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"It's pretty," said Bess "How taht snakes always ran"

"No Even the rabbits didn't run here till the dogs chased them"

On and on they wandered to the wild juments of cliff at the west end of the valley The roar of the disappearing stream dinned in their ears Into this , descending, halting to gather wild plu on at the will of fancy Idle and keen perceptions guided the upward to a se abutments of broken cliff And they climbed to the nook and rested and looked out across the valley to the curling column of blue srass and the fine vieere not what they had clih whatever had drawn theoat, Bess pattered down at Venters's heels; and they went on, calling the dogs, eyes drea to the wind and the bees and the crickets and the birds

Part of the ti and Whitie led the way, then Venters, then Bess; and the direction was not an object They left the sun-streaked shade of the oaks, brushed the long grass of thes, to stop, at length, under the huge old cottonwoods where the beavers were busy

Here they rested and watched A das and mud and stones backed the streah beaver houses projected from the water Like the rabbits, the beavers had become shy Gradually, however, as Venters and Bess knelt low, holding the dogs, the beavers enaw at cottonwoods and pat lossy and shiny in the sun, to go on with their strange, persistent industry They were the builders

The lake was a ion, but it was a wonderful home of wonderful animals

"Look at that one--he puddles in the ! I'd think they'd break their teeth How's it they can stay out of the water and under the water?"

And she laughed

Then Venters and Bess wandered farther, and, perhaps not all unconsciously this time, wended their slow steps to the cave of the cliff-dwellers, where she liked best to go