ay, put some
on the snow about the pit, and then strewed some more about in small
handfuls, so that the cattle must find it and pick it up, which I knew
they would be glad to do, now that the snow is on the ground. And now,
you see, I have succeeded."

"Well, Humphrey, you beat us, I will say," said Edward. "Shall I shoot
him?"

"Yes, now that he is looking up."

Edward shot his ball through the forehead of the animal, which fell
dead; but they were then obliged to go home for the pony and cart, and
ropes to get the animal out of the pit, and a hard job they had of it
too; but the pony helped them, and they did get it out at last.

"I will do it easier next time," said Humphrey. "I will make a windlass
as soon as I can, and we will soon hoist out another, like they turn a
bucket of water up from a well."

"It's nice young meat," said Jacob, who was skinning the bull, "not
above eighteen months old, I should think. Had it been a full-grown
one, like that we shot, it must have remained where it was, for we never
could have got it out."

"Yes, Jacob, we should; for I should have gone down and cut it up in the
pit, so that we would have handed it out by bits, if we could not have
managed him whole."

They loaded the cart with the skin and quarters of the animal, and then
drove home.

"This will go far to pay for the gun, Humphrey," said Jacob, "if it
don't pay for more."

"I'm glad of it," said Humphrey; "but I hope it will not be the last
which I take."

"That reminds me, Humphrey, of one thing; I think you must come back
with the cart and carry away all the entrails of the beast, and remove
all the blood which is on the snow, for I've observed that cattle are
very scared with the smell and sight of blood. I found that out by once
or twice seeing them come to where I have cut the throat of a stag, and
as soon as they have put their noses down to where the blood was on the
ground they have put their tails up and galloped away, bellowing at a
terrible rate. Indeed I've heard say that if a murder has been
committed in a wood, and you want to find the body, that a herd of
cattle drove into it will serve you better than even a bloodhound."

"Thank you for telling me that, Jacob, for I should never have supposed
it; and I'll tell you what I'll also do. I'll load the cart with fern
litter, and put it at the bottom of the pit; so that if I could get a
heifer or calf worth taking, it may not be hurt by the fal