LETTERS FROM HOME
While Gif was sorting out the mail, which included not only letters but
also several packages which had been sent by parcel post, Jack and
Spouter told the old hunter about the coming of the two bullies to the
Lodge, and how they had sneaked away at daybreak.
"Accordin' to that, them fellers can't be very good friends o' yourn,"
remarked the old hunter dryly.
"They are our enemies," answered Spouter. "They did all sorts of mean
things at Colby Hall, and when they were found out Werner got so scared
that he ran away and never came back."
"I guess their folks ought to take 'em in hand. If they don't they'll be
sorry fer it later on," said Wallop. "But I must be gittin' on now, fer
I've got to git ready to-night fer a big day's work to-morrow."
"Some day we want you to come down here and go out hunting with us,"
said Jack. "Can't you show us where we can get a chance at a deer, or
something else that is worth while?"
"Wot's the matter with stirrin' up a bear?" replied the old hunter, with
a grin, his eyes twinkling.
"That would suit me to a T!" exclaimed Randy.
"Trot out your bears and we'll polish 'em off!" added his twin.
"Not many bears 'round here," announced Jed Wallop. "But you might
strike something jest as bad, especially if the snow keeps on gittin'
deeper. The wolves in this neighborhood git mighty pestiferous when they
can't git nothin' to eat."
"Wolves!" exclaimed Fred. "Gee! I don't know that I want to run up
against a savage wolf."
After promising to come down and see them during the following week, Jed
Wallop drove off, leaving the boys to return to the Lodge and look over
their letters and parcel post packages.
"Here is a letter from mother, and it encloses a letter from dad!" cried
Jack, as he glanced over the epistle.
"I've got a letter from Mary," said Fred. "And here is one from May
Powell, too."
"Who is your second letter from, Jack?" queried Spouter.
"Oh, never you mind about that."
"Looks as if it might be in Ruth Stevenson's handwriting," said Andy,
with a grin.
There were letters for everybody. Two of the packages were from the
Rover boys' homes, and the third had been sent to Spouter by his mother.
"A fruit cake!" exclaimed Fred, as he opened the package addressed to
him. "I'll tell you! It takes my mother to remember what us fellows
like," and he smacked his lips.
The other package, addressed to Andy and Randy, contained a box of
home-made sugar cookies, while that which Spouter had received contained
a long loaf of ginger cake and a box of hard candies.
"Well, one thing is sure--they haven't forgotten us," was Spouter's
remark, as he passed the candies around.
All the boys were anxious to read their letters, and for the time being
everything else was forgotten. Mrs. Dick Rover wrote that nothing of
importance had happened at home since they had gone away. Ruth Stevenson
and May Powell were still with them, but all of the girls expected to go
to the Stevenson homestead to finish their school vacation.
The letter from Dick Rover had been sent from the battlefront in France.
In it he related how he and his brothers, as well as some of their old
school chums, had been in a number of small engagements. In one of these
Tom and Sam Rover had been slightly wounded by the fragments from a
shell, and he himself had been in a gas attack, but had escaped without
serious injury. All had been sent to the field hospital to be treated,
but now they were once more at the front in what were called their
winter quarters.
* * * * *
"The Boches are watching us like a cat watches a mouse, and we are
equally on the alert," wrote Dick Rover. "There have been no big
battles, but sniping is going on constantly, and several of our men have
been killed or wounded. We are all anxious to have the cold weather
break up, so that we can go forward and finish this war. We feel that we
can wallop the enemy, if only we have a chance to get at them."
* * * * *
"That's dad, all right," murmured Jack admiringly. He had read the
letter aloud for the benefit of the others.
"Oh, dear! I hope dad wasn't seriously hurt," murmured Fred.
"I think if our fathers were very badly hurt Uncle Dick would let us
know," answered Randy. "He isn't one to hold back news--he knows we want
the truth."
"If only this war was over!" remarked Andy, and now there was little of
his usual light-heartedness in his tone. "I won't feel at ease until our
soldiers are bound for home."
The six cadets talked over the letters they had received for some time.
They had brought stationery with them, and they spent the evening
writing letters in return.
"I don't see how we're going to get these down to Timminsport unless we
walk down there," remarked Jack. "And a walk of five or six miles
through this snow each way wouldn't be an easy job."
"I know what we can do," replied Gif. "We can skate down the river to a
place called Henryville. There is a post-office there, and letters are
sent over to Timminsport at least once a day."
"How far is it to Henryville?" questioned Randy.
"Oh, not more than three miles."
"Do you suppose the skating is any good?"
"I don't see why it shouldn't be."
"Let's do it!" broke in Spouter. "We wanted to have a skate anyway. We
can take our guns along, in case we see any game." And so it was
arranged.
The next day dawned bright and clear, and after breakfast the boys got
their letters and their skates and started for the river.
"I'll wager we'll find the ice covered with snow in some places,"
remarked Randy.
"I don't know about that," answered Gif. "I was hoping the high wind had
swept it pretty clean."
They were soon on the ice, their skates ringing merrily as they struck
out into an impromptu race. They swept down the river and around a broad
bend, and were soon well out of sight of the tract of forest land upon
which the Lodge was located.
"I hope Glutts and Werner don't visit the bungalow during our absence,"
remarked Spouter.
"Well, that's a risk we've got to run," answered Jack. "We can't remain
at home all the time."
"Exactly so!" put in Gif. "And it would be no fun for some of us to stay
behind on guard while the others were off enjoying themselves."
For the most part they found the river swept clear of snow, although
here and there were drifts more or less deep over which they had to
plough their way as best they could. This, however, was nothing but fun
for the lads, and nobody complained.
Arriving at Henryville, they found that the mail for Timminsport would
go out in less than an hour, and also learned that the mail from that
place came in twice daily, morning and evening.
"Let's have all our mail re-addressed from Timminsport to Henryville,"
suggested Fred; "then we can come down here on our skates any time we
feel like it and get it." And this was done.
They found a fairly good general store at Henryville, and made a few
purchases of such things as they thought they could use to advantage
during their outing. They were about to start up the river again when
Jack's attention was attracted to a large sleigh drawn by a pair of
powerful horses. The sleigh was driven by a man who looked as if he
might be a German, and on the back seat, wedged in by a number of
packages, were two other German-looking individuals.
"One of those men on the back seat is that Herman Crouse, the fellow we
rescued from the burning car," said Jack to the others.
"Yes, and that driver and the other man are two of the fellows we met on
the road when we were trying to locate the Lodge," added Randy.
"It's queer that that Herman Crouse should be up here," said Fred.
"Oh, I don't know. He said he worked a small farm somewhere in this
vicinity."
"I thought it was down near Enwood," remarked Spouter.
"One thing certain--I don't like the looks of those other Germans," came
from Gif. "They look like mighty suspicious characters to me."
Even had the boys wished to do so, they got no opportunity to speak to
the man they had rescued from the burning railroad car. The sleigh had
stopped at a house in Henryville, and now it passed on around a corner
of the road, and was soon lost to sight in the woods.
Now that they knew their letters were on the way, the cadets were in no
hurry to get back to the Lodge. They had brought along a few sandwiches
and now purchased some fresh doughnuts, in case they stayed away from
the Lodge during the lunch hour.
"Let's take our time and skate up one or two branches of this river,"
suggested Gif. "It will be easier than walking, and we may have a chance
at some game."
All were willing, and it was suggested that Gif led the way, which he
did. They left the main stream and started up a smaller watercourse
leading directly into the forest.
"I just saw a rabbit!" exclaimed Randy presently. "There he is now!"
and, raising his gun, he fired quickly. But his aim was not good, and
the bunny hopped behind a tree and out of sight.
"Too bad you had to take a shot for nothing," remarked Fred. "That may
put the other game in this vicinity on the alert."
Soon they came to a point where skating was not so easy. At first they
thought to go back, but then it was suggested that they tramp along the
frozen-up watercourse on foot.
"I was thinking we might run across some brook mink up here," said Gif.
"Or some ducks."
"Oh, I'd like to get a mink or a duck if there are any in this
vicinity," answered Jack.
On they tramped until a good quarter of a mile had been covered. Then
they caught sight of several rabbits, and brought down two of them.
Later still they saw a squirrel, but though Spouter shot at the frisky
creature, it managed to elude him.
"Well, we can't expect to bag everything we shoot at," consoled Jack.
"I think I know of a short cut from here to the Lodge," said Gif. "So if
you would rather tramp through the woods than go back by way of the
river, we might do so and get a chance at some other game."
"All right, Gif; lead the way," said Jack, and they went forward under
Gif's guidance.
They were deep in the forest when they heard a whir overhead. They
looked up quickly to see a number of partridges sailing past close to
the tree tops.
"Quick!" yelled Jack, and blazed away, while all of the others did the
same.