116 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



pi-oiii^-b(l and forked antlers, and seemed to wink their 

 glass eyes us the fire flickered, casting startling 

 shadows. 



" Let's make mother a throne by the fire," said Nat, 

 drawing out the settle. 



" This old W00II3' cow skin will mostly cover it," 

 said Dod(j, tugging at a bundle that lay partly un- 

 folded in the corner. 



" Gently, gently," called the Doctor, coming to her 

 aid. " Tliat ' old cow skin " is something that belongs 

 to the past which I c(juld hardly replace. It once 

 belonged to a Buffalo — that one whose head is over 

 the window. Nat, take the other corner and we will 

 spread the skin carefully." 



"It's a pretty big skin — bigger than any of tlie 

 beasts we saw at the circus ; but I didn't know that 

 Buffaloes were rare," said Nat. " I thought the wild 

 AVest was full of them, and all the Indians did when 

 they wanted meat or a coat was to go out and kill 

 one." 



" So they did once, my boy, and not so very long 

 ago." 



"There is a picture of some in j^our animal port- 

 folio," said Dodo, "and in it there are lots and lots of 

 Buffaloes all over everywhere, more tlian all the cows 

 in the pasture down at the milk farm." 



"What shall you tell us about to-night, father?" 

 asked (Jlive, coming in, followed by the dogs. " How 

 will you manage about the stories ; take the animals by 

 families as you did the birds ? " 



" No, I have another plan. In tliis iiortfolio are 

 portraits of our most famous American Mammals, 



