Frank in the Woods

ht in t

st, the trapper took down his l

mp out for a week, an' see if I can't find some otter. If you want good sport,

l, and began to talk of packing their s

must larn to tote all your plunder on your backs. Just fill your possible-sacks[1] with coffee and bread; ta

Have

eted, and, after bidding Uncle Joe good-b

e had several of his fox-traps, which he could not think of leaving behind; and Harry brought up the rear, carrying a lar

day before in pursuit of the Indians, for about ten miles, and then struck off into t

awhile, youngsters,

t they were no match for Dick in traveling. Archie and George leaned their guns up agains

e a good cup of coffee for us agin we come back, an' the rest of us will take a tramp through the wo

legs could carry him, keeping a sharp look-out on all sides, for he did not know but that it might be a bear which the dog had started. He remembered his meeting with the wild-cat, but felt no fear now, for he had his trusty gun in his hand, heavily loaded with buck-shot, and knew, from experience, that, at short range, it was a very efficient weapon. His first care was to find the trail which the game had made, and, upon examination, he found that Brave had started, not a bear, but several moose. He knew their tracks in a moment, for he had often seen them in the woods; but he could not tell how many of them there were, for their trails crossed each other in every direction. He had never had the fortune to meet one of these an

is trail could be easily traced by the blood which was running from numerous wounds on his legs, made by the sharp crust. He ran heavily, and Frank, who was exerting himself to his utmost, had the satisfaction of finding that he was gaining on him. Brave easily kept pace with him and finally succeeded in bringing the moose at bay again. This was what Frank wanted. Just as the deer was ab

tand the perilous situation in which his master was placed, and fought more furiously than ever. But the moose, although severely wounded by the teeth of the dog, did not appear to notice him in the least, but struggled desperately to free himself from the young hunter's grasp. Frank was dragged about through the snow, and pressed down into it, until his clothing was almost reduced to tatters; and he was severely wounded by the sharp crust and the hoofs of the enraged deer, which cut through his ga

ake 'em!" And the next instant a dark object bounded lightly over him, and commenced a furious battle with the moose. Benumbed and exhausted, Frank could hold out no longer. As the mo

e. Dick sat in one corner of the hut, smoking his pipe, and gazing vacantly into the fire. Brave lay stretched out by his master's side, with his head resting on his shoulder, gazi

hose pale face showed that he had more than

you've got me bundled up so tight I can hardly breathe. I

h one hand, and, with the other, held to his lips a cup containing some of the most bitter stuff he had ever drank. The young hunter made wry faces over it, but succeeded in draining the cup. "Now," resumed Dick, "lay down agin an' go to sleep.

when he awoke it was dark, and his companions

said Dick, "how

nk; "and hungry as blazes. Won't y

he brought Frank some pieces

emoved the blankets with which his patient was enveloped. "The remedies you use are

ut that doesn't come of bein' wrapped up in the blankets. You

, allowing him, however, the free use of his arms; and the young hunter soon discovered that he was not quite

with that moose, didn't I?" he inquire

nswered Harry, as he laid down his plate, and took from a peg

e sole of one of his boots had been pulled off by the sharp hoofs of the deer.

?" said Frank, as he gazed in asto

being in your boots just then. How you ever made out to

ck, "tacklin' that animal in that

moose, didn't we

at a large piece of meat; "and we a

or he was still very weak from the loss of blood. The others, after putting away the

asked the trapper, as he drew a br

s I shall

r you to take some m

re of it," answered Frank. "It's

d, after a few moments' pause, "of doctorin' up my chum, Bill Lawson, an' that war the way me an' him come to get acquainted. But he war used

t bit of Injun country in the world; but they didn't bother me, an' I tuk mighty good care not to meddle with their corn an' beans, an' for a long time I had jest the best kind

arly in the spring, jest as the ice begun to break up, an' hadn't seed nothin' of the Injuns. But one mornin', while I war on my way to 'tend to my traps, I seed the prints of some moccasins, where three or four fellers had crossed the creek. I knowed in a minit, from the looks of them, that they wasn't white fellers' tracks; so I begun to prick up my ears an' look around me a little. I examined the trail agin, an' I knowed there could be no mistake. The Comanches had been along there, sure. I begun beatin' keerfully ar

n the way I generally did, I went round so as to come up on the other side. Purty soon I begun to come near the place where the trap was sot; so I dropped down on all-fours, an' commenced to crawl through the thick brush. I knowed I should have to be mighty keerful, for an Injun has got ears like a painter, an' he allers keeps 'em

d beside me, an' then, arter examinin' my rifle to see that it war all right, I drawed a bead on the biggest Injun, an' fired. He rolled over, dead as a door nail, an' th

und like a log. He had two legs to use, an' I had only one; there war where he had the advantage of me. But I had the use of my hands; an' I jest made up my mind that if he wanted my scalp he would have to work for it; so, quick as lightnin', I grabbed the hand that held the knife, an' give it a squeeze that actooally made the bones crack, an' the rascal give one yell, an' let go the weapon. Then, with the other hand, I ketched him by the scalp-lock, an' done my best to turn him, knowin' that if I could onct get on top of him, I would be all right; but I couldn't

ax no questions, but made a dash at the Comanche, who got off me in a tarnal hurry, an' callin' out some name that showed that he knowed who the white feller war, he begun to make tracks; but he hadn't gone t

follerin' up the Comanches. Wal, I tuk the old man back to his camp, an', arter two months' doctorin', I got him all right agin. When he got well, he wouldn't let me leave him, nor I didn't want to,

," answered Frank, "on

her," said the trapper, as he approached the young hunter. "Me an'

e blankets again, he knocked the ashes