beasts you saw are four-footed Americans ; if we could 

 only live in a camp and see them." 



" It was a nice place to see the animals, but pshaw, 

 some folks would find the camp smoky in winter and 

 full o' black flies in summer. Don't I remember the 

 time I shot my big i\Ioose ? I'll tell you that story 

 some day, and about another time out in Montana how 

 your dad was huntin' for Sheep and met a Grizzly B'ar. 

 Thatis, if hedon't." 



" And did you ever see a great white Polar Bear, 

 or find Seals swimming on the ice ? " asked Dodo. 



" No, I never was so far north. There is a friend of 

 mine, a Finlander, who follows the sea, who has been as 

 fur north as most men go and get back again, and he 

 knows those beasts and their ways. He's comin' to 

 stop with me a spell this snowfall, and he's been fishin' 

 and keepin' a light down on the shore two summers. 

 I thought maybe you'd met him, his name is — " 



" Olaf ! " cried the children and Olive in chorus. 



" Want to know ! " said Nez, looking pleased, and 

 puffing vigorously at his pipe. 



