At last! Success. I pulled out an old file with a cartoon character that I had built [based on a cartoon saved from the newspapers] and used it to install bones with IK. Everything worked fine according to the .pdf manual. I established the IK Chain as soon as the bones were linked up, right leg first, then the left. [While everything was still fresh in Carrara's mind.] Then I attached the skeleton to the mesh. Don't know if that really makes any difference, but it beats being disappointed later. Now, with Beast, I guess, I hope, it's just a matter of scrapping the old skeleton and starting afresh with a new one...and thanks for all the advice and support.