CHAPTER XII.
THE END OF A THIEF.
The wildcat had evidently found the hanging carcass not a great whilebefore. At the time the three boys approached he had been regalinghimself as he clung to the upper part of the dangling buck.
Being only half satisfied he seemed angry at being disturbed in his meal.The boys happened to be "down the wind" from him, and this would explainhow it was they came upon him apparently unawares. But when a wildcat isin a frightfully bad humor he does not run off very easily, and this one,according to what Uncle Jim had said, was unusually bold. He had provedthis by approaching the cabin of the trapper on the preceding night.
Crouching there on the swaying carcass of the deer, and with his chopsall bloody from his recent meal which they had disturbed, the bobcatpresented a truly terrifying appearance.
His short ears were laid back close to his head, his yellow eyes glowedas though they were balls of phosphorescence, and the hair on his backseemed to stand up on end.
Max had his gun in readiness, too.
He was not going to take any more chances than were necessary. Steveseemed to be all ready to fire, and he knew the other to be a pretty goodshot. But, then, who could wholly depend upon such an excitable fellow?
Then the cat sprang!
Max heard Toby utter a shout of warning that was swallowed up in atremendous roar close to his ears. Max sprang aside, and he thought hesaw Steve doing the same sort of stunt. Toby was already safe behind thefriendly trunk of a tree.
To the relief of Max the leaping cat seemed to crumple up in the air. Itturned completely over, as though by the impact of something that hadstruck it. And when it reached the ground it lay even beyond the hangingvenison.
"Wow!" came from Steve.
He was scrambling to his feet, having dropped his gun. There was a lookof mingled satisfaction, surprise, and pain upon his face.
"What's the matter?" asked Max, noticing how the other was rubbing hisright shoulder where the butt of his shotgun had rested.
"Hurts like fun!" replied Steve, making a wry face.
"You mean it kicked, don't you, Steve?"
"Kick? Well, I'll be sore for a month of Sundays," replied the other,grunting as he touched a tender part. "Did you see me go over?"
"Sure I did, but I thought you were dodging the leap of the cat, the sameas I did myself," returned Max.
"Dodging nothing!" said Steve. "I tell you that pesky gun clean kicked meoff my pins. Never had it play me such a trick before."
Max stooped and picked up the shotgun. Then he laughed.
"It's all as simple as pie," he said.
"Do you mean I was that excited I pulled both triggers at once?" criedSteve.
"Well, both hammers are down, and," breaking the gun as he spoke, "youcan see for yourself the shells are empty."
"Glory! No wonder I blew that old cat away, then!" cried Steve. "Withall those two dozen buckshot chasing through him the poor critter musthave been nearly torn to pieces. And there my fine door mat goesa-glimmering!"
Investigation proved that Steve's fears were realized. The terrificdischarge at such close quarters had so riddled the skin of the wildcatthat it was not worth attempting to save.
"What a shame!" said Steve, as he got up again after examining the deadbeast. "He was a jim-dandy, too. If I'd only had a crack at him thirtyyards away instead of ten feet, I'd have saved that lovely pelt."
"But it was a corking good shot, I tell you, Steve," declared Max,warmly.
"That's j-j-just what it was," added Toby, who had parted company withthe friendly tree, now that the danger seemed a thing of the past.
"To hit a tiger cat sitting on a limb is considered a good enoughshowing," continued Max; "but to knock holes through him while he is inthe air jumping deserves high credit. Think of that every time yourshoulder hurts."
"Anyhow," remarked Steve, cheerfully, "I can bat right or left handed,and I can shoot a gun the same old way; so this little accident won'tknock me out of the running. But I'd be happier if I hadn't just ruinedthat skin."
"Well, better lug him home, anyway, if you feel able to," advised Max."Uncle Jim will be glad if he recognizes the crafty old thief of lastwinter in this cat you knocked down."
"Guess I will," Steve remarked, "though he'll be a load to tote. We'llwait and see how you come on with the venison."
"Oh, don't bother about that," said Max. "Toby and myself will look outfor all we want to take with us."
"But those antlers--I promised to decorate my room with those, Max!"
"That's all right," declared Max. "Come for them before we leave here.You know the place, and by that time the foxes will have cleaned themnicely for you."
And so things were arranged.
An hour later and the three lads headed for camp again. Each one totedhis share of the burden. But long before the cabin was reached Stevebegan to feel sorry that he had determined to display the wildcat to theothers in order to prove his story, and also let Trapper Jim see whetherthe victim of his double shot was the same despised and hated bobcat thathad given him so very much trouble in the preceding year.
Nevertheless Steve was a most determined boy. And having started in toaccomplish anything he could hardly be influenced to give it up justbecause his back ached and his lame shoulder protested.
Max insisted on changing loads with him when they were halfway home.
"I can carry it better than you with your sore shoulder, Steve," he said,when the other started to protest; "besides, I've made this bundle ofvenison so it can be tied on your back. You'll find it a relief. Don'tsay another word, for you've just _got_ to do it. All very good to showhow plucky and game you are, old fellow, but if you should get knockedout by too much exertion, why, don't you see, it'll break up the wholeshooting match for the rest of us?"
Max put it that way for a purpose. He knew Steve's generous nature, andthat the other could be prevailed upon to do a thing for the sake of hischums, when he would not budge so far as any personal benefit wasconcerned.
"Oh, well, if that's so, perhaps I'd better throw the old thing away,"Steve declared.
"No," said Max, "that would be foolish, after you've carried it two milesnow. Besides, I feel sure Uncle Jim'd like to see the cat. If he knowshis old tricky enemy has really and truly kicked the bucket, he'll resteasier this year. One thief like this can give a trapper heaps oftrouble. He learns to look for his dinners in the traps."
"All right, then, Max; but it's awful good of you to change over,"declared Steve. "Why, this load ain't a circumstance beside mine. I'msorry for you, though, and if--"
"Let up on that sort of talk, please, Steve. If I find it too much I'llown up. Then Toby here can take his turn."
"S-s-sure thing," assented the party mentioned, smiling good-naturedly.
But, after all, Max carried the trophy of Steve's shots close to thecamp. Then, thinking the other might like to be seen coming in with hisown game, he made him change again, though Steve winced as he worked hislame shoulder.
The others had returned, and were all busily engaged with the trophies ofthe traps.
Trapper Jim, upon finding that Owen and Bandy-legs manifested a certainamount of interest in all he did, took great pleasure in showing themjust how the skins must be removed from the animals and fastened securelyto the stretching boards, so they would not shrivel up when drying.
He managed to impart considerable interesting information while working,and Owen, determined not to get all these facts twisted, was seen to bescribbling something down every little while.
When they saw what constituted Steve's load, and heard from Max and Tobythe true story of how the savage animal was shot while making aleap toward the young Nimrod, admiring looks were cast on Steve.
"Gewhittaker, but ain't he a savage-looking old monster, though!"declared Bandy-legs, examining the dead cat; "a whole lot bigger'n thatone we got in the Great Dismal Swamp, fellows, let me tell you right now.Look at the teeth and th
e needle-pointed claws, would you! I'm glad Ididn't have to face this critter."
"And Bandy-legs," Steve could not help saying, "this sweet little catdidn't have its hind leg caught in a trap, either. It was free as air,and if my lucky shot hadn't gone just where it did, I guess I'd be inrags right now."
"Well," said the other, in no wise hurt by what Steve said, I neverclaimed to be a hunter like you, Steve and you know it. I guess shootinga trapped bear is about my limit. But I know _you_ wouldn't run away fromthe biggest old pig-stealer that ever came down the pike."
"Thank you, Bandy-legs," said Steve, "and really and truly I don'tbelieve I would, not if I had my trusty gun along."
The afternoon was wearing away, and all of them believed that they hadbeen through quite enough excitement for one day. Besides, they hadcovered a good many miles since morning and felt rather like resting.
Trapper Jim was getting some of the bear meat in readiness for cooking.He knew it would be anything but tender, but long experience had taughthim how to pound it with a little contrivance he had, thus opening thetissues and allowing the juices to escape. In this way a tough beefsteakcan be made more palatable if one cares to go to the trouble. Sometimeshe parboiled meat and then fried it.
As the sun went down Max stood outside the cabin, looking around at thepicture. The air was fresh and invigorating and he drew in a big breath,as, turning to Owen who had just come out to join him, he remarked:
"Talk to me about the good times we've had before; I tell you nothingever happened to this lucky bunch that was halfway equal to this!"