210 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



teoting some of our fourfoots, and make you chief 

 gamekeeper and forester general." 



" I'm wdlin', Doc, but I must get a peep at 'em to 

 make sure," said Nez, his sporting blood throbbing. 



" Yes," added Olaf, " we will go down this afternoon 

 to make sure that the Dream Fox has not been showing 

 his picture book to tl:ie good Jacque." 



" If you will keep me, I will stay and go with you ; 

 I must," said ]Mr. Blake, capering about as gleefully as 

 Nat or Dodo when they suspected a surprise. 



" I shall take the others to the Ridge then and come 

 back and wait here one, two, three days more then, until 

 you are ready," said Olaf, looking pleased. 



"Which reminds me that we must be starting home- 

 ward in less than an hour," said the Doctor, looking at 

 his watcli. 



" Oh, I want to see the Deer too ! " cried Nat. 



" Sorry to saj' no to anything so tempting ; but I 

 promised to bring you both safely back to your mothers 

 to-night. Who knows, however," said the Doctor, 

 cheerfull}^ " but these same Deer may stray over to the 

 farm woods and make a visit ! " 



They went back to the cabin for early dinner and 

 to say " good-by " to Toinette and the boys and make 

 them promise to return the visit by coming to the 

 Christmas party at the farm. They found the boys 

 waiting with a stout bag between them, in which was 

 something that moved about a great deal. 



"What have you there — the Porcupine?" asked 

 the Doctor. 



" Billy Coon," replied Phonse, plucking up courage 

 to speak. 



