HONORABLE SOAKS. 167 



the calf of his leg, as if it had been pierced by a bullet. 

 " And do you see that ?" as he exhibited another deep scar 

 above his knee. " And that ?" as he showed another on his 

 arm, above the elbow. " Wai, I reckon I had a time of it 

 with the old buck that made them things on my under- 

 piniu', and on my corn-stealer, as they say out West. Fif- 

 teen years ago I was over on Tupper's Lake, shantyin' on 

 the high bank above the rocks, just at the outlet, fishin' and 

 huntin', and layin' around loose, in a promiscuous way, all 

 alone by myself, havin' nobody along but the old black 

 dog that you," appealing to Hank Wood, who nodded assent, 

 remember. " That dog," continued Cullen, " was human in 

 his day, and if anybody has another like him, and wants a 

 couple of months lumberin' in the place of him, I'm ready 

 for a trade ; he may call at my shanty. Wai, Crop and I 

 had seen about all there was to be looked at about Tup- 

 per's Lake, and havin' hearn some pretty tall stories about 

 the deer and moose up about the head of Bog River from 

 an Ingen who'd hunted that section, I mentioned to Crop 

 one mornin' that we'd take a trip into them parts. 

 ' Agreed/ said he, or leastwise he didn't say a word agin 

 it, and, by the wag of his tail, I understood him to be 

 agreeable. 



"Mud Lake, as you've discovered, aint very near now, 

 and it was a good deal farther off then. The settlements 

 hadn't been pushed so far into the woods then as now. But 

 we put out, Crop and I, for Mud Lake ; we passed the 

 eight carryin' places afore night, and reached the first chain 



