IN THE DAYS OF AUDUBON 



CHAPTEK I 



A SURPRISED CLERK 



NEAR the close of a long summer day a clerk sat at his 

 desk near an open window in an inn. He had nothing to 

 do at the moment, and chanced to cast his eye toward the 

 end of an old Indian forest trail near the hostelry, when 

 he saw a strange figure emerging from the bushes. 



" Look here ! " he presently said to a solitary lounger in 

 the office. " There comes the old man of the forest him- 

 selfloaded with what? " 



" Sticks," said the lounger. 



" Well, I would say sticks no, a mountain eagle's nest 

 and a leather pouch. I wonder what he has in the pouch? 

 There are some queer men in the woods in these times, 

 but he is the oddest one I have seen yet. The old fellow 

 is making for the tavern. What could I do with him if 

 he should want a room? A party of the members of the 

 circuit court are to sleep here to-night." 



The man who had come out of the forest stopped on 

 1 1 



