OUT HUNTING
After the excitement attending the skating races, matters moved along
quietly at Colby Hall for several days. The Rover boys, as was their
custom, paid close attention to their studies.
"We've got to make a record for ourselves," was the way Jack put it. "If
we don't, our folks may take it in their heads to send us to some other
boarding school, thinking Colonel Colby is too easy with us."
"And to take Jack away from this vicinity when he is getting so sweet on
Ruth Steven----" began Randy, when he was cut short by a book flung by
his cousin, landing on his shoulder.
"You cut out that talk, Randy!" cried Jack.
"Let's talk about the weather," murmured Andy, who had passed to the
window. "Say, fellows, do you know, I think it's going to snow!"
"Hurrah! That means some fun snowballing!" cried Fred.
The snow came down all that night, and in the morning covered the
ground to the depth of several inches. A great many of the cadets rushed
out in glee, and half a dozen impromptu snowballing matches were soon in
progress.
It was almost time to go in for the morning session when several of the
cadets noticed a figure, huddled up in a slouch hat and a heavy
overcoat, coming up from behind the Hall toward a side door.
"Here comes Bob Nixon!" yelled one of the cadets, mentioning the name of
Colonel Colby's chauffeur. "Let's give him a volley."
"Right you are!" exclaimed Andy gleefully.
"Stop! Can't you see----" commenced Jack, but before he could finish his
sentence both Andy and Randy had let drive at the advancing figure. One
snowball took the man in the shoulder and the other landed just below
his left ear.
"Here! here! what do you mean by such proceedings?" cried the attacked
individual in great wrath, and then, as he held up his head and pushed
back his slouch hat, all saw that it was Asa Lemm.
"Great watermelons!" groaned Andy. "I thought sure it was Nixon!"
"I knew it wasn't, and that's why I tried to stop you," said Jack.
"Say, he's some mad," whispered Randy, as the language teacher strode
toward them. "I wonder what he'll do."
"How dare you boys attack me?" roared Asa Lemm, as he shook his fist at
the crowd. "How dare you do it?"
"It was all a mistake, Mr. Lemm," said Randy meekly.
"We didn't know it was you--really we didn't," came from Andy. "We
thought it was Bob Nixon. He likes to snowball with us."
"I do not believe a word of it!" cried the irate instructor. "How many
of you threw at me?" he questioned, glaring at the crowd.
To this there was no immediate answer, and then Randy stepped forward.
"I did, for one," he said.
"And so did I," came from his twin.
"Anybody else?"
"No. We were the only ones, Professor," answered Randy. "And I hope you
will overlook it this time," he continued. "We did not know it was you."
"Both of you report to me after school this afternoon," said the
instructor harshly; and then without another word he turned and tramped
off into the Hall.
"Now we are in for it, Andy," was Randy's dismal comment.
"Oh, well, he can't do any more than kill us," was the light-hearted
reply of the other.
"Do you want to be killed, Andy?" quizzed Jack.
"I know what he'll do," was Randy's comment. "He'll keep us both in and
give us extra lessons to learn." And in this surmise the fun-loving
Rover boy was correct. For their rashness in snowballing the teacher
they were made to stay in after school for two afternoons, and in
addition had two extra pages of Latin to translate.
"He's a lemon, if ever there was one," was what Andy said after his
punishment had come to an end. "Oh, wouldn't I just like to get square
with him!"
"We'll have to think something up, Andy," answered his twin.
Following the first fall of snow, came another, but then the sun came
out brightly, packing down the snow so that sleighing became quite
popular.
"If we only had a big sleigh up here, we could go and get the girls from
Clearwater Hall and give them a ride," said Fred one day to Jack.
"I was thinking we might hire a big sleigh in town some Saturday
afternoon and do just that," answered his cousin. "I'll look into it the
first chance I get."
Fred and Jack had not forgotten the sport they had had earlier in the
season, when they had gone out with Frank Newberry and some others on a
hunt for rabbits and other small game.
"The hunting season is still open, Fred," said Jack one day. "What do
you say if we ask Colonel Colby for permission to go out."
"Suits me," answered his cousin quickly.
"Do you think Andy and Randy would like to go, too?"
"More than likely. They have been wanting to go ever since we brought
down that game."
When the subject was mentioned to the twins, they quickly agreed that it
would be a fine thing if they could all obtain permission to go on a
hunting trip the coming Saturday. Colonel Colby was appealed to without
delay.
"Well, boys, I have no objection to your going out," he said. "I know
you all understand the use of firearms, and I know, also, that your
fathers loved to go out in their day and hunt. And I did a little bit in
that line myself," and he smiled faintly. "But I want you to be very
careful in what you shoot at; and do your level best to keep out of
trouble of all kinds," and he looked at Jack and Fred as he uttered the
latter words.
"Getting into trouble before, Colonel Colby, wasn't our fault," answered
Jack quickly.
"I know that."
"By the way, Colonel Colby, if it isn't asking too much, would you mind
letting us know if Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell are really going to
return here?" questioned Fred.
"They have asked for permission to come back--at least, their parents
have asked for them--and I have the matter under consideration,"
answered the master of the Hall. He gazed questioningly at the Rovers.
"I meant to mention this subject to you, and I am glad you have brought
it up. In one way, I don't feel like having them here; but in another
way I should like to give them another chance in case they feel like
turning over a new leaf and making a fresh start. What do you boys think
of it?"
For a moment all of the Rover boys were silent, looking at each other
questioningly. Then the others showed that they expected Jack to speak.
"Well, if you want my candid opinion, it's just this, Colonel Colby,"
said the oldest Rover boy earnestly. "Personally I would much prefer to
have Brown and Martell stay away from Colby Hall. But if you think they
ought to be given another chance to make good here, why, I am sure I'm
not going to stand in their way. Just the same, if they do come here,
I'm going to watch them pretty closely so that they won't be able to
play any more of their dirty tricks."
"I shall not blame you for watching them, Rover. After what happened to
you and your Cousin Fred, it is no more than right that you should be on
your guard. Yet, I trust that you will give Brown and Martell a chance
to prove themselves, provided they really do want to turn over a new
leaf and make amends for what has happened."
"Oh, we'll give them plenty of chances to make good if it is in them;
won't we?" and Jack turned to his cousins.
"Sure!" came in a chorus.
"Then that is settled, and I am glad of it. Now you have my permission
to go on your hunting trip, and I trust you will bring down all the
small game you desire. But, as I said before, be very careful. So far, I
have allowed all of my pupils to go out hunting whenever they have so
desired, and without any accidents happening. I don't want to break that
record." And with these words the master of the Hall dismissed them.
This conversation took place on Thursday evening, and all day Friday the
boys were anxiously looking forward to the proposed outing and wondering
what the weather would prove to be. They obtained permission to take
two small rifles and two double-barreled shotguns belonging to the
institution, and these they cleaned and oiled so that they would be in
prime condition.
Saturday morning dawned bright and clear, and the four Rovers obtained
their breakfast as early as the rules of the school permitted. Then,
with game bags and guns slung over their shoulders, they set out on
their skates up the lake shore and then along the Rick Rack River, the
wind of the day previous having cleared large portions of the ice of
snow.
"Come on, let's have a race!" cried Andy gleefully. Had he not been on
his skates he would have attempted a handspring in the exuberance of his
spirits.
"No racing to-day!" warned Jack. "You save your breath, Andy. We expect
to skate and tramp a good many miles to-day before we get back to the
school."
"All right, just as you say," answered his cousin, and then he began
some horseplay with Fred, which came to a sudden end when the youngest
Rover tripped him up and sent him plunging into a snowbank on the side
of the narrow stream.
"Now let up, I tell you!" warned Jack. "You never want to try any
horseplay when you are tramping or skating along with a loaded gun.
It's too dangerous. Remember what Colonel Colby said," and then Andy
sobered down a little.
All too soon for the boys, the skating on the river came to an end.
Beyond, the stream was little better than a rocky watercourse, now
thickly covered with ice and snow.
"Why can't we leave our skates here until we come back?" suggested
Randy.
"We could if we were sure we were going to return this way," answered
Jack. "But we had better take them along, for we may return to the Hall
by an entirely different route. We'll place our skates in our game bags
for the present;" and this advice was followed.
After this the Rover boys trudged along through the woods bordering the
stream. Soon they came upon some rabbit tracks, and less than a minute
later Jack suddenly raised his double-barreled shotgun and blazed away.
"Hurrah! you've got him!" cried Fred, and all of the boys rushed forward
to where the game lay--a big, fat rabbit.
"Say, Jack, you're the lucky one!" cried Andy. "Now you know what you
promised?" he added.
"All right--it's your turn now to have the shotgun," answered his
cousin, for that was the bargain which had been made. "I'll carry the
rifle."
On and on went the young hunters, getting deeper and deeper into the
woods. Here they managed to stir up more game, and Andy had the pleasure
of bringing down the second rabbit, while the others laid low several
squirrels.
"This is pretty rough ground around here," remarked Jack, after they had
wound in and out around some exceedingly rough rocks and through some
thick underbrush.
"We had better keep close to this stream," was Randy's suggestion. "If
we don't, we may become hopelessly lost in these woods."
"Huh! I guess we could find our way out sooner or later," retorted his
twin. To Andy, getting lost in the woods would seem nothing more than a
big joke.
The young hunters continued to advance, and, during the course of the
next hour, brought down several more rabbits, and also another squirrel.
Then, just as Andy had handed back one of the shotguns to Jack and the
weapon had been reloaded, they heard a strange noise coming from back of
some bushes not a great distance away.
"Now what do you suppose that is?" whispered Fred.
"I think I know, Fred," was Jack's reply; "and if I am right, get ready
to fire as soon as I do."
The two boys with the shotguns went in advance, and soon reached a point
where they could look beyond the bushes. Then came a sudden whirr, and
up into the air went a small flock of pheasants.
Bang! bang! rang out Jack's fowling piece, and bang! bang! came the
report of Fred's firearm.
The strange whirring continued, but then three of the birds were seen to
drop to the ground, one dead and the other two seriously wounded.
"Hurrah! we've got three of them!" cried Fred excitedly, and then ran
forward, to quickly put the wounded birds out of their misery.
"Say, that's some luck!" exclaimed Randy. "If I----"
Randy stopped short, and so did some of the others who had started to
speak. A strange sound from a distance had reached their ears.
"Help! help!" came in a low cry. "Help! For heaven's sake, somebody come
and help me!"