a joke. So she continued:

"Because of that joke, you have ordinary chicken for a meat course,
whereas I had hoped to give you a real dainty, stewed wild rabbit. But
our snares were left unbaited while we planned to come in first on Gilly
and his proposed prank. I don't suppose you know a thing about it, do
you?"

The girls gasped at their Leader's mention of a rabbit snare,--this was
the first they knew of such a thing! And since Bunty Grey had taken up
his residence nearby their camp, after his recovery from the old trap
down on River Bend, not one scout girl could be made to taste rabbit.

The boys were keen to hear about the joke on their friend Gilroy, but
_he_ wanted to know about rabbits. So he asked:

"Where did you set any snares? This is news to me!"

"Is it? Why we caught a rabbit in a snare set down by River Bend, but we
haven't stewed it yet," returned Julie, smiling angelically at Mr.
Gilroy.

"Never mind snares, but tell us about the tracking," now urged Alec.

"There isn't much to tell--excepting that we let him indulge himself in
the belief that he was fooling us," began Julie. "While we were at your
camp, to invite you here to-day, Gilly had all his hands turn the
barnyard beasts out and led them a dance about our campgrounds,
believing we would fall for his little game.

"He took so much pains and trouble over the joke, that we hadn't the
heart to undeceive him, so we played the game through.

"But it was hard work to keep straight faces, wasn't it, girls?" Julie
appealed to her companions.

"Yes, indeed! And when Julie left us to bring back the proof of his
joking, that was best of all," added Joan.

"Yes, you see I got him to say that hunters who found a wild animal
could claim it, if it was in season, so I went to the barn where I
_knew_ our 'wild animals' would be, and not only found them, but caught
them, also. Being in season, we claimed them. Thus we turned Gilly's
joke on himself, as he sure was amazed to find that we took him at his
word, and kept the 'ferocious' beasts!" Julie laughed so heartily that
every one joined in, never doubting but that the merriment was natural
and genuine.

"So that is how we became owners of the calf, the pig, and the nice
spring chicken you just finished," added Julie.

Mr. Gilroy now cleared his throat to say something in self-defence, but
every one laughed loudly again, the boys believing Julie's tale, and the
girls hoping to keep up the decep