A VISITOR. 



445 



An' den de court she swear my han' 

 An' guess I mak' good guardian. 

 I teach him fish lak anyting; 

 An' how to set de trap in spring, 



An' how to hunt, an' how to row, 

 An' how to mak' de pon' boat go; 

 An' now two duck come all alone 

 My Joe bang once — she fall lak stone. 



JOl^o^u^'u 



CAMP FIRE TALES. 



VII. 

 A VISITOR. 



J. LOEFRIC. 



" Do you know," said D'Auber, " I 

 think, seriously, we ought to kill the Idiot. 

 If we don't, he will kill us." 



Old Pop grinned. " Ye kaint burn him, 

 he's too green." 



" No, I wasn't thinking of burning; that 

 would be too mild a torture." 



" Suit yourselves, gentlemen. Anyway 

 you please. I'm always ready to sacrifice 

 myself for my friends," interposed the 

 Idiot, trying to assume a martyr-like air. 



" I propose we hold court and try the 

 criminal. Make Old Pop judge, I'll be 

 prosecuting attorney, and the rest of you 

 witnesses." Ten Gage's proposition met 



with instant favor, and preparations were 

 made at once to carry it into effect. 



Our camp that night was on the banks 

 of the famous Forest lake, then an almost 

 unknown spot, but since become famous 

 for its black bass fishing. Right at the 

 edge of the woods, a sandy little beach in 

 front, the tent looked out on the quiet lake 

 — quiet save for the splash, now and then, 

 of a fish leaping in the air, and falling back 

 on the placid surface. 



The hunters had turned anglers, laying 

 aside the gun for the rod. The lake, or 

 rather the 2 lakes, lay on the line of the St. 

 P. & D. Ry., our camp being within a few 



