a scream. "Won't old 'Bandy Leg' catch you, Joel?"

"Hoh--no, I ain't afraid!" declared Joel. "He's been dead a
hundred years, I guess. An' beside, I could knock him flat, yes,
sir-ree!" He doubled up his little brown fist, and bounced up in the
middle of the old shake-down.

"What's the matter, Joe?" called Ben, sleepily; "turn over and
go to sleep, and you'll forget again about the drink of water."

Joel flung himself flat, and burrowed along the whole length of
the bed, knocking Davie's shins all the way.

"You're pullin' all the blanket off me," said Davie, clutching
his end from Joel's frantic grasp.

"Go to sleep, boys," said Ben, sharply. "And Joe, stop grumbling
for a drink of water. Now you've waked up David."

Joel gripped Davie fast and clapped one hand over his mouth.

"Dear me, I think Ben might stay asleep a minute," he muttered
in an injured voice. "Now, don't you speak a single word and
I'll tell you all about it," after a long pause, in which they
heard nothing but a rat nibbling away in the corner.

"I'm goin' up there to-morrow, an' I'm goin' to take my gun, an'
some things to eat, an'--"

"Oh, Joel!" interrupted little David, "you can't ever in all