low, hollow voice, "I see a tree, not a big
tree, but a small one. It has round, green leaves and a cluster of
golden fruit near the top. What is it I see creeping toward the tree,
a monkey? No, not a monkey, though it looks like one. It's a boy, a
small black boy. He nears the tree. He looks around to see if anyone
is watching. He shins up the tree and breaks off several of the
leaves. I see him again near a big fire. He still has the leaves. He
is wrapping them around pieces of meat. As he does it, I can hear him
chuckling to himself. I see----"

"Oh golly, stop him, stop him! He's got de 'haunts'!" cried Chris in
terror, as he grabbed Charley by the shoulder and shook him wildly.

Charley seemed to come to with a start. "Where was I, what was I
saying?" he murmured.

"You was filled wid de haunts," declared Chris solemnly. "You was jes'
tellin' to yourself how dis shiftless, lying nigger got dem pawpaw
leaves to make dis bar meat tender."

Walter and the captain were roaring with laughter, but Chris went on
solemnly with his confession. "Golly, but dis nigger's been a powerful
liar lots ob times, but you doan ketch him at it any more. You sho' is
got de conjerer eye, Massa Charley, else how you know dat lake wid de
crane on it was full of grass like knives, else how you see bees round
dat bear when you is too far off to see 'em, else how you see Chris
getting dem pawpaw leaves when you is clean out ob sight. I guess dis
nigger doan lie any more when you is round, Massa Charley."

"Well, if you are all through, we had better make back for camp for the
sun is getting low," said Charley, hurriedly, to forestall a lecture on
the wickedness of lying, which he saw by the working of the captain's
features, he was preparing to deliver to the little culprit.

Their things were quickly collected together and they were soon headed
back to their point. With the passing of the excitement of the day,
they all began to have vague alarms as to what might have happened
during their absence, and to reproach themselves for leaving the place
so long unguarded.

Their reproaches were wasted, however, for they found everything as
they had left it, save stuck in the bark of a pine tree near the fire,
was the badly scrawled notice. "Don't forget to pull out from these
diggin's afore to-morrow noon."

"They evidently mean business," said Walter, as the hunters stood
together reading the dirty, ill-written paper.