ing something through the dead leaves as it did
so.

"It's a wolf! I'm sure of it!" declared Jack, and, raising his rifle, he
took quick aim and fired.

As the echo of the firearm died away the lads heard a snarl and a yelp,
and an instant later a gaunt wolf showed himself, his fangs gleaming
dangerously as he came closer.

Several shots rang out, for all of the boys had their weapons ready. The
wolf was hit in three places, and gave a single leap into the air and
then dropped lifeless.

"Hurrah! We've got him!" yelled Randy, with satisfaction.

"Be careful! Don't go too close before we're sure," warned Jack. "Better
reload first."

But the wolf was past doing further harm, and having assured themselves
of this the boys looked at what he had been carrying away.

"It's the side of a calf!" exclaimed Spouter. "Isn't this the limit? I'm
glad we brought him down!"

"He must have been raiding some cow yard," said Jack.

"No ranch cow yard," said Gif. "This half of a calf was skinned by some
person. I'll bet he stole it out of some ranch larder." And later on it
was learned that the calf meat had been stolen from Jarley Bangs' place
the night before.

The boys had become so interested in bringing down the wolf that they had
paid no attention to what was taking place overhead. But now they noticed
that the sky was more overcast than ever. The wind began to blow through
the woods, and of a sudden there came a downpour as surprising as it was
dismaying.

CHAPTER XXVIII

IN THE CAVE

"We're in for it now!" cried Jack, as he looked up at the sky and at the
trees beginning to bend in the wind.

"And it's going to be some storm, or I miss my guess," added Gif.

"I wonder if we can find any shelter around here?" put in Randy. "If we
can't we'll be soaked to the skin in no time."

"Jackson was telling me of a couple of caves toward the end of these
woods," said Spouter quickly. "I wonder if we could reach the nearest of
them? It might help us to get out of the rain."

"Come on--let's try it!" put in Fred eagerly.

Leaving the dead wolf where it had fallen, the boys pushed forward on the
trail, which now led downward on the other side of the hill. Here they
noticed the going was getting rougher, and presently they found
themselves entering a defile among the rocks. Here the trees were more
scattering and consequently they were exposed to the full fury of the
elements. Ever and anon a flash of lightning w