ed. "He'll do, I guess."

"You done bought a horse!" said Bobby. "And Johnny, he's got a mount
to make him a rep--if they don't spill him." He broke into rollicking
song:

_They picked me up and carried me in;
They rubbed me down with a rolling pin.
"Oh, that's the way we all begin,
You're doing well," says Brown;
"To-morrow morn, if you don't die,
I'll give you another horse to try."
"Oh, can't you let me walk?" says I----_

Here he cocked an impish eye at Dines, observed that gentleman's
mournful face, and broke the song short.

"What's the matter with you now, Dinesy? You can ride 'em, of course.
No trouble after you first take the edge off."

"It isn't that," said Dines sorrowfully. "I--I--you ain't a bit to
blame, but--"

He stopped, embarrassed.

"What's the matter, you old fool? Spill it!"

Johnny sighed and drew in a long breath.

"I hate to name it, Bob--I do so. Hiram Yoast and Foamy White, the
blamed old fools, they orter told you! They'll be all broke up about
this." He looked Bob square in the eye and plunged on desperately.
"Them bears, Bobby--Hiram and Foamy had been makin' pets of 'em.
Feedin' them beef bones and such ever since last spring--had 'em
plumb gentle."

"Hell and damnation!"

Johnny's eyes were candid and compassionate. "Anybody would have done
just the same, Bobby. Don't you feel too bad about it. Rotten durned
shame, though. Them bears was a bushel o' fun. Jack and Jill, the two
biggest ones, they was a leetle mite standoffish and inclined to play
it safe. But the Prodigal Son, that's the least one--growed a heap
since last spring with plenty to eat that way--why, the Prodigal he'd
never met up with any man but Foamy and Hi, so he wasn't a mite leery.
Regular clown, that bear. Stand up right in front of the door, and
catch biscuit and truck the boys threw to him--loll out his little red
tongue and grin like a house afire. He was right comical. How he did
love molasses!"

"How come them fools didn't tell me?" demanded the crestfallen hunter,
almost in tears.

"Pretty tough luck," said Hales commiseratingly. "I killed a pet deer
once. I know just how you feel."

"I don't know who's to break it to Hiram and Foamy," said Johnny,
grieving. "It's goin' to hurt 'em, bad! They set a heap of store by
them bears--'special the Prodigal--poor little fellow! I feel right
bad myself, and I was only here two nights. Make it all the worse for
them