Davy, who was plainly very much in earnest.

"Huh! easy to laugh, you fellows," he remark, with deep satire in his
voice. "Mebbe, now, you, don't believe what I'm telling you! Mebbe one
of you'd like to just climb up there, and see for yourself what it is?
I dare you, Bumpus!"

"You'll have to excuse me, Davy; it's too big a job for a boy built like
me, you understand, though sure I'd like to accommodate first rate,"
replied the scout with the red hair and mild blue eyes, shrinking back,
and shrugging his shoulders.

"Then how about you, Step Hen," pursued Davy, determined to put it to
each of the scoffers in turn until he had shown them up in good style;
"I notice that you're looking like you didn't reckon there couldn't
abeen such a thing as a genuine panther around this region in the last
twenty years and more. Suppose you tumble up there, and take a look-
in!"

But the party indicated smiled sweetly, and laid his hand on the region
of his stomach, as he went on to say:

"Why, really and truly, Davy, I think I'm going to have one of those
nasty cramps just like you used to have so often. There's agripe coming
on right now, and you see how unpleasant it would be to find myself
doubled-up while I was thirty feet from the ground. I'm afraid I'll
have to pass this time."

"Then, there's Giraffe who'll he sure to volunteer," continued the
other, bound to take all the scoffers in by turns. "He's of an