huck gave a laugh and grabbed her fast by one arm.

"Oh ho!" he exclaimed; "you're spying upon me, are you?"

"I'm just waiting to see you get caught in the trap," said the girl,
standing up because the big creature pulled upon her arm. She wasn't
much frightened, strange to say, because this woodchuck had a
good-humored way about him that gave her confidence.

"You would have to wait a long time for that," he said, with a laugh
that was a sort of low chuckle. "Instead of seeing me caught, you've got
caught yourself. That's turning the tables, sure enough; isn't it?"

"I suppose it is," said Twinkle, regretfully. "Am I a prisoner?"

"You might call it that; and then, again, you mightn't," answered the
woodchuck. "To tell you the truth, I hardly know what to do with you.
But come inside, and we'll talk it over. We musn't be seen out here in
the fields."

Still holding fast to her arm, the woodchuck led her through the door,
which he carefully closed and locked. Then they passed through a kind of
hallway, into which opened several handsomely furnished rooms, and out
again into a beautiful garden at the back, all filled with flowers and
brightly colored plants, and with a pretty fountain playing in the
middle. A high stone wall was built around the garden, shutting it off
from all the rest of the world.

The woodchuck led his prisoner to a bench beside the fountain, and told
her to sit down and make herself comfortable.

Chapter III
Mister Woodchuck Scolds Twinkle

TWINKLE was much pleased with her surroundings, and soon discovered
several gold-fishes swimming in the water at the foot of the fountain.

"Well, how does it strike you?" asked the woodchuck, strutting up and
down the gravel walk before her and swinging his gold-headed cane rather
gracefully.

"It seems like a dream," said Twinkle.

"To be sure," he answered, nodding. "You'd no business to fall asleep in
the clover."

"Did I?" she asked, rather startled at the suggestion.

"It stands to reason you did," he replied. "You don't for a moment think
this is real, do you?"

"It _seems_ real," she answered. "Aren't you the woodchuck?"

"_Mister_ Woodchuck, if you please. Address me properly, young lady, or
you'll make me angry."

"Well, then, aren't you Mister Woodchuck?"

"At present I am; but when you wake up, I won't be," he said.

"Then you think I'm dreaming?"

"You must figure that out for yourself," said Mister Woodchuck.

"What d