p, pointing to the opening in question.

"If he did there may be more of them there," answered Whopper.
"How can we find out?"

"Might go up, ring the doorbell, and ask," suggested Snap, with
a grin.

"Excuse me, I don't want to walk into any wildcat's hotel," was
Whopper's answer. "I heard of a fellow who did that once, and when
he came out he was still on the inside."

"Still on the inside?" repeated Jed Sanborn.

"Yes---inside the wildcats," and this answer made the old hunter
roar loudly.

"Let us throw rocks into the opening," suggested Giant, and began
to do as he had suggested. They heard a growl, but no wildcats
showed themselves.

"I'll throw a firebrand in," said Jed Sanborn, and cut a dry cedar
bough. "Stand ready to shoot, if anything shows itself."

With interest the boys watched the old hunter prepare his firebrand
and light it. Then he swung it into a lively blaze, let fly, and
sent it whirling into the hollow among the rocks.

Hardly had the firebrand disappeared when there came a savage growl
and some whines, and from the hollow leaped a female wildcat with a
little one in her teeth. After the two came another little one.

As soon as the big wildcat appeared the boys blazed away, and the
mother and her offspring were shot dead. Then Whopper raised his
shotgun to kill the other little one, but suddenly lowered the weapon.

"I can't kill such a baby," he murmured.

"I am sorry we killed the other little one," added Snap, soberly.

"That little wildcat will soon be a big one, so there is no use
of letting it get away," said Jed Sanborn, and he discharged a
shot that immediately finished the last of that wildcat family.
The boys gazed at the small wildcats with interest but did not
want to pick them up and carry them away. Somehow, the killing
of the little creatures appeared to put a damper on the whole
day's outing.

When the party got back to the camp they had the turkeys, several
rabbits and also a number of squirrels to their credit. They
retired early that evening and slept soundly. In the morning
they thought they would arise early but found Jed Sanborn up ahead
of them.

"Your folks will enjoy them turkeys, I know," said the old hunter,
as he prepared to depart, after eating a substantial breakfast.
"They'll be proud to know you shot 'em."

"Well, we are proud of having done so," answered Shep. "Here are
the letters," and he handed over various written communications.