SHEP AND THE HOLLOW TREE
For several days after the cabin was finished, the boys rested
from their labors and took it easy. An unusually warm spell followed
the short cold snap and one day, at noon, all took a dip in the
lake. But the water was so cold they remained in only a few minutes
and all were glad enough to hurry back into their clothing.
"A cold bath like that goes a good ways," declared Shep. "If a
fellow stayed in too long he'd freeze to death."
"Why, my back is full of icicles now!" declared Whopper. "Feels
as if I had gotten locked in a refrigerator by mistake."
"Like the tramp they caught at Westport last summer," came from
Giant, with a laugh. "He stole a ride on the cars and got into a
refrigerator car by mistake. The car was packed with ice and wasn't
opened for forty-eight hours after it started. The poor tramp was
about half dead when they got him out."
Early on the following Friday morning, Shep and Snap went out
on a hunt, leaving Whopper and Giant to look after the camp and
fish, if they felt like putting out any lines. It was a bright,
breezy day and all of the boys were in the best of humor.
"We may not be back until late," said Snap, as he and Shep moved
away. "So don't worry if you don't see us."
"All right---we'll save you some supper," answered Whopper.
Snap and Shep had decided to try their luck in the woods to the
north of Firefly Lake, taking to an old deer trail that Jed Sanborn
had pointed out to them. They were after any game that might appear,
but did not look for anything big, for the older hunter had informed
them that it would be next to impossible to spot any deer until the
snow was on the ground.
Each youth carried his shotgun and his gamebag, containing his
dinner, and also a good supply of ammunition.
The boys walked a good half mile before they saw any indications
of game. Then Snap called a halt and pointed to a little clearing.
Looking through some brushwood, Shep made out half a dozen wild
turkeys, feeding peacefully.
"We ought to get at least two of them," whispered Snap. "All ready?"
"Yes."
"Then fire when I tell you."
They came a little closer, and both boys took careful aim. At
the word the two shotguns rang out, and to the delight of the
two young hunters down came three of the wild turkeys. The rest
flew away among the trees and were lost to sight immediately.
"That's a haul!" cried Shep, and ran forward.
"Look out!" screamed Snap, an instant later. "One of 'em is coming
for you!"
His warning proved true, and before Snap could retreat the wounded
wild turkey had flown directly into his face and was cracking the
boy with its strong wings.
"Get away! Oh, dear!" sang out poor Shep, and tried to beat the
wounded creature off, but the wild turkey was full of fight and
renewed the attack with vigor.
"I'll fix him! Down with your hands!" ejaculated Snap, and, rushing
in, he hit the turkey with the stock of his gun. The creature
fell to the ground and before it could arise Snap had his foot
on it; and then the little battle came to an end, and soon all
three of the wild turkeys were dead.
"Well, that's the first I knew a wild turkey would attack a fellow,"
declared Snap, as he nursed a scratch on his left cheek. "Phew,
but he gave me some regular prize-fighter blows!"
"Wild creatures of all kinds will fight if cornered," answered
his chum. "Be thankful that he didn't try to pick out your eyes."
"Yes, that is what I was looking out for," answered Shep.
Having secured the game, they moved onward once more, up a small
hill and then through the hollow beyond. But though they kept
on until noon nothing further worth shooting at presented itself.
Sitting down in the sun, the boys ate their lunch and took a drink
from a tiny brook flowing into the lake. Then they tramped onward
once more for another mile.
"Humph! This sort of hunting doesn't amount to anything," grumbled
Snap. "If we hadn't run across those turkeys we should have been
skunked."
"Let us go a little further," answered Shep. "Here are two trails.
Supposing I take the one over the hill and you the one nearest to
the lake. If we don't see anything we can come back here."
So it was agreed, and a minute later they separated. Shep took to
rather a rough path and more than once felt that he would have to
turn back and give up.
"But I am not going back till I hit something," he told himself,
and just then a distant shot reached his ears. "Snap must have
spotted something. I must do as well."
A hundred feet further on he came to an old and wide-spreading
tree. On the branches he discovered two squirrels of good size.
Without delay he blazed away, and when the smoke drifted away
saw that both of the creatures were stone dead. They had not
dropped to the ground, but were caught in two crotches of the tree,
at a spot well over his head.
"I'll have to climb up to get them," he murmured, and threw down his
gun and his game bag. A limb was handy and he swung himself up into
the tree and worked his way toward the trunk, where the squirrels lay.
The tree was old and partly split in half and the center of the
trunk was hollow. Just as he reached out to take hold of one of
the squirrels, his foot slipped and he began to slide down into the
hollow. He clutched at the smooth wood, but could not stay his
progress, and like a flash he disappeared from the sunlight into
almost utter darkness!
Unfortunately for the young hunter, the tree was hollow to its
very roots, and he went to the bottom, reaching it with a jolt
that made his teeth crack together. His hands were above him
and he was wedged in so tightly that he could not bring them down.
"Well, of all things!" he murmured, when he could catch his breath.
"I am a prisoner now and no mistake!"
He looked up, but a slight twist of the tree cut off the sunlight
from overhead, although he could see dimly after his eyes became
somewhat accustomed to the semi-gloom.
Shep waited to get back his breath, and then started to feel around
for something by which he might raise himself. Not a projection
of any sort was at hand.
"How in the world am I to get out of this?" was the question which
he asked himself.
He could not answer the riddle, and the cold perspiration stood
out on his forehead. Was it possible that he must remain a prisoner
in the tree forever?
"I've got to get out somehow!" he told himself, desperately. "I must
get out!"
Again he felt around, and tried to raise himself by means of his feet.
He went up several inches, but that was all, and a moment later
slipped down again.
It must be confessed that Shep was now thoroughly alarmed, and
he trembled a little as he thought of the possible outcome of
this unlookedfor adventure. Perhaps he would have to remain there
until he died of hunger and thirst. Long afterwards his friends
might find his bones.
Then he thought of crying for help and gave half a dozen shouts.
But no answer came back, for nobody was in that vicinity.
Again he tried to raise himself, and by a mighty effort got up
a distance of a foot and a half. But that seemed to be the limit
and, utterly exhausted, he dropped back, gasping for breath.
"It's no use," he mused, dismally. "I'm caught in a regular vise."
Then he thought of cutting his way out of the tree and after a
long struggle managed to get at his jack-knife. But cutting in
the position he occupied was a slow process, and made his hand
ache long before he had even a hole through which he might peer.
At last he gave up the attempt and stood still, not knowing what
to do next. He felt that he was as good as buried alive. What
was to be the outcome of this perilous adventure?