investigating turn of mind, and if he wants to, I reckon he might take
that gun along, so he could have some show, if the thing jumped right
out in his face!"

"Well, now," the long-legged scout answered, with a whimsical grin, "I'd
like to accommodate you the worst kind, Davy, but you know how it is
with me. I ain't worth a cooky before I've had my feed. Feel sorter
weak about the knees, to tell you the honest truth; and I never was as
keen about climbing to the top of tall trees as you were, Davy. Count
me out, please, that's a good fellow."

At that Davy laughed outright.

"I see you've got cold feet in the, bargain, Giraffe," he asserted.
"Well, then, if anybody's going to climb up there and poke that ugly old
beast out of his den it'll have to be either our scout-master, or Allen;
for I tell you right now you don't catch me monkeying with a buzz-saw
after I've had my fingers zipped."

"I'll go," said Thad, quietly.

"Here, take this, Thad," urged Step Hen, trying to force the shotgun
into the hands of the other, as he stepped toward the base of the big
tree.

Thad and Allan again exchanged looks.

"Don't think I'll need it, do you, Allan?" the former asked.

"Hardly," came the reply; "and even if you did carry it up, the chances