Onward they went once more, up a gentle hill and then down the slope on the other side. At the foot of the hill the road became rougher and rougher, and presently the horses had all they could do to make any progress.
“Gif, this can’t be the right road,” declared Jack at last. “If it was as rough as this, Jed Wallop would have told us about it. He said we wouldn’t have any trouble at all in reaching Cedar Lodge.”
“Yes, and besides, we must have come at least five or six miles,” added Spouter.
“I’ll bet we’ve come all of eight miles,” broke in Fred.
“That’s just what I think,” declared Randy. “I’ll bet an elephant against a mouse we’re on the wrong road.”
“Well, I won’t dispute that, Randy,” answered the young driver of the boxsled. “But you’ll all bear witness to it that I followed directions and kept to the right.”
The road now ran along the side of a hill. Here the heavy fall of snow had slid down over the rocks and the going was anything but safe. The faithful old horses had all they could do to keep their footing.
“We’ll upset the first thing you know!” exclaimed Fred, and he had scarcely spoken when the runner on the up side of the road struck a series of rocks, and the next minute all of the boys, including Gif, went tumbling from the boxsled, and some of their provisions followed.
“Whoa there! Whoa there, Mary and John!” called Gif to the team. But this command was not needed, for the tired old horses were only too glad to stop, and had come to a halt the moment the youths tumbled off.
All had landed in the snow, which at this point was rather deep; so none of them was seriously hurt, although somebody stepped on one of Randy’s hands and Spouter got a scratch on his ear from some nearby bushes.
“Well, here’s a mess!” exclaimed Fred, as he picked himself up. “Now we are in a pickle.”
“Oh, it might have been worse,” declared Jack, as cheerfully as he could, because he could easily see that Gif was in a state of mind bordering on desperation. “Nobody is seriously hurt, I hope?”
All scrambled up, and then looked at the roadway immediately ahead. Here was a somewhat level spot, and to this the sled was driven, and the lads picked up the stuff which had fallen off in the snow and replaced it, this time tying it down with some ropes and straps which were handy.
“I don’t believe I’ll drive any further on this road,” said Gif. “It doesn’t seem to lead to anywhere, and I’m quite certain now that it isn’t the way to Cedar Lodge.”
“What will you do?” asked Andy. “Go back to that other road?”
Everybody was stumped, and for several seconds nobody made any reply.
“Might as well go back,” said Spouter.
Fred and Randy walked on ahead, trying to determine where the road led to. But all they could see was the blackness of the forest, and the roadway seemed to grow rougher and more perilous at every step.
It was no easy task to turn the team and the boxsled around without spilling everything again. But it was accomplished at last, and then slowly and painfully they climbed along the hill until they reached the point where there had been another split in the road. Here they came to a halt.
“Listen!” cried Randy suddenly.
All did as requested, and from a distance heard the low musical jingle of sleigh bells.
“There’s a sleigh!” exclaimed Gif. “And unless I’m mistaken, it’s coming this way!”
They listened again, and were overjoyed to note that the sounds were gradually coming nearer. Then they stepped out behind the boxsled, and presently discerned a large two-seated sleigh, drawn by a powerful pair of horses, approaching.
The steeds were making good time, despite the roughness of the road and the depth of the snow.
“Hi there! Hi there!” called out Gif, and then Jack sent the rays of his flashlight toward the on-coming turnout.
There were exclamations of astonishment from those in the sleigh, and for a moment it looked to the boys as if the occupants were bent upon passing them without paying any attention to their call. But then Gif, Spouter, and Fred took a position directly in front of the on-coming horses, and the driver brought them snortingly to a sudden stop.
“What do you fellows want?” demanded a heavy guttural voice from the sleigh.
The words were uttered in a German accent, and by the look of his face the speaker, who sat on the front seat beside the driver, was evidently of Teutonic origin. He glared suspiciously at those in the roadway, and Jack and Gif afterward declared that they saw the gleam of a pistol in the man’s hand as it was thrust in the flap of his overcoat.
“We’ve lost our way,” said Gif, coming a few steps closer. “We thought maybe you folks could direct us.”
“Huh! I don’t know about that,” said the man in his thick German accent. “Where do you want to go?”
“We want to go to Cedar Lodge. It’s located somewhere up here, about five or six miles from Timminsport.”
“Cedar Lodge!” said one of the men who were seated on the rear seat of the sleigh. “Do you mean the hunting lodge that is owned by the Garrisons?”
“Yes.”
“Then you are on the wrong road to get to that place,” said the man. “You’ll have to go back the way we came for about half a mile, and then take the road to the left. It is in from this road, I think, about a quarter of a mile.”
“Is it the first road we shall come to from here?” questioned Gif, bound to fix matters so that he could not make another mistake.
“Yes.”
“Thank you. That is all we want to know.”
“What are you young fellows going to do at that place?” queried the German who was on the front seat.
“We came up here for a season of hunting,” answered Jack.
“The place belongs to my father and my uncle,” explained Gif. “My name is Gifford Garrison.”
“I see. Well, have a good time,” said the man on the front seat of the sleigh. But he did not seem to be particularly pleased.
“Have you a hunting lodge around here?” questioned Fred curiously.
“No. We are just taking a little trip to visit some friends up here,” answered the man on the back seat who previously had not spoken. “We shall stay only a day or two,” he added. Then the man on the front seat spoke to the driver, and away they went once more, and were soon out of sight, taking the road the cadets had just been thinking of pursuing.
“Well, I’m mighty glad we met those men,” declared Gif. “Now I know where I am. Thank goodness! we are not so very far out of the way after all.”
“Don’t crow, Gif, until you are out of the woods—or at least until we are in sight of the Lodge,” cried Andy.
“I didn’t like the looks of those fellows,” declared Jack.
“They were a bunch of Germans, and not very nice Germans at that,” said Fred.
“Isn’t it queer that we are running into so many Germans?” remarked Spouter. “First that Herman Crouse on the train, and now these chaps.”
“Oh, hurry up, fellows! Don’t stand here and gas!” ejaculated Randy. “Let’s see if we can’t find that lost Lodge. I want to get warmed up, and I want to go to bed.”
Then the boxsled was turned around once more and the journey to Cedar Lodge was resumed.
CHAPTER XIV
THE FIRST HUNT
The six cadets from Colby Hall found the side road the Germans had mentioned with ease; and after that it was not long before they came to a spot which looked familiar to Gif.
“Thank fortune! we’re on the right road at last,” cried the young driver of the boxsled. “See those peculiar trees over there?” He pointed to three all growing together. “I know those very well. We ought to come in sight of the Lodge now in a few minutes.”
“Well, you can’t
get there any too quick for me,” declared Fred, as he gave a deep yawn.
The way was over a small bridge which spanned the river Gif had mentioned to the Rover boys, and then they passed through a patch of woods and to a clearing about half an acre in extent. In the center of this clearing was located the Lodge.
It was a substantial and artistic log structure, a single story in height, with a broad veranda running the length of the front. Right at either end of the lodge was a huge cedar tree, and more cedars were at the edge of the clearing. Behind the bungalow was a small barn and also a fair-sized woodshed and close by was a small building which Gif explained to them was used in the summer time for a kitchen.
Gif was the first out of the boxsled, and he lost no time in unlocking the front door for the party. Jack brought his flashlight into play, and they lit two lamps after filling them with oil which had been brought along.
“Now we’ll get the stuff in from the sled, and then I’ll have to put the team away,” said Gif.
“Let me do that, Gif,” said Jack. “Just show me where they are to go, then you and the others can light the fire.”
“Yes, and we’ll fix something to eat, too!” declared Randy.
“I’ll go out to the stable with Jack,” came from Spouter, who was no shirker when it came to doing his share of the work.
It was not a hard task to transfer the baggage and provisions, as well as the guns and team was driven around to the stable, where ammunition, to the Lodge, and, this done, the sled was run in under a shed. Then Jack and Spouter proceeded to make Mary and John at home for the night.
In the meantime all of the others had gone to the woodshed and returned to the Lodge with sticks of various sizes for the fire. The building of this was left to Gif, as it was felt that he was, in a certain sense, the host. Yet all were ready to help, and soon they had a big blaze roaring up the wide chimney and gradually filling the bungalow with its warmth.
The arrangement of the Lodge was very simple. The living room occupied the center, with a sort of winter kitchen and entryway behind it. To each side of the living room were located two bedrooms, one in the front and the other in the rear. Above the living room was a loft which could be reached by a rustic pair of stairs, a loft which could be used only for a storeroom, since it was less than five feet high in the center, sloping to the eaves, front and back. The big chimney was in the rear of the living room, and behind it, in the kitchen, was a stove for cooking.
“Say, this is just all right,” declared Fred, after he had warmed up a bit and taken a look around. “We ought to be as snug as bugs in a rug here.”
“We’ll have to arrange about sleeping quarters,” remarked Gif. “Two of the rooms have a double bed each, and the other rooms have two single beds each.” The doors to the various rooms had been left open so that the heat from the fire might draw through the entire Lodge.
It was great sport for the boys to divest themselves of their heavy overcoats and caps and then get to work preparing the Lodge for occupancy. All of the bedclothes had to be shaken out and warmed, and they also had to get out some linen which had been packed away. Gif, assisted by Andy and Randy, did this, and meanwhile Jack, Spouter, and Fred brought out the dishes and other things and set the table and also began to boil water for some hot chocolate, which they had decided to have, along with some smoked beef and cheese sandwiches and some doughnuts that had been brought along.
Soon the boys were seated around the big square table the living room contained enjoying themselves to their hearts’ content. The steaming chocolate and the things to eat put them in the best possible humor, and their troubles with Bill Glutts and Gabe Werner, and also with the wildcat and on the road, were, for the time being, forgotten. Outside the wind was rising, making a mournful sound as it swept through the cedars and the other trees in that vicinity. But inside the fire crackled merrily and the heat of the fitful flames as they roared up the chimney filled the lads with satisfaction.
“We sure had a tough time getting here,” declared Randy, “but it was worth it.”
“Isn’t this just peachy!” cried his twin, as, with a final doughnut in hand, he sank deep in a rocking chair at one side of the fireplace. “This suits me right down to the tips of my toes.”
“I should think it would suit anybody,” declared Spouter. “Why, this whole surroundings has the most artistic setting I ever beheld. Just think of this rustic bungalow nestling away in the midst of this gigantic forest, and think of this deep-throated fireplace with the flames soaring upward, casting their flickering shadows hither and thither over the bright faces—”
“Of six well fed and sleepy young fellows who ought to be in bed this minute,” broke in Jack. “I move we adjourn for the night and let Spouter finish his oration in the morning.”
“That’s it! Always cutting me short when I have some beautiful sentiments to express,” grumbled the would-be orator. “Never mind, I’ll get square with you some day.”
“Never mind, Spout. Don’t take it too hard,” broke in Andy. “Remember that even slipping down on a banana peel is a good deal of a skin game.”
“To bed it is,” announced Gif. “Unless, of course, Andy and Fred want to remain up to wash the dishes.”
“Nothing doing,” yawned Fred. “I could go to sleep sitting in this chair. I’ll wash the dishes to-morrow morning before breakfast.”
It was decided that the twins should occupy one of the rooms with a double bed. Gif and Spouter took the other double bed, and Fred and Jack went into one of the rooms containing two single beds.
“We’ll keep the fourth room for possible visitors,” announced Gif. “You know, Glutts and Werner may call on us,” he added quizzically.
“Of course they’ll call—when they are invited!” declared Jack. “Not but what it’s your house, Gif,” he added quickly.
“They’ll never come here on my invitation,” was the ready response.
Their previous experience in camping out stood the six cadets in good stead, and they knew exactly how to leave their fire so that it would keep burning until morning without doing any damage. Then, one after another, they speedily shoved off to bed and soon all of them were slumbering peacefully after a long and arduous day’s traveling.
In the morning Jack was the first to arise and he was speedily followed by Gif and Spouter.
“Might as well let the others sleep for a while,” said the oldest Rover boy. “They were pretty well tired out, Fred and Andy especially.”
“Sure, let ‘em sleep as long as they want to. Our time is our own, and there is no use in hurrying. Just the same, I bet Fred wakes up pretty quick when he smells boiling coffee and pancakes.”
Some pancake flour had been brought along, and soon the appetizing odor of the cakes, along with the odor of steaming coffee, filled the Lodge. Then came a call from one of the bedrooms, and, sure enough, it was Fred speaking.
“Hi there! don’t you eat all those good things up before I get there,” he called out. “Say! this air certainly gives a fellow an appetite.”
By the time breakfast was ready all of the boys were dressed. Jack and Spouter had gone outside for more wood, and they reported that it had begun to snow hard.
“All right, let it snow,” said Randy. “Now that we are here, what do we care?”
“Well, we don’t want to get snowed in,” remarked Spouter.
“Oh, I don’t think the storm will be as bad as that,” returned Gif. “Just the same, I’m glad we didn’t get caught last night in a downfall. We might have had worse luck than ever in getting here.”
By the time breakfast was finished it was snowing heavily. There was a fairly strong wind blowing, and this sent the fine particles flying in all directions. When they went out to feed the horses they found the snow already an inch or more in depth.
“I think this is going to add quite a
little to what is already on the ground,” said Jack. “If it keeps on for any length of time it will make hunting rather difficult.”
“Why can’t we go out and do some hunting before the storm gets too bad?” questioned Fred. Now that he had reached the Lodge he was exceedingly anxious to try his skill with a gun.
“When I was here before there was quite a rabbit run on the other side of the cedars behind this bungalow,” declared Gif. “It isn’t a long way off. We could easily go that distance even through the snow.”
“There wouldn’t be any chance of our losing our way?” queried Spouter.
“Oh, no. It’s not far enough off for that.”
“Then let’s go before the storm gets any worse,” cried Andy.
“Yes, but how about the dishes to be washed?” asked Gif.
“Oh, Gif, can’t we do them just as soon as we get back?” questioned Fred.
“Last night’s dishes are still standing in the kitchen,” declared Jack, looking somewhat sternly at his cousins.
“We’ll get at them the minute we get back from our hunt for rabbits!” exclaimed Fred. “Won’t we, Andy?”
“That’s a contract,” declared the fun-loving Rover.
“All right then, see that you keep your word,” answered Jack. “Remember, Gif, no more grub for anybody until the dishes are washed.”
“It’s too bad we didn’t bring some wooden dishes with us,” remarked Randy. “Then, after we had used them, we could put ‘em in the fire.”
“Lazybones!” called out Spouter. “You are as bad as the tramp who said he didn’t care to eat prunes because it was such a job to spit out the pits;” and at this there was a general smile.
A little later the boys were ready for their first hunt. They had discarded their overcoats for a number of hunting jackets of which the bungalow boasted, and had also donned leggings and caps. Each looked to see that his weapon was in first-class order and that he had a sufficient supply of ammunition.
“We’ll take only the shotguns along,” said Gif. “You won’t find any big game in this immediate vicinity.”
The Rover Boys Megapack Page 393