is make-up;
doubtless he had found need of both in his dealings with the huskies to
be met with in the Michigan lumber camps, where brute strength counts
for more than education.

It evidently behooved him to play "lame duck," just as the mother
mallard does in order to deceive the wandering egg hunter, and lead him
away from her nest.

So Eli simply chose to look foolish, and stood there grinning and saying
not a word.

He was a good hand at playing the game of "wait," and perhaps in time
his chance would come to knock up their hand, and call the deal.

"I see yer hev cut up ther deer all hunky-dory, Eli. Now, sence we old
fellers is a bit troubled with rheumertism s'pose ye shoulder ther bag
o'game an' come erlong wid us. My ole friend Dubois hes got er shack not
werry far off, an' we kin hold our hungry feelin's in till we git thar.
Up she goes, boy, an' don't yer dare ter scowl at me like thet again,
less ye wanter feel ther toe o' my moccasin. Wy, I've sliced a feller's
ears orf fur less'n thet. I'm a holy terror wen I'm riled up, ain't I,
Dubois?" said Stackpole.

And this was the man whom they had entertained at their camp and given
the best meal of his whole life!

Eli made a note of the fact for future reference.

There would perhaps come a day of reckoning, and the account, however
long, could be adjusted.

He took up the pack of meat and followed Stackpole, while Dubois walked
along a little distance behind.

Perhaps it was accidental, this meeting with the two woodsmen, but Eli
doubted it, preferring to believe that they had been watching him ever
since he left the camp, with the idea of effecting his capture should
the opportunity arise.

With such men this was not a difficult thing to do.

What puzzled him, however, was the trouble they were taking on his
account.

If it was simply that coveted gun they wanted, why not turn him adrift
after securing possession of the firearm, rather than make a prisoner of
him; surely they could not be doing this for the mere sake of compelling
him to "tote" the venison to their camp, for that would be slipping up
on a point, since he must know where they held out and could carry the
information to Cuthbert when released.

Now had it been the young Virginian who was captured, he could readily
understand their reason, for Cuthbert had money in abundance, and would
pay a round sum to be set at liberty; but who under the sun cared
whether he, Eli Perkins, lu