In no other way could a fatal mistake be guarded against, and when, therefore, Jim had stood motionless a minute or two, and was sure he heard the same rustling in front, he simply brought his gun to his shoulder.
"Tom, is that you?" he asked, in a subdued voice that could not fail to reach the stranger.
The noise ceased, but there was no answer. The youth now slightly raised his voice:
"If you don't speak I'll fire! I see you and won't miss."
The stillness continued unbroken, and the stranger did not stir. It was impossible in the darkness to make him out clearly, but sufficient could be seen to insure the success of a shot at so short a range.
"I'm going to fire, look out! _One--two--three!_"
Mr. McGovern ought to have reflected that no man, especially one trained in wrong-doing, would stand up in this fashion and wait for another to perforate him; but at the utterance of the last word Jim let fly straight at the figure, and what is more, he struck it.
The hair of the youth seemed to lift his hat from his head, as a strange cry broke the stillness, and he heard the body, after a single spasmodic leap, fall on the leaves, where, after a few struggles, it lay still.
"Have you killed him?" called the horrified Tom, hurrying from his station a few rods away.
"I've killed _something_" was Jim's reply, who, drawing his pocket safe, struck a match and held it over his head, while both stooped over and examined the trophy of their skill and strategy.
"Jim," said Tom, the next moment, "I'll agree never to say anything about this, for I'm in it as bad as you."
"It's a bargain," was the reply of the other; "we'll never tell Bob, even, for he would plague us to death."
The object before them was a six months' old calf. It had probably become lost in the woods, and, hearing persons walking, followed them with a dim idea that they were friends and would take care of it. The result was a sad example of misplaced confidence.
Certain now that nothing was to be feared from the rogues that must have disposed of Lenman and Durrell long before, the youths resumed their progress through the wood with the same aimless effort that had marked their journey from the first.
It was not long after their incident with the calf that both noticed that they had entered what seemed to be a valley of slight descent. The sound of running water warned them to be careful of their steps, though it was evident the stream was small.