As they sat on their haunches, cowboy fashion, beside the dying fire over which the coffee had been boiled, the chums suddenly saw a flight of swiftly bounding little animals cross the line of their vision. They passed across the opening between two hills to the north and were gone in a breath. “Whew! did you see them?” gasped Dig, almost spilling his coffee. “I saw something,” admitted Chet. “What I want to know is, did you see the same thing I did?” pursued Dig, grinning. “They went so fast I didn’t know but I had ’em again.” “I can assure you that you didn’t have those again. They’re almost too quick to lasso. They’re antelopes.” “Whew! I’d like to catch one; but I never do have any luck catching things, unless it’s measles, or something perfectly useless.” “Too bad, too bad!” said Chet pityingly, and quoted: “‘’Twas ever thus since childhood’s hour My fondest hopes I’ve seen decay.... I never loved a dear gazelle—’” “Waugh!” grunted Dig. “What’s a gazelle?” “It’s something like an antelope.” “Well, it sounds awfully mushy. I’d like to catch one of ’em to eat.” “Sorry,” said Chet, throwing out the remainder of his coffee. “But it would take a long time to trail those fellows. Maybe we’ll try it on our way back.” “We’re going to fast, then, going over to Grub Stake?” suggested Dig, complainingly. “This sort of a snack isn’t going to keep me in the saddle for long.” “Perhaps we’ll come across a deer, poor boy,” said Chet soothingly. “I shouldn’t wish you to starve. You know, the redman only pulled his belt the tighter when he had to go without food, and did not complain.” “That’s all right. I’ll leave that to John Peep. When little Dig Fordham gets hungry you’re going to hear a holler—be sure of that.” “Keep your eye open for deer, then—or, when we get in the open, for sage hens or quail.” “I’d rather have a supper of deer liver,” Dig returned, smacking his lips at the thought. “Well, maybe we can shoot a deer. They are not so swift as the antelope.” “But aren’t antelope easily trapped? I’ve heard Rafe Peters tell about catching them with a red rag tied to a stalk.” “Pshaw!” exclaimed Chet. “You mean he toled them near enough with a red rag to pot-shoot them. The little creatures are very curious.” “Oh! then you shake salt on their tails, I s’pose?” grumbled Dig. Chet had to laugh at this. But both boys, after the noon halt, kept a bright outlook for game. Their supper actually depended upon the discovery of some game which they might capture. An hour after their noontide stop the chums rode out upon a plain from between two heavily wooded hills. This open space was a great, level valley, through which a stream ran, and it should have been a paradise for ruminant animals. There was the shelter of the hills on both the east and north; the clear, placid stream; the abundant grass and low bushes; with sufficient shade along the watercourse to attract the herds.