RABBITS, NUTS AND A SNAKE
It was arranged that Snap and Whopper, with two of the Spink crowd,
should take Jeff Thompson and turn him over to the authorities, at
the same time notifying Simon Lundy of what they were doing and
giving him the pawn-ticket for the watch.
The boat belonging to the Spink crowd was righted and the oars were
located, and this craft was used for the trip. The negro was tightly
bound, so that it was impossible for him to make any trouble.
"We are going to do what we can to put the camp in order," said
Shep, when the others were ready to leave. "And we are going to
hunt for our guns, too."
The trip from Firefly Lake to Lake Cameron did not take long, and
then began the journey to Simon Lundy's farm. They landed at the
foot of the orchard. Leaving the negro in charge of Whopper, Ham
Spink and Carl Dudder, Snap ran up to the house.
"Is Mr. Lundy in?" he asked of Mrs. Lundy, who answered his summons
at the door.
"Simon! Somebody wants to see you!" said the woman.
"What's wanted?" asked the miserly farmer, coming forward.
"We have caught that thief, Mr. Lundy."
"Do tell!" burst out Mrs. Lundy.
"Did you git my watch back?" questioned the farmer, eagerly.
"No; but here is a pawn-ticket for it."
"How much did he pawn it fer?"
"Six dollars."
"I ain't goin' to pay it, not me!" ejaculated Simon Lundy. "The
pawnbroker is got to give it up without any pay."
The farmer put on his coat and walked down to the boat with him.
Then he got in, and all rowed to Fairview as fast as they could.
Their coming produced something of a sensation, as the boys were
not expected. The negro was locked up promptly, and a constable
went off with Simon Lundy to recover the watch. Then Snap and
Whopper went home, to remain overnight. The boys passed lightly
over the trials through which they had passed, fearing that if
they told the bare truth they would not be permitted to go away
to finish the outing.
Early in the morning, Snap and Whopper had a plain talk with Ham
Spink. It scared the dudish and overbearing youth, and as a
consequence he obtained for them some additional stores, to take
the place of those used or destroyed by the Spink crowd.
"I'll make everything right," said Ham Spink. "Only keep mum."
And he was as good as his word.
In the meantime, Shep and Giant worked with a will to put the
camp in order once more, and also brought across the lake the
deer that had been shot down. It made them exceedingly angry
to see how the camp had been treated by Ham Spink and his cronies.
"Those fellows don't know what a joke is," said Shep. "This is
past being funny."
"Wait---Snap will make them toe the mark," answered the smaller
youth. "He said he would do it before he left."
During the afternoon the two boys took the rowboat and also some
lines and a drag-net and rowed over to the vicinity of Humpback Rock,
where the tipping over had occurred.
"You can see how shallow the water is here," said Shep. "We ought
to find at least some of our things."
"Here is where the boat went over," answered Giant, and gazing
down into the water he added:
"And there is one of the guns!"
They hooked the weapon up without a great deal of trouble, and soon
located another gun and then a game-bag. This encouraged them, and
they kept at the task until sundown, finding all the outfit but one
game-bag, which Shep declared of little value, as the strap was
broken.
"This is better luck than I anticipated," said Giant. "Now we must
clean the guns without delay."
The entire evening was spent in overhauling and oiling the guns,
and in drying out the gamebags. They also dressed one of the deer,
hanging up the meat as before. The Spink crowd had taken the
smallest of the game and for this they were to pay regular market
prices.
When Snap and the others got back they brought with them a whole
boat-load of provisions and other things, and were followed by
Jed Sanborn in his canoe. The hunter had agreed to take the deer
to Fairview for them. He was joyful to think they had had such luck.
"Don't need me to show ye how to bring down deer," he observed,
with a grin on his homely face. "You have done prime, boys, prime,
an' I'm proud of ye!"
A portion of the provisions was left at the camp and then Ham
Spink and his crony crossed the lake, while Jed Sanborn remained
with Snap and the others.
"Had to buy a deer from ye, did they?" chuckled Jed Sanborn, when
Spink and Dudder were out of hearing. "They won't never make
no hunters, not if they try a hundred years. I'd starve to death
afore I'd buy meat here, with the woods so full o' things to shoot!"
"I laid down the law good and hard," said Snap. "I don't think
they will give us any more trouble."
"I think Dudder is rather ashamed of himself," said Whopper. "But
Ham Spink is so thick-skinned it doesn't strike through."
"What did they do to the negro?" asked Giant.
"Locked him up for trial."
"Did Pop Lundy get his watch back?" asked Shep.
"Yes, after a little trouble. The pawnbroker was awfully mad. He
wants to send the colored fellow to jail, too."
Snap and Whopper were glad to learn that the outfit had been recovered
and they had Jed Sanborn look at the guns to make certain that all
were fit to use.
"Didn't hurt 'em a mite," said the old hunter. "But they couldn't
have stayed in the water much longer."
"It was lucky the boat went over where the water was shallow," said
Giant. "Had the water been deep perhaps we shouldn't have gotten
back a thing."
After the old hunter had departed with the deer, the boys set to work
in earnest to fix up their camp once more. Some of the things had
been spoiled by the heavy storm, but Ham Spink had "made good,"
as Snap said, so nothing was really lost, so far as the young
hunters were concerned.
After several days of rest the boys felt once more in proper trim
for sport, and went out after a bunch of rabbits and squirrels.
They were fairly lucky, and three o'clock of the afternoon found
them on the return to the camp.
"Let us look for some nuts," suggested Whopper.
The others were willing, and made their way to a group of trees
growing some distance up the lake shore. Nuts were to be had in
plenty, and soon they had their pockets and the corners of their
game-bags well filled.
"I see another tree with some extra large nuts!" cried Shep.
"Come on!"
He led the way to the tree in question, which grew on a bit of
land projecting far out into the lake. They soon had some of
the big nuts and were about to return whence they had come, when
Snap uttered a cry:
"A snake!"
"Where?" came from the others.
"There---under the tree roots."
Snap was right; a big snake was close at hand, under some tree
roots over which they had just stepped.
"I don't want anything to do with a snake," gasped Giant. "Let
us get out of here!"
Then all of the young hunters gazed at each other in dismay. The
snake was directly in their path to the shore proper.
It was a water reptile and all of five or six feet long. As they
approached, it raised its head and gave a curious hissing sound.
All of the boys crowded back. Only Whopper had his gun, the other
weapons having been left at the foot of the other nut trees. The
snake certainly looked ugly. Evidently it did not like having its
domain invaded.
"I'll give it a shot!" cried Whopper, and raised the shotgun carefully.
But just as he was on the point of firing, the reptile disappeared.
"Where is he?"
"He went under the tree roots."
"Maybe he took to the water."
The four young hunters gazed anxiously. Then of a sudden they saw
the snake again. It came up through the tree roots almost at their
feet, hissing more viciously than ever.