T4 FOUR FOOTED AMERICANS 



"Oh, uncle! Oh, daddy!" cried Nat and Dodo, 

 rolling off the blankets in their excitement. "Nez 

 knows Olaf and he's coming here ! Don't you see how 

 much we could learn nbdut the fourfoots if we could 

 only live up here in a log house '! " 



" Doubtless you could, and you would perhaps enjoy 

 it vastly for a while, but how about school ? You must 

 begin by being fitted for your lives as House People ; 

 few of us can live tlie wild life, except noAV and then 

 for pleasure and as a rest from too much tameness. 

 Don't look so blue, Nat. Dodo, cheer up, even if you 

 may not li\'e in a log house j'ou are ndt going to be 

 shut up in a prison this winter. Listen, and I will 

 tell you the whole of the surprise that yciu partly 

 learned 3'esterda3"."' 



Four heads crowded together, and eight wide-open 

 eyes gazed at Dr. Roy, for Olive was as much in the 

 dark as the others. 



" Must we guess ? " asked Dodo, claj^ping her hands. 



" You may all try, if you like, but I do not think jow. 

 can possibly guess the whole of the secret." 



" We are coming up here on Saturdays to learn to 

 shoot and hear Nez tell stories," ventured Nat. 



" No," said Olive, " it can't be that, because it would 

 be too far and too cold in winter. Perhaps you will 

 ask Nez to come down some time and tell us stories," 

 said Olive. 



" It takes too long to guess," cried Dodo, wriggling 

 about in her impatience, "please tell us now ! " 



" Very well ; the surprise has three parts to it. Sit 

 still. Dodo, and remember that you are not to jump up 

 and down or hug me until I have quite finished. 



