n he abruptly rolled over upon his side, thrown by his
own impetus combined with a dexterous twist of his opponent's body.
Then Lone Wolf bounded backward, and stood expectant, ready to repeat
the attack if necessary. But it was not necessary. Slowly the great
red bull arose to his feet, and stared about him stupidly, the blood
gushing from his throat. Then he swayed and collapsed. And Lone Wolf,
wagging his tail like a dog, went back to Timmins' side for
congratulations.

The woodsman gazed ruefully at his slain foe. Then he patted his
defender's head, recovered the chain with a secure grip, and said
slowly:--

"I reckon, partner, ye did yer dooty as ye seen it, an' mebbe I'm
beholden to ye fer a hul' skin, fer that there crittur was sartinly
amazin' ugly an' spry on his pins. But ye're goin' to be a
responsibility some. Ye ain't no suckin' lamb to hev aroun' the house,
I'm thinkin'."

To these remarks, which he judged from their tone to be approving,
Lone Wolf wagged assent, and the homeward journey was continued.
Timmins went with his head down, buried in thought. All at once,
coming to a convenient log, he seated himself, and made Lone Wolf lie
down at his feet. Then he took out the remaining sandwich,--which he
himself, still shaken from his fall, had no desire to eat,--and
contemplatively, in small fragments, he fed it to the wolf's great
blood-stained jaws. At last he spoke, with the finality of one whose
mind is quite made up.

"Partner," said he, "there ain't no help for it. Bill Smith's a-goin'
to hold _me_ responsible for the killin' o' that there crittur o'
his'n, an' that means a pretty penny, it bein' a thoroughbred, an'
imported at that. He ain't never a-goin' to believe but what I let you
loose on to him a purpose, jest to save _my_ hide! Shucks! Moreover,
ye may's well realize y'ain't _popular_ 'round these parts; an' first
thing, when I wasn't lookin', somebody'd be a-puttin' somethin'
onhealthy into yer vittles, partner! We've kind o' took to each other,
you an' me; an' I reckon _we'd_ git on together _fine_, me always
havin' me own way, of course. But there ain't no help fer it. Ye're
too hefty a proposition, by long odds, fer a community like Lost
Mountain Settlement. I'm a-goin' to write right off to Sillaby an'
Hopkins, an' let them have ye back, partner. An' I reckon the price
they'll pay'll be enough to let me square myself with Bill Smith."

And thus it came about that, within a couple o