They are both carnivorous, and the
squirrel, in addition, has its peculiar odorous gland like the pole-cat
tribe."

"But a squirrel isn't carnivorous, uncle," said Vane, "he eats nuts and
fruit."

"And young birds, too, sometimes, my boy. Flesh-eating things are not
particularly in favour for one's diet. Even the American backwoodsman
who was forced to live on crows did not seem very favourably impressed.
You remember?"

"No, uncle; it's new to me."

"He was so short of food, winter-game being scarce, that he had to shoot
and eat crows. Someone asked him afterwards whether they were nice, and
he replied that he `didn't kinder hanker arter 'em.'"

"Well, I don't `kinder hanker arter' squirrel," said Vane, merrily, "and
I don't `kinder hanker arter' being a gipsy king ha--ha--as the old song
says. You'll have to make me an engineer, uncle."

"Steam engineer, boy?" said the doctor, smiling.

"Oh, anything, as long as one has to be contriving something new.
Couldn't apprentice me to an inventor, could you?"

"To Mr Deering, for instance?"

Vane shook his head.

"I don't know," he said, dubiously. "I liked--You don't mind my
speaking out, uncle?"

"No, boy, speak out," said the doctor, looking at him curiously.

"I was going to say that I liked Mr Deering for some things. He was so
quick and clever, but--"

"You didn't like him for other things?"

Vane nodded, and the doctor looked care-worn and uneasy; his voice
sounded a little husky, too, as he said sharply:--

"Oh, he is a very straightforward, honourable man. We were at school
together, and I could trust Deering to any extent. But he has been very
unfortunate in many ways, and I'm afraid has wasted a great deal of his
life over unfruitful experiments with the result that he is still poor."

"But anyone must have some failures, uncle. All schemes cannot be
successful."

"True, but there is such a large proportion of disappointment that I
should say an inventor is an unhappy man."

"Not if he makes one great hit," cried Vane warmly. "Oh, I should like
to invent something that would do a vast deal of good, and set everyone
talking about it. Why, it would mean a great fortune."

"And when you had made your great fortune, what then?"

"Well, I should be a rich man, and I could make you and aunt happy."

"I don't know that, Vane," said the doctor, laying his hand upon the
lad's shoulder. "I saved a pleasant little competence out of my