ice I always get!" declared Ethan, loftily. "You
see, it pays to do things up in style. My shipments look so attractive
to Mr. Brandon that he says it is a pleasure to just open my box. Of
course all of you fellows like frogs'-legs?"

Phil and X-Ray Tyson immediately declared they believed they could never
get enough of the dainty.

"To tell you the honest truth," said Lub, contritely, "I never tasted
any that I know of. My folks don't seem to care for queer things."

"Queer things!" almost shouted Ethan; "well, I like that now! Why, don't
you know that frogs'-legs are as delicate as squab. You'd think you had
a spring chicken, only when you come to think, it has just a _little_
taste of fish about it."

"Oh! my, I don't know as I'd fancy that very much," complained Lub.

"Huh! I know you better than to believe that, Lub," he was told by the
other; "and I'll just have to make sure to lay in a plenty, because I
c'n see you passing in your platter seven times, to say: 'Please see if
there isn't just one more helping for me, won't you, Ethan; they're the
finest things I ever set my teeth in, and that's no lie!'"

"Well, wait and see, that's all," Lub concluded. "I'm willing to be
convinced. I mightn't care for a thing like that at home, with a white
tablecloth, silver, and cut glass all around me; but then it's a
different case when you're up in the woods, with your camp appetite
along, and going just half crazy because supper is so slow cooking, with
all those odors stealing to your nose. Try it on me, Ethan; I'd be
willing to taste even dog just once, if I was hungry, and met up with a
bunch of Indians."

"I'm not afraid of the verdict," announced the boy who raised frogs, and
thought he had a right to know considerable about them, since he topped
the market with the gilt-edge prices he received.

So they talked, and joked, as the evening wore along. Several times
they caught Lub in the act of yawning, and he was of course immediately
poked in the ribs as they besought him to please not swallow the cabin
while about it.

"But I tell you I am sleepy; and no matter what the rest of you say I'm
going to get my bunk made up. I want to be in apple-pie shape for
to-morrow, for I expect it's going to be a red-letter day with us."

Each of them had carried a warm blanket in their pack, which was one
reason for the bulk of these burdens. They had not been quite as heavy
as they looked; doubtless the greatest load consi