408 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



had stopped in his grazing and was ej'ing a sand-colored 

 rattlesnake. 



" Hush ! not so loud ! " cautioned Mr. Blake, " or j^ou 

 will have the Indians downstairs breaking out of their 

 glass cases and challenging you." 



Luncheon had little attraction for the children that 

 day, and late afternoon found them still lingering. It 

 was growing dusky when the Doctor caught Dodo by 

 the hand, saying, " We must go now or we shall be 

 shut in." 



" I don't think I should (|uite like to stay here in the 

 dark," she said, kissing her hand to a Red Fox as she 

 passed him. " I wonder if he is a Dream Fox, and if 

 he ever comes out of his case ? " 



"If she only knew," whispered the Fox to the Wild- 

 cat across the room, "she wouldn't go home to-night." 



"Knew what?" asked the Wildcat, without moving 

 an eyelash or a whisker. 



" Who are you that you do not know how, after dark 

 on March 21, we fourfoots all come out of our cases and 

 hold our spring dance ? " 



"I didn't know it," replied the Wildcat, "because 

 last year I did not live in a case ; I had a house in a 

 hollow tree, a mate, and three kittens." 



" Ah ! I understand," said the Fox, asking no more 

 questions out of respect to the Cat's feelings. " I will 

 explain. There is an endless oval path in the sky that 

 the sun walks round once every year. Spring lives at 

 one turn of the path, and Autumn at the other, with 

 Winter and Summer half-way between. Now on March 

 21 the sun always reaches the spot wliere Spring lives 



