216 LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY 



the woods, as if to go around our camp. As I pur- 

 sued them they ran squawking with outstretched 

 stubby wings, scattering right and left, and seeking 

 a hiding-place under the logs and de'bris. I captured 

 one and carried it into camp. It was just what Joe 

 wanted ; it would make a valuable decoy. So he 

 kept it in a box, fed it upon oats, and took it out of 

 the woods Avith him. 



We found the camp we had appropriated was a 

 favorite stopping-place of the carmen who hauled in 

 supplies for the gang of two hundred road-builders. 

 One rainy day near nightfall no less than eight carts 

 drew up at the old stable, and the rain-soaked driv- 

 ers, after picketing and feeding their horses, came 

 down to our fire. We were away, and Joe met us 

 on our return with the unwelcome news. We kept 

 open house so far as the fire was concerned ; but our 

 roof was a narrow one at the best, and one or two 

 leaky spots made it still narrower. 



"We shall probably sleep out-of-doors to-night," 

 said my companion, "unless we are a match for this 

 posse of rough teamsters." 



But the men proved to be much more peaceably 

 disposed than the same class at home; they apolo- 

 gized for intruding, pleading the inclemency of the 

 weather, and were quite willing, with our permission, 

 to take up with pot-luck about the fire and leave us 

 the shanty. They dried their clothes upon poles 

 and logs, and had their fun and their bantering amid 

 it all. An Irishman among them did about the 

 only growling; he invited himself into our quarters, 



