laughed the Professor. "It wag less than two months ago, if I
remember correctly, that the doctors thought you were not going to
live, you were so delicate."

"Almost as delicate as Chunky now," chuckled Ned maliciously.

The midday meal was more successful than had been their
breakfast. They ate it under the trees, deciding to dine in the
parlor tent just at dusk.

The afternoon was spent in shooting, at which the boys were becoming
quite proficient. By this time, even Stacy Brown could be trusted to
manage his own rifle without endangering the lives of his
companions.

"Is there any game in these hills?" asked Ned, while he was
refilling the magazine of his repeating rifle.

"Plenty of it, I am told," replied the Professor. "There is big game
all over the state."

"What kind?"

"Bears, mountain lions and the like."

"W-h-e-w. That sounds interesting. May we go gunning to-morrow?"

"Better wait until the guide joins us. It will be best to have some
one with us who understands the habits of the animals. As you have
learned, hunting big game is not boys' play," concluded the