A HUNT AFTER WILDCATS
As my old readers know, Jed Sanborn knew all about wild animals and
just how to trail them, and the young hunters followed his directions
readily.
"Be sure your guns are in prime condition and loaded," said Jed. "And
as we may be out until nightfall, better take a lunch with you."
"We have it, in our gamebags," answered the doctor's son.
"Good enough."
They were soon on the way, along a small trail leading directly away
from Lake Narsac. It was uphill, but the old hunter knew just how
to turn to make climbing easy, so, although they covered a mile or
more, they were not greatly fatigued.
"I know we came for wildcats, but if ye want some wild turkeys here's
your chance," said the old hunter presently, and he pointed to the
left of the trail. The boys gazed in that direction but saw nothing
unusual and said so.
"The turkeys are in yonder tree," answered Jed Sanborn. "I jest
saw two on 'em movin' around on some branches.
"You certainly have keen eyes," answered Snap, for the distance to
the tree was at least a hundred and fifty yards.
"Have to have, lad, to be a good shot," was the reply.
Not to alarm the game, Jed Sanborn told them to walk with care, and
led the way in a semicircle through the timber. Then he told the
boys to spread out around the tree.
"Fire as soon as ye get a good chance, but not afore," said he.
As they crawled closer they saw the wild turkeys quite plainly.
There was a gobbler and six or seven hens, and they were roosting
on several limbs close to the ground.
"Must be gittin' lazy, to be on their perches so late in the morning,"
observed Jed. "Ought to have been scratchin' fer a livin' hours ago."
"Well, this suits us," answered Whopper. "I'm going to try for the
gobbler."
"I'll take the one below him," said Snap.
"I'll take the hen on the left," came from Giant.
"And I'll try for the one on the right," put in Shep. "What will
you shoot at, Jed?"
Before the old hunter could answer there was a stir on the tree.
The gobbler had heard them and he gave the alarm. Up and out went
the turkeys as fast as they could fly. Bang! bang! went the
shotguns, and several more shots followed. Jed Sanborn had also
taken aim. There was a great fluttering, and down dropped two
turkeys like lead. Two hens fluttered around, and the gobbler
remained in the tree, caught between two branches and breathing
his last.
"Hurrah! let us finish them!" cried Snap, and ran forward. The
next instant he felt one of the wounded turkeys strike his face.
He caught the game by the legs and then received a peck in the
hand that drew blood. Before the turkey could do any more harm
the young hunter stunned it by a blow against the tree and then
finished it. In the meantime the other hen was killed by Whopper,
while Jed Sanborn took his gun and poked the gobbler out of the
tree crotch and despatched him.
"Certainly a good haul, boys," said the old hunter, when the
temporary excitement was over. "You'll have turkey meat enough
to last some time."
"I know what I am going to do with the gobbler, if you'll let me,"
said Whopper. "I am going to send him home to my folks, if Jed
will carry him."
"Sure I will, my lad, and I'll carry some more if you wish," Jed
continued, looking at the other young hunters.
"Let each of us send a turkey home," suggested Snap. "That will
show the folks that we are not starving." And so it was agreed.
Tying the turkeys in a bunch, they put them in a safe place on a
tree and then continued up the mountainside. The recent rains had
cleared the sky and washed the bushes and grass, and the view was
a most charming one. Soon they came to a small clearing and from
this could see over a large portion of the lake's surface.
"It certainly is a wild place," was Snap's comment. "But some
day the lumbermen will get in here, and then you'll see this forest
melt like magic."
"Yes, and half the charm will be gone," added Jed Sanborn. "Not much
left after a saw mill gets started in a place like this."
Noon came and found them well up on the mountain. So far they had
seen no game but the turkeys, nor had they seen a further trace of
the wildcats. They sat down in an open spot for lunch, and rested
for half an hour afterward.
When the hunt was resumed Jed Sanborn turned along the mountainside,
where there were a series of shelving rocks. He had gone but a
short distance when he uttered a cry:
"A bear! a bear!"
"Where?" asked all of the others simultaneously.
"Over on yonder cliff! There he goes!"
The young hunters looked in the direction indicated, and saw a bear
leaping swiftly from rock to rock. Almost before they knew it he
was out of sight. They were too far away to take a shot, much to
their disappointment.
"Any use of going after him?" asked Whopper.
"Not now," answered Jed Sanborn. "He'll be on guard all day. You
can come back some other day if you want to. But be careful he
don't chew ye up."
Again they went on, and now came to a slight hollow on the
mountainside. Suddenly Snap saw something moving cautiously over
the rocks close at hand.
"There's a wildcat!" he cried, and swinging around his gun he fired.
The wildcat was hit in the side but kept on. Then Giant fired,
hitting the beast in the head, and it rolled from the rocks to a
position almost at their feet.
"Is it dead?" asked the doctor's son.
"Dead as a door nail," announced the small youth, after an examination.
"I think that wildcat came from yonder hole in the rocks," said
Snap, pointing to the opening in question.
"If he did there may be more of them there," answered Whopper.
"How can we find out?"
"Might go up, ring the doorbell, and ask," suggested Snap, with
a grin.
"Excuse me, I don't want to walk into any wildcat's hotel," was
Whopper's answer. "I heard of a fellow who did that once, and when
he came out he was still on the inside."
"Still on the inside?" repeated Jed Sanborn.
"Yes---inside the wildcats," and this answer made the old hunter
roar loudly.
"Let us throw rocks into the opening," suggested Giant, and began
to do as he had suggested. They heard a growl, but no wildcats
showed themselves.
"I'll throw a firebrand in," said Jed Sanborn, and cut a dry cedar
bough. "Stand ready to shoot, if anything shows itself."
With interest the boys watched the old hunter prepare his firebrand
and light it. Then he swung it into a lively blaze, let fly, and
sent it whirling into the hollow among the rocks.
Hardly had the firebrand disappeared when there came a savage growl
and some whines, and from the hollow leaped a female wildcat with a
little one in her teeth. After the two came another little one.
As soon as the big wildcat appeared the boys blazed away, and the
mother and her offspring were shot dead. Then Whopper raised his
shotgun to kill the other little one, but suddenly lowered the weapon.
"I can't kill such a baby," he murmured.
"I am sorry we killed the other little one," added Snap, soberly.
"That little wildcat will soon be a big one, so there is no use
of letting it get away," said Jed Sanborn, and he discharged a
shot that immediately finished the last of that wildcat family.
The boys gazed at the small wildcats with interest but did not
want to pick them up and carry them away. Somehow, the killing
of the little creatures appeared to put a damper on the whole
day's outing.
When the party got back to the camp they had the turkeys, several
rabbits and also a number of squirrels to their credit. They
retired early that evening and slept soundly. In the morning
they thought they would arise early but found Jed Sanborn up ahead
of them.
"Your folks will enjoy them turkeys, I know," said the old hunter,
as he prepared to depart, after eating a substantial breakfast.
"They'll be proud to know you shot 'em."
"Well, we are proud of having done so," answered Shep. "Here are
the letters," and he handed over various written communications.
"Now mind, don't let that ghost carry you off," warned Jed, as
he started to paddle away in his canoe.
"I doubt if we even see the ghost," answered Snap. But he was
mistaken, they did see the ghost, and that before very long. And
the meeting led to a tremendous surprise.