Part 12 (1/2)

”It looks as if horses had been here,” said Rob, ”yesterday, late”

”Yes,” said Uncle dick, s, ”but not horses, I should say”

”Maybe not,” said Rob, doubtfully ”But I thought inal prospectors--the ones hite coats and long whiskers and sharp horns,” said Uncle dick

”But it looks like a regular trail!”

”It is a regular trail, but if you will look closer you'll see the hoof marks Horses do not have split toes, ular stairway of the goat fah they've been down in here to get sorass or water They've evidently been using this path quite a while”

”How high do you suppose they are now?” inquired John

”Who can tell? A mile or two, or three, or five, for all I know It will take us two or three hours to get up to the rioats don't stop o up a hill The sign is fresh, however, ; I think with you, Rob, that it was yesterday”

”Howover the broad trail

”Hard to tell, for they've used this trail more than once A dozen or more, I should say Well, all we can do is to follow after theood path”

They clierly now, and when they reached more open country where the sun shone fairly on the as were these hunters fro They knew that the way to get up a , and never resting very long at a time Thus they advanced for three-quarters of an hour, until they could see still farther out over the country below thea, and the trail itself divided and grew fainter

Uncle dick pointed out all these things quietly and suggested that they would better be on the lookout They advanced now e of an open reach or topped some shoulder of the slope they paused and examined the country ahead very carefully At last, when they had reached an altitude where the trees were , Uncle dick stopped and took his field-glasses frolasses on a big rock, sweeping all the country ahead of hiaze steadily at one spot for quite a while

”See anything?” asked Jesse, eagerly

Uncle dick did not reply at once, but after a tilasses ”Look over there,” said he, ”about half a ht at the foot of that rock wall You'll see so that looks like a flock of soballs, rather large ones”

Jesse tried the glasses for a tiht the spot pointed out to him ”I see,” said he, in a whisper ”Goats! Lots of thelasses, in fact, that he spoke carefully, as though he feared to frighten them

”Oh, look at the like little sheep, juular frolic”

”Any big ones?” asked Rob, quickly

”I should say so; five or six, all sizes And they look white as big pillows There's one that looks as though he had on white pants, and his long white beard ht down the ainst that black rock”

”Just like a goat,” said Uncle dick ”They never try to hide themselves And even when there's snow on the o lie on a black rock where everybody can see them Well, come on, and we'll see what sort of a stalk we can make on them”

They went onunder cover in the low trees and working to one side and upward in the general direction of their ga when at last their leader called a halt

”We'll wait here,” said he, in a low tone of voice He now unslung the rifle froo on now,”

said he ”Don't shoot until Rob is done with his picture- And when you do shoot, don't kill an old billy, for we couldn't keep the head Kill one of the young goats--I think there are two or three yearlings there I wouldn't shoot either of those two pairs of kids

They're too little even for Moise, I think”