e trembling with excitement,
and Randy was also agitated. The others were quite calm, or else they
did not allow their real feelings to show. It was decided that Jack
should give the order to fire.

"All right," said the oldest Rover boy. "Now take aim, and when I say
three, shoot."

There were several seconds of silence during which all of the young
hunters got in readiness to shoot. Then, while they were still aiming
their weapons, one of the rabbits suddenly stopped running around and
sat upright, directly facing them, with his long ears pointed skyward.

"Quick!" exclaimed Jack excitedly. "They see us! One--two--three! Fire!"

The six shotguns spoke almost as one piece, and as the reports echoed
across the clearing and through the woods, several of the rabbits were
seen to leap into the air and then fall back lifeless. Several others
were seriously wounded, and these were speedily put out of their misery
by a second shot from Gif and Spouter.

"Hurrah! Seven rabbits!" exclaimed Fred, running forward. "That's what I
call a pretty good start."

"Come on, let us go after the others! Leave these where they are," cried
Jack, and plunged into the wood where he had seen several of the rabbits
seeking refuge. He managed to bring down one of them, and Randy brought
down another. The others got away.

"Nine rabbits is by no means a bad haul," was Gif's comment, after the
boys had brought the dead game together.

"Enough for a splendid potpie, and then some," came from Spouter.

"Do you suppose we can get any more?" exclaimed Andy. He was quite
certain he had brought down one of the bunnies.

"We can try, Andy," answered Gif. "It isn't late yet, and the snow isn't
so deep but what it might be deeper."

Having divided the rabbits between them, so that each lad might carry
some of the game, they moved forward, across the little clearing, and
then through the woods for the best part of a quarter of a mile. During
that time they saw several squirrels, but were unable to get a shot at
the frisky animals.

"A squirrel is as quick as they make 'em," declared Gif. "You've got to
act like lightning to catch 'em."

By this time it was snowing so heavily that all concluded it would be a
wise move to return to Cedar Lodge. The wind was rising, shaking the
tops of the trees violently and causing a strange moaning sound through
the thickets which was anything but pleasant.

"I'd hate to be caught out here all alone and in t