"So say we all of us," remarked Giraffe. "We'd like to see what Thad could do. He hasn't never had a chance at a moose. You go with Sebattis, Thad. The rest of us'll sit by the fire here, and wait for things to happen."
"No fire," remarked Sebattis. "Eli put um out. You come 'long with me, Tad!"
Somehow the Indian could never get the hang of Thad's name, and called him Tad; but it was rather a curiosity to hear him talk at all, so nobody ever objected, least of all the patrol leader.
"This is mighty fine of you boys," whispered Thad, as he watched Eli and Jim proceeding to scatter the fire, and trample on the embers; in which task the other members of the party only too willingly assisted.
In a minute, almost, they were in darkness under the pines. Meanwhile Sebattis had baited the moose with another of his wonderful calls, thrilling the lads just as much as on the first occasion.
"Ugh! make me shiver," muttered Bumpus. "Seems like there just must be a great big critter, with horns ten feet high, ready to rush the camp. Hey! don't get away from me, Jim; I want to squat alongside in the dark. After all that light it seems rough to be left in the gloom."
"Mustn't talk no more, or sneeze, or cough! Skeer moose right bad," whispered the younger guide, as he threw an arm across the fat shoulders of Bumpus, for whom he seemed to have taken an especial fancy.
And so the balance of the campers crouched there, with every nerve on edge, listening eagerly for the slightest sound, which of course was magnified a dozen fold, owing to the tension under which they were laboring.
Meanwhile Thad had followed after the Indian guide.
His very first act, before the light of the fire was extinguished, had been to hastily examine the small-bore repeating rifle which belonged to Step Hen, and which the owner was so anxious to have Thad christen with the first shot, at game worth while.
It seemed to be in splendid working order, and Thad believed he could depend on it to do the work, providing he aimed straight. There is a vast amount of result depending on the man behind the gun, whether in war, or in hunting.
At first it seemed pitch dark to the boy, as he kept close at the heels of the Penobscot Indian. That was partly because his eyes had been blinded from sitting there, looking into the heart of the blazing camp-fire so long. Now that this did not happen to be the case any longer, he found that he could gradually see better; until presently the dim form of Sebattis began to make itself noticeable just in front.