



Produced by Roger Frank and Sue Clark








                  THE OUTDOOR CHUMS IN THE BIG WOODS

                                  OR

                   The Rival Hunters of Lumber Run

                                  BY

                         CAPTAIN QUINCY ALLEN

                    Author of "The Outdoor Chums,"
               "The Outdoor Chums on a Houseboat," etc.

                             ILLUSTRATED

                   The Goldsmith Publishing Company
                           New York, N. Y.
                             Made in USA




                         Copyright, 1915, by
                           GROSSET & DUNLAP




CONTENTS

  I--The Snowball Battle
  II--A Broken Window, and Glorious News
  III--Getting Ready
  IV--Headed for the Big Woods
  V--Among the Lumberjacks
  VI--The Lone Cabin
  VII--Out for Game
  VIII--Fur and Feathers
  IX--The Wonderland of Maine
  X--The Flashlight Picture
  XI--Facing Trouble
  XII--Bluff Takes a Hand
  XIII--Another Hunt for Venison
  XIV--The Victim of the Bear Trap
  XV--A Cook Stampede
  XVI--Did Teddy Know?
  XVII--The Big Moose
  XVIII--On the Trail
  XIX--The Hour of Triumph
  XX--Robbed of the Spoils
  XXI--A Camp in the Snow
  XXII--The Gray-Coated Pirate from Canada
  XXIII--When Morning Came
  XXIV--The Triumphant Return
  XXV--Bluff Remembers--Conclusion




THE OUTDOOR CHUMS IN THE BIG WOODS




CHAPTER I

THE SNOWBALL BATTLE


"That looks like a challenge, Frank."

"It was well fired, at any rate, Bluff!"

"I should say yes, because it knocked my hat clear off my head. Do we
stand for that sort of thing, or shall we accept the dare?"

"There are half a dozen and more of the enemy against four Outdoor
Chums, but what of that? This is the first snow of the fall, with a
real tang in the air. Say yes, Frank, and let's get busy!"

"Here are Bluff and Jerry ready to eat up that crowd in a snowball
fight. What do you say, Will?"

"Oh, count me in, because I can see they're just spoiling for it!"
exclaimed the fourth boy in the party, who did not look quite so hardy
as his comrades, although no weakling.

"Well, I should think it'd be a shame to miss it, when the snow is
just soft enough to handle easily," and Jerry Wellington held up a big
round ball he had quickly manipulated in his practiced hands.

"That settles it. Everybody get busy making a supply of ammunition.
Then we'll charge their line, and give them as good as they send!"

The last speaker was Frank Langdon. His three comrades had always been
proud to look up to Frank as their leader. They had been through a
great many lively adventures together, and up to the present no one
had ever found cause to regret the fact that when it came to deciding
on their plans Frank's word carried the greatest weight.

While they are feverishly stocking up with a supply of such ammunition
as is required to win snowball battles, it might be well for the new
reader to learn a few important facts concerning Frank and his chums,
as narrated in previous volumes of this series.

They lived in the thriving town of Centerville, which was situated in
one of the Middle States. Coming together in order to encourage the
spirit of outdoor life, to their mutual profit, the four lively lads
had called their little association the Rod, Gun, and Camera Club. In
the initial story, under the name of "The Outdoor Chums; or, The First
Tour of the Rod, Gun, and Camera Club," were given numerous strange
happenings that befell them on the occasion of their first camping
trip together.

Later on they ran upon a mystery connected with an island that had a
bad name in the neighborhood, and of course could not rest satisfied
until they solved this puzzle to their satisfaction. In order to
understand just what they did you must read the second volume, issued
under the title of "The Outdoor Chums on the Lake; or, Lively
Adventures on Wildcat Island."

With the coming of Easter, and another chance to get abroad, the boys
formed a plan to visit a section of country some miles from the home
town. Here they found an opportunity to clear up a ghost scare that
had been giving the country people of the neighborhood the time of
their lives. It is all told in the pages of "The Outdoor Chums in the
Forest; or, Laying the Ghost of Oak Ridge."

Fortune was certainly kind to Frank and his chums. At Christmas time
they were given a chance to pay a visit to the Sunny South, and had
some wonderful adventures on a Florida river that ran to the Gulf.
Aboard a motorboat that belonged to a cousin of Frank's, and which was
fully stocked with supplies, with the owner ordered to Europe for his
health, they had the time of their lives, as told of in "The Outdoor
Chums on the Gulf; or, Rescuing the Lost Balloonists."

After this came another opportunity for a trip, this time to the Far
West, where among the mountains and valleys of that wonderful country
they found occasion to call themselves the luckiest of boys. Every one
of them had a share in the exciting adventures that came their way,
and it would be hard to tell which deserved the greatest credit for
true manliness. You will be better able to decide that point for
yourself after you have read "The Outdoor Chums after Big Game; or,
Perilous Adventures in the Wilderness."

Again it was summer, and the boys home from college planned a voyage
down the great Mississippi on a houseboat belonging to Will's Uncle
Felix, at the time in New Orleans. There was something very queer
about the conditions under which he proposed that they make this trip
at his expense. The boys could not understand it at all when they
started out, though anxious to accept the offer. Of course, during the
progress of their cruise, the mystery began to clear up. That Frank
and his friends carried their plans through to a climax can be proved
by reading the sixth volume, just preceding this, called "The Outdoor
Chums on a Houseboat; or, The Rivals of the Mississippi."

And now we can return once more to the present conditions surrounding
Frank and his three chums, Will Milton, Jerry Wallingford and Bluff
Masters.

As they had been graduated a year and more previous to this time from
private school, and had had one season at college, their presence at
home with the advent of early winter needs explanation.

A fire had occurred, and part of the college buildings were in ruins.
As the dormitory in which the four chums lodged had been burned to the
ground, they lost a good part of their clothing, besides other things.
Fortunately no lives were sacrificed in the blaze.

There being no suitable place at hand where their studies could be
carried on until such time as hasty repairs were made, a portion of
the pupils had to be sent to their homes for a month or two. It was
arranged that they keep in touch with their studies and later on extra
speed might push them up to their proper standing.

So it came about that they were home and wondering what they should do
to pass away the weeks that must elapse before the summons back might
be expected. Various projects had been suggested, although they only
arrived in Centerville on the previous night; but up to the present
nothing had been decided definitely.

There was an old trapper they knew, and with whom they had spent some
happy days and nights on a previous occasion, and Frank was favoring a
return visit. At any rate, they could settle this later on.

"All ready?" demanded Frank, when he had all the hard snowballs he
could conveniently carry. The jeering cries of the six or seven boys
anticipating the attack grew more and more strenuous.

"Wait till I make two more, and I'm with you!" begged Bluff, who had
even filled his pockets with the hardest balls he could squeeze in his
powerful hands.

"There's our old enemy, Andy Lasher, in that bunch over yonder,"
announced Jerry, who from previous fights with the one-time town bully
had occasion to know the contour of Andy's knuckles, since they had
been printed on his face more than a few times.

"I wonder when he came back to town?" ventured Frank. "The last we
heard of him he had to skip out because of some trouble he got into
about taking things that didn't belong to him."

"Well, we've still an old score to settle with him," observed Bluff,
"so every chance you get, give him your hardest ball. Ready now,
Frank!"

Frank led his forces to the attack.

"Hold your fire till we get close up!" he advised.

The consequence of this plan was that while they were greeted with a
shower of missiles, some of which hit the mark, when the time came to
commence a fusillade on their own account they had a full supply of
ammunition, while the other side had more than half exhausted their
stock.

It looked lively enough just then, with almost a dozen lads hurling
the snowballs with might and main. All sorts of shouts accompanied the
encounter, for of course they were pretty well aroused by the
excitement of the battle.

The big fellow whom Jerry had called Andy Lasher seemed to be the real
leader of the opposing band. Perhaps he had even organized the
ambuscade so as to get even with Frank and his chums, because there
was a long-standing account between them.

At any rate, it kept him busy dodging the cleverly aimed missiles that
flew from the hands of Bluff and Jerry. They had singled him out for
their especial attention, and at close quarters their aim was so good
that pretty soon Andy failed to move fast enough, so that he found
himself struck in the cheek, and as he started to dodge it was only to
get another whack fairly in the eye.

Some people who had been passing stopped to watch the fight. Men
remembered that they had once been boys themselves, and no doubt their
blood tingled with rekindled memories of days long since gone, as they
saw the hostile forces fiercely contending on the town street.

For a short time the entrenched battalion held its own, though Frank
knew from the way some of Andy's followers began to look over their
shoulders that they were getting ready to retreat.

"Keep it going, boys!" he shouted to his three chums, as he scooped up
more of the soft snow and started making fresh balls; "hit hard all
along the line! We've got 'em wavering! Another rush, and the game is
ours! Send in your best licks, and make every shot count!"

All of them were attacking Andy now. They realized that if he could be
put to flight there must follow a complete collapse of his line;
because these fellows were only held there by the fact that they
feared Andy's anger if they deserted him.

Andy had managed to make one last hard ball. He had even in
desperation, as was afterward proven, snatched up a stone and hid it
in the middle of the snowball he pressed between his half-frozen
hands. This is reckoned a mean trick among most boys and frowned upon
as much as hitting below the belt would be in a prize fight.

Frank saw that he had been selected as the victim of the bully. He
managed to dodge in the nick of time, and the weighted missile,
sailing across the street, smashed through the window of a house.

With the jingling of broken glass Andy Lasher gave a shout, and then
with jeers of derision he and his followers vanished from sight,
leaving the four outdoor chums to bear the brunt of the householder's
anger.




CHAPTER II

A BROKEN WINDOW, AND GLORIOUS NEWS


"Gee whiz! Look who's coming out of the house on the rampage, will
you!" cried Bluff Masters, as the front door was flung open and an
excited man hurried down the steps toward the spot where the four
chums stood breathing hard after their recent exertions.

"It's old Isaac Chase, the meanest man in Centerville!" exclaimed
Jerry, in dismay.

"But we didn't break his old window, you know," expostulated Will
Milton. "Here are lots of witnesses to prove it came from the other
side."

"Little he'll care about that," Bluff told him. "He must have seen us
in the fight, and that settles it. Frank, you talk with him. I'd be
apt to get sassy if he scolded too hard."

So it usually came about. Upon Frank's shoulders was laid the burden
of extricating them from numerous mishaps. But Frank rather liked
being made the scapegoat; he certainly faced the angry old miser of
Centerville without showing a sign of alarm.

"Now you've gone and done it, you young rapscallions!" cried Isaac
Chase, so excited that he could hardly control his trembling voice. "I
don't know what this town is coming to, when a pack of boys are
allowed to fight battles right on the public streets, and with stones
in their snowballs at that!"

He held up something he had in his hand, so that every one could see.
It was a stone, there could be no doubt about that, with some of the
snow still adhering to its sides.

Bluff rubbed the side of his head at seeing this, as though wondering
whether the missile that had struck him there had also been loaded in
that way.

"We're sorry, Mr. Chase, that your window was broken," said Frank
steadily; "it was an accident, I give you my word about that. I
happened to dodge a ball fired from the other side, and it went
through the glass."

"What! You here in this rowdy business, Frank Langdon!" exclaimed the
other, as though more than surprised. "I shall have to see your father
and make complaint, if the Chief of Police declines to back me up and
arrest a few of you."

"As to that, Mr. Chase, I will tell my father all about it as soon as
he comes home from the bank. I know what he will say, though, and it
doesn't frighten me one bit. My father was a boy himself once, not
like some people who forget that they once used to play themselves."

"Don't be impudent to me, boy!" snapped the old miser angrily.

"I don't mean to be so, Mr. Chase," Frank continued; "and as for your
window, we will send a glazier around right away to put in a fresh
pane, and pay for it, too. I'm sure that is all you could expect from
us."

"That's a measly shame, Frank!" objected Bluff impetuously.

"When it was Andy Lasher who broke the window," added Jerry, filled
with righteous indignation. "You only ducked, Frank, when you saw it
headed your way. Perhaps Mr. Chase thinks you should have stood up and
got that snowball with the stone in its heart smashed in your eye. It
isn't fair for you to pay the bill. Let him go after Andy."

"No, I prefer settling the account myself, and not having any trouble
about it," Frank told his objecting chums. "Besides, we've had enough
fun out of the business to stand a little expense like that. The
innocent often have to suffer for the guilty."

Some of the bystanders at this point tried to convince Mr. Chase that
Frank was entirely innocent of the whole transaction; but the miser,
acting on the principle that "a bird in the hand is worth two in the
bush," declined to let the generous offer Frank had made slip from his
grasp.

"Someone's got to pay for my broken window," he insisted stubbornly,
"and these boys admit they were connected with the rowdy crew that
made themselves a disgrace to the town in front of my door. I shall
expect him to fulfill his offer, which you heard him make, Mr. Jenkins
and Mr. Mole. The sooner that window pane is replaced the better I
shall be pleased. That's enough."

With that he turned his back upon the group and hurried to reenter his
house, as though fearful lest some of the spectators might endeavor to
shame him out of accepting pay from an innocent party.

Frank and his three comrades stood talking with some of those who had
gathered when the crash of broken glass, followed by angry words in
the high-pitched voice of the miser, drew attention to the scene of
action.

"Come, let's be moving along, fellows," Bluff finally remarked. It
galled him to think they had been made the scapegoats by Andy Lasher
and his set, though he knew only too well that once Frank's mind was
made up to pay for the broken window nothing could change him.

True to his promise, Frank first of all visited the hardware store,
and engaged the owner to send a man around at once to the home of the
miser, so as to replace a twelve-by-twenty pane of glass.

"I expect to have a good many orders like that, Frank, before the day
is over," remarked the dealer, laughingly. "They always come with the
first snow, for you boys must have your fling. A ball went wide of the
mark, did it, and picked out the window of Miser Chase's house to
smash?"

"But the trouble is, none of us threw it!" burst out Jerry, determined
that the true facts should be known at any rate, even if they did have
to foot the bill. "Andy Lasher hid a stone in his last ball, and
expected to do Frank damage, for he shied it straight at his head; but
Frank dodged, and bang went the glass!"

"Andy and his cowardly bunch pulled out like fun," Bluff hastened to
add; "and so we had to stand for it. But then Frank says we were in
the crowd that was fighting, and it wasn't fair that Mr. Chase, who
was an innocent party, should suffer from our fun. So I reckon we'll
have to put our hands in our pockets and pay your bill, Mr. Benchley."

The hardware man nodded his head. There was a twinkle in his eye as he
observed Frank Langdon. He knew the sort of reputation Frank had in
Centerville, although the latter had not been a resident there much
more than three years, having come from away off in Maine at the time
his father took the local bank over.

"Believe me, I'll let you boys off as lightly as I can, and not lose
by it," was what he told them. "I like the manly way you stand up and
take hard knocks. If I had a boy, I'd want him to be just your style,
Frank."

As the four chums went away, Jerry chuckled.

"That was as neat a compliment as you ever had paid you, Frank, do you
know it?" he asked the other.

Frank smiled, but he did not look displeased.

"I'm glad Mr. Benchley has such a good opinion of the outdoor chums,"
he remarked, "for he meant every one of you, as well as me, when he
said that. We try to do the right thing most times; and yet there
never were four boys more fond of having a jolly time than this
bunch."

"That's so," Bluff declared sturdily, "and we've had lots of dandy
vacations in the past, too. What's bothering me is where we ought to
go to spend this unexpected time that's been given to us through the
fire at the college."

"We'll figure all that out in a day or so, never fear," Will observed.

"Yes," added Jerry, "leave it to Frank, and he'll arrange the details.
Chances are we'll be dropping in to see how old Jesse Wilcox is
getting on with his muskrat trapping. I think I'd enjoy another turn
up there in the woods."

"One thing sure," said Frank, "we must arrange to go away
_somewhere_, and do a little hunting again. Just the thought of
it gives me a warm feeling around my heart."

"Same here," Bluff told him cheerfully; "I never feel happier than
when I smell the woods and get on the trail of game. That glorious
spell we had out on Mr. Mabie's ranch among the Rockies has haunted me
ever since."

They talked it over as they sauntered in the direction of their homes.
It happened that Will Milton's house was the first they came to.

"I saw the postman come out of our gate," Will commented. "I wonder if
he brought Uncle Felix the letter he's been expecting for some days.
You see, he's got a bad attack of rheumatism; yet he says he must try
to get away Down East on some very important business. Between you and
me, he never will be able to do it for days or weeks, he's that
doubled up."

"Run in, if you feel like it, Will," Frank told him. "We'll wait out
here for you."

"Yes," added Jerry, as if it might be an afterthought, "and while
you're about it, Will, just mention to Uncle Felix that there are four
husky boys around, with considerable time to burn just now, and if he
wants anybody to take that trip for him we might be coaxed into doing
it, if he'd stand for expenses."

At that all of them laughed, as though they considered it a joke. Will
left them shying a few snowballs at a tin can Bluff had set on a
fence-post.

"If we're going to get in many affairs like the one we just had with
Andy Lasher and his crowd," the latter remarked, "it stands to reason
we want to tune up some in our heaving. My baseball arm is out of
practice, and I'm ashamed to say that three out of four balls I fired
missed their mark."

"Oh, well, I noticed a lot of dodging being done," commented Frank;
"and only for that all of us might have made more bull's-eyes."

"Chances are that Andy will have a circle around _his_ left eye
after that smash he got," observed Jerry. "A hard snowball can sting
like fun when it catches you there."

"Yes, look at my right cheek, if you want to prove that," Bluff
advised them. "I got caught there, and it keeps on burning like a hot
iron. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a piece of coal or a stone
in that ball. They must have fixed up a lot of ammunition that way
before they tackled us."

"Seems to me Will's a long time coming out again," complained Jerry.
"He's always so much taken up with that photography of his that any
old time he's liable to remember something and go to work at it,
forgetting all about his chums, who may be kicking their heels in the
back yard waiting for him."

"Oh, I don't think he's quite that forgetful!" laughed Frank. "You
know he said Uncle Felix, who loaned us his houseboat to make that
trip down the Mississippi to New Orleans, was expecting some important
mail to-day. Perhaps he's held Will up to tell him about something.
You know Uncle Felix thinks heaps of our chum; yes, and of all the
rest of us in the bargain."

"There he comes!" exclaimed Bluff.

"And, say, he seems to be in a terrible hurry," added Jerry, beginning
to show a touch of excitement himself. "Look at him waving his hat
over his head? And do you see how he's grinning from ear to ear? Now
what d'ye reckon can have happened?"

"Oh, Uncle Felix, don't I love you!" muttered Bluff, as if a sudden
brilliant idea had come into his mind.

"What's Uncle Felix got to do with it?" demanded Jerry.

"Hold your horses a minute, and listen to what Will's going to give
us," was all the other would say; for, to tell the truth, he himself
had not been able to more than dimly suspect what was coming.

Will came hurrying up, and when he spoke his words gave them a thrill.

"What d'ye think, fellows," he exclaimed joyously; "we're on the
highroad to another glorious trip like some of the ones we've enjoyed
in the past!"

"Is it Uncle Felix?" gasped Jerry.

"Yes," came the quick response; "he wants all four of us to go up to a
logging camp in Maine and do that important business for him!"




CHAPTER III

GETTING READY


"Somebody hold me up!" exclaimed Bluff Masters, weakly. "I'm afraid
I'm going to faint!"

"Wait till you hear the particulars before you drop off," Will advised
him.

"Then for goodness' sake hurry up and get started," said Jerry. "Look
at Frank's face, would you? Just remember that Maine's his native
State, and you can understand what good news you've brought him, Will.
Start in now, and explain."

"Oh, there isn't so very much to tell," the other began. "Uncle has
had his letter, and it necessitates his getting a paper signed by a
certain well-to-do lumberman up in the heart of the loneliest region
in Maine. Unless this is done inside of two weeks Uncle Felix says he
stands to lose a big sum of money. And there he is, laid up with the
rheumatism so he can't straighten up, much less take such a long
journey."

"So he wants the outdoor chums to go in his stead; is that it, Will?"
cried Jerry, as well as he was able; for Bluff had thrown his arms
around his neck and was hugging him as savagely as any black bear
could.

"That's all arranged," Will announced proudly. "Kept me longer than I
meant to stay; but then I thought you'd like to have things settled."

"And how about the expense?" asked Bluff cautiously.

"Uncle stands every cent of it!" came the reply.

"Three cheers for Uncle Felix!" exclaimed Frank; and they were given
with a vim that must have quite tickled the old traveler inside the
Milton house, who could not fail to hear the chorus and must know what
it signified.

"When do we start?" demanded Jerry.

"How long would it take us to get ready?" asked Will.

"Let's see, it's just ten-forty-nine now by the town clock," Jerry
hastily observed; "I reckon eleven o'clock would fill the bill with
me. Eleven long minutes, and you can do lots in that time, when you
hustle."

Frank laughed.

"Well, you do like to rush things, Jerry," he remarked. "We couldn't
go off like that on such a long journey. There are heaps and heaps of
things to be looked after; clothes to be gathered and examined, for
it'll be pretty cold up there at this time of year; shells to be
loaded, other stuff to be bought, and packed, and all that sort of
thing. To-morrow we'll make a start, and it'll keep us all on the jump
even at that to get properly stocked."

Jerry looked disgusted, and muttered to himself; but his later
judgment was likely to be to the effect that Frank knew best.

"Uncle wants you to come in and have a talk with him, first of all,"
Will went on. "He'll give Frank the paper that has to be signed in the
presence of three witnesses--ourselves, if there are no others handy.
Then he means to put the thing in our hands to do as we please. He was
a little anxious about our having to get the consent of our parents;
but I told him that if my mother was willing I should go, the rest of
you would have no trouble at all."

"I should say not!" declared Bluff.

"Oh, it's hard to believe such a chance has come to us just when we
have all this time hanging heavy on our hands!" Jerry cried.

Their interview with Will's bachelor uncle turned out very
satisfactorily. Uncle Felix was only too willing to leave everything
in the way of details in charge of Frank, whom he knew to be the
leader of the chums.

"Never mind the expense, lads," he told them; "only get that signature
for me, and I'll not count the cost. Besides, you can hardly know the
pleasure it gives me to offer you such a fine trip into the Big Woods
of Maine. You'll find them well worth going all that distance to see.
It will be a great deal finer than if you were simply heading up into
the pine woods of Michigan."

"That's what Frank's been telling us, sir," declared Jerry. "Perhaps
you don't know Frank's home used to be in Maine; and that's where he
learned most of what he knows about the big outdoors. He's often said
he only wished we might have a chance to run up there and visit some
of the old stamping grounds with him."

"Well, that's better than I thought," Uncle Felix told them; "and when
you come back I hope you'll have some great stories to tell of your
adventures in the woods. I only regret that I can't be one of the
party, because all my life I've been an advocate of outdoor life."

"I expect to take a good stock of films along," Will said, "and that
new-fangled flashlight apparatus, too, so I can try to get pictures of
game taken at night time by themselves. That's a stunt I've been
reading up lately, and I'm as anxious as can be to see what I can do."

"Well, if we want to get off by morning," Frank warned them, "we ought
to be at work. Let's sit down for a few minutes and figure out just
what we want to take along."

"How about the grub?" asked Bluff; for it would be strange indeed for
him not to consider that important subject the first thing.

"We'll make sure to get some things here, because we know what the
quality is," Frank commented, "such as tea and coffee and a few
others; but the heavier stuff we ought to pick up after we get to the
jumping-off place. That'll save us lots of carrying, you see."

"Why, yes," Jerry agreed, "we wouldn't want to have our trunk so heavy
it couldn't be lifted without a derrick. That was the trouble with the
first boat old Robinson Crusoe built, remember? I've heard of other
cases just as bad. A fellow was telling me about a time he went off on
a trip with another chap and they kept adding this and adding that to
the things that they thought they must have on their outing, till at
last they had to take two tents along and hire a team to draw the
stuff up and back."

With that Jerry ran off, and both Frank and Bluff were not long in
following his example. Each of them had made out a long list of things
he must personally attend to in the time that remained before night.

Frank's positive declaration that everything necessary must be
completed before they went to bed had been accepted by his chums
without a single murmur.

"Don't try to load any shells until the last thing," Frank had told
them all. "If there's no time for that, we can buy what we want. As a
rule, though, all of us much prefer to get our own powder and shot,
for then we know what's coming; and sometimes we've been fooled when
we used machine-made shells."

Frank was a little anxious until he had received calls over the
telephone from both Bluff and Jerry. After they assured him that full
permission had been given by their parents, so that the last possible
doubt was removed, Frank's spirits grew lighter.

Nothing remained to be done but get in readiness, and on the coming
morning start upon the long railroad trip to Maine.

When supper-time came four tired boys sat down to what they expected
would be their last meal with the home folks for some time. Of course
nothing was talked of around those family tables but the possibilities
that awaited them in that wonderland of game and summer tourists.

If the anxious eyes of mothers occasionally filled with unbidden tears
because of the separation to come, they bravely kept from displaying
their emotions before the others, not wishing that any regrets should
interfere with the happiness of those who were bound on such an
enjoyable journey.

Of course every boy solemnly assured his mother that he meant to be
very careful every minute of the time, knowing she would be worried;
but that there was not the slightest danger of any harm befalling
them.

Frank went the rounds, looking over the accumulation of traps, and
lightening the collections in many ways.

"Just remember," he told them when they murmured against his decree,
"we have to tote every pound of this, and a heap of grub besides, over
each foot of the way, up and down hill, and over snow fields besides.
So leave it to me."

In the end he had reduced every pack to its proper proportions; and
finally returned home with the understanding that they would all meet
on the station platform for the eastbound train.

Little sleep visited four pairs of eager eyes that last night under
the home roofs in the little town of Centerville.




CHAPTER IV

HEADED FOR THE BIG WOODS


On the second day after leaving home, the four chums found themselves
upon what Bluff called the "last leg" of their railroad trip.

They were already in the State of Maine and heading north, bound for
the station where they expected to get off, and somehow find their way
to the place where Mr. Samuel Darrel, the well-known lumberman, was to
be found, according to his letter to Uncle Felix.

This was a logging camp known as Lumber Run. It lay in the depths of
the Big Woods, and was surrounded by a virgin growth of fine timber
that would consume some years in the cutting.

No doubt the crews were already starting in to work, and the boys
anticipated considerable enjoyment in seeing how the loggers dropped
their trees. Of course, the most picturesque part of the business came
in the spring when, after the customary freshets, the logs were rafted
down the rivers to the accompaniment of thrilling exploits by the
lumber jacks.

The train was filled with people, every seat having been taken in the
day coaches at the time the four boys got aboard. As a consequence,
although they did not much fancy it, they were compelled to sit in the
smoking car. At times they opened the windows a bit, so as to get some
fresh air.

Of course there was a motley assortment of rough-looking men aboard.
Some of them may have been honest tillers of the soil returning home
after a visit down in Boston or Portland. Others were undoubtedly
lumbermen, heading for regions farther north, where they anticipated
doing a season's chopping, for as a rule they carried their axes with
them.

There were sportsmen on the train, too, and naturally these claimed
more than a share of attention from Frank and the other boys. Anything
that had to do with hunting interested them. They listened whenever
they heard some of these men discussing the chances for making a
record bag that season.

"Sounds from the way they talk," remarked Bluff at one time, "as
though there never was so much game in the woods as this year."

"I only hope it turns out that way," Jerry went on, "because we'd be
nearly tickled to death if we bagged a big moose, after all our past
hunts. That's one thing I've dreamed of doing many a time."

"As for me," ventured Will, with a long sigh, "I'd rather be able to
get a picture of the moose than plant a bullet back of his shoulder. I
think I'll let the rest of you supply the game for the pot, while I
spend all my time trying for something that will give us pleasure
later on, whenever we look at it."

"Every one to his taste," said Bluff. "I admit that I wouldn't give a
snap of my finger for crawling around in the night, trying to take
pictures of silly little '<DW53>s and foxes that have been baited to
come up and pull a string. When I hunt, I want to see something worth
while drop."

"Like that grizzly bear we ran across when we were out West?"
suggested Jerry, his eyes kindling with vivid recollections.

"I was thinking," remarked Frank, "how some of these city sportsmen
aboard here, togged out in the latest clothes, and seeming as though
they'd stepped out of bandboxes, keep looking over at us every once in
a while, just as if they wondered how a pack of boys had been able to
break away from the apron strings of their mothers."

"If we up and told 'em one-half of what we've been through," suggested
Bluff, "I reckon they'd either think us descended from old Baron
Munchausen, who could tell the biggest whoppers ever heard; or else
they'd believe we'd broken loose from some lunatic asylum."

"Watch that hard-looking fellow the other two call Bill Nackerson,"
remarked Will, in a low tone. "He's forever taking a nip out of a
flask he carries, and then offering it to each one of the bunch. Both
his mates accept, but that big boy I've seen shake his head. He
doesn't seem to like the stuff."

"Well," Frank observed, "can you blame him, when he sees such a
horrible example in his uncle, for that seems to be the relation he
bears to the big hunter. There, look the other way, he's scowling at
us as if he might have guessed we were talking about him. Pretend
we're admiring the scenery in this patch of woods where the snow hangs
on the pines and hemlocks and firs. It's pretty enough to admire,
you'll all admit."

"Think of the nerve of that Nackerson, fetching his old partridge dog
in here, when all the other dogs are chained in the baggage car,"
observed Jerry.

"Well, the brakeman wanted to throw the dog out, but when he saw that
would be sure to start a row, he gave it up, and went off growling,"
said Will.

"Yes, but I saw one of the other hunters slip something into his hand
that looked like a bank-bill," Frank told them. "They've all got
plenty of money, that's sure; and such men always believe they can buy
whatever they want. He's still looking over this way from time to
time."

"I hope he doesn't take a notion to make trouble for us," mentioned
Will, who was the most peace-loving of the chums. "He's been taking
more than he ought to, and is hardly responsible for his actions. I'd
hate to get into a quarrel with such a fellow."

"All the same," muttered Bluff, "a dozen like him couldn't make me
knuckle down, if I knew I was in the right."

"Sh! not another word; he's coming over here!" hissed Frank.

All of them felt their hearts beating faster than usual, as the big
sportsman advanced along the aisle, his eyes fastened on them.

"Does that heavy bag that fell on my dog belong to any one of you
kids?" he asked thickly, in a threatening tone.

Some time before a little accident had happened. The dog, in prowling
around as far as his tether would admit, had managed to knock over a
pack, and that it caused him a certain amount of pain his yelps had
testified. At the time the owner had been in another car, but, seeing
the dog licking his hurts, he must have forced one of his companions
to tell him what had happened.

Frank hastened to explain, not in an apologetic way, but simply
telling the facts, that it was really the animal's fault he had upset
the pack on himself.

"It was the only place the thing could be set, and the brakeman
himself put it there," he declared. "The dog was nosing around, and
got his rope caught in the bag, so that he pulled it over on his back.
I've fixed it so the accident can't possibly happen again, sir."

The man was in a very ugly mood. He looked Frank over with a dangerous
scowl, but so far as could be seen the boy did not quail.

Then Nackerson began to berate them for having such an unwieldy pack,
and leaving it at an end of the car he wanted for the use of his prize
dog.

"What d'ye mean, setting a trap like that?" he demanded. "I believe
you did it just to see how you could catch my dog. That sort of thing
belongs in the baggage car--and it's time you took it there, d'ye hear
me?"

"I hear you all right, sir," replied Frank, pale, perhaps, and yet
meeting the ugly look of the other steadily. "But you must understand
that we have a perfect right to carry any hand-baggage in the car with
us. If your dog had been where he belonged, in that same baggage car,
possibly he wouldn't have been hurt. And it doesn't amount to much, I
figure, sir."

His bold words infuriated the hunter. But for his two friends, who
seized hold of his arms, he might have attacked Frank, and then, as
Bluff said afterward, "there _would_ have been the dickens to
pay."

The other hunters must have realized that their companion was in the
wrong. They saw that others in the car would have jumped to the
assistance of the boys had a struggle been precipitated. Accordingly,
they soothed him as best they could, and in one way or another managed
to coax the big brute back to his seat.

There he sat, every once in a while twisting his head around to scowl
toward Frank and his chums, while muttering dire threats under his
breath.

Twice he even started to get to his feet, whereupon Bluff Masters
doubled up his fists aggressively, and clenched his teeth hard, as
though ready for the battle that seemed imminent. On both occasions,
however, the other men succeeded in pulling Nackerson back into his
seat before he could break loose. So all the rest of the journey was
pursued with what might be called an "armed truce" prevailing.

"I'm feeling sorry for that big boy they call Teddy," remarked Frank
later on, when they had reason to believe that another half hour would
take them to the station where they expected to get out.

"Me, too," added Bluff. "He seems made of different stuff from his
ugly relative."

"He certainly looks disgusted with the way his uncle acts," Will
declared. "How do you suppose he came to be with them up here, Frank?"

"Oh, I suppose they asked him to come along, and help out with the
cooking," replied the other, "and he caught at the chance to get an
outing without any expense. Some men come up here just to drink and
lie around camp. They are ashamed to carry on that way at home, and
too lazy to even bother cooking, so they either have guides to do all
the work, or else fetch some half-grown boy along. I'm sorry for
Teddy, because I imagine he's in for a bad time all around, and with
mighty little pleasure."

"Already the boy is more than half afraid of his uncle," Will gave as
his opinion. "Like as not he never dreamed he would turn out to be
such a brute, once he got started for the woods."

"I hope they keep the man quiet until we can leave the train," said
Frank. "It would be unpleasant to have a row to begin with."

"Didn't you say ours was the next one to this stop?" asked Bluff
eagerly, as he pressed his nose against the glass and looked out, when
the train came to a stop at a small country station.

"Yes, it's the next," Frank observed, "though if we chose we could go
on to Clayton, and even then be about as close to Lumber Run. I was
told we might find the trail a little better from Burnt Pine, and
that's why I picked it out."

"Looks pretty lonely, doesn't it?" asked Will.

"Just what I expected to find," Frank replied. "I've always known that
in all Maine this section had gone free the longest from the operation
of the loggers. That's why it's called the Big Woods. For many years
it's been a favorite place for guides to bring parties of sportsmen,
because they were pretty sure to find deer, moose, perhaps a bear, and
always an abundance of partridge."

"But," remarked Bluff, "now that Samuel Darrel and his company, in
which Uncle Felix has a big interest, have bought up all this section,
with the idea of getting out the timber, it'll only be a few years
before the game is thinned out. Logging always hurts hunting."




CHAPTER V

AMONG THE LUMBERJACKS


"How's your back, Bluff?" asked Jerry, something like four hours after
the conversation in the smoking-car related in the preceding chapter.

"Don't believe I've got any," replied the other, with a grunt,
"because there's only a numb feeling where it ought to be."

"If you find your pack heavy now, Bluff," Frank remarked, over his
shoulder, "I'd like to know what would have happened if I'd let you
fetch all that junk along you laid out to bring."

"Please don't mention it, Frank, but give us some good news. Tell us
we're close to Lumber Run Camp, won't you?"

"If you listen you'll not need any answer from me!" replied Frank.

"What's that I hear?" exclaimed Bluff, in evident delight. "Sounds
like the whack of axes away off there to the left!"

"And there goes a tree down!" added Will, who was staggering along
under his weighty pack, though with compressed lips, and a
determination not to show any weakness.

"Well, it's high time we struck somewhere," grumbled Jerry. "We've
been on the hike all of three hours and perhaps nearer four. Must have
covered a heap of territory in that time."

"Oh! not many miles," Frank told him, "because we made up our minds
we'd take it easy. But I can see smoke rising above the trees ahead
and pretty soon we'll be at the lumber camp."

"Anyhow, I'm glad we had a chance to say good-by to that pigpen of a
smoking-car, and have been getting fresh air ever since," Will added.

"Huh! the car wasn't the worst part of it," Bluff remarked bitterly.
"That Bill Nackerson got on my nerves. I'd just like to see somebody
give him the punching he needs."

"Small good anything like that would do," Frank told him. "A licking
only makes such a man more bitter than before. He is sure to take it
out on some person or object that can't resist."

"Either poor Teddy, you mean, or the hunting dog," Jerry suggested.
Frank nodded his head to show that this was what he had in mind.

A short time later they found themselves approaching a number of long,
low frame buildings that were evidently used by the lumbermen for
sleeping and eating quarters. A couple of men were hammering as though
engaged in making the new additions more secure against the cold.

Standing in the doorway of what seemed to be the kitchen was a black
man. He appeared to be genial, and so Frank led his comrades in that
direction.

"We're looking for Mr. Darrel; can you tell us where he is to be
found?" Frank asked, as the others dropped their packs to the ground,
and sought any kind of seats nearby.

"I done 'spects him in et enny minnit, now, sah; he allers shows up
afore de time foh distributin' de grub, tuh see dat eberything is
correct," was the reply. "An' dar he kirns right now, trudgin' through
de woods. Speakin' ob an angel an' yuh suah am gwine tuh heah dey
wings."

A heavy-set man was approaching. He was evidently no ordinary person,
for his strongly-marked face told of considerable character.

"Hello! what have we got here; and where under the sun did you boys
drop from?" was the way he saluted them.

Apparently visitors were next to unknown in Lumber Run Camp. Later on
an occasional sportsman, with his Indian or native guide, might bob
up; but the sight of four boys must have surprised the lumberman very
much.

He was even more taken aback when Frank explained.

"We have come up here to see you, Mr. Darrel. We're carrying an
important paper from a gentleman you have had business dealings with,
and who was so crippled with lumbago that he couldn't make the journey
himself."

"Do you mean Felix Milton?" demanded the other quickly.

"Yes, sir, and this is his nephew, Will. My name is Frank Langdon;
this is Jerry Wallington, and the other boy is Bluff Masters. We are
fond of living in the woods, and in our section out toward the
Mississippi they call us the Outdoor Chums."

The bluff lumberman seemed pleased to meet such self-reliant boys. He
shook hands all around with considerable enthusiasm.

"Glad to know you," he said, "and I can easily believe that you are
pretty well able to take care of yourselves. And so you've come all
the way up into Maine to find me? Well, that's a pretty big journey."

"Mr. Milton was ready to send us three times as far, so that he might
keep his word, and have that document signed," Frank continued. "There
are only a couple of weeks left, and he had neglected it longer than
he intended. The journey meant little to us, for we are used to
traveling long distances. Twice we've been away down South, and once
hunting in the Rockies."

"That sounds fine," remarked Mr. Darrel, his eyes showing
appreciation, "and I hope that now you've come to Maine you'll not
think of hurrying back home without a little sport. They tell me that
game is unusually plentiful this year."

"Oh! we made sure to get our licenses to hunt, sir; Mr. Milton
insisted that we do that part in the beginning," Jerry spoke up.

"That's right," returned the lumberman, evidently relieved on hearing
this, "and as soon as you are rested we'll get the signing of that
paper through with. By that time the men will be coming in, and supper
will be ready. I hope you are used to rough woods fare."

"Just what we are, sir," Frank assured him. "We like nothing better."

"Of course we haven't had time as yet to get venison, or any kind of
game," he was told by the genial lumberman, "but Cuba, here, is a
master hand at slinging appetizing dishes together, and if you're
hungry you'll give him a vote of thanks when the meal is over."

Cuba grinned from ear to ear at this compliment and nodded his woolly
head in appreciation.

"I suppose we'll have to ask you to put us up somewhere for to-night,
Mr. Darrel; to-morrow we'll get a tip from you, and start into the
woods, so as to get some miles away from the wood cutting."

"Plenty of room here for a dozen, because we haven't got our full
force up in the woods yet," the owner of Lumber Run Camp answered.
"And after supper I've got something to say to you about a certain
little shack that belongs to me, and which I'd like you to occupy
while you're up here."

"Do you mean in the woods, sir?" asked Bluff eagerly, for the thought
of having to go to all the trouble of building some sort of shelter
had been worrying him.

"Just what I do, son," the lumberman told him. "I spent one winter in
it, and that gave me a chance to travel over this whole section, so
finally I organized the company that purchased this tract."

The boys exchanged pleased looks. Really, things were coming out
better than any of them had dreamed.

Mr. Darrel showed them where they could leave their packs. There was
a bunk for each in the building where he had his own sleeping
accommodations. This suited Frank much better than if they had had to
stay with the loggers, some of whom were a rough lot, as he saw when
they came trooping in.

It was an experience the boys enjoyed to the full. At the supper table
they heard considerable talk about lumbering, and picked up some
valuable information by using their ears.

Afterward they sat with Mr. Darrel before the fire in his smaller
building, and listened to what he had to tell them. The paper had been
duly signed in the presence of witnesses. One of the lumberjacks,
really the foreman of the crowd, being a duly appointed notary public,
was in a position to handle the affair according to law.

The paper was now safely fastened in Frank's inner pocket, where it
could hardly be lost, no matter what happened.

After the lumberman had spoken of many things of which the boys
manifested an eager curiosity to hear, he in turn began to ask
questions. This resulted in their telling him some of the queer
happenings that had accompanied their numerous past outings; in all of
which he evinced great interest.

"I must say you are boys after my own heart," he said, as the evening
grew late, and Bluff had even yawned openly as many as three times.
"If my little fellow had lived I would have wished him to be built on
just the same pattern. I meant that he should love the Great Outdoors,
and yet never be cruel in his pursuit of what we call sport. But he
was taken away from me. What I am piling up now will some of these
days go to a poor little crippled nephew in a New England town."

As Bluff again yawned at a fearful rate their kind host realized that
the boys were more or less played out after their long journey, and
the task of "toting" their heavy packs into the Big Woods.

So he told them it was about time they all turned in, an invitation
that was joyfully accepted by every one, not even excepting Frank.

It is doubtful whether they knew anything from the time they rested
their heads on the pillows, made of hemlock needles stuffed into
cotton-sacks, until there was a tremendous din that made them think of
the fire signal at home.

"That's the getting-up gong!" they heard Mr. Darrel call. "Breakfast
will be ready in fifteen minutes, so perhaps you'd better hurry. My
men have big appetites these brisk days, and might clear off the table
before you had a show."

Of course the lumberman was only joking, for Cuba had gone to extra
pains to have an abundance of food prepared. He had made fresh
biscuits, and there was also oatmeal and coffee, with some fried ham
and potatoes, as well as an egg apiece for the favored young guests of
the "boss."

Pretty soon the big lumberjacks started off to their daily work of
chopping down trees. These would be trimmed into logs, and eventually
be drawn by teams of horses to the river, where their voyage down to
the sawmills or the pulp factories would begin.

The boys had never been in a lumbering region before, and numerous
things interested them. Each brawny axman shouted good-by to the boys
ere departing, for they were a jovial as well as a brawny lot. Frank
could see how a life like this must develop any one physically.

Having received full directions from their host how to find his lonely
lodge in the heart of the Big Woods, the four chums set out. Mr.
Darrel would have accompanied them but for the fact that he had his
hands full just then, and was expecting a new lot of employees to
arrive that day.

"But a little later on you can expect a visit from me, lads," he told
them, as he squeezed each boy's hand in a way that made them wince.
"I'll be looking forward to seeing you again with considerable
pleasure."

So the chums started off. Being fresh after a good night's sleep, they
did not mind the weight of their packs so much now. Later on in the
day, if the tramp proved protracted, they might murmur again,
particularly Bluff. He was addicted to that habit, though he really
did not mean anything by it, as Frank knew from experience.

They tramped for more than an hour. Frank was always on the watch. He
had been given explicit directions, which he was following closely.
For a mile they had kept along the little creek, now beginning to
freeze. Arriving at a spot where a spruce tree hung half-way across
the bed of the stream, they had turned sharply to the left, and
commenced making their way through a dense wilderness of firs.

In this way the second mile had been covered, while a third had taken
them to what seemed to be quite a little hill.

"Sure we're on the right track, are you, Frank?" asked Will, when they
had left this elevation behind them nearly half an hour.

"Yes, we're going as straight as a die," Bluff hastened to say, before
the leader could utter a word. "I know it because right ahead of us I
can see that other little stream Mr. Darrel was saying we'd strike.
Down that two miles and we'll come to his cabin."

"I only hope we find it unoccupied, that's all," ventured Will.

"No danger of anybody breaking in," Frank declared. "Up here in the
Maine woods there's a queer sort of law among the natives. They are
honest as the day in that way. Nobody ever thinks of locking his door
at night."

"Small game seems to be plenty enough," Bluff went on to say. "But
where are all the deer they've been telling us about? I'd like to run
across something worth taking a crack at with my pump-gun."

"Then there's your chance, Bluff!" suddenly remarked Will. "Why, it
looks for all the world like a gray wolf to me!"

"It must be a wolf, because Mr. Darrel said they sometimes come down
here from over the Canadian border!" exclaimed Jerry.

"I'll wolf him with that buckshot charge I've got ready for a deer!"
muttered Bluff fiercely, as he dropped his pack and started to bring
his repeating shotgun up to his shoulder.

"Hold on!" cried Frank, pulling the weapon hastily down. "Look again,
Bluff, and you'll see that's no wolf, but a dingy dog. Yes, and we've
seen that dog before, too!"




CHAPTER VI

THE LONE CABIN


"Here's trouble ahead!" declared Jerry, in evident disgust; "because
sure enough that's certainly the ugly beast we saw on the train."

"Bill Nackerson's dog!" exclaimed Will.

Bluff was still staring. He seemed half-inclined to doubt his
eyesight. Just then the dingy-looking animal gave a series of snappy
barks; after which expression of defiance to the boys he turned and
scampered away at a rapid pace.

"For three cents I'd knock him over," muttered Bluff angrily.

"It would be silly for you to try it, Bluff," Frank told him, "and
only give the dog's owner a good reason for taking the law in his own
hands."

"But, just think of it, that crowd must have got off at the next
station, Frank!" declared Bluff.

"Well, they had a right to, if they felt like it, I suppose," he was
told. "Since when did the railroad company give us charge over the
trains up here in Maine, that we could object to anybody leaving the
cars? We did that when we felt like it."

"Yes, but we're going to have that bunch around here, and they'll be
our rivals in the hunting," Bluff continued vigorously.

"If half they tell us is true," laughed Frank, determined not to cross
rivers before he came to them, "there'll be plenty of game here for us
all."

"But when that Nackerson knows we're here he'll just as like as not
try to make things uncomfortable for us," Jerry broke in, showing that
he felt the same way Bluff did.

"Oh! let's hope not," murmured Will, whose motto was peace.

"If they bother us too much we can let Mr. Darrel know about it,"
Frank went on calmly.

"That's so," Will burst out, "and I tell you if a bunch of those husky
lumberjacks got busy, they'd chase Nackerson and his cronies out of
the Big Woods in a hurry, believe me!"

At the same time, while Frank tried to make light of the impending
trouble, deep down in his heart he feared they were to find the
Nackerson set of sporting men unpleasant neighbors.

"The only bother it can make us that I can see," Frank told the
others, "is that we'll have to do all our roaming around in couples.
There must be no solitary jaunts. With two to handle they would
hesitate to attempt anything serious. Remember that always, will you,
boys?"

"It's just as well," remarked Will, "and whoever stays in camp with me
can help with my photograph work. I'm in earnest about succeeding in
my particular branch on this trip; and p'raps you'd like to know the
reason why."

"We certainly would," Frank told him; "I've had an idea that you were
keeping something back all this while; so out with it."

Will chuckled, and took some papers from his pocket.

"That's a folder issued by one of the big Maine railroads," he
explained. "You see, I happened to read in a paper that they had
offered some pretty nice cash prizes for the best photographs taken
this season that would show what woods life up here stood for. The
offer holds good up to New Year's Day."

"And you mean to enter--to try for the money?" demanded Bluff.

"That's what I expect to," was the reply. "I've complied with all the
conditions they impose, and if I'm lucky enough to get some
first-class views while in the Big Woods, I mean to submit them in
competition. It may be keen, and I'll stand little show, but nothing
venture nothing win."

Bluff knew what splendid work Will had been doing in the line of sport
he had taken as his especial hobby.

"Now, excuse me for differing with you there," he said, "but I'd like
to say right here that if you go in for those prizes they're sure to
drop into your hand like ripe plums. You know how to get results
better'n any amateur photographer I ever ran across."

They were once more pushing forward while discussing this latest
matter. For the time being every one seemed to have quite forgotten
the unpleasant feeling conjured up by the sudden appearance of the
dog.

It was near the middle of the day when, after following the stream in
its meanderings for quite two miles, Frank pointed out to them the
object of their search.

"There's the little cabin, sure enough," said Bluff, his voice full of
pleasure, "and let me tell you it looks all that Mr. Darrel cracked it
up to be."

"For my part I think we ought to be as comfortable as four bugs in a
rug in such a cozy hut," Will told them, happy in the thought that he
could now drop that heavy pack, and before long start to taking some
of the beautiful scenes of the snowy woods.

There was only an inch or so of the white covering on the ground, but
it gave the landscape a wintry appearance. They had really had more of
a fall in their far distant home town, Frank remembered, thinking of
the snowball battle, and the broken window.

A few minutes later they were inside the cabin. Every boy expressed
himself as delighted with the prospects. There was a huge fireplace,
and just four bunks ranged around the interior, with a rude table, and
a number of home-made rustic chairs.

It did not take them long to begin to make things seem homelike, once
they had their packs open. The cheery sound of the ax at work told
that a fire would soon add to the charm of that interior. Then would
follow the delightful odors of cooking, with each boy taking his turn.

By the time the afternoon was well along they had managed to stow
everything in the place where it was intended to be found. Their
well-beloved blankets, that had accompanied them on numerous outings,
were settled each in the particular bunk its owner had chosen.

"Now that I've hung our cooking things up on these nails alongside the
fireplace there's a cheery look about the place I like," Will
announced, with considerable pride in his voice.

"And that pile of firewood outside the door, cut by all of us in turn,
stands for solid comfort in my eyes," Jerry remarked, as he ruefully
surveyed the first row of blisters on palms unused to such hard work.

"With plenty of game to be had," announced Bluff, patting his favorite
gun, "we ought to be as happy as the day is long--only for that tough
crowd being somewhere close by."

"Frank," remarked Will, "have you any idea how far away they are
camping?"

"Well, that would be a hard question to answer," replied the other,
smiling, "only for the fact that our friend, Mr. Darrel, happened to
mention a little thing I expect might have a bearing on what you want
to know."

"But he couldn't know anything about that Nackerson crowd?" objected
Jerry.

"I don't suppose he did," Frank informed him, "but in telling me how
to get over to his little lodge he mentioned another log cabin that
lay in the woods on the way here. He said it was an old one that some
trappers had used long ago. The roof was bad, but might be repaired.
Sometimes hunters stopped there a night or two when passing through."

"Then that must be where those men are putting up," said Will. "Let's
hope two nights will be their limit, and that none of us run across
them when off in the big timber."

"Forget about such an unpleasant subject," advised Frank. "Everything
looks bright and promising around us, so what's the use bothering with
trouble that may never happen?"

He changed the subject, and soon the others had apparently forgotten
all about the near presence of Bill Nackerson and his evil companions.

Supper that evening was a meal not soon to be forgotten. The boys all
had a hand in its preparation. Soon they meant to adopt a system that
would give each one his regular turn at this important duty.

And then afterward, how jolly it was to make themselves comfortable
before a roaring fire, and talk of home, or the many interesting
things that had happened to them on past outings.

Later on all were snuggled down under their blankets in their bunks.
The fire burned low, and would perhaps go out entirely before dawn
came.

The last thing Bluff remembered hearing was the far-off hooting of
some owl that braved the winter's cold. It seemed to soothe him, for,
listening, and occasionally hearing the cheery cackle of the fire,
Bluff lost himself in sleep.




CHAPTER VII

OUT FOR GAME


They had a peaceful night, with one exception. Along in the small
hours Bluff was heard to give a sudden wild whoop:

"Get out, you cowardly beast!" he cried at the top of his voice. Of
course there was considerable excitement.

Frank had been wise enough to bring a little vest-pocket type of
electric torch with him, knowing how valuable such a contrivance may
be at times. He instantly switched on the light; and, as he picked up
his gun with one hand, he managed to turn the white glow upon the bunk
occupied by Bluff.

The latter had apparently subsided, for no more shouts rang out. Frank
discovered him lying there rubbing his eyes. He looked as though
hardly knowing whether to burst out laughing or appear ashamed of
having 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 Bill
Nackerson, while roamin' through the woods, and he managed to sneak my
gun away when I wasn't looking. Then what did he do but sic that mangy
cur of his on me. I was kickin' like everything at him. See how I sent
my blanket out on the floor. All I wanted was one sound smack at his
ugly jaws. I'm sorry I woke up so soon, because next time I'd have
fetched him."

"Well, go to sleep again, and let's hope you dream of other things
besides scrapping," advised Jerry, as he proceeded to once more
deposit his gun in a corner, and crawl under his blanket.

Bluff must have taken the advice to heart; at any rate his voice was
not heard again until Frank pounded on the frying-pan to let the
sleepers know it was time to creep out. Then each one in turn wanted
to 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," Will
said; "and that'll leave Jerry to assist me in camp. Besides, I want
to find places to fix up my flashlight for the next night. If I can
get a picture of some animal, taken by himself, it'll please me a
heap. What you know about the habits of these little creatures will
help me out lots, Jerry."

"I may be able to give a little advice, too, Will," the latter
remarked, as he helped himself to another flapjack; "because, you
know, I went out with that gentleman who was stopping at our house
late this fall. He had the flashlight habit about as bad as any one
I'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 little
wrinkles that will help me out in my game."

"Leave that to me," replied Jerry, swelling with importance. "I can
put you wise to heaps of things. You see, I like to ask questions, and
Mr. Mallon always gave me the straight answer."

Breakfast was now about over, and the proposed hunt came next in
order.

Frank never went off without making sure of a number of small but very
important things. First of all he carried a compass. Next he made
certain that he had an abundance of matches. After that ammunition was
taken care of, and last of all enough food for a "snack."

Frank was also a great hand for arranging a code of signals with his
chums. This was an easy thing to do, because they had gone together so
long now that they had a regular system that could be used as a means
of conferring with one another, even when a considerable distance
apart.

"Will's mentioning that he wished we'd thought to fetch some syrup or
honey along to go with the flapjacks," Frank was saying, just before
they broke away from camp, "makes me think that there are plenty of
wild bees up here in Maine. Men hunt for their tree hives every
season, and often find stacks of good honey, too."

"Then, for goodness' sake, fellows," exclaimed Will, "please keep an
eye out for any sign of a hive. Nothing would please me better than to
have 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. "They
usually look for a hive in summer, when the bees are flying and can be
traced. Often the storehouse is away up at the top of a high tree. The
weather is so cold now there wouldn't be any young bees airing
themselves 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 assured
the camp guardians. "That reminds me, I promised to tell you a lot of
interesting things about this country up here. I'll do it to-night, if
you mention it to me after supper."

"I'll remind you, sure thing," returned Bluff eagerly, "because I
understand that a whole army of people make some sort of a living out
of the Maine woods, and I've always wanted to know how they could do
it. Take my gun away, and I'd like as not starve to death here inside
of 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 around
you. But, if you're ready, Bluff, let's be starting off."

"Good luck to you!" cried Will, who was already engaged with his
camera.

Bluff was soon tagging along at the heels of Frank, though
occasionally he took a notion to push to the front. This was when he
fancied that a particular patch of undergrowth looked promising.

Being in a humor to gather in a few of the numerous plump partridges
that they knew were to be found in the timber, Bluff had his pump-gun
loaded 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 just
where he was going. One of his objects had been to avoid heading in
the quarter where he had reason to believe that deserted trapper's
cabin was located, near the edge of the muskrat marsh. If, as they
feared, it was now occupied by Bill Nackerson and his crew, Frank
wanted to keep as far away from the place as he could.

Suddenly there came a humming sound, that caused Bluff to throw up his
gun. With a quick discharge a flutter of feathers announced that he
had made a hit.

"That's a good start, Bluff," Frank told him; "you got your bird, all
right; but, hold on--don't think of rushing over there. There were two
others, and perhaps you don't know a queer way partridges have of
lighting 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 to
the limbs," Frank continued; "and so the hunter can walk up close to
pick his shot. It's easy work, and when the partridges are thick up
here no one need go hungry."

"Well, all I've ever shot went off like a hurricane; and often I've
had to let fly with my gun part way up to my shoulder. Do you see
either of the others, Frank?"

"Yes, and, as luck will have it, they've lighted in such a way that
they're both in range. I believe you could drop two birds with one
shot, Bluff."

"I see 'em now," muttered Bluff. "Watch my smoke."

When he fired again both birds fell. Bluff looked as though
half-ashamed of such easy work.

"Three already, eh? Nearly a chicken apiece, all around. Well, I might
limit myself to just one more, and then call my part of the business
off for to-day."

He loaded himself down with the partridges, though Frank offered to
carry one or more for him.

"You'll need both hands for quick work, if we should happen to start a
deer 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. "Of
course it's that crowd of Nackerson's. I'm glad they're pretty far
away from here."

"Yes, and we'll make a detour, so as not to get any 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- spring away.

"Oh! Frank! look, there he goes skipping out; and it's a three-pronged
buck, 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.




CHAPTER VIII

FUR AND FEATHERS


Crack!

That was Frank's rifle, as Bluff well knew.

"Hurrah; he's down, Frank; you got him that time! No, there he's on
his feet again, as sure as anything. Oh, why didn't I have buckshot
shells in my gun? There! That time you did drop him for keeps! Bully!
bully! bully!"

Bluff immediately got upon his feet, and, as well as his burden would
admit, started to run toward the spot were he had last seen the buck
go down.

Frank was following close at his heels, calling to him to go slow,
because it sometimes happened that a wounded buck proved himself a
dangerous antagonist.

It turned out, however, that there was nothing to fear. The deer was
dead when they arrived beside him.

"See, here's where your first bullet struck him, Frank--just back of
the shoulder. He must have been swerving when you fired that shot
Would that have killed him, even if you didn't fire again?"

"In time it would," the other assured him, "though I've known deer to
run miles before dropping, after being hit in the body. That was a
poor shot for me."

"But, when a buck is humping himself to get away, it strikes me a
fellow is doing pretty well to be able to hit him at all," Bluff
remarked.

"I'm not proud of it, I can tell you. I had a fair chance, too," Frank
continued. "The second shot was better, and finished him at once.
Well, here's your venison, Bluff. What are you going to do with it
now?"

"He's a whole lot bigger than any of the little deer we shot down in
Florida, that's sure," Bluff observed, "and, as we must be some miles
away from camp, excuse me from helping to lug him there. Suppose we
cut up the carcass, Frank? You're a clever hand at that sort of work.
We could make up a pack of the best parts; and hang up some more so
it'd be out of the reach of foxes and skunks, and the like."

"Yes, and pick it up to-morrow, or another day, when perhaps luck
fails us," ventured the leader, as though the idea appealed to him. "I
think that is the best plan, Bluff, so here goes."

Accordingly he set aside his gun, after replacing the two spent
cartridges so as to always have the full set of six in magazine and
chamber. After that he got busy with his hunting knife.

Bluff hovered around, ready to assist when asked. Frank knew
considerable about such things, for he proved very deft with his sharp
blade.

The buck's head was hung from a tree, high enough to keep any animal
from reaching it.

"Of course," Frank explained, after they had managed to do this, "if a
hungry bobcat came along we couldn't hope to prevent it from getting
there; and a Canada lynx would think nothing of making a spring twice
that high. But what we want most of all are the antlers; and this will
save them for us."

He also made one package of meat to take home, and another that they
hung from a limb the same way the buck's head had been.

"Now, are we ready to start for home?" asked Bluff, when all these
things had been looked after.

"Yes, because we've gone far enough for one thing," replied Frank;
"and then, besides, we have all the game we need for the present."

"Three birds is a poor number for our crowd," the other protested.
"Either somebody has to go without, or else they must be divided up."

"Well, keep on the watch, and perhaps you may get a crack at another
on the way back to camp," Frank advised him.

"Guess I will, and thank you for telling me, Frank. It was hardly
fair, though, for you to make all that venison up in just one pack.
Why didn't you fix it so I could tote some on my back?"

"I figured that three fat partridges would be about as much as any
fellow cared to carry; and, if you should bag another, that'd make it
complete. So forget it, and be on the watch."

That was Frank's way, and Bluff knew it was no use trying to make him
change his plans. There was not a selfish bone in Frank Langdon's
body--even his worst enemy would admit that much.

Before ten minutes had passed the chance came whereby Bluff was
enabled to fill out his assortment of partridges, so that every camper
could have one.

"That was a fine shot, Bluff!" Frank told him, when he had seen how
the spinning bird dropped like a stone the instant the gun was
discharged.

"That's nice of you to say, Frank; sometimes I do manage to get where
I aim."

They had to rest several times while on the way home. Finally the
cabin near the bank of the partly frozen creek was reached. Jerry
spied them coming, and at once set up a yell.

"Come out here, Will; hurry up!"

Immediately the other came flying into view. He carried his camera in
his hand, and there was a startled expression on his face.

"It isn't fair to give a fellow a scare like that, Jerry," he said
reproachfully. "I certainly thought a bear had you up a tree, and I
hoped to get the picture. It would have been the prize of my
collection, too. Now it turns out that it's only Frank and Bluff
coming home from their hunt."

"Well, that ought to make a good scene for a picture, oughtn't it?"
Jerry demanded. "See what they've got with them, will you? A big pack
that contains venison, I know, because that's a deer-skin it's wrapped
in. And see Bluff fairly staggering under his load of game. Boys,
we're proud of you."

"Now we can begin to live like real hunters," Will remarked, after he
had clicked his camera deftly, getting the proper light on the
returned chums. "With partridge and venison hung up we'll be in
clover. All I'd like to see now would be a haunch of bear meat
alongside."

Of course they must have plenty of the fruits of the hunt for supper
that night. The birds were immediately prepared and baked in an oven
that Frank showed them how to make, using a hole dug in the ground.

"This way of baking game is an old hunter's trick," said Frank, while
he was excavating the oven, "and has been known among Indians and
others for nobody can tell how long. You see, it might be called the
origin of the up-to-date 'fireless cookers.' It is made very hot, and
then the food sealed in it so that the heat gradually does the
business."

The others knew something about the method, although they had possibly
never been in a position to see the thing in operation. Frank burned a
special kind of hard wood in his oven until he had a bed of glowing
ashes. These he took out, and then the four partridges, plucked and
ready for eating, were wrapped in some clean muslin Frank produced
from his pack, and which had been previously dampened.

After that the oven was sealed up the best way they could. As the
frost had not as yet penetrated more than an inch below the surface of
the ground, digging had not been found unduly difficult, using a camp
hatchet to hew the crust.

Hours later, when the oven was opened, it still retained an
astonishing amount of the heat that had been sealed up in it. The
birds they found cooked through and through.

"The very best way of preparing partridges that can be found, I
think," was the comment of Will, who had read several cook-books at
home and had a jumble of their contents in his mind.

"It certainly has made these birds mighty tender and sweet," confessed
Jerry, as he pulled his prize apart with hardly any effort.

"Things cooked in this way are always made tender," Frank told them.
"A tough steak made ready for the table in a fireless cooker will be
as nice as the most costly porterhouse is when broiled or fried. The
only thing I object to is that it never seems to have that nice brown
look, and the taste that I like most of all. It's more after the style
of a stew to me."

As the four partridges were only skimpy "racks" when the boys tossed
them aside, it can be readily inferred that all the campers enjoyed
the feast abundantly. Indeed, they even had some of the venison as a
side dish; this was cooked in the frying-pan after the usual manner.

"Might as well have enough game while about it," Bluff remarked. "And
let me say right here and now that this sort of thing tastes a heap
finer when you've had the privilege of knocking over the game
yourself; or it's been done by the party you're with."

When finally they had eaten until no one could contain another bite,
the boys, as was their habit, drew around the crackling fire, and
started discussing their affairs, as well as other matters that came
up.

Frank had warned Bluff that it might be just as well if they kept
still about the series of shots they had heard, accompanied by faint
shouts that might have stood for either triumph or excitement.

To his chagrin Jerry himself introduced the topic.

"While you were gone, fellows," he went on to remark, "Will and I were
prowling around near here to find a good place to set his flashlight
trap camera to-night, when we heard a regular row some distance over
there. Must have been as many as five or six shots in rapid
succession, and some hollering, too."

As the cat was now out of the bag, Frank felt there was no need of
keeping secret the fact that they, too, had heard the series of shots.

"Yes, we caught it just after we'd got our partridges, and before we
raised the buck," he confessed; "I didn't mean to say anything about
it, because there seemed no need; but since you're wise to the fact we
can talk about it."

"It must have been that Nackerson crowd, don't you think?" asked Will.

"There can be no question about that," Frank replied.

"They started a deer, and were peppering away at him in great shape,
of course?" suggested Jerry.

"That sounds like the explanation," he was told; "but then the same
shooting would have followed the discovery of a lynx, or perhaps a
black bear in a tree. All we can be sure about is that we want to
fight shy of that country over there. We can hunt a different field;
and I'm in hopes that by doing so we'll miss running across those men
all the time we're up here."

"Now, Frank, you remember you told us to remind you of something?"
Jerry remarked when the conversation flagged.

"You mean about this wonderful woods country up in the State of
Maine," Frank went on, smiling as though the task he had been called
on to shoulder pleased him, since he was a native of the State, and
loved it dearly.

"Yes; something about the strange ways you said there were for men to
make a living in the woods," Bluff added.




CHAPTER IX

THE WONDERLAND OF MAINE


"I've already spoken about the professional honey hunter," began
Frank, "who puts in a lot of his time summers roaming the woods in
certain sections, always on the lookout for bees working in the
blossoms or flowers."

"Yes," Will broke in, "and we know how they find the hives in dead
limbs of trees, by trailing working bees. They catch a bee that's
loaded with honey, or sugar water supplied by the bee hunter, and
attach a little white stuff to him. This they can see for a long
distance as he makes a beeline for his home."

"That's right, because I watched a chap doing it once," Bluff
asserted. "He kept edging closer and closer with every bee he marked,
till in the end he found the hive. I saw him take a heap of good honey
out of that tree, and I got beautifully stung in the bargain."

"Then there's the man who gathers the crooked wood that ship
carpenters use for making boats' knees," Frank continued, marking with
his fingers as he spoke. "Nearly every small boat has to have just so
many. They're mighty hard to get, even after you've run across the
right juniper or hackmatack, because it's necessary that they should
be of a certain shape."

"That's sure a queer occupation," remarked Jerry.

"Of course, there are lots of trappers up here who work all winter,"
Frank observed, "just as we know our old friend, Jesse Wilcox, does
out where we live. But the furs they get here are pretty valuable,
though not bringing quite as high a price as others taken up in Canada
and the Northwest."

"How's that?" demanded Bluff.

"Stop and think a minute," he was told, "and you'll understand why it
should be so. The colder the climate the more need of a heavy coat of
fur. Now, take the common raccoon that is found all over the eastern
section of our country. The animal down in the Gulf region grows a
poor thin coat beside the one that has to stand a spell of winter
weather up here."

"Oh, I see now, plain enough!" Bluff exclaimed.

"Trust Nature to look out for her children," remarked sentimental
Will.

"She always does," Frank told him seriously. "That's why certain
animals in the far North change their coats with the coming of winter.
From gray or brown they take on a snow-white fur. That's intended
either to help them escape from their enemies in the midst of the
snow, or else to assist them in creeping up on their food supply."

"Yes," broke in Jerry, "and when we were down at New Orleans and
caught some saltwater fish for a change, didn't they tell us that
certain ground fish like the flounder is white underneath, where it
doesn't count, but mud- on top? That looks as though Nature
wanted to protect him as he lay on the bottom of the shallow bayous
and flooded places."

"Then," continued Frank, "there are the Indians, who act as guides to
parties of sportsmen in the summer fishing and in the fall hunting.
Their women make baskets, and lots of other pretty things, using
 grasses and porcupine quills, and sell them to the guests at
the hotels in the State."

"How about the spruce gum hunters, Frank?" Bluff asked.

"I'm coming to them right now," replied the other. "That's one of the
most interesting employments in the Maine woods--gathering the gum of
the spruce trees. Of course you know it's used in making some kinds of
chewing gum for the girls."

"Yes, and some boys are just as bad about using the stuff," Bluff went
on, in a scornful tone. It happened that he himself had recently
graduated from the ranks of chewers.

"These fellows keep on the move pretty much all the year," Frank told
them. "A gum hunter has to cover his field about once in so often. He
must have pretty good eyes, or he couldn't discover where the sticky
mass hangs on the side of tall trees. Some of them use field-glasses
in their work, and I don't blame them much."

"I should think that would help out considerably," Will commented,
doubtless remembering how difficult it often was for the unaccustomed
eye to tell whether a certain protuberance far up on a tree trunk was
a boll or a woodpecker flattened out at his hammering work.

"It's a paying business, if only they can pick up enough gum," Frank
explained. "They get as high as a dollar and a half a pound for the
stuff. As a rule they go in couples, because there is often need of
help. And they work far away from civilization, so it must be lonely
at times."

"But that isn't all, Frank, I take it?" queried Bluff.

"Why," replied the other, "I've hardly begun to tell you about the
scores of things that are going on up here in these wonderful woods,
pretty much the year round. Perhaps you've never bothered your heads
about finding out where all the hoop poles come from. They use
millions of them every year, and the supply is inexhaustible, even if
it does take time and trouble to gather it."

"Then that's one of the Maine woods' industries, is it?" questioned
Will.

"A big one," Frank answered promptly. "You know that after certain
trees like birch and ash are cut down, the roots throw up sprouts
a-plenty."

"Yes; I've seen regular little forests of them, many a time," Bluff
replied.

"Well, that's where the harvest of the hoop pole man comes in," Frank
continued. "He follows the path where the loggers have gone a year or
two before. Of course, his work makes it necessary for him to have a
horse, so as to carry his day's gathering to a central point, where it
can be shipped."

"Do they fetch the stuff out just as it's cut?" asked Jerry.

"Not as a rule," Frank answered. "At night the men sit by the fire,
and spend the time in talking, while they use their shavers to take
the bark off the poles. Later on these poles are split at the
factories and used for barrels, kegs, and orange boxes."

"The men who gather them don't get rich at the job, I reckon," Bluff
commented, at a hazard, seeking still more information concerning this
wonderful country which he had never dreamed could produce so many
strange livelihoods.

"Oh, they get a few cents apiece for the poles," said Frank, "but as
they work steadily, and there are no labor agitators to call them out
on strike, I guess they make it pay. Another strange business up here
is getting ax-handles."

"Gee whiz! doesn't it beat the Dutch about that?" chuckled Bluff.
"Like every other fellow, I've often wondered where they got all those
fine ax-handles that come to our town. So here's where they come from?
I'm glad to know it."

"A fair part of the supply comes from up around Maine," Frank told
him. "The woods roamer needs the best quality of ash for his business.
He hunts over a large territory to find just what he wants. In the
fall of the year the trees are dropped, and in a rough way each handle
is shaped by a tool they call a 'froe.' After that they keep them
underground for a time."

"What's that--bury the handles?" remarked Will wonderingly.

"Just to season the wood so it will not crack," Frank explained. "Of
course, after all this the finer work of finishing the ax helves has
to be done at the factory. Another man who makes his living from the
woods is the fellow who gathers the hemlock bark used by nearly all
tanneries. Besides, all sorts of roots that bring in good money are
being dug every year throughout Maine."

"You mean wild ginseng roots, and golden seal, don't you, Frank?" Will
asked.

"Yes, and many others in the bargain. In lots of places boys make
quite a little money finding these roots, and drying them. Then--let's
see, did you know that pearl hunting had become a regular business in
some parts of Maine?"

"Now you must be joshing us, Frank," Bluff remonstrated, "because
pearls are found in oysters; and I've read that there are only a few
places in the wide world where these pearl oysters grow plentifully
enough to pay for working the banks."

"You're mistaken about that," Will broke in. "I know fine pearls have
been picked out of mussels in Missouri and Indiana. Is that what you
mean, Frank?"

"Yes," the other explained, "there's been considerable hunting in the
streams up here for mussels, or fresh water clams, that happened to
have a pearl in the shell. While every hunter isn't lucky enough to
make a big find, still a man found one last summer near Moosehead Lake
that sold for several hundred dollars."

"And then there's the shells; they say they're worth something," added
Will, who apparently was posted on that subject at least.

"They sell those to factories where buttons and such things are made,"
continued Frank. "If you've ever noticed the shell of a mussel, you've
seen that the inside is mother-of-pearl and mighty fine."

"Does that finish the list?" Jerry wanted to know.

"There are plenty of other things that bring in money to those who
follow them up," Frank told him; "but in every case it takes more or
less hard work. Thousands of men are employed in logging during the
winter. Then, ice is gathered in great quantities, to be shipped to
Boston, and even to New York, when it's warm weather. Protecting the
game in the close season gives work to a good many men as wardens."

"I never would have dreamed a single State could have so many ways of
making a living in its woods," murmured Will.

"Think of the hotel men," Frank continued, "who live on the swarms of
tourists and sportsmen. And the guides who get big pay for their work
in season. There are the canoe-makers in Oldtown and other places;
they seldom try to build the older style of birch-bark boats nowadays,
even the Penobscot Indians preferring the smooth-sided canvas canoe,
painted green, so the fish can hardly notice it above them in the
water. There must be thousands of these boats built every year, and
they find a ready market from Florida to the far West, and all over
the country."

"Well, you have certainly interested us by telling about these
things," declared Bluff. "Nobody but a fellow who had lived in Maine
pretty much all his life would be apt to know so much about how people
made their living up in these Big Woods."

"I'll have a heap more respect for the Maine pine woods after this,"
admitted Jerry. "Up to now I kind of looked down on 'em, because there
didn't seem to be a great many whopping big trees, such as we see out
our way in the forests. But, shucks! the more you travel the bigger
your knowledge box grows."

"That's right," added Bluff frankly.

"There are plenty of other things I could tell you," continued Frank,
"but they wouldn't seem quite as interesting after what you've heard.
And I've talked myself pretty hoarse by now, so I'd better close shop
and quit."

"I hope my flashlight trap works all right," mused Will.

The fire felt so delightful that no one seemed in any hurry to crawl
into his bunk. This was the life these boys enjoyed more than anything
they could imagine. Will was perhaps the only one of the quartet who
cared little for hunting; but it pleased him to be in the company of
his chums, and, besides, his new hobby was causing him to look forward
to a season of profitable employment.

He was fully determined not to let any opportunity pass whereby he
might secure some remarkable pictures of outdoor life to enter in that
competition which the railroad companies had inaugurated.

While they sat there, looking into the fire, each one engaged with his
own thoughts, Frank was noticed to suddenly raise his head and listen.

"What was that sound, Frank?" demanded Bluff. "Ever since we spent
that time out in the Rockies on that ranch I've believed I'd be able
to know the howl of a wolf if ever I heard one again, and seems to me
that was what came down on the wind just then."




CHAPTER X

THE FLASHLIGHT PICTURE


"But didn't they tell us that wolves had been pretty much cleaned out
of Maine in the last twenty years?" ventured Will, looking uneasy.

"Yes, that's a fact," Frank admitted; "but once in a while there seems
to be a raid from Quebec Province, or New Brunswick, and from
different sections reports come in of packs being seen. There's a
bounty on wolf scalps up here; but not much money is paid out for
them--that is, for animals killed in a wild state."

"In what other way could they be killed, Frank?" demanded Bluff,
thinking that perhaps he had one on the other just then.

Frank, however, smiled at him, as he explained:

"It happened that they once discovered a wolf ranch in a secluded part
of the State. A smart chap was actually breeding the animals for the
sake of the skins and the bounty that the State allowed him. Of
course, they put a stop to his business. But that reminds me I didn't
think to tell you about the fur farms we have up here."

"That sounds interesting!" Jerry declared.

"Of course you mean where they raise all sorts of fur-bearing animals
for the sake of their pelts?" Bluff suggested.

"Yes; and they say that good money is made at the business, too," he
was told. "One man I knew had a fox farm. He had managed to get hold
of a few black foxes, and told me that if they bred true his
everlasting fortune was made; because, as we know, the skin of a good
black fox is worth all the way from five hundred to two thousand
dollars."

"How about skunks--I understand there are farms where they raise them
by the thousand?" Bluff ventured, with an upturning of the nose.

"I'm told they pay good dividends," Frank explained, "but can't say
from my own observation, because I've never dared to visit one. But
you must remember that a polecat is only dangerous when frightened.
They say that if you treat them gently they get to know you and are
not to be feared any more than so many puppies."

"Excuse me from trying to follow that occupation," chuckled Jerry;
"but I wonder if that really was a genuine wolf, or a snow owl
hooting?"

"Let's go outside and listen, because I want to know," suggested Will,
into whose eyes an eager glow had crept, as he remembered he had a
camera trap baited with some fresh venison and that if there were
hungry wolves around he stood a chance of obtaining a remarkable
picture.

They clapped on caps and sweaters, and all went outside. The night was
fairly dark, and still. Overhead a million stars shone and the soft
breeze sighed itself to sleep among the pines.

"There it goes again!" exclaimed Bluff suddenly.

"And it sure is a wolf--eh, Frank?" Jerry cried.

"Oh, I hope so!" Will was heard to say, at which the others were
surprised until Frank guessed the reason.

"You're thinking of that flashlight trap, are you, Will, and hoping to
catch bigger game than you set it for? Well, if any of those hungry
chaps come smelling around in this direction I wouldn't be surprised
if you did. They can find a piece of fresh meat that's half a mile
away."

"Just like those buzzards down in Florida could discover where there
was any dead animal, and would come flying from every direction,"
Bluff remarked.

They soon grew tired of staying out in the cold, and listening to the
occasional mournful sound that all had decided came from the throat of
a gray pilgrim from Canada.

Now and then it seemed closer; and Bluff even declared that he could
distinguish several different grades of howls.

"Must be a pack of the rascals!" he ventured to say. "Who knows but
some of us may run up against the bunch while we're around here? I'd
like nothing better, take it from me, than to knock over a few of the
measly things. They're a mean lot and without a single redeeming
quality, like a fox."

Once more returning to the warm cabin, they sat around until finally
Frank drove them all to their bunks.

"I'll never be able to get you out at a decent hour in the morning,"
he told them, "if you keep on sitting here, blinking at the fire, and
yawning every little while."

If the wolves came closer to the cabin during the night, no one seemed
to be aware of the fact. At least, their howling certainly did not
keep a single boy from enjoying his customary sleep.

Will hurried out as soon as he was dressed. Frank knew what he meant
to do, and stopped him long enough to advise him to carry his gun
along.

"You never know what you may meet when you least expect it," was the
burden of his warning. "And when there's an ugly bobcat ready to jump
on your back or fight for the game that's in your trap, you'll wish
you'd been wise enough to come prepared."

"I guess you're right about that," Will admitted, as he returned for
his weapon. He knew what wolves were like, and the possibility of
meeting one in the big timber gave him a panicky feeling.

Shortly afterward he came hurrying in, breathless and excited.
Although none of the others had heard so much as a shot, the first
thing they thought was that Will must have run up against a thrilling
adventure of some kind.

"Did anything tackle you?" demanded Jerry, showing immediate interest.

"Was it a wolf or a wildcat; and did you shoot him?" asked Bluff.

Frank said nothing. He saw how the other was carrying his camera under
his arm, and could give a good guess as to the cause of his
excitement.

"Nothing tackled me!" exclaimed the picture taker indignantly. "I was
only going to tell you that the trap was sprung and my flashlight must
have worked."

"But of course you don't know whether it was a muskrat, a fox, a mink,
or perhaps a prowling '<DW53> that grabbed your bait," Bluff commented.

"I'll know after I've had a chance to develop the film," he was told.
"You know I have single ones that fit in frames, so they act like
glass plates; only there's no weight, and no danger of breaking them
when you tumble."

"Was the bait gone?" pursued Bluff.

"Yes, the string was broken across the middle; and it was a good
strong cord," Will informed him.

Frank saw Bluff nod his head as though pleased. He said nothing more,
however, but as soon as breakfast had been disposed of they missed
Bluff. He came in presently with a grin on his face.

"Guess you're in luck to-day, Will," he remarked carelessly.

"What makes you say that, Bluff?"

"Your visitor wasn't a mink, nor yet a fisher, a fox, or a '<DW53>,"
Bluff went on.

At that, Will began to show signs of excitement.

"Do you mean it was a wolf?" he demanded eagerly.

"Either that or a dog," replied Bluff; and then seeing that it was
only fair to explain further, he continued: "I found his trail as easy
as falling off a log. Of course, I don't pretend to be an authority on
wolf tracks, because they look pretty much like a dog's; but there
were plenty around, so I figured there must have been a fair pack."

"They were wolves, then, take it from me," Frank asserted. "We only
know of one dog in the woods besides a couple at Lumber Run Camp, and
they keep them tied up most of the time."

Will could not wait a minute longer. He had carried a little tank into
the wilderness with him, by means of which it was possible to develop
films in the daytime as well as by ruby light in a dark room.

When he reappeared later on there was a look on his face that
announced his complete satisfaction with the results. The others did
not bother asking him to show them, knowing that in good time, when
his film had had a chance to dry, Will would surprise them with a
blueprint.

Everybody found plenty to do, it seemed, that morning. The cold
weather had kept on, and as there was a small pond not far away from
the cabin they found that the ice would bear them.

Bluff and Jerry had managed to fetch their skates along, although
Frank had attempted to dissuade them, on account of the extra weight
and the fact that they could have all the skating they wanted at home
on the river.

The two boys wanted to say they had tried Maine ice, so they fastened
their skates and whirled around innumerable times, making the circuit
of the little pond.

Frank had partly arranged with Jerry to go on another hunt after the
midday meal. Will did not care to go, and Bluff had a sore heel from
his shoe chafing on the previous occasion, so he concluded to rest a
little.

After the skaters had returned to camp, they amused themselves with
the ax for a spell, Frank and Will having done their part earlier in
the day. It was good healthy labor; and, besides, they needed the wood
in their business of keeping the fire burning on the hearth inside the
cabin.

Will could be seen watching a printing frame which he had set in the
sun. Every little while he would snatch it up to look, and then place
it once more.

Finally he approached the others.

"Anything doing?" questioned Frank, smiling as he saw the other trying
as hard as he could to look unconcerned.

"Oh, I just thought I'd like to get somebody's opinion about what this
beast is, that's all," remarked Will, suddenly flashing the blueprint.

"Whew! Doesn't he look sassy, though!" exclaimed Jerry.

"It's a wolf, all right, and as fine a picture as you could dream of
getting!" Frank said.

"The flash has startled him, and he's showing his teeth like
anything!" was the verdict of Bluff. "Will, take my word for it, your
wolf picture will win you the first prize they offered of a flashlight
animal taken by himself!"

"Oh, do you think so, Bluff? It's nice to hear you say that. So you
like it, do you, Frank? Everything seemed to work like magic. Why,
that trap is perfect, that's what it is! A greenhorn photographer
could get good results with that arrangement."

"Now, don't you believe it," Jerry told him; "I'd make a mess of it,
for one. You know every little wrinkle of the business, and this is
what comes of it. That's sure a dandy picture."

They were all feeling unusually happy as they sat down to eat the
midday meal. As a rule, this might be called a lunch; but with such
ferocious appetites as all of them seemed to have developed since
arriving in camp, it was necessary to do considerable cooking.




CHAPTER XI

FACING TROUBLE


After all, no hunting party started out that afternoon. Jerry probably
ate too heartily of the midday meal, for he complained of pains in his
stomach and "guessed he had better lie around the rest of the day."

He wanted Bluff and Frank to go, but the former was busy doctoring his
heel, while Frank would not break the rule he had set and go alone.

"Besides," Frank remarked, as he once more put his rifle away inside
the cabin, and "hefted" the ax, as though meaning to have another
spell with the firewood, "we've still plenty of that venison on hand.
To-morrow will do just as well."

So it was settled.

Of course, that did not mean they expected to be idle the remainder of
the day, for none of them liked to do nothing. Jerry and Will were
gone a little while after the former had recovered from his
indisposition.

"We found a place where I think a fox passes along a trail," Jerry
announced, on their return, "and to-night Will means to try and take
his picture. I should think a fox would make a good one, if only you
get him as well as you did the wolf."

"And I'm much obliged to you for helping me, Jerry," said Will
earnestly.

"Oh, that's all right!" was the reply. "It's beginning to get
interesting; and I can see how a fellow could easily develop a hobby
like this."

"It means matching your wits against the shyness and cunning of these
little animals," said Will proudly; "and when you've succeeded in
getting their pictures, in spite of everything, you feel that you've
done something more than just aiming a gun and pulling a trigger."

Bluff shrugged his shoulders. He had his own opinion about that; but
of course Will could never understand the thrill that comes to the
sportsman when he is tracking his quarry, and has to meet the cunning
or ferocity that is the common heritage of all wild animals.

But Frank knew all about it, and met Bluff's look with a smile and a
nod.

"Every one to his taste, Bluff," Frank said. "We can't all of us
expect to be crazy over taking pictures. And at the same time it would
be queer if every man wanted to be out in the woods all the time with
a gun on his shoulder, as we do. But I can understand how Will feels,
and in a small way share his pleasure."

"What was it you were telling us, Frank, about the mink that live
along the bank of the creek just below the cabin?" asked Jerry.

"Only that you can find some interesting tracks there, and see how the
little rascals travel about from one hole to another. If you care to
step down now with me, we'll look things over."

"And perhaps I might get a good chance to take some of the tracks, so
as to remember what sort of a print a mink makes," observed Will,
tucking his camera under his arm.

"Shall I step in and get my gun, Frank?" asked Bluff.

"If you want to, though we're not going to be out of sight of the
cabin at any time, I should think."

Thus it came about that none of them carried any weapon. It could
hardly be conceived that one would be required under any circumstances
when within a stone's throw of the home camp, and with all present.

Frank had such an interesting way of showing anything. He seemed to
know all about the habits of the mink.

"They live along the banks of streams," Frank said, as they prowled
about, examining the various tracks, "and can swim and dive almost
like an otter. They are not as destructive to game fish as the otter,
though, I've been told. All those animals--badger, fisher, mink, and
otter--are hunted for far and wide by trappers, and even weasels and
muskrats have pelts that bring fair prices."

"Why," said Bluff, "I've read that even the common rat skin is being
used now, because there's a scarcity of furs. Moles have always been
fine for gloves, I know."

"That bunch of tracks seems plain enough to make a fine picture, with
the sunlight shining on the place. Let me get it." And Will proceeded
to carry out his idea.

He had just "clicked" his shutter when Jerry said, in a low tone:

"Great governor! Frank, is that one of the wolves over yonder?"

Of course they all looked in the direction Jerry pointed, and it goes
without saying that more than one of the boys felt nervous upon
remembering that no one had brought a gun along.

Then Frank spoke up, and his voice, as well as his words, went a long
way toward stilling their alarm.

"That's no wolf, boys; I'd rather say it might be a dog. He seems to
have come upon a hole in the ground, and has got some sort of animal
cornered. Listen to him bark as he digs with his forepaws!"

"And see the dirt fly, will you, as well as the snow!" observed Bluff.
"But say, Frank, seems to me we know that cur."

"Yes, we've met him before," Frank admitted.

"It's Nackerson's beast, then," suggested Jerry.

"No doubt about it," he was informed by Frank, who still watched the
excited dog, digging and thrusting his nose as far down in the burrow
as he could. "Better take care, Carlo, or you may get a nip from the
claws or the teeth of your game!"

It seemed as though Frank must have been a prophet, for hardly had
these words left his lips than the dog gave utterance to a howl, and
started to run away as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Whee! That must have taken him square on the nose!" ejaculated Jerry.

"And didn't he put his tail between his legs in a hurry, though?"
Bluff asked. "That's always a sign a dog is whipped. How about it.
Frank? What're you looking so serious about?"

"Only this," came the reply: "where that dog is, there's a chance of
the men being, too."

That caused them to exchange glances.

"And, sure enough," Jerry hastily remarked, "there they come, breaking
through the brush, all three loaded down with birds as though they'd
been having sport somewhere, though none of us heard any firing this
morning."

"No use trying to make the cabin, is there, Frank? They happen to be
between it and us," Will observed, with a catch to his voice, although
he would possibly have indignantly denied being frightened, had any
one shown the temerity to accuse him.

It seemed as though Nackerson and his companions must have discovered
the four outdoor chums almost as soon as they themselves were seen. At
any rate, they were even then starting toward the boys.

"He looks pretty huffy, doesn't he, Frank?" Will asked, in a troubled
tone.

"Like as not he thinks we kicked his dog and sent him off howling,"
ventured Bluff; which it turned out was exactly what the other did
believe.

Frank did not like the situation. He would have felt relieved had some
of them been in possession of weapons with which to stand up for their
rights. Some men of ungovernable temper act first and do their
thinking afterward.

The dog was trotting at the heels of his master, every now and then
stopping to paw at his muzzle, which Frank could see at a glance was
bleeding freely.

As the big man came up to the boys, possibly noting that none of them
carried a gun, he was scowling.

"Which one of you cubs kicked my dog?" he growled. "I've got a good
notion not to wait to find out, but start in and give you a licking
all around, so as to be sure to strike the right one."

Frank looked him straight in the eye. If his heart was thumping faster
than usual, one never would have known it from the deliberate way in
which he spoke. At the same time there was calm dignity in his manner,
and he tried not to make his words seem like a defiance.

"I wouldn't try anything like that, if I were you, Mr. Nackerson. We
have had nothing to do with your dog getting hurt, and none of us
either kicked him or threw a stone at him."

"That's one of your lies, youngster!" snarled the hunter.

"It is the simple truth!"

"But didn't we hear him yelping like a crazy thing; and didn't he come
running to me straight from here? Tell me I haven't got eyes to see?
You're going to pay dearly for that kick, understand me!"

"Let me tell you what happened," continued Frank steadily, at the same
time watching the man closely, for he feared the other might strike
him.

"I wouldn't believe anything you might tell me," answered the other,
with a sneer in his voice that caused Bluff to grit his teeth and
wonder whether the stick he held in his hand would be heavy enough to
use as a club, in case of necessity.

"Go on, boys," urged one of the companions of Nackerson, who perhaps
had a grain of common sense in his make-up, and realized that it was
only fair they should allow the boys a hearing.

"We were down here looking after some mink that use this bank," Frank
continued. "You can see their tracks here and there all around. Our
chum who has a camera was taking some pictures, when we discovered an
animal close by which at first sight looked something like a wolf, for
we heard wolves howling last night."

Nackerson moved a trifle uneasily at the mention of wolves; it
afterward turned out that once he had been treed by a pack of those
animals, and came very near freezing to death during a long night's
vigil.

"Then we saw that it was a dog," continued Frank. "He seemed to be
trying to dig out some animal whose scent he had been following. All
of a sudden the dog set up a screech, and went away on the jump, with
his tail between his legs. A fierce old buck mink in that burrow had
given him a nasty dig along his nose with his teeth or his claws."

Nackerson sneered again, while his ugly face looked more scowling than
ever.

"A likely yarn," he said angrily.

"Take a look at your dog's nose, and perhaps you'll see the scratches
there, because he's bleeding now!" Bluff broke in, unable longer to
refrain from having a hand in the game.

Nackerson showed no sign of bothering himself; but one of his cronies
bent over the dog, which whined when he touched its lacerated muzzle.

"He's been badly scratched, all right, Bill," was the report.

"If you want any more proof," Frank went on coolly, "take a look over
by that bush yonder. That's where we saw him digging first. You'll
likely find there's a burrow, with the snow and dirt thrown out."

"Yes," added Bluff, "and if you look sharp, perhaps now you'll
discover a few specks of blood on the snow along the trail the dog
made when he skipped out."

No one took the trouble to find out. The two men with Nackerson must
have been already convinced that the boys were not guilty. As for the
big hunter, he did not wish to put himself in a place where he might
have to admit that he had wronged them.

"Don't believe a word of it, I tell you," he persisted, as though bent
on making trouble. "You've got a pretty slick tongue, youngster; but
you can't fool me. I cut my eye-teeth long ago."

"I suppose you _are_ a gentleman of considerable experience in
the woods," Frank observed, still hoping to conciliate the man, who he
saw had been making a liberal use of his pocket flask, as usual. "But
we have told you only the truth, and say again that your dog was not
harmed by us."

"Then there was that nasty business aboard the train," continued
Nackerson, "when you purposely upset that heavy pack on his back.
Seems like you've taken a spite against my dog, and he never harmed
you that I know of. I wanted to teach you cubs a lesson right then,
but my friends held me back. Now you've gone and done another mean
trick."

Frank did not answer. He saw it would be useless, for the man was only
working himself up to a pitch where in his rage he might attempt an
attack. The boy, on the contrary, was wondering just what he and his
chums might do, should they be actually set upon.

"Hold my gun, Whalen!" said the giant hunter, turning to one of the
others. "Now don't you dare say a word to me again about not laying a
hand on these troublesome kids. I'll teach 'em a lesson they won't
soon forget."

Frank shut his jaws hard. Bluff edged up alongside, as though it was
his earnest desire to be on the firing line if there was going to be
trouble.

At that critical moment a voice was heard, saying:

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you, Bill Nackerson!"

Looking in the direction whence these words came, Frank saw with the
liveliest satisfaction that the speaker was no other than Mr. Darrel,
the lumberman.




CHAPTER XII

BLUFF TAKES A HAND


A great load seemed lifted from Frank's mind. With the coming of the
lumberman, he had good reason to believe things would brighten up. For
one thing, he was pleased to see that Mr. Darrel carried a rifle,
which he was holding in a half-threatening manner as he advanced.

"Oh, here's where we get busy right away!" Bluff was heard to mutter.

"Now things are going to look different," Jerry added, with
considerable satisfaction.

Frank looked deeper than the surface. He saw that the lumberman was
alone.

"There are three of the sportsmen," Frank told himself, "and each
carries a gun. Mr. Darrel wouldn't be able to manage the bunch if they
started to get ugly. We ought to be able to lend a hand."

He did not think it advisable to go toward the cabin himself, but that
was no reason some one else might not make the attempt.

"Bluff!" he whispered, for it happened that the other was close by his
elbow.

"What is it?"

"Try and make your way to the cabin without attracting their
attention."

"To get my gun?"

"Yes; and fetch mine along, too. Careful, now; and if you see them
watching you stand still and appear innocent."

Hardly had Frank spoken the last word before Bluff was in motion.

Other things chained Frank's attention just then. Mr. Darrel had
walked forward until he was now not more than thirty feet from the
boys and Bill Nackerson's crowd. It might be said that they formed a
triangle, of which the lumberman was the apex, and the boys formed one
of the base corners.

Frank knew that Mr. Darrel was acquainted with Nackerson. When they
had told him about the trouble on the train, the lumberman related
some differences he had once had with the sportsman, who had been
coming to the Maine woods for a good many years.

The sight of Mr. Darrel had been anything but agreeable to the bully.
When he saw, however, that the lumberman seemed to be unattended, the
old look of anger came back to his face.

"Just keep your hands out of my business, Darrel," he said
threateningly. "This is no affair of yours, and I don't want to have
any trouble with you."

"Well, that's what you will have, Bill Nackerson," replied the
lumberman calmly, "if you go to bothering these boys, who are good
friends of mine."

"Oh, you don't say!" sneered the other. Frank was of the opinion that
it was Nackerson's intention to egg the lumberman on until finally
they might come to blows, when his superior weight and muscle would
give him an easy victory, he thought.

"What's all this I hear about your accusing them of hurting your dog?"
demanded the newcomer, who may have heard only fragments of the talk
as he was coming up.

"Look at the poor brute and see how his nose has been treated!" roared
the bully, trying to work himself up into another passion.

"Well, it is hurt some, I can see," replied Mr. Darrel, "but didn't I
hear Frank Langdon here explain that it was done by some animal the
dog had tried to dig out of its burrow?"

"Yes, sir," spoke up Jerry, eager to get in a word of explanation,
"and over there's where the dog was digging when first we noticed him.
Then all at once he gave out a lot of yelps, and took to his heels.
Frank said he had been nipped on the nose by the animal, which he
thought must be a savage old mink. And that's all any of us know about
it."

"You didn't touch a hair of his dog, then?" asked the lumberman.

"Why, none of us was within thirty or forty feet of him at any time!"
replied the indignant Jerry.

"How about throwing a stone at him?" continued Mr. Darrel, as though
meaning to have a thorough understanding of the whole matter, once and
for all.

"I give you my word, sir, not one of us even picked up a stone,"
answered Jerry. "Of course, when we saw how funny the dog looked,
running with his tail between his legs as he let out those queer
yelps, we may have laughed. Anybody would have done that, Mr. Darrel."

"And shouted in the bargain, too!" added Will.

"You hear what these lads say again, Nackerson?" resumed the owner of
Lumber Run Camp, as he once more wheeled and faced the three
sportsmen, with the dog cowering at their feet rubbing at his injured
muzzle and whimpering.

"Oh, they gave us that song before; but we knew they were lying!"
declared the other. "Boys never tell the truth. They'll beat around
the bush every time. I know just as sure as I'm standing here that
they did something to my dog. On the train they tried to break his
back by upsetting a heavy pack on him. And I've about made up my mind
to show them they're barking up the wrong tree if they think they can
play their monkey-shines on Bill Nackerson."

"I heard all about that incident of the smoker, Nackerson," Mr. Darrel
told him sternly, "and they assured me they had no hand in your dog's
hurt. He upset the pack on himself by squirming around and getting his
rope caught in it."

"Bah! Tell that to the marines!" snarled the other, now looking
dangerously ugly, so that Frank felt a great relief when he discovered
out of the tail of his eye that Bluff was slipping from the cabin
door, and that he carried both guns.

Given half a minute more, and they would not feel they were an
inferior force.

Fortunately neither of the men with the bully had noticed what Bluff
was doing.

"Well," said Mr. Darrel, "you don't think that I'll stand here and see
you lay a finger on any one of these boys without protesting, do you?"

"I'd advise you to keep out of this mess, Mr. Darrel," continued the
other. "I'm not the man to be interfered with, once they get me riled
up. And both of my friends here are going to stand back of me. So
don't you try to raise that gun of yours, or somebody will get hurt."

"That's so, Mr. Nackerson," chimed in another voice just then, "and
the first one to feel it will be you!"

Frank knew it was Bluff who made this assertion. He could see that the
other had leaned one gun against a tree, and was leveling his own
weapon straight at the intruder.

Neither of the other men made the slightest movement. They seemed to
think that as Nackerson had brought all this trouble on them he should
stand for it.

Frank started toward Bluff, for he wanted to get his hands on his own
rifle.

"Hold on there, you young fool; that gun might go off!" exclaimed the
sportsman, showing extreme nervousness; for he did not know what a
reckless boy might be tempted to do.

"I expect it to, unless you clear out of this!" retorted Bluff, true
to his name; for such a thing as actually firing was far from his
thoughts, though as a last resort he would have been capable of it.

This seemed like adding insult to injury, in the eyes of the bully. It
was bad enough to be baffled when bent upon carrying out his plan
through brute strength, but to be ordered away by a mere boy galled
him.

By now Frank had slipped behind Bluff, so as not to distract his
attention, and snatched up his own rifle. Nackerson must have realized
that the tide had changed and was now setting heavily against him.

"You'll all be sorry for this, see if you ain't!" he growled, for
somehow that is always the threat of a defeated man.

"Well, I advise you to clear out while you have the chance,
Nackerson," the lumberman told him, perhaps more than a little pleased
to see how ably the boys could look out for themselves.

"Are you going to stand back of me or not, Whalen?" snarled the big
sportsman, not daring to make a hostile move himself while Bluff was
holding that gun leveled at him.

The man he addressed gave a nervous little laugh.

"Well, we would, Bill," he went on to say, "if we thought you had a
clean bill; but it strikes us both that in this affair you're away off
your trolley. These boys didn't have anything to do with the hurts of
the dog, they say, and we can't prove they did. So we'd best clear
out."

"Good for you, Whalen!" remarked Darrel. "And let me say right now,
that if there's any suspicious business attempted while you're up here
in this section of the Big Woods, you're apt to get a pack of my
lumberjacks hot on your trail. You'd better go slow about what you do.
They'd as soon give you a coat of tar and feathers as not."

Whalen did not make any answer. Apparently he and his companion felt
ashamed of being caught in association with the bully.

Seeing that he was deserted by his friends, Nackerson realized that
there was now nothing left for him to do but to give up. He was a hard
loser, Frank saw, as he noted the muscles of the man's face working.

"Oh, I'm going to clear out, Mr. Darrel," he said, trying to speak
contemptuously; "there are times when it's policy to knuckle down.
This is one of them, I reckon. But Bill Nackerson doesn't throw up the
sponge as easy as all that. Just wait. You or these young cubs here
may be sorry for this."

"Be careful how you make threats, Nackerson," warned the lumberman.
"They may be brought home to you later on, if anything does happen to
these boys here."

"Oh, I'm not threatening!" the other hastened to say. "That's
something I always try to keep from doing, and I want you to know it.
But all the same, you may think of this time, and be sorry you rubbed
it in so hard; that's all."

"Come along, Bill," urged the man called Whalen, as though fearing
that unless they got their boisterous companion moving he might bring
matters to an open rupture yet.

"Sure, I'll go with you, Cass Whalen, even if you have deserted a pal
when he was up against it. I won't forget that, either. I've got a
long memory for such things, I have. And mark me, Mr. Darrel, I'll
often see this hour again as I think of how you insulted me. That's
all I've got to say."

He wheeled in his tracks, gave a kick at his dog that started the poor
beast to yelping again, and the party moved off, leaving the chums and
Mr. Darrel exchanging looks of unbounded relief.




CHAPTER XIII

ANOTHER HUNT FOR VENISON


"A good riddance to bad rubbish!" remarked Bluff, with a grin, as they
saw the party disappear in the woods, with Bill Nackerson still
snarling at his friends.

"I hope none of us will ever see that man again," said Mr. Darrel, as
he shook hands with each of his young friends.

"And, Bluff," Frank observed, turning on the other, "I want to say
that you did that business in fine shape. He seemed to have one eye on
me, and I was afraid that if I started off to the cabin he would break
loose."

"That was a happy thought, your sending me," replied Bluff, "and I'll
always 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 going
on at Lumber Run Camp, with new men arriving daily, that it's
necessary 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 the
other had not made any reply to his question. "I hope you've kept your
appetite, and can come up smiling three times a day when the meal hour
arrives?"

"Oh, I'm all right, Mr. Darrel!" replied Bluff. "Nothing the matter
with my eating apparatus."

During the rest of that day they had much to show their guest--and to
tell him, as well. It seemed as though the lumberman was having the
time of his life in the society of these bright young fellows. At
least, he told them he was renewing his own youth.

They got up a supper later on that could be called sumptuous. Bluff
and Frank exerted themselves to make a spread that would convince
their guest they were well acquainted with camp cookery.

"I haven't enjoyed a meal as much as that for years," Mr. Darrel told
them afterward, as they sat around the fire.

Bluff immediately commenced patting himself, as though he felt happy
over having his work praised in this fashion. Will expected to start
out presently, with one of the others for company, in order to place
his camera trap again. He believed he could get a fox to take the
tempting bait and thus photograph his own features.

The tongues clattered for several hours that evening. Mr. Darrel
insisted on hearing scores of things connected with their past
experiences. They had lots to tell, and every one took a hand in
relating the story. It was almost like living those happy days over
again, as they pictured the numerous thrilling episodes one after
another.

Nothing would do but Bluff should arrange a couch on the floor, while
their guest occupied his bunk. Mr. Darrel would have insisted on
declining, only he saw how set the boy was upon carrying out his plan
and what a deal of pleasure it seemed to afford him.

Indeed, Will and Jerry envied him that new bed when they saw what a
cozy nest Frank and Bluff had made of it. A lot of hemlock browse, of
which there was no lack in the vicinity of the woods cabin, had been
piled up and covered with part of the blanket, the other fold being
intended for a covering. As the fire was to be kept up through the
night, since it was getting very cold outdoors, Bluff was not likely
to suffer.

Mr. Darrel had been thoughtful enough to fetch his own blanket on his
back. He knew each of the boys had one apiece, and realized that
unless he provided for himself he must deprive one of them.

The owner of Lumber Run Camp stayed until the following noon. When
finally he started back, two of the boys went part of the way with
him.

"I hope to see you all again before many days, boys," had been his
parting words, "and if I don't get over here, remember you must drop
in at our camp on your way out. I want to keep in touch with such a
fine lot of young chaps. And, Will, tell Uncle Felix for me that I'm a
thousand times obliged to him for sending you up here. I feel ten
years 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 a
remarkably fine picture of a fox.

All the others told him he was making great headway toward winning
that prize offered by the Maine railroad. The success that had
rewarded his perseverance thus far did much to inspire Will with
further ambition.

"If I could only get a view of a bull moose before we leave here, I
think I'd be the happiest fellow in seven counties," he said that
evening, when again the four chums gathered before their crackling
fire.

"Did you ever see a finer spell of brisk, bracing weather than we've
been having?" Jerry wanted to know. "And, Frank, to-morrow we must be
sure to get started on that hunt we've put off so long. The last bit
of venison was cooked for supper to-night, you know; and what's a camp
in 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 on
this trip," Will hastened to say. "I'm too much taken up with this new
hobby 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 old
fellow who was said to be a natural woodsman, and who used to write
splendid things for the sporting magazines, always boasted about going
into the woods light, carrying little besides a blanket, a coffeepot,
frying pan, cup, tin plate, and a few necessities in the way of
coffee, tea, sugar, and the like."

"Yes, I've heard of him, too," broke in Bluff; "and while he used to
make all manner of fun of the poor sillies who nearly broke their
backs toting all sorts of good things like canned meats into camp, he
confessed that he was always willing to help them get rid of the grub
later on."

In this lively fashion did they pass the evening, and then came the
time for turning in. Another peaceful night followed. The boys were
gradually forgetting Bill Nackerson and his threats. If they thought
of 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 was
counting on making a respectable addition to the larder before they
returned. Frank expected to take a new course, covering ground that
none of them had as yet hunted over.

"At the same time," he explained to Jerry, as they moved along, "I'm
trying to keep a good distance away from the place where that other
crowd is. We don't hanker about having any trouble with Nackerson, and
the best way to avoid it is to give him a wide berth."

Presently it was thought advisable to keep still. In that frosty
atmosphere even ordinary sounds could be heard at some distance, and
deer have the sharpest of ears.

Of course, the hunters had headed up into what light wind was
stirring, so that their coming might not be heralded by the scent upon
which a wild animal depends to give him warning of the approach of
danger.

A number of times they were flurried by flushing a covey of
partridges. Jerry almost wished they had come prepared to load down
with the birds; but until the last flickering chance of getting a deer
had died out, Frank advised that they confine their attention to the
one thing they had in mind.

"On the way home," he told Jerry, when the other sighed at seeing
three plump birds sitting on a limb within easy range, "we can get all
we want, if the venison is missing."

So Jerry had to be content. They had gone several miles from camp, and
so far had not started a deer. Tracks in the snow had been seen
several times. Indeed, Frank was really following a trail that he
seemed to think rather fresh. It could do no harm, and might turn out
a wise move on their part, Jerry realized, as he trotted along at the
side 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 was
seemingly close by, certainly not over a quarter of a mile away.

"Somebody's in trouble, Frank!" exclaimed 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 like
treachery."

"You're thinking of Nackerson?"

"Just who I am. He wouldn't hesitate a minute if he could lure us into
a trap. But that sound's genuine enough, I must say."

They hurried their footsteps. Indeed, the piteous nature of the cries
thrilled the boys.

"He can't be very far away now," ventured Jerry, panting a little from
his exertions.

"Just back of that scrub yonder," replied Frank. "Let's move out a
little, 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 his
foot. There he gets up again, and oh! my stars, Frank, what's he got
fastened to his leg? I declare to goodness if it doesn't look like one
of 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 Nackerson
on the train coming here! The poor fellow, to get himself in such a
pickle as that!"




CHAPTER XIV

THE VICTIM OF THE BEAR TRAP


By this time the other boy had discovered their presence. He waved his
hand, and begged them not to desert him, as he would soon freeze to
death.

Frank had made up his mind no trap had been set for them, but that the
agony of the poor fellow was genuine. Accordingly, he started on a
run, with Jerry close at his heels.

Without waiting to ask questions, Frank set to work to release the
imprisoned boy. While Teddy had been unable to get around to press
down heavily enough on the double springs of the bear trap, it was not
a difficult job for Frank to do, assisted by Jerry.

At first they almost dreaded to look closely at the leg of the
released boy as he sat there in a heap, tenderly caressing it. When
Frank did come to examine it, he was pleased to see that, after all,
the damage was not so alarming.

"Luckily those springs have weakened with age; and then again the
thick leather leggings you're wearing have helped to save you some,"
he told Teddy.

The leg had been lacerated more or less, and must have been
exceedingly painful. Teddy was miles away from camp. He did not have a
gun, and Frank began to wonder what could have brought him there.
Apparently he must have been in the old bear trap for an hour or two.

"How did it happen, Teddy?" he asked, for information.

"I dunno just how I came to tread in that old trap," the other
replied, stopping his whimpering for a minute. "I was just walking
along, and thinkin' I'd soon get to Old Joe's, when all at once it
grabbed me. I thought at first I was killed. Then when I tried to get
at the springs, and it seemed like my leg was beginnin' to freeze, it
scared me right bad. That's why I hollered. I thought Joe might hear
me."

"Who's Old Joe?" continued Frank.

"Why, you see, he's a man that's runnin' a fur farm over this way,"
Teddy explained. "He raises skunks for their skins. He was taken with
me when he dropped in at our camp, and told me he wisht I'd come over
and stay the winter out with him."

"And were you on your way to his place when this happened?" asked
Jerry.

The injured boy nodded his head in the affirmative. Frank was now down
on his knees and starting to remove the legging. He meant to take a
look at the wound, both to ascertain how serious it was, and perhaps
do what he could to alleviate the suffering of the other.

"Did your uncle send you over to Old Joe's?" he asked Teddy.

"Bill Nackerson isn't really my uncle, you know, only a relation of
some kind; and I'm right sorry now I ever asked him to take me on a
hunting trip. I've led a dog's life of it. After he knocked me down
after supper last night I just couldn't stand it any longer."

"Then you ran away; is that what you mean?" inquired Jerry, deeply
interested by this time and noting a bruise under Teddy's eye.

"Just what I did," muttered the boy. "After what I heard Bill
Nackerson saying, I got the notion in my head that I wanted to cut out
of there. Even a skunk farm couldn't be _quite_ so bad as he made
it for me; anyhow, I was willin' to take the chances. But that trap
nearly finished me. What if you hadn't heard me yelling?"

"You'd have had a hard spell of it, that's sure," Frank admitted. As
it was below the freezing point at the time, he fancied poor Teddy
might not have lived to see another day.

After he had examined the wound and managed to bind it up, he began to
figure on what could be done. Plainly the deer hunt must be given up
for that day. It seemed to be ill-fated, seeing that so many
postponements were necessary.

Still, there was always a chance that on the way home they would pick
up some partridges, which would have to do.

"Do you have any notion how far away this Old Joe's place might be?"
Frank asked Teddy, thinking that their best plan would be to get the
boy there if it could be managed.

"I got an idea it was close by here," replied Teddy. "He told me after
I struck the little ravine on the trail it wasn't more'n a quarter of
a mile off."

"If you think you can walk a little, with us helping you," Frank
continued, "we might go on and see if we can find the place."

Jerry was sniffing the air at a lively rate.

"Yes, she's close by, I give you my word for that," he announced, as
though he believed he was on the right scent.

Teddy seemed anxious to do all he could to help. He was desperately
afraid the other boys might conclude to leave him, and as he was next
to helpless the prospect alarmed him.

So they moved slowly along. Now and then the boy groaned a little.
This was at such times as he happened to give his leg a wrench.

"I hope you'll stand by me in case he ain't home," he ventured. "Joe,
he told me he might shut up shop here and go to town for a month, so's
to be treated by a doctor for a trouble he's got. I'm takin' big
chances in comin' over without letting him know anything about it."

"Well, we're nearly there now," observed Frank.

"There's a wire fence!" exclaimed the injured boy. "See how tight it's
made, to keep the skunks from gettin' away."

"And I can see some sort of cabin farther on," Frank announced.

As they drew nearer it struck them that everything looked deserted.
Teddy was the first to voice his dismay.

"I don't see a whiff of smoke comin' from the chimbly," he remarked.
"I'm afraid he's cleared out to town. Whatever will I do now? I just
can't stay here; and, as to gettin' back to Bill's place, I'd die on
the way."

They soon saw that the cabin was deserted. No doubt the raiser of
skunks had made such arrangements as were possible, so that his pets
might exist while he was away.

Frank knew there was only one thing that could be done: the wounded
boy must be taken to their camp and looked after, for a short time at
least. Later on, if he found he could walk fairly well, he might go
back to the other cabin in which the rival hunters were quartered.

"Let's see if we can find an old ax around," Frank said.

"What are you meaning to do--break in the locked door?" Jerry
inquired.

Teddy looked anxious, and full of curiosity besides.

"There'd be no use in doing that, because Teddy couldn't stop here all
by himself," Frank explained.

"What do we want an ax for, then?" continued Jerry.

"It's this way," he was told: "we'll have to get him back with us,
because he can't be left here. And as he can't walk all the way, the
thing for us to do is to knock some kind of a litter together and
carry him between us."

Jerry was immediately interested.

"Guess we can do that, all right, Frank," he exclaimed; "and there's
your ax over by the chopping block. It's a tough-looking thing, but
might answer in an emergency like this."

"You must never look a gift-horse in the mouth; it isn't right," Frank
told him, as he laid hold of the nicked ax and looked around for some
poles of the proper type.

"There's where a tree was cut down some years ago," Jerry told Frank.
"See what a nest of young growth has started up around the stump!
They'd make great hop poles, wouldn't they? And I don't see why we
shouldn't get all we want for our stretcher right here."

"We certainly can," replied Frank, beginning to swing the apology for
an ax.

He soon began to fell the straight saplings by twos and threes. There
would be no trouble about obtaining as many as they needed, it soon
became apparent.

When a stack had been trimmed off, the two boys started to work making
a rude litter. All they had to fasten the poles together with
consisted of their stout bandannas and some cord Jerry chanced to find
in his coat pocket.

As both lads were of an ingenious turn of mind, they managed to rig up
a litter that looked pretty comfortable. Over the bars they spread a
thick coat of hemlock, tearing off small branches so that the fragrant
foliage might not be lost.

"And let me tell you," remarked Jerry, when their work was finished,
"I wouldn't mind being carried on such an elegant litter, myself. Talk
to me about Oriental palanquins and <DW61> jinrickshas; this has got the
whole bunch beat, if I do say it as oughtn't. Teddy, climb on, and
let's see how she goes."

Teddy was only too willing to do so. He gave each of the boys a
grateful look that spoke louder than the words he used to express his
thanks.

"Shucks, don't mention it!" said Jerry, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Why, we wouldn't deserve to be called hunters if we did anything
less. When people go to the woods they ought to be willing to hold out
a helping hand to anybody that's in trouble, even if it's their worst
enemy. If we ran on Bill, fixed the same way, we'd stand by him;
wouldn't we, Frank?"

"We'd feel that we had to," was the reply.

It was with a feeling of chagrin that Jerry found himself heading for
home and walking at one end of the litter. He managed to keep his gun
handy, and the first time Frank spoke of seeing partridges close by
the burden was hastily deposited on the ground, and, rifles in hand,
the young hunters crept toward the spot.

In this foray they succeeded in dropping two birds, and that comforted
Jerry a little. Later on the operation was repeated; and as several
more partridges, instead of taking themselves off, insisted on
perching in another tree, a third brace fell to the aim of the
marksmen.

"My mind is easy now!" declared Jerry, when they had deposited this
assortment of game upon the stretcher alongside the wounded boy. "No
starvation staring us in the face yet awhile. I am chuckling to think
how the other fellows will stare when they see what we're bringing in
with us."

"You're mighty good to me," muttered Teddy, "and I'm a lucky feller to
have run on you like I did. I got a good mind to tell something--mebbe
I will yet."

Whatever he had on his mind, Frank could guess that it was weighing
heavily. He supposed, of course, that it had to do with Bill
Nackerson. Perhaps Teddy had heard something while in the rival camp
that concerned some evil work the ugly sportsman had been concerned
in.

After taking a number of rests on the way, as the afternoon wore on
they drew near their home camp. Jerry sent out a shout to warn Will
and Bluff that they were coming. He wanted to make sure that both were
outdoors on the watch; so that they might be mystified by seeing the
hunters coming back in such a queer fashion.

Just as Jerry had anticipated, there was a loud shout of wonder.

"Why, whatever have you got?" Will exclaimed, rubbing his eyes.

"Is _that_ the way you fellows fetch a deer home?" demanded
Bluff; and then gaped anew when he discovered a head raised above the
side of the litter.




CHAPTER XV

A COOK STAMPEDE


"Why, it isn't a deer at all!" cried Will.

"Looks like that boy on the train, what's his name--Teddy!" exclaimed
the sharp-eyed Bluff. A minute later he saw that his guess was a good
one, as the bearers of the litter set it down before the cabin door.

"Whatever has happened to him; Jerry, I hope you didn't mistake him
for a deer, and shoot him in the leg?" Bluff burst out, for he had
already discovered that the boy's left limb was bound up in some rude
fashion.

At that Jerry hardly knew whether to look indignant, or laugh.

"Well, I hope I can tell a deer better than to take a boy for one," he
remarked, "though I know lots of people are shot every year in the
woods all over the country, just because hunters will dress in brown
khaki or corduroy. But it happens that poor Teddy got his leg into a
bear trap, you see."

Of course that aroused the curiosity of the two stay-at-homes more
than ever.

"Tell us about it, won't you?" they pleaded.

"Hold on a bit, till we get Teddy settled in that rustic chair by the
fire. He's nearly frozen, I want you to know," Jerry announced.
Between them they carried the injured boy indoors.

"I hope I'll be able to stand on both my feet in a day or two," Teddy
said, as though he hated to put them to such trouble. "But it's mighty
nice the way you're treating me; and after Bill showed himself so
nasty mean."

It was Frank's intention to go at the wound again with warm water, and
then use some lotion he always carried for just such purposes. A cut
made by the jaws of that rusty old trap might bring on blood
poisoning, unless it were taken in hand properly, and thoroughly
cleansed.

Jerry was capable of doing all the talking necessary, while Frank set
to work at his task.

"We ran on Teddy by accident," the former explained. "First thing we
knew we were listening to somebody calling for help. We followed it
up, and came on him. The old trap was set by a fur farmer that's got a
place four miles from here--and for one I'm real glad it is that far,
because it's skunks he raises."

"Huh! that's interesting!" commented Bluff.

"You'd think it was highly interesting, if ever you meandered that
way," Jerry assured him. "Well, we took Teddy to the farm, where he
was heading at the time, having cleared out from his uncle's camp, you
see."

Jerry touched his cheek just under the right eye, and in that way
called the attention of Will and Bluff to the discolored mark the
other boy was carrying. They both nodded their heads, as though
understanding what he meant.

"How did it come that you thought best not to leave him there?" asked
Will.

"Nobody home," Jerry chirped; "house shut up, and old man skipped to
town. Teddy said he hinted about going down to have some sort of an
operation performed. Don't blame him for seizing the first chance he
got to clear out. You would too, if you ever visited there."

"And does Frank mean to keep Teddy here with us?" asked Bluff, in a
low tone, so the wounded boy might not catch what he was saying.

"Don't just know what we'll have to do about it," Jerry replied,
looking as though he felt of considerable importance, since he had
shared in the adventure. "A whole lot depends on how he feels
to-morrow. You see, he's lit out from Nackerson's camp, and don't want
to go back; but he may have to yet, and stand the racket the best way
possible."

All of them felt sorry for Teddy. At the same time that did not mean
to take him in with them, and have what Bluff said would be a "fifth
wheel to the wagon, when just four were needed to make it complete."

If it came down to a necessity doubtless every one of the outdoor
chums would have voted to make room for the boy. That mark under his
eye told what a brute Nackerson must be. If once Teddy could get
safely back home, he would never be tempted to start out into the
woods to serve as a cook for a party of sportsmen.

There was plenty of time to get the partridges ready and a fire made
in the hole dug in the ground, as on that former occasion. The memory
of that delightful treat seemed to haunt all the boys, so that they
yearned for a second.

Of course during the afternoon the boys were in and out a great deal.
Teddy always seized the chance to have a few friendly words with
whoever came near him. He evinced the liveliest interest in all they
were doing, and pleased Will by asking many questions concerning his
method of taking night pictures with his flashlight.

"If I only get better soon, and you don't chase me back to that camp
again," Teddy said, with a sigh, "I'd like nothing better than to do
your cooking right along. And then maybe some night you'd let me go
with you into the woods where you set your picture trap. I'd be only
too glad to help you any way I might."

That set Will to thinking. He tried to picture the discomforts which
the poor fellow must have been up against, forced to obey the
slightest whim of such a bad-tempered man as Bill Nackerson. If the
latter would sink so low as to strike the boy he might do even worse.

"I guess it's up to us to house Teddy the rest of the time we're
here," Will said to Bluff, as they worked at getting more firewood
close to the cabin so as to always have a fair supply handy, in case a
snowstorm settled in.

Bluff frowned, and shook his head dubiously. Evidently he too had been
thinking about that same subject; and somehow it failed to appeal as
strongly to him as to the more tender-hearted Will.

It was past the middle of the afternoon when this talk occurred. Frank
and Jerry were busy elsewhere.

"I don't know about that," Bluff remarked. "In the first place we've
got just four bunks, which is one apiece. While I was willing to give
mine up to Mr. Darrel, I'd seriously object to being turned out by a
boy, and Nackerson's boy at that."

"No need of that," Will rejoined; "if he stayed he'd be only too glad
to sleep on that floor cot you had. Besides, he says he's a good cook,
and would take that job on his shoulders. You know some of us
sometimes hate to have to work at getting the grub ready."

"Y-yes, I guess we do, Will," admitted Bluff, who could remember lots
of occasions when he served only through a sense of duty, and not
because he was fond of getting meals.

"Then besides," continued Will, seeing that his argument was beginning
to tell, as Bluff showed signs of cooling down, "what if we made him
go back to Nackerson, and anything happened to him, we wouldn't ever
be able to forgive ourselves."

"He certainly is in a bad box," muttered Bluff.

"Put yourself in his place, if you can, Bluff; and see how you'd feel
about it, that's all," continued Will. "But then, I ought to know you
too well to think you'd send a chap adrift, when we could give him a
shelter and three square meals a day just as easy as say so."

"Let Frank decide it," Bluff said at last in desperation. "Whatever he
settles on the rest of us'll agree to stand for. Frank knows best what
to do and there will be no kick coming, whatever he says."

Will went away satisfied that Teddy would stay. Bluff was generally
the obstreperous one, and if he could be induced to shift all
responsibility on to Frank's shoulders, there was little more to say.

It may have been half an hour after this talk that the boys heard a
shout off in the woods in the direction of Lumber Run Camp.

"Wonder what's going to strike us now?" remarked Jerry, who had been
cleaning his gun and had just reloaded its magazine. At the time he
was sitting by the fire, but so warm did it feel inside the cabin that
they had left the door part way open.

Bluff was already reaching for his gun. There was a look on his face
that could hardly be called one of alarm; at the same time it seemed
to speak of excitement.

"Perhaps that crowd is coming over again to bulldoze us," he
suggested.

"Oh! I hope not," said Will, at the same time thinking it his duty to
look for his gun, which he had not fired since arriving in the Big
Woods.

"Come outdoors, fellows!" they heard Frank say; for at the time it
happened he was busying himself at something in the open, and had his
gun handy.

All of them came together not far from the door. This time there was
no lack of firearms in evidence. They had taken warning from that
other occasion when caught in an almost helpless condition by the
Nackerson crowd.

"Two men coming this way," announced Frank presently.

"That must mean Bill, and one of his pals," muttered Bluff, as he
began to fumble with his pump-gun, so as to make sure it was in
working order. "How had we better string out to receive 'em, Frank? It
won't do to keep in a bunch here. Hadn't I better slip along, and be
ready to come up on their right flank?"

"Better hold your horses a while, Bluff," advised Frank, with a laugh,
"because after all it isn't the Nackerson crowd."

"But who else can they be?" the other demanded.

"Of course I don't know for sure," Frank informed him; "but it strikes
me one of the men looks like the cook they had at Lumber Run Camp."

"Gee, whiz! but there seems to be an awful lot of cooks broken loose
lately," Bluff complained, having in mind what Will had suggested with
reference to Teddy. "It must be catching, like the measles, this
running away from the stew-pans and flapjack fixings. But let 'em come
on; we can stand for nearly anything."

The two men came up and Frank saw there was nothing to be feared from
that source. The idea had already flashed through his mind that
possibly Mr. Darrel may have sent a message by them; he hoped the
lumberman was not ill, or anything like that.

"I'm on my way out with the cook," one of the men explained. "You see
his wife has sent word to him to come home right away. I expect to
fetch another mess cook along back with me, to stay the winter out.
And seein' as we expected to come by not far from your place here, the
boss he says, says he: 'Just drop in, and hand the boys this
communication from me.' Reckon it 'splains itself, boys. So we'll be
goin', because the cook is fair wild to get home. Twins is an event in
his fambly that ain't never happened before."

The two men hurried away even while Frank was opening the paper that
had been placed in his hand.

"Read it out loud, please, Frank, so the whole of us can get a grip on
what he's written to you," suggested Jerry.

"Listen, then," said Frank, who had shown signs of some little
excitement. "'This is to inform you, dear boys, that last night a
sneaking incendiary tried to burn us out at Lumber Run Camp. The
damage didn't amount to much; but I'm offering a hundred dollars
reward for information that will convict the miserable wretch who
started that fire. A word to the wise is sufficient. _Samuel
Darrel_.'"




CHAPTER XVI

DID TEDDY KNOW?


"Well, wouldn't that jar you?" remarked Bluff, as he heard what was
contained in the brief communication from the lumberman.

"Tried to burn down the camp at Lumber Run, did they?" burst out
Jerry. "Well, if you asked me my opinion, I'd have to admit that I
didn't like the looks of a few of those lumberjacks."

"But nobody has accused any of the loggers of the crime," remarked
Frank, and at that the head projecting from the opening at the door
came a little further into view; which was pretty good evidence, Frank
thought, that the wounded boy must take considerable interest in the
discussion.

"Why, who else would try to turn on Mr. Darrel that way, and burn his
shanties down just when winter is setting in?" asked Bluff.

"We can only give a guess at that," Frank told him.

"Whew!" exclaimed Bluff, as he grasped the meaning back of those few
words. "After all, I wouldn't put it past him, Frank."

"Who--what--where--how?" demanded Will, apparently confused, and not
able to understand what all these strange hints portended.

"We had a specimen of his nasty temper, you know," continued Bluff.
"Yes, twice now we've heard him tear around like a bull in a china
shop."

"Oh! now I tumble to what you mean," cried Will, who did not often use
any sort of slang, and must therefore have been unusually excited to
fall into the habit. "It's Bill--Bill Nackerson!"

Frank nodded his head.

"He's the only party around that we know of who would be mean enough
to try to set buildings on fire, just to get even with a man he
disliked," he observed.

"Yes, and didn't we hear him threaten to do something before long, so
as to hit back at Mr. Darrel?" Jerry wanted to know, as if he had all
along been suspicious of the big sportsman.

"That's what we did," asserted Will. "To think of him trying to burn
Lumber Run Camp; and as like as not it was when all the men were sound
asleep! Why, he might have been the death of some of them!"

"Whoever started the fire didn't care a hoot whether it hurt or not, I
think," Bluff gave as his opinion.

Frank noticed that the head had disappeared from alongside the open
door. Evidently Teddy had heard enough. He must have limped from his
chair to the doorway upon hearing strange voices outside. Perhaps he
had suspected that the others brought news of some startling
character.

Frank did not tell all of his chums about what he had seen. At the
same time it gave him food for much serious thought.

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if Teddy knew something about that
fire business," he mentioned to Bluff, a short time later, when they
walked together down to the spot where the mink tracks had been seen,
as the latter had shown more or less interest in the habits of these
little animals.

"Do you really think so?" said the other, with a frown.

"He heard strangers talking outside when those two loggers came up,"
Frank continued, "and even dragged himself to the door to listen. I
saw his head, though after a bit, when we had talked matters over, he
went back to the fire again."

"See here, Frank, you don't think Teddy could have set that fire, I
hope?" demanded Bluff, uneasily.

"Oh! no, it isn't so bad as that," he was assured. "Teddy is telling
us the truth when he says he ran away from the camp last night, after
Nackerson had knocked him down."

"The big coward!" muttered Bluff, clenching his fists and shaking his
head, as though he would like nothing better than to get in a blow at
the bully.

"My opinion, as far as I have any, is about like this," Frank
continued. "After Nackerson struck Teddy the boy happened to overhear
him boasting about what he meant to do to the camp at Lumber Run."

"Oh! I see now what you mean, Frank; when he found that Bill was
getting in deeper and deeper, Teddy just made up his mind that was no
place for a decent fellow to stay, and so he skipped out."

"You've got it about straight, Bluff," Frank admitted. "Of course, I'm
only guessing all this, remember. Don't say one word of it to Teddy.
Let him worry over it, and perhaps after a bit he'll understand that
there's no reason why he should keep a still tongue in his head, to
shield a rascal who didn't hesitate to strike him a cowardly blow."

Bluff was not slow of comprehension. He saw what Frank's plan was, and
while he may not have entirely agreed with such a course, there was no
disposition to interfere.

"You know best how to work it, Frank," he said simply. "I'll keep as
mum as an oyster till you give me the tip that it's time to speak.
Just as you say, Teddy couldn't have been the one to put the match to
the camp over at Lumber Run. When Nackerson had gone away, perhaps
with one of his pals who agreed to stand back of him, that's the time
Teddy lit out."

"He struck it pretty hard at first, getting caught in that trap,"
Frank mused; "but when you come right down to facts I guess it was
just as well that it happened to him."

"Huh! that's a queer thing to say," remonstrated Bluff. "Getting hung
up in an old bear trap a blessing in disguise, was it? I'd like to
know how you figure that out, Frank."

"This way," explained the other. "If he had missed connections with
that trap Teddy would have reached the skunk farm only to meet with
disappointment."

"Sure he would, because Old Joe, as he called the fur farmer, had
pulled up stakes and gone to town for some weeks," Bluff admitted.

"As Teddy didn't know where we hung out, and couldn't find his way to
Lumber Run Camp, you can see that he would have had to choose between
going back to Nackerson, or losing himself in the Big Woods."

"Whew! it does take you to see through things," Bluff declared, with a
laugh. "I can understand now that it _was_ a big streak of luck
for Ted when he met with that bear trap. We never know when we're well
off, do we? But show me what you were telling about this mink, Frank;
and how the old chap visits around in and out of these holes in the
bank during the winter and early spring."

Frank was always accommodating, especially when anything connected
with his knowledge of nature was concerned. He loved to watch the
small woods folk when they did not suspect his presence, and learn
more and more of their interesting habits.

So that day passed. Another, and yet a third found the boys enjoying
themselves to the limit. Teddy was showing decided signs of
improvement. He could get around fairly well by now, Jerry having cut
him a walking-stick, with a crook at the end. He was beginning to get
over the nervousness that had shown itself for a whole day following
his advent in the new camp.

Perhaps the boy had feared that Nackerson might come storming along,
and insist on his returning to his duties as cook. He feared the
brutal sportsman more than ever, now that he had found such a fine
harbor of refuge with the outdoor chums. To go back to that other
drudgery would have been torture.

As soon as he was able to get around he insisted on taking charge of
the cooking. And the boys soon learned that Teddy could manage
splendidly. He had to be shown very little so as to suit their tastes;
and none of them regretted in the least that they had extended a
helping hand toward one in distress.

A new life was opening up to Teddy. He had never before come in
contact with such an agreeable lot of companions and every hour of the
day he tried to prove himself grateful.

Still, he did not mention a word about what he might possibly know of
the dastardly deed, when some one attempted to fire the logging camp.
Frank often saw a worried expression come over the boy's face, and at
such times he suspected that Teddy was puzzling his brain as to just
what his duty might be. He did not like to betray his kinsman, and yet
felt that it was not right to refrain from taking someone into his
confidence.

"He may speak sooner or later," Frank told himself; "and if he does,
it will not be the reward of a hundred dollars for information that
will make him tell."

On the second day, about noon, some of the boys were busy near the
cabin, laying in an extra supply of firewood. Frank had an idea they
would be visited by a big snowfall before twenty-four hours had
passed.

"Of course that's only a hazard, fellows," he told Bluff and Jerry,
who were helping him add to the handy heap close to the door of the
cabin, "but there does seem to be a feeling of dampness in the air,
for all it's so cold; and the sun, you notice, shines through a sort
of hazy curtain."

"I think just the same way you do, Frank," Jerry remarked; "and if you
asked me to say when, I'd guess it was going to strike us before
night."

"We've got off pretty fortunately so far about storms," Bluff went on,
as he threw another armful of fuel on the already huge pile.

"If it does come down on us," Frank continued, "we'll not lack for
fresh meat, anyway. That was a lucky shot you made yesterday, Bluff.
The buckshot shell did the business, too, for after you fired both
barrels the buck went down with a crash."

"And to think it happened so near our camp that we managed to tote the
whole carcass to the cabin," and Bluff looked with pride in his eyes
toward a deer that was hanging, in real sportsman style, from a limb,
head downward.

"If we don't get another while we're up here in the Big Woods," said
Jerry, suppressing the natural twinge of jealousy he felt, "we ought
to be satisfied with our bag. And Will is just wild over the bully
pictures he's accumulating every day and night."

"It does seem as though he had met with nothing but success, so far,"
Frank admitted. "I hope he gets that prize the railroads are offering.
So far as I can tell he has a dandy collection already, and we've got
some time ahead of us still."

"By the way, where is Will now?" asked Bluff,

"About half an hour ago he told me he was going off to the place where
we discovered that comical colony of squirrels that amused us
yesterday," Frank explained. "He hoped by keeping as still as a mouse
to get a snap at them when they were carrying on that way. I think
myself it would be a fine woods picture, and add to his collection."

"Speaking of angels, and you're most sure to hear their wings,"
chuckled Jerry; "for there's Will coming this way now."

"And on the run, too!" added Frank. "He looks excited, fellows. I
wonder what he's run across now?"

Will was almost out of breath. They could see that his face was red
from his exertions, but filled with excitement as well; while his eyes
were, as Bluff expressed it, "sticking out of his head!"

"Oh! what a whopper!" he gasped, as he drew near the spot where they
stood.

"What's that?" demanded Frank, wondering what was coming now.

"And such _tre_-mendous horns, too!" continued Will,
involuntarily stretching out both hands until he had them wide apart.

"Horns, Will?" Bluff fired at him; "cows have horns, deer carry
antlers!"

"I said _horns_, didn't I?" asserted the other with
determination. "That's what they were, sticking away up over his head
that was like a mule's. But I snapped him before he turned and trotted
off!"

"What trotted off?" shrilled Bluff.

"The biggest old bull moose that ever lived in the State of Maine,"
Will replied.




CHAPTER XVII

THE BIG MOOSE


"A bull moose, you say, Will?" echoed Bluff, his face lighting up with
sudden energy.

"That's what I mean," replied the other. "I know what you're thinking,
Bluff, and that I wouldn't know a bull moose if I saw one. But you're
away off in your guess. I've so longed to meet up with one when I had
my camera with me that I've been picturing how he'd look. And, Frank,
believe me, it _was_ a beaut--a regular monster!"

"How did it happen, Will?" asked Frank.

"I was sitting as still as anything," the other related, "after I'd
got two dandy snaps at that funny squirrel family playing around the
tree where they have their home, and was hoping for another whack at
them to complete the set, when all at once I heard a whiffing sound."

"Gee! what wouldn't I give to have been alongside, with my gun!"
sighed Bluff; "but go on, Will; what happened next?"

"Oh, I looked up to see what had made that queer sound, and there he
was, just standing and looking straight at me! I was nearly scared to
death at first, for he looked nearly as big as a barn. Then I knew it
must be a bull moose; and the next thing I found myself taking his
picture."

"Did he run away then?" asked Frank.

"Turned and trotted off, as if he didn't care whether school kept or
not," Will continued. "I even had the nerve to shoot him again as he
was going. And don't I hope that first picture turns out good! It was
a remarkable pose, if only the focus was right."

He started toward the cabin door as though anxious to develop his roll
of film and discover what success his labor had resulted in. Bluff
caught him by the arm.

"Wait just a minute or two, Will," he pleaded. "Tell us some more.
Where did all this happen?"

"Frank knows where that squirrel colony have their nest in the tree
that's got a hole in the trunk about thirty feet up," the other
replied.

"But you're dead sure, are you, it wasn't just a big buck deer you
saw?" continued Bluff, who apparently could not bring himself to
believe a mighty moose had wandered that near the camp.

"If only you'll hold your horses until I can develop this film, you
shall see for yourself whether I know a stag from a bull moose," he
was told by the indignant photographer, as the latter broke away and
vanished inside the cabin.

Bluff turned to Frank.

"Let's all take a look," he suggested.

"I was just going to say the same myself," Jerry added, being
evidently quite as much interested as Bluff.

Frank was more than willing. He did not feel that they could entirely
depend on the evidence of Will, who may have been so startled by the
sudden coming of some animal that his imagination worked overtime.

"I hope it wasn't just a mule that strayed away from some lumber
camp," he told the others, as they hurried off; but not before Bluff
and Jerry had darted inside the cabin and reappeared, carrying their
guns.

"They do say a moose has the same sort of a head as a mule," Bluff
admitted; "but then Will vows it had horns--terribly big horns--which
no mule I ever saw could boast of owning."

"Well, chances are it was a bull moose," Frank admitted; "but we'll
soon know."

"That light snow falling last night was in our favor, for the tracks
will show up well," suggested Jerry.

"Here's the place," Frank told them, a short time afterward. "You can
see the tree with the hole in it over there, and I think I even saw a
squirrel frisk out of sight as we came up."

"Yes, and here's where Will made himself a seat," added Bluff. "He
fixed it so he could sit comfortably, and not have to frighten the
family of bushy-tails by moving. Now, he didn't say he turned his
head; just looked up when first he heard that queer noise."

"Yes," said Jerry, "which would make it over there that the thing
showed up. Let's take a look at the ground, and see if Will was
dreaming or not."

Before half a minute had passed, Frank was pointing to certain marks
plainly seen in the inch and more of snow that had fallen on the
previous night, perhaps as a sort of forerunner of the coming storm.

"There you are, fellows!" he announced.

All stared hard at the monstrous tracks. Bluff even got down on hands
and knees in order to see better.

"It was a moose, all right, Frank!" said Jerry.

"From the prints made by its big split hoofs, I'm pretty sure of
that," Frank asserted; "I'm beginning to believe Will was not so far
out of the way, after all, when he said it might be the giant of all
Maine moose!"

Bluff got up again, shaking his head.

"Oh, the meanest luck that ever was!" he lamented. "Why couldn't I
have taken a notion to step out here with Will, to watch the way he
took the pictures of that squirrel family? I'd have had my gun across
my knees, with buckshot in every shell, of course. Think how easy I
could have dropped him, with such a short distance between. It's
cruel, that's what it is!"

Jerry clapped him on the shoulder.

"Tell me what's to hinder a couple of us going after the old chap,
Bluff?" he asked, in an eager voice.

"You'll have to count me out of that deal," Frank told them. "You
remember that I sprained my ankle yesterday, and a long walk would lay
me up. If anybody goes, it will have to be you two."

Jerry looked at Bluff.

"I dare you!" he said.

"No need of that," came the reply, "because I'd be willing to start
after that moose alone, and follow him for a week, if I thought I
could get a fair crack at him in the end."

"Then it's a go, Bluff?" cried Jerry, greatly pleased, for up to now
he had not been given much of a chance to bring down any big game on
this trip, and was secretly chafing.

They shook hands on the bargain, and so it was ratified.

"When ought we make the start?" asked Jerry impetuously.

"The sooner the better, so as to keep his lead cut down as much as we
can," he was told by Bluff, after which they both turned toward Frank,
for, after all, it would be from this quarter that the signal to start
must eventually come.

"No need of rushing off as though you were crazy," Frank told them.
"Will says the moose didn't act as though it was badly frightened by
seeing him, so it isn't likely it will cover a great many miles before
stopping again. Lunch must be nearly ready. You must stop long enough
to eat a lot, because there's no telling when you may get another
square meal."

Bluff glanced quickly at Frank.

"Oh, we won't get lost!" he said loftily. "Both of us have been around
some in the woods; and, besides, I always carry a compass."

"I wasn't thinking so much of that as the chance of a blizzard coming
down on you," Frank continued. "Be sure to take along an extra supply
of matches. I'll see to it that each of you has something to help make
out a meal or so. It won't weigh heavy; but if you do need it you'll
thank me for it."

Bluff and Jerry may have considered Frank a bit too old-womanish,
making all that fuss over just going off on a little chase after a
wandering moose.

Frank, however, understood what a blizzard meant up there in Maine. He
had been in one or two himself, and would not care to repeat certain
experiences that had come his way, unless well provided against hunger
and bitter cold.

The three soon reached the cabin. It chanced that just then the call
to the midday meal came. Will was too busy working at his developing
tank to sit down with the rest.

"Plenty of time when I get through with this," he told them. "Give me
five minutes more to get this film in fresh water and then I'll come."

Bluff and Jerry were hurrying as fast as they could. Frank had
redeemed his promise to see that there was something put up in small
shape that would help out for supper, in case they were delayed. He
also thrust several small boxes of safety matches into each of their
coats, and made sure Bluff had his compass.

"Well," said Will, stepping forward and holding up a dripping film,
"take a peep at this, will you, and tell me if I know what I'm talking
about or not!"

As soon as the boys saw the splendid negative, in clear-cut lights and
shadows, they burst into a chorus of cries.

"It's a moose, all right, Will!" Frank told the proud photographer.

"And sure a whopper, just as you said!" added Bluff.

"We take it all back," Jerry vowed. "After this, we'll own up that you
know a bull moose from a mule or a buck deer every time."

"That's going to be a prize picture, all right!"

Those last words from Frank made Will very proud.

"I believe myself that I never got such splendid effects!" he
exclaimed. "Why, I warrant you can see every hair on his head. Just
look how I got him square in the middle of my plate! It's better to be
born lucky than rich, any day."

"I'm done eating," announced Bluff.

"Couldn't cram another bite down, after seeing that picture!" Jerry
proclaimed, as he darted over to the corner where his rifle stood, and
began to buckle on the webbed belt filled with cartridges.

"Wear your sweaters, and be sure your woolen gloves are in your
pockets," cautioned weather-wise Frank.

He hovered about the pair, and constantly warned them against
carelessness.

"I hope you get that big moose," he told them, as they all pushed
outdoors, "but don't take too big chances. We would feel pretty sorry
if anything happened to mar our holiday up here."

"Frank, you can depend on us to be careful," Bluff told him earnestly.
"But for goodness' sake don't worry about us. We're not the 'Babes in
the Woods,' you know. If I do say it myself, we've had our eyeteeth
cut for some time. There never was such a bully chance to get a big
moose, and we want to do our level best. Look for us when we come. If
we don't show up by night, why, chances are we found ourselves so far
away that we concluded to make camp."

Bluff and Jerry shook hands gravely all around, even with Teddy.

"Good luck, and I hope you get him!" said that individual, meaning
every word, for he had already come to care a great deal for these
jolly boys who had been the means of helping him over a very rough
place in the road.

"Got everything now?" asked Bluff.

"I should hope so," grunted Jerry. "We'd be pack horses if we tried to
carry any more truck along."

"Of course," Frank told them, laughingly; "but if you should have to
stay over to-night you'll miss your blankets the worst way. Well,
so-long, boys, and we all wish you success."

Turning, Bluff and his chum started for the spot where the trail of
the big moose was to be taken up.




CHAPTER XVIII

ON THE TRAIL


"This is easy enough work, Bluff!"

Jerry said this as the two plodded along, following the trail left by
the clumsy animal that had looked in on Will so unexpectedly.

"So far, we haven't had any particular trouble," Bluff replied. "The
snowfall is what is called good tracking snow--that is, it's just
heavy enough without holding you up and making it hard traveling."

"I wonder how much farther the old fellow means to go?" Jerry
whispered, for he had been already warned by his chum that loud
talking was unwise when on the trail of any animal with such keen
hearing as a moose.

"Give it up," Bluff replied. "I was just thinking how lucky it is for
us he keeps heading straight into the wind. But I know how that is. A
deer nearly always goes that way, because he can tell by means of his
nose whether there's any danger waiting for him ahead."

"It makes it easier for the trackers, doesn't it, Bluff?"

Bluff only grunted. He wanted to discourage his companion from trying
to carry on a conversation. It was pretty hard to squelch Jerry under
ordinary conditions, but his own good sense as a hunter must surely
tell him how necessary it was they keep quiet.

They had been going along for more than two hours, and in such a
direct line that they figured they must be some miles from camp.
Neither of them recognized their surroundings, which would seem to
indicate that they were in a section of the Big Woods they had never
visited before.

Bluff was considerable of a woodsman. He consulted his compass
frequently, and took various notes of his surroundings. Jerry saw all
this, and had the utmost confidence in their ability to return to camp
at any time the notion struck them.

If they were bothering their heads about anything just then, it must
have been in connection with the chances they had of overtaking the
big moose. Every little while Jerry would beseech his comrade to tell
him how close he thought they had come to the quarry. On such
occasions Bluff would prove true to his name. Although he actually did
not know for certain, he would look wise, take another keen
observation, wrinkle his nose, and then hazard some opinion.

"We're gaining, all right," he was pretty sure to tell Jerry, though
declining to commit himself to any particular figures.

Both were by now beginning to feel the effect of the tramp. While the
snow was hardly deep enough to interfere to any marked degree with
their progress, in the long run it added to the labor of lifting their
feet countless times. Its weight, whenever it clung to their heavy
shoes, made an additional burden to be reckoned with.

"Bluff, it's beginning!" whispered Jerry, after another spell of
silence had reigned between them and they had covered still more
ground.

"What is?" demanded Bluff, turning around to look at his chum
uneasily, for he had detected a ring of uncertainty in Jerry's
utterance.

"I saw a snowflake drifting down just then; and--yes, there's another;
you can tell for yourself, Bluff!"

"Huh! Hang the luck, if it begins to come down on us now and blots out
our trail, we'll be in the soup!"

The flakes came down pretty heavily for a few minutes, while the boys
continued to press on with mingled emotions.

It proved to be a false alarm, however. In five minutes Jerry
remarked, again in an excited whisper:

"She's letting up, Bluff; sure she is! I don't believe we're due for
any big storm yet. The sky's brightening a lot."

Bluff saw that things were commencing to look better; but he fancied
this was only a temporary relief. It might hold back for an hour, and
even be delayed longer; but Bluff was almost as certain as Frank had
been that a storm was impending.

"If the blooming old thing'd only keep away till we'd bagged our game,
I wouldn't say a single thing," he muttered, and then fell silent
while following the trail.

Fortunately there had not been enough snow to hinder them from seeing
the plain tracks of the moose. So heavy an animal was bound to sink in
and leave a trail that even a greenhorn could follow fairly well.

"What time is it, Bluff?" asked Jerry, upon seeing the other snatch a
look at the little gun-metal watch he carried.

"Close on three," he was informed.

"And we've been walking since noon, nearly," Jerry continued. "We must
have gone miles and miles."

Bluff did not answer. He hoped in that way to convince his talkative
chum that while there was a time for everything, a tracking
expedition, with a wary old bull moose ahead, was not the occasion for
carrying on a general conversation.

Occasionally flakes of snow would drift down. Jerry always observed
their coming with fresh apprehension, and was correspondingly relieved
when they stopped. It was as if the weather were holding off, though
when the storm did break it was apt to prove all the more fierce on
account of the delay.

Bluff had ceased examining his compass now. In fact, he was caring
precious little whether they found themselves lost or not. Looking
ahead, a night in the Big Woods did not appall him; being fond of
adventure, Bluff might even welcome the experience for a change.

Being thrown on their own resources would bring out their ability to
take care of themselves. Bluff was vain enough to want to show Frank
he could be trusted when off in the timber, and get out of any tangle
that might envelop them.

Perhaps when Jerry happened to feel the little package of food thrust
into one of his pockets by thoughtful Frank, he no longer had that
inclination to laugh. Knowledge that they carried their supper along
with them was growing more and more inspiring the farther they walked.

"Even if we did come up on the moose soon," Jerry observed, keeping
his voice low, "I don't believe I'd be equal to the job of going all
the way back to our cabin again this afternoon."

"Huh! Camp, then!" grunted Bluff.

"If we have to do that, I'll surely forgive Frank for making me tote
my little camp hatchet along, because it will come in handy for
chopping firewood, don't you think so, Bluff?"

"Sure," was all the other could be induced to say, and he snapped that
out as though he had a special grievance against the poor little word.

Jerry looked at him with gloomy brow.

"You're not very sociable, it strikes me," he ventured.

"And you're too much that way," he was told bluntly. "When you want to
hear yourself talk so much, why don't you hire a hall? But when you're
going to all this trouble to overtake an old bull moose, please,
please shut up!"

"I won't say another word for ten minutes!" declared Jerry, in a huff.

"Make it fifteen and I'll thank you double," whispered Bluff.

After that they walked on and on, neither as much as whispering.
Bluff, in the lead, was bending part way over, so that his tired eyes
could the better see the trail. All that whiteness was beginning to
dazzle him considerably. Bluff felt a little alarmed, and hoped that
he might not go snow-blind just when they were drawing near the
quarry.

The wind was increasing, and it felt colder than at any time since
they had arrived in the Big Woods. Should the snow start to descend,
and the gale grow in volume, they must unite to form what Frank had
called a blizzard.

Bluff knew something about such a storm. He had even been through an
experience of the sort, though at the time he happened to be close to
home, and on a well-traveled road, so there had been no such thing as
getting lost.

It would be vastly different here, where the trees looked pretty much
alike and all sense of direction must depend on a compass.

Jerry was, to tell the truth, pretty near the point where he would be
willing to call a halt. A big moose was all very well, if only you
could overtake him; but this thing of pushing on and on everlastingly,
without seeming to get a yard nearer your intended game, seemed
foolish.

That was what Jerry had begun to tell himself. He wondered how much
farther his chum meant to go. Jerry would have asked the question, but
really he was afraid Bluff would turn on him and snap him up in that
quick way he had. Besides, he had said he did not mean to speak for at
least ten minutes.

While he cast frequent looks ahead, it was more in the hope of seeing
signs of the westering sun peeping out from the gray clouds that
covered the heavens everywhere than that he dreamed of making any
other agreeable discovery.

Once they had actually seen a deer jumping off through the timber.
Bluff had half raised his gun to his shoulder, perhaps through
instinct, and then lowered it again instantly, with a negative shake
of his head.

Having started out for big game, he did not mean to be diverted from
his course. A deer they could secure almost any time, but never again
would such a glorious chance arise for getting a shot at a moose--and
such a moose, in the bargain!

Frank had advised Bluff to leave his pump-gun behind this time, and
carry the repeating rifle which Frank owned, a very serviceable and
reliable weapon.

"A shotgun is all very well," he had argued, "and some of them will
shoot charges of twelve buckshot in a satisfactory way; but when it's
a tough old bull moose you're after, or like that grizzly out West,
you need something better. These soft-nosed bullets will mushroom when
they strike, and fetch even a lion. They're the kind they call dum-dum
bullets, and are not allowed in warfare any more, but can be used for
big-game hunting."

And so it came that Bluff was carrying another firearm than his
favorite pump-gun. Frank knew how tough these old moose may prove to
be, and what sort of missiles it took to bring them down to their
knees. That was why he had insisted on Bluff's making the change in
weapons at the last moment.

Jerry was soon wondering if that ten minutes must not be up, and
whether Bluff would scold if he ventured to make just one little
remark. He was getting tired, and he certainly did not mean to keep up
this merry chase indefinitely. If he had a good chance, he wanted to
tell Bluff that.

Then he observed that Bluff was showing signs of fresh interest. Yes,
he even displayed more or less excitement, and bent lower than ever
while examining the tracks before him.

Jerry, being held up momentarily by this action on the part of his
comrade, assumed the easiest position he could, so as to rest his
tired muscles, and then patiently waited for the other to start on
again.

It was while standing in this attitude and looking carelessly beyond
that some slight movement attracted the attention of Jerry. He
started, and looked again. Then he felt an icy chill run over his
frame, to be followed instantly by a burning sensation.

Yes, it moved again, he could be positive! His startled eyes traveled
over the immensity of the brownish figure that was outlined there
against the snowy background. Not daring, and really unable, to say a
single word, Jerry simply reached out a quivering hand and, jerking at
his chum's coat, pointed directly forward.

And Bluff, looking, saw the moose before them, looking, as Will had
said, "as big as a barn."




CHAPTER XIX

THE HOUR OF TRIUMPH


Bluff looked, and then winked his eyes several times, as though he
feared they might be deceiving him. Still that great reddish brown
bulk was there. He could now even see the massive horns that reared
upward above the animal's head.

No wonder Will had admitted he was staggered by the size of the bull
moose! There never could have been such a big animal, Bluff was ready
to believe, in all the history of game shot in Maine.

He did not say a single word, though Jerry could hear a sharp hiss
escape from Bluff's lips.

That strong wind blowing directly in their faces, and from the moose,
was greatly in their favor. So far as Bluff could understand, the
animal either had not detected their presence, or was disdainful of
the fact. He seemed to be doing something, for they could see his head
uplifted, as though some low-hanging branch may have been the object
of his attention, and he was engaged in stripping it of its still
clinging leaves.

Now it happened that in the earlier stages of the woods chase Bluff
and Jerry deliberately laid their plans looking to some such happy
ending as had now come to pass.

Bluff was to take aim first, but not to fire until he knew his side
partner was prepared to shoot also. In order that equal shares of the
great honor that would attach to the killing of the giant moose should
fall upon their heads, it was agreed to fire at the same second.

Jerry saw his chum slowly lifting his gun. He knew that Bluff wished
to avoid making any quick movement, as that was likely to catch the
attention of the beast, and cause him to start a speedy flight.

So Jerry copied the example. He, too, intended getting the stock of
his rifle firmly planted against his shoulder, so that he could take a
quick but accurate aim. Then when Bluff gave the signal--which was to
be a low whistle--it was up to both boys to press their triggers.

They would never forget the sensations they experienced during that
few seconds while bringing their guns to a level. It seemed ages to
Jerry. He even began to believe he must be seized with some species of
nightmare, and that a stupor prevented him from moving.

He was sure that the moose had glimpsed them. Indeed, it seemed to
Jerry that the massive muzzle of the animal was pointed directly
toward them, as though he might be waiting to observe another slight
move before springing away.

Why did not Bluff give that little whistle? Everything was set, and
ready for the finishing stroke. Jerry began to wonder whether it might
not be that Bluff was trembling so much with excitement that he had
actually lost the power to pucker up his lips.

Then it came.

The crash that followed sounded like the discharge of one gun, both
reports blending into a single roar.

Enthusiasm seized both young sportsmen when they saw their victim
floundering on the snow-covered ground.

"Hurrah!" fairly shrieked Jerry, throwing all his enthusiasm into that
single word.

Bluff was meanwhile making his gun ready for further business. If this
moose was as tough as people said, and rivaled the silver-tip bear of
the Rockies in clinging to life after receiving a multitude of wounds,
he meant to be ready to give him another shot.

"Throw out the old shell--quick, he's getting up again!" Bluff hissed.

This time he sank on one knee, and secured a rest for his left elbow
on the leg that was extended. He believed that he could give a better
account of himself when in that position. Now if the old bull moose
insisted on struggling to his feet again, he must be reached in a
vital part.

There was no need of wasting any more ammunition, although the boys,
not being experienced in this line of hunting, did not know it
positively.

"Oh, Bluff, he's gone crashing down again!" gasped Jerry.

"Yes, and this time, I guess, it's for keeps," added the other, though
hardly able to realize that, after all, they had accomplished the
great feat, visions of which had tempted them to follow the snow trail
all these weary miles.

Together they started on a mad run toward the spot, eager to feast
their eyes on the sight of that magnificent specimen lying there.

"Careful, Jerry; he may be playing 'possum with us!" warned Bluff, who
had been fed of late on so many remarkable stories concerning a
moose's tenacity in holding on to life that he was ready to believe
almost anything of this king of the Big Woods.

"Aw, he's as dead as a doornail!" Jerry told him; and in proof of his
assertion he strode up to the bulky carcass to push it with the toe of
his shoe.

There was no movement, and after that no one could believe that an
atom of life remained in the body of the bull moose.

"Shake on that, Jerry," said Bluff, as they stood over the body of
their victim; "I want to congratulate you on the nervy way you did
your part. Both bullets found their mark, you can see. I reckon either
one would have wound him up; so it's a fair divide."

"Yes," the other ventured, "either one of us can say we killed him.
Isn't he a monster, though! Look at the horns, Bluff; would you ever
dream a moose could grow such busters in a single season?"

"I hope they haven't been injured by the fall," remarked Bluff,
bending down the better to examine the dead animal's head adornments.

The horns of a full-grown moose differ radically from the antlers of a
buck deer, being thick and massive rather than delicate and pronged.
The cow moose does not sport any adornments on her head, and looks
very much like a mule. But there is no species of deer in the American
forests that can come anywhere near the moose in size and power, the
elk possibly approaching closer than any other animal.

Neither of the boys gave the slightest heed to the fact that it was
commencing to snow again and for about the sixth time since they
started out.

"This is what they always say is the proudest moment in our lives,
Bluff!" Jerry was remarking, seemingly content to stand there leaning
on his gun and staring down at the biggest wild animal either of them
had ever taken a hand in bringing down, if the grizzly bear, of which
they were recently talking, might be excepted.

"I wish Will and his camera were here to get a picture of our first
moose, the biggest one that will be brought down in the whole State of
Maine this season, like as not." And Bluff looked sad to think they
might not have something to show as evidence when they wanted to back
up the story they would tell about their moose hunt.

"What are we going to do with him, now we've got him?" asked Jerry,
scratching his head.

"All anybody cares for in an old moose like this," Bluff told him, "is
the horns. You couldn't get your teeth into his flesh, no matter if
you filed 'em to a point. Of course, the Indians keep the skin to make
moccasins and shoes out of."

"Yes, I knew that, because I've had a pair of moccasins made of
elkskin. When it's tanned right, it makes a tough article for
footwear. But suppose we did take the hide and horns, how in the
dickens would we ever get them to camp?"

"If we could make some sort of sledge now," Bluff went on to say
reflectively, "with our hatchet, no matter how clumsy it was, we could
manage to draw home what we wanted."

"If we left anything behind that was worthwhile, we'd have to hang it
up high, I should think, Bluff. You remember that we heard a wolf
howling one night, even if we haven't come across any of them since."

Bluff was trying to figure out what their program should be. While
they had made all possible arrangements as to how to track the beast
and the method of firing by volley so as to better encompass his fall,
the boys had not dared go beyond that point.

Jerry was afraid it would be too much like counting their chickens
before they were hatched, and on his part Bluff felt perfectly willing
to let that part of the future take care of itself.

"I think that would be a good plan to follow, Jerry, and you deserve
great credit for thinking of it," he remarked presently, which of
course caused the other chum to feel more or less satisfaction.

"Who'll do the cutting up; and who wants to make the sledge?" asked
Bluff, after a little time had elapsed and they felt that something
should be gotten under way looking to a move; for faster now was the
snow falling, and it might be that the storm was about to break over
their heads.

"I think you're more experienced about carving and taking pelts off
than I am," Jerry expostulated. "To tell you the honest truth, I never
removed a hide in all my life, though I've had sections of my own
knocked off by a rattan at school many a time."

Possibly Bluff had more than half expected that the decision would
result that way. To tell the truth, he was not much bothered, for he
rather liked the task of taking the moose's tough hide off and
severing his head so that it might be transported the easier to their
far-distant lodge.

"Then that means, Jerry, you'll start in making a sledge; not a fancy
one, but just serviceable enough to carry what we want over the snow,
no matter how deep it gets."

The last part of what Bluff said was no doubt inspired by the fact
that the snow was now falling heavily. There could hardly be any
question but that the long-anticipated storm had now arrived, and
seemed anxious to make up for lost time.

"I think I can manage, if only there happens to be some decent wood
handy to make the runners out of," Jerry told his comrade, with
conviction in his manner.

"How would these young second-growth ash slips do?" asked the other.
"You can split one down, and then bend it better. But I'm going to
leave all that to you, Jerry. Do your best with your little hatchet.
Remember, George Washington came by a lot of fame through his."

Jerry turned to hurry over to the thicket of ash sprouts that had
started up a year or so before, where a large tree had been cut down.
He did not make three steps in that direction before he came to a
sudden halt.

Bluff, who had drawn his hunting knife and with grim resolution was
stooping over the moose, heard him give a low cry.

"Bluff! Look what's bearing down on us!" Jerry said weakly, as though
some fresh disaster were looming above the horizon.

It did not take Bluff long to discover what kind of trouble it was by
which they were about to be faced. Moving figures could be seen. They
were heading directly toward where the dead moose lay, as though the
sound of their double shot had carried through the woods and drawn
these others to the spot.

Although indistinctly seen, on account of the gathering gloom and the
curtain of falling snow-flakes that swept past on the fierce wind,
there was no mistaking the tall figure of Bill Nackerson and the more
sturdy ones of his two companion sportsmen.

A sense of coming trouble immediately weighed on the minds of Bluff
and Jerry, as they awaited the coming of the men.




CHAPTER XX

ROBBED OF THE SPOILS


"Had we better move along out of here?" asked Jerry, as he looked
doubtfully toward the quarter whence the three sportsmen were hastily
advancing.

"What for?" demanded Bluff truculently.

"You know what Bill Nackerson threatened to do if ever the chance came
his way," Jerry replied. "We're outnumbered three to two."

His words implied that had there been an even showing he might not
have thought of leaving.

Bluff knew that their best policy under the circumstances would be to
walk away and avoid any trouble with the men. He also remembered
promising Frank not to take any unnecessary chances, no matter what
came up.

At the same time, Bluff was a poor loser. By that it must not be
understood that when fairly beaten he would try to find fault and call
his defeat an accident, for Bluff was always the first to congratulate
a victor, even though he might be one of the victims. But he hated to
give anything up.

So he looked first at the three men, who were now drawing very near;
then he allowed his gaze to rest upon the form of the dead moose. It
was, as Bluff himself afterward expressed it, "like drawing his
eyeteeth to let that bully moose slip out of his possession."

"Don't let's hurry too much," he told Jerry, as a sort of compromise
decision. "Perhaps, after all, they'll just give us a hauling over the
coals, and move on, leaving the game to us."

"I hope so," muttered Jerry rather disconsolately.

Then his face suddenly lighted up, as with the coming of an idea.
Jerry was always a great hand for conceiving plans on the spur of the
moment. Sometimes they had a germ of good in them, and again they only
aroused the laughter of his comrades.

"Oh, Bluff, I've just thought of something!" he exclaimed, lowering
his voice a little, because he was afraid that one of the advancing
sportsmen might overhear.

"Shucks! Is that so, Jerry," remarked the other, who as a rule did not
have a great deal of faith in anything Jerry conceived. "Then hurry up
and let's hear what it is."

"They're three, and we only count two, all told," Jerry began.

"Tell me something new!" muttered the other impatiently.

"And maybe if Frank and Will were along they wouldn't feel so bossy,
because the tables would be turned then, four against three."

"But our chums are a good many miles from here," interposed Bluff,
with fine scorn.

"Yes; but you see the men don't know that!" said Jerry.

"Hey! Do you mean we might pull the wool over their eyes and make out
we had backing near by? Is that what you're aiming at?"

"No harm done in trying it, is there? It might work. Even if that
fire-eating Bill didn't show cold feet, his two friends would advise
him not to go too far. How about it, Bluff; don't you think it's a
good scheme?"

Bluff grinned.

"Well," he hastened to say, "I don't think it will cut much of a
figure. Chances are we're going to be cheated out of our prize; and
that'll make me sore, I tell you."

"But, Bluff, please remember what we promised Frank," urged Jerry, who
had a streak of caution in his make-up, though no one had ever thought
to term him timid.

"Oh, I don't mean to stir him up so he'll tackle us," returned Bluff;
"but there's one thing I never will stand for."

"Tell me what that is, won't you, Bluff?"

"We mustn't let him lay a hand on us," said the other grimly; "and
under no consideration, Jerry, allow them to take our guns away. Why,
what would become of us if we found ourselves adrift in the Big Woods
after a storm and without any way of defending ourselves or getting
game?"

"You're right, Bluff; but what if they make a move to do it?"

"Cover 'em right away, and threaten to let fly; when they see we mean
business, I reckon they'll hold Bill back. Now stop talking, because
here they come!"

Jerry drew a long breath, and waited for further developments. They
would not be long in coming, for the three sportsmen had by this time
almost reached the spot where the boys stood, close to the fallen
moose.

Already the men could be heard expressing in loud tones their
astonishment at seeing what noble game had fallen to the guns of the
outdoor chums. This in itself was positive proof that they had not up
to then been aware that the big moose was anywhere in the vicinity. It
proved to the boys the absurdity of the high-handed claim which later
on Bill Nackerson chose to make.

"Hey, look there, Bill, what they've downed!" the man who went by the
name of Whalen was heard to exclaim. "I'll be hanged if it ain't that
giant moose you cut loose at both years we were up here before!"

Nackerson's face was a study. He stared as though hardly able to
believe his eyes. Besides the look of wonder, there crept across his
evil face one of growing chagrin and anger. Bluff could understand how
this might be, after hearing how Bill had on several occasions tried
to down the wonderful moose, only to meet with dismal failure.

And no doubt while he continued to advance, staring, and breathing
fast, the bold scheme was hatched in Bill Nackerson's brain which he
proceeded to put into execution.

It was not a new idea. The same claim has often led to conflicts over
fallen game, where rival hunters disputed its possession.

"So, it's just as we thought, fellows, and the old bull moose didn't
run many miles after I gave him that last shot! I told you if we kept
on following his trail we'd run onto him sooner or later. But what do
you kids want here, hanging over my game? Tell me that!"

Jerry had to put out a hand to steady himself against a neighboring
pine, he was so staggered by the audacity of this remark. Why, the man
was actually claiming that he had shot the big moose, after their
following the animal so many miles through the snow forest! No wonder
it took Jerry's breath away. He could not have uttered a single word
had his life depended on it.

Bluff, however, was not quite so taken aback. Possibly he may even
have suspected that something like this would be attempted; because on
no other grounds could the rival hunters claim the spoils of the hunt
as their property. So Bluff allowed himself a little sneering laugh.

"Oh, it was _you_ who shot this moose, was it, Mr. Nackerson?" he
remarked.

The man did not like the way these words were spoken, but he was
playing a bold game, of which any honest hunter would have been
ashamed, and felt that he must carry it through to the end.

"That's what it was, boy," he declared, with a black scowl. "If you
look, you can see where my bullet struck him in the body, just back of
where I aimed. A deer or moose will always run a long distance after
being hit between the ribs that way; ain't that so, Whalen?"

Whalen made no reply. Perhaps he was so astonished by the audacity of
Bill's claim that he could not catch his breath.

"Well, now, that's queer," Bluff went on, determined to have some say
in the matter, even if finally cheated out of his just rights; "here
my chum and I have been thinking we were following that moose's trail
all the way from our camp, a matter of as much as eight miles, more or
less. And, say, we even believed we fired a double shot just now at
him, while he was standing here browsing on that branch. Jerry, we
sure must have been dreaming all that!"

"I guess you were, kid," the man continued, without allowing a flicker
of a smile to cross his face, although both of his companions wore
wide grins. "You may have got up just in time to set eyes on my moose
before he keeled over; but don't let me catch you trying to claim a
hand in landing him; hear that?"

"If, as you say, Mr. Nackerson," Bluff went on doggedly, "you shot him
a long ways back and he's just dropped here through exhaustion, why,
of course you can show us marks of blood all along his trail."

"What's that you say, you young cub?" demanded the other angrily.

"When a deer's badly wounded, he leaves a trail of red on the snow
that even a half-blind man could see," Bluff told him boldly. "If you
can show us even one mark twenty feet away from here we'll never put
in any claim for the killing."

It was a fair challenge; but of course, as Bill Nackerson's claim was
founded on sand, he would never dream of accepting it. Bluff knew as
much when he said what he did, for he had sized the other up long ago
for just what he was--a bully and an unfair sportsman, who did not
care how he secured his game so long as he got it.

"What do you take me for, to be forced to prove my word against a
couple of impudent kids?" he roared; for when men realize that they
are in the wrong they often like to whip themselves into a passion.

"But if you look, you'll find there are _two_ bullets in that
moose; and they'll turn out to be of the same pattern we use in our
guns," Bluff continued, meaning to rub it in as hard as he could
before being compelled to retreat, as he fully expected would be the
ultimate outcome of the encounter.

"That'll do for you, youngster," said the man, with a snarl. "I tell
you this moose belongs to me. I shot it, and we've been on the trail
of the wounded animal for a long time. That goes, mind you! Not
another word, now, or I may take a notion to kick you out of here,
minus your precious guns!"

He even advanced a step in a threatening manner. Instantly Bluff
half-raised his gun, and the way he looked at Nackerson caused the
other to hesitate. At the same instant the two men who were with him
laid hands on his arms.

"Hold on, Bill, leave the kids alone!" Whalen said soothingly, as
though startled at the possibility of a tragedy following this
piratical act on the part of their companion.

"Let 'em clear out, then, and in a big hurry!" growled Nackerson,
making what seemed a violent effort to wrest his arms free, but which
did not deceive Bluff, who knew that the other was not so anxious to
shake off the grip of his companions as he pretended.

For one moment Bluff was even tempted to carry things to the point of
demanding the departure of the three sportsmen, and thus leaving the
moose to its lawful owners.

Before his mental vision came a glimpse of Frank's face, and he
remembered the promise he had made not to be rash. The chances were
the three men would positively refuse to relinquish the moose, and it
might even come to a free-for-all fight, in which the boys were apt to
get the worst of it.

So Bluff, though much against his will, made up his mind he would have
to bow to conditions, however unwelcome they might seem. It was a
shame to have to yield those splendid horns to their rivals when the
latter had no right, other than that of might, to carry them off.

"Don't go to any bother about us, Mr. Nackerson," Bluff went on to
say, with as much sarcasm in his tones as he could summon. "We might
feel like disputing your silly claim, only that would mean all sorts
of trouble. But please change your mind about thinking of taking our
guns away, because no matter what we had to do we never would stand
for that, you know."

The man twisted in the grip of his friends again. He acted as though
wild to break away and fling himself on the boys, no matter if both
guns were half raised and covering him. But somehow he did not succeed
in freeing himself; Bluff considered that it was simply wonderful how
those two wise friends managed to hold on to him.

"You'd better go, youngsters," said Whalen; "we mightn't be able to
hold him back much longer, you see, he's getting that crazy. And the
sight of you aggravates him considerable."

"Oh, is that so?" said Bluff jeeringly, though at the same time he
took one backward step. "Well, I hope for his sake you can hold on a
little while longer. I'd sure dislike to <DW36> any man, away up here
so far away from a doctor; but if he jumps at us he'll get his
medicine right fast. And that's straight goods, I'm telling you."

"Come on, Bluff," Jerry was saying, anxious to avoid trouble, yet not
afraid; "perhaps we'd better be going, though I'll always say that was
our moose, and tell everybody what a thief did to us in the Big
Woods."

"Get away with you," shouted Nackerson, "before I do you harm! I'd
hate to lay a hand on a boy in anger; but you don't want to rile me
too much!"

"You didn't hold back when you struck that poor relation of yours,
Teddy, in the face, did you, Mr. Nackerson?" said Bluff boldly. "But
we're not afraid that you'll bother trying the same on us. It makes
considerable difference when a boy's got a gun. If you ever laid a
hand on me like you did Teddy, you'd live to be sorry for it."

"Go--go!" snapped the man, now furiously angry, so that the others had
to cling to him more tenaciously than ever for fear that he might
break away, regardless of consequences.

"And as a last word," added Bluff, "I want to tell you I've a hunch
we'll get that pair of moose horns yet, in spite of you," with which
he backed away from the scene of their triumph and defeat.




CHAPTER XXI

A CAMP IN THE SNOW


"I never hated to do anything so much in my life as break away from
there and give up our moose!" Bluff told his comrade.

They had gone far enough back to lose sight of the three men in the
swiftly driven snow that was now falling heavily.

"Me, too," returned Jerry; "but that's the way it happens sometimes. I
only hope they find out they haven't got a single match among 'em.
Perhaps, then, if it keeps on getting colder, and the storm blows
heavier and heavier, they'll wish they hadn't made us clear out."

"Why, what are you talking about, Jerry?"

"Didn't you hear what they started to say while we were backing away?"
demanded the other. "Whalen asked the other man for a match, so they
could start up a fire and get warm. Then I heard the second fellow say
he didn't know where he'd dropped the box, but it didn't seem to be in
his pockets. They turned to Nackerson, and I reckon asked him for a
light, because I heard him growl that he'd used his last match when he
smoked a cigar."

"Oh, well, they'll find some stray ones stowed away in a pocket, like
as not!" Bluff remarked, and in that fashion allowed the incident to
pass from his mind.

"But tell me what you're aiming to do next, Bluff?" asked Jerry. "I'd
also like to know which way you mean to play the game so's to get back
the horns of our big moose?"

Bluff chuckled on hearing that.

"Oh, I only said that to impress Bill, that's all!" he observed
carelessly. "I had to be true to my name, you know. I only wish I
could see some way to beat that crowd out in the end. I'd sure go to a
heap of trouble to get there."

"Are we heading right to get back home?" asked Jerry, a few minutes
later.

"My stars! I hope you don't think I'm silly enough to want to try and
cover all the miles between here and the cabin, and with this storm
starting in, too."

"Well, I'll do whatever you say, Bluff, because I always did own up
you knew more about the woods in a day than I could in a week; but all
the same I'd be right glad to hear you mean to make a camp, and spend
the night resting up."

"I'm afraid it isn't going to be much of a camp, though; you don't
want to expect too much."

"Some sort of brush shelter ought to help out, I should think," the
other returned, as he bent his head lower in order to fight against
the driving wind.

Night was coming on unusually early, on account of the clouds above
and the falling snow. Any one who knew what these signs foretold could
understand that there was a wild time ahead for those caught away from
shelter and exposed to the fury of a growing blizzard.

"We might be able to do some better than that," Bluff went on to say,
as he kept turning his head from side to side, as though constantly on
the lookout for something he had in mind.

Five, ten minutes passed, until they must have gone nearly half a mile
away from the scene of their meeting with Nackerson and his cronies.

"Whew! Let me tell you this is going to be a screecher!" Jerry
declared, while he rubbed his ears to make them burn, for the cold
wind nipped them.

"You're wondering why I don't call a halt, Jerry, so I'll explain,"
Bluff told him. "I remembered seeing a place when we were moving along
the trail of the moose where some trees had been uprooted in a storm
years ago."

"Yes, I noticed it, Bluff!" cried the other eagerly. "Is it on account
of the firewood you want to get to those fallen trees?"

"Partly that," admitted the other; "but p'raps you didn't notice that
one of the trees had been a regular whopper, for when it went down in
the cyclone it yanked up a heap of earth nearly as big as a cabin."

"Oh, now I see what you mean, Bluff: the hole in the ground where the
roots came out of might make us a first-rate camp!"

"For a good many reasons," pursued Bluff, who managed to speak after a
fashion in spite of the wind whistling into his teeth and at times
almost taking his breath away. "First of all, the roots stand up in
the right way to protect us from the worst of this northwest storm."

"Couldn't be better, for a fact," said Jerry, feeling his courage
returning as the plan unfolded.

"Then, as you say, we'd have plenty of firewood handy for that little
camp hatchet to get busy on. And unless I miss my guess we ought to be
able to cover the gap more or less with stuff, so as to form a rough
roof."

"Then all I hope is," Jerry told him rather plaintively, "that we
don't get off our base, and miss connections with that windrow of
fallen trees."

"I've kept my bearings right along," Bluff returned, "and if you look
sharp over there on the left I reckon you'll see the open place where
the trees are down."

"Bluff, you did take us straight there, for a fact. I don't think
Frank or anybody else could have done better!" was Jerry's exultant
outbreak, after he discovered that they had arrived at their goal.

A minute afterward the two chums were looking down into the hole that
had once contained the roots of the big tree, now lying where the
violence of the hurricane had thrown it.

"Just the thing for us!" Jerry exclaimed, as he jumped into the cavity
and mentally pictured it roofed over so that the snow might be almost
wholly kept out.

"Then the first thing we want to do is to get a fire started," Bluff
advised him. "Before we know where we're at, we'll be in the dark; so
let's drag a bunch of this wood where we'll need it before we do
anything else."

They laid their guns aside, leaning them against a tree that had
weathered the gale so fatal to the giant of the woods. For some little
time both boys labored steadily, until a heaping pile of fairly good
wood had been brought close to the hole.

"Where'd we better start the fire?" asked Jerry, for he knew that a
number of things must be considered when settling this question.

There was the direction of the wind to be remembered, for it would be
very disagreeable to have the pungent wood smoke blown constantly in
their faces, making their eyes smart. As the upturned roots stood
between them and the storm, this compelled them to start the blaze on
the opposite side of the excavation.

Once Jerry had the site pointed out to him, he busied himself in
getting a blaze going. Things began to take on a more cheerful air as
soon as the fire started crackling and throwing out both light and
heat.

This was only a beginning. The boys knew that in order to shelter
themselves from the blizzard they must get some sort of roof above
their heads. This would keep off the falling snow that might otherwise
almost fill the hole before morning came.

The hatchet proved to be worth its weight in silver, as Jerry
declared.

"What would we have done without it?" he remarked several times, as he
continued to hack away, handing the brush over to Bluff, who was
engaged in trying to weave it after a certain fashion, securing it to
the poles they had laid across the top of the hole.

"Don't ask me," Bluff told him; "thank Frank for telling us to bring
it along, when like as not neither of us would have thought it worth
while."

"No," continued Jerry, "because a fellow as a rule doesn't expect to
use a hatchet when he's tracking a moose or a deer. All the same, I've
come to the conclusion that it's best to have such a tool along
whenever you even take a walk up here in these Maine woods. You never
know when you may need it."

"The roof's half done," announced Bluff. "Take a look, and tell me how
you like it."

"Seems like a good job, so far as I know," the other commented. "I
should say you've made a brush shelter that way more'n a few times
before now."

"Maybe I have," was the reply, as Bluff once more set to work to
finish the roof, leaving untouched the end through which they could
pass in and out and receive the benefit of their fire.

"And when we've got all through building our house," remarked Jerry,
"it'll be time to think of having a bite."

"Huh! That's another thing we've got to thank Frank for," was the
rejoinder. "It looks as though he might have seen what trouble we had
in store for us, and fixed things to meet the need."

"That's Frank's way," commented Jerry, feeling very grateful to know
that even though compelled to spend the night in such a crude camp he
and Bluff need not lie and shiver for want of warmth or go hungry
because of lack of food.

"It strikes me the storm keeps getting worse right along," Bluff
announced, as he was forced to push up to the fire in order to warm
his stiff fingers.

"It's a corker, all right," admitted the other, whose exertions with
the hatchet helped to keep his blood circulating, so that he did not
feel the freezing temperature quite so much as Bluff seemed to.

In due time the roof was finished, as far as the builder intended it
should be laid. No matter what depth of snow fell, very little of it
was likely to find its way inside the shelter back of the upturned
tree.

"Now, don't we deserve a little refreshment?" asked Jerry.

"We might as well, for a change," Bluff told him. "After that, we must
fetch more wood. The wind makes the fire burn savagely, you notice,
and it's sure a caution how it eats up the stuff. Besides, remember
it's going to be something like twelve hours before morning comes."

"Wow! Will we manage to get any sleep, do you think?"

"Give it up; but let's hope so."

"And when we intended to start out light, I can remember Frank saying
we might wish we had lugged our blankets along with us. 'Course we,
couldn't do that, and chase after the moose; but I'd like to feel that
same blanket up around my shoulders."

"Oh, we're doing pretty well, as it is," Bluff returned, determined to
make the best of a bad bargain, which was a pretty wise thing for him
to do under the circumstances.

Sitting there, with the fire crackling close by, and its heat feeling
very comfortable, the two chums opened the packages of food which
Frank had rammed into the pockets of their coats before they started.

Their supper consisted of only crackers and cheese, with some strips
of left-over venison to munch on. Still, since their appetites were
good and there was an abundance of the fare, it tasted as fine as
anything they could remember.

"Had enough?" asked Bluff, when he saw that his comrade had cleaned up
every scrap of his portion.

"Plenty," replied Jerry, with a sigh of satisfaction; "couldn't eat
another bite if I tried. And don't let's bother thinking where our
breakfast's going' to come from. We'll run across some game, or else
be able to find the cabin again before we've quite starved to death."

"That's right. I was just thinking if those men should turn out to be
without a single match among them, wouldn't they have a rough time of
it all night out in this storm?"

"Yes; and I'm sorry now I didn't offer to hand them over some of our
supply of matches," Jerry said softly, which remark spoke well for his
forgiving nature. "They treated us mean, of course, but then it
doesn't pay to hold a grudge when you're in the woods."

"Oh, I reckon they found the match, all right," Bluff remarked
carelessly, "and as they're old sportsmen they must know all the
tricks woodsmen make use of to keep warm and cozy in a blow like
this."

"I hope so, Bluff."

Later on they decided to get busy with the wood supply, for the snow
continued to come down as furiously as ever. It was a fine kind of
powdery snow, which, blown on the gale, caused their cheeks to smart
when it struck.

Every little while they would get close to the fire to warm
themselves. Jerry shuddered as he contemplated the long vigil of that
never-to-be-forgotten night following their moose hunt. He did not
anticipate that sleep would visit either of them, so uncomfortable
would be their position. The wind managed to find cracks and crannies
through which to whistle, and with the storm raging through the forest
all sorts of strange noises came to their ears.

At times it even seemed to Jerry as though people in distress were
calling for help. Twice he went outside the shelter to listen, though
Bluff told him it was all imagination.

"It wouldn't surprise me, though," the other remarked, when Jerry came
back the second time, "if we heard that wolf pack whooping things up
through the timber before morning comes. A wild night like this is
what starts them on the rampage, I reckon."

"Do you think they would attack us here?" asked Jerry, drawing his gun
a little closer to his hand.

"Well, hardly, with this jolly blaze going," Bluff continued
reflectively. "You know, they are afraid of fire. But they may make a
meal from that big moose we shot, if the men don't stay there to keep
them away."

"So long as they left us the horns I wouldn't care, Bluff. But if the
men didn't find a single match among them, and the wolves came along,
like as not they'd have to pass the night perched in a tree, and
freezing. Oh, I'm glad we've got our fire!"




CHAPTER XXII

THE GRAY-COATED PIRATE FROM CANADA


"Well," observed Bluff contentedly, "believe me, a fire is a bully
thing to hug up to on a night like this. I always did have a sneaking
fancy for a crackling blaze, and now I'm more in love with this one of
ours than I could tell you."

"Hark to that, would you!" exclaimed Jerry, suddenly sitting up
straight and turning his head to one side, as though straining his
hearing to catch a repetition of the sound.

"Now, what do you think you heard?" asked Bluff, more or less
interested, but still showing no signs of alarm.

"That's what I'd like to know. Seemed like a howl of some kind."

"I thought that wolf business would get on your nerves before long,"
chuckled the other boy.

"But you said yourself that on a stormy night like this beasts of prey
are apt to be unusually fierce," protested Jerry.

"That's right," he was told; "but even then it doesn't mean every
whoop of the wind through the trees is a wolf giving tongue. Of
course, I don't say you didn't hear one, but chances are ten to one
against it."

"Well, it hasn't come again, so far, and I hope it won't, that's all,"
said the still unconvinced Jerry.

Every once in a while he would go to the opening in front and look
out. Of course, the fire needed more or less attention, as Bluff well
knew; nevertheless, he felt pretty certain that Jerry was influenced
by his fears of an invasion rather than any desire to throw on the
additional fuel.

The time dragged along. So far as they could tell, there did not
appear to be any let-up to the fury of the storm. There were many open
chinks in their barricade, as might be expected, since it was composed
of branches and such stuff as lay around at the time they made their
roof and the sides to the cover.

Driven by the fierce wind, the fine powdery snow managed to penetrate
more or less, so that they could feel it against their faces.
Unpleasant as this might appear, it was not to be complained of when
they realized the discomfort and danger that would have been their lot
if compelled to remain out in the open.

After a long time they found their eyes getting heavy. While it was
next to impossible to get any sound sleep, they might take what Bluff
called "cat-naps," rousing themselves every little while so as to
change their cramped position and perhaps cast more wood on the fire.

Jerry remembered that it was immediately after he had taken the
longest doze of any that he heard something that thrilled him.

He raised his head to listen, and then kicked his companion in the
calf of the leg. Bluff only grunted, possibly believing, if he thought
anything at all, it might be only an accident.

"Bluff--oh, Bluff!"

Now he caught the sound of Jerry's voice close to his ear, and it was
accompanied by yet another <DW8> with his toe, this time of a more
vigorous nature than before.

"Hey! What ails you, Jerry? If you can't sleep, what's the need of
punching me that way?" grumbled Bluff.

"But I tell you there _is_ something trying to get in here!!"
argued the other.

At that, Bluff condescended to slightly raise his head. He was more
awake by now, for he realized that Jerry was in earnest.

"I don't see anything but that our fire is going down some. Now I'm
roused up, I guess I'd better put on more stuff," he remarked
sleepily, as he started to sit up.

"Watch back there and you'll see, I tell you!" And Jerry pointed
toward the side of their weak barricade, where it joined the upturned
roots and frozen soil.

Having his attention pivoted upon the one particular spot, Bluff was
not long in making a surprising discovery.

"By Jinks, it does seem to be moving!" he admitted. "Wonder now if
that could be only the wind?"

"But, don't you see, the wind has died out. And, say, that noise
sounds for all the world like a dog trying to dig his way through. I
tell you, Bluff, they're coming in after us--the wolves, I mean!"

This time Bluff did not laugh. Instead, he put out a hand and
commenced to fumble around him. Jerry knew he was searching for his
rifle, and he hastened to take a firmer grip on his own weapon, which
he was holding at the time.

The scratching noise continued, with but slight intermissions. They
could also see even in that uncertain light that the animal was by
degrees demolishing the flimsy shelter at the place where he had
attacked it.

Then something that glowed like two coals of yellow fire appeared.
Jerry caught his breath, and stared as though fascinated. He knew that
those strange objects were the flaming eyes of the bold wolf that
thought to steal this march upon them.

The animal had been afraid to enter the shelter on the side where the
fire smoldered. Urged on by hunger, he had thought to tear a hole in
the wall and attack those within.

Had either of the boys been better versed in the nature and habits of
wolves, they must have known that only when half famished would these
skulkers of the Canadian forests make bold enough to attack human
beings.

Neither of the boys bothered about anything just then save the fact
that they were threatened by a savage enemy and had better take
immediate measures looking to self-protection.

Jerry felt rather than saw his companion start to raise his gun.

"Oh, Bluff, please don't!" he cried hurriedly.

"Why, what's the matter?" replied the other. "The sooner we let Mr.
Wolf know we're at home and ready to give him and his kind a warm
reception, the better for us. Let go my arm, can't you? I want to send
a bullet between those two eyes."

"But, Bluff, it isn't fair!" protested the other boy, while the wolf,
if it was one, had fallen to scratching again, apparently not
intimidated by the muttering of voices within.

"Hey, tell me what you mean, can't you?" Bluff demanded indignantly,
wondering at the same time whether his chum could have gone out of his
mind because of the sudden awakening and the threatening peril.

"It's my wolf, Bluff; didn't I discover him first?" Jerry continued,
still holding tenaciously on to the arm of the other, as though to add
force to his argument.

At that Bluff laughed softly.

"Oh, that's what's ailing you, is it?" he ventured to say. "Like as
not you feel as if you ought to be the one to knock him over, eh?
Well, get your gun!"

"I have, already. Tell me when it's time for me to let go!" And,
having received the commission to act, Jerry no longer kept an eager
grip on the sleeve of his comrade's coat.

"I might give a whoop, which is apt to make the beast look in on us
again," was Bluff's reply. "Keep your gun leveled, so as to let drive
as soon as you glimpse his eyes. Right between them, remember."

"I will, and thank you for giving me first chance. But hark to what's
going on out there now. Whew! Sounds as if there might be more'n one
wolf waiting to jump in here on us."

"It's snarling and scrapping, as sure as you're born," admitted the
second boy, as he managed to hold his gun in readiness. "Tell you what
I'll do, Jerry."

"Yes, go on then," said the other eagerly.

"Just as soon as you blaze away, I'll be ready to jump outside, gun in
hand."

"What for?"

"So as to try to get another crack at some of the other critters.
They'll turn tail, and run a little way off after the crash of the gun
inside here and seeing their mate keel over. But it may be light
enough for me to see to bowl over one on my own account."

"I understand now. Do whatever you think best. And just as soon as
I've pulled the trigger I think I'll climb out after you."

"Not a bad idea," admitted the other; "but now get ready, for I'm
going to let out a yell to see what happens."

Bluff had managed to scramble into a position that gave him a better
opportunity to gain his feet in a hurry. He knew there would be
considerable need of haste in making his exit, if he hoped to glimpse
any of the vanishing wolves after they had been alarmed by the gunshot
within the pit.

"Go on!" urged the nervous Jerry, with raised gun, and his eyes fixed
on the particular spot where the intruder was again busily at work.

The shout Bluff gave was indeed enough to attract attention. They
could hear a movement outside the shelter, as though the invaders had
started to retreat, only to come back again, as determined as ever.

Jerry was waiting. All he wanted was just a glimpse of the twin balls
of fire not six feet away, when he stood ready to do the duty he had
begged Bluff to give into his hands.

It speedily came to him. First he saw a movement about the small gap
that had already been made in the wall of branches. Then a nose was
rudely thrust into the aperture, as the daring wolf feasted his eyes
on the figures of the two lads.

Bang! went Jerry's rifle, fired point-blank. Instantly the other boy
was in motion, and scrambling to get up out of the hole on the side of
the opening and the dwindling fire.

As he passed this bed of red embers, he gave a kick that sent some
small bits of fuel into the mass. The object of this, of course, was
to try and coax a slight uplift in the way of a blaze that might be of
assistance to him in sighting the fleeing wolves.

Jerry, almost stunned by the violence of the report in such confined
quarters, did his best to follow at the heels of his chum. His heart
was beating three times as fast as ordinary. Perhaps he anticipated
finding his bold comrade battling for his life with a horde of hungry
gray-coated animals and in need of such help as he might render.

Jerry heard a gun sound even as he was climbing up the little incline
that marked the border of their depressed camp. Bluff gave a series of
shouts at the same time; somehow these did not impress Jerry as cries
for aid, but rather given in derision, and to add to the speed of the
wolves' retreat.

Yes, there was Bluff standing staring into the white bank of falling
snow, while holding his gun in readiness to repeat his shot, if
necessary.

"Did you get one?" cried Jerry eagerly.

"I hardly think so," the other replied dejectedly. "You see, they were
a little too fast for me. When I got on my feet out here I could just
see something darker than the snow on the point of disappearing. I
pulled on it as quick as I could; but the chances are I didn't more
than wound him, even if I managed that."

"But they're gone away, Bluff!"

"Seems like it," returned Bluff.

"I only hope they've had enough of it, and will fight shy of our camp
the rest of the night," ventured Jerry.

"Guess you got your fellow, all right," observed the other boy.

That caused Jerry to turn toward the snow-covered shelter. The fire
was now burning briskly for the time being, and it was possible to see
without much difficulty.

"Oh, do you think I did?" exclaimed the marksman. "Let's find out.
And, say, if I turned him over, I'd like first rate to save his hide
for a mat. A wolfskin makes the finest kind of a footmat, you know;
and it'd be great to know every time you stood on it that you had won
it fair and square."

They were by this time standing over the fallen animal. It lay
stretched out on the snow, and was apparently dead.

"Looks like a pretty big wolf to me," ventured Jerry, feeling the
thrill of satisfaction that comes to every hunter when he has by good
luck or superior marksmanship managed to bring down his quarry.

"He is a buster, sure enough," said Bluff; "in fact, I never saw a
bigger one, either in captivity or running wild. I'd hate to tackle
such a beast hand to hand. See his white teeth, will you! Don't they
look ferocious, though? Here, give me your gun, if so be you mean to
lug him into the shelter with us."

"I only want to do that to save the skin, you see," explained Jerry,
as he started to comply.

"Well, I reckon you're wise," Bluff remarked, "because if his mates
are as hungry as he seemed to be, chances are they'll sneak back and
carry the body away, so's to make a meal off it."

While it was not as pleasant as it might be, having that four-footed
wood pirate inside with them, Bluff made no remonstrance. He saw that
it pleased Jerry to anticipate getting the skin of the wolf to keep as
a memento of the strange adventure; and Bluff could be one of the most
accommodating fellows ever known when he felt so disposed.

So once more the boys made themselves fairly comfortable, after the
fire had been renewed, and between listening and dozing the long hours
passed away.




CHAPTER XXIII

WHEN MORNING CAME


Neither of the boys would be likely to forget that night of the storm,
when they passed so many wretched hours in their rude shelter. It was
pretty cold, being without a blanket and unable to move around so as
to keep their blood in circulation, though, after all, they realized
that it hardly deserved the name of a blizzard.

"Oh, thank goodness, it's really getting daylight, Bluff!" Jerry
called out, at last, arousing the other from a nap.

"And the snow seems to have stopped pretty much, likewise that awful
wind," remarked his companion, as he, too, took an observation.

"Let's get outside and stretch a bit," proposed Jerry. "I feel as
though I were seventy years old, and every bone and muscle in my body
creaks or pains like everything."

"A good idea, Jerry, and I'm with you," Bluff conceded. "After we've
jumped around a while, we'll get limbered up. Here you go, now!"

They proceeded to carry on as if they had just escaped from an asylum,
waltzing this way and that, clasped in each other's arms, or
attempting some sort of <DW54> hoedown--anything to get their muscles
in shape.

"There, that makes me feel young again!" declared Jerry, panting as he
threw himself down beside the fire.

"The next burning question of the day is: What will you have for
breakfast?" demanded Bluff; and with that he commenced to rattle off a
great variety of dishes, beginning with ham and eggs, coffee, wheat
cakes with maple syrup, and so on down the list.

Jerry presently threw up his hands, and as the other continued to
tantalize him by keeping up a running fire of breakfast hints, he even
went so far as to thrust his fingertips in his ears.

"That's adding insult to injury, Bluff," he told his chum, when he
found a chance to speak. "Because I don't believe we could scare up a
scrap of grub this morning, no matter how hard we searched our
pockets. We cleaned it all out at suppertime, you remember."

"Well, there's one last resort, if we _have_ to come to it!"
remarked Bluff, with an assumed dejected air, as he rubbed his chin
between his thumb and forefinger.

Something about his manner caused Jerry to look at him in horror.

"Now, I can guess what you're hinting at, and I tell you right
straight from the shoulder I never could be hired to eat wolf, not if
I was actually starving."

"Oh, well, I can't say I'm really hankering after the dish myself,"
Bluff admitted; "but you never can tell what you may have to come to.
Some people don't like to eat crow, but it's been found they're not so
_very_ bad, after all. It might turn out the same way with wolf."

"Are you going to help me get that jacket off the rascal?" demanded
Jerry.

"Sure I will!" he was told. "You'd make a sorry mess of the job, I
reckon; and if the thing's worth saving at all it ought to be taken
the right way. I don't say I could do it as well as Frank, who's had a
heap more experience; but you'll get the pelt, Jerry, never fear."

"Then the sooner we finish the job the better," said the other boy;
"because it strikes me we had better be leaving here and heading for
home as soon as we can make it. I only hope we don't get lost, and
that we strike camp in time for the middle-of-the-day feed."

Both were speedily engaged in the task of taking off the skin of the
slain wolf. Bluff did the main part of the work, but the other was
handy at times in various ways.

"I don't remember hearing another howl the whole night through; did
you, Bluff?" Jerry presently asked, when the skin had been rolled up
in as compact a bundle as possible.

"Can't say that I did," was the reply.

"And now, do we make a start for home?" demanded Jerry anxiously. "I
hope you've got your bearings all correct."

"Leave that for me," the other boy replied; "but before we quit this
region for good I'd like to take a turn over yonder." And he pointed
in a quarter which his chum knew took in the region where they had had
the meeting with Bill Nackerson and his two friends, after bringing
down the big moose.

"Yes, we ought to see what became of our moose, hadn't we?" Jerry
admitted.

"That's right, for I'd like to get hold of those splendid horns. But
there's another thing I want to find out."

"Yes, I can give a pretty good guess what it is," the other told him.
"I've been worried some, myself, about it. Lots of times in the night,
when I was lying listening to the wind moan and howl, I found myself
wondering how those three men were making out, if, as we had an idea,
they couldn't scare up a match among 'em."

"Come along, let's hike out that way," said Bluff, frowning, as though
he did not feel any too happy at the thought. "After all, it isn't
going to be so very much out of our way."

They took one last look at the rude shelter that had served them so
well in warding off considerable of the storm's violence. Often in
memory they would again see that bough barricade; and even take note
of the hole which the bold wolf had torn in it.

Bluff walked along with a confident tread. Jerry was pleased to note
this, for it assured him his chum really knew where he was heading and
the chances of their becoming lost in the Big Woods were not serious.

"I tell you I'm glad I've got as fine a woodsman along as you are," he
remarked, after a little while; "because, if I had been alone, while I
might be able to locate north by means of the compass, I declare I
could not tell whether home lay to the north, east, west, or south. So
what good would a compass be to such a greenhorn, I'd like to know?"

Bluff liked to hear such talk; any boy would when he set up to be an
authority on woodcraft.

"We're going to hit the place right soon now," he assured his
companion soberly and with a manner that showed that Bluff did not
think he was doing anything so very wonderful in leading the way back
to the scene of the previous afternoon's double adventure.

Three minutes later he spoke again.

"There, you can see the leaning pine right now. That was only twenty
feet or so away from where we dropped our moose."

"I don't see anything that looks like a camp," hinted Jerry.

"No; seems as though they must have cleared out," he was told; "but
they couldn't take the moose along with 'em, of course."

"What became of it, then?"

"We'll find that out soon enough. Just follow me, will you? Looks as
though there had been a banquet around here, seems to me. Hi! see the
bones, would you? And the snow's all trampled down, with patches of
red showing through it here and there."

"Bluff, the wolves struck this place after we chased 'em away; or else
this may have been another lot of them. They cleaned up our moose,
hide and all. But, tell me, isn't that the skull and the horns over
there?"

"Just what it is!" Bluff exclaimed, as he started on a run for the
spot, to bend anxiously over the object that was half concealed in a
drift, and then joyfully burst out: "Jerry, they haven't been hurt a
single bit. Why, we ought to thank those wolves for gnawing all the
flesh off! It'll be easy enough now to hack the horns out with our
hatchet. And as we've got so little to tote back home with us, mebbe
we'd better try and get our prize there."

"I wouldn't like to risk leaving such wonderful horns here," Jerry
replied seriously. "Any sportsman happening on them would be tempted
to make out that he had killed the big moose himself. What do you
really think could have become of those men, Bluff?" he presently
asked, uneasily; which question proved how the thought was worrying
him.

"Oh, like as not they made up their minds to start back home right
away," the other boy asserted, as though he wished to think so
himself.

"But I thought I heard something like a faint shout just then, Bluff;
let's listen a bit; for with that hatchet banging away it's hard to
catch anything."

Hardly had Bluff ceased hacking at the moose skull when they caught a
wailing cry, plainly a human voice, calling:

"Help, oh, help!"




CHAPTER XXIV

THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN


"Somebody's in trouble!" exclaimed Jerry.

"Makes me think of the time we found Teddy with his foot caught in the
bear trap," said Bluff. "But come on, let's make for over there, and
find out what's going on."

With that they started to run. The shouts had ceased. Both boys used
their eyes as they hurried along, and pretty soon Bluff cried:

"Hey, what's that jumping up and down over yonder? Strikes me they
look like a pack of dogs or wolves!"

"Oh, Bluff, they've got those men up a tree, don't you see? Perhaps
they've been there all night. I pity them, if that's so."

"Yes; but first let's see if we can pepper the wolves some, so's to
make 'em tired of hanging around. Be ready to blaze away."

The half dozen or more animals had discovered their presence by this
time. They immediately began to display signs of meaning to clear out,
for several ran short distances, to turn and snarl, as though
uncertain whether to show fight or not.

Bluff fired, and one of the gray-coated pirates from the Canadian
border went limping away. The rest decided they would be wise to put
considerable distance between themselves and the owners of those
sticks that coughed and sent forth unseen missiles that stung.

Jerry managed to get in a couple of parting shots, and always declared
that he hit one of the running beasts, though if so it could not have
been a fatal wound since none dropped.

Hurrying forward, the boys discovered a bulky object in the crotch of
a tree.

"Why, it's Bill Nackerson!" cried Jerry.

"Yes, that's who it is, sonny, or what's left of him; because I'm
mighty much afraid both my feet are frozen. I've been cooped up here
for hours, while that hungry gang kept watching and jumping and
growling all the while. I'm glad you came up. It'll cheat 'em out of
their breakfast, no matter what happens to me."

"Can you drop down?" asked Bluff, touched by the evident suffering in
the man's face.

"I'll do the best I can," the other replied, "but I don't seem to have
any feeling in my feet. If they were a couple of clubs they couldn't
be more useless to me."

The boys helped him to some extent. Presently Nackerson was sitting in
the snow, with Bluff and Jerry trying to get his leggings and foot
coverings off so that they might rub the frozen feet with snow to draw
out the frost.

"Where are your two friends?" suddenly asked Bluff, remembering that
there were three hunters when he and his chum last saw them.

Bill Nackerson groaned.

"I was a fool, and deserve what I got," he declared. "They wanted to
make camp through the storm, and we quarreled. I said I'd stick it out
here by the moose, and if the worst came, I'd have something to fall
back on. So in the end they went away, and I started to make a shelter
the best way I could."

"Yes; I noticed that somebody had done that," Bluff told him. "Then
the wolves came, did they?"

"When I heard their howls getting closer all the time," continued the
man, "I knew what was going to happen. My rifle had stuck, so I
couldn't work the pump action. It was no better than a club. I started
off to see if I could find you boys camping, or come across a bigger
tree than the ones around where the moose was lying."

He groaned again, as though the recollection gave him pain.

"We're not hurting you, I hope?" asked Jerry; for at the time both
were rubbing his feet with snow.

"Oh, no; I wish it did hurt," replied Nackerson, "because then I'd
know there was some life left in my feet. I climbed this tree when I
knew the critters were not far away. And here I've had to stay ever
since. I tried to move around and slap my arms, but my feet began to
get numb in spite of me."

"Don't you begin to feel a little burning sensation?" asked Bluff
anxiously.

"Well, now that you mention it, I believe I do, son. Keep rubbing
harder than ever, please. Oh, if ever I get out of this scrape alive
it's going to be a lesson to me. I'll sure turn over a new leaf, I
promise you, and try to do the right thing from now on."

"Glad to hear it, Mr. Nackerson," said Jerry, impressed by what he
believed to be the man's sincerity.

Bluff did not feel so sanguine. Perhaps he remembered an old rhyme
that he had heard long ago about the Evil One, and which ran to the
effect that when Satan was sick he would be a saint; but that the
desire faded out of his mind as soon as he was well again.

By degrees the man told them his feet were beginning to hurt him. They
persisted in their labors until Bluff decided that the rubbing had
gone on long enough.

"And now, what's the next question?" asked Jerry.

"If you are meaning to try for your home camp," Nackerson told them,
as a pleading expression came into his face, "I hope you'll let me go
along. Don't desert me here. You might as soon have left me to the
wolves as abandon me now."

"Do you think you could manage to hobble along with us?" asked Bluff.

"Sure I can; watch and see how well I'm able to walk," the sportsman
hastened to say.

He did the best he could, and if his gait was uncertain, the outdoor
chums knew that he would walk better after he had become limbered up.

Accordingly, they started, heading back along their trail, so as to
come upon the spot where the horns of the big moose lay. Their
intention to carry these all the way to the cabin had not changed.

It did not take long to separate the horns from the skull. They felt
pretty heavy, once Jerry started to hoist the burden on his back.

"We'll tote them as far as we can, anyhow," Bluff declared, "and then
if they get too heavy we will find some hiding place, where they will
be safe till we come back after 'em."

With this understanding, they pushed on. Nackerson was gritting his
teeth and summoning all his grit to the fore, in order to keep his
lower limbs moving. As Bluff had anticipated, he began to improve as
he went along.

When an hour or two had passed and they knew they were far on the road
toward home, the boys became more determined than ever to save the
trophy. They wanted to see the look of astonishment on the faces of
those in the camp when they came marching in.

That would be much more satisfactory than simply telling the story of
the successful hunt, that had been followed by such stirring events.

First one boy assumed the load and after a certain time, when he found
it was telling upon him, he would fix it upon the other's back.

"We're going to earn this thing twice over, you know," grunted Bluff,
after he had in turn disposed of it and Jerry was staggering along
under the burden.

"Well, everything tastes all the better when you've had to go to a lot
of trouble to get it," the other chum replied, as he buckled to his
task.

These spells were growing shorter, which told plainly enough that the
boys were drawing closer to the point of exhaustion. Still they kept
encouraging each other by remarking that it was only another mile or
so now, because of a certain landmark they recognized, or something of
that kind.

"Just think what the boys will say when they see us lugging these
horns into camp!" Jerry observed, as well as he could, considering the
fact that he was panting with the exertion his burden compelled him to
put forth.

"And at seeing who we've got towing along behind us, too," muttered
Bluff; for to him the gathering in of Bill Nackerson in the way they
had was more remarkable than any other happening that had befallen
them.

"Every step counts," added Jerry hopefully.

"Whenever you're feeling tuckered out, don't hesitate to say so,"
Bluff told his chum, "and shove her right along this way. By making
these changes frequently we'll keep things going."

"I don't believe Bill can stagger along much farther," whispered
Jerry. "Perhaps you'd better offer to lend him a hand."

All feeling of animosity toward the big sportsman had died out of
their hearts by this time. He looked so forlorn as he limped along,
trying to repress the groans welling to his lips, that they could only
feel pity where once had been disgust and distrust. Bitterly had Bill
Nackerson paid for his evil deeds. Both boys only hoped the lesson
would be remembered.

Bluff insisted on giving the man a shoulder, and after that Bill
seemed to get along better. He even brightened up some, and wondered
if his feet could be saved to him, after all.

"Half a mile, about, and we'll be there," said Bluff, to bolster up
their spirits.

Presently both boys began to recognize landmarks that had been noticed
on previous occasions. Bluff brought these features of the landscape
to the attention of his comrade.

"I want you to take the horns just when we come in sight of the cabin,
Jerry," he declared, with self-denial that the other appreciated.

"That's mighty good of you," Jerry said feelingly, "'specially since
they belong just as much to you as to me. I'm not going to be greedy.
I insist that from this place on we carry them between us."

That pleased Bluff very much, for he liked to know he had a chum who
could match his own generosity. So it happened that from that point
forward they carried the horns of the giant moose between them, spread
out in the most conspicuous way possible.

"There, I can see smoke coming up out of the chimney, which means
there's somebody home!" remarked Bluff suddenly.

"Yes, and, oh, Bluff, seems to me I can get a whiff of cooking away
off here!" Jerry gasped. "I don't think I was ever so hungry in my
life. I hope they've cooked an extra supply, because here come three
mighty savage fellows to dinner."

"Ready now, to give a shout!" cried Bluff.

A minute later, at a signal from Bluff, the boys raised their lusty
voices in a series of whoops that created no end of bustle within the
cabin. The door was flung wide open to give egress to three excited
boys. How they stared at those massive moose horns carried so proudly
between the pair of successful Nimrods; but most of all were their
wondering eyes fixed on the shuffling figure of Bill Nackerson, as he
came limping dolefully in the rear!




CHAPTER XXV

BLUFF REMEMBERS--CONCLUSION


"Wait, oh, wait up a minute, till I get my camera, and take a picture
of you coming home like that!" called Will, as he darted back into the
cabin.

He was out in a jiffy, and succeeded in getting them, to his complete
satisfaction. As Will seemed a master hand at developing and printing
all his pictures, it could be taken for granted that his work would do
justice to the coming back to camp of the expedition in search of the
giant moose of the Big Woods.

"Where did you run across Bill Nackerson, boys?" asked Frank, almost
the first thing. "And what makes him limp and groan that way? Has he
been shot?"

Of course it was up to Bluff and Jerry to explain.

"Before we try to give you the whole yarn, Frank," said the former, "I
want you to take a look at his feet. He got both of them badly frozen
while sitting up in a tree most of last night with a pack of wolves
jumping at him."

"What's that--wolves?" demanded Will, getting interested.

"Like this one that tried to break in through the back of our bough
shelter, and that I nailed with a single shot." And, saying this,
Jerry spread out the skin before their admiring eyes.

"Well, I should say you fellows _have_ been busy," Frank
remarked, smiling with pleasure; "but keep the story until I can be
with you, please."

With that he went over to where Bill Nackerson had dropped to the
ground, and offered to assist the man into the cabin.

"One of my chums tells me you've been unlucky with your feet, and got
them frosted a bit," Frank said, in his pleasant way.

"Yes, that's so, and I reckon I'm in a bad way," Bill replied, with
lines across his forehead. "They were mighty kind to me, and I'm sure
ashamed of the way I've carried on while up here. It's a lesson to me,
I tell you."

"Well, let me help you inside," said Frank. "I'm something of an
amateur doctor, and as I was born and raised here in Maine I know
something about frostbites and what to do for them. It may be I can
help you temporarily; though if it's a bad case we must see Mr.
Darrel, and have him get you down to a hospital."

Frank saw the man cringe at mention of the lumberman's name, and he
knew the reason why.

Some time later Frank came out to where all the others were waiting,
the dinner having been postponed. It could keep, but that wonderful
story must be partly heard, at least.

"How about Bill?" asked Bluff. "Feet in pretty bad shape--eh, Frank?"

"That's what they are, and I'm a little afraid he's going to have lots
of trouble with them yet," the other responded. "I'll take a run over
to the lumber camp this afternoon. I want to see Mr. Darrel about
several things, and will try to make arrangements to get Bill to town,
some way or other. He ought to go to a hospital."

"Will was just telling us that Teddy had owned up to you about hearing
Nackerson threaten to set fire to Lumber Run Camp," remarked Jerry.

"Yes," Frank admitted, with a smile in the direction of the confused
Teddy. "He had been bothered to know just what his duty was. You see,
although Nackerson has treated him badly, still he is a relative, and
blood is always thicker than water. Finally Teddy couldn't keep in any
longer, and he told us all about it. That was the main reason he ran
away; he was getting afraid of Nackerson while the man drank so
heavily."

"And now, please tell us a little of all that happened to you fellows,
before we go in to dinner," pleaded Will.

"Make it as short as you can, Bluff," said Jerry; "because, you see,
none of us have had a bite since last night, and Bill's gone even
longer than that. I'm nearly as ravenous as those wolves were. Hit
only the high places, Bluff."

Bluff made short work of it, for he, too, was hungrier than he had
been for many a day. After a rapid sketch of their numerous adventures
had been given, Bluff declared he would say no more just then.

"The rest will keep until some time when we're sitting around the fire
and want something to help keep us awake," he told them.

"Now let's adjourn to the refreshment hall, where Teddy here has got a
fine dinner all hot and ready waiting," suggested Jerry.

Luckily there had been a double portion made ready, because Frank
expected that when the two boys got in they would be almost famished.

"If you hadn't shown up in another hour or so, Will and I intended to
start out and try to find some trace of you," he told the returned
hunters.

"Yes," added Will, "and I told Frank I wanted to be sure to carry my
camera along, because the chances were we'd find that the old bull
moose had treed you both, and it would make a cracking good picture!"

Later on Frank started for Lumber Run Camp. He took Will along, for
the latter had been so wrapped up in taking pictures that he had not
had much exercise of late.

They had no difficulty in reaching the lumber camp, and found Mr.
Darrel there. He was deeply interested in all they had to tell him.

"Well, I'm glad to learn who it was tried to burn us out here," he
said. "And while he may not want to take the reward I'll see that
Teddy has it before spring. He's a big husky boy, and I think if he'd
like to stay up here with me, I could make a pretty fair lumberjack
out of him."

"How about Bill Nackerson, sir?" asked Frank. "He is in a bad way, and
ought to be taken to a hospital at once or he may lose one or both
feet. I've done all I could, but he needs special care and treatment."

The lumberman frowned, and then his face cleared.

"After all, it isn't best to hold resentment long," he told Frank, who
was more than pleased to hear him speak in that way. "That man is a
rascal, I surely believe; but he's down and out just now, and I can't
bear malice to a wretch whose feet are in such a bad way. Yes, I'll
see that he's taken to town in a wagon that's going to start early in
the morning. It'll be past your place an hour after sun-up. Have him
ready to go. And I'll forget all about his evil work. But he owes a
heap to the outdoor chums."

Frank and Will got back just as the shadows of night were gathering.
When Bill Nackerson heard how forgiving the lumberman had proven,
especially since he understood how the truth about the fire at Lumber
Run Camp was known to Mr. Darrel, he shed tears. Frank hoped they were
genuine, and not of the crocodile kind.

In the morning they saw the last of Bill Nackerson. The man asked
Teddy to forgive his harshness, which the boy eagerly consented to do.
Later on they learned that after great efforts Bill's feet were saved,
though he would very likely suffer with them every winter for years to
come.

That afternoon two men came over to the cabin in which the boys were
camped. They turned out to be Whalen and the other companion of
Nackerson. It seemed that they had reached their cabin after a hard
battle with the storm; and as Bill failed to show up, they were
getting so worried they had come to ask the boys' assistance in
locating him.

When they heard what had happened, they were apparently relieved in
mind, though professing to have had quite enough of their Maine
outing. They parted from the boys, declaring it to be their intention
to leave for civilization the first thing in the morning. This they
probably did, for the chums saw nothing of them again.

The days came and went, until the time arrived for Frank and his
friends to once more turn westward and head for Centerville, with
school duties awaiting them.

They were all sitting at the breakfast table with their belongings
packed waiting for the wagon to come which their good friend Mr.
Darrel had insisted on sending over to carry them out of the woods,
when Bluff started to say something.

Without paying any particular attention to what he was saying, he
commenced:

"I sure reckon this outing is going to take the cake. It beats
anything the outdoor chums have ever run up against before. Wait till
I get a chance to tell it to that friend of mine, who was boasting so
much what he had done the time he went into the woods with a fellow
named Clarence Masterson."

"I'm glad you have had a good time," laughed Frank. "You and Jerry got
your big moose horns; and now if only Will carries off the cash prize
offered by the railroad companies for the best wild-animal life
pictures taken by an amateur in the Maine wilderness, we'll think our
trip has been successful all around."

It seemed as though success had set in their direction with a
vengeance, for later on Will received notification that the pictures
he had submitted in competition for the big prize had been unanimously
selected. And really they were a fine lot; possibly ere this some of
you have admired them as displayed in the recent folders of the
enterprising railroads of the State of Maine.

Teddy said good-by to his new friends, and went back on the wagon,
meaning to learn the ways of a lumberjack. He had good muscles, and
promised to accomplish something in that line. The outdoor chums knew
that in Mr. Darrel the boy would always find a sincere friend.

Once again at home, they could exhibit the trophies of their visit to
the Big Woods with more or less pride and the wonderful pictures shown
by Will to back up the story of their trials and triumphs added
amazingly to the reality. We hope it may be our pleasing task later on
to recount still further adventures that befell Frank Langdon and his
three chums. Until that time, we must say good-by.

                             THE END




THE GO AHEAD SERIES

By ROSS KAY

    On Smuggler's Island
    The Treasure Cave
    Mysterious Old House
    In the Island Camp
    And the Racing Motor
    And Simon's Mine

These stories will appeal to any boy who is imbued with "The Go Ahead"
spirit. Whether on Smuggler's Island, at Simon's Mine or in The
Treasure Cave, the boys have adventures that are as thrilling as they
are unusual. The scene of each volume is laid in some beautiful and
historic part of our country. This adds to the interest and value of
the stories and makes them doubly attractive.

The Goldsmith Publishing Co.

NEW YORK, N. Y.




THE MUSKET BOYS SERIES

By GEORGE A WARREN

    The Musket Boys of Old Boston
    The Musket Boys Under Washington
    The Musket Boys on the Delaware

Stirring times were these--and stirring deeds made boys into men
before their time.

Against the picturesque background of the revolutionary war, George A.
Warren tells a tale of heroism and patriotism of the boys of long ago
who heard the call of their country and rallied to the colors.

What trials of valor and responsibilities beyond their years comes to
"The Musket Boys" is told in an enthralling manner.

The Goldsmith Publishing Co.

NEW YORK, N. Y.





End of Project Gutenberg's The Outdoor Chums in the Big Woods, by Quincy Allen

*** 