arge pine-tree and thinking what
his father would say, when out of the branches above his head sailed,
with a quiet, subdued whir, the very bird he had been chasing so long.
It settled not more than thirty yards off on the roots of an upturned
birch-tree and began a gentle cluck, spreading its fanlike tail and
shaking its feathers, but only for a moment. Tom's chance had come. A
hurried and excited aim, a loud bang, and the partridge was fluttering
on the ground, and Tom was stooping over it; the gun was back where he
had shot from; he had gotten to the bird before the dogs. What he wanted
was a partridge in his coat pocket; he did not seem so anxious to have
the dogs hand it to him, as his dreams had made him.

Tell the truth, Tom ran most of the way home. He met his father on the
driveway, and a sudden composure took hold of him.

"Say, Pop," he said, "it ain't so easy as one thinks, is it?"

"I'll bet you didn't get anything, not even a chipper bird," said Mr.
Henry; "now did you?"

Tom braced himself, his heart was beating fast, and the shivers were
again making him jump and wriggle.

"I only got one decent shot," replied Tom, beginning very coolly, "but I
got him, and mamma'll have that bird I didn't get yesterday to-night for
supper. Look at that!" he shouted the last part of his sentence, and
swinging the bird in front of his father's face, darted past to show and
tell all in the house, leaving Mr. Henry in blank astonishment. What he
was saying to himself was:

"I'll get that boy the prettiest gun in the city for Christmas, that's
what I'll do; he'll be giving me points before long."

SNOW-SHOES AND SLEDGES.

BY KIRK MUNROE.

CHAPTER XXIX.

A WILDERNESS-ORPHAN.

The position in which Phil now found himself was certainly a perplexing
one. By the very simple process of getting lost he had discovered Cree
Jim's cabin, but was appalled to consider what else he had found at the
same time. He now knew that the remainder of their journey, its most
difficult and dangerous portion, must be undertaken without a guide. Not
only this, but they must be burdened with a child so young as to be
practically helpless. In the mean time, what was to be done with those
silent and motionless forms whose dread presence so pervaded that lonely
cabin? And how was he to communicate with his friends? There was no back
trail to follow, for the snow had wiped it out. He did not even know in
which direction camp lay, fo