Their guns were wiped out, and thoroughly cleaned--lock, stock, and barrel.

The horses, too, had been washed by the spring; and Jeanette's shanks had received a fresh "rub" with bear's grease, so that if ever that celebrated article brought out hair upon anything, it was likely to do so for her.
I say, all their little matters having been thus attended to, the young hunters were sitting upon three large stones near the spring, talking over their past adventures and their future prospects.

Of course, the buffalo was the principal theme, as that was the object of their expedition.

They did not fail to think of their good old father; and they congratulated themselves upon the pleasure he would have in listening to the story of their adventures when they should get back to tell it.

Hugot, too, came in for a share of their thoughts; and Francois laughed over the remembrance of the tricks he had from time to time played upon the little corporal.
While thus enjoying themselves, the eyes of all were attracted to some distant objects upon the prairie.
"Ho!" exclaimed Francois, "what a string of wolves!" Wolves were no unusual sight, and even at that moment several were sitting upon the prairie, not more than two hundred yards from the camp.
They were those that had followed the party on their march, having kept along with it for days.
"The animals we see, yonder, are not wolves," joyfully added Basil.
"They are better than that, I fancy--they are deer!" "No, brother," rejoined Lucien, "they are antelopes." This announcement caused both Basil and Francois to spring to their guns.