e picket upon duty is a prey to many an imaginary danger. The
rustling of a leaf, the crackling of a twig, the flitting shadows of
the ever-changing clouds, are made to assume the guise of a foe,
endeavoring to steal upon him unawares. Again and again Teddy was
certain he heard the stealthy tread of the strange hunter, or some
prowling Indian, and his heart throbbed violently at the expected
encounter. Then, as the sound ceased, a sense of his utter loneliness
came over him, and he pined for his old home in the States, which he
had so lately left.

A tremulous wail, which came faintly through the silence of the
boundless woods, reminded him that there were other inhabitants of the
solitude besides human beings. At such times, he drew nearer to the
fire, as a child would draw near to a friend to shun an imaginary
danger.

But, finally the drowsy god asserted himself, and the watcher passed
off into a deep slumber. His last recollection was a dim consciousness
of hearing the tread of something near the camp-fire. But his stupor
was so great that he had not the inclination to arouse himself, and
with his face buried in the leaves of his bushy couch, he quickly lost
cognizance of all things, and floated off into the illimitable realms
of sleep--Sleep, the sister of Death.

He came out of his heavy slumber from feeling something snuffing and
clawing at his shoulder. He was wide awake at once, and all his
faculties, even to his anger, were aroused.

"Git out, ye owld sarpent!" he shouted, springing to his feet. "Git
out, or I'll smash yer head the same as I smashed the assassin's,
barring I didn't do it!"

The affrighted animal leaped back several yards, as lightly as a
shadow. Teddy caught only a glimpse of the beast, but could plainly
detect the phosphorescent glitter of his angry eyes, that watched
every movement. The Irishman's first proceeding was to replenish the
fire. This kept the creature at a safe distance, although he began
trotting around and around, as if to seek some unguarded loophole
through which to compass the destruction of the man who had thus
invaded his dominions.

The tread of the animal resembled the rattling of raindrops upon the
leaves, while its silence, its gliding motion, convinced the
inexperienced Irishman of the brute's exceedingly dangerous character.
His rifle was too much injured to be of use and he could therefore
only keep his precocious foe at a safe distance by piling on fuel
un