"Deer," said Tom with a knowing look at the rest of us boys.
"You don't say so!" exclaimed Addison. "Really deer! How snug did you get to a deer?"
"Snug enough to put our hands on him!" said Willis, with a chuckle.
"What, have you killed a deer?" asked Addison, incredulously.
"Really and truly we have!" said Tom, with a ring of exultation in his voice. "'Twasn't a very big one, though," he added.
"No," said Willis, "it was only a yearling deer. We came upon him behind a tree root. He only ran a few steps and then turned round to snuff at us. Tom let him have a load of heavy shot and knocked him stiff as a mitten."
"We shot two hedgehogs, too, up there at the balm o' Gilead hill," said Tom.
"Did you skin that deer?" Addison inquired, laughing.
"Yes; and we've got ten or twelve pounds of the meat, wrapped up in the skin."
"But where is the skin?" I asked.