"Gone!" said the cowboy, with a deep sigh.
"Gone!" echoed the three boys, in dismay.
"Yes, gone. They were right out yonder, grazing as peacefully as could be. Now I don't see 'em anywhere," continued the cowboy, mournfully.
"It's too bad!" murmured Dave. "Maybe you would have done better if you had fired on them."
"Perhaps they are still in this vicinity," suggested Roger. "Let us take a look around."
The others were willing, and slowly and cautiously they made their way among the cedars and the big rocks, exposing themselves as little as possible, and speaking only in a whisper. They had the rifles and shotguns ready for action.
Half an hour's search took them to another dent in the mountain side. Here the grass was extra thick and inviting and a spring of water flowed quietly over the rocks.
"That's an ideal spot for a camp," said Phil to Dave, as they halted to view the scene.
Dave did not answer, for he had seen something moving in the bushes close to the water. He pointed in silence, and all gazed in the direction. Slowly a magnificent pair of antlers arose behind the bushes.
"And there is the other!" came from Roger, and pointed to a rock twenty yards beyond the bushes.
"Now, boys, be careful," directed the cowboy. "This is the chance of your lives. Divide up the game to suit yourselves. I won't shoot unless I see the elk getting away from you."
The chums consulted among themselves, and Roger and Phil decided to aim at the elk nearest to them.
"Then I'll aim at the elk near the rock," said Dave. "I think I've got the best rifle anyway," he added.
All crawled forward, followed by Todd, and thus covered half the distance toward the game. The nearest elk was now less than a hundred yards away.
"They see us!" cried Phil, and hastily raised his firearm, and the others did the same. Then, as the elk bounded away, all three of the young hunters fired.
Both the animals were hit, but neither mortally, and as soon as possible the boys fired a second time. The elk were now together, and a bullet and some shot meant for one hit the other. One of the animals staggered and fell, got up, and staggered again, coming down on the rocks with a loud thud.
"You've got this one!" cried Sid Todd, in triumph. "Go after the other!"