“Shall we go back to the pit in the morning?” asked Whopper.

“No; let us go to camp first, and see how Giant and Tommy are making out,” said the doctor’s son.  “Most likely they’ll be worrying about us.”

To keep from falling, the three young hunters tied themselves fast in the tree.  They tried to sleep, but this was almost impossible, and the most each got were fitful naps, with many dreams of the lion.  All thoughts of other game were, for the time being, banished from their minds.

At daybreak they descended to the ground and started for camp without waiting to shoot something for breakfast.  They calculated they could get back before noon, and then they would eat a big dinner at their leisure.

All thought they had the “lay of the land” well fixed in their minds, and so they did not advance with the caution they might otherwise have taken.  As a consequence, they presently made a false turn, and this brought them to a part of the mountains that was exceedingly rocky and rough.

“Say, we can’t get through here,” declared Whopper at last.  “Why, it’s worse than the Rocky Road to Dublin!”

“I believe we are off the right trail,” returned Snap.  “It seems to me our camp must be in that direction,” and he pointed to their left.

“Perhaps you are right,” said the doctor’s son.  “Anyway, we can’t get through here.  We’ll ruin our shoes and run the risk of breaking our necks.”

“Let us walk to the left,” said Snap, and they turned back a short distance.  As they did this, they started up a number of rabbits and, eager for some game, each blazed away, and as a consequence two of the creatures were brought low.

“Not much, but something,” said the doctor’s son.

They pressed on, soon coming to some rocks that were quite smooth.

“Be careful here,” cautioned Snap.  “A tumble would be a nasty thing.  There is a cliff just below us.”

He and the doctor’s son went ahead and Whopper followed.  The rocks were even more slippery than they had anticipated.  The doctor’s son was about to advise going back and walking around the cliff, when Whopper called out: 

“A deer!  I see a deer!”

“Where?” asked the others in a breath.

“Over yonder!  I am going to give him a shot!”

In great excitement Whopper stood upright on the smooth rocks, raised his shotgun and pulled the trigger.  But the deer was not hit, and a moment later disappeared from view.

The report of the shotgun was followed by a yell from Whopper.  The weapon, had kicked back and sent him sprawling.  Now he was rolling over and over on the smooth rocks, directly toward the dangerous cliff below him.

CHAPTER XXI

ADRIFT IN THE WOODS

“Stop Whopper, or he’ll go over the cliff!”

It was the doctor’s son who uttered the words.  He was high up on the rocks and could do nothing to save his chum.