, and the
mountain climbing of such a stupendous character, that they might have
to put in the better part of several days reaching the feeding grounds
of the animals, and getting the coveted chance for a shot or two.

When noon came it found them climbing steadily. They were entirely out
of sight of the valley where the camp lay, so that they could have no
knowledge of what was happening in that quarter. But so set were the
boys on what had taken them forth, that for the time being they felt
perfectly satisfied to quite forget other matters.

"Talk about your wild country," remarked Step Hen, when they all came
to a little stop to eat a "snack," and rest, so as to be ready for a
further climb; "this sure takes the cake for me. Why, that poor little
Blue Ridge country ain't in it. You could put it all in a pocket,
here, and it wouldn't be missed."

"Well," remarked Smithy, who was bearing up under the strain in a
manner that would have pleased the scoutmaster, could he have been
along to notice it; "you want to be exceedingly careful how you say
that before our hot-blooded Southern chum, Bob White, unless you're
ready to get into a war of words."

"Oh! excuse me," chuckled Step Hen, "I wouldn't be guilty of hurting
Bob's pride even a little bit. I know he thinks that Land of the Sky
country better than most other places. Well, it takes a lot of
different people to make a world, don't it, fellers?"

"That's right, it does," remarked Davy Jones, who had managed to snap
off several pictures as they came along; but was trying to save most
of his exposures for things that would count, live subjects, in fact.

"How much further do we have to climb, Toby?" asked Smithy, trying to
appear rather indifferent about it, though the others just knew he
must feel the strain more than any of them; because Smithy had never
been much of an athlete, and up to date had yet to play in his first
baseball game, strange to say.

"Wall, that depends on a good many things," the guide responded. "Fust
place, we don't know as yet jest whar the sheep might be feedin'. I'm
headin' for a place whar I seen 'em more'n a few times, when I was
prospectin' through this kentry."

"Oh! so _you_ had a touch of the lost mine fever, too, did you?"
quickly remarked Smithy; for up to the present time Toby had never so
much as admitted this fact; but now he grinned and went on:

"Why, yes, I've taken my look, and had jest the same luck as all the
rest