ntom hills, which
ever receded from them as they advanced.

On reaching the summit of the gravelly ridge, Redhand looked along it
with an earnest, searching gaze.

"Wot's ado now?" inquired Bounce.

"There ought to be prairie-hens here," replied the other.

"Oh! do stand still, just as you are, men!" cried Bertram
enthusiastically, flopping down on a stone and drawing forth his
sketch-book, "you'll make such a capital foreground."

The trappers smiled and took out their pipes, having now learned from
experience that smoking was not detrimental to a sketch--rather the
reverse.

"Cut away, Gibault," said Bounce, "an' take a look at the edge o' yon
bluff o' poplars and willows. I've obsarved that prairie-hens is fond
o' sich places. You'll not be missed out o' the pictur', bein' only a
small objict, d'ye see, besides an ogly one."

The jovial Canadian acknowledged the compliment with a smile and obeyed
the command, leaving his companions to smoke their pipes and gaze with
quiet complacency upon the magnificent scene. Doubtless, much of their
satisfaction resulted from the soothing influence of tobacco on their
empty stomachs.

"I say," whispered Waller, removing his pipe and puffing from his lips a
large cloud of smoke, which rolled upwards in the form of a white ring,
"I say, Bounce, I guess it's past my comprehension what he means by a
foreground. How does _we_ make a capital foreground?"

Bounce looked at his companion in silence for a few seconds; then he
removed his pipe, pursed his lips, frowned heavily, looked at the
ground, and repeated slowly, "How does _we_ make a capital foreground?"

Waller nodded.

"Ay, that's it." Bounce resumed his pipe for a few seconds, and then
said with an air of the utmost profundity--

"Don't you know?"

"No, I don't."

"Wot? Nothin' about it wotiver?"

"Nothin' wotsomdiver."

"H'm, that's okard," said Bounce, once more applying to his pipe;
"'cause, d'ye see, it's most 'orrible difficult to explain a thing to a
feller as don't know nothin' wotiver about it. If ye only had the
smallest guess o--"

"Wall, come, I does know _somethin'_ about it," interrupted Waller.

"Wot's that?" inquired Bounce, brightening up.

"I calc'late that I knows for certain it ain't got no place wotiver in
my onderstandin'."

"Hah!" exclaimed Bounce. "Come, then, I'll do my best for to explain it
t'ye. Here's wot it is. D'ye see Mr Bertram, there?"

"Yes, I does."

"An'