“It’s a wolf! I’m sure of it!” declared Jack, and, raising his rifle, he took quick aim and fired.
As the echo of the firearm died away the lads heard a snarl and a yelp, and an instant later a gaunt wolf showed himself, his fangs gleaming dangerously as he came closer.
Several shots rang out, for all of the boys had their weapons ready. The wolf was hit in three places, and gave a single leap into the air and then dropped lifeless.
“Hurrah! We’ve got him!” yelled Randy, with satisfaction.
“Be careful! Don’t go too close before we’re sure,” warned Jack. “Better reload first.”
But the wolf was past doing further harm, and having assured themselves of this the boys looked at what he had been carrying away.
“It’s the side of a calf!” exclaimed Spouter. “Isn’t this the limit? I’m glad we brought him down!”
“He must have been raiding some cow yard,” said Jack.
“No ranch cow yard,” said Gif. “This half of a calf was skinned by some person. I’ll bet he stole it out of some ranch larder.” And later on it was learned that the calf meat had been stolen from Jarley Bangs’ place the night before.
The boys had become so interested in bringing down the wolf that they had paid no attention to what was taking place overhead. But now they noticed that the sky was more overcast than ever. The wind began to blow through the woods, and of a sudden there came a downpour as surprising as it was dismaying.