CHAPTER IX.
NATURAL HISTORY.
Lester Brigham was not at all intimate with Don and Bert. Thebrothers, as in duty bound, called upon him when he first arrived inthe settlement, and a few days afterward Lester rode over and tookdinner with them; and that was the last of their visiting. The boyscould see nothing to admire in one another. Don and Bert were alittle too "high-toned;" in other words, they were young gentlemen,and such fellows did not suit Lester, who preferred to associate withBob Owens and a few others like him. Lester had been a leader amonghis city schoolmates, and he expected to occupy the same positionamong the boys about Rochdale; but before he had been many weeks inthe settlement he found that there were some fellows there who knewjust as much as he did, who rode horses and wore clothes as good ashis own, and who had some very decided opinions and were in the habitof thinking for themselves. They wouldn't "cotton" to him even if hewas from the city, and so Lester made friends with those whom heregarded as his inferiors in every way.
Lester was not at all pleased with the task he had set himself onthis particular day. He never felt easy in Don's presence and Bert's,and nothing but the hope of compelling David to give up his contractand thus leave the way clear for Bob and himself, would have inducedhim to call upon them. He rode slowly in order to postpone theinterview as long as he could, but the General's barn was reached atlast, and the hostler, who came forward to take his nag, told himthat Don and Bert had just gone into the house. The latter opened thedoor in response to his knock, and Lester knew by the way he lookedat him that he was very much surprised to see him. But he welcomedhim very cordially, and conducted him into the library, where Don waslying upon the sofa.
"That night in the potato cellar was a serious matter for you, wasn'tit?" said the visitor, after the greeting was over and he had seatedhimself in the chair which Bert placed in front of the fire. "Haven'tyou been able to take any exercise at all yet?"
"O, yes; I've been out all day. I've had almost too much exercise,and that is what puts me here on the sofa."
"We've had some excitement, too," added Bert.
"Yes. We went up the bayou to see if the ducks had begun to come inany yet, and we found a bear on Bruin's Island."
"Did you shoot him?"
"No. He gave us notice to clear out and we were only too glad to doso. Such growls _I_ never heard before."
"One's nerves do shake a little under such circumstances, that is, ifhe is not accustomed to shooting large game," said Lester, loftily."You ought to have had me there. Perhaps I'll go up some day and paymy respects to him."
Don, who thought this a splendid opportunity to test Lester'scourage, was on the very point of telling him that he and Bert weregoing up there the next day to see if they could find the animal, andthat they would be glad to have his assistance; but on second thoughthe concluded that he would say nothing about it. He expected to havesome sport as well as some excitement during the trip, and he didn'twant his day's enjoyment spoiled by any such fellow as LesterBrigham.
"I came over to see you two boys on business," continued the visitor,drawing an official envelope from his pocket. "We talk of getting upa Sportsman's Club here in the settlement: will you join it?"
"Who are talking of getting it up, and what is the object of it?"asked Don.
"All the boys are talking of it. One object is to bring the youngsportsmen of the neighborhood into more intimate relations, andanother is to protect the game. Perhaps I can give you no better ideaof the proposed organization than by reading this constitution, whichwill be acted upon by the club at its first meeting."
As Lester said this he looked from one to the other of the brothers,and receiving a nod from each which signified that they were ready tolisten, he drew out the document of which he had spoken, andproceeded to read it in his best style. He glanced at his auditorsoccasionally while he was reading the paper, and when he came to acertain paragraph, the one upon which he and Bob had expended themost time and thought, he told himself that he had certainly made animpression, for Bert looked bewildered and Don straightened up, drewa note-book from his pocket and began making entries therein with alead-pencil. The paragraph read as follows:
"The great object of the club being to put down pot-hunters andpoachers, and stop the practice, which is so common, of trapping gameand shipping it out of the country, it is hereby
"_Resolved_, that on and after the date of the adoption of thisconstitution, it shall be unlawful for any person to take bytrapping, at any season of the year, or on any lands, whether privatein their own occupation, public or waste, any of the game animals andbirds hereinafter described, to wit: pheasant (_T. Scolopax_);partridge (_Picus Imperialis_); rabbit (_Ortyx Virgiana_); and reddeer (_Canis Lupus_). The penalty for disobedience shall be a fine often dollars for the first offence, twenty for the second, thirty forthe third, and so on; the fines to be sued and recovered before anyjustice of the peace in the county, and to be divided in equal partsbetween the informer and the poor; and in default of payment theoffender shall be imprisoned for ten days in the county jail."
When the document was finished, Don asked him to read this clauseover again. He complied with the request, and as he folded the papervery deliberately waited for his auditors to say a word ofcommendation; but as they didn't do it, he said it himself.
"Now, I drew up that instrument, and I think it is just about right,"said he, complacently. "It is nothing but the truth, if I do say itmyself, that there is not another fellow in the settlement who couldhave done it. Of course it will be open to amendments, but I don'tsee how or where it could be improved. It covers all the ground,doesn't it?'
"It covers a good deal, and especially the article you read twice,"replied Don. "But I can't join such an organization as that. I'm apot-hunter myself. I never went hunting yet, without I intended toshoot something for the table."
"But you are not a poacher."
"I don't know about that. I hunt in every field and piece of woods Ifind, no matter who owns them."
"Perhaps I had better change that," said Lester, after thinking amoment, "and say market-shooters instead of pot-hunters."
"There are no such things as market-shooters in the county."
"But there are market-trappers," said Lester. "There are personshere, who are catching quails and shipping them out of the state."
"Yes, there is one who thinks of going into the business, and I gothim the job. It wouldn't look very well for me to turn around now andtell him that he must not do it."
"You could say to him that you have had reason to change your mindlately, and that you know it isn't right to do such things."
"But I haven't changed my mind."
"You ought to. The first thing you know there will be no birds foryou and me to shoot."
"I'll risk that. You may trap two hundred dozen if you want to, andsend them out of the county, and when you have done it, I will go outany morning with my pointer and shoot birds enough for breakfast.I'll leave more in the fields, too, than you can bag in six months,"added Don, and Bert saw the point he was trying to make, if Lesterdid not. "Besides, what right have I to tell Dave what he shall doand what he shall not do? He'd laugh at me."
"Well, he wouldn't do it more than once. A few days in the calaboosewould bring him to his senses."
"Who would put him there?"
"The club would."
"Where's the club's authority for such a proceeding?"
Lester lifted the constitution and tapped it with his forefinger byway of reply.
"I think I had better have nothing to do with it," said Don, whocould scarcely refrain from laughing outright.
"We intend to make you our president," said Lester.
"I am obliged to you," replied Don, but still he did not take anymore interest in the Sportsman's Club than he had done before. He didnot snap up the bait thus thrown out, as Lester hoped he would. Hewas not to be bought, even by the promise of office. Lester saw that,and arose to take his leave.
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"Well, think it over," said he. "Sleep on it for a few nights, and ifat any time you decide to go in with us, just let me know. Goodevening!"
"I'll do so," answered Don. "Good evening!"
Lester bowed himself out of the room and Bert accompanied him to thedoor. The first question the latter asked when he came back was:--
"Is there a beast or a bird in the world whose Latin name iscanis-lupus?"
Don threw himself back upon the sofa and laughed until the room rangagain. "Is there a beast or a bird in the world whose English name isdog-wolf?" he asked, as soon as he could speak. "I did give Lestercredit for a little common sense and a little knowledge, but Ideclare he possesses neither. It beats the world how he has gotthings mixed. Just listen to this," added Don, consulting hisnote-book. "He speaks of a pheasant and calls it _T. Scolopax_. Now_Scolopax_ is a snipe. He probably meant ruffed grouse, and shouldhave called it _Tetrao Umbellus_. He speaks of a partridge when hemeans quail, or more properly Bob White, there being no quails onthis side the Atlantic----"
"Why do people call them quails then?" asked Bert.
"The name was given to them by our forefathers, because theyresembled the European quail. There is no pheasant in America either;but our grouse looked like one, and so they gave it that name, Lestercalls a quail _Pious Imperialis_. Now that's an imperialwoodpecker--that big black fellow with a red topknot that wesometimes see when we are hunting. He used to be calledcock-of-the-woods, but the name was twisted around until it becamewoodcock, and some people believe that he is the gamey little bird weso much delight to shoot and eat. But they belong to differentorders, one being a climber and the other a wader. Lester speaks of arabbit, not knowing that there is no such thing as a wild rabbit inour country, and calls it _Ortyx Virgiana_, when he should havecalled it _Lepus Virginianus_, the name he uses being the one bywhich our quail is known to ornithologists. A deer, which he calls adog-wolf, is _Cervus Virginianus_. O, he's a naturalist as well as asportsman," shouted Don, as he laid back upon the sofa and laugheduntil his sides ached.
"Then he didn't get one of the names right?"
"Not a single one. After all, his ignorance on these points is not soastonishing, for everybody is liable to make mistakes; but that anyboy living in this day and age should imagine that, by simply gettingup a club and adopting a constitution, he could imprison or fineanother boy because he didn't do just to suit him, is too ridiculousto be believed. That particular paragraph was probably copied aftersome old game law Lester read years ago; but he ought to know thatbefore a sportsman's club, or any other organization, can haveauthority to prosecute persons for trapping birds and sending themaway, there must first be a law passed prohibiting such trapping andsending away; and there's no such law in this state. It doesn't seempossible that he could have been in earnest."
But Lester was in earnest for all that--so very much in earnest thathe was willing to run a great risk in order to punish Don forrefusing to join his society. Of course he was angry. He and Bob hadfelt sure of obtaining the contract, had laid many plans for thespending of the money after it was earned, and it was very provokingto find that their scheme had been defeated, and that they were to bepushed aside for the sake of such a fellow as David Evans. Lester wassorry now that he had not given David a good thrashing when he methim in the road that morning, and told himself that he would do itthe very next time he put eyes on him and risk the consequences. Thethought had scarcely passed through his mind when the opportunity waspresented. He met David coming along the road in company with hisbrother Dan. David did not seem to remember that any sharp words hadpassed between Lester and himself, for he looked as cheerful andsmiling as usual, and, following the custom of the country, bowed tothe horseman as he rode past. Lester did not return the bow, andneither did he dismount to give David the promised thrashing. He wasafraid to attempt it; but, coward-like, he had to take vengeance uponsomething, and so he hit his horse a savage cut with his riding-whip.
"Dave can afford to be polite and good-natured," thought Lester, ashe went flying down the road. "He is rejoicing over his success andmy failure; but if he only knew it, this thing isn't settled yet.I'll write to that man to-night, telling him, that the parties towhom he gave the contract can't catch the birds, and then Bob and Iwill go to work and make it true. If we don't earn that money, nobodyshall. As for those stuck-up Gordons--I'll show them how I'll geteven with them."
The spirited animal on which he was mounted made short work of thetwo miles that lay between Don's home and Bob's, and in a few minutesLester dismounted in front of the wagon-shed, where his crony waswaiting for him.
"I've had no luck at all," said he, in reply to Bob's inquiring look."I might as well have stayed at home. Don says he can't join a clubof this kind, because, having got David the job of trapping thequails, he can't go back on him. He says he's a poacher andpot-hunter himself; and what surprised me was, he did not seem to beat all ashamed of it."
"Of course he wasn't ashamed," said Bob. "He thinks that everythinghe and his pale-faced brother do is just right. Did he say anythingabout what passed between Bert and myself at the post-office?"
"Not a word."
"I was afraid he would," said Bob, drawing a long breath of relief,"for he knows that you and I are friends."
Yes, Don knew that, but there were two good reasons why he had notspoken to Lester about Bob's threat of slapping Bert over. In thefirst place, he was not aware that Bob had made any such threat. Bertwas one of the few boys we have met, who did not believe in tellingeverything he knew. Do you know such a boy among your companions? Ifyou do, you know one whom nobody is afraid to trust. Bert wanted tolive in peace, and thought it a good plan to quell disturbances,instead of helping them along. He knew that if he told his brotherwhat had happened in the post-office, there would be a fight, thevery first time Don and Bob met, and Bert didn't believe in fighting.But even if Don had known all about it, he would not have saidanything to Lester. He would have waited until he met Bob, and thenhe would have used some pretty strong arguments, and driven them homeby the aid of his fist. How much trouble might be avoided, if therewere a few more boys like Bert Gordon in the world!
"I am not sorry I went down there," continued Lester, "for I had thesatisfaction of showing those conceited fellows that there are someboys in the settlement besides themselves who know a thing or two. Iread the constitution to them, and it would have made you laugh tosee them open their eyes. Bert was so astonished that he couldn't saya word, and Don never took his gaze off my face while I was reading.When I got through he asked me to read that clause with the Latin andGreek in it over again, so that he could copy the names in hisnote-book. He'll learn them by heart, and use them some time inconversation and so get the reputation of being a very smart and avery learned boy. If he does it in your presence, I want you to letfolks know that he is showing off on the strength of _my_ brains. Idon't suppose the ignoramus ever knew before----"
"Well, who cares whether he did or not?" exclaimed Bob, impatiently."That's a matter that doesn't interest me. Is Dave Evans going tomake that hundred and fifty dollars and cheat me out of a newshot-gun? That's what I want to know!"
"Of course he isn't," replied Lester. "We can't stop him by the aidof the Sportsman's Club, and so we will stop him ourselves withoutthe aid of anybody. Let him go to work and set his traps, and we'llsee how many birds he will take out of them. We'll rob every one wecan find and keep the quail ourselves. In that way we may be able tomake up the fifty dozen without setting any of our own traps. We'llwrite to that man, as you suggested, and when Dave finds he can'tcatch any birds, he'll get discouraged and leave us a clear field.But first I want to touch up Don and Bert Gordon a little to pay themfor the way they treated me this evening. That shooting-box shall belaid in ashes this very night. I expected an invitation to shootthere last spring, but I didn't get it, and now I am determined thatthey shall never ask anybody there. What do you say?"
"I say, I'm your man," replied Bob
.
And so the thing was settled. Lester put his horse in the barn, wentin to supper, which was announced in a few minutes (Bob foundopportunity before he sat down to the table to purloin a box ofmatches, which he put carefully away in his pocket), and when themeal was over, the two boys went back to the wagon-shed, where theysat and talked until it began to grow dark. Then Bob brought a coupleof paddles out of the corner of the wagon-shed, handed one to hiscompanion, and the two walked slowly down the road. When they wereout of sight of the house they climbed the fence, and directed theircourse across the fields toward the head of the lake. Then theyquickened their pace. They had much to do, and they wanted to finishtheir work and return to the house before their absence wasdiscovered.
Half an hour's rapid walking brought them to the road just belowGeneral Gordon's barn. The next thing was to make their way along thefoot of the garden until they reached the jetty, and that was anundertaking that was not wholly free from danger. Don Gordon's houndswere noted watch-dogs, and any prowlers they discovered were prettycertain to be severely treated. But there was no flinching on thepart of the two boys. Bob led the way almost on his hands and knees,stopping now and then to listen, and finally brought his companion tothe place where the boats were moored. There was only one of themavailable, however, for the canoe, which they had intended to take,was secured to a tree by a heavy padlock.
"Did you ever hear of such luck?" whispered Bob.
"Couldn't we paddle the other up there?" asked Lester, feeling of thechain with which the sail-boat was fastened to the wharf, to makesure that it was not locked.
"O, yes; but why is this canoe locked up? That's what bothers me.Perhaps Don suspects something and is on the watch."
"Who cares if he is?" exclaimed Lester. "I've come too far to backout now. I wouldn't do it if Don and all his friends stood in myway."
"All right. If you are not afraid, I am not. Be careful when you castoff that chain. You know that sound travels a long way on a stillnight like this."
Lester was careful, and the boat was pushed off and got under way sonoiselessly that a person standing on the bank would not have knownthat there was anything going on. Bob, who knew just where theshooting-box was located, sat in the stern and did the steering, atthe same time assisting Lester in paddling. The heavy boat movedeasily through the water, and before another half hour had passedthey were at their journey's end.
"Hold up now," whispered Bob, "and let's make sure that everythingis all right before we touch the shore."
Lester drew in his paddle and listened. He heard a whistling in theair, as a solitary duck flew swiftly up the lake, and that was theonly sound that broke the stillness. The trees on the shore loomed updarkly against the sky, and presented the appearance of a solid wallof ebony. Lester could not see anything that looked like ashooting-box, but Bob knew it was there, and when he had listenedlong enough to satisfy himself that there was nobody in it or aboutit, he brought the bow of the boat around and paddled toward theshore.
"Which way is it from here?" asked Lester, when the two haddisembarked. "I can't see anything."
"Hold fast to my coat-tail," replied Bob, "and I'll show it to youin a minute."
Lester being thus taken in tow was safely conducted up the bank.Presently he heard a door unlatched and opened, a match was struckand he found himself inside the shooting-box. He could scarcely havebeen more surprised if he had found himself inside a little palace.The shooting-box was not a shanty, as he expected to find it, but aconveniently-arranged and neatly-constructed house. He borrowed a fewmatches of Bob and proceeded to take a thorough survey of it. "Donmust have spent a good deal of time in fixing this up," said he.
"He certainly has," replied Bob, "and he handles tools like a borncarpenter, too. I suppose this is a nice place to get away to whenthe fellows are here shooting over their decoys. Joe Packard says so,at any rate. They have mattresses and bed clothes in the bunks, acarpet and rugs on the floor, camp chairs and stools enough for thewhole party, and they sit here of evenings and crack hickory-nutsand tell stories and have boss times."
"It's almost a pity to break up their fun."
"It's a greater pity that Don should take money out of our pocketsand put it into those of that beggar, Dave Evans," answered Bob,spitefully.
"That's so," said Lester, who grew angry every time he thought of it."Set her agoing!"
That was a matter of no difficulty. There was an abundance of dryfuel and kindling wood in the little closet under the chimney, andsome of the latter was quickly whittled into shavings by the aid ofBob's pocket knife, Lester standing by and burning matches to lighthim at his work. More kindling wood was placed upon the shavings,dry stove wood was piled upon the top of this, then the slats inthe bunks, the table and every other movable thing in the cabinthat would burn was thrown on, and Bob took a match in his handand extended another to his companion.
"You light one side and I'll light the other," said he. "Then youcan't say I did it, and I can't say you did it!"
The matches blazed up on opposite sides at the same instant. Theflames made rapid progress, and by the time the boys had closed thedoor and got into the boat, they were roaring and crackling at agreat rate. They quickly shoved off and laid out all their strengthon the paddles, but before they could reach the jetty the flamesburst through the roof of the shooting-box, and the lake was lightedup for a quarter of a mile around. But no one saw it, and Lester andhis companion put the boat back where they found it, made their wayacross the road into the fields, without alarming the hounds, andstarted for home on a keen run, no one being the wiser for whatthey had done.
The Burning of the Shooting-Box.]