Guns and Snowshoes; Or, the Winter Outing of the Young Hunters Part 32

It was a moment of extreme peril, and for the instant Snap's heart seemed to stop beating. Then little Giant turned swiftly and pulled the trigger of his shotgun and sent the load into the wolf's ear.

There was one short yelp, a leap of agony, and the wolf landed in the fire, dead, scattering the burning embers in all directions.

"Good for you, Giant!" cried Snap, when he could speak. He caught the dead wolf and threw the body among the trees.

"Fix that fire up!" yelled Whopper. "It's our best protection!"

He ran for some sticks, and they built the fire into a roaring blaze that illuminated the forest for a considerable distance. Then Shep and Whopper fired more shots, wounding two more wolves, and the pack slowly retreated, growling and howling savagely.

"What an attack!" said Whopper, wiping the cold perspiration from his forehead. "I don't want to experience another."

Further sleep was out of the question, and for the remainder of the night the boys kept a good fire going and watched all around the temporary camp for their enemies. But the wolves did not show themselves again.

"And now for Firefly Lake and Birch Tree Inn!" cried Shep, when they were preparing breakfast. "My! the Inn will seem like home, after such experiences as we have had!"

It was clear and mild, with hardly any wind blowing. As the sun came up it made the great drifts of snow glitter and sparkle in a manner which was dazzling.

"Oh, look!" screamed Giant, just as they were getting ready to set out. "There's a shot for somebody!" and he caught up his gun.

Over the spruce trees a flock of wild ducks were soaring, evidently searching for food. They came quite close, and all of the young hunters blazed away, in rapid succession. Six of the ducks came down, one so straight that it hit Whopper directly on the head, almost knocking him over.

"There's luck for you!" cried Snap, gleefully, "We've got a few ducks anyway."

They placed the game in their bags, and a few minutes later bade farewell to the shelter of the spruces. It was so clear they could see the distant hills and mountains with ease and Snap regulated the course accordingly.

Some of the snowdrifts were truly immense, one, they reckoned, measuring twenty feet in height. They had to proceed with care, for they did not want to break through and sink out of sight. Once Whopper fell over and it was all the others could do to set him straight on his snowshoes again.

They had thought to take almost a direct course to Firefly Lake, but after covering a mile found this impossible.

"We'll have to take something of a round-about way," said their leader. "It will be longer, but it can't be helped."

"That will bring us between Firefly Lake and Lake Cameron, won't it?"

asked Giant.

"Yes."

They hurried on for another mile. It was certainly hard work and made them warm in spite of the lowness of the thermometer. Then they came to a big drift of snow and found it no mean task to get over the same.

"Hark I what was that?" said Shep.

"A gunshot," answered Whopper. "There goes another."

After that they heard several more shots, coming from some point ahead.

"Some other hunters must be out," said Snap. "Wonder who they can be?"

CHAPTER XXIV

A DISAGREEABLE MEETING

They had reached a point directly between Firefly Lake and Lake Cameron when they came to a little patch of woods surrounding a pond less than a hundred feet across. As they entered the woods they heard a slight noise and saw a small deer running swiftly across the snow on the pond. At once Whopper let drive and so did Snap, and the deer went down, kicked for a moment, and then lay still.

The game had been struck in the rump and in the neck, but there was another wound in one ear and still a fourth near the tail.

"Must have been hit before she came this way," said Giant.

As the young hunters surrounded the game they did not notice the approach of three men on snow-shoes, all carrying guns and gamebags.

The three men were Andrew Felps and two of his particular friends, Giles Faswig and Vance Lemon.

"Hi! what are you doing here?" demanded Andrew Felps, striding up angrily. "Didn't I warn you off of my land last summer? You have no right to hunt here."

"They have the deer!" put in Giles Faswig. "Hang the luck anyhow."

"Never mind, the deer belongs to us--it was shot on my land," muttered Andrew Felps.

"Certainly it is your deer if it was shot on your land," put in Vance Lemon.

The four boy hunters listened to the talk in considerable dismay.

Evidently the three men intended to appropriate the game.

"Is this your land?" asked Whopper.

"We didn't see any fence," put in Snap.

"The fences are there anyway--I had them put up last fall, after the fire. You have no right to even cross my land, much less do any shooting."

"Felps, ain't you going to claim the deer?" asked Giles Faswig.

"Certainly I am. But I want these young rascals to understand that they can't come on my land," answered the lumber dealer.

"Mr. Felps, we are not young rascals," said Shep, with flas.h.i.+ng eyes.

"We shot the deer in good faith and if you take it from us I shall consider it stealing."

"Listen to that!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Vance Lemon. "And after we wounded the deer first, too!"

"I won't talk to you," cried Andrew Felps, savagely. "Leave that deer alone, and get off of my land as quick as you can--and stay off!"

His manner was so savage and threatening that the young hunters felt compelled to retreat. Yet they were very angry.

"Mr. Felps, I think you'll be sorry for this some day," said Snap.

"When I get back to Fairview I shall tell everybody just how meanly you have acted."

"Hi! don't you threaten me!" roared the irate lumber dealer. "I know my business. You clear out--and be quick about it."

"I suppose you and your friends want our deer because you're not able to shoot one yourselves," called out Whopper, and with this parting shot the young hunters withdrew. All of the men shook their fists at the boys.