Luck seemed to be better to-day, from the very start, for, before they had gone three miles, they had bagged two rabbits, three squirrels and Jack had a partridge to his credit.
“Enough to keep us from starving,” he said. “Now for bigger game—a deer, at least.”
“I’d like to get a good deer picture,” announced Bert, looking to see that his camera was in working order.
A little later the four boys stood in a small clearing in the woods, wondering which way to go next, for, so far, they had seen no signs of either bear or deer. They hoped it was not so late in the season that all the bears would be enjoying their winter sleep.
Suddenly there was a slight noise over in the underbrush to the left of the clearing.
“I’m going to see what that is!” cried Bert, starting forward with his camera.
“Probably nothing but a rabbit,” said Jack. “And we’ve got enough of the bunnies.”
“Then I’ll take a snapshot; that won’t hurt,” Bert responded.
The others, not much interested, watched him. Softly he went forward, hoping he might get a picture of a rabbit in its native woodland. The sun was just right for a picture.
But, as Bert looked, a deer suddenly came out of the brush, and stood on the edge of the clearing, seemingly unconscious of the presence of the boys. They had seen the beautiful creature, however, and for the moment none of them raised his rifle. Bert’s, indeed, was slung on his back out of the way while he used his camera.