George was helpless with laughter at the results of his shot. When Ben had lighted the lantern and discovered the owl lying on the blankets, the guilty marksman appeared, grinning broadly.
“Well, say, young feller, you certainly stirred things up considerable for this time of the night,” said Ben, as he threw the dead owl at the disturber of his dreams.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” protested Ed.
“Thought I did,” laughed George, unloading his rifle and crawling beneath his blankets. “Will you show me how to skin the owl, Ben?” he asked, meekly.
“Sure I will,” promised the guide; and then he extinguished the lantern and ordered the boys to go to sleep.
V
A FOREST FIRE
When the boys awakened it was daylight; and, to their surprise, Ben was missing from the camp. They looked for him outside, but, not finding him, decided he had gone to skin and quarter the deer. They busied themselves with making a fire, that it might be ready for the guide to cook breakfast over when he returned.
“It looks foggy,” suggested Ed, gazing off between the trees.
“That’s not fog, it’s smoke!” George declared, sniffing the air suspiciously. “Don’t you smell it?”