"I got ahead of you," said Bowman.

 

"How long have you been down-stairs?"

 

"About ten minutes."

 

"Are we likely to have a good day for hunting?"

 

"Good enough," answered Bowman, indifferently. "I am not an enthusiastic sportsman. I only take to it to fill up a part of my time. It is about the only thing I can do in this dull hole."

 

"You might read. I brought two or three novels in my valise, and will lend yon one if you care for it."

 

"I don't care for reading. Stories tire me. I used to read the daily papers in New York, but can't get hold of any here New York dailies, I mean. I don't care for Canadian papers unless they contain news from New York."

 

"I have with me the _Tribune, World,_ and _Sun,_ of day before yesterday."

 

"I should like to see them," said Bowman, eagerly. "If you will bring them down, I will look over them in the woods."

 

"All right! I am glad I saved them. I had a mind to throw them away, or leave them in the car."

 

The breakfast was plain, but Fred and Bowman, who were the only guests, were not difficult to suit.

 

Ten minutes later they were on their way to the woods. They went across the fields, taking a footpath trodden in the snow, which materially shortened the distance. But even tramping this far tired Bowman, and when they reached a small rock that cropped out from the expanse of white, he declared that he must rest awhile.

 

He took a seat on the bowlder and began to read one of the papers he had brought with him.

 

Five minutes later he uttered an exclamation of surprise. Fred looked at him inquiringly.

 

"Do you find news of any of your friends?" he asked.

 

"Yes, Teddy Donovan has escaped from Sing Sing."

 

"That's the bank burglar, isn't it?"

 

"Yes, and one of the smartest men in the profession."

 

"You know him, then?"

 

"Yes," answered Bowman. "I got acquainted with him some years ago. Of course," he added, feeling some explanation necessary, "I didn't know that he was a burglar till later. Poor fellow, it is his only fault."

 

Fred was privately of opinion that it was rather a serious fault.

 

"He's a smart fellow," Bowman continued, "and he led the police a long chase before they nabbed him. I've often urged him to turn over a new leaf and lead an honest life or he'd fetch up in prison, but he only laughed, and that was all the good it did. I wish Teddy would find his way up here."

 

"Do you think he will be able to elude recapture?"

 

"Well, he's sharp enough for almost anything."

 

"I suppose there are a good many men of his kind in Canada," said Fred innocently.

 

"Yes," replied Bowman, adding in a jocular tone. "I didn't know but that might have brought you here."

 

"Oh, no!" laughed Fred. "I'm as straight and honorable as you are."

 

"Good joke!" exclaimed Bowman, slapping his thigh. "Shake!"

 

Bowman extended his hand, and Fred shook it, though it was not clear to him what the joke was or why he should shake hands with his companion because they both happened to be straight and honorable.

 

The hunt was now begun, for Fred caught sight of a jack rabbit skimming across the snow. He lifted his gun, and was fortunate enough to bring his game down. This fired Bowman with the spirit of emulation, and putting the papers back in his pocket, he started off in search of a companion trophy to that of his young friend.

 

He did not find it until the ex-train boy had knocked over two more "bunnies" and as Fred continued to keep ahead of him in the amount of game bagged, Mr. Paul Bowman soon became disgusted an............