in a quite
unexpected place, swimming back to the canoe at a pace that was
astonishing. Thereafter he devoted himself to giving lessons to Rube
in swimming and diving and re-entering the frail canoe.

"Quite enough for one morning," he said, before Rube had been in the
water nearly as long as he wished. "We'll get back to camp now and
have a cracker and a drink of hot tea. Then we'll visit the traps, and
you c'n get breakfast ready while I shave. I guess we may's well have
eggs and bacon, eh?"

"Might have some o' that thar honey as well," suggested Rube.

"All right," Kiddie agreed. "But you'll be havin' the bees foolin'
around while we're at breakfast, if you're not careful. What you goin'
ter smoke 'em out with?"

"Sulphur," Rube answered promptly. "I got a chunk in me pocket; been
usin' it t' put in my bear cub's drinkin' water."

Rube was in more haste than he need have been to disturb the bees.
Kiddie, while waiting for his shaving water to heat, was making a
toasting fork of a stick with a forked end for cooking the bacon. He
had seen Rube carry away a flat slab of stone with crushed sulphur on
it, and had watched Rube lighting the sulphur and shoving the slab
within the hollow of the tree, as he might shove a dish into an oven.

Suddenly there was a cry of alarm.

"Kiddie! Kiddie! Quick! Come here!"

Kiddie ran to the tree, still with his knife and the forked stick in
his hands.

"Keep back!" Rube cautioned him. "It's a rattler--a huge one--far in
among the roots. Listen!"

Kiddie heard the unmistakable crackling sound. He went nearer, holding
his pronged stick in front of him. He peeped into the hollow of the
tree, and through the blue fumes of the burning sulphur he saw the
snake's thick black body with its brown geometrical markings gliding
and twisting round the exposed roots.

While he watched, the repulsive head, with its sinister, beady eyes and
busily darting tongue, came out, rising slowly as it came. The wide
mouth opened, and Kiddie could see the two protruding poison fangs
outside the ordinary teeth. He stepped backward as the snake's neck
and body began to curve in readiness to strike.

"Seems he don't intend us ter get that honeycomb, Rube," he said calmly.

"Do keep back, Kiddie!" pleaded Rube. "Them fangs 'ld go clean through
your moccasins or your buckskins. What you gonner do--shoot him?"

"Ain't got my gun," Kiddie answered. "It's in my belt alongside my