The two managed to raise it.
"Here, Lieutenant, that's not for you to do," remonstrated Sergeant Overton. "Let me take hold of your end."
"I'm not a weakling, thank you," retorted Mr. Prescott. "I'll do my share, and I recommend you to proclaim that any man who doesn't do his share doesn't eat to-night. But as for you, Sergeant Overton, I shall have a bad opinion of this outfit if they let you carry anything more than your rifle back to camp this night."
And that motion was carried unanimously. Sergeant Hal was forced to go ahead as guide, while the others, the lieutenant included, buckled manfully to their burdens.
Not infrequently they had to halt and rest, for the carcasses were fearfully heavy, even for men as toughened as regulars.
Yet, finally, they did manage to get Hal's prizes back to camp.
"Another day or two like this, and we needn't be ashamed to face the men back at Clowdry," observed Lieutenant Prescott complacently. "Six bears and a buck antelope in one day is no fool work, even if one man did do it all."
"But you killed the bear this morning, sir," urged Sergeant Hal.
"Yes, Sergeant; after you had fired the first shot and had crippled the beast so that it couldn't get away from me."
Not even to gloat over the big haul of game, however, could the men wait any longer for their long-deferred evening meal.