“Well, you can be thankful that the gun didn’t burst and send you to kingdom come,” commented Harry. “Next time be sure to fire off the gun before you load again.”
“You kin bet I will,” returned Pickles, and he spoke the truth. All of his charges after that were somewhat light.
A little distance farther on they came across several more rabbits. Jack brought down one and his brother another. All the other boys fired and missed.
“We’ll have rabbits if nothing else,” observed Jack. “But I am in hopes we’ll strike bigger game.”
“A bear, for instance,” said Boxy.
“Well, no, not exactly. But a deer wouldn’t go bad.”
“There ought to be deer around here,” said Harry. “Barton Coils said we would find some sure.”
“I suppose they are getting scarcer every year. Maybe we will have to go away back in the mountains for them.”
On and on they trudged, without another sign of a rabbit. But presently Harry drew attention to a squirrel hole, and a halt was made to see what it might contain.
They all loaded up, and then Boxy threw a snowball into the hole. Nothing followed, and then another snowball and a stick of wood were launched at the hole.