e you take me into consideration, are
you?" grunted Giraffe; and perhaps he might have said more, only just at
that instant Eli turned his head and made a remark to him which caused
the long-necked boy to lift his head, and then shout out excitedly:

"A bear! A bear! over there on the bank ahead!"

"Oh! where did I put my gun?" almost shrieked Step Hen, who was forever
misplacing things, and then finding them again in the most unexpected
places.

"Bumpus, knock him over! There's the best chance to try your new gun you
ever saw! Let him have it, you silly!" roared Giraffe.

The fat boy heard all the clamor. He also sighted the lumbering bear,
which, after taking one good look at the approaching canoes, turned to
shuffle back again into the shelter of the protecting brush, as though
he did not much fancy any closer acquaintance with the two-legged
occupants.

Bumpus scrambled to his knees. He was trembling like a leaf shaken in
the gale; but nevertheless managed to clumsily throw the double-barrel
to his shoulder, after pulling back both hammers.

They saw him bend his chubby neck, as though to sight along the barrels.
Then a tremendous explosion occurred, as though a young cannon had been
fired; and the next instant Bumpus went over flat on his back, among the
duffle with which the canoe was loaded, his feet coming into view as he
landed among the blankets, and the packages of food, secured in the
rubber ponchos to keep them from getting wet.

CHAPTER II.

A WARNING FROM A GAME POACHER.

"Did I g-g-get him?"

Bumpus, as he spoke these eager words, managed to gain a sitting
position, though his first act was to rub his shoulder as though it
pained him.

There was a roar from all the boys at this remark, and indeed, even the
two Maine guides grinned more or less.

"Listen to the innocent, would you?" shouted Giraffe; "when his buckshot
tore up the water half way between the boat and the shore, till it
looked just like one of those spouting geysers we read about, out in
Yellowstone Park. Did he get him, boys?"

Step Hen put his hands to his mouth, megaphone fashion, and bawled out:

"Hey, answer that, Mr. Bear, please; let the poor boy know whether he
tickled your tough old hide with one of his buckshot. Because, who
knows, fellows, but what it might a glanced off the top of the water,
and landed," and he winked at Allan, who was in the canoe with Jim Hasty
close by.

"I don't hear any answer flo