the others in a breath.

"Over yonder! I am going to give him a shot!"

In great excitement Whopper stood upright on the smooth rocks, raised
his shotgun and pulled the trigger. But the deer was not hit, and
a moment later disappeared from view.

The report of the shotgun was followed by a yell from Whopper. The
weapon, had kicked back and sent him sprawling. Now he was rolling
over and over on the smooth rocks, directly toward the dangerous
cliff below him.

CHAPTER XXI

ADRIFT IN THE WOODS

"Stop Whopper, or he'll go over the cliff!"

It was the doctor's son who uttered the words. He was high up on
the rocks and could do nothing to save his chum.

Snap heard and understood, for he saw Whopper rolling rapidly
toward the cliff. If the youth went over, a sheer drop of twenty
or thirty feet awaited him---with more rocks below.

In this moment of peril, for Snap to think was to Whopper was very
dear to him, and he resolved to do all he could to save his chum,
even at the risk of his own life.

He let his gun drop and ran over the rocks to where Whopper was
rolling over and over. Then he caught him by the foot and threw
himself flat, clutching tenaciously at a single stone that arose
sharply above those around it. Snap's grip was good, and for the
moment Whopper's progress was stayed.

"Don't move!" called out Snap as soon as he could catch his breath.
"Press down on the rocks for all you are worth!"

Whopper understood and pressed down, and thus both boys lay quiet
for several seconds. Whopper was but three feet from the edge of
the cliff and Snap was just above him. The doctor's son was to the
right, in a spot that was a comparatively safe one.

"The---the gun kicked!" gasped Whopper when he could speak.

"Yes, I know," answered Snap. "But be careful, or you'll go over
the cliff yet!"

Whopper screwed his head around and gazed in the direction of the
yawning gulf below him, and his face changed color.

"Gosh! We'll have to get out of this," he murmured.

"Crawl toward Shep; but take it slowly and be careful," directed
Snap. "Shall I help you?"

"No, I can do it alone," was the answer.

Both boys crawled like snails over the smooth rocks until they
gained the spot where the doctor's son rested. Whopper drew a
long breath of relief.

"I'm glad I didn't take that tumble," he whispered hoarsely. He
could hardly speak, and his limbs trembled slightly.

"It was a good thing Sn