Guns And Snowshoes

C >> Captain Ralph Bonehill >> Guns And Snowshoes

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"The flag is down!" cried Giant, in some disappointment.

"I reckon the blizzard was too much for it," answered Snap. "But let
that go, so long as the shelter itself is all right."

They almost broke into a run on the last quarter mile, so eager were
they to see the condition of things. At last they caught sight of
Birch Tree Inn. It looked to be exactly as they had left it.

"Thank fortune for that," began Shep, when Whopper uttered a cry.

"I really believe the doorway is open!"

The barrier to the doorway was certainly gone, and with hearts that
fairly thumped in their breasts they ran for the shelter, to learn
what this meant. All was dark inside and very cold, and with trembling
fingers Snap struck a match and looked around for the acetylene
bicycle lamp.

"It's gone!" he cried.

"And most of our things are gone too!" gasped Shep.

Then the match went out and they had to light another. A scrap of
paper was found and some dry sticks, and they kindled a blaze, heaping
up the fire so as to get as much light as possible.

"One sled is gone!"

"So are all the cooking utensils!"

"And the extra clothing!"

"And the grub!" wailed Whopper. "Not a bit of coffee, chocolate,
sugar, or anything left!"

"Boys, this is awful!" wailed Giant. "Who could have done it?"

"Maybe the Ham Spink crowd."

"Or the Felps crowd."

"Or that tramp who made trouble for us before," came from Snap.

Then they made a more careful inspection--to find their skates also
missing and--most precious of all--all the extra matches and extra
ammunition.

"This is the worst blow of all," said the leader of the club,
referring to the matches and the ammunition. "We can't stay here
without ammunition and the wherewith to make a fire when we want it."

"What's to do?" asked Giant and Whopper, in a breath.

"Either catch the fellow who has stolen our things, or go home."

CHAPTER XXV

AT THE CAMP ONCE AGAIN

The announcement Snap made cast a gloom over all the boys. Each felt
that their leader spoke the truth.

"Well, as I don't want to go home, I vote we go after the thief," said
Shep, who was the first to speak.

Fortunately not all of their stores had been taken--they had been too
plentiful to pile on one sled--so they had enough left with which to
get a substantial supper. But all of the boys did not wait for the
meal.

"If we are going to follow that thief up we ought to do it right
away," said Snap. "The more time that is wasted the less will be our
chance of catching him. Shep, if you say so, we can go after him and
leave Giant and Whopper to look after what is left here."

"Why can't I go along?" asked Giant.

"Two ought to stay here," said Snap. "And I've got another plan," he
went on. "How much money have we got on hand?"

The amount was counted and found to be nearly five dollars.

"That's enough," said the leader. "If we can't find the thief, we can
slip over to Riverside and buy the things we actually need. I wouldn't
go to Fairview, because that would cause too much talk."

Snap and Shep put some provisions in their game bags, readjusted their
snowshoes, and soon set off.

"Have you any idea when you will be back?" called Whopper after them.

"No--maybe not till to-morrow," was the answer.

In the deep snow it was easy to follow the direction the thief with
the sled had taken, and they soon became convinced that but one person
had done the deed.

Left to themselves, Whopper and Giant did what little they could to
restore order to the camp. They saw that the thief must have remained
in the shelter one or two days--probably during the blizzard. On
leaving he had attempted to break down one wall of the place and ruin
the chimney, but had not succeeded.

"They'll last as long as we want to stay," said Giant. "But how mean
it was to try such things!"

In coming to the shelter Whopper had twisted his ankle and this hurt
him not a little, and he was perfectly willing to rest the member all
he could. Giant prepared supper and they ate it leisurely, in the
meanwhile talking over the outlook from every point of view.

Morning found the two young hunters stirring early. There was little,
however, to do, and they took their time over breakfast. Giant had
found where a bag of beans had been spilled on the ground and he
picked them up with care one by one.

"I think I'll make some bean soup for a change," he said. "I'll throw
in some meat to give it a flavor."

"That rascal--whoever he was--took all the flour, otherwise we might
make some pancakes," grumbled Whopper.

"I might try my hand at fishing through the ice again," said Giant.
"Baked fish will go fine for a change."

"Hadn't I better stay here, Giant? Somebody ought to mind the camp
until Snap and Shep get back, and my ankle is quite swollen."

"Yes, stay by all means, and if you want me, yell or fire your gun."

So it was arranged, and after dinner Giant sallied forth, with the
axe, which had not been confiscated, and his fishing lines and such
bait as he could scrape together.

As Giant had found his former fishing place a good one he went to the
same spot again. The snow was deep and he had to sweep it away with a
spruce branch he cut for that purpose. Then he chopped a round hole in
the ice as before, and sat down on some snow and the tree branch to
wait for a bite.

Fishing proved slow, and it was a good quarter of an hour before he
got a bite and then the fish slipped the hook just as he was hauling
the catch to the surface. But he kept on and in an hour had a catch of
three, all of fair size.

After that, however, try his best, he could not get another bite. Then
he determined to go further down the lake, where there was another
cove.

"There ought to be fish at the bottom of that cove," he told himself.
"And if there are, I am bound to have some."

Finding a spot that suited his fancy, he again swept off the snow and
began to cut a hole in the ice. This proved quite a task, and by the
time he had finished he was pretty well winded. He baited up and sat
down on a bank of snow he had swept together.

Just then some noise reached his ears, and he looked around and
listened. But the noise was not repeated.

"What could that have been?" he mused. "Some bird?"

He strained his ears, but the stillness of the forest lay all around
the lake. Of a sudden Giant began to feel lonely, and he gave a little
shiver. Then he braced up.

"Pshaw, I'm getting as nervous as a cat," he murmured. "And all on
account of nothing. I'd better go to fishing and forget it."

He dropped in his line, properly baited, and waited for a bite. He was
lucky, for soon up came a nice maskalonge. Then, a few minutes later,
came a rock bass--something for which he had not been looking. He grew
interested, and forgot all about the noise he had heard, until the
cracking of some bushes caught his ears.

"There's that noise again," he muttered. "What in the world can it
be?"

For the first time since leaving the shelter Giant wished he had
brought along his shotgun. What if some game should suddenly appear?

"If a deer should come along and I couldn't shoot it, it would make me
sick," he told himself. "And game is always sure to come along when
you haven't a gun."

Giant had now seven fish, four of good size. He decided to wait for
just one more, then wind up and go back to the shelter. It was rather
cold sitting at the fishing hole and his feet were beginning to feel
very much like the ice under them.

He had baited up with care, and allowed the line to sink almost to the
bottom of the lake, when a fresh noise startled him. This was another
crackling sound. There followed a low, suppressed growl, and turning
in the direction of the shore Giant was horrified to see a big, black
bear come lumbering into view!

"A bear! I'll have to get out of here!" he ejaculated, and snatching up
his fish and line and the axe he started on a run for the shelter.

The bear came out on the ice and toward the hole. Then it smelt the
fish, and a moment later started on a clumsy run after the fleeing
youth!

CHAPTER XXVI

THE TRAIL THROUGH THE SNOW

Snap and Shep followed the trail of the stolen sled to the end of
Firefly Lake with ease. The track was clearly to be distinguished, and
it pursued its course in almost a straight line.

"I hope we can follow it thus easily to the end," said the leader of
the Gun Club. "I'd hate to lose it."

"Let us hurry as much as possible," returned the doctor's son. "We
want to overtake the thief before night."

They did hurry, and at length came to the outlet of the lake. Before
them was Rocky River, a hundred and more feet wide at this point and
frozen over solidly.

"Hullo, he didn't go towards Fairview!" cried Snap, pointing to the
track the sled had left. He went the other way."

"He must have gone to Riverview, or else beyond," returned the
doctor's son.

They passed the old icehouse where Kiddy Leech had met Ham Spink and
his cronies and kept on steadily in the direction of Riverview. Then
of a sudden Snap set up a shout.

"I see a man ahead--with a sled!"

"So do I! It must be the thief, Snap!"

"Perhaps, although I can't make out at this distance. I'll tell you
what I'll do, Shep--put on the skates and skate on the clear ice. I'll
soon catch him that way. You can follow on your snowshoes or take them
off, if you'd rather."

Shep decided to run without the snowshoes and both lads took off the
articles. Then Snap donned the skates and hurried off at his best rate
of speed.

"If he won't stop--shoot at him!" called Shep after his chum.

"I certainly will!" responded Snap, who was worked up more than he
cared to admit.

Snap had quite a stretch of clear ice, but further on was a long drift
of snow over which he made but slow progress. But then came another
clear stretch and he spun along, his skates skirring merrily at every
sturdy stroke.

Snap was within a hundred yards of the man with the sled when the
latter chanced to look around. At once the youth yelled at him.

"Stop, you thief! Stop!"

The man was startled and slackened his pace. Then, when he saw the
youth raise his shotgun, he let up a cry of fear.

"Don't shoot! Please don't shoot!"

"Kiddy Leech!" ejaculated Snap, recognizing the tramp. "Stop, you
rascal, or it will be the worse for you!"

To this the tramp did not reply. Instead, he ran to one side of the
river, and plunged into some bushes. Beyond was a thick growth of
trees, and he lost no time in hiding himself among these.

At first Snap was on the point of shooting, but he hesitated, as he
was afraid he might kill the thief. Then it was too late to fire, and
he dropped his gun on its strap. He took possession of the sled,
turned it around and skated slowly toward where his chum was coming up
on a decidedly lively run.

"Did you catch him, Snap?"

"No, but I know who it was--that tramp, Kiddy Leech."

"Is that so! Are all the things here?"

"I don't know."

"Where did he go?"

"Ran for that woods like a frightened deer. I would have fired, only I
was afraid of killing him."

"Do you think we ought to go after him? We might be able to trail him
in the snow."

"We might try it. He was pretty well scared when he saw me with my
shotgun."

Leaving the sled by the river side, both young hunters made their way
through the bushes and into the forest. For a short distance they
followed the trail with ease. But then they reached a pond containing
some clear ice and here the footprints were lost.

"Might as well give it up," said Shep, looking around. "It is growing
dark and he will know enough to keep hidden. Besides, if we corner him
he may play some trick--tumble a rock on us, or something like that."

Slowly the two young hunters retraced their way to the river. They
were now so tired they could scarcely drag one foot after the other.
The excitement over, reaction set in.

"I don't think I want to walk all the way to camp to-night," remarked
Shep. "It's too far."

"We'll put up somewhere over night," answered Snap.

They examined the things on the sled with interest and were glad to
ascertain that nearly every article stolen was there. The few things
missing were of scant importance.

"I'll wager that scamp intended to take the things somewhere and sell
them," said Snap. "We were lucky to catch him as we did."

Having looked the load over, they repacked it with care and then
looked around them, to find out their exact location.

"There is a farmer named Masterson, who lives just beyond this woods,"
said Snap. "My father sold him the lumber for his new barn. Perhaps
he'll take us in for the night, if we offer to pay him."

"Well, we can try him anyway," answered the doctor's son.

They skated along the river until the field leading up to the
farmhouse was reached. It was now quite dark. A dog came out to greet
them, barking furiously.

"Hope he isn't of the biting kind," said Shep, drawing back.

"Down, Rover, down!" came in a man's voice, and a moment later Aaron
Masterson appeared. He was a man of sixty, bent from age and hard
work.

"Good evening, Mr. Masterson," said Snap. "I don't know if you
remember me or not. I am Charley Dodge. My father sold you the lumber
for your new barn."

"Oh, yes, I remember you," said the old farmer, with a smile. "You
came to the raising, didn't you? Who is this with you?"

"My friend, Shep Reed. He is Dr. Reed's son."

"Oh, yes, I know the doctor, too. He attended my wife when she had
pneumonia--brought her around, too. Well, lads, what brings you in
such a snow?"

In a few words Snap and Shep explained the situation. When they
mentioned the tramp Aaron Masterson shook his grizzled head and his
fist vigorously.

"The pesky critters! I wish you had shot him! They're a terribul
nuisance, tramps is. One day my wife give two on 'em a dinner an' they
up afterwards an' stole my new sickle an' whetstone. Tramps ought all
to be hung. Come in the house."

"Can you keep us until to-morrow morning?"

"I think so--I'll have to ask my wife first though."

Mrs. Masterson proved to be a motherly lady of fifty, and she readily
consented to keep the boys and give them their supper and breakfast.

"You won't have to pay a cent," she declared. I am glad to do Doctor
Reed's son a favor, and your friend a favor too. The doctor is a
wonderfully fine man."

"An' Mr. Dodge treated me right on that lumber fer the barn," put in
Aaron Masterson.

The boys were invited to sit down to a well filled table, and did so,
after washing their hands in the kitchen at the sink. They had a real
homecooked supper and enjoyed it immensely.

They were just finishing up when there came a loud knock on the dining
room door of the farmhouse. Aaron Masterson answered it.

"What's wanted?" he asked, of a man who stood on the porch.

"Please, sir, I am a poor man looking for work. Would you mind giving
me a bit to eat?" came from somebody outside.

"It's Kiddy Leech!" whispered Snap. "Now, what do you think of that?"

CHAPTER XXVII

THE CAPTURE OF THE TRAMP

It was indeed Kiddy Leech who had applied for assistance at the home
of Aaron Masterson. The tramp had taken it for granted that Snap and
Shep had started for the camp on Firefly Lake and would make no
further effort to bring him to justice.

"What nerve!" whispered Shep. "What shall we do?"

"Let's capture him. I'll go outside, and you can remain in here."

So speaking, Snap caught up his shotgun, which stood near the kitchen
door, and slipped out of the entrance to the woodshed. From there he
ran around the corner of the house, coming up behind Kiddy Leech.

"Out o' work, eh?" Aaron Masterson was saying. "Wot's your trade?"

"I'm an electrical worker," answered the tramp. "The factory I worked
in shut down, and I can't get a thing to do anywhere."

"Humph! Well, I reckon we can give you a meal," answered the farmer.
"Come in."

"Thank you very much," said the tramp, and followed through the
doorway. Then Aaron Masterson noticed Snap with the shotgun.

"Hullo, how did you git out there?" he cried.

Kiddy Leech turned swiftly and he started on beholding the young
hunter.

"Wha--what do you want?" he stammered.

"Go on in, Leech," answered the leader of the Gun Club, firmly. "If
you try to run away I'll surely shoot you."

"What does this mean?" demanded Aaron Masterson.

"This is the rascal who ran off with our outfit, Mr. Masterson,"
answered Snap.

"And we mean to make him a prisoner," added Shep. "Kiddy Leech, don't
you dare to resist, or it will be that much worse for you."

The tramp was caught between two fires, as it were, and did not know
what to do. As we know, he was a good deal of a coward at heart, and
the sight of the shotgun in Snap's hands made him quake.

"Don't shoot me!" he whined. "Please don't shoot me!" And he held up
his hands in token of submission.

"So you are the pesky rascal the lads was a-tellin' me about," said
Aaron Masterson, sternly. "Nice doin's, I must say!"

The door was closed and locked, so that Kiddy Leech might not make his
exit in a hurry. The tramp was in a decidedly perplexed frame of mind
and blamed himself roundly for not having been more careful.

"What are you going to do with me?" he asked, as he stood in a corner.

"We are going to hand you over to the police," answered Snap. "It is
no more than you deserve."

"I didn't mean no harm,--indeed, I didn't!

"I suppose you think it no harm to steal!" said Shep, sarcastically.

"I wasn't stealing your things."

"You were!"

"No, I wasn't. I was--er--only going to hide 'em on you."

"You went a mighty long way to do it," said Snap, coldly. "Where were
you going to hide them, at the second-hand shop or the pawn-broker's?"

"I'm telling the plain truth. Why, I never stole a thing in my life!"
exclaimed Kiddy Leech.

"Not even when you ran away from our camp that first time," said the
doctor's son. "How can you expect us to believe you? It is a waste of
breath on your part."

"If I can prove that it wasn't my doings--that is--that I am not the
responsible party, will you let me go?" demanded Kiddy Leech, eagerly.

"We want to hear your story first," said the doctor's son.

"If this here feller stole them things, as you say he did, the best
thing to do is to tote him off to the lock-up," interposed Aaron
Masterson. "He's evidently tryin' to make up a slick yarn so as to git
off."

"Aaron, you can't take him to the town jail to-night, it's too late,"
said the farmer's wife. Remember, the travelin' is powerful bad, too."

"Then I reckon we can tie him up in the barn till mornin'," answered
her husband, with an inquiring look at the two young hunters.

"We can do that," said Snap. "But first we might listen to what he has
to say."

"You won't let me go--if I tell you something very important?" asked
Kiddy Leech.

"Not yet"

"All right then, I won't say a word," answered the tramp, and a set
look came over his somewhat besotted face.

He realized that he was in a serious situation and made up his mind
that Ham Spink and Carl Dudder must help him out of it. He knew the
two boys were well-to-do and reasoned that their parents would do
almost anything to keep their sons out of jail.

"Going to tie me up in the barn and starve me to death, eh?" he said
sourly. "I wouldn't treat a dog that way."

"If we keep him all night I suppose we can give him a little something
to eat," said Mrs. Masterson, relenting.

"Sit down there and eat," commanded her husband and pointed to a
chair. Kiddy Leech dropped into it and was given a fair supper, for
which, it must be confessed, he had little relish. Several times he
acted as if he wanted to talk, but as often changed his mind.

"I'll make them young dudes get me out of this," the tramp told
himself. "Maybe their folks will pay me handsomely to keep mum and
take what's coming to me. That's their way of doing."

The supper over, Aaron Masterson lit his lantern and led the way to
the barn. Here the tramp had to submit to having his hands bound
behind him, and then he was placed in a large harness closet. The
closet was fairly warm, so there was little danger of his taking cold.

"Now, you keep quiet until morning," said Aaron Masterson, as he threw
in several blankets.

"Do you think he can break out of the closet?" asked Snap.

"I'll fix it so he won't want to," answered the farmer.

When Snap and Shep had come he had tied up his dog. Now he released
the animal and brought him into the barn.

"Watch, Rover, watch!" he said, pointing to the closet, and the dog
gave a sniff and a short bark, and then lay down in front of the
locked door.

"My dog is here--don't try to get out," called Aaron Masterson, to the
tramp. "If you do--well, I won't be responsible, thet's all!"

"Mighty kind," growled Kiddy Leech, and that was all he said.

After that the farmer and the two young hunters returned to the house
and talked the matter over for a full hour. It was decided to take
Kiddy Leech to the Riverside jail the first thing in the morning. Then
Snap was to go home and tell his father of what had occurred, and Shep
was to take the news to the camp on Firefly Lake.

The two boys were given a comfortable room in which to sleep. It felt
more than good after "bunking around" in camp and forest, and despite
the excitement of the tramp's capture, they slept well.

"Hi! boys, got up!" they heard Aaron Masterson call, at about six
o'clock.

"Oh, dear, I wish he'd let us sleep an hour longer," grumbled the
doctor's son.

"Remember, we are to take that tramp to the lock-up this morning,"
answered Snap.

"Boys, are you awake?" went on the farmer. "I've got news for you!
Thet tramp's got away!"

CHAPTER XXVIII

FOUR BOYS AND A BEAR

"ESCAPED!" ejaculated Shep.

"How in the world did he manage it?" queried Snap.

Then both young hunters leaped up and dressed as rapidly as possible.

"He was a slick one," said Aaron Masterson. "He got free of the rope
around his wrists somehow and then he clum to the top o' the harness
closet and into the loft. From the winder he dropped onto the shed an'
then to the ground."

"But what of your dog? Didn't he go after him?" questioned the
doctor's son.

"No, the barn door was shet, to keep out the wind, so Rover couldn't
follow him."

"When do you suppose he got away?"

"Some time during the night."

"Can't we follow him?" asked Snap.

"We can try."

All went outside and down to the barn. The tracks left by Kiddy Leech
were plainly to be seen from the barn to the highway, but there the
footprints were hopelessly lost in the multitude of others.

"Ain't no use to try to follow him," said Aaron Masterson. "The road
branches off four times between here an' town an' there ain't no
tellin' wot road he tuk. More'n likely he's travelin' as fast as all
git-out, too."

"He certainly will do his level best to get away--after such
experiences as he has had," answered Snap. "Perhaps he will never show
himself in this locality again."

They remained out on the road, looking up and down, for five minutes,
and then returned to the house.

"Did he steal anything?" asked Shep.

"By gum! I didn't think o' that!" gasped Aaron Masterson.

He took a thorough look around and then came in and gave a sigh of
satisfaction.

"Nothin' missing, so far as I can see," he said. "Reckon he was too
scart to pick up anything. The dog must have barked, but I didn't hear
him."

"Neither did I," answered Snap. "It was so cold I rolled up as tight
as I could, ears and all, in the blankets."

With the tramp gone, there seemed nothing to do but for Snap and Shep
to return to the camp. Mrs. Masterson served them with a fine
breakfast of sausage, and, wheatcakes with molasses, and the boys
"filled up" as only growing boys can. Then the lady of the house gave
them a mince pie and some crullers to take with them. Neither she nor
her husband would take any pay for what they had done.

"It's too bad thet tramp got away," said Aaron Masterson. "But I did
wot I thought best to hold him."

"Oh, we don't blame you, Mr. Masterson," said Snap. "But it is a pity
such a rascal should be at large."

It was pleasant enough when the sun showed itself, and by eight
o'clock the two young hunters were on their journey to Firefly Lake.
It must be confessed that they found their load a heavy one, and by
noon they were still some distance from camp.

"We'll have to stop, to rest and get a lunch," said the doctor's son.
"No use of killing ourselves."

"I suppose Giant and Whopper are wondering what has become of us,"
said Snap.

They came to a rest in the shelter of some pine trees and ate a lunch
Mrs. Masterson had prepared for them, in the meantime keeping warm by
a fire they built of tree branches. The rest occupied half an hour and
then they went on as before.

"Wonder what the boys are doing?" said Snap, as they reached Firefly
Lake.

"Giant said something about fishing through the ice," answered his
companion. "He appears to love that sport."

"Well, it is nice--when you can catch anything--and Giant is always
lucky."

They had proceeded less than half the distance up the lake to the camp
when Snap came to a halt.

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