The rabbits were a little shy at first, but were very soon lured from their burrows by the smell of the dewy clover and cabbage leaves Jem had carried for them, who showed the children the different marks called “smut” upon their faces, which told their value.
The finest specimen had a black “smut,” or patch of dark fur. The single smut was a patch on one side of the nose; the double, on each side, and the butterfly, a patch on either side, and one on the ridge of the nose. Then he exhibited the “dew laps and long laps,” and told them how bravely they would defend their young. Jem said,—
“Our French teacher, at school, is from Poland, where the snow lies long and is very deep. He says that in his country the hares choose spots in the snow to lie down in, and let the snow fall all around and about them, thus forming a cave for their winter house. Their warm breath thaws the snow about their nose so as to make air-holes to breathe through. Hunters know of this, and train their dogs to search for these air-holes, and stand guard till they arrive to shoot them. Then, they have a funny trait, like some children: they are always looking behind them, and so often, whilst looking for danger in their rear, rush right in among hunters and their dogs without seeing them.”
“Now, Jem,” said Artie, as they left the rabbit-hutch, “what is the next animal to be seen? I like your menagerie a great deal better than ours. I mean, real animals are a great deal more fun than boys and girls, shut up in a city house, with scarcely a tree or bit of sky that seems to belong to you.”
“However, boy,” said Kit, “did you get to call yourselves The Menagerie?”
“Why, this is how: One rainy day, Papa was ill with a cold, and Mamma got a letter from your mother telling about your pets, and we were discontented because we had none but a dog and cat; so Papa proposed we should form ourselves into a Home Menagerie, and we had such regular fun that day making cages, feeding and performing, that we have kept up our names ever since.”
“Oh, Jem dear,” said Gracie, “if you are not too tired to-night won’t you please play elephant and old cat, like you used to? It’s such a while since we have seen them.”
“Yes, little sister, I will certainly do it if you are all good children. Now we will go to visit the old dormouse.”
“What a nice brother to have, Jem is!” said Daisy, taking Alice’s hand as they walked along. “He seems so ready to do everything you ask him.”
“Yes,” said solemn-eyed little Alice, as her eyes proudly followed the tall boy in gray uniform, with boys on either side; boys and girls before and behind, and small boy riding on his back. “Yes, we all like Jem. He is so generous and wise to us.”