At St. Mary's 



Hardeman saw the movement, and said, in 

 a weary tone, " No use ; you couldn't hit 

 him." 



" But you could/' I rejoined politely. 



As we sat there in silence, ever wonder- 

 ing how we could have missed those sheep, 

 and now and then casting our eyes along 

 the rock, where it seemed one or two must 

 be lying, a marmot came out of his hole 

 near by. Running down the slope a dis- 

 tance, he sat up and whistled at us in an 

 impudent manner; 



" How far ? " said Hardeman, cocking 

 his piece. 



" Fully a hundred yards." 



He fired; and the little animal, minus 

 his head, rolled down the shale. 



" And we missed a sheep at half that dis- 

 tance," mused Hardeman. 



Our return to camp was an unhappy 

 one. The gentlemen left there the day 

 before, having had excellent luck in their 

 piscatorial chase, were in good humor on 

 our arrival, and greeted us with many ex- 

 pectant salutations, which, it seemed to me, 

 were unnecessary, and would have been 

 appropriate and funny in Life's "Useless 

 Questions." But we were in an humble 

 frame of mind, and did not resent their in- 

 terrogations. 



294 



