ce
more the weapons rang out and again two of the wolves dropped. This
time the remainder of the pack grew scared and vanished into the
brushwood as if by magic.

"They have gone!" cried Giant, excitedly. "I thought that would
make 'em skip."

"Don't be so sure about that," was Whopper's reply. "They may be
watching us from behind the bushes. If they---I see one of them
now!"

"Let us give them another shot!"

Again the weapons were discharged, both boys thinking it great
sport to lay the wolves low. This time two more were hit, but
merely wounded. They ran away yelping with pain, and the balance
of the pack went after them. Looking from the tree, the boy hunters
saw them cross an open space some distance away and then plunge into
the woods of the next hillside.

"That finished them," said Whopper, drawing a sigh of relief. "They
are now thoroughly scared and I don't think they'll dare to come back."

Nevertheless, the boys remained in the tree for half an hour longer.
But the wolves were really gone, and at last they dropped to the ground.

"This ends hunting for to-day," remarked Giant. "It's too bad!"

"Well, we shot something," answered Whopper, grimly, and pointed to
the wolves.

"What shall we do with them?"

"Leave them here. But no, let us take the smallest along. The meat
will make good bait for the traps."

After that there was nothing to do but to start back for the camp,
and this they did without further delay. It was a hard walk and they
often stopped to rest. On the way they were fortunate enough to stir
up some partridge and brought down three, and also got two rabbits.

"Well, we'll not go back empty-handed, after all," said Whopper.

It was long past dark when they came in sight of the camp-fire, which
Snap and Shep were keeping burning brightly on purpose, so that it
might light their way.

"Here they come!" cried Snap, and ran forward to meet them. "What's
this? A wolf, I declare! Then you didn't find the silver deer?"

"We didn't get a chance," said Giant, and then he and Whopper told
their story.

"You can be thankful that you escaped from those wolves," said Snap.

"I thought wolves didn't attack folks excepting in the dead of
winter, when they couldn't get anything to eat," remarked Shep.

"That is usually the case," answered Snap. "But once in a while
they do as they did to-day---when there is a large pack of them."

Snap and Shep had made their traps and