"It'll be our luck not to see a thing worth shooting," declared Fred. "I
wouldn't give five cents for our chances of bringing down anything."

Fred had scarcely spoken when the horse Gif was riding shied suddenly to
one side, throwing Gif into some low bushes. Then the horse gave a snort
and leaped ahead on the trail, not stopping until he had covered a
hundred yards or more.

"Hello! what's the trouble?" exclaimed Jack, bringing his own steed to a
halt. "Are you hurt, Gif?"

"No. I'm all right. But what startled that horse?" demanded the other
lad, as he scrambled to his feet. Then he gave a sudden yell. "It's a
snake! Look out!"

All looked in the direction pointed out by Gif, and there saw a black
object wriggling away through the brushwood. As quickly as they could
Jack and Spouter, who were close by, pulled out their pistols and fired
at the snake. They saw the reptile rise up in the air, turning and
twisting, and then disappear from sight between the rocks.

"What's up? What are you shooting at?" cried Fred, galloping to the
spot.

"A snake. He scared Gif's horse and threw Gif into the bushes."

"Where is he?"

"I guess he got away, although I think we wounded him," answered Jack.

"It's funny how that horse shied," said Spouter. "Maybe he stepped right
on the snake."

"That might be," put in Fred. "Maybe the snake was sunning himself and
didn't notice our approach until the horse stepped on him. Then he
switched around, and that must have started the horse off. I wonder if we
can catch him."

"I think so," answered Spouter. "Gosh! I'm glad no one was bit. That
snake looked to be of pretty good size."

While Spouter and Jack hurried forward to capture the runaway horse, Gif
was assisted to the back of the steed Randy rode.

"I'm glad I didn't go out on my head on the rocks," remarked Gif, as the
boys went forward. "I might have broken my neck."

"Yes, you picked out just the right place to fall into," answered Andy.

"I didn't pick it out. I went where I was sent," returned the other lad
calmly. "After this I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for more snakes."

"I think we had better all do that," said Fred. "Gee! I'd forgotten all
about those pests."

When they reached the runaway horse they found him still somewhat
skittish. But he was soon calmed down, and then Gif remounted him, and
they set off along the trail as before.

"Well, we didn't exactly meet a wild animal," remarked Randy. "But we