sink no more. I was palpitant with
apprehension, as who similarly placed would not have been? Their meat!
The meaning of the sinister phrase was unmistakable. These must indeed
be maniacs of a most dangerous type!

"Young feller," continued the elderly man, fixing his glaring eyes full
on me, "before we go any farther with this little job, would you mind
tellin' me, jest for curiosity, whut you was doin' jest now down on that
there sofa pillow?"

In this matter, at least, I could have no wish or intent to deceive him.

"Sir, I was taking a swimming lesson," I said with simple courtesy.

"A which?" he said as though not hearing me aright.

"A swimming lesson," I repeated plainly, or as plainly as I could
considering my agitation and the fact that the cold in my head had
noticeably thickened my utterance, making it well-nigh impossible for me
to give the proper inflection to certain of the aspirates and
penultimates.

"Oh, yes," he said; "I see--a--a--swimming lesson. Well, that certainly
is a mighty cute idee."

"I am glad you agree with me," I said. "And now, my good fellows, if you
have any business of your own to attend to--elsewhere--I should be more
than pleased if you proceeded on your way and left me undisturbed. I
have much to engage my mind at present, as you may have noted."

"Oh, there ain't no hurry," he said. "I figger we'll all be goin' away
from here purty soon."

At this moment the son checked his advance and, stooping, raised aloft
the same earthenware vessel of which repeated mention has heretofore
been made.

"Here she is, all right, dad!" was his cryptic statement. "I guess we
never made no mistake in comin' here."

The father then addressed me.

"Mister," he said, "mout I enquire where you got that there crock?"

"That, my good sir," I informed him, "is not a crock. It is a Mound
Builder's relic, unearthed but yesterday in the forest primeval."

"In the forest which?"

"The forest primeval," I enunciated with all the distinctness of which
I was capable.

"And whut, if anythin', have you been doin' with it beside anointin'
them features of yourn in it?" Again it was the father who spoke.

"It formerly contained wild strawberries," I answered, "some of which
were consumed for food, and the rest of which were carried away under
cover of nightfall by a bear."

He stared at me.

"A bear?" he reiterated blankly.

"Certainly," I said; "undoubtedly a bear--I myself saw it. A large,