“I suppose I might as well own up, Bluff.  I’m the guilty wretch, all right.  The temptation came to me, and I did the job without thinking what it would mean to you.  Honestly I’ve felt sore about it more than once since, and had just about made up my mind to confess, when by some accident, it seems, you found it.  But you don’t know it all.  I hid the gun and then, when I went to see if it was safe, it was gone.  I didn’t know what to make of that, but fancied somebody else in camp had taken it.  Then I commenced a search, and I found the gun down near that hole.  I rather think some of the Lasher crowd came and took the gun, but I am not sure.  After I found the gun I brought it to camp and put it in the box again.  I take back some of the hard things I’ve been saying about that weapon.  She can shoot, all right, and in the hands of an expert might, as I said, clean out all the game going.”

“Frank told me to take another look around, just before you fellows left camp.  I didn’t have the heart to until a little while back, and was delighted to find the gun under those pieces of canvas in the box.  It wasn’t wet a bit in that hot old storm we had, either,” continued Bluff again, as be contemplated his quarry, and then puffed out with honest pride.

“Say, was it you shooting a little while back?” asked Will, just then; “because we heard a lot of shots somewhere around.”

“Why, yes, I got Uncle Toby to stand behind a tree, and throw up the wash basin half a dozen times while I banged away.”

“Yes,” said Frank, picking up the article in question, “and to judge from the holes you put through it we’ll have to do without a basin during the remainder of our stay in camp.  But how do you suppose this bear wandered into camp?”

“Reckons dat he jest smells de cawn, Marse Frank, w’en I opens up de can, an’ by gorry, dat b’ar he can’t resist de temptations to hab some.  I seen him comin’ foh me, an’ I jest lets out a yell an’ runs up dis yer safety ladder,” remarked Toby, as he patted the article in question affectionately.

“We heard the yells, all right, and came running.  Look here, Bluff, old man, you got your bear in spite of my playing that mean trick on you; are you going to call it quits, and be friends?” asked Jerry, holding out his hand.

“I—­er—­I don’t know,” stammered Bluff.

“I am just as sorry as I can be, Bluff, really I am, and I’d give the world if I hadn’t played that trick.  At first I was going to own up, but when you went off after the Lasher crowd it—­well, I didn’t see how I could do it.  But after I got it back I hoped every hour that you would look into the box and discover the gun.  Oh, say you’ll forgive me!” added Jerry, pleadingly.

“Well, I feel a bit raw about it yet, but this is no time to show resentment, with such a glorious trophy at my feet.  Yes, we’ll call it quits, Jerry, only after this you might forget to sneer at a gun that happens to be different from yours.”