your life!" he
explained, as if in apology to the boys. "I was sure of at least two
of 'em; and that lunkhead of a dog must needs dash in and scare 'em
up. It's too pesky blamed bad!"

The boys were greatly mortified at the disaster that they had brought
upon Younkins and Major by bringing the dog out with them. But when
Charlie, as the eldest, explained that they had no idea that Major
would work mischief, Younkins said, "Never mind, boys, for you did not
know what was going on-like."

Younkins, ashamed, apparently, of his burst of temper, stooped down,
and discovering that Major's wounds were not very serious, extracted
the shot, plucked a few leaves of some plant that he seemed to know
all about, and pressed the juice into the wounds made by the shot. The
boys looked on with silent admiration. This man knew everything, they
thought. They had often marvelled to see how easily and unerringly he
found his way through woods, streams, and over prairies; now he showed
them another gift. He was a "natural-born doctor," as his wife proudly
said of him.

"No turkey for supper to-night," said Younkins, as he picked up his
shot-gun and returned with the boys to the cabin. He was "right glad,"
he said, to agree to go on a buffalo hunt, if the rest of the party
would like to go. He knew there must be buffalo off to the westward.
He went with Mr. Fuller and Mr. Battles last year, about this time,
and they had great luck. He would come over that evening and set a
date with the other men for starting out together.

[Illustration: THEY WERE FEASTING THEMSELVES ON ONE OF THE DELICIOUS
WATERMELONS THAT NOW SO PLENTIFULLY DOTTED THEIR OWN CORN-FIELD.]

Elated with this ready consent of Younkins, the lads went across the
ford, eager to tell their elders the story of the wild turkeys and
poor Major's exploit. Sandy, carrying his shot-gun on his shoulder,
lingered behind while the other two boys hurried up the trail to the
log-cabin. He fancied that he heard a noise as of ducks quacking, in
the creek that emptied into the Fork just below the ford. So, making
his way softly to the densely wooded bank of the creek, he parted the
branches with great caution and looked in. What a sight it was! At
least fifty fine black ducks were swimming around, feeding and
quacking sociably together, entirely unconscious of the wide-open blue
eyes that were staring at them from behind the covert of the thicket.
Sandy thought them even more wonderful an