Fixing the fire so that it would keep until they returned, they locked up and then started away. The snow was still coming down steadily, and they were glad when they reached the shelter of the woods.
“You don’t suppose Jed Wallop will come here during our absence?” questioned Jack.
“If he does he’ll know what to do,” answered Gif. “He knows where the key to the bungalow is, and I left a note for him in the stable, stating that if he wanted to take the team away he could do so. He usually keeps the horses up at his place, which is about half a mile from here.”
Forward they trudged along a narrow trail leading through the woods. Gif was at the front, with Spouter and Jack close behind and the others following. Feeling that the rabbits might be on the alert, they relapsed into silence, making practically no noise as they advanced.
They had covered a distance of several hundred feet when Jack, happening to glance overhead, saw something that interested him very much. A flock of wild ducks was circling about, and he pointed them out to Gif.
“I have often seen ‘em around here,” whispered Gif. “But you’d have to go a long distance to get ‘em unless you could shoot ‘em on the wing. They never settle down in the vicinity of the bungalow.”
“Some day I’m going to take a crack at them,” said Jack. “That is, if they fly low enough.”
Presently Gif slowed his pace and motioned for the others to do likewise. They had come out to where there was a small clearing. Here all gazed around sharply, trying to find some trace of the rabbit run Gif had mentioned.
“I see one!” exclaimed Spouter presently. “See him? Over yonder,” and he pointed with his hand.
“Yes! And there is another!” answered Jack.
“I see four or five of them,” put in Gif.
“Oh, say! there is our chance,” ejaculated Fred excitedly. “Let’s get busy at once,” and he made as if to raise his shotgun.
“Don’t fire yet,” cautioned Jack. “We’re not close enough.”
“Come on! I’ll show you a place where we’ll have a good chance to get at those rabbits,” said Gif. “Come, follow me.”
CHAPTER XV
A CRY FOR HELP
Making as little noise as possible, the other lads followed Gif back into the woods and then along a snow-laden trail skirting the clearing.
Less than two minutes’ walk brought the young hunters to a spot where were located a series of rough rocks, and here Gif motioned for his companions to halt.
“I think you will find the rabbits in the hollow just on the other side of these rocks,” he whispered. “Now get you guns ready before you show yourselves.”
Slowly and cautiously they mounted the rocks and then lay down in the snow on top. They peered into the hollow below, and presently made out the forms of at least a dozen rabbits running to and fro, evidently trying to find something among the trees and bushes opposite that would be fit to eat.
“We might as well fire all at the same time,” said Jack. “Because after the first shot those bunnies will do their best to get to cover.”
It was quickly decided that some of the hunters should shoot at the rabbits directly ahead, while others were to shoot at those to the right or to the left.
It must be admitted that Fred and Andy were trembling with excitement, and Randy was also agitated. The others were quite calm, or else they did not allow their real feelings to show. It was decided that Jack should give the order to fire.
“All right,” said the oldest Rover boy. “Now take aim, and when I say three, shoot.”
There were several seconds of silence during which all of the young hunters got in readiness to shoot. Then, while they were still aiming their weapons, one of the rabbits suddenly stopped running around and sat upright, directly facing them, with his long ears pointed skyward.
“Quick!” exclaimed Jack excitedly. “They see us! One—two—three! Fire!”
The six shotguns spoke almost as one piece, and as the reports echoed across the clearing and through the woods, several of the rabbits were seen to leap into the air and then fall back lifeless. Several others were seriously wounded, and these were speedily put out of their misery by a second shot from Gif and Spouter.
“Hurrah! Seven rabbits!” exclaimed Fred, running forward. “That’s what I call a pretty good start.”
“Come on, let us go after the others! Leave these where they are,” cried Jack, and plunged into the wood where he had seen several of the rabbits seeking refuge. He managed to bring down one of them, and Randy brought down another. The others got away.
“Nine rabbits is by no means a bad haul,” was Gif’s comment, after the boys had brought the dead game together.
“Enough for a splendid potpie, and then some,” came from Spouter.
“Do you suppose we can get any more?” exclaimed Andy. He was quite certain he had brought down one of the bunnies.
“We can try, Andy,” answered Gif. “It isn’t late yet, and the snow isn’t so deep but what it might be deeper.”
Having divided the rabbits between them, so that each lad might carry some of the game, they moved forward, across the little clearing, and then through the woods for the best part of a quarter of a mile. During that time they saw several squirrels, but were unable to get a shot at the frisky animals.
“A squirrel is as quick as they make ‘em,” declared Gif. “You’ve got to act like lightning to catch ‘em.”
By this time it was snowing so heavily that all concluded it would be a wise move to return to Cedar Lodge. The wind was rising, shaking the tops of the trees violently and causing a strange moaning sound through the thickets which was anything but pleasant.
“I’d hate to be caught out here all alone and in the darkness,” remarked Randy to Fred, as they trudged along.
“Would give a fellow the creeps, wouldn’t it?” was the reply.
As they continued on their way they kept their eyes wide open for the possible appearance of more game. But no animals showed themselves, nor did they see any birds circling through the snow, which seemed every moment to be coming down thicker than ever.
“If this snow continues and the wind keeps on rising, we’ll have a regular blizzard before morning,” announced Gif.
“Don’t say a word about the wind,” panted Andy, who had dropped a few paces behind, “My nose and my ears are almost frozen.”
“Well, thank goodness, Andy, we’re not very far from the Lodge. You’ll soon be able to warm up.”
They were still deep in the woods when from a distance they heard a peculiar whistle twice repeated.
“That’s Jed Wallop’s whistle,” announced Gif. “He must have just come in.”
He whistled in return, and presently they came out at a point where the cedars fringed the clearing in the midst of which was located the bungalow. They saw Jed Wallop standing outside the little stable and waved their hands to him, and he waved in return.
“Thought you might have gone out huntin’,” announced Wallop, when they came up. “Had some luck, too, I see.”
“Nine rabbits,” said Fred, a bit proudly.
“Good enough! I guess that means some good, old-fashioned rabbit stew to-night,” and Jed Wallop grinned.
He had not seen Gif’s note, and so the lads explained the situation, to which the man listened with much concern.
“Well, by gum! what do you know about that?” he ejaculated. “I certain did mix it when I give you them directions. I might o’ told you about turnin’ to the left when it come to the road past this lodge. You see, I got all twisted up in my mind as soon as I heard about my cousin, Tim Doolittle, bein’ hurt.”
“That’s just the way I figured it, Jed,” answered Gif. “However, as we got here at last it doesn’t matter.”
“Goin’ to have a pretty good fall o’ snow
, boys;” and Jed Wallop looked anxiously at the sky.
“Do you think we shall be snowed in?” questioned Randy.
“Might be—if the storm keeps up long enough. But you got plenty o’ provisions, ain’t you?”
“Oh, we’ve got enough to last us for a week or ten days,” answered Gif.
“Then I guess you’ll be all right. But say! maybe you fellers would like me to stay here with you?” continued Jed Wallop. “Not but wot you’re big enough to take care of yourselves.”
“We’ll get along all right, Jed. Don’t worry,” answered Gif.
“Then I’ll be a-takin’ the team and gettin’ over to my own place,” announced the man. “And I won’t lose no time, nuther. I don’t want to git stuck on the road with Mary and John. They are a purty good team, but they are apt to loose heart if the wind gits to blowin’ too strong agin ‘em.”
“How is your cousin getting along?” questioned Jack kindly.
“Oh, he’s a-doin’ tolerable. I took him over to our Uncle Joe’s, you know, and the women folks over there will give him the best o’ care.”
The boys assisted Jed Wallop to hook up the team to the boxsled, and in a few minutes more the man was off with a crack of his whip, which sent the team away at a fairly respectable pace.
“Now, have a good time!” he called back to the boys. “And don’t shoot all the game in the State.”
“When will you be back?” sang out Spouter.
“In a few days. If you want me before that time give the signal;” for it had been arranged that when the boys wanted Jed Wallop to come over from where he lived they were to shoot a gun two times twice in succession.
“He won’t have any sweet job of it getting to his place,” announced Fred.
“Fortunately, it isn’t a great distance off,” answered Gif. “If he had several miles to go, I doubt if he would be able to make it.”
Shutting up the stable and loading their arms with firewood from the shed, the six cadets made their way into the Lodge. When they opened the door the wind rushed in, causing the sparks and the ashes from the smouldering fire to fly in all directions.
“Shut that door!” Gif cried quickly. “My, how that wind is rising!”
“Maybe it’ll blow the bungalow over,” remarked Randy.
“Oh, I don’t believe it will get as bad as all that, Randy,” said Jack. “This looks as if it was a pretty substantial building.”
“You’re right,” came from Gif. “Those logs are good and heavy, and they were put together by some of the best workmen around here. This house won’t go down unless the woods go down with it. But I am mighty glad we are under shelter where we can take it comfortable.”
“Do you know what I think?” said Fred. “I think we ought to bring in more of that firewood. There is no telling if we’ll be able to get any of it by morning if this snow keeps coming down.”
“A good idea, Fred,” said Jack. “Let us go out at once and pile all the wood we can in the entryway beside the kitchen.”
Leaving Gif to stir up the fire so that the Lodge might get warm once more, the others hurried out to the woodshed. They made four trips from that place to the entryway beside the kitchen, each time bringing in all the logs they could carry.
“There! that wood ought to last us for two or three days,” declared Jack, when the task was done.
“Now I know what I’m going to do,” said Fred, as they re-entered the main building.
“What’s that?” queried Spouter.
“I’m going to get at those dishes.”
“So are we!” declared Andy and Randy in a breath.
Water was heated, and it did not take long to dispose of the dirty dishes. While the three boys were doing this, the others cleaned up the living room of the bungalow, and also straightened out their beds. From time to time all gazed out of the small-paned windows, to see that the snow was coming down as thickly as ever.
“We’re in for it, and no mistake,” said Gif finally. “I don’t think we’ll be able to do much hunting for a day or two.”
“Well, that will give us a good chance to rest,” declared Jack. “I don’t know but what I would just as lief take a nap after lunch. That tramp in the wind after the rabbits made me sleepy.”
All were rather tired, and as a consequence the lunch was an informal affair, the boys warming up and opening a large can of pork and beans and making themselves a large pot of steaming chocolate.
“We’ll have dinner to-night,” said Gif, and to this the others agreed.
Then they cleared the dishes away and took it easy, some resting in front of the fire and others on the beds in the rooms.
“If it gets much colder we’ll have to pull some of those beds out into the living room and close the doors to the bedrooms,” announced Gif. “I remember we did that one time when I was up here.”
By five o’clock the boys felt rested, and then began preparations for a regular dinner. Several of the rabbits were cleaned and cooked, and they also boiled some potatoes and onions. Then Gif and Jack prepared a pan of biscuits and a pot of tea.
“Some day I’m going to take a few hours off and make some pies and cakes,” announced Randy. He had always had a great liking for desserts.
“Yes, and don’t forget we’re going to make some candy, too,” added his twin.
In the evening the boys read some magazines they had brought along, and Jack and Spouter played checkers. Before retiring, they looked out of the windows, to find that it was snowing and blowing just as furiously as ever.
“It’s going to be a wild night, believe me,” announced Spouter. “I don’t believe there will be many people traveling around in this vicinity.”
They retired as they had done the night before, and soon, despite the whistling of the wind, all of the lads were sound asleep.
Suddenly Jack awakened with a start. How long he had been asleep he did not know. He sat up quickly, for he realized that some sound from without had awakened him.
“Help! Help!” came from outside the bungalow. “Help! Let us in! We’re freezing to death!”
CHAPTER XVI
UNDESIRABLE VISITORS
“Wake up, Fred! There is somebody at the door trying to get in!” called out Jack, as the cry from outside was repeated.
“What’s that? What’s the matter?” came sleepily from the other Rover boy.
From outside came a feeble kicking and pounding on the main door to the Lodge. Two boys were calling piteously for assistance.
“Get up, everybody!” sang out Jack, as he jumped up and stuck his feet into a pair of slippers which were handy.
His call and the noise from outside aroused Gif and Spouter, as well as Fred, and soon the four cadets were hurrying into the living room. They wore nothing but their pajamas, and slippers, but now each slipped hastily into his overcoat.
“Who is it?” demanded Gif, for he had no desire to have the Lodge overrun by a crowd of noisy and possibly half-drunken lumberjacks.
“It’s us—Bill Glutts and Gabe Werner,” was the faint reply. “Please leave us in before we are frozen to death.”
“Werner and Glutts!” ejaculated Fred. And now the continued noise brought Andy and Randy on the scene.
“What can they be doing out here this time of night?” demanded Fred.
“Say, let us in, won’t you?” came pleadingly in Gabe Werner’s voice. “You don’t want to let us freeze to death, do you?”
“What brought you here this time of night?” demanded Jack.
“We’re on our way to Tony Duval’s place,” answered Gabe Werner. “But the storm is so fierce we couldn’t get any further. Our horse is completely winded.”
“You are sure you are alone?” demanded Gif.
“Yes, yes! Please let us in. My nose and ears are frozen.”
The main door to the bungalow had not only been locked, but also barred. Now the door was unfastened, and Gif, with the others beside him, allowed the portal to swing open a few inches.
A terrible scene met their eyes. The snow was piled up against the door to the depth of two feet or more, and the wind was swirling the white particles in all directions, so that the snow came into the living room in a perfect cloud. In this mass of white stood Bill Glutts and Gabe Werner, their heavy clothing covered with a ghost-like mantle. Behind them was a one-seated sleigh drawn by a horse that looked ready to drop from exhaustion.
“Come in,” said Gif briefly.
No such invitation was needed, for as soon as the door was opened wide enough Bill Glutts staggered into the living room, followed by his crony. A swirl of snow followed them, and continued until Gif and Jack managed to close the door once more.
“Gee! I’m all in,” gasped Glutts, as he sank down on a chair close to the smouldering fire.
“I thought we’d drop before we got you fellows up,” added Werner. “You sure are some sleepers,” he grumbled, as he too sank down on a seat.
Ordinarily the Rovers and their chums would have treated these two bullies with scant courtesy. But now Glutts and Werner appeared to be suffering so much from the cold that they had not the heart to find fault with their enemies.
“I’ll stir up that fire a little,” said Gif, and did so while Andy and Randy went out into the entryway, to bring in some additional sticks of wood.
“We can’t leave that horse out there,” remarked Jack. “He’ll be frozen to death.”
“Well, I’m not going out to take care of him,” declared Gabe Werner quickly. “I wouldn’t go out in that storm again for a thousand dollars.”
“Neither would I,” growled Glutts. “The nag can look after himself.”
“That’s a shameful way to treat any animal, Glutts,” declared Gif. “But as you fellows seem to be so exhausted, we’ll look after him,” he continued.
“If you go out, Gif, I’ll go with you,” said Jack quickly. “But we had better slip some of our clothing right over our pajamas. I’ll bet it’s as cold as Greenland’s icy mountains around that stable.”
The Rover Boys Megapack Page 394