CHAPTER XIV.
A HERD OF DEER.
Such a cheering arose as might have been heard far off in the forest.The praises and congratulations of his companions brought a ruddy flushto Hamp's cheeks.
"It wasn't anything to do," he protested, modestly. "When the creaturebounced in, I just up and fired. Jerry gets the most credit."
"No, I don't, either," declared Jerry. "My rifleball took him in theshoulder, and your charges of buckshot went through the head. You savedour lives, Hamp, for the brute was crazy with pain, and would have tornus to pieces."
"That's so," assented Brick. "I thought it was all up with us when Hampfired. Well, we're rid of a mighty ugly enemy. You fellows may be gladyou weren't in my shoes when the beast had me penned up in the creviceback of the storehouse."
When the excitement of their recent adventures had passed off, the boysdiscovered that they were very sleepy. The night was well advanced, sothey turned in without delay, permitting the lantern to burn dimly. Theywere not inclined to lie down in darkness with the dead catamount.
Morning seemed to come quickly. The boys were astir early, and hadbreakfast over by eight o'clock. Then they crept out to the mouth of thetunnel, and were disappointed to find that the weather was unfavorablefor departure. A fine rain was falling from a sodden, gray sky, and theair was quite warm and moist.
"It feels as though a change was coming," said Jerry. "I believe it willclear off by evening and get cold. Then a crust will form on the snowover night, and we can start early to-morrow morning."
"I hate to spend another day in this cooped-up place," replied Brick,mournfully.
"It can't be helped," declared Hamp. "We don't want to travel in therain. Keep your spirits up, old fellow. The time won't seem long."
"You're right it won't," assented Jerry. "We've got a lot to do. Firstof all, the catamount must be taken away from the cabin and skinned.Then we ought to make a search back in the woods for those men. I'mworried about them."
The others shared Jerry's anxiety, but it was agreed to postpone theexpedition until afternoon.
The boys went back to the cabin, and tied a rope about the catamount'sneck. After a great deal of trouble, they succeeded in dragging the bodyto the mouth of the tunnel.
Then they set to work with sharp knives and removed the skin in goodcondition. The carcass was hauled out on the ice, where it wouldultimately be devoured by wolves.
After a cold dinner, the boys donned snowshoes and oilskin coats andsallied forth again. They traveled down the lake as far as the pointwhere they had seen the men make a crossing. Then they entered theforest, and tramped backward and forward for several hours.
But not a trace could be found of the two prospectors, Raikes and Bogle,or their camp. The boys searched long and carefully, and varied theirshouts by firing guns at frequent intervals. No reply came back. Thestillness of death reigned in the forest.
"It's no use," declared Jerry. "We may as well give up and return. Idon't suppose the men had more than a campfire, and the traces of thatare buried under the snow."
"But what became of them?" asked Hamp.
"I don't know," replied Jerry. "I'm sure they're not dead, anyhow."
"I'll bet they packed up and left for a safer neighborhood as soon asthey knew the storm was coming," said Brick. "They didn't leave since,for we would see their tracks on the snow."
"That's about it," assented Jerry. "No doubt they struck back toward themountains. They didn't worry about us, for Raikes knew how snugly wewere fixed."
This solution to the mystery was accepted, and the boys returned totheir camp.
On the way back Jerry shot a brace of spruce partridges, and these madea savory supper, varied with two fresh pickerel which Hamp snaredthrough a hole in the ice.
A blazing fire was made at the mouth of the tunnel, and here the mealwas cooked and eaten.
Jerry's prediction as to the weather had come true. No rain wasfalling, and the air was much crisper and colder. By nine o'clock thestars were shining from a steel-blue sky.
The boys went to bed early, so as to be fresh for the morrow's journey.They rose at daybreak, hurried down a cold breakfast, and packed thesleds. This was a task that required some skill, for the ordinaryluggage was augmented by the catamount's skin and the antlers of thebuck.
Then, with feelings of mingled regret and pleasure, the boys lookedtheir last on the snug little cabin where they had witnessed suchstirring scenes, and crawled through the tortuous passages of thetunnel, dragging the sleds behind them. They strapped on theirsnowshoes, and started directly across the lake.
The walking was mostly over smooth ice, though here and there was aformidable snowdrift piled up by an eddying wind.
The distant line of forest gradually became more distinct, and an hourbefore noon the young travelers reached the eastern shore of MooseheadLake. They were not more than two miles from the upper end, and after abrief consultation, they decided to push straight on for ChesumcookLake, which was about twenty miles away.
"You will like the neighborhood," Jerry assured Brick. "Game is plenty,and there are lots of good camping-places. Chesumcook is an awful longlake, only it's narrow. The Penobscot River flows out of it."
Brick was willing to do anything that his companions proposed, so theyplunged into the fragrant spruce woods, and pushed rapidly over thecrusted snow.
At the end of two or three miles a range of pretty steep hills wereencountered, and after dragging the sleds over one of the ridges, theboys were badly winded. They trudged on at a slower rate of speed,making wide detours to reach a gap whenever such a plan was feasible.
About midafternoon they found themselves traversing a narrow andheavily-timbered valley. Through the center brawled a noisy torrent thatwas too swift to freeze. On either side rose steep, pine-clad hills.
"There ought to be some small game hereabouts," said Jerry. "It's soontime to look up a camping-place for the night, and I'm hungry for asupper of fresh meat."
"So am I," muttered Brick. "I hate the smell of salt pork and bacon."
The boys pushed warily ahead through the dense bushes, looking to rightand left. They kept their weapons ready for instant use.
Hamp was several yards in advance. Suddenly he stopped, and held up awarning hand. His face was ablaze with excitement as he turned to hiscompanions.
"Look there!" he gasped. "How's that for luck? Don't make a sound."
The boys crept excitedly forward, and looked through the bushes whichHamp was holding apart with one hand. Then their eyes opened wide, andthey shook with feverish ardor.
Over the top of the scrub, and less than sixty yards distant, rose thebranching antlers of a huge buck. Close by was a second buck, and thereddish-gray flanks of several other deer were visible. As they movedabout on the snow, the rasping crunch of their hoofs could be plainlyheard.
"What a glorious sight," whispered Hamp. "It's a whole herd of deer, assure as anything. They're not looking this way, but it's funny theyhaven't scented us. The wind is from the west, and blows straight downthe ravine."
"Let me try a shot at that big fellow?" pleaded Brick, in a tremulousvoice.
"Not for the world," whispered Jerry. "The range is too long, and wecan't crawl any closer without being discovered. There must be a saltlick down there, and the deer are feeding. I've got a great scheme,fellows, and if we work it properly, we're sure to make a big haul ofvenison. You two go back a short distance, and climb the hill on theleft, without making a bit of noise. Follow the ridge for more than aquarter of a mile, and then climb down to the valley again. I'll takeBrick's watch, and wait right here with the sleds. I'll give youthirty-five minutes, and when time is up, I'll try to get a shot at oneof the deer. The minute I fire, the whole herd will dash down thevalley, and if you fellows are well posted on opposite sides, you oughtto get one a piece without any trouble."
The boys heard the plan with enthusiasm, and a
t once prepared to start.Brick took out his watch, and gave it to Jerry.
"What gun do you want?" asked Hamp.
"I'll keep the shotgun," replied Jerry. "You fellows had better takeboth along. You understand the plan, do you? Well, don't make anymistake, and avoid noise. Keep up the center of the valley for a hundredfeet before you start to climb the hill. Go ahead now. I'm beginning tocount time."