d in the mud enough for one session."

Garry frowned, perplexed. His fast numbing brain refused to
reconstruct clearly, and yet dimly he knew that this sentiment was not
the one which he had heard a few hours before from Steve's lips.

"Too true," he was content to reply sadly. "Too true!"

"We've both earned a vacation." Steve's gentle smile never left his
lips. "To-day I couldn't help but think that it was a shame to miss
such perfect hunting weather as this. I wonder if I couldn't persuade
you to postpone your going for just a day or two longer. I can show
you some deer, Garry."

The frown upon the latter's forehead deepened with his effort at
recollection. Then he brightened with happy satisfaction.

"Deer!" he chuckled, addressing himself to Joe. "Hunter took me for a
deer, thinking I was Steve." He blinked, for the statement did not
entirely please him. "Doesn't sound logical," he pondered, "but it's
so. Fired twice and missed both shots. Poor work--very poor work
indeed!"

Joe squared around, his perplexed scrutiny an accusation now. Steve
had neglected to apprise him of that incident which had happened on the
way home, and Joe had not heard the rifle reports. But O'Mara clung to
the subject which he had introduced.

"That's the trouble with hunting right here in the front yard," he
admitted. "There are too many gunners anxious to hear their rifles go
off. We might swing over toward the west branch, though. As long as
this rain holds on the leaves will be quiet as a carpet. You've never
seen my own private shooting box, either, have you Garry?"

The questioned one tried hard to pay attention, but the attempt was no
more than an indifferent success, for he was still grumbling to himself
over that unknown marksman's lack of skill.

"Never knew you had one," he answered.

"My inheritance," laughed Steve. From his manner he might have been
talking to a sober man. "And also the haunt of my boyhood days. It's
the shack, you know, where I spent a good many years with Old Tom. It
lies a half dozen miles through the woods from here. I've made it
weather-tight and dry. I spend a day or so up there whenever I have a
chance to get away. We're sure of a shot if we still-hunt over in that
direction--sure of a tight roof and good beds, too. How does it appeal
to you?"

Garry spilled over his glass and had to fill it again, with many
apologies for his clumsiness, so ardent was his acceptanc