ell on him, right between his
eyes."

John kneeled down in front of Malachi, who had his rifle all ready.
Much to the horror of Mrs Campbell, John permitted the bear to come
within twenty yards of him. He then fired, and the animal fell dead
without a struggle.

"A good shot, and well put in," said Malachi, going up to the bear.
"Let the dogs loose, Martin, that they may worry the carcase; it will do
them good."

Martin did so; the dogs were permitted to pull and tear at the dead
animal for a few minutes, and then taken off; in the mean time, Mr
Campbell and the ladies had come up to where the animal lay.

"Well, ma'am, isn't John a cool shoot?" said Malachi. "Could the oldest
hunter have done better?"

"My dear John, you quite frightened me," said Mrs Campbell; "why did
you allow the beast to come so near to you?"

"Because I wanted to kill him dead, and not wound him," replied John.

"To be sure," replied Malachi; "to wound a bear is worse than leaving
him alone."

"Well, Malachi, you certainly have made a hunter of John," said Mr
Campbell. "I could not have supposed such courage and presence of mind
in one so young."

John was very much praised, as he deserved to be, by the whole party;
and then Malachi said, "The skin belongs to John, that of course."

"Is the bear good eating now?" said Mrs Campbell.

"Not very, ma'am," replied Malachi, "for he has consumed all his fat
during the winter; but we will cut off the legs for hams, and when they
are salted and smoked with the other meat, you will acknowledge that a
bear's ham is, at all events, a dish that anyone may say is good. Come,
John, where's your knife? Martin, give us a hand here, while Mr
Campbell and the ladies go home."

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

MALACHI AND THE INDIAN.

It was in the first week of June that Malachi, when he was out in the
woods, perceived an Indian, who came to wards him. He was a youth of
about twenty or twenty-one years old, tall and slightly made; he carried
his bow and arrows and his tomahawk, but had no gun. Malachi was at
that time sitting down on the trunk of a fallen tree; he was not more
than two miles from the house, and had gone out with his rifle without
any particular intent, unless it was that, as he expected he should soon
receive some communication from the Indians, he wished to give them an
opportunity of speaking to him alone. The Indian came up to where
Malachi was, and took a seat by him, withou