Oscar had been revolving this problem in his mind while his guide was climbing the bluff, and it puzzled him not a little; but Big Thompson solved it without an instant’s hesitation.
CHAPTER XXV.
OSCAR DISCOVERS SOMETHING.
“I believe you hunters generally make a litter to carry your game home on, don’t you?” continued Oscar.
“We do sometimes, when thar’s two fellers to tote it,” replied Big Thompson.
“Well, there are two of us here; but I never could carry one end of a litter with all those animals piled on it. The distance is too great and the load would be too heavy.”
“Yes, I reckon seven or eight hundred pounds would be a pretty good lift for a chap of your inches, an’ yer a mighty well put up sort of a boy, too. We’ll have to snake ’em thar.”
“That would never do,” returned Oscar, quickly. “It would spoil the skins to haul the game so far over the snow.”
“They shan’t tech the snow at all. I’ll tell ye what I mean.”
Big Thompson gave the boy his rifle to hold, and, with the hatchet he always carried in his belt, cut down a small pine tree, which was to be used as a drag.
With the aid of this drag they succeeded, after infinite trouble, and two hours’ hard work, in transferring all the game from the plateau to the mouth of the gorge.