ned, with an
expression of face not unpleasing, and a frequent twinkle in his eyes.
As for felling the trees or building the houses of logs, Sam was willing
for others to assume those labours, and whatever honours might accrue
from such tasks. For himself he much preferred to do his part by
supplying the band with game.

Frequently the two boys had gone with the trapper when he had made the
rounds of his traps, and in the warm days of summer nothing had
delighted either more than to accompany him into the forest, where they
were interested in the weird, and at times fantastic, tales Sam related
of his personal adventures, and also of the characteristics of the
denizens of the forest.

"What's wrong, lads?" inquired the hunter as he approached.

"Nothing is wrong now," laughed Peleg. "We shot a painter back here. And
there is its hide," he added as he pointed with pride to the bundle
which was suspended from his companion's shoulders.

Glancing at the object to which his attention had been directed, Sam
whistled and then said, "Seen any more?"

"No, sir."

"Seen any signs o' redskins?"

"No, sir. Have you seen any?"

"That's for the King to say," replied the hunter, laughing in apparent
heartiness, though no sound escaped his lips.

The expression, "that's for the King to say," was one that fell so
frequently from the lips of Sam Oliver that both boys understood what he
meant. It was his method of evading a direct reply to any question he
did not wish to answer.

"All of which means," said James, "that you _have_ seen some redskins."

"A few signs. Nothing very bad, and nothing that should be spoken of by
either of you. In course we are bound to find the varmints following us,
but I don't think they will attack us if we are on our guard. We must do
our best, and after that there is no good in trying to do anything more.
Your father says everything that happens is right, or it wouldn't be.
Strange," he added, as he again looked at the panther's skin which James
Boone was carrying, "strange that you should have got him so easy. I
have known the time when it would have taken half-dozen bullets to put
an end to a fighting painter."

"Have you shot a good many of them?" inquired Peleg.

"Oh, a few, a few," replied the hunter. "The strangest sight I ever see
was one time when I was followin' three o' the varmints. They led me a
hard chase, and it was two days before I caught up with them, and when
I did, I alm