d it's
on them that the Indians paint their records. Isn't that bully," as he
saw Raften add two long inner stakes which held the dew-cloth like a
canopy.

"Say, Da, I never knew you and Caleb were hunting together. Thought ye
were jest natural born enemies."

"Humph!" grunted Raften. "We wuz chums oncet. Never had no fault to
find till we swapped horses."

"Sorry you ain't now, 'cause he's sure sharp in the woods."

"He shouldn't a-tried to make an orphan out o' you."

"Are you sure he done it?"

"If 'twasn't him I dunno who 'twas. Yan, fetch some of them pine knots
thayer."

Yan went after the knots; it was some yards into the woods, and out
there he was surprised to see a tall man behind a tree. A second's
glance showed it to be Caleb. The Trapper laid one finger on his lips
and shook his head. Yan nodded assent, gathered the knots, and went
back to the camp, where Sam continued:

"You skinned him out of his last cent, old Boyle says."

"An' whoi not, when he throid to shkin me? Before that I was helpin'
him, an' fwhat must he do but be ahfter swappin' horses. He might as
well ast me to play poker and then squeal when I scooped the pile.
Naybours is wan thing an' swappin' horses is another. All's fair in
a horse trade, an' friends didn't orter swap horses widout they kin
stand the shkinnin'. That's a game by itself. Oi would 'a' helped him
jest the same afther that swap an' moore, fur he wuz good stuff, but
he must nades shoot at me that noight as I come home wit the wad, so
av coorse--"

"I wish ye had a Dog now," said the farmer in the new tone of a new
subject; "tramps is a nuisance at all toimes, an' a Dog is the best
med'cine for them. I don't believe old Cap'd stay here; but maybe yer
near enough to the house so they won't bother ye. An' now I guess the
Paleface will go back to the settlement. I promised ma that I'd see
that yer bed wuz all right, an' if ye sleep warrum an' dry an' hev
plenty to ate ye'll take no harrum."

So he turned away, but as he was quitting the clearing he
stopped,--the curious boyish interest was gone from his face, the
geniality from his voice--then in his usual stern tones of command:

[Illustration: "If ye kill any Song-birds, I'll use the rawhoide on
ye."]

"Now, bhoys, ye kin shoot all the Woodchucks yer a mind ter, fur they
are a nuisance in the field. Yer kin kill Hawks an' Crows an' Jays,
fur they kill other birds, an' Rabbits an' Coons, fur they are fair
game