a short excursion from the
glade, their mother was always in a state of anxiety until they
returned. In fact, every hunt we made was attended with considerable
danger, as we always fell in with the tracks of wolves, panthers, and
even bears; and we frequently saw these animals skulking through the
underwood. We knew that in time our powder must run out, and then our
rifles would be useless to us. Our bows and arrows would then avail us
but little against such thick-hided monsters as these. We only hoped
that when we became better acquainted with the habits of these
carnivorous creatures, we should be enabled to destroy them in traps,
and thus thin them off at our leisure, and without wasting our
ammunition. This, of course, would constitute a branch of our
employment; and, besides being a work of utility, would furnish us with
an excitement not the less agreeable because it was hazardous. Could
we, therefore, collect a few of the more useful animals into an enclosed
park, they would soon propagate and increase; and then the trouble as
well as danger which we experienced in hunting them would be at an end.
We knew that our maize-corn, yielding two crops in the year, would
enable us to supply them abundantly with food.

"There was still another consideration which had its weight in these
plans. I was very fond of the study of natural history--particularly
that branch of it relating to quadrupeds--and I foresaw the pleasure of
observing the habits of these wild creatures. We should not, therefore,
confine ourselves to making `pets' of those animals that might merely
serve us for food. We should embrace in our collection all that we
could subject to our rule, whether gentle or fierce. In fact, it was
our intention to establish a regular `menagerie of the Desert.'

"The main object of our industry and prospective wealth--that is, the
collection of the beaver fur--would not in any way interfere with these
plans. The beavers, in short, would give as very little trouble--as the
drying and preserving the skins of those we should trap would only
occupy us a small portion of the year.

"Harry entered with more spirit into my designs than any of the others;
for Harry, like myself, was fond of quadrupeds. Frank, on the other
hand, was a great bird-catcher; and recommended that we should include
birds in our menagerie. To this, of course, we assented freely. Mary
had her own designs already shaped out; and these were,