A CRY FOR HELP
Making as little noise as possible, the other lads followed Gif back
into the woods and then along a snow-laden trail skirting the clearing.
Less than two minutes' walk brought the young hunters to a spot where
were located a series of rough rocks, and here Gif motioned for his
companions to halt.
"I think you will find the rabbits in the hollow just on the other side
of these rocks," he whispered. "Now get you guns ready before you show
yourselves."
Slowly and cautiously they mounted the rocks and then lay down in the
snow on top. They peered into the hollow below, and presently made out
the forms of at least a dozen rabbits running to and fro, evidently
trying to find something among the trees and bushes opposite that would
be fit to eat.
"We might as well fire all at the same time," said Jack. "Because after
the first shot those bunnies will do their best to get to cover."
It was quickly decided that some of the hunters should shoot at the
rabbits directly ahead, while others were to shoot at those to the right
or to the left.
It must be admitted that Fred and Andy were trembling with excitement,
and Randy was also agitated. The others were quite calm, or else they
did not allow their real feelings to show. It was decided that Jack
should give the order to fire.
"All right," said the oldest Rover boy. "Now take aim, and when I say
three, shoot."
There were several seconds of silence during which all of the young
hunters got in readiness to shoot. Then, while they were still aiming
their weapons, one of the rabbits suddenly stopped running around and
sat upright, directly facing them, with his long ears pointed skyward.
"Quick!" exclaimed Jack excitedly. "They see us! One--two--three! Fire!"
The six shotguns spoke almost as one piece, and as the reports echoed
across the clearing and through the woods, several of the rabbits were
seen to leap into the air and then fall back lifeless. Several others
were seriously wounded, and these were speedily put out of their misery
by a second shot from Gif and Spouter.
"Hurrah! Seven rabbits!" exclaimed Fred, running forward. "That's what I
call a pretty good start."
"Come on, let us go after the others! Leave these where they are," cried
Jack, and plunged into the wood where he had seen several of the rabbits
seeking refuge. He managed to bring down one of them, and Randy brought
down another. The others got away.
"Nine rabbits is by no means a bad haul," was Gif's comment, after the
boys had brought the dead game together.
"Enough for a splendid potpie, and then some," came from Spouter.
"Do you suppose we can get any more?" exclaimed Andy. He was quite
certain he had brought down one of the bunnies.
"We can try, Andy," answered Gif. "It isn't late yet, and the snow isn't
so deep but what it might be deeper."
Having divided the rabbits between them, so that each lad might carry
some of the game, they moved forward, across the little clearing, and
then through the woods for the best part of a quarter of a mile. During
that time they saw several squirrels, but were unable to get a shot at
the frisky animals.
"A squirrel is as quick as they make 'em," declared Gif. "You've got to
act like lightning to catch 'em."
By this time it was snowing so heavily that all concluded it would be a
wise move to return to Cedar Lodge. The wind was rising, shaking the
tops of the trees violently and causing a strange moaning sound through
the thickets which was anything but pleasant.
"I'd hate to be caught out here all alone and in the darkness," remarked
Randy to Fred, as they trudged along.
"Would give a fellow the creeps, wouldn't it?" was the reply.
As they continued on their way they kept their eyes wide open for the
possible appearance of more game. But no animals showed themselves, nor
did they see any birds circling through the snow, which seemed every
moment to be coming down thicker than ever.
"If this snow continues and the wind keeps on rising, we'll have a
regular blizzard before morning," announced Gif.
"Don't say a word about the wind," panted Andy, who had dropped a few
paces behind, "My nose and my ears are almost frozen."
"Well, thank goodness, Andy, we're not very far from the Lodge. You'll
soon be able to warm up."
They were still deep in the woods when from a distance they heard a
peculiar whistle twice repeated.
"That's Jed Wallop's whistle," announced Gif. "He must have just come
in."
He whistled in return, and presently they came out at a point where the
cedars fringed the clearing in the midst of which was located the
bungalow. They saw Jed Wallop standing outside the little stable and
waved their hands to him, and he waved in return.
"Thought you might have gone out huntin'," announced Wallop, when they
came up. "Had some luck, too, I see."
"Nine rabbits," said Fred, a bit proudly.
"Good enough! I guess that means some good, old-fashioned rabbit stew
to-night," and Jed Wallop grinned.
He had not seen Gif's note, and so the lads explained the situation, to
which the man listened with much concern.
"Well, by gum! what do you know about that?" he ejaculated. "I certain
did mix it when I give you them directions. I might o' told you about
turnin' to the left when it come to the road past this lodge. You see, I
got all twisted up in my mind as soon as I heard about my cousin, Tim
Doolittle, bein' hurt."
"That's just the way I figured it, Jed," answered Gif. "However, as we
got here at last it doesn't matter."
"Goin' to have a pretty good fall o' snow, boys;" and Jed Wallop looked
anxiously at the sky.
"Do you think we shall be snowed in?" questioned Randy.
"Might be--if the storm keeps up long enough. But you got plenty o'
provisions, ain't you?"
"Oh, we've got enough to last us for a week or ten days," answered Gif.
"Then I guess you'll be all right. But say! maybe you fellers would like
me to stay here with you?" continued Jed Wallop. "Not but wot you're big
enough to take care of yourselves."
"We'll get along all right, Jed. Don't worry," answered Gif.
"Then I'll be a-takin' the team and gettin' over to my own place,"
announced the man. "And I won't lose no time, nuther. I don't want to
git stuck on the road with Mary and John. They are a purty good team,
but they are apt to loose heart if the wind gits to blowin' too strong
agin 'em."
"How is your cousin getting along?" questioned Jack kindly.
"Oh, he's a-doin' tolerable. I took him over to our Uncle Joe's, you
know, and the women folks over there will give him the best o' care."
The boys assisted Jed Wallop to hook up the team to the boxsled, and in
a few minutes more the man was off with a crack of his whip, which sent
the team away at a fairly respectable pace.
"Now, have a good time!" he called back to the boys. "And don't shoot
all the game in the State."
"When will you be back?" sang out Spouter.
"In a few days. If you want me before that time give the signal;" for it
had been arranged that when the boys wanted Jed Wallop to come over from
where he lived they were to shoot a gun two times twice in succession.
"He won't have any sweet job of it getting to his place," announced
Fred.
"Fortunately, it isn't a great distance off," answered Gif. "If he had
several miles to go, I doubt if he would be able to make it."
Shutting up the stable and loading their arms with firewood from the
shed, the six cadets made their way into the Lodge. When they opened the
door the wind rushed in, causing the sparks and the ashes from the
smouldering fire to fly in all directions.
"Shut that door!" Gif cried quickly. "My, how that wind is rising!"
"Maybe it'll blow the bungalow over," remarked Randy.
"Oh, I don't believe it will get as bad as all that, Randy," said Jack.
"This looks as if it was a pretty substantial building."
"You're right," came from Gif. "Those logs are good and heavy, and they
were put together by some of the best workmen around here. This house
won't go down unless the woods go down with it. But I am mighty glad we
are under shelter where we can take it comfortable."
"Do you know what I think?" said Fred. "I think we ought to bring in
more of that firewood. There is no telling if we'll be able to get any
of it by morning if this snow keeps coming down."
"A good idea, Fred," said Jack. "Let us go out at once and pile all the
wood we can in the entryway beside the kitchen."
Leaving Gif to stir up the fire so that the Lodge might get warm once
more, the others hurried out to the woodshed. They made four trips from
that place to the entryway beside the kitchen, each time bringing in all
the logs they could carry.
"There! that wood ought to last us for two or three days," declared
Jack, when the task was done.
"Now I know what I'm going to do," said Fred, as they re-entered the
main building.
"What's that?" queried Spouter.
"I'm going to get at those dishes."
"So are we!" declared Andy and Randy in a breath.
Water was heated, and it did not take long to dispose of the dirty
dishes. While the three boys were doing this, the others cleaned up the
living room of the bungalow, and also straightened out their beds. From
time to time all gazed out of the small-paned windows, to see that the
snow was coming down as thickly as ever.
"We're in for it, and no mistake," said Gif finally. "I don't think
we'll be able to do much hunting for a day or two."
"Well, that will give us a good chance to rest," declared Jack. "I don't
know but what I would just as lief take a nap after lunch. That tramp in
the wind after the rabbits made me sleepy."
All were rather tired, and as a consequence the lunch was an informal
affair, the boys warming up and opening a large can of pork and beans
and making themselves a large pot of steaming chocolate.
"We'll have dinner to-night," said Gif, and to this the others agreed.
Then they cleared the dishes away and took it easy, some resting in
front of the fire and others on the beds in the rooms.
"If it gets much colder we'll have to pull some of those beds out into
the living room and close the doors to the bedrooms," announced Gif. "I
remember we did that one time when I was up here."
By five o'clock the boys felt rested, and then began preparations for a
regular dinner. Several of the rabbits were cleaned and cooked, and they
also boiled some potatoes and onions. Then Gif and Jack prepared a pan
of biscuits and a pot of tea.
"Some day I'm going to take a few hours off and make some pies and
cakes," announced Randy. He had always had a great liking for desserts.
"Yes, and don't forget we're going to make some candy, too," added his
twin.
In the evening the boys read some magazines they had brought along, and
Jack and Spouter played checkers. Before retiring, they looked out of
the windows, to find that it was snowing and blowing just as furiously
as ever.
"It's going to be a wild night, believe me," announced Spouter. "I don't
believe there will be many people traveling around in this vicinity."
They retired as they had done the night before, and soon, despite the
whistling of the wind, all of the lads were sound asleep.
Suddenly Jack awakened with a start. How long he had been asleep he did
not know. He sat up quickly, for he realized that some sound from
without had awakened him.
"Help! Help!" came from outside the bungalow. "Help! Let us in! We're
freezing to death!"