“We didn’t bring much of the meat back, it was too long a haul,” said Bill after he had partially satisfied his hunger.

“We have plenty,” returned his father.  “In fact, we have so much that we won’t fire at any more deer.”

“Then what can we hunt?” protested Horace.

“Bear,” returned his father.

“Oh, goody! and mountain lions!  Say, you deer slayers, you may have knocked over some bucks, but it took me to stop a mountain lion.”

“So you were the one who got him, eh?” asked Bill.  “He must have been asleep.  You can’t hit a deer, and yet you got a mountain lion, which is smaller.”

“He wasn’t asleep, and I made a dandy long shot.  Tom said so,” declared his brother hotly.

“You certainly did well, son,” interposed his father.

“Then we’ve all bagged something, if you can call my getting the deer Bill wounded a hit,” said Larry.  “This is sure Jim dandy hunting.  Back home you can tramp all day without even seeing a woodchuck.”

Heartily the others laughed at this statement of the difference in hunting grounds, and for an hour or so they talked and joked.

“Are we going to camp here for the night?” inquired Horace at last of his father.

“No.  I reckon we’ll go farther into the mountains.  We’ll have a better chance for bear there.  This is a little too near the plains.”

Well rested, the boys were eager to be on the move and gladly they made ready to advance.

In and out among the hills the trail wound, and sundown found them entering a basin similar to that where they had captured their deer.  On two sides walls of rocks towered and dense forests formed the others.

Lonesome, indeed, was the spot, and this effect was heightened by the rapidly descending darkness.

“Commander, I think we’ll hobble the horses right here,” said Mr. Wilder, dismounting in the center of the vale.  “It would also be a good idea to have our camp fire close beside them.  Then, if any prowler smells the deer meat or the horses, it can’t reach either without our knowing it.  And, because we must keep a fire all night, we shall need a lot of wood.”

Recalled to the fact that he was in charge of the camp, Tom said: 

“You fellows come with me and get the wood.  I guess Mr. Wilder will attend to the horses, and we four can gather enough before it gets real dark.”

Quickly the boys dismounted and ran to get dry limbs and branches, making a monster pile.

“I reckon that’s enough, commander,” said the ranchman at last, “and, besides, supper is ready or will be when the coffee is poured.”

“Coffee!  Where did you get the water to boil it?” queried Larry.

“From the canteens.  I filled them this morning.”

“And here I’ve been wondering where we could look for water.  I was surprised you didn’t tell Tom to send some of us.”