"Too bad!" growled Shep, in disgust. "I fancied we'd get him sure."

"This puts me in mind of what Jed Sanborn says," said Snap, with a
sickly grin. "'Be sure of only what is in your game bag.'"

The young hunters looked around for more deer but none were in that
vicinity and so they returned to where they had left the sleds.

"If it hadn't been that we want to get to camp we might have followed
up that deer," was Giant's comment.

"Not much use of that," answered Snap. "By the way he was running he
must have been pretty well woke up, and when that happens you know a
deer will run for miles without stopping."

All were glad when they came in sight of Fire-fly Lake. About one half
of the surface was a smooth glare of ice, the other half being covered
with ridges of snow.

To reach their old camp they had to go up the shore and around a bend
where the bushes and trees were thick. Once more they donned their
skates and went forward rapidly.

"Let us have a race!" cried Whopper, and he and Giant set off with one
sled, while Snap and Shep set off with the other.

"An extra piece of mince pie to the winning team!" cried the doctor's
son merrily as he put on an extra spurt.

Soon the turn of the shore was gained, with the sleds side by side.