288 WITH GUN AND GUIDE 



" shoot " him with her peculiar but efficient weapon of 

 defense in return. The look upon the doctor's face was 

 the most comical that I ever had seen. 



The doubt he was in was clearly shown in his counte- 

 nance, and yet there was an expression of fear upon it ; 

 fear that she might see him and then, without let or 

 leave, " shoot " him. 



When we climbed the bank and came to the door, 

 we, too, became possessed of a strange and strained 

 look. A council was held. What was best to be done ; 

 risk a shot ? Kibbee said no, declaring if the shot was 

 not successful his cabin would become untenantable for 

 at least five years. Besides, all of our clothes would 

 be ruined in the " mix-up," and, as we didn't have many 

 with us, this decided us there and then. 



Kibbee went to his boat and fetched up the canoe 

 pole, which was eleven feet long. He climbed to the 

 top of the cabin and, reaching down from above, he 

 pried open the trap, and Mrs. Mephitis when released 

 made a lightning bound down the bank to the river- 

 side, Kibbee, our crack shot, sending a bullet after her 

 as she sped away, but scoring a clean miss. 



The next day she returned to look after her kits, 

 which we, for some reason or other, believed to number 

 eight, although we never saw one of them. It is true 

 we did not see them, but didn't we hear them and 

 smell them every blessed hour ? 



Then Dr. Hughes and Kibbee took a day off, and the 



