that's right. Toby, raise your head and
point up as if you saw a bird in that tree. That's good, all right; it's
over. Thank you!"

Will kept his position for a little while, and every few minutes seemed
to find a chance to snap off another view. He evidently believed in
getting a variety of the main subject of their outing--the home camp.

"I move we try and find old Jesse Wilcox this morning," suggested Frank.

"That suits me, if we don't have to go too far," agreed Jerry.

"How's the shin, by the way, this morning? Haven't noticed you
limp much?"

"Feels pretty fair. Next time I chase out of camp I'm going to make sure
to clear that old box, all right. How about the rest--do you say go?"
asked Jerry.

"Count me in," called Will.

"Yes, you will want to get some views of the old trapper and his cabin,
with the door covered with muskrat skins," remarked Frank.

"Coming along, Bluff?" asked Jerry, watching the other covertly.

"I guess not to-day. I'm going to hunt around again to see if I could
have unconsciously grabbed up that gun as I bolted, and then dropped it
in the brush. Such a thing might happen, you know, fellows," returned
the other.

So he remained behind when the other three sallied forth, Frank and
Jerry carrying their guns over their shoulders, while Will brought up the
rear bearing his camera ready for use and on the lookout for subjects.

"If you see any game please give me a chance to snap a view before you
shoot," he pleaded; at which the others laughed.

"Perhaps, but we can't promise. If a partridge got up suddenly it would
be a case of shoot first, and think afterwards," said Frank.

"But if it should be a deer standing feeding?"

"Or a black bear on his hind legs begging?" jeered Jerry.

"All right. I'm going to be ready for all that comes along. Still life,
if I have to, or anything else."

Will's last words were drowned in the report of Jerry's gun. He had swung
it around like a flash, and without apparently glancing along the
barrels, fired one charge at something that was flashing through the
undergrowth.

There came a second shot, so close upon the heels of the first that the
reports were almost blended in one.

Jerry turned and looked reproachfully at Frank.

"Talk about your sporting blood, you sure wiped my eye that
time," he said.

"The bird was a little too close for your shot to scatter; I had a better
chance as it flew away farther. You'd have dropped him with