must lie in opposite directions.

Stackpole was no fool, and it did not take him long to discover that
each of the three lads kept his gun within reach of his hand all the
time; which fact announced as plain as words could have done that they
entertained suspicions concerning him, and did not mean to be caught
napping in case he tried to make trouble of any sort.

Now, while Stackpole was a fellow equal to two if not three of the boys,
with regard to physical abilities, death and the possession of firearms
levels all such distinctions, and a bit of lead would sting just as much
from one of their guns as if it had come from the weapon of a
six-footer; hence, he made up his mind to walk a straight line while
among the possessors of all this hardware.

His avaricious eyes wandered frequently toward the splendid Marlin
repeater owned by Cuthbert, and the fact was very evident that he envied
him the possession of such a dandy gun, compared with which his battered
Winchester looked like "six cents," as Eli remarked to himself when he
correctly gauged the meaning of those sly glances.

"He'll steal if he can, the skunk," muttered the young logger, shaking
his head in his pet peculiar manner, which he always did when angered or
puzzled.

And then and there Eli determined that he would not allow himself a wink
of sleep that whole night; and that if Stackpole attempted any "funny
business" he would round him up with a sharp turn.

They talked of many things while sitting there around the campfire; and
the man managed to make himself fairly agreeable; for he certainly was
mighty well posted in everything connected with the country Cuthbert, in
his enthusiastic simplicity had come so far to explore; and had he been
built upon a different plan, Stackpole might have proven a valuable man
to tote along--he had penetrated further in the direction of Hudson Bay
and the Arctic shores beyond than any other man in the Northwest
Territory, and proved this by describing many of the things encountered
by a well known explorer with whose work Cuthbert was quite familiar,
and whose sole companion Stackpole claimed to have been.

There is something more than mere knowledge to be desired in a companion
on a long tramp, and this is reliance in his fidelity, cheerful
disposition, and readiness to shoulder at least half of the
labor--without these qualities in a campmate much of the pleasure is
missing.

Finally the boys began to find them