"Oh, we left the skin, with the meat wrapped up in it, back here a few steps by a rock," replied Thomas. "I thought," he added with a knowing glance at us boys, "that I wouldn't bring such a thing as a green hide right up here where you had your luncheon spread out."
"Thomas," said Kate, looking sharply at him, "you are telling some kind of crooked story."
"Willis," said Thomas carelessly, "go get that deer hide."
Willis hesitated an instant, then went off through the bushes and in a few moments returned with a gory skin, rolled up, with the hair side carefully turned in.
"Want to examine it, Kate?" said he, holding it towards her.
"No, no," said Catherine and Theodora both in a breath. "Do take the dreadful thing away! But there's something wrong about your story all the same, Tom," Kate added with a searching look at him. "I can tell when you are fibbing just as well as need be; and I shall find out what you boys are looking so funny at each other for, yet."
"You are a very knowing girl, Kate," said Tom. "But let's have some luncheon and change the subject."
"Not till you go down to the spring and wash your hands," said Catherine, "after handling that dreadful thing."
Peace having been restored by the washing of hands, luncheon was eaten.
"Yes," said Willis, "and we saw two minks and a fish-cat, as we went up the stream; but they all three got out of sight before Tom could draw a bead on them."