m of snow-storms there is a chance for a
shot; sometimes in a remoter fastness a big boar may deem himself
secure enough to venture out where there are no witnesses to his
solitary gastronomic revels save an Arctic owl or two huddled high in
the hemlocks.

And it was in the rocky oak-ridges of the wild country under Cloudy
Mountain that Miller had marked down the monarch of all wild pigs--the
great, shaggy, silver-tipped boar, hock-deep in snow, crunching frozen
acorns and glaring off over the gully where mile after mile of white
valley and mountain ranges stretched away, clotted and streaked with
pine.

"Why don't we all go?" asked Geraldine, seating herself behind the
coffee-urn and looking cordially around at the others.

"Because, dear," said Kathleen, "I haven't the slightest desire to run
after a wild boar or permit him to amble after me; and all that
reconciles me to your doing it is that Duane is going with you."

"I personally don't like to kill things," observed Scott briefly. "My
sister is the primitive of this outfit. She's the slayer, the head
hunter, the lady-boss of this kraal."

"Is it very horrid of me, Duane?" she asked anxiously, "to find
excitement in this sort of thing? Besides, we do need meat, and the game
must be kept thinned down by somebody. And Scott won't."

"Whatever you do is all right," said Duane, laughing, "even when you
jeer at my gymnastics on skis. Oh, Lord! but I'm hungry. Scott, are you
going to take all those sausages and muffins, you bespectacled ruffian!
Kathleen, heave a plate at him!"

Kathleen was too scandalised to reply; Scott surrendered the desired
muffins, and sorted the morning mail, which had just been brought in.

"Nothing for you, Sis, except bills; one letter for Duane, two for
Kathleen, and the rest for me"--he examined the envelopes--"all from
brother correspondents and eager aspirants for entomological honours....
Here's your letter, Duane!" scaling it across the table in spite of
Kathleen's protest.

They had the grace to ask each other's permission to read.

"Oh, listen to this!" exclaimed Scott gleefully:

"DEAR SIR: Your name has been presented to the Grand
Council which has decided that you are eligible for membership in
the International Entomological Society of East Orange, N.J., and
you have, therefore, been unanimously elected.

"Have the kindness to inform me of your acceptance and inclose your
check for $25, which