bird.

The pedlar muttered a cautious "goot!" and looked warily around him.
Nothing worth stealing was visible, at least nothing small enough to
carry away.

His prying eye, however, detected an old chest in the corner, half
covered with deer and other skins, and the key of this chest was in
the lock.

The pedlar rose cautiously, and listened.

The young man was evidently preparing the venison steaks from the
noise he made, an occupation which he accompanied with the low, Indian
humming.

The pedlar went on the points of his toes to the chest, carefully
turned the key, and opened it. With a quick hand he turned over its
contents, looking round cautiously.

After some search, he drew forth a silver spoon, and what seemed to be
a necklace of red beads, the two ends of which were brought together
by a circular gold plate. Just as the pedlar thrust these objects into
his capacious breast-pocket, the door opened, and Verty entered.

But the boy did not observe him--he quickly and cautiously closed the
chest, and began examining one of the skins on the lid.

Verty looked up from the steaks in his hand, observed the occupation
of the pedlar, and began to laugh, and talk of his hunting.