A NIGHT OF DISCOMFORT
"Hi! Help! I am burning up!"
"Gracious, boys, look at that!" burst from Snap's lips. "He got
more than he expected."
"Well, I didn't intend to upset him into the fire," burst out
Shep. "I hope he doesn't get burnt."
By this time Andrew Felps had rolled out of the blaze. His coat
was on fire and so was one leg of his trousers.
"Dive into the lake, Andy!" called out one of the men, and hurried
the unfortunate individual toward the water. There seemed no
help for it, and the timber dealer rushed into the icy water, giving
a shiver as he did so; and then the danger was over.
"Come, we had better get out of here!" cried Whopper, in a low
voice. "He'll be as mad as a thousand hornets now, and ready
to chew us up into mincemeat!"
All of the boys were at the oars and without delay, they began to
pull a strong stroke.
"Come back here, you young rascals!" cried one of the men of the
party. "Come back, I say!"
"We are not going back," declared Snap.
"Not much," put in Shep. "I'd rather jump overboard."
"It served Felps right for being so mean," said Giant. "Just look
at all our work gone to waste. It's enough to make one cry."
"And such a fine spot as it was, too," said Shep. "I doubt if
we find another to equal it."
"It won't do any good if we do---on this lake," said Snap. "Andrew
Felps will not let us stay here if he has purchased the property---as
he says he has. I am afraid it is all due to me that we have got to
move on," he added. "That man hates my father worse than poison."
"It is his natural meanness, that's what it is," said Whopper.
"He is mean enough to get drowned, so as to save the expense of a
cemetery lot."
While talking, the boys continued to row steadily, and soon a
point of land took them out of sight of Andrew Felps and his party.
Then they rested on their oars and held a consultation.
"This is certainly something we didn't bargain for," was Snap's
comment. "It knocks all of our plans endways, as the saying goes."
"I hope you're not thinking of going home?" said Giant, quickly.
"Home!" cried Shep. "Don't you dare to mention such a thing. No, I
am not going home, boys. But one thing is certain, we can't stay at
Lake Cameron."
"Let us try our luck at Firefly Lake," suggested Whopper. "That
isn't as large as this lake, but it is certainly a nice sheet
of water. And the hunting around there ought to be just as good
as around here."
The others said they were willing, and a little later they made
their way out of Lake Cameron and sent the rowboat along the rocky
watercourse in the direction of Firefly Lake. It was now past
noon, yet nobody was in the humor for eating.
"The more I think of Andrew Felps the madder I get," said Shep.
"I don't see how a man can be so mean. It wouldn't have hurt
him a bit to have let us stay there."
"I hope he has no luck at hunting," grumbled Giant. "He deserves
to go home skunked."
"He will get some game---or his guides will get it for him," said
Snap. "I wonder if it is possible that he has bought up Firefly
Lake, too."
"My gracious, that's so!" ejaculated Whopper. "No use of going
there if he has. He'll root us out sooner or later."
"Firefly Lake belongs to half a dozen people," said Giant. "Why,
come to think of it, one of my uncles had an interest up there."
"Then I reckon we'll be safe."
It was no easy matter to guide the rowboat through the narrow
and swiftly flowing river they were now on, and the young hunters
had to give all their attention to the task. Once or twice they
struck the rocks rather sharp blows, but no damage was done, for
which they were thankful.
"One thing is certain," said Snap, when a wider part of the watercourse
was gained. "That gasolene launch can never follow us to this
lake. It's too large."
"Yes, and the tramp from one lake to the other is not easy," added
Shep. "Old Jed Sanborn told me that."
"Won't Jed be angry when he learns that Felps has bought up Lake
Cameron," put in Giant. "That was one of his favorite hunting
and fishing places."
They had to go so slow through some portions of the stream that
it was nightfall by the time Firefly Lake was reached. It was
clouding up, and when the sun went down not a star showed itself.
"This looks as if we were going to have rain before morning," was
Shep's comment. "Just our luck---to be caught in the open."
"Don't croak," said Snap. "No matter what comes, let us make
the best of it."
It was almost impossible in the fast gathering darkness to distinguish
one part of the shore from another, and they did not know where
to land. Seeing a small cove, they made for it, and pulled the
rowboat up among some bushes. Then they gathered some firewood,
started a blaze, and set about getting a meal which should be a
dinner and supper combined.
"Well, I am hungry now and no mistake," said Whopper. "I think
I could eat snakes' eggs on toast or pickled eels' feet."
The camp-fire made things look more cheerful, and a hearty meal did
much toward restoring good humor. Yet the boys felt sore over the
way Andrew Felps had treated them, and for this they could not be
blamed.
"To-morrow we'll have to locate all over again," said Snap. "And
if we want to be comfortable, we'll have to put up another cabin.
But we needn't to make it quite so complete as that other one was."
"Let us look around and see if we can't find some sort of a natural
shelter," suggested Shep---"some cave, or overhanging rocks, or
something like that."
"Where the rocks can come down and bury us alive," said Whopper.
"Wouldn't that be charming!"
"Whopper, you're as soothing as a funeral!" cried Giant. "We
ought to make you build the next cabin all alone."
"Well, I could do that if I had time enough," was the dry reply.
Among the trees the boys found a pretty fair shelter, and here
made themselves as comfortable as possible. They covered the
stores in the boat with the canvas, piled the wood on the camp-fire,
and then lay down to rest, leaving Giant to stand guard for the
first two hours of the night.
When Giant called Snap to relieve him it was already raining and
the wind was rising. The fire had died down and they did not
dare to stir it up for fear the wind would carry the sparks into
the forest and cause a general conflagration.
"I guess we are in for it," declared Snap, as he peered around
in the darkness. "Just listen to the wind rising!"
Giant retired, leaving the leader of the tour on guard. Snap
walked around for a bit, but then had to seek the shelter of the
trees as the rain came down heavily.
"Hullo! what's this?" came from Whopper, as he sprang up. "Say,
I thought somebody was throwing a pail of water over me!" The
rain had come through the tree branches directly down upon his
upturned face.
In a few minutes more all of the boys arose, as the wind was now
sending the rain in all directions. The tree limbs bent low and
threatened to break at every instant.
"Phew!" cried Whopper. "There goes my cap!" And he made a dash
after the whirling headgear, catching it just as it was sailing
for the lake.
A moment later came a gust of wind that almost lifted them from
their feet. The trees of the forest were bent lower than ever,
and amid the whistling of the tornado came a crack like that of
a big pistol.
"Look out for the tree-top!" yelled Shep, and pulled Snap to one
side. All jumped into the open and were just in time to escape
about ten feet of the top of the tree, which sailed through the
air and bit the lake surface with a loud splash. Then down came
half a dozen small branches, several with birds' nests on them.
"This is positively the worst storm yet," was Snap's comment,
after a perilous half hour had passed. "I am wet to the skin."
"Don't say a word," groaned Whopper. "I've got about a barrel
of water in my shoes and another barrel down my neck!"
"I am going to see if the stores are safe," came from Shep, and
he hurried for the boat, followed by Snap. They found that the
canvas had torn from its fastenings and was flapping wildly in
the wind. The rain had soaked almost everything.
"This is certainly serious," said Snap, as he did his best, assisted
by the others, to pull the canvas into place once more and fasten
it tight. "We don't want our stores ruined."
"We can thank Mr. Andrew Felps for this experience," grumbled
Shep. "I suppose he is snug in our cabin and laughing at us."
"He must certainly be in the cabin," said Giant, who had followed
the others to the boat.
They could do nothing to make themselves comfortable, and so had
to simply grin and bear it, which they did with the best grace
possible. They were afraid to remain under the trees for fear
of getting struck by some falling branch.
"Wonder how long this is going to last?" came from Whopper, an hour
later. "Looks to me as if it was going to keep up a long time."
"There is no telling," answered Snap. "I think---hark!"
All listened and heard a strange humming. Then the wind began to
tear through the forest with fearful violence.
"It is surely a tornado!" yelled Shep. "Get down, all of you,
or you'll be blown to nowhere!"