Bruno

d settlement surrounding two smal

t of land from a friend and client of his, who offered us the use of a small homestead shanty near our land, to live in while we were building. This shanty looked decidedly uninviting, but the alternative was a room in the house of our relative, a full mile away from our place; so we decided in favor of the shanty. It was built of rived boards, slabs split out of the native logs. It had one door and no windows. In

cuse for a house, we shall be

lance around the pr

ll right, if we can

f you think we can stand its other short-comings, I can whitewash

what we had in our Northern home would be unsuitable for pioneering. Our freight, therefore, was mostly books and pictures, with a few boxes of clothes, bedding, etc. The shanty was wonderfully i

. At the foot of the bed was a table, used by turns as kitchen, dining, and library table; t

things were all in place, and our books arranged on boards which were laid ac

ement. His natural instincts told him there was only one reason for which a tree should ever be cut,-to capture some wild creature which had taken refuge in its top. At the first blow of the axe he

reature had escaped; so he became more and more reckless, until Julius was alarmed for his safety, and

ping begin, he would whine and bark, coaxing to be let out. I always temporized until I h

but he never grew discouraged. He "a

rthern home. He had all the woods to stretch his legs in, an

ng homeward, enjoying the night air, while Bruno made little excursions in all directions, he suddenly came up in

, Boonie?"

ing as before, and glancing first in the dir

ly a 'possum,

ge animals. He seemed to remember our adventure with the hens, h

d his evident

onie's 'possu

ew what it was. We did not see it, we did not hear it, but we knew. He felt that he had been a victim of misplaced confidence; but we suffered with him, for it was days before he got rid of the "bouquet." Then it was as if by an inspiration. H

by, and took a thorough bath. With this, he regained his lost self-resp

n the most dejected manner; then he would creep away, out of sig

After a little urging, Bruno was induced to seize him. Finding that nothing unpleasant followed, he became from that moment an enthusiastic 'possum-hunter, and used to bring one in every night or two. I usually cooked them for him, and h

until he could seize the shovel, a protruding piece of the lower shell. Getting this small bit between his side-teeth, he balanced the weight by holding his head stiffly sideways, and cam

. As often as the creatures managed to flop over so they could use their feet again and sta

l of them escaping at once. Then he would hurriedly drop his latest catch, to speed away, tracki

to our estate, we bought a large camp-kettle, which we arranged on bricks in a secluded place; in this we wo