n instant later
the crunching of hoofs and the threshing of bushes rose near by. Now the
herd burst into sight, and it was an unexpected surprise to the boys to
see eight fat deer leaping onward through the narrow pass.

Bang! went Hamp's rifle, and the leader of the herd, a huge buck,
dropped dead in his tracks.

Brick also singled out a buck, but excitement unsteadied his hand, and
he merely wounded the animal in the hind flank. As the rest of the herd
scurried by, the lads fired several shots apiece, but without visible
effect.

Then they sprang out from cover, well content with what they had
accomplished.

The wounded buck had toppled over, but at sight of his enemies he
staggered to his feet, and made a rush on three legs for Hamp, snorting
savagely. The lad had just time to dodge behind the rock. Indeed, his
escape from the antlers was very close.

The buck then turned and went for Brick, who skillfully and coolly
ended its career with a charge of heavy shot.

"Hurrah! two dead," cried Hamp, as he left his place of shelter. "What a
streak of luck!"

"Isn't it glorious?" answered Brick. "Jerry will hardly believe his eyes
when he gets here. Say, look there," he added, in a loud and excited
voice.

Hamp looked and uttered a yell of delight. Then both lads rushed toward
the mouth of the valley, taking great strides over the snow.

What they saw was a fat doe struggling across the center of the swamp.
At every step her hoofs broke through the crust, and she was making
but feeble progress. The rest of the herd had wisely swung aside into
the forest, and were long since out of sight.

Their snowshoes carried the lads swiftly forward, and they were quickly
within close range of the animal. Two shots were fired, and the deer
rolled over lifeless.

"We've bagged three!" exclaimed Hamp. "Just think of it!"

"It's a great haul," repied Brick; "but we're in pretty much the same
fix as the man who had an elephant on his hands. How are we going to
carry all this game?"

"Yes--how?" echoed Hamp.

The problem was left unsolved, for just then a hearty cheer rang on the
air. The boys hurried back to the mouth of the valley, reaching there
just as Jerry emerged from the bushes. His eyes opened wide with
amazement when he saw the dead bucks. Then he spied the body of the doe,
and simply gasped with open mouth.

"You--you fellows," he stammered. "Why, I can hardly believe it. I
thought you might knock over one bet