Jack the Young Explorer

ssed as to what they should do now. Immediately across the lake rose a high, castellated pile of rock, with almost vertical sides, which the boys had recognized as the mountain under whic

ay from the lake and we'll have to get high up into the mountains. It's true we may find game anywhere, but it will be lots better to have some fresh meat in the pack than to go along without it, and then perhaps h

ter than to get up on that hill again, and if Jo

" said Joe.

ses, and before long the boys were mounted and ridin

ich the boys were following was originally a game trail made by the mountain bison and the elk. It wound through the bare, rolling hills, now and then crossing some tiny stream running down from the high land, and at last plunged to the level of the inlet, where a large swift stream spread itself over a graveled bar and twisted in and out among the willows and aspens. After crossing this they reached the flat of the inlet, and presently the t

e top of a high hogback, above which the bare rocks rose sharply, they left their horses and began the ascent on foot. Here the snow still lay on the ground and made the climb harder, because it was impossible to see on just what one was stepping. It was rough and difficult, and the slope was so steep that sometimes the boys had to scramble along on all fours. At first it wa

dden by dense mist. All the morning the clouds had been hanging about the mountains, and now the boys were fairl

Jack. "Shall we sit down and w

Any animals about are sure to see you before you see them.

good to us now, but anyhow we can listen and see whether we can hear anything moving around.

ure sheep here. This is a great pla

" sai

around there in that valley where you and I killed one. In winter they live high up o

ve got to keep looking

the sky grew lighter, the fog lifted, and they could look out over the mountainside and down on the quiet dark green lakes, and as they looked the sun came out through the clouds, sparkled on the wet foliage below them, and changed the somber lakes into patches of brilliant blue. After a little the sun reached the boys, and it was wonderful to see how their spirits rose and how soon they got warm. At once they started on, gradually working up the rough slope until they had nearly reached the f

oth boys recognized it as the bleating cry of the little chief hare. Half a dozen small birds alighted close to the boys, as if seeking shelter from the wind, and with soft whistling twitter walked about o

tle help. He said, "Snow birds, I guess. Anyway, they only com

rd they saw a white-tailed ptarmigan walking about among the rocks just below them. T

e imitated him. Jack turned to Joe and made the sign for mountain sheep and pointed in the direction of the animal. Joe signed to him to go ahead, and he crept forward, and when he took another peep he saw a two-year-old ram alon

time. I have plenty of chances to kill animals.

heep was still feeding and had his tail toward Jack, but was considerably below the boy's position, so Jack aimed at the animal's back, just in front of the hips, and drawing a fine sight, fired. The

etty hard to shoot down hill th

me and that gave me a long surface to fire at. I made up my mind that I'd shoot at the kidneys, and

"that's so. He ga

back to camp, or at least as much of him as we c

not take long to skin the sheep. T

to be transported in one trip. As a matter of fact, neither of the boys was s

said Joe, "we d

"I guess that's so;

r three strings in his pocket, and then if we kill anything we can cut the meat off the bon

on; why can't we make a sack out of this sheep's hide, cut the meat off the bones and put

a good idea. It's a pretty heavy load to carry tha

don't care much about making two trips fr

ly bones they took with them were the shoulder blades, everything else being cut out and left there. This meat was carefully piled up on the shee

eople used to carry meat into camp, away far back, long b

ever heard that befor

g we've got to do is to see whether

cut it off to about twelve feet in length. Then, returning to the hide, the skin of the shanks was tied ab

their load to rest and puff for a moment or two, until they recovered their wind. After stopping two or three times, they learned to choose a place where the load could be deposited on the top of a high rock, so that it would not be necessary each time to lift it from the ground. It was slow and weary work, but some progress was made, and at last they reached the top of the shoulder, whence the way would all be over level ground

ed the strips of skin of the legs tightly together, and then rolled the bundle over the top of the ledge, watching it as it rolled and bounded down the hill, an

"how are we going to ca

t on my horse and I can walk

you going to get

he load for a little short

whether these horses will pack fresh

ould lift the meat across the saddle and lash it with Joe's lariat. After that had been done and the blind removed from the horse's head he showed

d on the load of meat, and they reached camp