Jim

hours, he had heard from Woolly Billy's eager lips the story of the hole in the tree beneath the fish-hawk's nest. He heard also of the episode at Zeb Smith'

ldn't. And Black Dan was awful nice, an' made him stop botherin' me, an' said I was

from him, so, of course, he wanted to git his eyes on to that hole quick. But

hands arrived at the door, word of Blacksto

kson, glancing somewhat sheepishly at Woolly Billy. A friendly gri

where 'twas, but wild steers wouldn't

or four more o' the boys that's lost money come along, with Woolly Billy an' me, an' the rest o' you meet us at the store in about a couple o' ho

y Stevens, the blue-eyed giant from the Oromocto (who had been one of the chief victims), and MacDonald, and Black Saunders,

bin one o' the victims

etective work on me own, an' mebbe I'd 'ave got in ahead o' ye if Woolly Billy here hadn't a' been so smart. But I tell ye,

is tea, and rising to his feet. "But Woolly Billy an' me and

our of skunk. Now skunks were too common in the region of Brine's Rip Mills for that smell, as a rule, to excite any more comment than an

here's always been a smell of skunk round when anybody

assented the

takin' our money," said big Andy, "ef

were some rare perfume-all but Jim. He had had an encounter with a skunk, once

came swooping down from somewhere high in the blu

oesn't like visitors,"

oolly Billy, if you was a

gerly to a slightly broken piece of bark a l

ng his hands in his excitement as if

e, he carefully loosened the bark without letting his hand come in contact with

you tech it,"

s hand into the ho

over his face, and he w

there!"

g," protested Woolly Billy, hi

ackstock, glancing slowly around

n blabbin'," exclaimed Black D

with a guilty air. "We never said n

a secret in any case, and his weakness for a certain pretty widow who kept the post-off

o him, his eyes bright with expectation. The Deputy picked him

him down and directed him to the piece of bark. That, too, Jim

" ordered

nce of Woolly Billy. But there was Woolly Billy, at Tug Blackstock's side. Certainly, there could be no reason for him to seek Woolly Billy. Then there was an elusive, tangled scent, which for some moments defied him. At last, however, he got a clue to it. With a pleased bark-his way of saying "Eu

iliarly; then noticing the sudden tense silence

me fer, boys?" he demanded,

ponded Black

ke fer once, Tug," drawled Long Ja

from the Oromocto. But Jim's curious action had scattered to the winds, at least for a moment, a sort of hypothesis which he had been building

ntentiously. "Come here, Jim. Seek 'im, boy

nd thither, all about the tree. Big Andy, at a complete loss for words, stood

tree he stopped, and looked at Blackstock interrogatively. Receiving no sign whatever from his master, whose face had lit up for an instant, but was now as impassive as a hit

xclaimed eagerly, "what Sis knit fer me. I've been

him. "You shall have it bime-by, Andy," said he, "ef it's yourn. But jest no

upted Andy resentfully. "An'

tock. "Drop it, Jim. G

o the other side of the tree to get out of the downpour of the noon sun. As they

he demanded. "There's lots of mag

tock turne

t no one to tech tha

"I forgot. 'S'pose it might kind o' confuse Jim's sc

e Deputy coolly, "an'

and confidently but unreasonably expecting him to reappear with the other mitten. Or, at least, t

n this skunk smell. We'll jest look into it a bit. You all keep back a ways-an' you

foot of the tree exactly beneath the hole. Jim sniffed hard at the

nk," agreed the Deputy. "But I wan

h the bushes, down towards the lake, with his master close behi

down to the lake's edge

d o' water-baby," r

?" queried Woolly Bi

he's took to the water? Now, yer common, no-ac

s. It was an old game, but a good one, this breaking a trail by going into the water. He had no way of deciding whether hi

o his shoulder. Once in the outlet, the foreshore narrowed to a tiny strip of bare rock between the water and an almost perpendicular bank covered with shrubs and vines. Al

is tail went up. He sniffed eagerly across the ribb

t of the party, much excited, closed up to within four or

re's a skunk hole in that there bank. Ye'll be gitti

he curtain of vines, paid no attention,

a skunk lives don't smell any. Yer reel skunk's quite a gentleman and keeps his h

ck Dan amiably, pulling out his pipe and fil

skunk. He picked up one on the point of a stick and examined it minutely. In spite of all the soaking, the sole, to his initiated eye, still bore traces of that viscous, oily liquid which no water will wash off-t

g to you, Andy S

ch might, by courtesy, have been numbered a thirteen. It was a point upon w

, an' find out what leetle foot it

promptly, then held it up on the point of his stick at arm's length. It had been

" he protested. "I'll hev to git Si

ng beside the moccasins at his feet,

time, boys," said Blackstock.

could not refrain from a reproachful glance at W

?" demanded Black Dan. "Hev ye got any

ply to make sure his quarry had not gone that way, and led the procession once more down along the rocky shore of the stream. "Seek him," he said

mile they rounded a bend and came in sight of a violent rapid which cut close inshore. At this point it would be obviously impossible

broke from Bl

d, by the skunk's hole," he announced. And grumbli

ter ended, at the foot of the rapid, Jim gave his signal with voice and tail.

e he's found ther

his time," announced MacDonald. "Hai

uty, sharply but no

e ground, set off at a gallop down the

ty turne

remptorily. "Come ba

hed up the bank, running like a d

!" cried Blackstock, and started after the fugitive. T

ff Jim quick. Dan's

to the bush, stopped short. At the same instant a shot rang out from

own heavy "Colt's," and the party tore on, till they met Jim dragg

the big black dog, heaved a

picioned him this two month, only I couldn't git no clue-I'll git him, never you fear. Jest now, ye'd better help me carry Jim home, so's we kin git him doctored up in good sh

e want o' my mitts?

y Stevens," growled MacDona