XIII 



NEZ LOXG'S MENAGERIE 



NIXG SO man)' animals about 

 le camp makes a great many 

 cinds of qiu'er smells," whis- 

 pered Nat to Rap, as they sat 

 down to their supper of oat- 

 meal porridge and coffee, while 

 Toinette was busy frying 

 something in a deep pan, which 

 needed a great deal of turning. 

 "The smell belongs mostly to 

 Skunks, for I uoticed that Toinette's brother had four 

 or five among the other fur I leasts lie took over to what 

 Nez calls his ' Menagerie,' in the shed, and all those 

 ritlier animals have smells of tlieir own beside. I won- 

 der what Toinette is cooking? it looks something like 

 chicken, but it isn't quite the right shape." 



" Mayl)i> it is frogs' legs ; we used to have them often 

 wlieu we li\'(Ml in the city." 



Nez soon settled the question by calling, " Whoever 

 wants s(inirrel-leg fry, hand up his dish and get it 

 right from the pan," an invitation that was accepted at 

 once. 



" What becomes of the rest of the Squirrel?" asked 

 Rap, '• is it any good ? " 



174 



