"Neither have I," put in the smallest of the young hunters. "I thought he went out with you."
"So he did; but we separated, and I thought he came home, as I couldn't find any trace of him."
"Oh, I guess he'll come along after awhile," observed Whopper.
"Maybe he is trying to bring in an extra lot of game."
"I didn't hear him doing any shooting," answered Snap.
However, he was not much disturbed, and the boys sat around the camp for an hour, waiting for Shep to return. Then they prepared dinner, and while eating talked about the sports still to come.
"I tell you, I don't much like this," said Snap, at last. "I wish
Shep was back in camp."
"Do you think anything has really happened to him?" questioned Giant, quickly.
"I don't know what to think."
"Let us fire a signal."
This suggestion from Whopper met with approval, and they fired a signal long before agreed upon—-two shots in rapid succession. They waited impatiently, but no answering shots came back.