When they were ready to start each boy had nearly fifty pounds of meat strapped to his back and the load made traveling doubly hard as they soon found. But their success had made them again light hearted and they did not mind the hard work.
"I reckon Lucky'll be some surprised when he sees us come in with all this meat," Jack said when they were about half way back to where the trail had turned.
"If he's back," Bob reminded him.
"Don't you think he'll be back by the time we get there?"
"I doubt it."
"Well, here's hoping."
It was about one o'clock when they reached the place where the trail had turned and both agreed that they had better take a rest before starting down the mountain.
"I don't know how you feel about it, but I'm all in," Jack panted as he unslung his pack.
"Same here," Bob agreed. "That was about as hard a tramp as I ever took."
They rested for a half hour and then started off again Jack taking the lead. They had taken but a few steps when Bob spoke to him and in turning his head to reply Jack carelessly tripped himself and pitched headlong into the snow. It was by no means the first time it had happened and Bob broke into a roar of laughter. But the mirth died on his lips as he heard Jack utter a loud groan.