Guns And Snowshoes

C >> Captain Ralph Bonehill >> Guns And Snowshoes

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"Listen, Shep!"

"It is Giant calling," answered the doctor's son. "He must be in
trouble!"

"Whopper! Whopper!" came to their ears. "Help me! A bear is after me!"

"A bear is after Giant!" gasped Snap. "Come on, Shep, we must aid
him!"

"There he is." said Shep, as they swept around a bend of the lake.
"And look, a big bear is after him!"

"Let us shoot the bear!" cried Snap, and dropped his hold of the sled
rope, while the doctor's son did the same. Then both young hunters
brought around their shotguns and aimed at the big bear. But Giant was
also in range and they did not dare to fire.

"Giant, run to one side!" sang out Snap. "Give us a chance to shoot! I
think I can hit him."

"Snap!" gasped the smaller member of the Gun Club. "Shoot him! shoot
him! He wants to eat me up!"

"Hullo! hullo!" came from the camp, and now Whopper appeared, rifle in
hand. "By ginger, a bear!"

By this time the bear was closing in upon poor Giant. The beast was
hungry and the smell of fish was very tempting. With nothing else to
do, Giant threw his mess of fish directly in the bear's face.

The movement was a surprise to bruin and he stopped short. Then he
caught up the string of fish, turned swiftly but clumsily, and
lumbered off in the direction of the forest bordering the lake.

It was now that Snap and Shep, as well as Whopper, got a chance to
fire at the beast, and all did so hastily. But they were excited over
Giant's narrow escape and their shots did no more than to wound the
bear slightly, in the ear and the side. Bruin gave a growl, made a
turn as if to come back, and then dove into the forest and was lost to
view.

"He--he wanted my fish!" gasped Giant. "Well, he is welcome to them,
so long as he doesn't chew me up!"

"What a pity that we didn't nail him," said Shep.

"Shall we go after him?" demanded Whopper. "The four of us ought to be
able to lay him low."

"I am not going after him just now," answered Giant, who was still as
white as a sheet.

The others talked it over for a few minutes and it was decided to
follow up the bear some other time, if it could be done. Whopper and
Giant were anxious to hear what Snap and Shep had to tell, and all
took themselves to the Inn, dragging the sled after them.

As soon as the excitement was over, Snap and Shep told their tale in
full, to which Giant and Whopper listened with close attention. The
latter were sorry that Kiddy Leech had escaped, but glad that the
outing had not been broken up.

"I'd rather say here than go to court and testify against that tramp,"
said Whopper. "I don't like to go to court."

"Oh, so would I," answered Shep. "But it was our duty to bring him to
justice, if it could be done."

Giant was sorry he had lost his mess of fish, but he had no desire to
try his luck again for the time being.

"That bear may be watching around here," he said. "And I don't want
him to make a meal of me!"

With it all, the boys were happy to be together again, and equally
happy to have their outfit back. That evening they cooked themselves
what Whopper declared was "a stunning supper," and enjoyed it to the
utmost. It was nine o'clock before they turned in, worn out but happy.

But they did not sleep long. Snap had just gotten into a doze when he
heard a scratching outside. He sat up and listened, and soon the
scratching was repeated.

"What can that be?" he mused, and then of a sudden his hair seemed to
stand upon end. "It must be that bear, and he is trying to get in!"

CHAPTER XXIX

UNEXPECTED VISITORS

For the moment Snap thought to rouse up the others. Then he checked
himself, arose with caution, and felt for his shotgun. The fire had
burnt low and only a faint flickering of light told him where the
firearm was located.

In the meantime the scratching outside had ceased. But soon it began
again. It was at the doorway, where the logs set up to close the
opening left a crack two inches wide for fresh air.

Snap waited, his heart almost in his throat. Then he saw a shaggy paw
pull one of the logs slightly.

He could wait no longer, and aiming straight at the crack he pulled
the trigger of his shotgun. Bang! went the weapon, with a noise inside
of the shelter that was almost deafening.

"Hi! what's up! Who's shooting!" yelled Whopper, leaping up and then
sprawling down in his blanket, which was wrapped completely around
him.

"What's attacking us?" came from Giant.

"Did you hit it?" asked Shep.

"It's a bear, I think," answered Snap. "He was at the doorway, trying
to get in."

A low growl at this juncture reached the ears of all. The other young
hunters ran for their firearms. The growl came from a distance,
showing the would-be intruder was retreating.

"I've a good mind to go after him," said Shep.

"Don't you do it--it's too dark outside," warned Whopper. "Wait till
daylight."

They waited several minutes, but no further sound came to disturb
them. Then, with caution, they pulled the logs of the doorway aside
and peered out. The clouds had drifted over the stars and it was dark,
so that they could see but little. Snap took a firebrand and gazed
down into the snow.

"Blood," he said, pointing to the spots. "I certainly hit him."

"And it must have been a bear, by the big tracks," said Giant. "Very
likely the one that attacked me on the ice."

"We must get that bear," said Whopper. "But not to-night."

"Yes, we must get that bear by all means," added the doctor's son.

"I vote somebody remain on guard," said Snap. "That beast may come
back at any time. Doubtless he is very hungry, and a hungry bear is
usually pretty desperate."

It was decided that they should take turns watching, and this settled
one after another the young hunters went to rest again. But for the
balance of the night only an owl came to disturb them and they paid no
attention to this.

With nothing special to do the young hunters were rather lazy about
getting around in the morning and it was after ten o'clock when the
breakfast dishes were cleared away. Whopper went outside to bring in
some firewood and presently called to the others.

"What's wanted?" asked Snap.

"Two men are coming this way, from over yonder. Unless I am mistaken
they are the two men who were out hunting with Andrew Felps."

"So they are!" exclaimed Shop. "What can they be wanting now?"

"Maybe they want to drive us away from this lake," suggested Giant.
"They are just about mean enough."

"No, they can't do that," answered Snap. "I made sure of it before I
left home."

"They are carrying something between them," said Whopper, as the men
came closer. "Looks like a deer."

"It is half of a deer--the very deer we killed!" cried Giant.

Soon the men were within speaking distance.

"Good morning, boys," said Giles Faswig, blandly.

"Good morning," returned Snap, briefly. Instinctively he felt that
something unusual was in the air.

"We've come to the conclusion to let you have half of that deer," said
Vance Lemon.

"Better keep it," said Giant, curtly.

"That's just what I say," murmured Whopper."

"No, boys, we want to do the fair thing," said Giles Faswig, smoothly.
"As it was shot on Mr. Felps' land he thinks he is justly entitled to
it, but at the same time--"

"I don't think we want the deer--now," said Snap. "We have plenty of
other game, and you acted so hateful about it you can keep it."

He looked at his chums and they nodded, to show that they agreed with
him. The two men looked rather dissatisfied.

"So you won't take the deer meat, even after we carried it away over
here?" said Vance Lemon.

"No."

"That isn't a very friendly way to act."

"Well, you didn't act very friendly in the first place," answered
Shep.

"Having pretty good luck, you say?" asked Giles Faswig, curiously.

"The very best of luck," answered the leader of the Gun flub, and
mentioned some of the game brought down. "So you can easily see we
don't need this venison at all," he added.

At this the two men looked at each other and murmured something the
boys could not catch.

"We came over to--er--to do a little trading," said Giles Faswig. "Got
plenty of ammunition on hand, I reckon."

"All we wish," answered Snap, and then he suddenly "smelt a mouse," as
the saying goes, and winked at his chums.

"We thought so, and we thought we'd help you out by buying some from
you. What sizes have you got?"

"Snap, you don't--" whispered Shep.

"Hush, Shep. Let me run this," whispered the leader of the club, in
return. Then he turned to the two men again and mentioned what kinds
of ammunition they used and how much they had on hand.

"Thought so," said Giles Lemon. "We'll take half of what you've got
and pay you double price for it."

"What!" came from Giant and Whopper, but Snap merely shook his head
and winked at them, and then they said no more.

"That's a fair deal, isn't it?" asked Giles Faswig, oilily. "You'll
make a clean dollar and a half by the operation."

"We don't want your money," said Snap, decidedly.

"Eh?" came from both men.

"I wouldn't sell you our ammunition at any price, and I don't think my
friends care to either."

"That's the talk," put in Shep.

"You don't get anything out of us," murmured Giant.

"Not by a jugful!" added Whopper.

"Then you won't sell us any ammunition?" asked Vance Lemon, and his
face grew as sour as the fruit his name represented.

All of the young hunters shook their heads with vigor.

"We'll pay you triple price," said Giles Faswig. "Come, that will be
easy money for you."

"Not if you offer us a hundred times the value of the ammunition,"
said Snap, firmly. "You treated us as mean as dirt before. Now, if you
want any ammunition, you can tramp back to town and get it."

At this the men broke into a rage and began to threaten the young
hunters in various ways. They had brought over the deer meat merely to
smooth matters over, so that they could get the ammunition, which they
needed sorely.

"Look here, if you threaten us any more, I'll have you up before the
squire," said Snap, at last. "You clear out and leave us alone." And
then, in high dudgeon, Giles Faswig and Vance Lemon departed, taking
the deer meat with them. On their way back to their own camp they met
the big bear, and in fright dropped the meat and ran for their lives.
When they got to the camp they told Andrew Felps of the result of the
trip.

"Well, we can't stay here without ammunition," said the lumber
merchant, in disgust. "I bought up all Riley had, and Jackson said he
wasn't going to get any more of those sizes of cartridges until next
week. We'll have to give up. Hang those boys anyway!"

And deeply disgusted, the lumber dealer had to give up his outing and
go home, and his friends departed with him. They had been more than
mean, and, right or wrong, the young hunters had paid them back in
their own coin.

CHAPTER XXX

A SURPRISE--GOOD-BYE

After that two days went by without anything unusual happening. The
boys enjoyed every minute of the time, and with the bear scare at an
end, they went hunting and fishing to their hearts' content. Giant and
Whopper caught a mess of sixteen fish, large and small, and Shep and
Snap laid low half a dozen rabbits, some squirrels, and also a
beautiful brook mink of which they were very proud.

"It is too bad that our outing must soon come to an end," said the
leader of the Gun Club. "But as we have had a glorious time I suppose
we ought not to complain."

"I saw some silver tail foxes at the ridge to-day," said Shep. "I
think we ought to go after them."

"And after that bear," put in Whopper. "We don't want to go home until
we lay low his bearship."

"Maybe his bearship will lay us low," put in Giant. "That wouldn't be
so nice."

During their spare time the boys had set several traps, and in these
they caught some animals of more or less importance. They also brought
down two wild turkeys, and resolved to eat one for their New Year's
dinner and take the other home.

"Happy New Year!" was the cry, on a beautiful morning, and the young
hunters got up to put in a "full day," as Snap expressed it. Right
after breakfast they set the turkey to roasting, and made a pie and
some other good things. They had a bountiful dinner early and by one
o'clock started out for their last hunt.

They had already resolved to cross the lake in the direction Shep had
seen the silver-tailed foxes. They went over on their skates, and then
donned their snowshoes and were soon deep in the forest. Here they
soon struck the trail of the foxes and discovered them in an angle,
between a cliff and a series of sharp rocks.

"There's a shot for you!" cried Snap, as four of the rather beautiful
creatures came to view, and without hesitation all took aim and fired.
As the various reports died away two of the silver-tailed foxes gave a
whirl upward and came down lifeless. The others turned tail and
started to rush past the young hunters, but Snap and Shep were too
quick and brought them down limping and then the others finished the
creatures.

"One apiece!" cried Whopper. Just what I hoped for!"

"So did I," said Giant.

They tramped on after this, and managed to bring down a big owl, which
Snap said they could stuff and put it in their clubroom--providing
they ever got one. Then they came to a peculiar trail that bothered
them not a little.

"Do you know what I think it is?" said Snap, at last. "It's the trail
of a bear and the beast was carrying something pretty heavy."

"Maybe it is our bear!" cried Giant enthusiastically.

"Gracious, I didn't know we owned a bear," answered Shep.

"Well, Shep, you know well enough what I mean."

"Come on after his bearship!" cried Whopper. "We'll blow him into a
million pieces and then take him home as a trophy of our skill."

"Who's going to carry the million pieces?" asked Snap, innocently, and
then Whopper shied a chunk of soft snow at him.

All felt in excellent spirits and willing to go after the savage
animal. They advanced with caution among the rocks, until they came to
a narrow defile, partly choked with snow and ice. On one side was a
big shelving rock, with a dark hole beneath.

"Be careful, that may be the bear's den!" cried Snap softly, and just
then a loud and deep growl came from the hole. It rather scared all of
the young hunters and they retreated several paces.

"Wonder how we can make him come out of his hole?" asked Shep, after
an awkward pause.

"Go in and invite him," suggested Whopper, who felt in particularly
bright humor that day.

"All right, you go."

"Not on your life!" And Whopper took another step backward.

"Let us get up on yonder rocks," suggested Snap. "Then I'll throw a
stone into the den." They crawled up the somewhat slippery rocks and
then the leader of the Gun Club did as he had mentioned.

The stone struck something soft, and a moment later out of the den
lumbered the big black bear, bristling with rage. As he came forth all
of the young hunters blazed away, and the bear was struck in various
places. But the shots were far from fatal, and with a grunt of rage
and pain bruin started to climb up the rocks after them.

"Give him another shot!" yelled Whopper, who had the rifle. "Quick, or
he'll chew somebody up!"

Again Snap and Giant fired, and the bear received more buckshot in his
anatomy. But he was tough as well as big, and the wounds seemed to
merely increase his rage.

"He's coming up the rocks sure!" gasped Giant. Then he started to run,
lost his footing and began to roll down one of the steep sides of the
rock!

"Giant! Giant!" yelled Snap. "Stop, you are rolling right toward the
bear!"

"He'll be chewed up sure!" screamed Shep. "Shoot him, somebody! Shoot
him!"

In feverish haste Whopper had been reloading his rifle. Now he swung
the weapon to his shoulder. He was greatly agitated but by sheer force
of will power calmed himself sufficiently to take aim. Then the rifle
cracked out and the bullet hit the bear full in the chest. It made
bruin stagger, and he fell back on his side, kicking up a shower of
snow in all directions.

"Good! That's the way to do it!" sang out Snap. "Now run, Giant!"

By this time the youngest member of the Gun Club had reached the
bottom of the rocks and was scrambling to his feet. He had his gun
still in his hands, and as the bear lurched toward him he caught the
weapon by the barrel, swung it around and let the beast have such a
crack on the head that the gun stock was completely shattered. Over
went the bear again, kicking up another shower of loose snow.

By this time the young hunters were sure they had the best of the
fight, and withdrawing to a safe distance each of those having
available weapons let the beast have another shot. This was too much
for bruin, and with a final roar and a gasp he plunged forward on his
head, gave several convulsive kicks, and lay still.

"Hurrah! We've got him!" cried Shep. "That's the best haul yet!"

"You are right," said Whopper, "even if it did cost Giant his gun."

"Never mind, we'll chip in and buy another for him," said Snap. "Say,
that was a sharp fight," he added.

It was no easy matter to get the big bear on a drag and haul the
carcass down to the ice. But once on the lake they made good progress
towards the camp.

"Hullo, boys, been looking for you!" came the call, and Jed Sanborn
appeared. "By Christopher Peter! Got a black bear, have yet! Now ain't
thet prime!"

"What's the news, Jed?" asked Snap.

"Lots o' news," said the old hunter. "First thing is, you're to go
home to-morrow."

"Oh, we know that already," said Whopper.

"Next thing is, do you know that tramp feller with the name o' Kiddy
Leech?

"Yes."

"Well, he's tuk--caught him yesterday. Aaron Masterson spotted him
hanging around Riverview. He's arrested."

"Good!" cried Snap. "Now he'll get what he deserves."

"An' that ain't all. Who do you think the tramp sent fer when he was
in jail?"

"Who?" asked the four young hunters, simultaneously.

"Ham Spink and Carl Dudder. It ain't leaked out jest why, but some
folks thinks young Spink and young Dudder got the tramp to steal your
things. An' there's more news, too."

"What more, Jed?"

"It's come out that Ham Spink and Carl Dudder blew up the old
boathouse, jest to ruin your things. There was a lively row, but Mr.
Spink an' Mr. Rudder settled the bill--to keep Ham and Carl out o'
jail, I expect."

This was indeed news and the boys listened with interest to all of the
details. The discovery about the boathouse had come through a workman
who had let Ham Spink have the dynamite.

"If Ham Spink got that tramp to come here, he ought to suffer for
it--and Carl Rudder ought to suffer too," said Snap.

"They shall suffer for it," added Shep.

That evening they told Jed Sanborn of their various experiences, and
showed him the game they were going to take home. He declared the bear
to be the largest he had ever seen in those parts, and said the game
would create a stir when exhibited at Fairview.

"Don't know as you'll ever have so much fun hunting again," he said,
"or so many adventures." But he was mistaken, they did have an equal
amount of fun, excitement and thrilling adventures the very next
summer, and how and where will be told in the next volume of this
series, to be entitled "Young Hunters of the Lake; or, Out with Rod
and Gun."

The home-coming of the young hunters made quite a stir in the quiet
town and when they showed the big bear at one of the stores crowds
came to inspect the game. The lads were greatly praised and if their
parents were proud of what their sons had done, who can blame them?

The truth about the doings of Ham Spink and Carl Dudder soon leaked
out, so far as our friends were concerned, although the matter was
kept from the general public. Both Mr. Spink and Mr. Dudder were
anxious that no charge of theft should be made against Kiddy Leech, so
the tramp was merely given thirty days in jail for vagrancy, and was
then given some money by Mr. Spink and told to go elsewhere, which he
did. In the meantime Mr. Spink and Mr. Dudder paid for all damages our
friends had sustained, including the burning down of the log cabin,
which the bad boys admitted, and promised to take Ham and Carl
vigorously in hand. As a result both of the misguided boys were sent
to a very strict boarding school, where their parents hoped they would
see the error of their ways and do better. Hearing of this Snap and
the other Gun Club members said they were satisfied; and there the
matter rested.

"Boys, we had a dandy time," said Shep one day, as they were talking
the outing over. "Hope we go again soon!"

"And shoot more bears," put in Giant.

"And deer," added Snap.

"And a hundred or two other things," came from Whopper. "The next time
I go camping--"

"We'll all go with you!" interrupted Snap. "Hurrah for the Fairview
Gun Club."

And the cheer was given with a will.

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