22 
THE STRANGELAND BIRD LIFE 
foot, and trying to assume a natural air in spite 
of the heat. “What are you doing down here?” 
“My master brought me down. He’s look¬ 
ing after some things in connection with the 
big canal.” 
“Oh!” said Stormy, trying hard to make 
the impression that he knew all about the canal, 
which he didn’t. 
“But what are you doing down here?” 
asked the dog. 
“I came down as guest on a lumber 
schooner. Came ashore to find something to 
eat and lost her. I wonder where she could 
have gone to?” 
“Probably through the big canal,” said the 
dog, grinning, for he knew at once that Stormy 
didn’t know a thing about the canal, or he 
would have known that the lumber schooner 
would be going that way, as all lumber 
schooners did <fiese days. 
