296 FOUR-FOOTED AMEBIC AN S 



and songs, then to bed, and see who aaIII wake first to 

 say 'Slurry Christmas' in the morning," siiid the Doctor. 



Mr. Blake began to pick at his banjo and phiy a lively 

 jig, accompanied by Olaf with his fiddle. Instantly 

 Nat, Uodo, and the Brownies liegan to skip abont, Xez 

 keeping time by slapping his knees. 



"Let me have your violin, Olaf," said ^Irs. Blake. 

 " I can play that tune, and I am sure that you can 

 dance a sailor's hornpipe." 



Blushing up to the roots of his light yellow hair, Olaf 

 stepped into tlie space cleared for him, and danced all the 

 intricate in-and-out steps with a will. As he finished, 

 a slight noise turned all eyes toward the passage\'\ay, 

 and there was ]\lammy Bun doing side steps and a 

 double shuffle all by herself, in spite of rheumatism. 

 So the music ended in a shout of laughter, and Mammy 

 waddled off to bring some light supper, followed by 

 Nez and Olaf as waiters, while ]Mr. Blake threw a bas- 

 ketful of pine cones on the fire to make a final blaze. 



^ ^ ^ ^ -:■<- 



" Now for our Christmas hymn," said tlie Doctor, 

 when the dishes had been cleared away, the tree stood 

 in darkness, and only the firelight danced along the 

 w'ldls and on the strange mixture of faces, — white, 

 black, and bronze. 



Mrs. Blake went to the window and threw back the 

 curtains ; the warmth had melted the frost on the 

 panes, and the starlight shone in clear and bright. ^Ir. 

 Blake took Olaf's violin and drew a few notes from it, 

 and then the hymn rang out, ]\[rs. Blake, ^Mannny, 

 Olive, Dodo, and the buys beginning, the Doctor and 

 Mr. Blake answerins' : — 



