d English as any of us, perhaps better than some. I saw him
speaking with you, Davy; did he tell you who he was, and all about his
roving life?"

"Well, I guess not," replied the other, "to tell the truth, he was
asking questions about getting to Faversham, and finding a couple of
parties he seems to want to come up with mighty bad. But I couldn't give
him much help, because you see, I've never been as far as that town; and
I sure never met up with the men he described. But I promised him I'd
keep my eyes open, and if so be I ran across 'em, I'd send him word, in
care of a man up in Faversham named Malcolm Hotchkiss."

"Well," broke in Bumpus just then, after his usual impetuous style, "for
my part, I'm believin' that they're the very two rascals Thad spoke
about, hanging out in this region, and taking game out of season. And
perhaps now, one of 'em even sneaked in camp when nobody was around, and
got away with my bag."

He said this in a sneering way, and kept his eye fixed reproachfully on
Step-hen while speaking. The other frowned, and shook his head, in a
combative way.

"Of course you mean it's me that touched your old bag, Bumpus," he
remarked; "but you've got another guess coming. I watched you hunting in
the tent like you'd lost your head. Reckon you have, all right, because
_you took the wrong tent_! Just step in the other one for a change, and
my word for it you'll find your blessed old haversack just where you
hung it!"

And Bumpus, looking rather shame-faced, did go into the second tent; to
appear a moment later carrying the disputed bag in his hand, and with a
rosy blush mantling his fat face.

CHAPTER XX.

DRAWING STRAWS FOR A CHANCE.

At any rate Bumpus was manly enough to do the right thing. He walked
straight up to Step-hen, and held out his hand.

"I was a fool, and that's all there is about it, Step-hen," he said,
frankly. "Will you shake hands with me, and excuse the blunder I made
when I felt sure you had hooked the old bag, just to bother me?"

"Sure I will, Bumpus," said the other, gripping the fat hand extended so
confidingly toward him, and giving it a squeeze that brought tears to
the eyes of poor Bumpus. "And after all, I don't hardly blame you for
thinking I had a hand in gettin' away with the bag; because, you know,
I've wanted to look through it this long time. Don't you think you might
let me have it now, Bumpus?"

"But I tell you I haven't got anything that belongs t