“What for?” demanded the path-finder Ranny.
“To beat the brush down—”
“Think a deer would hide under brush?” came the derisive query of Tom.
“Naw, o’ course he wouldn’t,” scoffed Jerry. “They run like anything if you only—only shake a stick at them.”
“Sure. They’re the scariest animals they is,” said little Neddie, glad to be in the deer hunt in lieu of the snake chase.
“There he goes again!” called out Arthur Williams, now openly defying orders to keep quiet.
Something very nimble, indeed, leaped over a few more stones; but as before succeeded in hiding its real identity.
The boys stood breathless. This creature was surely a rare animal, and it came to the mind of more than one boy that it would be greatly to their credit if they could capture it single handed, without the aid of Mr. Doane.
“Who’s got the rope?” demanded Jerry, sending a scathing look over those companions within his range.
Hands went down into incompetent pockets, and into blouse depths but none fetched up a coil of rope suitable for lassoing.