"That's the first thought that struck me when I steadied my brain pan. Thinks I, he b'longed to some man, an' I looked at his waist for signs of the chain, but there were no sign. I noticed he looked empty, an', remembering how he'd saved me by leading the tiger off another way, I got out a mealie cob. He snatched it quick, raised his eyebrows at me, then begun to eat as ef he'd been hungry for a week. There we sot--he one side, eating, me t'other, smoking. All o' a sudden he quit eating: then he stood up on his hind legs an' looked outer the winder. `Wot's up now?' sezs I to myself. There he stood looking outer that window; then he gave a jump into the rafters, crowding hisself under the slope. It gave me a sort o' creepy crawl to see him do that, an' I took down the ole gun. Bymby I yeard a sniff under the crack of the door as if a dog were taking a smell. Then there were a space o' stillness that was terrible trying. I stood there looking at the door, 'xpecting to see it fly open, when I chanced to give a glance at the winder, and my blood froze." "What did you see?" "What did I see? A pair o' green eyes fixed on me. Then the gleam o' white teeth an' a sort o' dim outline o' a big round head. I let out a yell, an' fired. If you look you'll see where the winder's smashed." "The tiger had tracked the baboon?" "Very like 'twas jes' that." "And then?" "Then I jes' jumped inter the pantry an shut myself in till daybreak." "Yes, Uncle Abe; and what happened then?" "I jes' opened the door gently, an' looked out." "Well?" "Well! The door were open. I yeerd the cracking o' the fire an' the humming o' the kettle." "Someone had called?" "Perhaps so; perhaps not. 'Tany rate the fire were lit. And when I looked out the front door there were the old man baboon plucking the feathers from the grey hen." "Humph!" "Yes. An' when he done plucking he popped the old fowl inter the pot." "Ha! I suppose the tiger was lying dead?" "Who--the tiger? Not he. The darned critter pulled the plug outer the water barrel, then turned the barrel over an' let all the water out. Arter that he pulled the roof offun my shed." "I don't see the baboon around." "He ain't around. Arter breakfast he went. When I come to think o' it, he took the road to your place, an' it's my b'lief, sonny, he's on the spoor o' the same tiger." "And you won't come over, then?" "I'm waitin' for that ole man baboon to come back. If he comes back an' finds me gone I reckon he'd be disappointed. I tell yer I'd be mighty keerful how you treat that tiger." "Everything happened as you have related, Uncle Abe?" "That's so, sonny." "How did the baboon light the fire?" "He jes' used the bellers, I 'xpect, used the beller, an' puffed the embers. Tell me how yer get on. Sorry I can't go; but I dasn't. So long!" CHAPTER FOUR. ABE PIKE AND THE WHIP.