Part 39 (1/2)
He looked at his chums and they nodded, to show that they agreed with him. The two men looked rather dissatisfied.
”So you won't take the deer meat, even after we carried it away over here?” said Vance Lemon.
”No.”
”That isn't a very friendly way to act.”
”Well, you didn't act very friendly in the first place,” answered Shep.
”Having pretty good luck, you say?” asked Giles Faswig, curiously.
”The very best of luck,” answered the leader of the Gun flub, and mentioned some of the game brought down. ”So you can easily see we don't need this venison at all,” he added.
At this the two men looked at each other and murmured something the boys could not catch.
”We came over to--er--to do a little trading,” said Giles Faswig. ”Got plenty of ammunition on hand, I reckon.”
”All we wish,” answered Snap, and then he suddenly ”smelt a mouse,” as the saying goes, and winked at his chums.
”We thought so, and we thought we'd help you out by buying some from you. What sizes have you got?”
”Snap, you don't--” whispered Shep.
”Hush, Shep. Let me run this,” whispered the leader of the club, in return. Then he turned to the two men again and mentioned what kinds of ammunition they used and how much they had on hand.
”Thought so,” said Giles Lemon. ”We'll take half of what you've got and pay you double price for it.”
”What!” came from Giant and Whopper, but Snap merely shook his head and winked at them, and then they said no more.
”That's a fair deal, isn't it?” asked Giles Faswig, oilily. ”You'll make a clean dollar and a half by the operation.”
”We don't want your money,” said Snap, decidedly.
”Eh?” came from both men.
”I wouldn't sell you our ammunition at any price, and I don't think my friends care to either.”
”That's the talk,” put in Shep.
”You don't get anything out of us,” murmured Giant.
”Not by a jugful!” added Whopper.
”Then you won't sell us any ammunition?” asked Vance Lemon, and his face grew as sour as the fruit his name represented.
All of the young hunters shook their heads with vigor.
”We'll pay you triple price,” said Giles Faswig. ”Come, that will be easy money for you.”
”Not if you offer us a hundred times the value of the ammunition,”