CHAPTER VII
OUT FOR GAME
They had a peaceful night, with one exception. Along in the smallhours Bluff was heard to give a sudden wild whoop:
"Get out, you cowardly beast!" he cried at the top of his voice. Ofcourse there was considerable excitement.
Frank had been wise enough to bring a little vest-pocket type ofelectric torch with him, knowing how valuable such a contrivance maybe at times. He instantly switched on the light; and, as he picked uphis gun with one hand, he managed to turn the white glow upon the bunkoccupied by Bluff.
The latter had apparently subsided, for no more shouts rang out. Frankdiscovered him lying there rubbing his eyes. He looked as thoughhardly knowing whether to burst out laughing or appear ashamed ofhaving startled the others so.
"What's all this row mean, Bluff?" demanded Frank sternly.
"Shucks! I guess I must have been dreaming, that's all," he was told.
"What nipped you? Because you acted as if it hurt," Jerry asked.
"Why, you see," explained Bluff, "I had come across that big BillNackerson, while roamin' through the woods, and he managed to sneak mygun away when I wasn't looking. Then what did he do but sic that mangycur of his on me. I was kickin' like everything at him. See how I sentmy blanket out on the floor. All I wanted was one sound smack at hisugly jaws. I'm sorry I woke up so soon, because next time I'd havefetched him."
"Well, go to sleep again, and let's hope you dream of other thingsbesides scrapping," advised Jerry, as he proceeded to once moredeposit his gun in a corner, and crawl under his blanket.
Bluff must have taken the advice to heart; at any rate his voice wasnot heard again until Frank pounded on the frying-pan to let thesleepers know it was time to creep out. Then each one in turn wantedto learn whether breakfast was ready.
As they ate they began to lay out plans for the day.
"Of course Bluff and Frank must try to get us some venison," Willsaid; "and that'll leave Jerry to assist me in camp. Besides, I wantto find places to fix up my flashlight for the next night. If I canget a picture of some animal, taken by himself, it'll please me aheap. What you know about the habits of these little creatures willhelp me out lots, Jerry."
"I may be able to give a little advice, too, Will," the latterremarked, as he helped himself to another flapjack; "because, youknow, I went out with that gentleman who was stopping at our houselate this fall. He had the flashlight habit about as bad as any oneI've ever met."
"Oh! you did mention it to me once, I remember," said the other,evidently much pleased. "Then you may have picked up a few littlewrinkles that will help me out in my game."
"Leave that to me," replied Jerry, swelling with importance. "I canput you wise to heaps of things. You see, I like to ask questions, andMr. Mallon always gave me the straight answer."
Breakfast was now about over, and the proposed hunt came next inorder.
Frank never went off without making sure of a number of small but veryimportant things. First of all he carried a compass. Next he madecertain that he had an abundance of matches. After that ammunition wastaken care of, and last of all enough food for a "snack."
Frank was also a great hand for arranging a code of signals with hischums. This was an easy thing to do, because they had gone together solong now that they had a regular system that could be used as a meansof conferring with one another, even when a considerable distanceapart.
"Will's mentioning that he wished we'd thought to fetch some syrup orhoney along to go with the flapjacks," Frank was saying, just beforethey broke away from camp, "makes me think that there are plenty ofwild bees up here in Maine. Men hunt for their tree hives everyseason, and often find stacks of good honey, too."
"Then, for goodness' sake, fellows," exclaimed Will, "please keep aneye out for any sign of a hive. Nothing would please me better than tohave a pail of honey on hand. I'd just like to fill myself up with it,for once."
"It's a poor time of year to find a bee tree," said Frank. "Theyusually look for a hive in summer, when the bees are flying and can betraced. Often the storehouse is away up at the top of a high tree. Theweather is so cold now there wouldn't be any young bees airingthemselves in the sun."
"Well, you never know," ventured Jerry; "and, as you saunter along,just watch out for the signs. I understand bears often raid a hive.You might find empty combs lying on the ground under some tree."
"Make up your mind we'll not forget to keep an eye out," Frank assuredthe camp guardians. "That reminds me, I promised to tell you a lot ofinteresting things about this country up here. I'll do it to-night, ifyou mention it to me after supper."
"I'll remind you, sure thing," returned Bluff eagerly, "because Iunderstand that a whole army of people make some sort of a living outof the Maine woods, and I've always wanted to know how they could doit. Take my gun away, and I'd like as not starve to death here insideof a week."
"All because you haven't been brought up in Maine," Frank told him,"and are as good as blind to the wonderful opportunities all aroundyou. But, if you're ready, Bluff, let's be starting off."
"Good luck to you!" cried Will, who was already engaged with hiscamera.
Bluff was soon tagging along at the heels of Frank, thoughoccasionally he took a notion to push to the front. This was when hefancied that a particular patch of undergrowth looked promising.
Being in a humor to gather in a few of the numerous plump partridgesthat they knew were to be found in the timber, Bluff had his pump-gunloaded with shells containing moderate loads of powder and small shot.He thought that, with Frank at his side carrying a repeating rifle,there was no need of both being on the lookout for big game.
They walked on, apparently in an aimless fashion, but Frank knew justwhere he was going. One of his objects had been to avoid heading inthe quarter where he had reason to believe that deserted trapper'scabin was located, near the edge of the muskrat marsh. If, as theyfeared, it was now occupied by Bill Nackerson and his crew, Frankwanted to keep as far away from the place as he could.
Suddenly there came a humming sound, that caused Bluff to throw up hisgun. With a quick discharge a flutter of feathers announced that hehad made a hit.
"That's a good start, Bluff," Frank told him; "you got your bird, allright; but, hold on--don't think of rushing over there. There were twoothers, and perhaps you don't know a queer way partridges have oflighting on the lower limbs of trees after being flushed."
"Say, that's a fact, you did tell me that once, but I'd forgotten it,"Bluff candidly admitted. "And they use a dog to scare the birds up.That was what Nackerson had trained his cur to do, wasn't it?"
"They bark and run about under the tree after the birds have taken tothe limbs," Frank continued; "and so the hunter can walk up close topick his shot. It's easy work, and when the partridges are thick uphere no one need go hungry."
"Well, all I've ever shot went off like a hurricane; and often I'vehad to let fly with my gun part way up to my shoulder. Do you seeeither of the others, Frank?"
"Yes, and, as luck will have it, they've lighted in such a way thatthey're both in range. I believe you could drop two birds with oneshot, Bluff."
"I see 'em now," muttered Bluff. "Watch my smoke."
When he fired again both birds fell. Bluff looked as thoughhalf-ashamed of such easy work.
"Three already, eh? Nearly a chicken apiece, all around. Well, I mightlimit myself to just one more, and then call my part of the businessoff for to-day."
He loaded himself down with the partridges, though Frank offered tocarry one or more for him.
"You'll need both hands for quick work, if we should happen to start adeer a little later on," Bluff replied, giving Frank a cheery smile.
"Listen, there goes a gun!" said Frank, soon afterward.
"There's another--yes, and a whole raft of them!" cried Bluff. "Ofcourse it's that crowd of Nackerson's. I'm glad they're pretty faraway from here."
"Yes, and we'll make a detour, so as not to get a
ny closer to them,"Frank said, as he changed their course.
"I hope this new ground will give us better luck," Bluff went on.
They continued to push on until half a mile had been traversed.
It happened that Bluff was a little in advance of his chum, when,without the least warning, there was a sudden crash in the thicket.Then he saw something dun-colored spring away.
"Oh! Frank! look, there he goes skipping out; and it's a three-prongedbuck, at that!" he shouted.
Then, realizing that he might be interfering with the other's aim,being in line with the fleeing deer, Bluff dropped flat to the ground.