brushwood in the direction which Jed Wallop pointed out, and there saw a
fox standing on a high rock, gazing expectantly at the woods beyond.

CHAPTER XXVI

WHAT THE BIG BARN CONTAINED

"There's your chance," whispered Wallop to the cadets. "Quick, now; or
he may leap away before you can say Jack Robinson."

"Go ahead, Gif," said Jack quickly, for he felt that their host should
have the first chance to shoot.

There was no time to argue the matter, and, raising his gun, Gif took
hasty aim and fired. His aim was not of the best, for only a few of the
scattering shot pierced the fox's side. The animal wheeled around in
evident astonishment, and for a second did not know which way to escape.

"Fire at him! Fire at him!" called out Jed Wallop quickly. "Fire, or
he'll git away."

This time all of the others blazed away, one after another. Several of
the charges went wild, but Randy managed to catch the fox directly in
the shoulder, and he leaped high in the air, and then came down,
floundering around and kicking the loose snow in all directions.

"Hurrah! We've got him!" cried Randy.

"Mebbe you have and mebbe you haven't," answered Jed Wallop. "Better run
in and finish him."

Gif was the first to do this, and a final charge caused the fox to cease
his struggles.

"A purty good-sized animal," remarked the old hunter, when they were
inspecting it. "That skin is worth some money."

The old hunter said he would carry the dead fox for them, and again they
went forward. They spent the best part of the afternoon looking for more
foxes, but in this they were disappointed. However, deep in the woods
they came upon a covey of partridges. All banged away at a lively rate,
and had the satisfaction of killing three of the birds.

"A pretty good haul, after all," remarked Fred, with satisfaction.

"Don't you think it about time that we returned to that old Parkingham
house?" questioned Jack, after the game had been placed in their bags.

"We might as well work around that way," answered Gif. "Remember, we'll
have quite a tramp after that getting back to the Lodge."

They turned in the direction of the old house in the woods and on their
way kept their eyes open for more game. But all they sighted were two
small squirrels, and these they thought not worth shooting at.

They were just about to cross the mountain road not far from the old
house when they heard a pair of horses hitched to a long boxsled
approachi