112 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



letter from a strange, dirty envelope he had been hold- 

 ■ ing in his hand, and spread it on the desk before him. 



" Here is something that will interest you, Nat, and 

 provide you with real shooting without disturbing 

 Dodo's 'home Rabbits.' In fact, that sheet of paper 

 contains the most tempting invitation I've had for a 

 3'ear. Come here and read it to us, Olive." 



Olive looked puzzled at first, as, sitting on the arm 

 of her father's chair, she read : — 



FKiENi) DR. nr.xTEi!: toiiiette thinks to have a party for three 

 days to begin on thrsday olaf and part of his outtit is coming over 

 she xAOuld think it prowd if you would come to it also friend 

 Jack blake and liis boy and the other boy with the one leg which 

 will find coons first rait also fox trails and rabbits which are to 

 many as well as skunks she will make the best cookin of the french 

 which she is half you know you need not answer only come 



Xez-s s >, 



"What does that mean?" asked (_)live, after she had 

 spelled out this remarkable letter, which had neither 

 commas, periods, nor capitals, pointing to three marks 

 like little zig-zags of lightning after his name. 



" Why, that's Nez' blaze ! " said Mr. Blake, looking 

 at the letter attentively. "Don't you remember, Roy, 

 the mark he put upon his logs so that he ^-i'ould know 

 them among those of other chop[)ers, and the sign he 

 cut on tfees when we hewed a ptith so that we should 

 know the trail for our own ? T suppose Xez has never 

 written such a long letter as this before, and he adds 

 his blaze marks to assure us that he wrote it himself 

 and means all he says." 



" I call that a fine letter," said Nat, beaming with 

 satisfaction. "Three days in the \\-oods, hooray! It 



