its feet, with a frightful yell of surprise, and scamper away. At
the same instant Jack's bow twanged, and the arrow pinned the
little pig to the ground by the ear.

"I've missed, after all," cried Jack, darting forward with uplifted
axe, while the little pig uttered a loud squeal, tore the arrow
from the ground, and ran away with it, along with the whole drove,
into the bushes and disappeared, though we heard them screaming
long afterwards in the distance.

"That's very provoking, now," said Jack, rubbing the point of his
nose.

"Very," I replied, stroking my chin.

"Well, we must make haste and rejoin Peterkin," said Jack. "It's
getting late." And, without further remark, we threaded our way
quickly through the woods towards the shore.

When we reached it, we found wood laid out, the fire lighted and
beginning to kindle up, with other signs of preparation for our
encampment, but Peterkin was nowhere to be found. We wondered very
much at this; but Jack suggested that he might have gone to fetch
water; so he gave a shout to let him know that we had arrived, and
sat down upon a rock, while I threw off my jacket and seized the
axe, intending to split up one or two billets of wood. But I had
scarce moved from the spot when, in the distance, we heard a most
appalling shriek, which was followed up by a chorus of yells from
the hogs, and a loud "hurrah!"