full day's job before
them.

"I've no talent for the butcher's trade," Ralph exclaimed in disgust,
dropping his knife into the snow. "There's no help for it, Biceps, we'll
have to bury the carcass, pile some logs on the top of it, and send a
horse to drag it home to-morrow. If it were not Christmas Eve to-night
we might take a couple of men along and shoot a dozen wolves or more.
For there is sure to be pandemonium here before long, and a concert in
G-flat that'll curdle the marrow of your bones with horror."

"Thanks," replied the admirer of Midshipman Easy, striking a reckless
naval attitude. "The marrow of my bones is not so easily curdled. I've
been on a whaling voyage, which is more than you have."

Ralph was about to vindicate his dignity by referring to his own valiant
exploits, when suddenly his keen eyes detected a slight motion in the
underbrush on the slope below.

"Biceps," he said, with forced composure, "those poachers are tracking
us."

"What do you mean?" asked Albert, in vague alarm.

"Do you see the top of that young birch waving?"

"Well, what of that!"

"Wait and see. It's no good trying to escape. They can easily overtake
us. The snow is the worst tell-tale under the sun."

"But why should we wish to escape? I thought we were going to catch
them."

"So we were; but that was before we turned poachers ourselves. Now those
fellows will turn the tables on us--take us to the sheriff and collect
half the fine, which is fifty dollars, as informers."

"Je-rusalem!" cried Biceps, "isn't it a beautiful scrape we've gotten
into?"

"Rather," responded his friend, coolly.

"But why meekly allow ourselves to be captured? Why not defend
ourselves?"

"My dear Biceps, you don't know what you are talking about. Those
fellows don't mind putting a bullet into you, if you run. Now,
I'd rather pay fifty dollars any day, than shoot a man even in
self-defence."

"But they have killed elk too. We heard them shoot twice. Suppose we
play the same game on them that they intend to play on us. We can play
informers too, then we'll at least be quits."

"Biceps, you are a brick! That's a capital idea! Then let us start for
the sheriff's; and if we get there first, we'll inform both on ourselves
and on them. That'll cancel the fine. Quick, now!"

No persuasions were needed to make Albert bestir himself. He leaped
toward his skees, and following his friend, who was a few rods ahead of
him, started down the sl