Guns and Snowshoes; Or, the Winter Outing of the Young Hunters Part 12

"Well, let us go around the lake anyway," answered Snap. "There is no fun in crossing over on the ice without skates."

Down at the lower end the lake made several turns, winding in and out among the rocks, and here the boys left the ice and walked under the trees and between the bushes.

"This isn't so pleasant," said Whopper, as he stumbled on a rock and rolled over on his side.

"Look out, that your gun doesn't go off!" cried Snap, warningly. "Keep the muzzle pointed at the ground.'

"That's what I always do," answered Whopper.

They had almost reached the end of the lake, at the point where it emptied through the rocky gorge into Lake Cameron, when Giant came to a sudden halt and uttered a low whistle.

"What is it?" questioned Snap and Whopper in a breath.

"Saw something through yonder trees--something big," was the answer of the small member of the Gun Club.

"You did?" said Snap. "What did it look like?"

"Looked like a cow--but of course it couldn't be that.'

"Maybe it's was a moose!" cried Shep. "Let's go after him."

The thought that a moose might be so close at hand thrilled all the boys, and without a moment's hesitation they started off in the direction in which the strange animal had been seen.

"If it is a moose let me take a rifle shot at him," whispered Whopper.

"A bullet is what he'll want to lay him low."

"I'm willing you should have the first shot," said Snap.

The others also agreed that Whopper should be the first to fire--if the game was really as large as expected--and the boy who loved to exaggerate went to the front.

They had to climb a small hill, which came to an abrupt end beside another gully. Here the bushes had been bent low by the wind and were covered with drifted snow.

"Be careful--walking isn't very good here," cautioned Whopper. "The ground seems to be spongy."

All ranged up to the edge of the gully and prepared to leap across. As they did this, some of the bushes and the snow gave way, and down they went in a heap, a distance of ten or a dozen feet. As they fell Giant's shotgun went off with a bang that scared them greatly.

"Oh, dear!" gasped Snap, when he could free himself from the snow.

"What a tumble? Is anybody hurt?"

He gazed around, to find Whopper head first in a snow drift. He pulled his chum out, and in the meantime Shep and Giant scrambled up.

"Did--did my shot hit anybody?" questioned the smaller member of the club, anxiously.

"I'm safe," announced Snap.

"So am I," came from Whopper. "But say, I thought I was going to plow through the snow clear to China!"

"The discharge went pretty close to my ear," announced Shep. And then, as he began to realize the escape he had had, he grew slightly pale.

"I tried to keep the gun barrel pointed to a safe place," said Giant.

"But the fall came so quickly I had hardly time to think. I am thankful n.o.body was struck. Had I hit anybody I should never have forgiven myself!" And he shuddered.

"Be careful of the rest of the guns," said Whopper. "We don't want to be blown out of this hole--we prefer to climb out--at least I do."

They looked to their firearms, and then gazed around the locality in perplexity. The gully was long and narrow and both sides were covered with ice and snow. The ground above, also covered with ice and snow, was well out of their reach.

"Getting out is going to be no easy task," announced Snap. "Maybe we'll have to, walk to the end of the gulch."

"Wait, perhaps I can climb out--if one of you will give me a boost,"

said the doctor's son.

The others were willing to have Shep make the trial, and Snap and Whopper put down their guns and aided him by putting his feet in their hands. Shep caught hold of some bushes and began to haul himself up with all his strength.

"Hurrah! he is going to make it!" cried Giant, when snap! went the bushes, and down rolled the doctor's son and plunged once more into the snow.

"Whow!" he spluttered, as he arose and worked the snow from his collar and his coat sleeves. "No more of that for me! Snap, don't you want to try it?"

"No, I prefer to walk to where the gully is not so deep."

They struck out, to find the bottom of the gulch filled with bowlders, bushes and snow. More than once one or another went down into a hollow and had to be hauled out.

"Phew! but it's cold down here!" murmured Whopper. "My feet feel like two cakes of ice."

"One of the delights of hunting in the winter time," observed Snap.

"Want to go home, Whopper?"

"Not for a million dollars and a mince pie thrown in," was the prompt answer.

"Say, a piece of mince pie wouldn't go bad just now." said Shep, smacking his lips.

"Don't mention it, please."

It took a quarter of an hour's hard journeying to reach a point where the gully was only four or five feet deep, and here they left the hollow with ease. They were now further away from the lake than ever and in a locality that looked new to them.

"I don't remember this spot, although I thought we were all over this ground last summer," observed Snap.

"A place looks different in winter from what it does in summer," said Shep.

"Then that must be it."

"I reckon that moose must be 'steen miles from here by this time,"

said Whopper. "He must have heard Giant's gun go off."

As they could see nothing of the strange game, they agreed that Whopper must be right in his surmise and so determined to look around for other game. They circled the end of Firefly Lake, and then walked a short distance in the direction of Lake Cameron.

"Wait!" called out Whopper, presently, "Snap, let me have your shotgun." And he reached for the weapon.

"What do you see?"