the good soul to the agent for some Zoological
Garden, where she would be appreciated and cared for. As for Carrots,
his conduct was irreproachable, absolutely without blot or blemish,
but MacPhairrson knew that he was quite unregenerate at heart. The
astute little beast understood well enough the fundamental law of the
Family, "Live and let live," and he knew that if he should break that
law, doom would descend upon him in an eye-wink. But into his
narrowed, inscrutable eyes, as he lay with muzzle on dainty,
outstretched black paws and watched the movements of James Edward, the
gander, or Butters, the fat woodchuck, a savage glint would come,
which MacPhairrson unerringly interpreted. Moreover, while his
demeanour was impeccable, his reserve was impenetrable, and even the
tolerant and kindly MacPhairrson could find nothing in him to love.
The decree, therefore, had gone forth; that is, it had been announced
by MacPhairrson himself, and apparently approved by the ever attentive
Stumpy and Ebenezer, that Carrots should be sold into exile at the
very first opportunity.

When the Boy came through the little bridge gate, the greetings
between him and MacPhairrson were brief and quiet. They were fellows
both in the taciturn brotherhood of the woods. To Stumpy and Ebenezer,
who nosed affectionately at his legs, he paid no attention beyond a
careless touch of caress. Even to Ananias-and-Sapphira, who had
hurriedly clambered from MacPhairrson's shoulder to his and begun
softly nipping at his ear with her dreaded beak, he gave no heed
whatever. He knew that the evil-tempered bird loved him as she loved
his master and would be scrupulously careful not to pinch too hard.

As the little procession moved gravely and silently up from the bridge
to the cabin, their silence was in no way conspicuous, for the whole
air throbbed with the rising and falling shriek of the saws, the
trampling of the falls, and the obscurely rhythmic rush of the torrent
around the island base. They were presently joined by Susan, shambling
on her ungainly legs, wagging her big ears, and stretching out her
long, ugly, flexible, overhanging nose to sniff inquiringly at the
Boy's jacket. A comparatively new member of MacPhairrson's family, she
was still full of curiosity about every one and everything, and
obviously considered it her mission in life to acquire knowledge. It
was her firm conviction that the only way to know a thing was to
smell it.

A few st