Don was not afraid of a man, and if he had known that Godfrey was hidden in the cane a few feet in advance of him, he would have walked straight up to him, and accused him of stealing his boat; but he had no desire to face a wild animal alone and unaided, and he was in no condition to do it, either.

We say alone and unaided, because Bert would have been of no assistance to him.

Bert was a famous shot with his double-barrel, and no boy in the settlement could show more game, after a day spent among the waterfowl, than he could; but he was too timid and excitable to be of any use to one placed in a situation of danger.

Even the sight of a deer dashing through the woods, or the whirr of a flock of quails as they unexpectedly arose from the bushes at his feet, would set him to shaking so violently that he could not shoot.
"What do you suppose it was, Don ?" asked Bert, and Godfrey did not fail to notice that his voice trembled when he spoke.

"Was it a wild cat or a panther ?" "O, no," replied Don.