generously allowing his companion to
be a little in advance of him. This he did really because he wished Step
Hen to have the advantage of the first shot; being confident that if the
other failed to bring down the game he would still have some show before
the deer could vanish from sight.

Then again, it was just as well to have Step Hen in front. He was
inclined to be nervous; and some sudden whirr of wings, as a partridge
flew out of a nearby thicket, might cause his finger to press on the
trigger of his gun a little harder than he intended. Thad believed in
being on the safe side, every time.

Step Hen carried a lovely little repeating rifle of the thirty-thirty
type; and his ammunition was of the soft-nosed kind, which, as it
"mushrooms" on striking, is just as serviceable as a ball three times as
large; while Thad had his double-barrel Marlin shotgun, a twelve bore,
with buckshot shells meant for big game.

As they were passing through what seemed to be a tangle such as is
seldom met with in the pine woods of Maine, where they had to dodge
trailing vines, Step Hen, in trying to avoid one that threatened to
catch him by the neck, managed to stumble over a log, and go sprawling
forward, his gun flying from his grip, but fortunately not going off.
But immediately Step Hen commenced to thresh around, as he shouted out:

"Thad! Oh! Thad, hurry up, and help me out of this! My legs are twisted
in the vine; and something bit me! I know it must a been a rattlesnake,
and I'm a goner!"

CHAPTER IX.

STEP HEN'S GREAT LUCK.

"Snakes! well, Step Hen, you're away off, if you think they're ever
found out, with the weather as biting as it is right now!" laughed Thad;
who sized up the situation instantly, and knew full well there was
nothing of the sort the matter with his hunting companion.

"Well, anyway, _something_ gave me a bite, and you can see the
blood on my hand right now, Thad," whined Step Hen, crawling once more
into view, and looking as though he could not be convinced to the
contrary of his statement, just because of a little frost.

He held up his left hand as he spoke. Thad took hold of it, and with
those keen eyes of his, managed to grapple with the facts immediately.

"You only managed to strike up against a sliver of wood, and got a
splinter in your hand," he declared; "see here, I can show you," saying
which he used the nails of his finger and thumb for a forceps, and drew
out a little splint