THE MYSTERY OE THE BLUE GOOSE 231 



when Pete was asleep, for the suspicious Few men enjoy being- laughed at, 

 scent would awaken him as quickly as even if they are doing- camp chores in 

 a suspicious noise would awaken an nothing but a tattered shirt, and it was 

 ordinarily alert man. I have heard old with some impatience that I demanded 

 scouts tell of the wonderful power of to know what caused this unaccountable 

 smell possessed by one Deaf Smith who mirth. "Oh, nothing, Le-Loo ; don't 

 fought in the Texas wars and whose get mad" ; and then he laughed again, 

 nose always warned him of danger long but came to a sudden stop and looked 

 before the sight or hearing of his com- grave once more, with no more ap- 

 panions gave them any intimation of the parent reason than he had for looking 

 close proximity of the enemy. But this so mirthful a moment previous, 

 was a case where a man, being stone "Say, Le-Loo, do you believe in 

 deaf, he had developed one of his other witches? No? Well, thar be a heap o' 

 senses to supply the deficiency of hear- things on the airth that be thar jist 

 ing, and only remarkable because he the same whether you believe in them 

 had developed the sense of smell in or not," he remarked as he again took 

 place of that of sight, which last is usual up his sewing and began to work as 

 in cases of deafness. Big Pete, how- rapidly as before, every now and then 

 ever, could hear like a Jack-rabbit, and stealing a glance at me and chuckling 

 his sense of touch was just as acute as to himself, only to resume a solemn 

 that of a blind man, while his olfactories gravity of countenance the next mo- 

 were as well developed as the legendary ment. 

 Deaf Smith. I knew from Pete's manner that 



It was while I was going around some creature had approached our 



camp minus my lower garments that I camp and, of course, I knew that it 



saw Pete suddenly throw up his head could not be a witch, but for the life 



and snifT the air suspiciously, at the of me I could not understand why the 



same time sharply scan the windward approach of a harmless wild animal 



side of our camp. Living so long with should cause Big Pete to laugh at me. 



this strange man made me familiar with Suddenly I felt the blood rush to my 



his actions and quick to detect anything face and mount my temples, and I knew 



unusual, and I now knew that some- that I was blushing like a schoolgirl, 



thing of interest had happened. To the I became absurdly embarrassed and 



windward and close by us was a mound hastily dove into my tent there to re- 



thickly covered with bullberry bushes main until my companion could give 



and underbrush, but so far as could be me back my tattered old knickerbock- 



seen there was nothing suspicious in ers. As soon as my legs were covered 



the appearance of the thicket. Fixing with the ragged breeches I walked leis- 



my eyes on Big Pete I saw a most urely out of the leeward side of the 



peculiar expression spread over his face, camp, made a circuit and came on 



which seemed to be half of wonderment Pete's trail, which I followed until it 



and half of suppressed mirth. cut a strange trail on the windward 



Slowly and quietly he laid aside my side at the bullberry thicket overlook- 

 unfinished breeches and silently stole ing our camp. What sort of an animal 

 away, then I knew that the something had been there I was too much of a 

 unusual, whatever it was, was not novice in the backwoodsmans' art to 

 dangerous, for the big fellow left his determine, and so spent but little time 

 gun behind him. It was only a few in a superficial examination of the trail, 

 minutes before he returned with a very If Pete could keep his own counsel, so 

 solemn face, but upon catching sight of could Le-Loo ; moving on carelessly 

 me his face changed, his eyes twinkled and whistling as I went, I sauntered 

 and at last he laughed as he had not back to camp. 



done since the day after our encounter When I put on my new elkhide knick- 



with the grizzly. erbockers with cuffs of dressed buckskin 



