“Did you ever eat quail on toast in some of these stylish restaurants?” queried Fat, who had caught onto the game.  “Well, all in the world they are is snowbirds.  I suppose there are any number of fellows who make a living by just that trick.”

A general discussion followed.  Every one was ready and anxious for the hunt to commence.  Candles were gotten ready and a shovel found.  Ham took Phil, Fat, and Mr. Dean to help him find some sacks that were supposedly down in the gulch, but in reality to explain to them just what he wanted them to do.  My, what a laugh they did have when they reached the open.  Fat was instructed to offer his services as the holder of one bag and to suggest that Sleepy hold the other.  They would plant Sleepy first, then Fat would go on with the bunch.  Mr. Dean and Ham would hide themselves in the brush on either side of Sleepy.  Fat would instruct his crowd what was to be done, and Phil would take charge of the other group.  They would go down the canyon, over the ridge, then swing round and come back high on the hill, so as to completely lose Sleepy, who would be placed where both parties could see him by his light, but, of course, he could not see any of them out in the shadows and the night.

“If any fellow makes a stir,” continued Ham, “the game is up.  Remember, Phil, you are boss of that crowd.”

A difference of opinion had broken out among the rest while Ham and the others were getting the sacks, for Willis, in a sly way, had suggested that the game was a fake, but Sleepy scoffed at the idea.

“You do just as Ham says, and you’ll see it’s all true,” cried Sleepy hotly.  “He knows more about camping than all the rest of us put together.  If you don’t want to go, stay here.  I’ll hold a sack myself, and if I don’t get it full of birds before I come home I’ll treat every one of you.”  Fat entered just in time to hear the foregoing conversation.

“I’m with you, Sleepy,” he cried.  “We’ll have snowbirds for breakfast in the morning.”

“O shucks,” scoffed some one, “there aren’t enough snowbirds in Colorado to fill a sack like that!”

“Well, of all the quitters,” snorted Sleepy.  “Just because you haven’t seen the birds is no sign they aren’t there.  If you don’t see and hear a lot of things to-night that you never saw before, I’m badly mistaken.  All that’s the matter with you fellows is you’re afraid of a little work.”  Ham sneezed several times in quick succession, and Fat suddenly hurried out, slamming the door behind him.  Mr. Dean turned his face from the crowd and energetically poked the fire.  From the smiles, it was evident that some had caught on and wanted to go along to see the fun, while others declared it was a trick, and wouldn’t move a step.

“Too bad we haven’t a dozen bags so we could give them all a chance,” laughed Ham, as he and Fat entered the cabin.