Guns And Snowshoes

C >> Captain Ralph Bonehill >> Guns And Snowshoes

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"It's snowing again!" called out Shep, who chanced to go out, to bring
in some more firewood. "Coming down pretty thick, too, I can tell
you!"

"I allowed it was going to snow before nightfall," answered Jed
Sanborn. "I'll take a look at the sky myself."

As a man who spent nearly all of his life out of doors, he was keenly
interested in the weather at all times. He studied the sky carefully
for several minutes and then shook his head.

"What do you think?" was Whopper's query. "Going to snow all night, I
reckon--an' putty good too."

On account of the snow, it grew dark rapidly, and they had to stir up
the fire for light as well as for warmth. Jed had brought with him a
small bag of corn for popping, and also a popper, something Shep had
meant to bring but had forgotten. While some of the boys cleared away
what was left of the meal, Giant and the old hunter popped a pan full
of corn, and of this and the cake, candy, and apples they made, later
on, what they termed supper.

"My! but it is snowing to beat the cars!" exclaimed Whopper, as he
looked out of the shelter before retiring. "Can't see the end of your
nose. I'll bet the snow will be eight or ten feet high by morning."

The evening was spent in playing various games and in singing some of
the home songs. The boys could sing fairly well and Jed Sanborn
listened with pleasure.

"Wish I could sing myself," he said. "But I ain't got no more voice
nor a black crow."

At last it came time to turn in, and they provided the old hunter with
a comfortable corner. The fire was fixed for the night, and presently
all went to sleep, little thinking of the excitement so close at hand.

CHAPTER XVIII

AN UNEXPECTED PERIL

The snow continued to come down thickly. The weather had moderated to
a great extent and this made the snow heavy and clinging. It came down
on the shelter steadily until the top of Birch Tree Inn resembled the
top of some large sugar-coated cake.

The roof of the shelter was not as strong as it should have been, for
the young hunters were amateurs in the construction of such an affair.
It held up bravely until the weight of snow became too heavy, and then
it began to bend lower and lower and commenced to snap and crack, as
one tree after another gave way.

The boys and the old hunter slept on, unconscious of their danger,
until an extra loud crack awoke Whopper. The lad sat up, looked around
him and listened. Then came another snap.

"Must be a log on the fire," said Whopper to himself. "But it didn't
seem to come from there. Perhaps--Oh!"

Whopper heard a crack directly over his head, then down came a heap of
snow that all but buried him.

"Hi! Wake up, everybody!" he yelled, in alarm. "The roof is coming
down!"

"What's that?" called Jed Sanborn, rolling out of his blanket and
struggling to his feet, only to be hurled flat by the snow that came
down on his head.

By this time the boys were all awake and trying to get up. They heard
several cracks, and then more snow came down and with it several
sticks of good size.

"We must get out! If we don't we'll be hurt!" cried Whopper. "Come
on," and he leaped for the doorway, which had been well closed, to
keep out the cold.

Before Whopper could gain the outer air the entire roof of the shelter
seemed to come down, and Snap and Shep were buried beneath the ruins.
Giant was caught against the wall, not far from the rude chimney. Jed
Sanborn reached the doorway, and he and Whopper managed to push down
the barrier and leap outside.

Some of the snow tumbled into the fire and this created a smoke which
all but stifled poor Giant, who, for several minutes could hardly
move. In the meantime Snap and Shep were flat on their breasts, trying
to squirm from under the mass that was pressing them to the earth.

"The others have been caught!" exclaimed Whopper, in horror, as he
gazed behind him. "Oh, what shall we do?"

"Tear the stuff apart as fast as we can," answered the old hunter, and
set the example by springing back and pulling on branches, poles and
chunks of snow. Whopper set in to do likewise, and the pair labored
like Trojans for several minutes. Then they caught sight of Snap and
actually hauled him from the wreckage feet first!

"Who's out and who's caught?" demanded Snap, as soon as he could
speak, and having learned he went on: "We must get Shep and Giant out,
before the fire reaches them!"

"Help! help!" came faintly from Giant.

"Where are you?" asked Snap.

"Here--next to the chimney. I am wedged fast. The smoke is choking
me!"

"We'll git him out!" spoke Jed Sanborn, who had not stopped in his
labors, and he pitched in harder than ever, with Whopper and Snap
doing all they could to aid him. Snap had his face and one hand badly
scratched, but paid no attention, just then, to the blood which was
flowing from the wounds.

It was not long before the three outside were able to aid Shep. Using
all his strength, which was considerable, Jed Sanborn held up a
portion of the fallen roof and Shep crawled forth until Whopper and
Snap could get hold of him and raise him up. He had suffered but
little, although the breath had been forced out of him.

"Get poor Giant!" were the first words. "Don't--don't mind me. I'll be
all ri-right when I--I get m-my wind!"

The others were already laboring to release Giant. Through the tangle
of branches the smoke was pouring, for more snow had fallen on the
fire.

"Giant, can't you turn and get some air through the cracks of the
side?" called out Whopper.

"That's what I am trying to do, but I am caught fast," was the
gasped-out answer.

"I'll try to do something around near the chimney," said Jed Sanborn.
"Where's the axe?"

It was given to him and soon he was at work close to where Giant was
held a prisoner. Fortunately a slender tree of the shelter frame was
located at this point and a few well-directed blows cut it off. Then
Jed shoved the tree upward, thus making a hole through which Giant
fell rather than crawled.

"Are you burnt?" asked Whopper and Shep, in a breath.

"No, but I am about ha-half smoked!" declared the smaller member of
the Gun club and coughed.

"Boys, we must put the fire out, or all of your things will be
ruined," said Jed Sanborn. "I reckon I know how to do the trick, now
Giant and the rest are out."

"How?" asked several.

"Fill up the chimney with snow."

This was a good idea and soon, by forcing the snow down the chimney,
they had the fire all but out. Of course it smoked a great deal, but
this did little damage.

It was three o'clock in the morning and the snow was coming down as
thickly as ever. They scarcely knew what to do, until Jed Sanborn
suggested they build a camp-fire outside.

"So long as you've got plenty of firewood why not use it?" said he.
"We want a light, too."

"Here is the acetylene gas lamp," said Snap, picking it up from where
it had fallen, near the doorway.

"And the can of carbide," added Shep. "This will help us to start a
fresh fire, even if the wood is wet," he continued.

"How?" questioned Jed Sanborn, who had never used such a "new-fangled
consarn," as he called the bicycle lamp.

"I'll show you," answered Shep. "just heap up some of the wood, with
the little sticks on the bottom."

The wood was heaped up and then, in a hollow in the snow underneath,
Shep dumped out some of the carbide from the can. Then he lit a match,
held it to the snow, to melt the latter a little, and up blazed the
gas, at first slowly and then more furiously, until the fire was
roaring.

"Why, how is that!" cried the old hunter. "Never knew snow to set fire
to anything in my life."

"It is very simple, Jed," explained Shep. "As soon as the snow melts
it turns to water, and the water, soaking the carbide, generates
acetylene gas, which burns about the same as gas in a city."

"Well, it's an easy way to start a camp-fire," was the old hunter's
comment. "I've had lots o' trouble sometimes, when the wood was wet as
it is now."

The roaring fire made matters a little more cheerful, yet the boys
felt discouraged, with the roof of the shelter broken down. Jed
Sanborn did all in his power to cheer them up.

"When you go camping like this you can't expect everything to go jest
right," he said. "You have to take the lean with the fat an' the
bitter with the sweet. Now, I knowed a crowd o' men went camping out
in the North Woods a few years ago. First one of the men took sick an'
had to go home, then the boat they had got to leakin' so they couldn't
use it, then came a forest fire, and in running away one of 'em up an'
broke his leg. Thet was an outin' fer you!"

"Thanks, but I'd rather stay home," said Snap. "But I believe
you,--there is no use of crying over spilt milk, as the saying goes.
What do you advise?"

"Cleaning out the place and puttin' up a good, strong roof. We can do
it by night."

"Night!" cried Whopper. "What is it now but night?"

"No, it's morning, lad, but rather early, I admit."

Under the old hunter's directions they went to work, and by seven
o'clock had the shelter cleaned out. This gave them a chance to get at
their stores and also use the fireplace once more, and they cooked a
fish breakfast and made a generous pot of coffee and another of
chocolate.

"We'll cut all these branches away and then build a regular pole
roof," said Jed Sanborn. "Build it right and it will withstand any
pile o' snow you kin git on it."

He told them just what poles to cut and how to place them, and showed
them the best way to put in strips of bark and bind the whole
together. By nightfall they had the new roof finished, and all of the
boys admitted it was much better than the other roof had been.

CHAPTER XIX

THE FIGHT WITH THE BUCK

Jed Sanborn had promised to remain long enough in the camp to go out
on at least one deer hunt with them, and, on the following day, the
whole party started out, shutting up the shelter as best they could,
so that no wild animals might get inside during their absence.

The snow had ceased to come down. It covered the ground to the depth
of a foot and a half on the level and Jed said it was just the right
kind of weather for deer.

"If we spot 'em they won't have much chance to git away," he told
them, "They can't run in sech deep snow nohow."

Of course they went on their snowshoes. Jed had brought his own
along--a pair rather the worse for wear, but on which he covered the
snow as rapidly as any of them. He said he had frequently been out on
snowshoes for days at a time and they did not bother him in the least.
He grinned when Shep took a tumble, but aided the lad to arise without
any comment.

The old hunter had seen some deer at a place called Doorknob Valley, a
hollow to the southwest of Firefly Lake, and led them in that
direction. The trail was by no means an even one, and often they had
to force their way through bushes half buried in the snow.

It was noon before they came in sight of Doorknob Valley, with some
hills running around one side and a series of cliffs and rough rocks
and scrub pines on the other. To the boys' dismay, not a deer was in
sight. Snap looked questioningly at the old hunter.

"I think we'll find 'em somewhere around here," said Jed. "Come,
follow me, and don't make any noise. I haven't seen a winter yet when
there weren't deer in Doorknob Valley."

They pressed on, over one of the hills, and then towards the cliffs
and rough rocks. Soon Jed held up his hand.

"Have you spotted any?" whispered Shep, eagerly.

The old hunter nodded, and then pointed to the edge of one of the
cliffs. Under, in something of a shelter, they could see several deer
and not far away a big, sturdy buck, all feeding on some tender
saplings which they were stripping of bark.

"Oh, what a shot!" whispered Giant, excitedly.

"We'll try to git a bit closer," said Jed Sanborn. "But don't make any
noise, or we'll have to follow 'em until they get winded."

Hardly daring to breathe after that, the boys followed the old hunter
in and out among the cliffs and rough rocks. This was the hardest part
of the journey and both Snap and Whopper went down, the latter twice,
much to his disgust.

"Now, don't make a sound," cautioned Jed Sanborn. "And don't show
yourselves till I tell you to."

They were passing down between the rough rocks, and soon came to a
spot where there were several thick clumps of bushes. Here the old
hunter went ahead again. Then he motioned for the boys to drop down
low and they did so. Peering forth through the bushes they could now
see the deer close at hand. The big buck, however, was not visible.

"Where is the buck?" whispered Snap in Jed's ear. The young leader of
the Gun Club wished very much to lay that magnificent beast low.

The old hunter pointed to a nearby cliff.

There was the buck, standing between two saplings, eating the bark of
one and rubbing himself against the other.

"Can I hit him, do you think?" went on Snap.

"You can try. But wait."

In a low tone Jed Sanborn instructed the lads to aim and fire to the
best advantage. Each was to shoot at his own game, and Sanborn said he
would take a shot or two afterwards.

"I'll give the word," said the old hunter. "Are you all ready?"

They were, and he ordered them to fire. Bang! bang! bang! went the
three shotguns, and crack! went the rifle. The deer Shep had aimed at
was killed outright and the two aimed at by Giant and Whopper were
badly wounded. The buck, upon which Snap had tried his skill, was hit
in the flank, and he gave a snort of rage as he swung around, breaking
one of the saplings as he did so.

"Hurrah, I've got one!" cried Shep, in exultation.

"Mine is down, but it isn't dead," said Giant.

"Neither is mine, but I guess we can get 'em both," answered Whopper.
And then the lads ran forward to secure the two struggling deer, that
were floundering furiously in the snow.

Snap had turned toward the buck, but now he got a sudden attack of
"buck fever" as it is called and stood stock still, with eyes staring
from his head.

"Look out there, he'll horn you!" yelled Jed Sanborn, and raised his
gun to fire. But as he did so, Shep bumped against him, and the
buckshot intended for the buck only rent the empty air.

By this time the buck was less than a hundred feet from where Snap was
standing. That he was wild with rage could be seen from the look out
of his wide-open and bloodshot eyes. He lowered his antlers, as if to
pierce poor Snap through and through.

"Run! run!" yelled Shep. "Run, Snap!"

It was then that Snap awoke to the peril which confronted him, and
turning, he made a leap to one side and around a clump of the bushes.
The buck turned too, and at that moment Jed Sanborn discharged the
second barrel of his shotgun, this time taking the game in one of the
rear legs.

For the moment the buck was halted and he raised the wounded leg and
let out a moan of pain. Then his fury increased, and with a mighty
effort he arose in the air, intending to leap directly over the clump
of bushes and on top of Snap.

But now Shep was ready for another shot and he let drive at the buck,
hitting him along the left side. This served to bring the leap to a
halt in midair, and doubling up, the buck sank down directly in the
midst of the bushes.

"Good for you!" shouted Snap, and rushing forward he, too, took a
second shot. This was too much for the buck, and crashing out of the
bushes he rolled over and over and then stretched out, dead.

It was fully five minutes before the excitement was at an end. Snap
was a trifle pale.

"What a narrow escape!" he murmured. "I thought sure he was going to
horn me!"

"A buck will fight sometimes and when he does he's as ugly as any
critter on four legs," said Jed Sanborn. "I might have fixed him with
my first shot only Shep bumped into me. But I know he didn't mean to
do it," added the old hunter hastily.

"I didn't see you--I was looking at the other deer," explained the
doctor's son.

"Can we get any more of 'em?" demanded Whopper.

"Whopper always wants a dozen or two," laughed Giant.

"No more deer to-day, lad," said Jed Sanborn. "I think we have had
remarkable luck. Why, sometimes a crowd like this can tramp all day
and not get a sight of a deer. As it is, we're going to have some fun
getting our game home."

"Oh, we can't carry such a load!" cried Giant.

"We'll cut some drags and get 'em to camp that way," said the old
hunter.

He pointed out two saplings which might do for drags, and they cut
them down with the axe the old hunter had brought along. Then they
placed the two largest of the deer on one and the buck and the
smallest deer on the other, thus making the loads about even. Some of
the branches of the saplings had been cut off, so that they trailed
over the snow rather flatly, which was what was desired.

They had brought lunch with them, and before they started on the
return they built a small campfire and made themselves a pot of
chocolate, something of which Jed was exceedingly fond.

"I don't go much on candy," said he, "but chocolate seemed to hit the
spot, better'n coffee or tea."

"I like them all," answered Snap.

The repast over, they started on the return, Jed helping with first
one drag and then the other. He also pointed out what be thought would
be the easiest route to follow. This was over two hills.

"Well have to climb, but we won't fall down between any o' the rocks,"
he said. "It's dangerous walking over rocks with snow on 'em, for if
you go down in a hollow you're liable to twist an ankle or break a
leg."

"We certainly don't want any accidents," said Shep.

"How the eyes of Ham Spink and his crowd would stick out if they knew
we had bagged so much game!" exclaimed Whopper. "If they had such luck
they'd never get done talking about it."

"Do you think they'll come out this winter?" questioned Giant.

"I don't know," answered Snap. "If they do come out I hope they keep
away from us."

"So do I," put in the doctor's son.

CHAPTER XX

SHOOTING WILD DUCKS

When the boys and Jed Sanborn reached camp a surprise awaited them.
Seated at a small fire in front of Birch Tree Inn was an elderly man
dressed in the outfit of a mountain guide.

"Why, it's Jack Dalton!" cried Shep.

"Hullo, boys!" called the man at the fire, rising. "Thought as how
you'd be back some time to-day. How are ye, Jed?" he added, to the old
hunter.

Jack Dalton, as my old readers know, was a guide of that vicinity,
well known to all the inhabitants for miles around. He had visited the
boys' camp during the summer and had been friendly in more ways than
one.

"Thought I might get a shakedown here for the night," said Jack
Dalton. "Been hoofing it sence five o'clock this morning--over from
Philbrook's preserve--and I'm too tuckered out to make Fairview."

"Certainly you can stay with us," answered Snap. "Had any luck?"

"A few rabbits and some ducks, that's all. Gee shoo! Do you mean to
say you got them deer an' that buck to-day?"

"We did."

"Gosh all hemlock! No wonder a feller like me can't get nuthin! That's
rare luck; eh, Jed?"

"It was," answered the old hunter. "They don't expect to do it again
in a hurry."

The shelter was opened up and all went inside and prepared a generous
supper. Jack Dalton insisted upon giving the boys one of the ducks he
had brought down, in return for the accommodations received. On their
part they gave the guide a generous chunk of venison, for which he was
exceedingly thankful.

"I'd like to go out duck shooting," said Whopper. "It would be
something different."

"No ducks around Firefly Lake," answered Giant. "I asked Jed."

Jack Dalton was questioned and said that there were plenty of wild
ducks below the Philbrook preserve--at a locality known as the
Marshes--and he told them how to get there.

"But you want to be careful about walking over the Marshes," he said.
"In the summer time there are lots of bog holes, an' it ain't none too
safe in the winter time."

As Jack Dalton was going on to Fairview with Jed Sanborn, it was
decided by the boys to send the buck and one of the other deer home,
which would be easy, with two men to draw the load. All spent a
comfortable night in camp, nothing coming to disturb them. Breakfast
was a substantial one, and by nine o'clock Jed and Dalton set off with
their load, the old hunter also carrying various letters for the folks
at home. The boys went out on the lake to see them off, and gave them
a rousing cheer on parting.

"Tell everybody we are having the time of our lives," shouted Snap
after the pair.

There was more snow in the air, and the young hunters spent the
remainder of that day in camp, cleaning the game they had brought in
and also their firearms, and mending a couple of snowshoes that had
become a little broken. A portion of the chimney also needed
attention, and before they knew it, night was once more upon them.

"I'll tell you what," said Snap. "Out here the time seems to fairly
fly."

"Boys, do you realize that day after to-morrow is Christmas," came
from Whopper.

"So it is!" was the cry.

"Gracious, I almost forgot about it!"

"We must celebrate!"

"Sure thing! Oh, we'll have a dandy time. We can have fish, fowl and
venison, and pudding and cake and nuts and apples, and lots of good
things," finished Giant.

"Let us go duck hunting to-morrow and spend Christmas here," said the
doctor's son, and so it was agreed.

Everything was prepared for an early start, and the four boy hunters
were "up and doing" by seven o'clock in the morning.

"Phew! but ain't it cold!" ejaculated Snap, as he slapped his hands
together. "I didn't calculate on such a drop in the thermometer."

It certainly was freezing weather and they bundled up well before
leaving the shelter. As before, they shut up tightly, to keep out all
wild animals. The deer and other game had been hung high by ropes from
several tree limbs.

Of course all were on snowshoes, and they carried in their game-bags
provisions enough for two good meals. Every day they found walking on
snowshoes easier, and all got over the ground, or rather snow, very
well.

Once over the hills back of Firefly Lake, they took to a route that
was new to them, leading through a heavy belt of spruce timber and
then over a sloping stretch running down to the lowlands. On the way
they stirred up some rabbits and Whopper could not resist the
temptation to bring one of them low.

"Now I won't have to go back empty-handed, even if I don't see another
thing," he declared.

It was fully noon by the time they reached the edge of the Marshes,
wide stretches of lowlands, dotted here and there with clumps of
bushes. At a great distance they heard gunshots, but failed to
discover the gunners.

They tramped on to a point where Jack Dalton had said the wild ducks
were apt to be found. The wind was coming up, and out in this wide
open plain it cut like a knife.

"We won't want to stay out here more than an hour or two," said Shep.
"My backbone feels like an icicle!"

"Do you know what I think?" said Giant. "I think it is going to snow."

"So do I," came from Whopper.

A few minutes later the first flakes fell, and fearful that the snow
would interfere with their sight of any wild ducks they hurried
forward until they reached a circle of bushes Jack Dalton had
mentioned.

"Wait, I see some ducks!" cried Giant. "See, they are rising and
coming this way!"

"Be quick!" cried Snap, and brought around his shotgun. The others
also aimed their weapons, and as the wild ducks sailed almost over
them they let drive in a scattering volley. Two of the ducks were
killed outright and came straight down, while a third circled around
badly wounded. The others swept out of range before any harm could be
done to them.

"We've got two, anyway," said Shep.

"I'm going after that wounded one!" cried Whopper, and went off on his
snowshoes behind the fluttering game. The duck touched the snow and
then arose again and did this several times. Giant followed Whopper,
bound to get the third duck if it was possible to do so.

"Beware of holes!" yelled Snap, after the pair. "Remember what Jack
Dalton said!"

The others were too interested in pursuing the wounded duck to pay
attention to his words. Thinking he saw a chance, Whopper discharged
his weapon but it did no damage. Then Giant took a shot, and this was
likewise of no avail.

"Gracious, ducks seem to be harder to hit than deer!" cried the
smaller member of the Gun Club. "It will get away after all, Whopper!"

"Not if I know it," was the reply. "Come on!"

The pair continued to run, until fully a hundred yards more had been
covered. The wounded duck had now fluttered down into some bushes and
both felt sure they would be able to bag it. So eager were they that
they did not notice the softness of the snow before them until,
without warning, they sank up to their knees.

"Hi! what's this?" sputtered Whopper, as he floundered around.

"We're in a hole!" gasped Giant. "Say, we had better get back!"

They tried to turn back, but it was impossible, and soon both young
hunters were up to their waists and then to their breasts. They forgot
all about the wounded duck and began to call lustily for help.

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