Bull Hunter

a thick tree beside them, or an unexpected landslide thundered past and swe

ould act like that!" r

ss

had stood. At the bottom was the white remnant of

he pulled up the stump,

is face, boys, after h

that stump u

ragged monster and lifted

rig

ped it ob

hed into the gravel where he threw it down! Why-why-I didn't know men was made like that. And his f

l dryly, "that maybe you'd like to have us

ed and a little frightened. When she left them it was with a wave of the hand and with no words of farewell. They watched her go down th

to know what to make

I," returned

ued voices as if they were

er lay a hold on one

tump and examined the s

ained wit

hrough the dirt and the bark, right

im the other night! He-he let me trip him up and throw him!" He shuddered. "Why, if he

bear. There sat Bull on the floor-he risked his weight to none of the crazy chairs-still looking at his s

follow orders. Maybe he'll get sort

m his marching orders. Dad won't h

own this house. I guess we support that b

k. "Bull, they ain't any wood for th

r Bull's weight as he rose, and aga

ame cheerily f

top logs and get at the heavier trunks underneath. He tore one of these out, laid it in place, and the s

ork like that befo

the indescribable sound of the ax's impact, slicing through the wood. A great chip snapped up high over the shoulder of the chopper and dropped solidly to the ground at th

handle of the ax and staring into the dista

ed so much," said Harry

king up after he'd bee

n completed, but after the potatoes were boiled, they delayed frying the bacon, for their father, old Bill Campbell, had not yet returned from his hunting trip and

ening. An old and practiced mountaineer, he had never been known to lose sense of direction or sense of d

ad fallen heavily above the timberline a few days before, and now the keen whistling of the wind and the swift curt

no Bill

o love on the stern old man. They knew well enough that he had plenty of money, but he kept them here to a dog's life in the shack, and they hated him for it. Besides, they had a keen griev

hen pouncing upon the cabin and shaking it as though in rage. The fire would smo

elaxed over a book the world went out like a snuffed candle for him. He read slowly, lingering over every page, for now and again his eyes drifted away from the print, and he dreamed over what he had read. In reality he

eart. Once slowly devoured in this way, it was useless to reread a book. It was far better to simply sit and let the slow memory of it

e light with a sigh and uncomplainingly settled down again. Sometimes they even snatched the book out of his hands. In that case he sat looking down at his empty

ughter as he whirled the stump over his head still rang in their ears. But they watched him with a sullen env

rising wind. It brought Bull lurching to his feet, and the stove jingled as his weight struck the yielding center boards of the floor. Out into the blackness

him to life?

rd ol' Maggie snort.

red of somethin

or Bill Campbell, but because, having got her for nothing, she reminded him of the bargain she had been. And Bull, apparently understanding the sluggish nature of the old mare by sympathy of kin

k and settled with a sl

snow?" a

ep

t in th

n declared with ridiculous solemnity that he

ed Bull, "I f

hter. They merely sneered at him as he settled back into his book. And, just as h

Bull and rose aga

ehind his bulk and sta