254 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



showed that Bull Adam, even in straits, would not 

 show weakness in the presence of others. 



''Oh, Bull, not— not— " 



The man fought for breath, but when he spoke, 

 there was no quaver in his tones, 



'T reckon so." 



Shan cast a bewildered glance around the room 

 and caught the gaze of a grizzled fisherman stand- 

 ing near the head of the rough bunk. 



''He's in a bad way," said the fisherman, in an- 

 swer to the boy's unspoken question. "There's 

 a bullet through his lung. ' ' 



"He's been murdered!" the boy cried. 



The word rang shrilly through the little cabin. 



No one had used the word and the men present 

 looked at each other uncomfortably. It was the 

 fisherman who answered. 



"As to that," he said, "there ain't no sayin'. 

 I found him, lyin' in his boat, driftin' down the 

 river. He was all shot up. It ain't no accident 

 o' his makin'," the fisherman halted, as though 

 he did not like to continue, " 'cause — he was shot 

 in the back. The bullet's still in the wound, so we 

 reckon it must have been a long shot." 



"Where was Ned Thompson?" demanded the 

 boy, hotly. 



