CHAPTER X.
A BEAR HUNT.
"I'll jest do it, an' it's the luckiest thing in the world that Ithought of it. That will make me wuth--" here he stopped and countedhis fingers--"twenty-two dollars and two bits, anyhow. Then myclothes, an' stockings, an' shoes, an' all the powder an' lead I wantthis winter, won't cost me nothing; so I shall be rich fur all thatthar mean Dave is workin' so hard agin me."
It was Dan Evans who talked thus to himself, and he was standingbehind the cabin, with his hands in his pockets, and looking at Don'spointer, just as he was the last time we saw him. He was so very muchdelighted with certain plans he had determined upon that that hedid not dare meet his brother again just then, for fear that theexpression of joy and triumph which he knew his face wore wouldattract David's notice and put him on his guard. So he remained inthe rear of the cabin with his thoughts for company, until his mothercame home. The dress David had purchased for her, and which he hadplaced in the most conspicuous position he could find, was the firstthing that attracted her attention as she entered the door. Dan heardher exclamation of joyful surprise, and listened with all his ears inthe hope of overhearing some of the conversation that passed betweenher and David; but it was carried on in a low tone of voice, and Danwas no wiser when it was concluded than he was before. He knew,however, by the ejaculations that now and then fell from his mother'slips that David was telling her something which greatly interestedher, and Dan would have given almost anything to know what it was. Heheard his mother laugh a little occasionally, and that brought thescowl back to his face again. He could not bear to know that any oneabout that house was happy.
When supper was over, and David had done the chores and assistedin clearing away the dishes, he and his mother seated themselvesin front of the fireplace and prepared to pass the evening inconversation, as they always did, while Dan threw himself upon the"shake-down" on which he and his brother slept, and in a few minutesbegan snoring lustily. He was not asleep, however. His ears wereopen, and so were his eyes the most of the time. He saw everythingthat was done and heard all that passed between his mother andDavid, but not a word did he hear that interested him. David hadalready given his mother a history of the events of the day. Sheknew what his plans were and approved them.
When nine o'clock came David took possession of the other half of the"shake-down" and prepared to go to sleep. He deposited his clothes atthe head of the bed, as usual, and Dan, through his half-closed eyes,saw that he threw them down in a careless sort of way, as thoughthere was nothing of value in them.
"But he can't fool me so easy," thought Dan. "Not by no means. Thar'sten dollars somewhar in them thar dry goods, unless he give 'em tothe ole woman when she fust come hum, an' they'll be mine aforemornin'. He wouldn't go snacks with me, like a feller had oughter do,an' now I'll have 'em all!"
In an hour from that time everybody in the cabin appeared to beasleep. Mrs. Evans certainly was and David seemed to be, for he laywith his eyes closed, and breathed long and heavily. Dan took a goodlook at him--the blazing fire on the hearth made the cabin almost aslight as day--and then reaching out his hand drew David's clothestoward him. He searched all the pockets carefully, but there wasnothing in them except a pocket-knife with two broken blades, andthat was not what Dan was looking for. Muttering something under hisbreath Dan turned all the pockets inside out and then felt of thelining of the coat; but as nothing rewarded his search he tossed theclothes back upon the floor, and cautiously slipped his hand underhis brother's pillow. As he did so David suddenly raised himselfupright in bed, and seizing the pillow, lifted it from its place.
"If you want to look under there, why don't you say so?" he asked.
Almost any other boy would have been overcome with shame andmortification, but Dan was not easily abashed, and although he felta little crestfallen, his face did not show it.
"It isn't there you see, don't you?" said David.
"What isn't thar?" growled Dan.
"Why, the ten-dollar bill you saw me have at the landing. It isn'tin my clothes either, or anywhere about the house."
"I wasn't lookin' fur it," returned Dan.
"I'll tell you where it is, if you want to know," continued David."It is safe in Don Gordon's pocket-book, and you can't get it out ofthere. I told you that you'd never have another chance to steal anyof my money, and I think you will believe it now. Good-night, andpleasant dreams to you; that is, if you can sleep after such aperformance."
Dan could sleep, and he did, too, after he got over his rage, buthis night's rest did not seem to refresh him much, for he was crossand sullen the next morning, and ate his breakfast without saying aword to anybody. David was as bright as a lark; and after he hadassisted his mother in her household duties, he took down his rustyold single-barrel from the pegs over the fireplace, slung on hispowder-horn and shot-pouch, and when his mother was ready to go, heaccompanied her down the road toward General Gordon's, leaving Dansitting on the bench, moody and thoughtful.
"They don't take no more notice of me nor if I was a yaller dog or acrooked stick," growled Dan, when he found himself alone. "I'll pay'em fur it by kickin' up a wusser row nor pap done 'bout that tharbar'l, an' I shan't be long a doin' of it nuther!"
Mrs. Evans and David separated at the forks of the road, the formerdirecting her course toward the house of the neighbor by whom she wasemployed, and David hurrying on toward General Gordon's. When hereached the head of the lake he heard a loud shout; and looking inthe direction from which it came, he saw Don and Bert standing on thewharf beckoning to him. David ran across the garden to join thebrothers, and found that they were all ready to start on the huntthey had planned the day before. A well-filled basket, which Davidknew contained a substantial lunch, stood on the wharf, and near itlay the General's heavy double-barrel gun, which Bert had borrowedfor the occasion, knowing that it would throw buck-shot with moreforce than his light bird gun. Bert was unfastening the canoe, andDon stood close by, with his trusty rifle in one hand and an axe inthe other. Two other axes lay near the lunch basket, and a couple ofDon's best hounds stood as close to the edge of the wharf as theycould get, wagging their tails vigorously and whining withimpatience.
These hounds were large and powerful animals, and their couragehad been tested in more than one desperate bear fight. If they hadbeen with their master when he visited the island the day before,something disagreeable might have happened. Godfrey Evans could nothave driven them away by imitating the growl of a wild animal. Theywelcomed the newcomer with their bugle-like notes, and were answeredby a chorus of angry yelps from the rest of the pack, which had beenshut up in the barn and were to be left behind.
"Now, I call this rather a formidable expedition," said Don, as Davidcame up. "If that bear is there to-day I wouldn't take a dollar formy chance of shooting him. One bullet and three loads of buckshotwill be more than he can carry away with him. Here are the axes tobuild the trap with, if we don't find him on the island; there's abag of corn for bait, an auger to bore the holes and the pins withwhich to fasten the logs together. Bert and I worked in the shop lastnight until ten o'clock, making those pins. I think we haveeverything we wan't, so we'll be off."
The canoe having been hauled alongside the wharf, and the articleswhich Don had enumerated being packed away in it, the hounds jumpedin and curled themselves up in the bow, David took his place atthe oars and the brothers found comfortable seats in the stern.Altogether it was a heavy load the little boat had to carry, andshe was so deep in the water that her gunwales were scarcely threeinches above the surface; but there were never any heavy seas to beencountered in that little lake, and so there was no danger to beapprehended.
David sent the canoe rapidly along, and presently it entered thebayou that led to Bruin's Island. As it approached Godfrey Evans'scabin Dan arose from the bench on which he was seated in front of thedoor, and ran hastily around the corner of the building. He did notmean that Don and Bert should see him again, even at a distance, ifhe could help it
. He remained concealed until the canoe was out ofsight, and then came back to his bench again.
While on the way up the bayou the young hunters stopped once, longenough to pick up a brace of ducks which Bert killed out of a flockthat arose from the water just in advance of them, and at the end ofan hour came within sight of the leaning sycamore which pointed outthe position of Bruin's Island. There was no one to be seen, but thatwas no proof that the island was deserted. There was some one therewhom the three boys did not expect to see or hear of very soon, andthat was Godfrey Evans. He was waiting for Dan to come with the canoeand the tobacco and other articles he had been instructed to purchaseat the store. He had watched for him until long after midnight, thenretreated to his bed of leaves under the lean-to for a short nap,and at the first peep of day he was again at his post behind thesycamore. To his great relief he saw the boat coming at last, but hisjoy was of short duration, for a second look showed him that Dan wasnot in it.
The canoe came nearer to the island with every stroke of the oars,and presently one of Don's hounds started to his feet, snuffed theair eagerly for a moment and uttered a deep-toned bay. Godfrey duckedhis head on the instant and crawled swiftly away from the sycamore onhis hands and knees. He was careful to keep the tree between himselfand those in the boat until he reached the cane, and then he arose tohis feet and worked his way toward his camp with all possible haste.
"Them two oneasy chaps has come back agin, just as I thought theywould," said he to himself, "and our Dave's with 'em. Don's got hisrifle now and his dogs, too, so't thar ain't no use tryin' to scarehim this time. I must hunt a new hidin'-place now."
Godfrey stopped in his camp just long enough to seize his rifle andammunition; after which he plunged into the cane again and ran towardthe head of the island. The muddy beach was thickly covered withdrift-wood, and behind a convenient pile of branches and logs Godfreycrouched down and waited to see what was going to happen.
The actions of Don's hounds made the young hunters almost as nervousas they made Godfrey Evans. David stopped tugging at the oars andlooked over his shoulder; Bert caught up his father's double-barreland hastily loaded it with two cartridges containing buckshot; whileDon, after bringing the canoe broadside to the island, dropped thepaddle with which he was steering, and picked up his rifle.
"He's there yet," said Bert. "The hounds have scented him already."
"It looks like it," replied Don. "Well, we came here to find him, andif he drives us away to-day he'll have to fight to do it. Dave, you'dbetter load up--Bert has plenty of loose buckshot in his pocket--andmind you now, fellows, don't get excited and shoot the dogs. I'drather let the bear go than have one of them hurt."
While David was loading his single-barrel--his hands trembled alittle, and it took him longer than usual to do it--Don and Bert satwith their guns across their knees, closely watching the island,while the hounds stood in the bow snuffing the air. They caught sometaint upon the breeze, that was evident, for the long hair on theback of their necks stood erect and now and then they growledsavagely.
When David had driven home a good-sized charge of buckshot and placeda cap upon his gun, he leaned the weapon against the thwart uponwhich he was sitting and picked up the oars. Don dropped his paddleinto the water, and the canoe moved around the foot of the island andalong the beach, until it reached a point opposite the place whereBert had found the path the day before. Then it was turned toward thebank, and the moment the bow grounded, the hounds sprang out. Theboys followed with all haste, and Bert, as he stepped ashore, drewthe canoe half way out of the water, so that the current could notcarry her down the stream.
"Now, we'll send the dogs in to drive him out," said Don, "and ifthey can push him fast enough to make him take to a tree, he's ourbear; but if he takes to the water and swims to the mainland, weshall lose him. We don't care for that, however. He'll be sure tocome back, and when he does he'll find a trap waiting for him. We'llsee as much sport in catching him alive as we would in shooting him.Hunt 'em up, there!" he added, waving his hand along the path.
The hounds, baying fierce and loud at every jump, went tearingthrough the cane, followed by the boys, who moved in single file, Donleading the way. A very few minutes sufficed to bring them to thecleared spot in which Godfrey's camp was located, and there theyfound the hounds running about showing every sign of anger andexcitement.
"They're on a warm trail," said Don, looking first into each cornerof the cleared space and then up into the trees over his head. "Thegame has just left here. This is somebody's old camp, and the bearhas taken possession of it. No doubt he slept in that shanty. Hunt'em up, there!"
The hounds followed Godfrey's trail through the camp, and diving intothe cane on the opposite side were quickly out of sight. The boysfollowed, and presently stood panting and almost breathless besidethe drift-wood where the hounds were running about close to thewater's edge, now and then looking toward the opposite shore andbaying loudly. But Godfrey was safely out of their reach. Seizing theopportunity when the hunters and dogs were hidden from view in thecane, he stepped into the water and struck out for the mainland. Hehad hardly time to climb the bank and conceal himself in the bushesbefore Don's hounds were running about on the very spot where he hadbeen hidden but a few minutes before. Why was it that the houndsfollowed his trail as they would have followed that of a bear ordeer? Simply because they scented him before they reached the island,and because Godfrey took so much pains to keep out of their way. Hadhe stood out in plain view while the boat was approaching, the houndswould have paid no attention to him.
"Well, he's gone," said Bert, and the deep sigh that escaped his lipsas he uttered the words would have led one to believe that he wasglad of it, "and now comes the hard work. It's an all-day's job tobuild that trap."
"It would be if we had to cut down the trees and trim off thebranches," replied David; "but there is some timber in thisdrift-wood that will answer our purpose as well as any we could getourselves. Where are you going to build the trap, Don?"
"In there where his den is would be the best place, wouldn't it? Nowlet's go after the axes; and while you and Bert are cutting the logs,I'll unload the boat and open a road through the cane, so that we canhaul our timber in without any difficulty."
The work being thus divided rapid progress was made. By the time Donhad unloaded the boat and cut a path leading from Godfrey's camp tothe upper end of the island, Bert and David had selected and notchedall the logs that were needed for the trap. Then a stout rope, whichDon had been thoughtful enough to put into the boat, was brought intorequisition, and the work of hauling in the logs began. As fast asthey were placed in position, Don fastened them down with the pins heand his brother had made the night before, and when lunch time came,a neat log cabin about six feet square was standing in front ofGodfrey's lean-to. With a little "chinking" and the addition of adoor and perhaps a window, it would have made a much more comfortableplace of abode than the miserable bark structure which Godfrey had solong occupied.
Their hard work had given the boys glorious appetites, and they didfull justice to the good things Mrs. Gordon had put up for them. Donsaid their lunch might have been much improved by the addition of oneof the ducks Bert had shot that morning, but their time was much tooprecious to be wasted in cooking. The hardest part of their task wasyet to be done, and that was to build a movable roof for their cabin.Don, who had received explicit instructions from his father the nightbefore, superintended this work, and by the middle of the afternoonthe trap was completed and set, ready for the bear's reception.
It looked, as we have said, like a little log cabin with a flat roof.One end of the roof rested on the rear wall of the trap, while theother was raised in the air, leaving an opening sufficiently large toadmit of the entrance of any bear that was likely to come that way.The roof was held in this position by a stout lever, which restedacross the limb of a convenient tree. A rope led from the other endof the lever, down through a hole in the roof, to the trigger, towh
ich the bait--an ear of corn--was attached. The bear was expectedto crawl through the opening and seize the ear of corn; and in sodoing, he would spring the trigger, release the lever and the roofwould fall down and fasten him in the pen. When all the finishingtouches had been put on, the boys leaned on their axes and admiredtheir work.