onnection with the woods; and they had also
picked up such a world of information when spending those halcyon days
up with old Trapper Jim, that it made it unusually pleasant when they
were in camp, trying out new ideas, and copying others which they had
watched the woodsman do.

"Have a care, Steve!" Max called out, as the one who was making his way
around the little bayou slipped, and splashed the water in his eagerness
to accomplish the errand that had taken him there; "you'll get a ducking
yet if you don't slow up some! Rome wasn't built in a day, remember!"

"Yes," added Toby, "and you b-b-bet the w-w-water's c-c-cold right now!
Don't I k-k-know when I p-p-put my hand in?"

"Oh! don't bother your heads about me," sang out Touch-and-go Steve,
carelessly; "I guess I c'n look out for myself all right. One more turn
and I'll be there. And I c'n see your eyes stickin' out of your heads
when you handle this gi-_gan_tic frog of mine! Wow! but he is a whopper,
though!"

He seemed so eager to lay hands on his prize, just as though the big
greenback might recover, and hop into the pond before his very eyes,
that possibly Steve was not quite as careful as his boastful words would
indicate.

"I don't know about taking any frog legs home this time," Bandy-legs was
saying, in a half regretful tone; "our girl says she won't cook the
same, and my folks seem like they was set against frog for eatin'. Now I
like 'em first-rate, but you see I've just got to keep on the good side
of our cook, 'cause she gives me lots of scraps for my pet cub. And if
that cute little bungler don't improve pretty soon, I just don't know
what I'm agoin' to do with him. He makes us so much trouble all the
time, playin' his innocent pranks, but scarin' the cook half out of her
seven senses."

Thereupon Toby became tremendously excited, and pawed at the sleeve of
Bandy-legs eagerly, while as soon as he could control his lips and his
vocal chords he started in to say:

"Oh! g-g-give him to me, won't you, Bandy-legs? I'd be the happiest
fellow you ever s-s-saw if I had a real live b-b-bear of my own.
S-s-say, just name your p-p-price, and if I've g-g-got anything you
want right b-b-bad it's yours. That c-c-cook of yours is set against
p-p-poor Nicodemus, who c-c-came in the night, and was g-given that
name. Think it over, Bandy-legs."

The other looked at the eager speaker, and grinned.

"Perhaps I may, Toby," he remarked, slowly; "anyhow, I'll pro