OFF ON AN OUTING
“Now for a good old-fashioned outing in the woods! Boys, we ought to
have a bully time!”
It was Gif who spoke, two days later. The boys had seen the girls off
on the train at Oak Run across the river from Dexter’s Corners and were
returning to the farm. He was running one car while Randy was running
the other.
The leave-taking at the last minute had been rather hurried, for the
reason that the train was coming in when they arrived. Consequently
Jack had had little opportunity to speak to Ruth. Previous to the
coming away she had held somewhat aloof from him, and for some reason
he could not fathom she had not seemed to care whether he came after
her or not.
This was exactly opposite to the situation between Fred and Spouter’s
cousin. May and Fred were seen together nearly all the time, and all of
the others came to the conclusion that these young folks had some sort
of an understanding between them.
“We’ll have a fine time if the weather holds good,” said Randy. “But
deliver me from an outing up in those woods if it rains for several
days.”
“Oh, see here, don’t be a wet blanket so soon!” cried his twin. “It’s
not going to rain for a month. I bribed the weather man to hold off.”
The boys had already decided on where they were going――to a regular
hunting lodge in the woods――and what they would take along. Back of the
farm was a swiftly flowing river upon which at one point was located
Humpback Falls. Beyond this were wide stretches of woodland containing
not a few small streams flowing into the river. Here the boys had often
gone hunting and fishing.
“We can’t do much in the way of hunting,” declared Jack. “Nearly
everything is out of season. Of course you might get a crow, or
something like that. But who wants a crow, anyway?”
“I’d like to haul in a good mess of trout,” said Gif wistfully.
While at Dexter’s Corners and at the railroad station the boys had made
a number of inquiries concerning Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell, but
obtained no trace of these unworthies. Now in the pleasure of getting
ready for their outing their former enemies were forgotten.
“I’ll tell you what we might do,” said Randy, while they were packing
their things. “Why can’t we do some real hunting with our cameras? We
might get some dandy pictures of wild animals and other subjects.”
“That suits me,” came from Gif. “I’ve got a brand-new camera with me,
and I’d like first rate to snap something worth while.”
“How about a fifteen-foot snake with three knots in his little tail?”
suggested Andy.
“No! If I snap a snake I want nothing less than a two-headed anaconda!”
was the merry reply. “One that has a couple of humps on his back like a
camel.”
“What’s the matter with taking a picture of some butterfly eggs?”
questioned Fred.
“No, I want a snapshot of a caterpillar resting on a pillow against a
pillar,” finished Jack, and then there was a general laugh.
The next day dawned clear and warm and the boys were up for an early
breakfast. Each had donned a regular hiking costume, and each carried
his stuff in a roll in regular military fashion. They had reduced their
stores to a minimum, knowing that they could easily hike over to one of
the nearby villages if they happened to run short of provisions.
“Going out to shoot elephants, eh?” was Grandfather Rover’s comment,
as he stood up on rather shaky legs to bid them good-bye. “Well, don’t
blow your heads off. You’ll need them trying to find your way back.”
“If we see any elephants I’ll bring a trunk back for you!” cried Andy.
“A trunk full of assorted sneezes.”
“Don’t get shot, any of you,” admonished Aunt Martha. “And be careful
and don’t fall in the river. Just remember that when he was a boy
Fred’s father nearly lost his life at Humpback Falls.”
“And don’t get lost in the woods,” added Uncle Randolph. “Have you a
compass with you?”
“Yes, we’ve got a compass, Uncle Randolph,” answered Jack. “And we
won’t get lost, either. We’ve been through those woods hundreds of
times.”
“Sorry you can’t shoot no rabbits dis time o’ year,” remarked Aleck
Pop, when the boys were leaving. “You mought brung me home a few more
rabbits’ foots jest fur luck.”
“Oh, we’ll bring you a buskarora, Aleck!” exclaimed Andy.
“A buskarora! What’s dat? Some new kind of animal?”
“A buskarora, Aleck, is a second cousin to a three-armed jaspinilla,”
answered Andy soberly. “They live in caves with jusjupacks and
rusbunions.”
“Rusbunions! Is dat something like my own bunions?” questioned the
colored man.
“Almost, but entirely different. We’ll bring you a couple of pounds or
two or three feet of them――just as you prefer.”
“Don’t you brung nothing like dat around me, Andy Rover. Sech strange
t’ings might bite. By golly, ain’t it wonderful what dem boys learn
when dey goes to school? I suppose dem high-soundin’ names don’t mean
nothing but bullfrogs or tadpoles and sech things,” and the old colored
man shuffled off shaking his head thoughtfully.
It did not take the boys long to reach the river, and they walked along
until they found a good fording place and here took off their shoes and
sport stockings and waded across.
“If we weren’t so anxious to get along, I’d say we might go in
swimming,” suggested Fred.
“Oh, there are plenty of good places to swim besides this,” answered
Randy. “Let’s wait until we get up near the old spring.”
On such a hot day it was a relief to get in the woods. Mile after
mile was covered, Jack and Randy leading the way and the others close
behind. Here and there, climbing over and around the rocks was more or
less difficult and once Spouter missed his footing and rolled over and
over, to bring up in a tangle of brushwood.
“Hi! Somebody give me a hand!” he yelled. “I’m all tangled up down
here!” And then the others had considerable difficulty in getting him
out of his predicament without ruining his clothing and the outfit he
carried.
By noon they had covered eight or nine miles and came to rest at a
small opening where was located the spring that had been mentioned.
Here there was a large pool of water, and the boys took a short swim
before sitting down to eat.
“Jimminy beeswax!” chattered Fred, after plunging in. “Who said this
was a hot bath? It’s as cold as Greenland’s icy fountains!”
The boys took their time over their lunch, and it was after two o’clock
when they resumed their hike. So far they had seen little or no game
except some birds and had not attempted to do any shooting.
“Look! See the chipmunks!” cried Fred presently, and pointed to a
fallen tree some distance ahead. There were five chipmunks having a
merry time running in and out of the tree, which chanced to be hollow.
“There’s a snapshot worth getting,” announced Gif. “Come on! Let’s see
what we can do.”
All were willing, and, throwing down their loads, they got out their
cameras and were soon crawling cautiously towards the tree trunk. Then
they prepared to snap their pictures, but just as they were ready the
chipmunks took alarm and disappeared as if by magic.
“Sold!” cried Randy, in disgust. “A fine bunch of photographers we are!”
“We should have carried our cameras ready for use. Then we might have
got some fine snapshots,” answered Spouter.
They advanced upon the tree trunk and looked all around that vicinity,
but if the chipmunks were anywhere near they did not show themselves.
So presently, with nothing else to do, the boys continued on their way.
The Rovers knew of a good-sized shack several miles farther on, and
there they thought they might rest for the first night out.
A little farther on they came rather unexpectedly upon a roadway, and
here was located a fair-sized clearing where a man ran a small farm. As
they came closer they heard a woman calling out shrilly.
“Tommy! The crows are after those little chickens again! Run and chase
’em away――quick! Oh, dear, with all those crows around we can’t raise
anything any more!” And then a red-headed boy appeared, waving a
gingham apron in his hand.
The Rover boys and their chums looked up and only a short distance away
saw a large flock of crows circling over one side of the farm where
were located several chicken houses. On the ground were a number of
little chicks, and the crows were evidently after some of these.
“There’s our chance! Quick!” yelled Jack, and without further ado he
unslung his gun.
The others understood, and all waited until each had his firearm ready
for use. In the meantime Fred had run over to the boy and told him to
stop waving the apron.
“We’ll give those crows something to remember us by,” said the youngest
of the Rover boys.
“All ready!” yelled Jack. “Take aim!” He paused another instant. “Fire!”
Bang! Crack! Bang! went the guns in almost a perfect volley. The
reports were followed by a scream from the woman in the house and a
yell of delight from the red-headed boy. Then nine of the crows were
seen to be coming down, some dropping rapidly, showing they had been
killed instantly, and others fluttering as if badly wounded. With loud
caws the other birds wheeled abruptly and flew out of sight.
“That’s the time we brought ’em down!” cried Jack, in satisfaction.
“Those crows at least won’t bother any more chickens.”
“Gosh! but you’re some hunters, ain’t you?” said the red-headed boy,
his eyes wide in wonder.
“Oh, that was easy,” answered Jack. “Come on, fellows, let’s go after
the birds that we wounded and put them out of their misery.”
Three of the crows had been only wounded, and they were quickly
dispatched, and then the boys walked back to the farmhouse where they
found a lean woman awaiting them.
“You young men certainly came in the nick of time,” she declared
emphatically. “I’m very much obliged to you, and I’m sure my husband
will be too when he gets back from his work. Those crows are the plague
of my life. I can’t keep the chicks locked up all the time, they need
the air and the sunshine. But every time I let ’em out those crows get
after them.”
“Want them crows?” asked the red-headed boy.
“No. You can have them,” answered Jack. “But I wouldn’t mind having a
drink of water,” he added.
A well was handy and while the crowd was having a drink the woman
continued to talk about her troubles.
“The crows are troubling us all the time, and once in a while we have
a tramp or two come here,” she vouchsafed. “And yesterday I had two
young men stop here and they were just as impudent as they could be.”
This remark interested the Rovers and their chums and they immediately
asked the woman for some particulars. She said the two undesirable
visitors had lost something on the road and insisted that Tommy help
them in hunting for it and then had insisted that she supply them with
lunch, asking in anything but a friendly fashion. The two young men had
gone off only when Tommy had come in announcing that his father was
coming down the road.
“What were the names of those young men?” questioned Fred.
“They didn’t give their names,” answered the woman, “but one called the
other Nappy and he called the first fellow Slugger.”
“Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell again!” exclaimed Randy. “Can you beat
it?”