The Uninvited Guest 



against a tree, then goin' away and shootin'. It didn't 

 scare me none, and youse is just wastin' your time. 

 Where's your old moose, anyway ? There ain't none 

 nearer than Central Park Zoo, I bet. Where is he ? 

 Tell me ! Where is he ?" 



This was all delivered in a tone of opprobrium that 

 was positively scathing. While I took Joe aside for a 

 quiet talk, neither Jim nor Emery enlightened Tug as to 

 the day's happenings. It was unnecessary to tell Joe 

 we had succeeded in killing a moose, as the two quick 

 shots of Emery's rifle gave him an adequate account of 

 our hunt. If he had heard eight or ten shots, he might 

 have asked whether or notwe had succeeded in getting our 

 game. When I told Joe about the big tracks and asked 

 him why he and Tug hadn't seen the bull, he elucidated: 



" It was this way. I took Mr. Williams over to that 

 big pine right on the trail and got him all fixed behind 

 some bushes. Then I handed him the smooth-bore 

 and explained to him that he must shoot low, and, as 

 the bull would probably be trottin' straight toward him, 

 he mustn't shoot until he was close. He fidgeted around 

 quite awhile and cocked both barrels of the gun. I told 

 him not to do that till the moose showed up. Being 

 scared he would fire the gun if he tried to let the hammers 

 down, I took the gun away from him and put the hammers 

 at half-cock, explainin' how it should be done. He 

 grabbed the gun out of my hands and told me it didn't 

 take him all day to learn how to shoot. So I just 

 naturally took the gun away from him again and took 

 the cartridges out of it, and explained some more how 

 to cock it. I let the hammers down to half-cock and 

 showed him how to load it. He called me an old farmer 

 and a hick. Knowing he was a friend o' yourn, I didn't 

 smash him across the mouth, but kept cool and handed 

 him back the gun. He tried snapping the hammers a 



II I 



