THE WINTER WOODS 171 



" You made me take both shells out of the gun, and 

 told me to put them in my pocket, and — leave — them — 

 there — until — 3()u- came — back," said Nat, hesitating 

 and looking very much as if he wanted to cry, which 

 however was something he never did. 



" Please don't make me tell any more," he begged, 

 but the Doctor motioned for him to go on. 



" Then — then I waited and it seemed very long, and 

 I thought I would practise putting the shells into the 

 gun and taking them out, to amuse myself. One time, 

 when I had put them in I looked up, and beyond the 

 hemlocks, only a little bit away, I saw something come 

 out between tlie ground and some rocks. 1 couldn't 

 tell exactly what sort of an animal it was, but I guessed 

 it was a Rabbit, and I didn't want to wait until it 

 looked at me, so I grabbed tha gun and shot it off, both 

 barrels, very quick, and the gun knocked me over." 

 Here Nat stopped and drew a long breath, as if he 

 wanted to make sure he could breathe again. 



" Nez and uncle came running back and thought I 

 was hurt, and that some one had shot me, because I fell 

 over in the snow. Then they found the Fox not far 

 from his den, and he was mostly dead." 



" Why did the gun knock you over ? " asked Rap. 



" You see I was in such a hurry I couldn't tldnk, and 

 put the gun against the front of me where 1 breathe, 

 instead of against my shoulder ! " 



" Oh ! ho ! " said Mr. Blake, " I begin to see why 

 your uncle was vexed. But why didn't the Fox see or 

 smell you, I wonder ? The idea of an old timer like 

 that escaping traps for a dozen years only to fall a vic- 

 tim of a small boy's mistake." 



