ing, we had a memorable night. When we
went to our room, near twelve o'clock, I told D'ri of our dear
friends, who, all day, had been much in my thought.

"Wus the letter writ by her?" he inquired.

"Not a doubt of it."

"Then it's all right," said he. "A likely pair o' gals them
air--no mistake."

"But I think they made me miss the bear," I answered.

"Ray," said D'ri, soberly, "when yer shutin' a bear, ef ye want
'im, don't never think o' nuthin' but the bear." Then, after a
moment's pause, he added: "Won't never hev no luck killin' a bear
ef ye don' quit dwellin' so on them air gals."

I thanked him, with a smile, and asked if he knew Eagle Island.

"Be'n all over it half a dozen times," said he. "'T ain' no more
'n twenty rod from the Yankee shore, thet air island ain't. We
c'u'd paddle there in a day from our cove."

And that was the way we planned to go,--by canoe from our
landing,--and wait for the hour at Paleyville, a Yankee village
opposite the island. We would hire a team there, and convey the
party by wagon to Leraysville.

We were off at daybreak, and going over the hills at a lively
gallop. Crossing to Caraway Pike, in the Cedar Meadows, an hour
later, we stampeded a lot of moose. One of them, a great bull, ran
ahead of us, roaring with fright, his antlers rattling upon bush
and bough, his black bell hanging to the fern-tops.

"Don' never wan't' hev no argyment with one o' them air chaps 'less
ye know purty nigh how 't's comin' out," said D'ri. "Alwus want a
gun es well es a purty middlin' ca-a-areful aim on your side. Then
ye 're apt t' need a tree, tew, 'fore ye git through with it."
After a moment's pause he added: "Got t' be a joemightyful stout
tree, er he 'll shake ye out uv it luk a ripe apple."

"They always have the negative side of the question," I said.
"Don't believe they 'd ever chase a man if he 'd let 'em alone."

"Yis, siree, they would," was D'ri's answer. "I 've hed 'em come
right efter me 'fore ever I c'u'd lift a gun. Ye see, they're jest
es cur'us 'bout a man es a man is 'bout them. Ef they can't smell
'im, they 're terrible cur'us. Jes' wan' t' see what 's inside uv
'im an' what kind uv a smellin' critter he is. Dunno es they wan'
t' dew 'im any pertic'lar harm. Jes' wan' t' mux 'im over a
leetle; but they dew it _awful careless_, an' he ain't never fit t'
be seen no more."

He snickered faintly as he spoke.

"An' they don't nobody see much uv 'im ef