?" questioned Dave.

"Eagles' nests," was the answer. "There are two of the eagles now," and
the cowboy pointed out the big birds, floating lazily around between two
distant mountain tops.

"A fellow would have difficulty in getting to those nests," was Phil's
comment.

"Eagles usually build where nobody can git at 'em," returned Todd.

"I shouldn't care to shoot an eagle," said Dave. "Somehow, I'd feel a
good deal as if I had shot at our flag."

"I think I'd feel that way, too," answered the senator's son.

"The eagle and Old Glory seem to be linked together," added Phil. "But I
wouldn't mind catching a young eagle and taming him."

"You'd have your hands full doing it," said Sid Todd. "I know a cowboy
who once caught an eagle, but the bird scratched him terribly and nearly
took off one of his ears."

On they went again, until, an hour later, they gained the top of the
mountain. Here they found a stiff breeze blowing, and it was much cooler
than below.

"I see some game!" cried Dave, and pointed to a slope on the other side
of the mountain. Two deer were in view.

Scarcely had Dave spoken when a shot rang out and one of the deer jumped
as if hit. The other ran off and disappeared in the bushes. Then, slowly
and painfully, the second deer limped away. A second shot rent the air,
but the wounded animal was not touched, and a second later it followed
its mate to cover.

CHAPTER XXIX

TWO ELK AND A BEAR

"I guess that hunter, whoever he is, will lose that deer," was Dave's
comment.

"He won't if he knows how to follow the game up," answered Sid Todd.
"That deer was badly wounded, and game can't run far over these rough
rocks."

"Wonder who it was?" mused Phil.

"Can't tell that--so many folks come out here to hunt," answered the
cowboy. "It might be some ranchman or cowboy, and it might be some city
sportsman trying his luck."

"We may fall in with him later," said Dave. "If we do, I hope he proves
a nice sort."

"Folks out here usually hunt on their own hook," said Todd.

The cowboy had in mind to pass to the north of the mountain top, and
this they did, soon leaving behind the locality where the two deer had
been seen. They saw nothing of the party who had fired the two shots.

"I hope he doesn't take us for game and shoot this way," said Roger,
who had heard of just such accidents more than once.

"Well, we don't want to mistake him for game either," said Dave.
"Whenever you shoot, b