CHAPTER XIII
ANOTHER HUNT FOR VENISON
"A good riddance to bad rubbish!" remarked Bluff, with a grin, as theysaw the party disappear in the woods, with Bill Nackerson stillsnarling at his friends.
"I hope none of us will ever see that man again," said Mr. Darrel, ashe shook hands with each of his young friends.
"And, Bluff," Frank observed, turning on the other, "I want to saythat you did that business in fine shape. He seemed to have one eye onme, and I was afraid that if I started off to the cabin he would breakloose."
"That was a happy thought, your sending me," replied Bluff, "and I'llalways feel that you did me a big favor. We're sure glad to see you,Mr. Darrel. Hope you mean to spend some little time with us."
"Only one night, boys," replied the lumberman. "I have so much goingon at Lumber Run Camp, with new men arriving daily, that it'snecessary for me to be on the job constantly. How are you all,anyway?"
"Feeling fine and dandy, sir," Jerry told him.
"And getting some rattling good pictures in the bargain," added Will."I'll show you what we've done, later on, sir."
"How about you, Bluff?" demanded the lumberman, noticing that theother had not made any reply to his question. "I hope you've kept yourappetite, and can come up smiling three times a day when the meal hourarrives?"
"Oh, I'm all right, Mr. Darrel!" replied Bluff. "Nothing the matterwith my eating apparatus."
During the rest of that day they had much to show their guest--and totell him, as well. It seemed as though the lumberman was having thetime of his life in the society of these bright young fellows. Atleast, he told them he was renewing his own youth.
They got up a supper later on that could be called sumptuous. Bluffand Frank exerted themselves to make a spread that would convincetheir guest they were well acquainted with camp cookery.
"I haven't enjoyed a meal as much as that for years," Mr. Darrel toldthem afterward, as they sat around the fire.
Bluff immediately commenced patting himself, as though he felt happyover having his work praised in this fashion. Will expected to startout presently, with one of the others for company, in order to placehis camera trap again. He believed he could get a fox to take thetempting bait and thus photograph his own features.
The tongues clattered for several hours that evening. Mr. Darrelinsisted on hearing scores of things connected with their pastexperiences. They had lots to tell, and every one took a hand inrelating the story. It was almost like living those happy days overagain, as they pictured the numerous thrilling episodes one afteranother.
Nothing would do but Bluff should arrange a couch on the floor, whiletheir guest occupied his bunk. Mr. Darrel would have insisted ondeclining, only he saw how set the boy was upon carrying out his planand what a deal of pleasure it seemed to afford him.
Indeed, Will and Jerry envied him that new bed when they saw what acozy nest Frank and Bluff had made of it. A lot of hemlock browse, ofwhich there was no lack in the vicinity of the woods cabin, had beenpiled up and covered with part of the blanket, the other fold beingintended for a covering. As the fire was to be kept up through thenight, since it was getting very cold outdoors, Bluff was not likelyto suffer.
Mr. Darrel had been thoughtful enough to fetch his own blanket on hisback. He knew each of the boys had one apiece, and realized thatunless he provided for himself he must deprive one of them.
The owner of Lumber Run Camp stayed until the following noon. Whenfinally he started back, two of the boys went part of the way withhim.
"I hope to see you all again before many days, boys," had been hisparting words, "and if I don't get over here, remember you must dropin at our camp on your way out. I want to keep in touch with such afine lot of young chaps. And, Will, tell Uncle Felix for me that I'm athousand times obliged to him for sending you up here. I feel tenyears younger."
Will was feeling very chipper that day. He had found his trap sprung,and upon developing the exposed film found that he had obtained aremarkably fine picture of a fox.
All the others told him he was making great headway toward winningthat prize offered by the Maine railroad. The success that hadrewarded his perseverance thus far did much to inspire Will withfurther ambition.
"If I could only get a view of a bull moose before we leave here, Ithink I'd be the happiest fellow in seven counties," he said thatevening, when again the four chums gathered before their cracklingfire.
"Did you ever see a finer spell of brisk, bracing weather than we'vebeen having?" Jerry wanted to know. "And, Frank, to-morrow we must besure to get started on that hunt we've put off so long. The last bitof venison was cooked for supper to-night, you know; and what's a campin the woods without game hanging up?"
"That suits me all right," Frank replied, "unless Will here, or Bluff,would rather keep you company."
"Please don't count on my doing any hunting with a murderous gun onthis trip," Will hastened to say. "I'm too much taken up with this newhobby of mine. Not that I would refuse to help eat any nice partridge,venison, or even bear meat, if you insist on bringing it into camp."
At that the rest laughed.
"I've heard others talk that way before," Frank remarked. "One oldfellow who was said to be a natural woodsman, and who used to writesplendid things for the sporting magazines, always boasted about goinginto the woods light, carrying little besides a blanket, a coffeepot,frying pan, cup, tin plate, and a few necessities in the way ofcoffee, tea, sugar, and the like."
"Yes, I've heard of him, too," broke in Bluff; "and while he used tomake all manner of fun of the poor sillies who nearly broke theirbacks toting all sorts of good things like canned meats into camp, heconfessed that he was always willing to help them get rid of the grublater on."
In this lively fashion did they pass the evening, and then came thetime for turning in. Another peaceful night followed. The boys weregradually forgetting Bill Nackerson and his threats. If they thoughtof him at all, it was with the hope that he had come to his senses,and concluded it would hardly pay to bother the inmates of the cabin,since they had such a stanch friend in the big lumberman.
On the following morning Jerry and Frank started off. The former wascounting on making a respectable addition to the larder before theyreturned. Frank expected to take a new course, covering ground thatnone of them had as yet hunted over.
"At the same time," he explained to Jerry, as they moved along, "I'mtrying to keep a good distance away from the place where that othercrowd is. We don't hanker about having any trouble with Nackerson, andthe best way to avoid it is to give him a wide berth."
Presently it was thought advisable to keep still. In that frostyatmosphere even ordinary sounds could be heard at some distance, anddeer have the sharpest of ears.
Of course, the hunters had headed up into what light wind wasstirring, so that their coming might not be heralded by the scent uponwhich a wild animal depends to give him warning of the approach ofdanger.
A number of times they were flurried by flushing a covey ofpartridges. Jerry almost wished they had come prepared to load downwith the birds; but until the last flickering chance of getting a deerhad died out, Frank advised that they confine their attention to theone thing they had in mind.
"On the way home," he told Jerry, when the other sighed at seeingthree plump birds sitting on a limb within easy range, "we can get allwe want, if the venison is missing."
So Jerry had to be content. They had gone several miles from camp, andso far had not started a deer. Tracks in the snow had been seenseveral times. Indeed, Frank was really following a trail that heseemed to think rather fresh. It could do no harm, and might turn outa wise move on their part, Jerry realized, as he trotted along at theside of his chum.
"Did you hear anything like a shout then?" Frank suddenly asked.
Before Jerry could reply, it came again. This time the sound wasseemingly close by, certainly not over a quarter of a mile away.
"Somebody's in trouble, Frank!" ex
claimed Jerry, immediately aroused."That was a cry for help!"
"It certainly was," agreed Frank. "We'll push on in that direction;but let's keep our eyes about us, and look sharp against anything liketreachery."
"You're thinking of Nackerson?"
"Just who I am. He wouldn't hesitate a minute if he could lure us intoa trap. But that sound's genuine enough, I must say."
They hurried their footsteps. Indeed, the piteous nature of the criesthrilled the boys.
"He can't be very far away now," ventured Jerry, panting a little fromhis exertions.
"Just back of that scrub yonder," replied Frank. "Let's move out alittle, and in that way we can see him before we get too close."
Three minutes later Jerry broke out again.
"I can see him now, Frank! He's sitting down and holding on to hisfoot. There he gets up again, and oh! my stars, Frank, what's he gotfastened to his leg? I declare to goodness if it doesn't look like oneof Jesse Wilcox's bear traps!"
"Just what it is, Jerry, though it's hard to believe!" added Frank,also excited. "Don't you see who the poor chap is?"
"Why, as sure as anything it's that Teddy we saw with Bill Nackersonon the train coming here! The poor fellow, to get himself in such apickle as that!"