UNEXPECTED VISITORS
For the moment Snap thought to rouse up the others. Then he checked
himself, arose with caution, and felt for his shotgun. The fire had
burnt low and only a faint flickering of light told him where the
firearm was located.
In the meantime the scratching outside had ceased. But soon it began
again. It was at the doorway, where the logs set up to close the
opening left a crack two inches wide for fresh air.
Snap waited, his heart almost in his throat. Then he saw a shaggy paw
pull one of the logs slightly.
He could wait no longer, and aiming straight at the crack he pulled
the trigger of his shotgun. Bang! went the weapon, with a noise inside
of the shelter that was almost deafening.
"Hi! what's up! Who's shooting!" yelled Whopper, leaping up and then
sprawling down in his blanket, which was wrapped completely around
him.
"What's attacking us?" came from Giant.
"Did you hit it?" asked Shep.
"It's a bear, I think," answered Snap. "He was at the doorway, trying
to get in."
A low growl at this juncture reached the ears of all. The other young
hunters ran for their firearms. The growl came from a distance,
showing the would-be intruder was retreating.
"I've a good mind to go after him," said Shep.
"Don't you do it--it's too dark outside," warned Whopper. "Wait till
daylight."
They waited several minutes, but no further sound came to disturb
them. Then, with caution, they pulled the logs of the doorway aside
and peered out. The clouds had drifted over the stars and it was dark,
so that they could see but little. Snap took a firebrand and gazed
down into the snow.
"Blood," he said, pointing to the spots. "I certainly hit him."
"And it must have been a bear, by the big tracks," said Giant. "Very
likely the one that attacked me on the ice."
"We must get that bear," said Whopper. "But not to-night."
"Yes, we must get that bear by all means," added the doctor's son.
"I vote somebody remain on guard," said Snap. "That beast may come
back at any time. Doubtless he is very hungry, and a hungry bear is
usually pretty desperate."
It was decided that they should take turns watching, and this settled
one after another the young hunters went to rest again. But for the
balance of the night only an owl came to disturb them and they paid no
attention to this.
With nothing special to do the young hunters were rather lazy about
getting around in the morning and it was after ten o'clock when the
breakfast dishes were cleared away. Whopper went outside to bring in
some firewood and presently called to the others.
"What's wanted?" asked Snap.
"Two men are coming this way, from over yonder. Unless I am mistaken
they are the two men who were out hunting with Andrew Felps."
"So they are!" exclaimed Shop. "What can they be wanting now?"
"Maybe they want to drive us away from this lake," suggested Giant.
"They are just about mean enough."
"No, they can't do that," answered Snap. "I made sure of it before I
left home."
"They are carrying something between them," said Whopper, as the men
came closer. "Looks like a deer."
"It is half of a deer--the very deer we killed!" cried Giant.
Soon the men were within speaking distance.
"Good morning, boys," said Giles Faswig, blandly.
"Good morning," returned Snap, briefly. Instinctively he felt that
something unusual was in the air.
"We've come to the conclusion to let you have half of that deer," said
Vance Lemon.
"Better keep it," said Giant, curtly.
"That's just what I say," murmured Whopper.
"No, boys, we want to do the fair thing," said Giles Faswig, smoothly.
"As it was shot on Mr. Felps' land he thinks he is justly entitled to
it, but at the same time--"
"I don't think we want the deer--now," said Snap. "We have plenty of
other game, and you acted so hateful about it you can keep it."
He looked at his chums and they nodded, to show that they agreed with
him. The two men looked rather dissatisfied.
"So you won't take the deer meat, even after we carried it away over
here?" said Vance Lemon.
"No."
"That isn't a very friendly way to act."
"Well, you didn't act very friendly in the first place," answered
Shep.
"Having pretty good luck, you say?" asked Giles Faswig, curiously.
"The very best of luck," answered the leader of the Gun flub, and
mentioned some of the game brought down. "So you can easily see we
don't need this venison at all," he added.
At this the two men looked at each other and murmured something the
boys could not catch.
"We came over to--er--to do a little trading," said Giles Faswig. "Got
plenty of ammunition on hand, I reckon."
"All we wish," answered Snap, and then he suddenly "smelt a mouse," as
the saying goes, and winked at his chums.
"We thought so, and we thought we'd help you out by buying some from
you. What sizes have you got?"
"Snap, you don't--" whispered Shep.
"Hush, Shep. Let me run this," whispered the leader of the club, in
return. Then he turned to the two men again and mentioned what kinds
of ammunition they used and how much they had on hand.
"Thought so," said Giles Lemon. "We'll take half of what you've got
and pay you double price for it."
"What!" came from Giant and Whopper, but Snap merely shook his head
and winked at them, and then they said no more.
"That's a fair deal, isn't it?" asked Giles Faswig, oilily. "You'll
make a clean dollar and a half by the operation."
"We don't want your money," said Snap, decidedly.
"Eh?" came from both men.
"I wouldn't sell you our ammunition at any price, and I don't think my
friends care to either."
"That's the talk," put in Shep.
"You don't get anything out of us," murmured Giant.
"Not by a jugful!" added Whopper.
"Then you won't sell us any ammunition?" asked Vance Lemon, and his
face grew as sour as the fruit his name represented.
All of the young hunters shook their heads with vigor.
"We'll pay you triple price," said Giles Faswig. "Come, that will be
easy money for you."
"Not if you offer us a hundred times the value of the ammunition,"
said Snap, firmly. "You treated us as mean as dirt before. Now, if you
want any ammunition, you can tramp back to town and get it."
At this the men broke into a rage and began to threaten the young
hunters in various ways. They had brought over the deer meat merely to
smooth matters over, so that they could get the ammunition, which they
needed sorely.
"Look here, if you threaten us any more, I'll have you up before the
squire," said Snap, at last. "You clear out and leave us alone." And
then, in high dudgeon, Giles Faswig and Vance Lemon departed, taking
the deer meat with them. On their way back to their own camp they met
the big bear, and in fright dropped the meat and ran for their lives.
When they got to the camp they told Andrew Felps of the result of the
trip.
"Well, we can't stay here without ammunition," said the lumber
merchant, in disgust. "I bought up all Riley had, and Jackson said he
wasn't going to get any more of those sizes of cartridges until next
week. We'll have to give up. Hang those boys anyway!"
And deeply disgusted, the lumber dealer had to give up his outing and
go home, and his friends departed with him. They had been more than
mean, and, right or wrong, the young hunters had paid them back in
their own coin.