"We'll not go much further on hossback, I'm thinking," answered Todd. "We can't afford to injure our animals."
Between the hills was a small valley and here the cowboy said they had better tether their steeds and leave them.
"Even if we don't get back, they'll likely be safe till morning," he added.
"If we have to remain away all night, we had better take some eating with us," said Phil.
"We sure will," answered Todd, and he gave each of the party something to carry on his back and in his gamebag.
"Now for a climb that is a climb!" cried Dave. "Roger, this puts me in mind of some climbing I did in Norway."
"Were you in Norway?" questioned Sid Todd, curiously.
"Oh, yes, I once went there to find my father," answered Dave.
Before them was a steep incline, covered with stones and a stunted growth of cedars. Up this they went with care, for some of the stones were loose and afforded only an uncertain footing. Once Phil slipped and commenced to roll. He bumped against Dave, and both went flat.
"Grab a tree!" sang out Roger. But there was no need to offer this advance, for Dave had already done so. He saved himself and Phil from rolling further. But a frying-pan the shipowner's son carried broke loose from the pack on his back and went clattering down the rocks to the very foot of the hill.
"For the love of flapjacks, stop that noise!" cried Sid Todd, in a low voice. "Time you get to the top of the hill them deer will be ten miles away!"
"I--I couldn't help it," answered Phil, as he arose and gazed sorrowfully after the frying-pan. "Shall I go back after it?" he asked.
"Where is it?"
"I see it--sticking in the fork of a cedar tree," answered Roger, and pointed out the pan.
"Let it alone--we can get it when we come back," said the cowboy. "Now don't make any more noise, or you won't get no chanct at them deer, mark my words!"
All of the boys understood the importance of keeping quiet, and as they neared the top of the hill where the deer had been discovered, they moved with great caution and spoke only in whispers.
"The wind is blowing toward us, and that's in our favor," said Sid Todd.
"I know it," answered Dave. "Deer can scent a fellow a long way off if the wind is towards them."
The cowboy now took the lead and told the lads not to make a sound that was unnecessary. Thus they covered another hundred yards. Here was a ridge of rocks and beyond the top of the hill.
"They are gone!" murmured Roger, as his eyes discovered that the top of the hill was abandoned.
"I'll crawl forward and take a look," said Todd. "Keep quiet now, or we won't git nuthin'."
The cowboy disappeared over the top of the hill, crawling forward on his hands and knees. He was gone fully ten minutes--a time that to the boys, just then, seemed like an age. They looked to their weapons, to see that the firearms were ready for use.
Presently Dave, who was on the watch, saw Todd arise in a clump of bushes on the other side of the hilltop. He was beckoning for the boys to advance. One hand he held over his mouth, to enjoin silence.
With their hearts beating more rapidly than usual, the three young hunters wormed their way over the top of the hill and joined the cowboy. In silence Todd pointed to a distance below them. There, on a sort of cliff on the hillside, were the deer, ten in number, grazing peacefully.
"Oh, what a shot!" whispered Dave, and his eyes brightened as he swung his gun into position.
"Wait!" said Todd, in a whisper. "I'll take the one on the right. You take the one on the left."
"I'll take the one close to the tree," whispered the senator's son.
"And I'll take the one by the big rock," added Phil.
"All right," agreed the cowboy. "Now, remember, if some are only wounded, shoot at 'em again, any one of you. And be quick, for they'll streak it like greased lightning as soon as the guns go off."
All took aim with care, resting their gun-barrels on the bushes before them. Then the cowboy gave the order to fire.
As if by instinct the deer looked up just as the order to fire was given. They were fairly close to hand and afforded good targets for the hunters. The firearms rang out almost simultaneously, and two of the deer leaped into the air, to fall back dead. The others started to run, some jumping from the top of the cliff to the rocks far below. Again the weapons were discharged, and this time a third deer fell. The fourth was badly wounded and toppled down in a split of the cliff.
"Hurrah! we've got 'em! We've got 'em!" cried Phil, and commenced to leap about in pure joy.
"We've got 'em--to get!" answered Sid Todd. "But you did well--all of you!" he added, admiringly.
"How are we to get down to the cliff?" questioned Roger, anxiously.
"The deer got down--we had better follow their trail," answered Dave.
They made an examination, and presently found a run leading to one end of the cliff. The walking was dangerous and they had to be careful, for fear of going further than intended. But inside of a quarter of an hour all were standing where the deer had stood. They found three of the game dead and quickly put the fourth out of its misery.
"This is worth coming for," declared Dave, with pride.
"It is indeed--even if we don't get anything else," added Phil.
"But we are going to get more," cried Roger, the fever of the hunter taking possession of him. "Just wait till we strike an elk, or a bear!"
"No more hunting this day," sang out Todd. "Time we take care of these animals and make a camp it will be dark."
CHAPTER XXVII
THE MOUNTAIN LION
"What are we to do with so much venison?" questioned the senator's son. "We can't eat it, and it seems a shame to allow it to go to waste."
"I wish we could send some to the ranch," said Dave. "I'd like the girls to know how lucky we have been the first day out."
"If you wanted to stay here and camp for a day, I could take some of the game to the ranch," said Sid Todd.
"But it is such a ride," argued Phil. "We don't want to impose on good nature."
"I won't mind the ride. But can you boys take care of yourselves while I am gone?"
"To be sure we can," answered Dave.
"Then I'll take three of the deer with me and come back as soon as I can. One deer will be all you will need," answered Sid Todd.
To get the deer from the cliff they had to use a long lariat the cowboy had brought with him. By this means the game was hoisted to the hilltop. Then they "toted" their loads down to where they had left their horses.
"I'll take two of the hosses, if you don't mind," said the cowboy, and it was agreed that he should take Dave's animal along with his own. He decided to start for the ranch that night, stating he would camp at the spot where they had had dinner.
The boys found a locality that pleased them, and there erected the tent and started a campfire. The frying-pan had been recovered from where it had landed and restored to the outfit. Before leaving them, Todd showed the boys how to skin the deer and cut up the meat.
For a little while after they were left alone the chums felt somewhat lonely.