240 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



comb. He is sometimes tempted to come near farms, 

 camps, and houses, to pick up dainty titbits, while the 

 Sheep and Goats, being hollow-horned cud-chewers, 

 belonging to the meat family, like the Bison, are not 

 often tempted from their lofty grazing grounds; but 

 his foot leaves no sound and he comes and goes unseen. 



" In the great National Park of the Yellowstone 

 River, where the Government, by offering protection, 

 is trying to coax the ' big game ' to make itself into a 

 Zoological Garden, — there is a hotel where people 

 may stay who wish to see the wonders of the country 

 without too much trouble. The waste food and refuse 

 of this house is carried to a heap not far away." 



" A swill lieap, you mean, don't you, daddy ? " asked 

 Dodo. " I shouldn't think the Government would 

 allow a swill heap in a Park. Uncle won't have one 

 on the farm ; he says ' they are perfectly barbarous 

 things, that make pestilence and flies,' so the pigs have 

 the clean scraps and everything else is buried ! " 



" You are right there," laughed ]\Ir. Blake, " and it 

 is nothing more nor less than the odor of this swill 

 heap, attractive at least from their point of view, that 

 lures the Bears, both Black and Grizzly, from their 

 rocky dens to come and feast within eye-shot of House 

 People." 



" Then I should think the people could shoot them,'" 

 said Nat. 



" No guns are allowed in the Park, that is one reason 

 Avhy the Bears are so fearless." 



" But I should think the Bears and Panthers and 

 little nu.isance animals would grow to be too many, and 

 eat up the Deer and other fourfoots." 



