"Well after the yellow-jacket poison in your blood, and being so tired and hot, you wouldn't stand the chance you'd had when we first started," said Junior. "Do you know where it came closest to you?" "Back of my legs, I s'pose," said Mickey. "If it had hit you, it would leave two places like needles stuck in, just the width of its head apart. I can't find any-thing that looks like it, thank the Lord!" "Here too!" said Mickey. "You see if it or the quicksands had finished me, I haven't things fixed for Lily. They might '_get'_ her yet. If anything should happen to me, she would be left with no one to take care of her." "Father would," offered Junior. "Mother never would let anybody take her. I know she wouldn't." "Well I don't," said Mickey, "and here is where guessing doesn't cut any ice. I must be _sure_. To-night I'll ask him. I'd like to know how it happens that sudden death has just been rampaging after me all this trip, anyway. I seemed to get it coming or going." Junior did not hide his grin quickly enough. "Aw-w-w-ah!" grated Mickey, suddenly tense and alert. He sprang to his feet. So did Junior. "Say, look here----" cried Mickey. "All right, 'look here,'" retorted Junior. His face flamed Ted, then paled, and his hands gripped, while his jaw protruded in an ugly scowl. Then slowly and distinctly he quoted: "Course I meant to put it to you stiff; I meant to 'niciate you in the ancient and honourable third degree of the Country all right, so's you'd have enough to last a lifetime; but I only meant to put you up against what I'd had myself in the fields and woods; I was just going to test your ginger; I wasn't counting on the _quicksand_, and the _live_ snake, finding its dead mate Jud fixed for you." "So you were sneaking in the barn this morning, when we thought you were gone?" demanded Mickey. "Easy you!" cautioned Junior. "Going after the bundle I promised Jud was _not_ sneaking----" "So 'twasn't," conceded Mickey, instantly. "So 'twasn't!" He looked at Junior a second. "You heard us, then?" he demanded. "All of it?" "I don't know," answered Junior. "I heard what I just repeated, and what you said about my being game, and exactly why I came back; thank you for _that_, even if I lick you half to death in a minute--and I heard that my own mother first fixed it up with you, and then father agreed. Oh I heard enough----!" "And so you got a grouch?" commented Mickey. "Yes I did," admitted Junior. "But I got over all of it, after I'd had time to think, but that third degree business; that made me so sore I told Jud about it, and he said he'd help me pay you up; but we struck the same rock you did, in giving you a bigger dose than we meant to. Honest Mickey, Jud didn't know there was a _real_ quicksand there, and of course we didn't dream a live snake would follow and find the one the boys hunted, killed, and set for you this morning----" "Awful innocent!" scoffed Mickey. "'Member you didn't know about the ram either?"