im what was
wanted--"where he probably may be found at the present time?"

Some of the boys couldn't help snickering right out when the Hen took
to loading up Shorty with little Gustavuses; but Boston didn't notice
nothing, and Shorty--who had wits as sharp as pin-points, and could be
counted on for what cards was needed in the kind of game the Hen was
playing--put down the ace she asked for and never turned a hair.

"Gustavus will be tickled out of his little boots, Miss," says Shorty,
"when I tell him how nice you've spoke about him; and I'm much obliged
myself. He give it to you straight, the kid did, about that lion. I
seen him, all right--and so close up it most scared the life out of
me! And you're right, Miss, in thinking I've ketched onto him
since--seeing I was a blame sight nearer to him than I wanted to be
less'n four hours ago. Yes, ma'am, as I was coming in home to-night
from the Canada I struck that animal's tracks in the mud down by the
ford back of the deepo--he'd been down to the river for a drink, I
reckon--and they was so fresh he couldn't a-been more'n five minutes
gone. When I got to thinking what likely might a-happened if I'd come
along them five minutes sooner, Miss, I had cold creeps crawling all
up and down the spine of my back!"

Them statements of Shorty's set the boys to snickering some
more--there not being no ford on the Rio Grande this side of La
Chamita, and the wagon-bridge being down back of the deepo where he
said his ford was--but Shorty paid no attention, and went on as smooth
as if he was speaking a piece he'd got by heart.

"As you know, Miss, being such a hunter," says he--making up what
happened to be wanted about lions, same as he'd done about fords--"them
animals takes a drink every four hours in the night-time as regular
as if they looked at their watches. Likely that feller's bedded just a
little way back in the chaparral so's to be handy for his next one;
and I reckon if this sport here feels he needs lions"--Shorty give his
head a jerk over to Boston--"he'll get one by looking for it right now.
But for the Lord's sake, Miss, don't you think of taking a hand in
tackling him! He's a most a-terrible big one--the out and out biggest
I ever seen. The first thing you knowed about it, he'd a-gulped you
down whole!"

"How you do go on, Mr. Smith!" says the Hen, laughing pleasant. "Have
you so soon forgotten our hunt together last winter--when I came up
and shot the grizzly i