Part 8 (1/2)
”And there he is!” added the other, quickly, ”just at the foot of that fir tree!”
They made a spurt, and were soon bending over the deer, which they found quite dead, though life had evidently just departed. Lil Artha could hardly contain himself. He insisted on shaking hands several times with Elmer, and then did the same thing with himself, bubbling over with delight.
”Oh! tell me I'm not dreaming, Elmer, and that I have really and truly shot a fine deer, just when we needed it the worst kind?”
”There's no mistake about it, old fellow, because here's your deer as plain as anything,” Elmer a.s.sured him, not a little pleased himself at the great success that had accompanied their hunt.
”Think how the other fellows will yell when they see it!” Lil Artha continued, ”and Toby needn't be afraid he's going to starve yet a while, need he?”
”I should think not,” the scout master admitted; ”when there's all this fresh venison to be cooked. The country is saved, Lil Artha, and you're the lucky one to be our George Was.h.i.+ngton. The boys will be wanting to kneel down and kiss the back of your hand.”
”If they try any of that softy business they'll take a back seat in a hurry, let me tell you,” was what the matter-of-fact scout remarked.
”But, Elmer, ain't it queer that somehow the snow woods don't look quite so dreary to me now? Fact is, I kind of think this is as pretty a sight as I've seen for a long time.”
Elmer laughed at hearing that.
”They always say circ.u.mstances alter cases, Lil Artha, and when I hear you talking that way I know it's true. When a man's as hungry as he can be and yet live, the world looks different to him from what it does an hour later after some kind friend has filled him up. This deer gives you the magic spectacles through which you view things in an altogether different light.”
”I guess you're right, Elmer,” admitted the other; ”I was feeling blue, and so I looked at everything through blue gla.s.ses. Now I'm seeing rosy.
But say, however will we manage?”
”You mean about getting the game back to camp, I reckon, Lil Artha?”
”That's what I'm striking at, Elmer. We must be some distance off, and I should think the deer would weigh between a hundred-and-fifty and two hundred pounds; a pretty hefty load for two boys, with all this snow around. And yet to have to stop so as to cut the deer up would delay us like fun.”
”Wait, and let's look around for a strong pole,” suggested Elmer, who had seen heavier game than this carried for miles by two husky cow punchers or hunters. ”I have some good stout cord along, which we'll use to tie his forelegs together, and then the hind ones ditto. The pole will pa.s.s through, and is carried on a shoulder of each. That's the way hunters always get their shoot to camp, if there are a pair of them.”
The necessary pole was soon discovered, and they managed by means of jumping on the same to reduce it to the required length. Then the scout master made good use of his cord in order to secure the legs of the deer in such a way as to afford a hold when the pole was shoved through.
Nothing now remained but to lift the game, and start over the back trail.
As long as the light held they would find no difficulty whatever in keeping on the track; and should twilight rapidly change into darkness Elmer had his bearings so that he could lead aright.
Lil Artha had considered that he was ”dog-tired” up to the time he started that deer from where it had been lying in some brush; but this was forgotten in the excitement of the hour. When glorious success rewards the efforts of the hunter he seems to have been granted a new lease of life; and weariness is forgotten.
All the same the load was no light one, and the going very bad. Many times they staggered, and once both of them fell down. But the snow prevented any injury, and they were in too satisfied a frame of mind to complain.
”We'll have our revenge all right later on, Lil Artha!” the scout master told his comrade as they got up and dug the snow out of their ears, as well as shook another acc.u.mulation free from their collars.
”That's right, we will,” a.s.sented the other, ”and for every tumble like that I promise myself an additional chunk of deer meat for supper.
Another thing, Elmer, we ought to remember; the heavier the game the more grub we'll have.”
”You know how to see the bright side of things, Lil Artha,” Elmer told him.
”Oh! anybody can when success comes along. It takes fellows like you to keep smiling when things are going wrong all around. But I've learned a lesson, Elmer, and after this I won't despair, no matter how dark the clouds look.”
”If one deer can reform a scout, what would big game like an elephant do?” asked Elmer, ”but then again I'm a little sorry too, Lil Artha.”
”What for?” demanded the panting hunter who held up the other end of the pole that bent under the weight of the suspended game.