Guns and Snowshoes; Or, the Winter Outing of the Young Hunters Part 40

"Well, Shep, you know well enough what I mean."

"Come on after his bears.h.i.+p!" cried Whopper. "We'll blow him into a million pieces and then take him home as a trophy of our skill."

"Who's going to carry the million pieces?" asked Snap, innocently, and then Whopper s.h.i.+ed a chunk of soft snow at him.

All felt in excellent spirits and willing to go after the savage animal. They advanced with caution among the rocks, until they came to a narrow defile, partly choked with snow and ice. On one side was a big shelving rock, with a dark hole beneath.

"Be careful, that may be the bear's den!" cried Snap softly, and just then a loud and deep growl came from the hole. It rather scared all of the young hunters and they retreated several paces.

"Wonder how we can make him come out of his hole?" asked Shep, after an awkward pause.

"Go in and invite him," suggested Whopper, who felt in particularly bright humor that day.

"All right, you go."

"Not on your life!" And Whopper took another step backward.

"Let us get up on yonder rocks," suggested Snap. "Then I'll throw a stone into the den." They crawled up the somewhat slippery rocks and then the leader of the Gun Club did as he had mentioned.

The stone struck something soft, and a moment later out of the den lumbered the big black bear, bristling with rage. As he came forth all of the young hunters blazed away, and the bear was struck in various places. But the shots were far from fatal, and with a grunt of rage and pain bruin started to climb up the rocks after them.

"Give him another shot!" yelled Whopper, who had the rifle. "Quick, or he'll chew somebody up!"

Again Snap and Giant fired, and the bear received more buckshot in his anatomy. But he was tough as well as big, and the wounds seemed to merely increase his rage.

"He's coming up the rocks sure!" gasped Giant. Then he started to run, lost his footing and began to roll down one of the steep sides of the rock!

"Giant! Giant!" yelled Snap. "Stop, you are rolling right toward the bear!"

"He'll be chewed up sure!" screamed Shep. "Shoot him, somebody! Shoot him!"

In feverish haste Whopper had been reloading his rifle. Now he swung the weapon to his shoulder. He was greatly agitated but by sheer force of will power calmed himself sufficiently to take aim. Then the rifle cracked out and the bullet hit the bear full in the chest. It made bruin stagger, and he fell back on his side, kicking up a shower of snow in all directions.

"Good! That's the way to do it!" sang out Snap. "Now run, Giant!"

By this time the youngest member of the Gun Club had reached the bottom of the rocks and was scrambling to his feet. He had his gun still in his hands, and as the bear lurched toward him he caught the weapon by the barrel, swung it around and let the beast have such a crack on the head that the gun stock was completely shattered. Over went the bear again, kicking up another shower of loose snow.

By this time the young hunters were sure they had the best of the fight, and withdrawing to a safe distance each of those having available weapons let the beast have another shot. This was too much for bruin, and with a final roar and a gasp he plunged forward on his head, gave several convulsive kicks, and lay still.

"Hurrah! We've got him!" cried Shep. "That's the best haul yet!"

"You are right," said Whopper, "even if it did cost Giant his gun."

"Never mind, we'll chip in and buy another for him," said Snap. "Say, that was a sharp fight," he added.

It was no easy matter to get the big bear on a drag and haul the carca.s.s down to the ice. But once on the lake they made good progress towards the camp.

"Hullo, boys, been looking for you!" came the call, and Jed Sanborn appeared. "By Christopher Peter! Got a black bear, have yet! Now ain't thet prime!"

"What's the news, Jed?" asked Snap.

"Lots o' news," said the old hunter. "First thing is, you're to go home to-morrow."

"Oh, we know that already," said Whopper.

"Next thing is, do you know that tramp feller with the name o' Kiddy Leech?

"Yes."

"Well, he's tuk--caught him yesterday. Aaron Masterson spotted him hanging around Riverview. He's arrested."

"Good!" cried Snap. "Now he'll get what he deserves."

"An' that ain't all. Who do you think the tramp sent fer when he was in jail?"

"Who?" asked the four young hunters, simultaneously.

"Ham Spink and Carl Dudder. It ain't leaked out jest why, but some folks thinks young Spink and young Dudder got the tramp to steal your things. An' there's more news, too."

"What more, Jed?"

"It's come out that Ham Spink and Carl Dudder blew up the old boathouse, jest to ruin your things. There was a lively row, but Mr.

Spink an' Mr. Rudder settled the bill--to keep Ham and Carl out o'

jail, I expect."

This was indeed news and the boys listened with interest to all of the details. The discovery about the boathouse had come through a workman who had let Ham Spink have the dynamite.

"If Ham Spink got that tramp to come here, he ought to suffer for it--and Carl Rudder ought to suffer too," said Snap.

"They shall suffer for it," added Shep.

That evening they told Jed Sanborn of their various experiences, and showed him the game they were going to take home. He declared the bear to be the largest he had ever seen in those parts, and said the game would create a stir when exhibited at Fairview.

"Don't know as you'll ever have so much fun hunting again," he said, "or so many adventures." But he was mistaken, they did have an equal amount of fun, excitement and thrilling adventures the very next summer, and how and where will be told in the next volume of this series, to be ent.i.tled "Young Hunters of the Lake; or, Out with Rod and Gun."

The home-coming of the young hunters made quite a stir in the quiet town and when they showed the big bear at one of the stores crowds came to inspect the game. The lads were greatly praised and if their parents were proud of what their sons had done, who can blame them?

The truth about the doings of Ham Spink and Carl Dudder soon leaked out, so far as our friends were concerned, although the matter was kept from the general public. Both Mr. Spink and Mr. Dudder were anxious that no charge of theft should be made against Kiddy Leech, so the tramp was merely given thirty days in jail for vagrancy, and was then given some money by Mr. Spink and told to go elsewhere, which he did. In the meantime Mr. Spink and Mr. Dudder paid for all damages our friends had sustained, including the burning down of the log cabin, which the bad boys admitted, and promised to take Ham and Carl vigorously in hand. As a result both of the misguided boys were sent to a very strict boarding school, where their parents hoped they would see the error of their ways and do better. Hearing of this Snap and the other Gun Club members said they were satisfied; and there the matter rested.

"Boys, we had a dandy time," said Shep one day, as they were talking the outing over. "Hope we go again soon!"

"And shoot more bears," put in Giant.

"And deer," added Snap.

"And a hundred or two other things," came from Whopper. "The next time I go camping--"