Caspar's power was gone along with his powder; and the deer and other quadrupeds, which were known to be yet numerous in the valley--to say nothing of the winged creatures that frequented it, could now smile at any attempt on the part of Caspar to trouble them any longer with his double-barrelled detonator.

The gun would hereafter be as useless as a bar of iron.
Only one charge of powder for each barrel remained, and one more for Karl's rifle.

When these three should be fired off, not another shot might ever again be heard ringing through that silent valley, and waking the echoes of the surrounding cliffs.
But it had not yet entered their minds that they might be unable to kill any of the wild animals with which the place abounded.

Had they thought so, they would have been unhappy indeed--perhaps so anxious as not to have slept another wink for that night.

But they did not yet contemplate the future so despondingly.