; but I don't want to hear of yer killin' any Squirrels or
Chipmunks or Song-birds, an' if ye do I'll stop the hull thing an'
bring ye back to wurruk, an' use the rawhoide on tap o' that."

II

The First Night and Morning

It was a strange new feeling that took possession of the boys as they
saw Mr. Raften go, and when his step actually died away on the blazed
trail they felt that they were really and truly alone in the woods and
camping out. To Yan it was the realization of many dreams, and the
weirdness of it was helped by the remembrance of the tall old man he
had seen watching them from behind the trees. He made an excuse to
wander out there, but of course Caleb was gone.

"Fire up," Sam presently called out. Yan was the chief expert with the
rubbing-sticks, and within a minute or two he had the fire going in
the middle of the teepee and Sam set about preparing the evening meal.
This was supposed to be Buffalo meat and Prairie roots (beef and
potatoes). It was eaten rather quietly, and then the boys sat down on
the opposite sides of the fire. The conversation dragged, then died
a natural death; each was busy with his thoughts, and there was,
moreover, an impressive and repressive something or other all around
them. Not a stillness, for there were many sounds, but beyond those
a sort of voiceless background that showed up all the myriad voices.
Some of these were evidently Bird, some Insect, and a few were
recognized as Tree-frog notes. In the near stream were sounds of
splashing or a little plunge.

"Must be Mushrat," whispered Sam to the unspoken query of his friend.

A loud, far "Oho-oho-oho" was familiar to both as the cry of the
Horned Owl, but a strange long wail rang out from the trees overhead.

"What's that?"

"Don't know," was all they whispered, and both felt very
uncomfortable. The solemnity and mystery of the night was on them
and weighing more heavily with the waning light. The feeling was
oppressive. Neither had courage enough to propose going to the house
or their camping would have ended. Sam arose and stirred the fire,
looked around for more wood, and, seeing none, he grumbled (to
himself) and stepped outside in the darkness to find some. It was not
till long afterward that he admitted having had to _dare_ himself
to step out into the darkness. He brought in some sticks and fastened
the door as tightly as possible. The blazing fire in the teepee was
cheering again. The boys perhaps