“Some animal has gone along here, sure enough!” said X-Ray, bending over to examine the marks more closely. “A moose most likely, eh, Phil?”
“No, it was a caribou,” the other assured him.
“A horse of another color, then; but it means game, all the same, Phil?”
“Yes, caribou are classed in that list, and make pretty good eating, too,” the other explained.
“Of course we might take a little turn after the old chap, just to give me my first snow-shoe hunt; say yes, Phil.”
“There’s no reason that I can see why we shouldn’t, though we don’t want to get too far away from camp, because it’s heavy work dragging a pair of shoes after you, once you begin to feel tired.”
“We can stop whenever you think it’s best,” promised X-Ray.
Accordingly they began to follow the trail. It was so easy any novice could have done it; and yet there was a certain thrilling sensation about the whole matter that gave the new beginner much pleasure.
He had so often pictured himself in some such scene as this that the reality afforded him more genuine delight than words could describe.
Phil allowed him to take the lead, thinking that would satisfy X-Ray; who while not so fond of hunting as Ethan, at the same time was able to enjoy it to a certain extent.