s of people just as quick as he can aim a rifle. And
it's a mighty important thing to keep Peter's spirits up. If Peter's
spirits was to go down, things round here would flatten out worse than a
rotten punkin when it's dropped."

It did not take long to establish the new-comers in their woodland
quarters. The tent for the two men, which had arrived in the morning, was
pitched not far from the cabin, and then Matlack and Martin went to work
to prepare supper. The dining-room in pleasant weather was the small space
in front of the house, where there was a table made of a wide board
supported by stakes, with a low and narrow board on each side, also
resting on stakes, and forming seats.

The supper was a better one and better served than any of the party had
expected. The camp outfit included table-cloths, and even napkins.

"To-morrow," said Matlack, as he brought a dish of hot and savory broiled
ham, "after Mr. Archibald gets to work, we'll have some fish."

Mrs. Archibald had been a little fearful that under these primitive
conditions the two men might expect to sit at the table with them, but she
need have had no such fears. Matlack and Martin cooked and waited with a
skill and deftness which would have surprised any one who did not reflect
that this was as much their business as hunting or woodcraft.

After supper a camp-fire was built at a safe distance from the house, for
although the evening air was but slightly cool, a camp without a camp-fire
would not be a camp. The party ranged themselves around it, Mrs. Archibald
on a rug brought from the cabin, and her husband and Margery on the
ground. Mr. Archibald lighted his pipe, the fire lighted the trees and the
lake, and joy inexpressible lighted the heart of Margery.

"If I could smoke a pipe," said she, "and get Mr. Matlack to come here and
tell me how he killed a man, I should be perfectly happy."

That night Mrs. Archibald lay awake on her straw mattress. Absolute
darkness was about her, but through the open window she could see, over
the tops of the trees on the other side of the lake, one little star.

"If I could get any comfort out of that little star," thought the good
lady, "I would do it; but I can't do it, and there is nothing else to
comfort me."

On the other side of the room, on another straw mattress, she could hear
her husband breathing steadily. Then, upon the bare boards of the floor,
which were but a few inches below her little cot-bed, she