friend; "I can eat a couple myself, and Bowser looks sort of faint."

"The waste parts ought to be enough for him," said Sam, glancing at the
hound, who had gulped down everything thrown him and was gazing
wistfully for the next tid-bits that should fall to his share.

The clear, pure air, the vigorous exercise, and the rugged health of the
boys gave them appetites scarcely less forceful than that of Bowser; and
when Nick had carefully sprinkled the seasoning over the juicy, crisp
flesh, and each, taking one of the squirrels in hand, began wrenching
off the tender meat, he was sure he had never tasted such a delicious
dinner in all his life.

Even Herbert Watrous, accustomed as he was to the delicacies and
refinements of a city home, admitted that there was something about the
meal which, washed down with clear, pure water, had a flavor surpassing
anything of the kind he had ever known.

The causes why it tasted thus I have already stated.

CHAPTER XVII.

A TEST OF MARKSMANSHIP.

The boys were so tired from their severe tramp, and the rest was so
grateful after finishing their dinner, that they stayed where they were
an hour longer. Then, realizing that nothing could be done by idleness,
they slung their reloaded rifles over their shoulders, took another
drink of water, and lazily made their way to higher ground.

"I have been thinking," said Nick, when they paused again, "that we will
be more likely to learn something of the bear if we separate."

"For how long?" Herbert asked.

"Until night, or until we find him."

"But how can we find each other at night?"

"That can be fixed easily enough; if necessary, we can signal to each
other, or we can pick out some landmark that can be seen a long ways
off and gradually approach that as the sun goes down."

There was nothing brilliant in this proposition, but after some
discussion it was agreed to by the others, and they began looking around
for something which might serve them as a guide.

Directly to the north, the woods rose in a series of hills of no great
elevation, but among them were numerous large rocks of limestone
formation, some of them of such a light color that they could be seen a
long distance.

"Right yonder," said Nick, pointing toward the largest, "is one which we
cannot mistake; let's agree to meet there at nightfall and go into camp.
If either one of us loses his reckoning he will fire his gun and the
others will answer him, so t