“The fire is ready, but where is the food?” said Firefly. It was not long in coming. Hawk-Eye soon appeared climbing up the rock with a young doe on his shoulder. He and Limberleg skinned it and cut up the meat, and they had all the broiled venison they could possibly eat for supper.
“We shall have to spend the night here,” said Hawk-Eye, when they couldn’t eat any more. “We couldn’t find a better place anyway. There is water around the rock except on the land side. We’ll keep the fire bright, and we shall be just as safe as if we were in the cave.”
Hawk-Eye spread the fire in a long line across the land side of the rock. He built a sort of wall of sticks and branches to feed it, and all night long it blazed and smouldered. They spread their skins on the rock and slept peacefully in its warm glow.
The next morning dawned bright and clear, and the whole family got up with the birds. They had more venison for breakfast, and when that was out of the way, Hawk-Eye said: “We’d better get across the other river early. There’s no telling how far we may have to go to-day, or what we may find on the way.”
“I hate to leave this place,” cried Firefly, “it’s so beautiful, and I am sure there is lots of game here.”
“I hate to leave the doe-skin behind,” said Limberleg, “but of course I can’t dry and stretch and cure it while we are travelling.”
“We can carry enough meat to last us all day,” said Hawk-Eye, “and that will save lots of time. We won’t have to stop to hunt for our dinner.”
He tied a great piece of meat over the shoulders of Firetop and Firefly and Limberleg, and took the biggest piece on his own back, and off they started.
