"Whopper, didn't you make some mistake?" asked Snap, coming to a halt.

"I am sure I saw the deer."

"Whopper must have been deceived in the distance," said Giant. "Things
look closer on the water, or when the ground is covered with snow."

"Perhaps that's it," answered Whopper. "Anyway, the deer were
somewhere out here, I'm sure."

Again they went on, but soon came to a series of rocks, where walking
was difficult. Giant slipped on one of the rocks and barked his left
shin.

"Oh dear!" he cried, in pain. "I don't like this much. It is a regular
Rocky Road to Dublin!"

"I don't feel like going much further," said Snap. "I think we ought
to go, back. See, it is starting in to snow," he added, as the flakes
began to fall.

The four boy hunters held a consultation, which almost ended in a
quarrel. Whopper was determined to go ahead after the deer and so was
Shep, while Snap and Giant insisted upon returning to the camp.

"I'll tell you what's let do," said Whopper. Two of us can go on and
two go back. That's fair."

"And the two to go back can take the game to camp," added Shep. "There
is no use of our carrying it with us. And, besides, if we get a deer,