ten to the nerve of them rascals,
ahowlin' themselves hoarse, just because we object to sharing our grub
pile with 'em. D'ye suppose, now, we'll have to knock over a few of the
pesky varmints, as old Eli calls 'em."

"I wouldn't be one bit surprised," replied Thad; and the other noticed
that he did not move in the least without making sure that his gun was
within reach; from which it was evident that Thad had no intention of
being caught unprepared, should the hungry wolves make a sudden dash.

Of course Step Hen was next to totally ignorant as to how to cook meat
without the frying-pan to which he had been accustomed. And he watched
just how Thad did it, closely imitating him.

Taking a stout and fairly long sliver of wood, a small piece of the meat
was secured to one end, after which the other point was thrust into the
ground in such a position that the meat came pretty near a place where
the embers burned red, and glowed invitingly. Presently the heat began
to make the meat sizzle, and then it slowly cooked, turning a delightful
brown color, and sending out odors that made the boys fairly shiver with
eagerness to start eating.

When one piece was considered done, it was quickly eaten by a hungry
hunter, and its place taken with a fresh supply.

So the good work went on. Both boys were ravenously hungry, and only
small bits could be cooked this way at a time, so that it was pretty
much a whole hour before they had fully satisfied their clamorous
appetites. And although the meal had been eaten under the strangest
conditions of any which he could remember, Step Hen was ready to declare
he had enjoyed it immensely.

"But they're gettin' madder and madder all the while, just because we
didn't send 'em an invite to our little feast!" declared Step Hen. "Just
listen to the critters yawp, would you, Thad? They're buttin' in closer
and closer, a foot at a time. And honest now, I reckon there must be all
the way from half a dozen to ten thousand of 'em around us."

"That's a pretty good and safe range," laughed the patrol leader; "and I
guess you've covered the ground, all right. There are surely half a
dozen of 'em, and how many more I wouldn't like to say, because I don't
know just how much noise one old wolf can kick up. But don't they sing
sweetly, though? Shall we be generous, and throw them out the balance of
the venison, to show them how we like their song?"

"Well, I should say, not any," returned Step Hen, aft