milk, and
rice; and Kiddie was confident in the prospect of being able soon to
add meat to his larder.

On that same evening of their arrival in Lone Wolf Canyon, he went out
with his gun and climbed the mountain side in search of game. But he
returned to camp without having fired a shot, and with only a capful of
thimbleberries as spoil.

"Didn't you see anything?" Rube questioned.

"Oh, yes," said Kiddie, "I saw plenty--a big-horn antelope that was too
far away for a shot, a herd of black-tail deer, still farther away, a
family of rattlesnakes, a skunk, and a racoon. And you'll be
interested to know that there's a pair of white-tail eagles nestin' on
one of the crags up the canyon. I got a good view of them from the
opposite side."

"I'm goin' ter have a look at those eagles," decided Rube. "I'll go
to-morrow evenin' the same time as when you were there, an' when
they're likely to be at home."

On the following evening his expedition was interfered with by the fact
that earlier in the day Kiddie had stalked and killed a black-tail deer
and needed Rube's help in carrying the carcass into camp and cutting it
up for venison.

But Rube was not to be denied a sight of the eagles, even if he could
not hope to capture an eaglet and take it home with him as a pet.

"I see you're preparin' yourself for a climb up those crags, eh?" said
Kiddie on the next afternoon. He spoke without encouragement.

"Yep," Rube nodded. "Any objections t' offer?"

"Not exactly objections," returned Kiddie. "I was only thinkin'."

"A habit you have--thinkin'. What was you thinkin', Kiddie?"

In response, Kiddie looked around at the mountains and the sky.

"Wind's changed," he said. "Looks like rain, don't it? Might keep off
till after sunset time, though."

"Guess I'll chance it, anyway," resolved Rube.

Kiddie had told him exactly where the eagles' eyrie was situated and
how he might most easily and safely approach it, first by ascending the
gradual slope of the mountain and then working his way round on the
face of the precipice, and then again ascending by a craggy cleft that
would bring him close to the nesting-place. And Kiddie's directions
and advice were always too practical to be ignored. Rube followed them
exactly.

It would have been well for him if before starting he had also paid
more serious heed to Kiddie's suggestion regarding the weather. But
Kiddie had not insisted. Like Rube himself, he had not f