"I can see behind
the tree, and there's no bear there. Buster, you're a fraud."

"No, no, I'm dead sure I saw something that looked like a bear's head,"
said the other, vehemently. "Perhaps he's hiding inside the tree,
fellows?"

At that George laughed harshly. He was still trembling from excitement.

"Well," he observed, "there's is a hollow in the tree all right; but
the opening ain't over a foot across; and it would have to be a mighty
thin bear that could push in or out of that."

"Wait," said Jack, quietly. "There may be a way to prove whether
Buster has been fooled, or if he did see something."

He took the torch from Jimmie, and immediately pushed right on under
the drooping limbs of the wide spreading oak.

"Oh! he's going to look for the tracks!" cried Nick, still hugging the
neighborhood of the fire. "That's a bright idea, Jack. You're the
swift thing, all right. But take care he don't jump out on you. I
thought I saw something move right then. And if we don't get them bear
steaks I'm going to be mighty sorry, that's what."

Jack paid no attention to what the other said. Already he was stooping
down, and examining the earth, as he held the blazing torch close.

"Any bear sign?" asked George, who stood guard over him, rifle in hand,
and dividing his attention between what Jack was doing and the
surrounding gloomy woods.

"Not a bit," came back the ready answer; "and as I've seen the tracks
of a bear more than once I think I'd know such a thing."

"Told you so," declared George, in a disgusted voice. "Another one of
Buster's false alarms. That's the way he's been doing all along;
seeing snags ahead when there wasn't one, and making me check up in a
hurry, and that was hard on my engine."

"Go slow," observed the boy who was on his knees. "I said there wasn't
any bear tracks, didn't I? But that doesn't mean Buster didn't see
something."

"Goodness gracious! it wasn't a panther, was it?" gasped George.

"Oh! no, only a man," replied the other. "Look here, and you'll see
the plain print of his foot and toes in the dirt; and an unusually big
foot, too."

"Barefooted!" exclaimed George, bending eagerly over.

"That's so; but haven't we seen scores of negroes barefooted all
along?" Jack said, positively.

"Then it was a coon. Say, why did he run away, then? Jack, you
remember all they told us above about the troubles down here in the
region around Coahoma county? Don't you believ