Bluff saw his chance to get back at his chum for more than one indignity along the same line that he had suffered in the past, so he called out: 

“Here, you!  Just hold your horses!  I’m going over yonder and strike you off as you hang there.  It will do to amuse the girls when we get home.  We don’t often have a chance to bring the photographer into these pictures.  Now, here you are.  Look pleasant!  There!  That job’s done!  Now yank him up, fellows, and don’t be too easy with him.  He deserves a good digging for scaring us so.”

But Will had suffered no material harm from his little slide.

“Glad I stopped part way,” he observed, looking down, “for it’s quite some distance to the bottom, and then those rocks would have bruised me more than a little.  Yes, I agree with Bluff, there; it’s better to be born lucky than rich.”

After that they saw to it that Will did not lag behind.  He was not to be trusted any more than could be helped.

Reddy was as good as his word.  He eventually brought them within sight of several feeding elk.  They carried out his further directions to the letter, and were thus enabled to approach within easy gunshot of the unsuspicious animals.

A program had been arranged, and every one knew just what part in it he was expected to play.  Consequently, there was no confusion.  Frank, Jerry and Bluff had their chance to aim.  To each was assigned a different quarry, though after the first shot they were to fire as they pleased.

“Ready?” whispered the master of ceremonies, after Will had performed his little, necessary operation with his camera that would produce happy results.

“Yes,” said Frank.

“Ditto!” from Jerry.

“Same here,” came from Bluff.

“Then go!”

There followed a crash of firearms.  Instantly confusion broke out among the little herd of feeding elk.  One was down, another went limping off, to fall as Frank sent in a second hasty shot; while the balance fairly flew off in their fright.

“Hurrah!” shouted the hunters, as they saw that they had met with splendid success, since two of the big animals had fallen to their guns.

Bluff looked grimly disappointed.

“I hit my buck, for I saw him go down on his knees,” he asserted moodily.

“Oh, that ain’t anything.  An elk often runs off with several bad wounds.  I only hope he don’t die in the woods somewhere,” said Reddy, examining the tracks of those that had escaped.

“Will it pay us to follow them up and see if Bluff’s buck fell?” asked Frank, more to please his chum than because they needed the game.

“Nope.  The buck runs like he wasn’t even hurt much.  No ketchin’ up with them fellers after that riot call.  We’d best pay attention to what we’ve got, and return to camp,” replied the guide; and Bluff shrugged his shoulders, saying: 

“But I hit him, anyhow, I’ll tell you that, fellows.”