aused and examined the country ahead very
carefully. At last, when they had reached an altitude where the trees
were much smaller and more scattering, Uncle Dick stopped and took his
field-glasses from the case. He lay for some time, resting the glasses
on a big rock, sweeping all the country ahead of him with the glasses.
At last they saw him stop and gaze steadily at one spot for quite a
while.

"See anything?" asked Jesse, eagerly.

Uncle Dick did not reply at once, but after a time handed Jesse the
glasses. "Look over there," said he, "about half a mile, right at the
foot of that rock wall. You'll see something that looks like a flock
of snowballs, rather large ones."

Jesse tried the glasses for a time, and at last caught the spot
pointed out to him. "I see," said he, in a whisper. "Goats! Lots of
them." They showed so plainly in the glasses, in fact, that he spoke
carefully, as though he feared to frighten them.

"Oh, look at them!" said he, after a while. "The young ones are
playing like little sheep, jumping and butting around and having a
regular frolic."

"Any big ones?" asked Rob, quickly.

"I should say so; five or six, all sizes. And they look white as big
pillows. There's one that looks as though he had on white pants, and
his long white beard makes him look like an old man. He's looking
right down the mountain. You can see them plain against that black
rock."

"Just like a goat," said Uncle Dick. "They never try to hide
themselves. And even when there's snow on the mountains they'll leave
it and go lie on a black rock where everybody can see them. Well, come
on, and we'll see what sort of a stalk we can make on them."

They went on much more cautiously now, under Dick's guidance, keeping
under cover in the low trees and working to one side and upward in the
general direction of their game. It was hard work, and all the boys
were panting when at last their leader called a halt.

"We'll wait here," said he, in a low tone of voice. He now unslung the
rifle from his back and handed it to John. "You and Rob go on now,"
said he. "Don't shoot until Rob is done with his picture-making. And
when you do shoot, don't kill an old billy, for we couldn't keep the
head. Kill one of the young goats--I think there are two or three
yearlings there. I wouldn't shoot either of those two pairs of kids.
They're too little even for Moise, I think."

"Where are you going, Uncle Dick?" asked Rob.

"Jesse and I are