The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island Part 38

The evening pa.s.sed quietly, and in the morning the boys found themselves thoroughly rested.

"It's a grand day for hunting!" exclaimed Fred, as he went outside to view the landscape. The sun was just peeping over the trees on the eastern sh.o.r.e of Lake Monona, and soon the dazzling shafts of light were streaming over the ice and snow in all directions.

"Do you think Asa Lemm and those others will be back to-day?" queried Randy.

"There's no telling," answered Jack.

While some of the boys were preparing breakfast, the others walked over to Uncle Barney's cabin. They found the old lumberman already stirring, and invited him to come over and eat his morning meal with them, an invitation which he readily accepted, for he had taken a great liking to all of the Rovers.

"We've been thinking of trying those snowshoes, Uncle Barney," said Jack.

"No time like the present, boys," was the answer. "I'll show you how to put 'em on, and how to use 'em, too."

"Won't you go out hunting with us?" questioned Fred.

"No; I'm going to stay around the cabins, in case those rascals come back. I don't think they will, but there is nothing like being on the safe side."

The hour after the morning meal was productive of a good deal of fun.

None of the boys had ever used snowshoes before, and consequently in their efforts to move around on them, they got more than one tumble.

"Great watermelons!" cried Andy, as he pitched headfirst into a snowdrift. "And I thought using snowshoes was the easiest thing in the world!"

"It's just like plain walking, Andy; it's got to be learned," answered Jack, who, a moment before, had had a tumble himself.

Finally, however, the boys managed to remain on their feet fairly well, and then they started off to do a little hunting along the eastern sh.o.r.e of the island.

"I don't know as you'll be able to stir up very much to-day," announced Uncle Barney. "But even a few rabbits and a few squirrels won't be so bad."

They carried a lunch with them, not knowing whether they would get back to the cabin by noon or not. They were soon gliding over the snow where something of a trail led through the woods.

They tramped a good half mile before they saw anything in the way of game. Then several squirrels appeared, and Fred and Andy had the satisfaction of laying them low with their shotguns. Then they tramped on further, and by noon managed to obtain a rabbit and two woodc.o.c.ks.

"Not so bad but what it might be worse," announced Jack, who had the rabbit to his credit. "We won't go hungry, that's sure!"

"And don't forget that we've got those wild turkeys to eat," added Andy, who had laid low the two woodc.o.c.ks.

Being unaccustomed to the use of snowshoes, the lads were glad to rest.

They built themselves a little campfire, and, huddling around this, partook of the lunch they had brought along, was.h.i.+ng it down with some hot chocolate from a thermos bottle they carried.

The lunch finished, they set off once again, this time going deeper into the woods than ever.

"Listen!" cried Jack presently. "I thought I heard some game stirring."

All came to a halt and listened intently. From a distance they heard a peculiar drumming sound.

"Partridges, I'll bet anything!" cried Randy in a low voice. "Come on, let's see if we can't get some of them."

He led the way over the snow, and the others were not slow in following.

They had reached a point where the trees grew sparingly, and where there were a great number of rocks and brushwood.

They could hear a strange fluttering, and then a number of partridges arose in the air some distance in front of them. All took hasty aim and fired, but the game sailed out of sight unharmed.

"That's the time we missed it," observed Jack dismally. "I guess we made too much noise and they heard us."

"Listen!" interrupted Randy. "There is some sort of fight going on ahead."

He was right; and, listening, they made out a strange bark mingled with a snarl and several yelps.

"Let's go ahead and see what it means!" exclaimed Andy, and pushed on, with the others close behind him.

The boys had to skirt some heavy brushwood, and then came out in a small cleared s.p.a.ce surrounded by numerous big rocks and pine trees. The strange noises they had heard had come from between two of the large rocks, and now, of a sudden, several forms, snapping and snarling and whirling this way and that in the snow, burst upon their view.

"Wolves!"

"Four of them!"

"They are all fighting over the possession of a dead partridge!"

Four gaunt and hungry-looking wolves had come tumbling out in the snow.

One of them was carrying a dead partridge in his mouth, and the other three were doing their best to get the game away from him. As the Rovers came into the opening, the wolves, for an instant, stopped their fighting and glared at the boys. Then the animal having the game made a sudden leap over the rocks and disappeared from view. The three wolves that remained began to snap and snarl and show their teeth.

"Gracious! they are certainly hungry-looking beggars!" was Randy's comment.

"Come on, let's shoot them!" exclaimed Jack.

"They're no good for game," interposed Randy.

"I know that, Randy. But we don't want them on the island, and neither does Uncle Barney."

"I thought he said there weren't very many wolves left. Maybe----"

Fred, who was speaking, got no further, for at that moment the three hungry-looking wolves crouched low, and then sprang straight in the direction of the four young hunters!

CHAPTER XXVI

JACK FREES HIS MIND

"Jump for your lives!"

"Shoot them!"

These cries had scarcely been made when Jack's gun rang out and the foremost of the three wolves was. .h.i.t in the foreleg. He gave a plunge, and rolled over in the snow, snapping and snarling viciously. The report of the weapon was followed by the discharge of Randy's gun, but his aim was wild and the charge pa.s.sed harmlessly over the heads of the wolves.

"Shoot them!"