406 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



a mass of j)acking material. " Here is a gun, here are 

 the bullets, and the trigger goes so — snap ! " 



"It is a beautiful camera!" exclaimed Olive in 

 delight, sitting down by the table in a state of surprise 

 and bewilderment. "A real camera, with legs to stand 

 it on, as well as a handle to carry it by, and it holds 

 glass plates or rolls of film, whichever you prefer, — 

 not one of those miserable little trick boxes that was 

 all that I ever expected to buy for myself." 



" Yes, and see all the trays and bottles and things, so 

 that you can develop and print your own pictures," 

 said the Doctor, growing enthusiastic as he looked, 

 " with yards of rubber tubing to work the shutter so 

 that you can set the box on a fence, hide behind a tree, 

 and catch snap shots of a Robin building his nest or a 

 Squirrel scampering by. How would you like to go 

 into partnership with me, daughter? For I think that 

 we two can make a set of lantern slides that will open 

 the eyes of the village children to wild things near home. 

 What ! supper time already ? " 



Then they all went down in the elevator to the 

 dining-room, enjoying Rap's surprise at everything he 

 saw. 



"I don't like riding rfo(r«," he confessed; "it makes 

 you feel all loose inside, just like when you've found a 

 hornet's nest in an old tree and go to get down quick 

 and have to slide because there aren't many branches." 



The next day the children went to the Museum of 

 Natural History, and as they entered the great doors 

 and were greeted by Tip, the elephant of circus fame. 

 Dodo said: " Where shall we begin '? If we begin down- 

 stairs, I am sure we shall never get to the top in one 



