196 FOUR-FOOTED AMEHICAXS 



a lantern, tlie Doctor Ix'gan pnlling on liis boots, Avhile 

 Olaf took a long pole belonging to an eel spear from 

 tlie corner. 



" What are you going to do, kill him? " asked Rap. 

 '■ Oh, now he's up on the table ! " 



" No, put liim in this bag,'' said Xez, taking an old 

 meal sack f i-om under his bunk. " The only wa,j to 

 catch one of these critters alive without wishin' him 

 dead is to poke him off somewhere into something. 

 So " — iSn-atc/i, 2^iisJi, and after a, short struggle the dis- 

 turber, making ({ueer faces all the while, was secure!}' 

 bagged and the cabin retired to sleep again, while the 

 Porcupine spent tlie night under the table, too much 

 disgusted b}' the small size of his quarters to give 

 another concert. 



* tC- * * ^ 



It was still dark the next morning when the boys 

 smelled coffee boiling. Other things beside the early 

 hour contributed to the darkness, — the Avindows were 

 small and few at Ijest, and the panes were turned into 

 ground glass by the heavy coating of frost. The pail of 

 cold water did Jiot make bathing seem attractive to Nat, 

 who edged away from it, saying that he had not brought 

 a sponge; but Rap, who was used to rough living, dipped 

 his face in the water, shook off the big drops, and 

 polished it with his handkerchief. 



" I don't believe in}- hands will be clean for a month," 

 said Nat, looking at his red, chapped, grimy paws. 



" It's fun camping for a little while, but beds with 

 sheets are so comfortable, and Rap, — don't you think 

 in winter camping is pretty smelly ? " 



" Yes, I suppose it is ; but then you know real camp- 



