“I couldn’t see that I’d hit anything but I climbed down where they had been, hoping to see where they’d gone, thinkin’ you would be sure to want to find ’em again. And I found this little fellow—dead enough.”
“And where did you meet Hosmer?” Mr. Mackworth asked.
“It was really dark, then,” went on Phil, “and I made up my mind to follow the ridge until I came to where it broke into the river pass. It was pretty hard work for I had the kid on my shoulders. Finally it got so dark that I thought of stoppin’ till day. Then I remembered my flash light and I used it to pick out the way along the mountain side. I’d been doin’ that almost an hour, I guess, when I heard a shot. I was a good deal nearer the river than I thought. Mr. Hosmer saw the light and shot off his rifle.”
There were congratulations all around; many other questions and answers and then Mr. Mackworth said:
“I suppose I ought really spank you boys, but I’ll forgive you since everything has turned out all right. We have a fine mess of fish for breakfast; you have located the Cutthroat trout for us and found the first herd of goats. What more could we ask? We have a good camp site here, plenty of spring water and we’ll stop long enough to have a good fish and, if possible, to get that big Billy. Jake, give the boys a good supper and then all turn in. We’ll be off for Josephine Falls in the morning. Gentlemen,” he concluded addressing his English guests, “you see we made no mistake in bringing our airship and aviators. They’ve made a good beginning.”
“We ain’t started yet,” laughed Frank. “We were just warmin’ up to-day.”
[CHAPTER XVII]
TRACKING MOUNTAIN GOATS IN AN AIRSHIP
As soon as Jake knew that Mr. Mackworth planned to have a day’s fishing at Josephine Falls he declined to cook Frank and Phil’s fish in a “balsam bake.”