t of packing cases, filled, one with
books, one with drugs and surgical instruments, another with
provisions. Hanging from the ridge-pole was a double shelf, and
attached to the back upright were a series of pigeon-hole
receptacles. It was a wonder of convenience and comfort, and
albeit it was so packed with various impedimenta, such was the
orderly neatness of it that there seemed to be abundance of room.

At the edge of the clearing Brown met them.

"Here you are," he cried. "Come along and make yourselves at home."

His every movement was full of brisk energy, and his voice carried
with it a note of cheery frankness that bespoke the simplicity and
kindliness of the good and honest heart.

In a few moments Brown had a fire blazing in front of the tent,
for the night air was chill, and a heavy dew was falling.

"Here you are," he cried, throwing down a couple of rugs before
the fire. "Make yourselves comfortable. I believe in comfort myself."

"Well," said French, glancing into the tent, throwing himself down
before the fire, "you apparently do, and you have attained an
unqualified success in exemplifying your belief. You certainly
do yourself well."

"Oh, I am a lazy dog," said Brown cheerfully, "and can't do without
my comforts. But you don't know how glad I am to see you. I can't
stand being alone. I get most awfully blue and funky, naturally
nervous and timid, you know."

"You do, eh?" said French, pleasantly. "Well, if you ask me,
I believe you're lying, or your face is."

"Not a bit, not a bit. Good thing a fellow has a skin to draw over
his insides. I'd hate the world to see all the funk that there is
in my heart."

French pulled out his pipe, stirred up its contents with his knife,
struck a match, and proceeded to draw what comfort he could from the
remnants of his last smoke. The result was evidently not entirely
satisfactory. He began searching his pockets with elaborate care,
but all in vain, and with a sigh of disappointment he sank back
on the rug.

"Hello!" said Brown, whose eyes nothing seemed to escape, "I know
what you're after. You have left your pouch. Well, let that be a
lesson to you. You ought not to indulge habits that are liable any
moment to involve you in such distress. Now look at you, a big,
healthy, able-bodied man, on a night like this too, with all the
splendour and glory of sky and woods and river about you, with
decent company too, and a good fire, and yet you are incapab