Part 34 (1/2)

”Hurrah! let us finish them!” cried Snap, and ran forward. The next instant he felt one of the wounded turkeys strike his face.

He caught the game by the legs and then received a peck in the hand that drew blood. Before the turkey could do any more harm the young hunter stunned it by a blow against the tree and then finished it. In the meantime the other hen was killed by Whopper, while Jed Sanborn took his gun and poked the gobbler out of the tree crotch and despatched him.

”Certainly a good haul, boys,” said the old hunter, when the temporary excitement was over. ”You'll have turkey meat enough to last some time.”

”I know what I am going to do with the gobbler, if you'll let me,”

said Whopper. ”I am going to send him home to my folks, if Jed will carry him.”

”Sure I will, my lad, and I'll carry some more if you wish,” Jed continued, looking at the other young hunters.

”Let each of us send a turkey home,” suggested Snap. ”That will show the folks that we are not starving.” And so it was agreed.

Tying the turkeys in a bunch, they put them in a safe place on a tree and then continued up the mountainside. The recent rains had cleared the sky and washed the bushes and gra.s.s, and the view was a most charming one. Soon they came to a small clearing and from this could see over a large portion of the lake's surface.

”It certainly is a wild place,” was Snap's comment. ”But some day the lumbermen will get in here, and then you'll see this forest melt like magic.”

”Yes, and half the charm will be gone,” added Jed Sanborn. ”Not much left after a saw mill gets started in a place like this.”

Noon came and found them well up on the mountain. So far they had seen no game but the turkeys, nor had they seen a further trace of the wildcats. They sat down in an open spot for lunch, and rested for half an hour afterward.

When the hunt was resumed Jed Sanborn turned along the mountainside, where there were a series of shelving rocks. He had gone but a short distance when he uttered a cry:

”A bear! a bear!”

”Where?” asked all of the others simultaneously.

”Over on yonder cliff! There he goes!”

The young hunters looked in the direction indicated, and saw a bear leaping swiftly from rock to rock. Almost before they knew it he was out of sight. They were too far away to take a shot, much to their disappointment.

”Any use of going after him?” asked Whopper.

”Not now,” answered Jed Sanborn. ”He'll be on guard all day. You can come back some other day if you want to. But be careful he don't chew ye up.”

Again they went on, and now came to a slight hollow on the mountainside. Suddenly Snap saw something moving cautiously over the rocks close at hand.

”There's a wildcat!” he cried, and swinging around his gun he fired.

The wildcat was. .h.i.t in the side but kept on. Then Giant fired, hitting the beast in the head, and it rolled from the rocks to a position almost at their feet.

”Is it dead?” asked the doctor's son.

”Dead as a door nail,” announced the small youth, after an examination.

”I think that wildcat came from yonder hole in the rocks,” said Snap, pointing to the opening in question.

”If he did there may be more of them there,” answered Whopper.

”How can we find out?”