hes on the other side of the hilltop. He was beckoning for the boys
to advance. One hand he held over his mouth, to enjoin silence.

With their hearts beating more rapidly than usual, the three young
hunters wormed their way over the top of the hill and joined the cowboy.
In silence Todd pointed to a distance below them. There, on a sort of
cliff on the hillside, were the deer, ten in number, grazing
peacefully.

"Oh, what a shot!" whispered Dave, and his eyes brightened as he swung
his gun into position.

"Wait!" said Todd, in a whisper. "I'll take the one on the right. You
take the one on the left."

"I'll take the one close to the tree," whispered the senator's son.

"And I'll take the one by the big rock," added Phil.

"All right," agreed the cowboy. "Now, remember, if some are only
wounded, shoot at 'em again, any one of you. And be quick, for they'll
streak it like greased lightning as soon as the guns go off."

All took aim with care, resting their gun-barrels on the bushes before
them. Then the cowboy gave the order to fire.

As if by instinct the deer looked up just as the order to fire was
given. They were fairly close to hand and afforded good targets for the
hunters. The firearms rang out almost simultaneously, and two of the
deer leaped into the air, to fall back dead. The others started to run,
some jumping from the top of the cliff to the rocks far below. Again the
weapons were discharged, and this time a third deer fell. The fourth was
badly wounded and toppled down in a split of the cliff.

"Hurrah! we've got 'em! We've got 'em!" cried Phil, and commenced to
leap about in pure joy.

"We've got 'em--to get!" answered Sid Todd. "But you did well--all of
you!" he added, admiringly.

"How are we to get down to the cliff?" questioned Roger, anxiously.

"The deer got down--we had better follow their trail," answered Dave.

They made an examination, and presently found a run leading to one end
of the cliff. The walking was dangerous and they had to be careful, for
fear of going further than intended. But inside of a quarter of an hour
all were standing where the deer had stood. They found three of the game
dead and quickly put the fourth out of its misery.

"This is worth coming for," declared Dave, with pride.

"It is indeed--even if we don't get anything else," added Phil.

"But we are going to get more," cried Roger, the fever of the hunter
taking possession of him. "Just wait till we stri