t I'm no' just dreaming?
You're no' by chance just twa o' them muckle moths that's come into my
dream in a make-believe?"

"We're human, sure enough," Arnold laughed in reply, and Alf added--

"Terribly human we are, for we've lost our way in the forest, and we're
beastly tired as well as hungry."

"Lost--tired--hungry?" repeated Mackintosh. "That has a human
sound--terribly human, as you say." Then he turned towards the
half-breed, who had been standing an amazed spectator of the scene. "Did
you hear that, Haggis?" he demanded. "Did you hear that--'hungry and
tired'?"

"Haggis hear," was the quiet reply of the native, to which the Scot
retorted angrily--

"You heard? And yet, one meenit after, I see you standing there like a
daft gowk instead o' hustling for food as fast as your legs can move
you? Ma conscience! But you tak' a deal of ceevilising! You dinna ken
the first meaning o' the word 'hospitality.' Off wi' you!"

There was no need to repeat the order, for the half-breed immediately
disappeared within the tent, and the almost simultaneous rattling sound
of tin-ware was evidence of his haste to supply the want.

Mackintosh then turned to the boys.

"Noo then, rest yourselves, laddies. Sit doon by the fire, and you'll
soon have a bit o' something to grind between your molars. Haggis is
slow to understand, but he's quick enough when he kens what's wanted."

Not unwillingly, the chums soon stretched themselves in comfortable
positions beside the camp-fire at either side of their eccentric host.
Bannock, however, still eyed the strangers with suspicion, so Mackintosh
was forced to introduce the dog formally to each boy in turn, at which
the intelligent animal extended a paw with all the air of one who is
accustomed to polite society.

"He's a fine chap," explained the Scot. "There's no' a single thing that
he canna do (according to the leemitations o' Nature) except speak. And
even that he manages to do in his ain way. Noo, come here, Bannock, and
lie down while oor freends spin us their yarn. They've no' told us yet
who they are, where they come frae, nor where they're going."

"That's a yarn that's quickly told," remarked Bob. The half-breed by
this time had returned from the tent with generous supplies of cold
deer, damper, and wild berries, after serving which he placed a pan on
the fire in preparation for coffee. "It's a yarn that won't take long in
the telling, though, if you'll excuse me, I'll eat