saw the blunderbuss make its appearance
at the carriage window!"

"There is one other story about the horse, showing his love for his
master, and the gentleness of his character. A horse which was
remarkable for its antipathy to strangers, one evening, while bearing
his master home from a jovial meeting, became disburthened of his rider,
who, having indulged rather freely, soon went to sleep on the ground.
The horse, however, did not scamper off, but kept faithful watch by his
prostrate master till the morning, when the two were perceived about
sunrise by some labourers. They approached the gentleman, with the
intention of replacing him on his saddle, but every attempt on their
part was resolutely opposed by the grinning teeth and ready heels of the
horse, which would neither allow them to touch his master, nor suffer
himself to be seized till the gentleman himself awoke from his sleep.
The same horse, among other bad propensities, constantly resented the
attempts of the groom to trim its fetlocks. This circumstance happened
to be mentioned by its owner in conversation, in the presence of his
youngest child, a very few years old, when he defied any man to perform
the operation singly. The father next day, in passing through the
stable-yard, beheld with the utmost distress, the infant employed with a
pair of scissors in clipping the fetlocks of the hind-legs of this
vicious hunter--an operation which had been always hitherto performed
with great danger even by a number of men. Instead, however, of
exhibiting his usual vicious disposition, the horse, in the present
case, was looking with the greatest complacency on the little groom, who
soon after, to the very great relief of his father, walked off unhurt."

CHAPTER II.

Uncle Thomas tells about the Beaver, and the Singular Manner in
which it Constructs a Dam to confine the Waters of the River; and
about the Hut which it builds for its Habitation. He tells also
about the Curious Nests of the Sociable Grosbeak; and gives a Long
and Entertaining Account of the White Ant of Africa; its
Extraordinary Nest; and the Important Part which it acts in the
Economy of Nature.

"Good evening, Boys! I am going to tell you about a very singular animal
to-night--singular both in its conformation and its habits. I allude to
the Beaver."

"Oh, we shall be so glad to hear about the Beaver, Uncle Thomas. I have
sometimes wondered what sort of