n
the board, which had been completely shattered by the bullet.

"There!" he cried. "Harnett said I couldn't hit it from that dead pine
tree, and that even if I did succeed in hitting it, I couldn't split it.
Now we'll see what he has got to say to that."

Ralph had nothing to say as to the argument between his friend and the
stranger, and in the absence of anything else to say, he asked:

"Do you live here?"

"I am living here just now, and shall for some weeks longer, I suppose.
You are Ralph Gurney, whom Harnett has been expecting, I fancy?"

"Yes; but if George has told you who I am in advance of my coming, he
has not been so liberal to me in regard to yourself."

"That probably arose from the fact that I am no one in particular,
while, on the contrary, you are to become one of the particularly bright
and shining lights in the medical world. I am only Bob Hubbard."

Who Bob Hubbard might be Ralph had no idea; but even though the young
gentleman spoke of himself in such a deprecating way, it was easy to see
that he did not consider himself of slight consequence in the world. He
was a bright, jovial, generous looking boy, with a certain air about
him which made the shot, fired so dangerously near Ralph, seem just such
a reckless act as might be expected of him.

"Do you like hunting and fishing?" he asked, after he found that Ralph
was not disposed to say anything about the profession of medicine he had
chosen, and which George had evidently spoken of.

"Indeed I do," was the decided reply. "Is there much sport around here?"

"All you want. I have only been out about two hours, and I have got
these," he said, as he held up his game. "And as for fishing, you can
catch trout until your arms ache--providing they bite rapidly enough."

"Indeed!" replied Ralph, dryly. "I fancy I have seen as good almost
anywhere. Do you go fishing very often?"

"Nearly every day."

"Then, if George has any business to attend to this afternoon, suppose
you and I see if the fish will bite fast enough to make our arms ache
pulling them in."

Bob hesitated in what Ralph thought a very peculiar way, and said, after
a pause of some moments:

"I'd like to, but I have an important engagement this afternoon, and I
hardly see how I can arrange it."

There was certainly nothing singular in his not being at liberty to
accept the proposition made so suddenly, and Ralph would have thought
his refusal the most natural thing in the worl