you to follow."

"It must be dangerously wounded."

"Not it, sir; only a bit tickled. That was only bird shot you fired,
was it, my lads?"

"Number 5," said Rob promptly.

"Thought so. Best keep a bullet always in your guns, gentlemen, out
here, for you never know what's going to turn up next."

The Indians were back now, going about picking wood for the fire as if
nothing whatever had happened.

"But that man," whispered Rob; "isn't he hurt--clawed?"

"No, sir," replied Shaddy calmly; and he asked a question of the man in
the mixed Indian tongue. Then turning to Brazier, "Only got the wind
knocked, out of him a bit, sir. No clawing. He don't mind."

"But the brute may come back," said Rob.

"Well, Mr Rob, sir, if he do he's a bigger fool than I take him to be.
No, there'll be no coming back about him. Just while he was up he was
ready to fly at anything, but every one of them little shot will make a
sore place which it will take him a fortnight to lick quite well again.
I daresay they're all lying just under his skin."

"And what a skin!" cried Rob. "You could have got it off and cured it
for me, couldn't you?"

"Oh yes, or these chaps here, sir; but if you wants tiger jackets you
mustn't try to kill them as wears 'em with Number 5 shot.--Now, lads,
more wood," and a good fire was soon burning, over which the kettle was
hung.

A meal was quickly prepared, but Shaddy indulged in a bit of a growl
over it.

"And me 'specting pork chops frizzled over that fire on the iron sheet,"
he said. "Why it wouldn't have been no good, my lad, going about with a
pinch of lead snuff in your gun. You want something like small marbles
out here, I can tell you, or good buck shot. You'll mind that next
time."

"But I want to get some of the birds we see," said Rob, in tones of
remonstrance.

"That's right, sir; but keep one barrel always for play and one for
work. I don't want to make too much of it, but in a country like this
it must be dangerous sometimes."

"He is quite right, Rob," said Brazier. "He is giving you a lesson, but
he means some of it for me. Don't you, Naylor?"

"Well, sir," said Shaddy grimly, "I s'pose you'd like the honest truth?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll tell you what I said to myself. How a gentleman at his time
o' life could leave his weepun, as ought to be ready for action, without
a good bullet for wild beast or Indian, I can't think."

"I have learned my lesson, Naylor,"