eet, and I tell you, he's a beauty!"

"Yes. He's all of that. But of what use is his beauty now?"

"Humph! Didn't know you was a girl!"

Adrian did not answer. He was rapidly and skilfully sketching the
prostrate animal, and studying it minutely. From his memory of it
alive and the drawing he hoped to paint a tolerably lifelike portrait
of the animal; and a fresh inspiration came to him. To those projected
woodland pictures he would add glimpses of its wild denizens, and in
such a way that the hearts of the beholders should be moved to pity,
not to slaughter.

But, already that sharpened knife of Pierre's was at work, defacing,
mutilating.

"Why do that, man?"

"Why not? What ails you? What'd we hunt for?"

"We don't need him for food. You cannot possibly carry those horns any
distance on our trip, and you're not apt to come back just this same
way. Let him lie. You've done him all the harm you should. Come on. Is
this like him?" And Adrian showed his drawing.

"Oh! it's like enough. If you don't relish my job--clear out. I can
skin him alone."

Adrian waited no second bidding, but strolled away to a distance and
tried to think of other things than the butchering in progress. But at
last Pierre whistled and he had to go back or else be left in the
wilderness to fare alone as best he might. It was a ghastly sight. The
great skin, splashed and wet with its owner's blood, the dismembered
antlers, the slashed off nose--which such as Pierre considered a
precious tid-bit, the naked carcass and the butcher's own uninviting
state.

"I declare, I can never get into the same boat with you and all that
horror. Do leave it here. Do wash yourself--there's plenty of water,
and let's be gone."

Pierre did not notice the appeal. Though the lust of killing had died
out of his eyes the lust of greed remained. Already he was estimating
the value of the hide, cured or uncured, and the price those antlers
would bring could he once get them to the proper market.

"Why, I've heard that in some of the towns folks buy 'em to hang their
hats on. Odd! Lend a hand."

Reluctantly, Adrian did lift his portion of the heavy horns and helped
carry them to the birch. He realized that the pluckiest way of putting
this disagreeable spot behind him was by doing as he was asked. He was
hopeless of influencing the other by any change in his own feelings
and wisely kept silence.

But they hunted no more that day, nor did they make any furth