A SURPRISE--GOOD-BYE
After that two days went by without anything unusual happening. The
boys enjoyed every minute of the time, and with the bear scare at an
end, they went hunting and fishing to their hearts' content. Giant and
Whopper caught a mess of sixteen fish, large and small, and Shep and
Snap laid low half a dozen rabbits, some squirrels, and also a
beautiful brook mink of which they were very proud.
"It is too bad that our outing must soon come to an end," said the
leader of the Gun Club. "But as we have had a glorious time I suppose
we ought not to complain."
"I saw some silver tail foxes at the ridge to-day," said Shep. "I
think we ought to go after them."
"And after that bear," put in Whopper. "We don't want to go home until
we lay low his bearship."
"Maybe his bearship will lay us low," put in Giant. "That wouldn't be
so nice."
During their spare time the boys had set several traps, and in these
they caught some animals of more or less importance. They also brought
down two wild turkeys, and resolved to eat one for their New Year's
dinner and take the other home.
"Happy New Year!" was the cry, on a beautiful morning, and the young
hunters got up to put in a "full day," as Snap expressed it. Right
after breakfast they set the turkey to roasting, and made a pie and
some other good things. They had a bountiful dinner early and by one
o'clock started out for their last hunt.
They had already resolved to cross the lake in the direction Shep had
seen the silver-tailed foxes. They went over on their skates, and then
donned their snowshoes and were soon deep in the forest. Here they
soon struck the trail of the foxes and discovered them in an angle,
between a cliff and a series of sharp rocks.
"There's a shot for you!" cried Snap, as four of the rather beautiful
creatures came to view, and without hesitation all took aim and fired.
As the various reports died away two of the silver-tailed foxes gave a
whirl upward and came down lifeless. The others turned tail and
started to rush past the young hunters, but Snap and Shep were too
quick and brought them down limping and then the others finished the
creatures.
"One apiece!" cried Whopper. "Just what I hoped for!"
"So did I," said Giant.
They tramped on after this, and managed to bring down a big owl, which
Snap said they could stuff and put it in their clubroom--providing
they ever got one. Then they came to a peculiar trail that bothered
them not a little.
"Do you know what I think it is?" said Snap, at last. "It's the trail
of a bear and the beast was carrying something pretty heavy."
"Maybe it is our bear!" cried Giant enthusiastically.
"Gracious, I didn't know we owned a bear," answered Shep.
"Well, Shep, you know well enough what I mean."
"Come on after his bearship!" cried Whopper. "We'll blow him into a
million pieces and then take him home as a trophy of our skill."
"Who's going to carry the million pieces?" asked Snap, innocently, and
then Whopper shied a chunk of soft snow at him.
All felt in excellent spirits and willing to go after the savage
animal. They advanced with caution among the rocks, until they came to
a narrow defile, partly choked with snow and ice. On one side was a
big shelving rock, with a dark hole beneath.
"Be careful, that may be the bear's den!" cried Snap softly, and just
then a loud and deep growl came from the hole. It rather scared all of
the young hunters and they retreated several paces.
"Wonder how we can make him come out of his hole?" asked Shep, after
an awkward pause.
"Go in and invite him," suggested Whopper, who felt in particularly
bright humor that day.
"All right, you go."
"Not on your life!" And Whopper took another step backward.
"Let us get up on yonder rocks," suggested Snap. "Then I'll throw a
stone into the den." They crawled up the somewhat slippery rocks and
then the leader of the Gun Club did as he had mentioned.
The stone struck something soft, and a moment later out of the den
lumbered the big black bear, bristling with rage. As he came forth all
of the young hunters blazed away, and the bear was struck in various
places. But the shots were far from fatal, and with a grunt of rage
and pain bruin started to climb up the rocks after them.
"Give him another shot!" yelled Whopper, who had the rifle. "Quick, or
he'll chew somebody up!"
Again Snap and Giant fired, and the bear received more buckshot in his
anatomy. But he was tough as well as big, and the wounds seemed to
merely increase his rage.
"He's coming up the rocks sure!" gasped Giant. Then he started to run,
lost his footing and began to roll down one of the steep sides of the
rock!
"Giant! Giant!" yelled Snap. "Stop, you are rolling right toward the
bear!"
"He'll be chewed up sure!" screamed Shep. "Shoot him, somebody! Shoot
him!"
In feverish haste Whopper had been reloading his rifle. Now he swung
the weapon to his shoulder. He was greatly agitated but by sheer force
of will power calmed himself sufficiently to take aim. Then the rifle
cracked out and the bullet hit the bear full in the chest. It made
bruin stagger, and he fell back on his side, kicking up a shower of
snow in all directions.
"Good! That's the way to do it!" sang out Snap. "Now run, Giant!"
By this time the youngest member of the Gun Club had reached the
bottom of the rocks and was scrambling to his feet. He had his gun
still in his hands, and as the bear lurched toward him he caught the
weapon by the barrel, swung it around and let the beast have such a
crack on the head that the gun stock was completely shattered. Over
went the bear again, kicking up another shower of loose snow.
By this time the young hunters were sure they had the best of the
fight, and withdrawing to a safe distance each of those having
available weapons let the beast have another shot. This was too much
for bruin, and with a final roar and a gasp he plunged forward on his
head, gave several convulsive kicks, and lay still.
"Hurrah! We've got him!" cried Shep. "That's the best haul yet!"
"You are right," said Whopper, "even if it did cost Giant his gun."
"Never mind, we'll chip in and buy another for him," said Snap. "Say,
that was a sharp fight," he added.
It was no easy matter to get the big bear on a drag and haul the
carcass down to the ice. But once on the lake they made good progress
towards the camp.
"Hullo, boys, been looking for you!" came the call, and Jed Sanborn
appeared. "By Christopher Peter! Got a black bear, have yet! Now ain't
thet prime!"
"What's the news, Jed?" asked Snap.
"Lots o' news," said the old hunter. "First thing is, you're to go
home to-morrow."
"Oh, we know that already," said Whopper.
"Next thing is, do you know that tramp feller with the name o' Kiddy
Leech?
"Yes."
"Well, he's tuk--caught him yesterday. Aaron Masterson spotted him
hanging around Riverview. He's arrested."
"Good!" cried Snap. "Now he'll get what he deserves."
"An' that ain't all. Who do you think the tramp sent fer when he was
in jail?"
"Who?" asked the four young hunters, simultaneously.
"Ham Spink and Carl Dudder. It ain't leaked out jest why, but some
folks thinks young Spink and young Dudder got the tramp to steal your
things. An' there's more news, too."
"What more, Jed?"
"It's come out that Ham Spink and Carl Dudder blew up the old
boathouse, jest to ruin your things. There was a lively row, but Mr.
Spink an' Mr. Rudder settled the bill--to keep Ham and Carl out o'
jail, I expect."
This was indeed news and the boys listened with interest to all of the
details. The discovery about the boathouse had come through a workman
who had let Ham Spink have the dynamite.
"If Ham Spink got that tramp to come here, he ought to suffer for
it--and Carl Rudder ought to suffer too," said Snap.
"They shall suffer for it," added Shep.
That evening they told Jed Sanborn of their various experiences, and
showed him the game they were going to take home. He declared the bear
to be the largest he had ever seen in those parts, and said the game
would create a stir when exhibited at Fairview.
"Don't know as you'll ever have so much fun hunting again," he said,
"or so many adventures." But he was mistaken, they did have an equal
amount of fun, excitement and thrilling adventures the very next
summer, and how and where will be told in the next volume of this
series, to be entitled "Young Hunters of the Lake; or, Out with Rod
and Gun."
The home-coming of the young hunters made quite a stir in the quiet
town and when they showed the big bear at one of the stores crowds
came to inspect the game. The lads were greatly praised and if their
parents were proud of what their sons had done, who can blame them?
The truth about the doings of Ham Spink and Carl Dudder soon leaked
out, so far as our friends were concerned, although the matter was
kept from the general public. Both Mr. Spink and Mr. Dudder were
anxious that no charge of theft should be made against Kiddy Leech, so
the tramp was merely given thirty days in jail for vagrancy, and was
then given some money by Mr. Spink and told to go elsewhere, which he
did. In the meantime Mr. Spink and Mr. Dudder paid for all damages our
friends had sustained, including the burning down of the log cabin,
which the bad boys admitted, and promised to take Ham and Carl
vigorously in hand. As a result both of the misguided boys were sent
to a very strict boarding school, where their parents hoped they would
see the error of their ways and do better. Hearing of this Snap and
the other Gun Club members said they were satisfied; and there the
matter rested.
"Boys, we had a dandy time," said Shep one day, as they were talking
the outing over. "Hope we go again soon!"
"And shoot more bears," put in Giant.
"And deer," added Snap.
"And a hundred or two other things," came from Whopper. "The next time
I go camping--"
"We'll all go with you!" interrupted Snap. "Hurrah for the Fairview
Gun Club."
And the cheer was given with a will.