agedy, was very badly
frightened. He stood for a few seconds as if he had been deprived of
all power of action, and then caught up his rifle and took to his
heels. He ran as if the pack were after him instead of Bob and
Lester, and never slackened his pace until he was out of hearing of
their angry voices. He crept home like a thief and got into bed
without arousing either David or his mother. But he could not sleep.
He was haunted by the fear that something dreadful had happened down
there in the quarters, and that there would be a great uproar in the
settlement the next morning. He felt that he could never be himself
again until he knew the worst, so a little while before daylight he
put on his clothes, slipped quietly out of the cabin and bent his
steps toward the big gate near which he had been concealed the night
before. By the time he reached it there, was light enough for him to
distinguish objects at a considerable distance, and we can imagine
how greatly relieved he was when he discovered Bob and Lester perched
upon the ridge pole of the cabin. At first, he thought his eyes were
deceiving him, but a second look told him that there was no mistake
about it. He would have been glad to know if either of them had been
injured by the hounds before they got there, but that was something
he could not find out just then. They had not been torn in pieces, as
he feared, and that was a great comfort to him.

"They never had a closer shave, that thar is sartin," thought Dan, as
he turned about and trudged toward home. "I wonder what pap would say
if he knowed what a smart trick I played onto 'em! I wish I could go
an' tell him, but I am a'most afeared, kase he must be jest a bilin'
over with madness. He's lost the pinter--I reckon Dave must have
stole him, kase I don't see how else he could have got him--an' I
don't keer to go nigh him ag'in, till I kin kinder quiet his feelin's
by tellin' him some good news 'bout them hundred an' fifty dollars."

The events of this night were the last of any interest that
transpired in the settlement for more than two weeks. Affairs seemed
to take a turn for the better now, and the boy trapper and his two
friends were left to carry out their plans without any opposition.
Bob and Lester kept out of sight altogether; but they need not have
been so careful to do that, for the General was the only one who was
the wiser for what they had done, and he never said a word about it
to anybody. The