Four Boy Hunters Part 42

"We must be on our guard," cautioned Snap.

"I do not want any of those men to see us if it can possibly be avoided."

"We'll watch out," answered Shep.

A minute later half a dozen fat rabbits crossed their path directly in front of them. The temptation to bring the game down was strong, but they resisted, not wis.h.i.+ng to make any noise. A little later they heard two gunshots at a distance.

"Some of the men must be out hunting," observed Giant.

"Gracious! I hope they don't mistake us for game," cried Whopper.

"Let us walk more in the open," answered Snap. "Then they can't make any mistake."

The way was rocky and uneven, and long before they came in sight of their first camp the boys were somewhat footsore and weary.

"This isn't the nicest kind of tramping in the world, is it?"

came from Shep.

"Don't say a word," answered Giant. "I just came within an inch of twisting my left ankle."

They had a small brook to cross and there stopped for a drink of water. They were just going on again when another distant gunshot sounded out.

"They must be doing a lot of hunting to-day," observed Snap. "I'd like to know if they can bring anything down."

"Not if what that old guide said was true," answered Shep.

They advanced a few yards further, when Shep suddenly halted and made his chums do the same.

"What's up now?" whispered Whopper. "See a bear?"

"Whopper has bears on the brain," came from Giant, with a grin.

"I see two men over back of yonder rocks," answered Snap. "They seem to be doing some hard talking."

"Who are they?"

"One of them is Andrew Felps."

"And the other?"

"I don't know who he is."

"He is the man we are after!" cried Whopper "Don't you see his red hair and red moustache?"

"Let us go around the rocks and get closer in that way," said Snap, and his suggestion was followed out promptly.

"Well, what do you want of me, anyway, Barrock?" they heard Andrew Felps say to the man with the red hair.

"I want to talk business," answered Lush Barrock, as he was commonly called.

"Well, get to business, then," went on the lumber merchant. "I am not going to stay here all day. You said you had something to say that would interest me."

"It's true, too, Mr. Felps."

"Well, out with it, then."

Lush Barrock paused and cleared his throat. Evidently he did not know exactly how to go about what he had in mind to do.

"I reckon you know the Barnaby lumber folks," he began.

"Yes," was the short answer.

"They have been trying to get hold of a certain lumber tract up at the Spur Road."

"What of that?"

"I understand your company has been trying to get hold of the same tract of land."

"What business is that of yours?"

"None of my business---in one way---but a good deal of my business in another way."

"I don't understand you, Barrock. Stop talking in riddles and get down to business."

"Can I trust you, Mr. Felps? I mean, will you keep a secret?"

"That depends," answered Andrew Felps, coldly.

"I want to help you so that you can get the best of the Barnaby people."

"How can you help me?"

"I'll tell you if you'll promise to keep the matter a secret."

"Hum!" The lumber merchant paused for a moment. "Well, go on."

"You won't give me away?"

"No."

"Well, when they got their right to that Spur Road tract certain papers had to be signed."

"I know that."

"Then they had a fire at their sawmill."

"I know that, too."

"During that fire those papers disappeared."