Four Boy Hunters Part 7

"Tell you what, fellows, our outing is starting with lots of excitement.

Wonder how it is going to end?"

"Perhaps it will end very tamely," said Whopper, who was in the bow, munching an apple. "We'll strike several weeks of rain, and not get a shot at anything larger than a rabbit. Then we'll all take cold, and have to send for a doctor, and-----"

"Say, please heave him overboard, somebody!" burst out Giant.

"He's just as cheerful as a funeral. We are going to have nothing but suns.h.i.+ne, and I am going to shoot two bears, four deer, seventeen wildcats, eighteen-----"

"Hold on!" shouted Snap. "You have gotten into Whopper's story-bag, Giant, and it won't do."

"Oh, I was fooling!" said Whopper. "We are going to have a peach of a time. We are going to strike an old lodge in the wood---some an old hermit once lived in---and find a big pot of gold under the-----"

"Bay window, near the well, just across the corner from the barber shop, next to the school," broke in Shep. "Say, cut out the fairy tales and get to business. Does anybody know that it is exactly ten minutes to twelve?"

"Codfish and crullers! You don't say so!" came from Whopper. "I knew I was getting hollow somewhere. What shall we do---go ash.o.r.e and cook dinner?"

"Might as well," came from Snap. "Our time's our own, remember.

We haven't got to hurry."

"I know just the spot, about quarter of a mile from here," said Shep. "Our family once went there for a picnic. There's a good spring of water there and a hollow for a fire, and everything."

"Pantry full of dishes and a tablecloth, I suppose," broke in the irrepressible Whopper. "I do love a picnic ground where you can pick napkins off the bushes and toothpicks, too."

The boys pushed the rowboat on its way and soon reached the spot that Shep had mentioned, and there they tied up at a tree-root sticking out of the river bank. Beyond was a cleared s.p.a.ce and a semi-circle of stones with a pole in two notched posts for a fire and kettle. They soon had a blaze started and Whopper filled the kettle at the spring and hung it to boil.

"This is just a taste of what is to come," said Snap. "At this meal we'll have our sandwiches, cake and some hot coffee. It will be different when we broil our deer meat, or something like that, and make hot biscuits."

"And roast our bear steaks," put in Whopper. "Just wait till you see the bear I shoot!"

"He means the bear he runs away from," said Shep, and this caused a laugh.

As soon as the water was boiling they made coffee, and then all sat around to enjoy their first meal in the open. The adventures of the morning had given them all good appet.i.tes, and they did not stop until the entire allowance had disappeared.

"No more just now," said Snap. "We must keep something for supper and for breakfast, you know. After that we have got to live on regular camp fare."

They lolled around for the best part of an hour, then arose, cleaned up the camp, and started on their journey.

"And now for Lake Cameron!" cried Shep. "May we reach there without further mishaps."

CHAPTER VI

A FIRST NIGHT IN CAMP

Lake Cameron was a beautiful sheet of water, connected with the river by a narrow but deep creek lined on either side with thick blackberry and elderberry bushes. Around the lake the scenery was rather wild, and had it been closer to the railroad would have been a great spot for sportsmen. Even as it was, many came up there to hunt and to fish, and the boys were by no means certain that they would have even a small portion of the locality to themselves.

"I am going to see if I can't get a shot at something on the way,"

said Snap, as they turned into the creek. "There used to be wild turkeys up here, so Jed Sanborn told me."

"Is Sanborn out hunting?" asked the small youth of the crowd.

"Not just now, Giant. But he said he was coming to see us some time," answered Snap.

Snap had his shotgun ready for use, and so had one of the other young hunters. The rowboat glided along silently. The sun was just preparing to go down beyond the hills to the westward.

"Wait!" called Snap, in a low tone, and stood up. Those at the oars ceased rowing. The leader of the club took careful aim.

Crack! went the piece.

"Touch anything?" asked Whopper.

"I did. Go ahead, and I'll pick it up." They rowed on, and a minute later Snap reached out of the boat and hauled in a fine wild turkey that was still fluttering faintly. A twist of the neck put it out of its misery, and the young hunter surveyed his game with satisfaction.

"First prize goes to Snap!" cried Shep. "Boys, we are sure of a turkey dinner to-morrow, anyway."

They continued on their journey, and at length came in sight of Lake Cameron, surrounded by hills and the forest. A moment later Whopper reached for his gun, took careful aim and fired.

"Only a rabbit," he announced. "But that is better than nothing."

"I should say it was," answered Giant, readily. "I'd like to bring down a game-bag full of them. Think of the rabbit pot-pie we could make!"

"Here goes for something," whispered Shep, and fired at a squirrel running around on a fallen tree. But the little creature was too nimble for him and got away unharmed.

"There is no use of my trying to get a shot at anything," announced Giant. "The noise has scared away the rest of the game. As soon as we land I am going to try my hand at fis.h.i.+ng."

"You can do that now," replied Snap. "I'll take your oar. There are some flies in yonder little red box, and the white box had a few worms in it."

"I'll try a worm and look for a perch or two," answered the small lad.

He soon had his line out and baited up and began to troll at the end of the boat. In a few minutes he got a bite and pulled up a fair-sized perch. A sunfish followed, then a sucker, and then two more perch.

"What's the matter with that?" he asked, rather proudly.

"Nothing at all, Giant," answered Shep. "Shall I help?"

Giant agreed, and soon Shep had brought in another perch. By this time they had come to a suitable landing, and the rowboat was turned in and hauled well up on the shelving sh.o.r.e.

"I fancy this will make a good camping spot for to-night;" said Snap. "In the morning we can decide upon what we want to do next."

"All right," said Shep. "Let us start up a camp-fire and make ourselves 'to hum,' as the old folks used to say."

Any quant.i.ty of dry sticks were to be had, and they had brought with them both an ax and a hatchet, so they soon had the sticks reduced to a proper size for burning. Near the sh.o.r.e were a number of bushes, and they cut out a spot in the center of these and over the top spread the canvas they had brought with them. For a flooring, they gathered some leaves, and over this spread a rubber blanket when it came time to go to bed.

It was very homelike and cheerful, gathering around the campfire, and all of the boys took a hand at preparing the supper which consisted of fried fish, baked potatoes, sandwiches, cake and coffee. They took their time over the meal, and did not finish until after eight o'clock. Then they sat around for an hour discussing their plans and telling stories.

"Now, the question comes up, do we stand guard at night?" asked Snap.

"Oh, let us all go to bed," answered Whopper. "I don't believe any cannibals are coming to carry us off---or an elephant, either."