the enraged
animal.

The hunters at length approached the great gap in the cliff, through
which they had first entered the valley, but the chase was carried past
this point and continued on as before.

Once more the loud barking of the dog announced that the deer had come
to a stand; and once more the hunters hurried forward.

This time they saw the stag standing in a pool of water up to the
flanks. The ground gave Caspar an opportunity to approach within a few
yards without being observed by the game, and a discharge from the
double-barrel put an end to the chase.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

AN ALARMING DISCOVERY.

You will naturally suppose that this successful termination of the chase
gave great satisfaction to the hunters. It might have done so under
other circumstances, but just then their minds became occupied by
thoughts of a far different nature.

As they came up to the spot where the stag had fallen, and were
preparing to drag it from the pool, their eyes rested upon an object
which caused them to turn toward one another with looks of strange
significance. This object was no other than the hot spring--the place
where the chase had begun. Within less than a hundred yards of the spot
where the stag had received his first wound was he now lying dead! The
pool in fact was in the little rivulet that ran from the spring to the
lake.

I have said that the hunters on observing this exchanged significant
glances. One fact was evident to all of them--that they had got back to
the spot whence they started. A very little reasoning taught them
another fact--that in the pursuit of the stag they must have made the
full circuit of the valley. They had not turned back anywhere--they had
not crossed the valley--they had not even been in sight of the lake
during the whole chase. On the contrary, Karl with Ossaroo had kept
continually along the bottom of the cliffs, sometimes in the timber, and
at intervals passing across stretches of open ground.

What was there remarkable about all this? It only proved that the
valley was small, and of roundish form; and that in about an hour's time
any one might make the circuit of it. What was there in this discovery
that should cause the hunters to stand gazing upon one another with
troubled looks? Was it surprise at the stag having returned to die
where he had received his wound? Certainly there was something a little
singular about that, but so trifling a circumstan