had been collected, and the tent had
been pitched on the spot where it stood before, George got a fire going
and prepared our banquet of bones and hoofs. The bit of hair that
clung to the skin on the upper part of the hoofs he singed off by
holding them a moment in the fire. Then, taking an axe, he chopped the
hoofs and bones up together, and placed some of the mess in the kettle
to boil. A really greasy, though very rancid, broth resulted. Some of
the bones and particularly the hoofs were maggoty, but, as Hubbard
said, the maggots seemed to make the broth the richer, and we drank it
all. It tasted good. For some time we sat gnawing the gristle and
scraps of decayed flesh that clung to the bones, and we were honestly
thankful for our meal.

The bones from which we made our broth were not thrown away. On the
contrary we carefully took them from the kettle and placed them with
the other bones, to boil and reboil them until the last particle of
grease had been extracted. There was little left on the head save the
hide, but that also was placed with the pile of bones, as well as the
antlers, which were in velvet, and what remained of the stomach and its
contents.

After we had finished gnawing our bones, George sat very quiet as if
brooding over some great problem. Finally he arose, brought his camp
bag to the fire, and, resuming his seat, went low into the recesses of
the bag. Still holding his hand in the bag, he looked at me and
grinned.

"Well?" said I.

"Sh-h-h," he replied, and slowly withdrawing his hand held up--an ounce
package of cut plug tobacco!

I stared at the tobacco, and then again caught George's eye. Our
smiles became beatific.

"I've been savin' this for when we needed it most," said George. "And I
guess the time's come."

He handed me the package, and I filled my pipe, long unused to anything
save leaves from the teapot and red willow bark. Then George filled
his pipe.

From the fire we took brands and applied them to the tobacco. Deep,
deep were our inhalations of the fragrant smoke.

"George," said I, "however in the world could you keep it so long?"

"Well," said George--puff, puff--"well, when we were gettin' so short
of grub"--puff--"thinks I"--puff--"the time's comin'"--puff,
puff--"when we'll need cheerin' up"--puff--"and, says I,"--puff--"I'll
just sneak this away until that time comes."

"George," said I, lying back and watching the smoke curl upward in the
light of th