he
logs where it had fallen. "I seen it go there an' reckoned I'd lay low
an' watch the progress of events, as Yan says," and Guy whinnied.

Early in the morning the Indians in war-paint went off on a prowl.
They carried their bows and arrows, of course, and were fully alert,
studying the trail at intervals and listening for "signs of the
enemy."

Their moccasined feet gave forth no sound, and their keen eyes took in
every leaf that stirred as their sinewy forms glided among the huge
trunks of the primeval vegetation--at least, Yan's note-book said they
did. They certainly went with very little noise, but they disturbed a
small Hawk that flew from a Balsam-fir--a "Fire tree" they now called
it, since they had discovered the wonderful properties of the wood.

Three arrows were shot after it and no harm done. Yan then looked into
the tree and exclaimed:

"A nest."

"Looks to me like a fuzz-ball," said Guy.

"Guess not," replied Yan. "Didn't we scare the Hawk off?"

He was a good climber, quite the best of the three, and dropping his
head-dress, coat, leggings and weapon, she shinned up the Balsam
trunk, utterly regardless of the gum which hung in crystalline drops
or easily burst bark-bladders on every part.

He was no sooner out of sight in the lower branches than Satan entered
into Guy's small heart and prompted him thus:

"Le's play a joke on him an' clear out."

Sam's sense of humour beguiled him. They stuffed Yan's coat and
pants with leaves and rubbish, put them properly together with the
head-dress, then stuck one of his own arrows through the breast of the
coat into the ground and ran away.

Meanwhile Yan reached the top of the tree and found that the nest was
only one of the fuzz-balls so common on Fir trees. He called out to
his comrades but got no reply, so came down. At first the ridiculous
dummy seemed funny, then he found that his coat had been injured and
the arrow broken. He called for his companions, but got no answer;
again and again, without reply. He went to where they all had intended
going, but if they were there they hid from him, and feeling himself
scurvily deserted he went back to camp in no very pleasant humour.
They were not there. He sat by the fire awhile, then, yielding to his
habit of industry, he took off his coat and began to work at the dam.

He became engrossed in his work and did not notice the return of the
runaways till he heard a voice saying "What's this?"

On turn