t lightly touched the shore and the savage
sprung out, quickly followed by the Irishman.

"I beg yez pardon, boys, for the time I tuk to git your dinner; but to
shpake the thruth, I was unavoidably detained, as me brother writ me
when he was locked up in Tipperary jail on his way to visit me."

"We are glad enough to see you again, but where is your game?"

"Worrah, worrah, but I had bad luck wid it. When I tuk it ashore, I sat
it down for a minit, and I hadn't the time to pick it up again."

"But tell us all about it."

This was quickly done, up to the point where Tim was saved by the timely
appearance of the grizzly bear, when, as may well be supposed, the
expressions of wonder were loud and continued.

"You saw nothing more of your pursuers?" asked Howard.

"Not a bit--nor be the same towken do I think they saw me."

"How did you and Shasta meet?"

"That was shtrange, was the same. After I found I was cl'ar of the
varmints, from the raisin that their exclusive attention was occupied by
the b'ar, I stopped and went to thinking--did I. I could saa the great
necessity of our having me own canoe and I went back to whom I left the
same. It took me some time to find it, and when I did find it, it wasn't
it, but the one that belonged to the red gintlemen.

"There was little difference atwixt the two and I thought the best thing
was to make a thrade, and just as I thought that I spied another canoe
coming along the shore as though it was looking for something. I stepped
back and raised the hammer of my gun, when I obsarved there was but one
Injin in the same--was there. So, 'Tim,' says I, ''twould be a shame,'
and I lowered me gun agin.

"Just then, and fur the life of me I don't know what put it into me
head, I thought it was Shasta, though I knowed I had lift him with a big
pain all through him. So I give a low whistle like, and called out
'Shasta,' and with one whip of his paddle he sent his canoe right at my
faat, though I was sure he didn't saa me, and then waited fur me to step
in.

"But he's a quaar fellow, is Shasta," added Tim. "I rached out me hand
to shake his own, but he never noticed it, but motioned fur me to stow
mesilf into the bottom of the canoe; and thin, after some muttering and
throwing of his arms, I could saa he wanted me to howld on to the other
canoe."

"And I did the same, and the way he towed us over the water would have
frightened a steamboat."

"He is a smart fellow, indeed."