CHAPTER VII
TOTO AND THE BOY
Toto, being only a beaver, did not know very much about the different things that men do. Toto knew how to gnaw down trees, how to strip off bark when he was hungry, how to dig canals for the water to run in and float logs for the dam, and he knew how to help make dams. But he never thought of going into another beaver’s house and taking the bark which that beaver had stored away.
And now these men were going into the house of the little girl’s grandmother, and they were going after jewelry which had been hidden by the old lady when she went away on a little visit with her granddaughter. But Toto knew nothing of this. All he knew was that he was hiding behind a bush, watching the tramps steal softly toward the lonely house.
One of the tramps, the red-haired one, broke open the door of the grandmother’s house. It was just the same as if Sniffy and Toto should break into the house of Mr. Cuppy, when that kind old gentleman beaver was out working on the dam. Into the house went the tramps—four of them, big, ragged men.
“I hope they don’t see me,” thought Toto, for he knew it was dangerous to be where he was. His father and mother had told him to keep away from men who had traps and guns. And though these tramps were too lazy to do any hunting or shooting, Toto did not know that.
Really he ought not to have been so far away from home, but you know how it is with boys—even animal boys. Beavers sometimes don’t do the right thing, any more than real boys do. So, though he felt that there was danger, Toto wanted to stay near and watch.
He saw the tramps break into the house, but of course he did not see what they did when they got inside, so I shall have to tell you that part of the story myself.
The tramps easily broke open the door and got inside. The first thing they did was to look for something to eat, for, being lazy men, they did not work, and all the food they had was what they stole or begged. And as Millie’s grandmother was a good cook, there was plenty in her house to eat. The tramps had a fine meal, and they then looked about for something to take away with them.