“So I see. But I haven’t any gun with me. Mine is over on the rock.”
“Fetched him, didn’t I?” came in a clear voice, from the trees behind the young hunters, and turning swiftly they found themselves confronted by Daniel Boone, whose long rifle was still smoking from the shot.
“So you shot him, Colonel Boone?” said Harry.
“I did, lad. It was a hard shot too, I admit—firing right over your shoulder at him. If the rifle had swung around you might have got the ball in the neck.”
“You—you saved my life, colonel.”
“We won’t speak of that, lad. I’m glad I came up in time. I was out hunting myself, just for the fun of it, and I saw you coming this way and thought I’d find out if you had had any luck. That wolverene must have been all-fired hungry, to come at you in that fashion. But the deer meat worried him, I suppose.”
It was some time before Harry could get over his scare, and the party of three sat down on the rocks to compare notes. Daniel Boone had brought down three deer since early morning, and had placed them where he could send out other hunters to bring them in later on.
“There are only a few wolverenes left around here,” he said. “I doubt if you are troubled by any more of them, but after this you had better be on guard all the time.”
“I will be,” answered Harry.
“Is the meat good for anything?” questioned Joe.