The others were willing to have Shep make the trial, and Snap and
Whopper put down their guns and aided him by putting his feet in their
hands. Shep caught hold of some bushes and began to haul himself up
with all his strength.

"Hurrah! he is going to make it!" cried Giant, when snap! went the
bushes, and down rolled the doctor's son and plunged once more into
the snow.

"Whow!" he spluttered, as he arose and worked the snow from his collar
and his coat sleeves. "No more of that for me! Snap, don't you want to
try it?"

"No, I prefer to walk to where the gully is not so deep."

They struck out, to find the bottom of the gulch filled with bowlders,
bushes and snow. More than once one or another went down into a hollow
and had to be hauled out.

"Phew! but it's cold down here!" murmured Whopper. "My feet feel like
two cakes of ice."

"One of the delights of hunting in the winter time," observed Snap.
"Want to go home, Whopper?"

"Not for a million dollars and a mince pie thrown in," was the prompt
answer.

"Say, a piece of mince pie wouldn't go bad just now." said Shep,
smacking his lips.