By-and-by the barking of the dogs was heard in the distance; it slowly approached, and then everybody made ready to do the best possible work with his weapon. A crash was heard among the brushwood, and soon a fine deer came bounding out of the wood, and ran directly toward Fred's place.
Fred brought his gun to his shoulder, and when the deer was not more than twenty feet away the youth fired. The aim was good, and the whole charge passed into the shoulder of the animal just over the region of the heart. With one bound he fell dead at the feet of the young hunter.
A moment later came the report of Frank's gun, and with a result equal to that of Fred's shot. The two boys were about to give a loud hurrah, when the Doctor motioned them to silence; it was his turn and that of their host to have a chance at something.
In less than ten minutes two other deer appeared, and were brought down by the guns of the elders of the party. Another deer ran past them, but he was too far away for a good shot, and as they now had plenty of venison, they allowed him to go unharmed.
The beaters soon appeared, and then the deer-hunt was declared at an end. "We will now go," said Mr. Segovia, "to a place where there are plenty of wild boars and fewer deer. Unless you have a most excellent opportunity for a shot, do not trouble yourself about deer, but devote your attentions to the wild boars, which you will find no easy brutes to kill."
"And perhaps," the Doctor added, "you may as well let the largest of them go undisturbed, and only shoot the young fellows; the old boars are dangerous when wounded, and we don't want to go home with holes torn in our skins by their tusks."
POND SCENE IN LUZON.
The boys promised to obey the directions that had been given, and took the places assigned to them. They were not far from a little pond, which had a thick growth of tropical trees and plants all round it, and there was so little wind blowing that the water was like a mirror, and reflected its banks with great distinctness. Frank was so intent upon studying the picture that he did not pay proper attention to the hunt, and before he was aware of it a fair-sized pig had dashed by him, and disappeared in the thick underbrush.