A fire was soon made, the prairie chickens were prepared for roasting, coffee was set on to boil, and with some tinned biscuits the adventurers made a hearty meal.
Sitting around the camp-fire as night came on, the hunter told several of his adventures while on the trail. Once he had a terrible fight with a grizzly bear, the scars of the combat being visible on his face and arms.
“Are there any bears around here?” asked Bob.
“Not getting afraid, are you, Chunky?” queried Ned.
“No; I only just wanted to know,” replied the stout youth, looking over his shoulder in as careless a manner as he could assume.
“Waal, there’s a few now an’ agin’,” answered the hunter, “but they don’t bother me much, not while I have this along,” and he patted a rifle which he had left with his game before he rode out to stampede the cattle.
“Are you bound for any particular place?” asked Nestor of Hank.
“Nope; I’m my own boss.”
“Then, why not come along with us?” proposed the miner. “We may need your help, for there’s a bad gang ahead of us.”
He told something of the plans of himself and the boys, in regard to the gold mine, and related how there were enemies in front, and added that he might pay the hunter for his time.