meal. We'll need it too, for
it's quite a way down to camp, several miles, that's sure."

They finished their breakfast while the sun was still low over the
eastern mountains, and presently began to think about the homeward
march.

"They'll be wondering about us down there," said Rob, "and I'm mighty
glad we've made our hunt and can get home so soon."

"We might not be able to do it again in a dozen hunts," said Alex.
"Game isn't as abundant as it once was."

"I should say not," said John. "When you read in the stories about
Mackenzie and Fraser, and all those old fellows, they'll tell about
seeing all kinds of game from the boat just as they went along."

"We'll do the same when we get out of the mountains," Alex replied;
"but not buffalo and caribou any more. Bear and moose we'll be very
apt to see.

"We'll double-portage these loads for one trip, at least," he resumed.
"I'll make the first trip with one head on top of my pack, and if you
can manage the other one for a little way I'll come back for the rest
of the meat, and we'll go about half-way down toward the boats on our
first trip. As you probably can't travel as fast as I can, I'm going
ahead, but I'll blaze the trees as I go. Then I'll drop my load and
come back to meet you. When you come to my first load you must stop
there until I catch up with you again. As I'll be below you all the
time, at first, there'll be no danger about your getting off the
trail."

"No danger anyhow," said Rob. "We've often followed a trail that way."

Indeed, the young hunters proved themselves quite good woodsmen enough
to follow Alex down the mountain face into the thicket of the plateau.
He went almost at a trot, loaded as he was, and as the boys found the
big ram's head a heavy load for them to carry between them on the
stick, they met him as he was coming back up the mountains, when they
themselves were not a great deal more than half-way down to the place
where he had dropped his pack.

"It's all plain," said Alex, "for I followed our old trail down the
hill, and put a branch across two or three places so that you'll know
when you're near the pack."

They found no difficulty in obeying his instructions, and so tired
were they that it seemed but a short time before presently Alex joined
them for a second time, carrying the remainder of the meat on his
tump-strap.

"Now," said he, "we're a great deal more than half-way down to the
boats. We won't come back for th