come to regard the timid little man
with contempt, which was natural with him, as he looked with disfavor on
all "tenderfeet."

That grunt stirred the blood of the quick-tempered little man, who sat
up, snapping:

"I should think there was a pig somewhere round, by the sounds I hear!"

The guide grunted again.

"I detest pigs!" fumed Scotch. "They're always grunting."

"Thar's only one thing I dislike wuss'n pigs," observed Old Rocks,
lazily.

"What is that, sir; what is that?"

"Hawgs," answered the guide, with his small, keen eyes fixed on the
professor. "Of course, I don't mean to be personal, nor nawthing, an' I
don't call no names; but ef you want ter know who I mean, you kin see
whar I'm lookin'."

"This in an insult!" squealed the little man, snapping himself out of
the hammock. "I'll discharge you at once, sir--at once!"

"All right. Just you pay me whut you owe me, an' I'll leave ye ter git
out o' ther park ther best way ye derned kin. You'll hev a heap o' fun
doin' it."

The professor blustered about, while Old Rocks sat and smoked, a
patronizing smile on his leathery face.

Suddenly Scotch observed the approaching boys, and saw the child Frank
carried in his arms.

"Goodness!" gurgled the little man, staring. "What does that mean?"

"Oh, you have jest woke up!" said the guide, continuing to pull at his
black pipe. "I wuz tryin' to call your 'tention to thet thar. Whut has
ther boy found? An' whar did he find it?"

"You know quite as well as I. It is surprising--very much so!"

Frank and Barney came up, and explanations followed. Old Rocks pricked
up his ears when Frank told of the Blackfeet, and how near they came to
having a fight with the Indians.

"Is thet onery skunk in hyar again?" exclaimed the guide. "Why, he's
wuss'n sin, is ole Half Hand. He'd ruther cut a throat than do anything
else, an' ye're derned lucky ter git away. It wuzn't by yer own nerve ye
done it, howsomever. Ef ther gal hedn't 'peared jest as she did, you'd
both be food fer coyotes now."

"Two or three Indians, at least, would have kept us company," declared
Frank.

Old Rocks grunted.

"Yah! I'll bet a hawse you wuz so derned scat ye shivered clean down ter
yer toes. Ef ther red skunks hed made a run fer ye, ye'd drapped right
down on yer marrerbones an' squealed."

A bit of warm color came to Frank's face, and he said:

"It is plain you have a very poor opinion of my courage."

Barney was angry, and he ro