The Journey Homeward.
Next morning, as soon as they had finished their breakfast, in
accordance with the promise they had made their parents before
starting, that they would be at home before the holidays, the boys
began to make preparations to leave the woods. The sled was brought
around to the door, and, while George and Harry were engaged in
loading it, Frank and his cousin went to the barn to harness the young
moose, which had become very tractable, and would trot off with a load
as well as a horse. Their traps and guns, together with the furs they
had taken, were stowed carefully away in the bottom of the sled; then
came the cubs, and the skins of the moose, bear, white buck, and
panther, and the whole was crowned by the huge antlers of the moose,
to give it, as Harry said, "an imposing appearance."
After the moose had been hitched to the sled, and all was ready for
the start, the boys turned to shake hands with Uncle Joe and the
trapper. Dick seemed to regret their parting very much. After drawing
his coat-sleeve across his eyes, he seized Frank's hand, and said:
"Good-by, youngster! We have had some good times in these yere woods
this winter. I'm sorry that the partin' time has come, for I hate to
have you leave us. You are a gritty feller--jest sich a one as I like
to see; an' I have tuk to you jest the same as poor ole Bill Lawson
onct tuk to me. As soon as spring opens I shall start agin for the
prairy. The woods here are too small for me. We prob'bly shall never
meet agin, but I hope you won't forget your ole friend, Dick Lewis.
Good-by! an' may your trail never be as rugged an' rough as mine has
been."
"I shall never forget you, Dick," replied Frank, as he returned the
trapper's hearty grasp. "You saved my life."
At length the farewells had all been said, and the boys got into the
sled. Frank took up the reins, and the moose broke into a rapid trot,
that soon carried them out of sight of the cabin.
There was no danger that the boys would soon forget the wild scenes
through which they had passed during their short sojourn in the woods.
Each had something to remind him of some exciting hunt which he had
gone through. Frank thought of his desperate struggle with the buck,
during which he had received scars that would go with him through
life. Harry remembered his adventure with the wolves. George shivered
as he thought of his cold bath in the pond. And Archie, in
imagination, was again in pursuit of the black fox.
"Well," said the latter, at length, "we've had some fine times since
we traveled over this road."
"Yes," said George, "and I should like to go through them
again--ducking and all."
"I had rather be excused," said Frank.
"So had I," chimed in Harry.
"I shouldn't like the idea of going through the fight with that moose
again," continued Frank.
"Nor I shouldn't like to meet those wolves again, and have them pull
off my boots as I was climbing up a tree," said Harry.
"I wonder what the folks will think, when they see us coming home in
this rig?" said Archie.
That question was answered when, about an hour before dark, they
turned up off the creek into the road, in full view of the cottage.
They were first discovered by Aunt Hannah, who, after shading her eyes
with her hand, and gazing at them a few moments, ran into the house. A
moment afterward the whole family appeared at the door.
"There's my folks!" exclaimed Archie. "I thought they would be here to
spend the holidays. Show them what we can do, Frank."
His cousin accordingly put the moose through his best paces, and in a
few moments they whirled through the gate, and drew up before the
door.
"Well, boys, I'm glad to see you all back safe," said Mr. Winters, as
soon as the greeting was over. "It's a wonder that Archie didn't shoot
some of you--he's so careless with his gun."
"O no, father," replied the boy, "I've got over that. I always hold my
gun muzzle down, as you told me."
The boys began to unload the sled, and one after another of the
articles were taken out and laid on the portico. Finally, Harry drew
out the panther's skin.
"A panther!" exclaimed Mr. Winters. "Where did you buy that skin?"
"Buy it!" repeated Archie. "We didn't buy it. Frank killed the panther
that once wore this skin; with a shot-gun, too; and that isn't all he
killed, either. Look here!" and he threw out the bear and moose-skins,
and finally the cubs. "He had a nice time killing that moose," Archie
went on to say, "and he came near being"----
Here he was interrupted by a look from his cousin. He was about to
say, "and came near being killed himself;" but finished his sentence
by saying, "He came near killing the moose at the first shot, but
didn't quite."
Mr. Winters had seen the glances that the boys exchanged, and knew
that it meant something more than they were willing to reveal; but he
made no remark. After the things had all been taken out, with the
exception of those that belonged to George and Harry, and the cubs had
been taken into the kitchen and delivered into Aunt Hannah's especial
charge, the boys got into the sled again and started for Mr. Butler's.
Their appearance in the village created a great commotion. After
driving around to the post-office for the mail, as well as to show off
the qualities of their horned horse, they started home again.
That evening was passed in a pleasant manner, in the recital of the
boys' adventures in the woods, which also formed the topic of
conversation for many days. In spite of the emphatic instructions
Frank had given his companions "not to say a word about his fight with
the moose," it gradually "leaked out somewhere," as Archie expressed
it, and Frank became a hero in his own family, and in the village.
* * * * *
Here we will leave them, only to introduce them again in other and
more stirring scenes on the Western Prairies.
THE END.
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