“Now for a good old-fashioned outing in the woods! Boys, we ought to have a bully time!”
It was Gif who spoke, two days later. The boys had seen the girls off on the train at Oak Run across the river from Dexter’s Corners and were returning to the farm. He was running one car while Randy was running the other.
The leave-taking at the last minute had been rather hurried, for the reason that the train was coming in when they arrived. Consequently Jack had had little opportunity to speak to Ruth. Previous to the coming away she had held somewhat aloof from him, and for some reason he could not fathom she had not seemed to care whether he came after her or not.
This was exactly opposite to the situation between Fred and Spouter’s cousin. May and Fred were seen together nearly all the time, and all of the others came to the conclusion that these young folks had some sort of an understanding between them.
“We’ll have a fine time if the weather holds good,” said Randy. “But deliver me from an outing up in those woods if it rains for several days.”
“Oh, see here, don’t be a wet blanket so soon!” cried his twin. “It’s not going to rain for a month. I bribed the weather man to hold off.”
The boys had already decided on where they were going—to a regular hunting lodge in the woods—and what they would take along. Back of the farm was a swiftly flowing river upon which at one point was located Humpback Falls. Beyond this were wide stretches of woodland containing not a few small streams flowing into the river. Here the boys had often gone hunting and fishing.
“We can’t do much in the way of hunting,” declared Jack. “Nearly everything is out of season. Of course you might get a crow, or something like that. But who wants a crow, anyway?”
“I’d like to haul in a good mess of trout,” said Gif wistfully.
While at Dexter’s Corners and at the railroad station the boys had made a number of inquiries concerning Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell, but obtained no trace of these unworthies. Now in the pleasure of getting ready for their outing their former enemies were forgotten.
“I’ll tell you what we might do,” said Randy, while they were packing their things. “Why can’t we do some real hunting with our cameras? We might get some dandy pictures of wild animals and other subjects.”
“That suits me,” came from Gif. “I’ve got a brand-new camera with me, and I’d like first rate to snap something worth while.”
“How about a fifteen-foot snake with three knots in his little tail?” suggested Andy.
“No! If I snap a snake I want nothing less than a two-headed anaconda!” was the merry reply. “One that has a couple of humps on his back like a camel.”
“What’s the matter with taking a picture of some butterfly eggs?” questioned Fred.
“No, I want a snapshot of a caterpillar resting on a pillow against a pillar,” finished Jack, and then there was a general laugh.
The next day dawned clear and warm and the boys were up for an early breakfast. Each had donned a regular hiking costume, and each carried his stuff in a roll in regular military fashion. They had reduced their stores to a minimum, knowing that they could easily hike over to one of the nearby villages if they happened to run short of provisions.
“Going out to shoot elephants, eh?” was Grandfather Rover’s comment, as he stood up on rather shaky legs to bid them good-bye. “Well, don’t blow your heads off. You’ll need them trying to find your way back.”
“If we see any elephants I’ll bring a trunk back for you!” cried Andy. “A trunk full of assorted sneezes.”
“Don’t get shot, any of you,” admonished Aunt Martha. “And be careful and don’t fall in the river. Just remember that when he was a boy Fred’s father nearly lost his life at Humpback Falls.”
“And don’t get lost in the woods,” added Uncle Randolph. “Have you a compass with you?”
“Yes, we’ve got a compass, Uncle Randolph,” answered Jack. “And we won’t get lost, either. We’ve been through those woods hundreds of times.”
“Sorry you can’t shoot no rabbits dis time o’ year,” remarked Aleck Pop, when the boys were leaving. “You mought brung me home a few more rabbits’ foots jest fur luck.”
“Oh, we’ll bring you a buskarora, Aleck!” exclaimed Andy.
“A buskarora! What’s dat? Some new kind of animal?”
“A buskarora, Aleck, is a second cousin to a three-armed jaspinilla,” answered Andy soberly. “They live in caves with jusjupacks and rusbunions.”
“Rusbunions! Is dat something like my own bunions?” questioned the colored man.
“Almost, but entirely different. We’ll bring you a couple of pounds or two or three feet of them—just as you prefer.”
“Don’t you brung nothing like dat around me, Andy Rover. Sech strange t’ings might bite. By golly, ain’t it wonderful what dem boys learn when dey goes to school? I suppose dem high-soundin’ names don’t mean nothing but bullfrogs or tadpoles and sech things,” and the old colored man shuffled off shaking his head thoughtfully.
It did not take the boys long to reach the river, and they walked along until they found a good fording place and here took off their shoes and sport stockings and waded across.
“If we weren’t so anxious to get along, I’d say we might go in swimming,” suggested Fred.
“Oh, there are plenty of good places to swim besides this,” answered Randy. “Let’s wait until we get up near the old spring.”
On such a hot day it was a relief to get in the woods. Mile after mile was covered, Jack and Randy leading the way and the others close behind. Here and there, climbing over and around the rocks was more or less difficult and once Spouter missed his footing and rolled over and over, to bring up in a tangle of brushwood.
“Hi! Somebody give me a hand!” he yelled. “I’m all tangled up down here!” And then the others had considerable difficulty in getting him out of his predicament without ruining his clothing and the outfit he carried.
By noon they had covered eight or nine miles and came to rest at a small opening where was located the spring that had been mentioned. Here there was a large pool of water, and the boys took a short swim before sitting down to eat.
“Jimminy beeswax!” chattered Fred, after plunging in. “Who said this was a hot bath? It’s as cold as Greenland’s icy fountains!”
The boys took their time over their lunch, and it was after two o’clock when they resumed their hike. So far they had seen little or no game except some birds and had not attempted to do any shooting.
“Look! See the chipmunks!” cried Fred presently, and pointed to a fallen tree some distance ahead. There were five chipmunks having a merry time running in and out of the tree, which chanced to be hollow.
“There’s a snapshot worth getting,” announced Gif. “Come on! Let’s see what we can do.”
All were willing, and, throwing down their loads, they got out their cameras and were soon crawling cautiously towards the tree trunk. Then they prepared to snap their pictures, but just as they were ready the chipmunks took alarm and disappeared as if by magic.
“Sold!” cried Randy, in disgust. “A fine bunch of photographers we are!”
“We should have carried our cameras ready for use. Then we might have got some fine snapshots,” answered Spouter.
They advanced upon the tree trunk and looked all around that vicinity, but if the chipmunks were anywhere near they did not show themselves. So presently, with nothing else to do, the boys continued on their way. The Rovers knew of a good-sized shack several miles farther on, and there they thought they might rest for the first night out.
A little farther on they came rather unexpectedly upon a roadway, and here was located a fair-sized clearing where a man ran a small farm. As they came closer they heard a woman calling out shrilly.
“Tommy! The crows are after those little chickens again! Run and chase ’em away—quick! Oh, dear, with all those crows around we can’t raise anything any more!” And then a red-headed boy appeared, waving a gingham apron in his hand.
The Rover boys and their chums looked up and only a short distance away saw a large flock of crows circling over one side of the farm where were located several chicken houses. On the ground were a number of little chicks, and the crows were evidently after some of these.
“There’s our chance! Quick!” yelled Jack, and without further ado he unslung his gun.
The others understood, and all waited until each had his firearm ready for use. In the meantime Fred had run over to the boy and told him to stop waving the apron.
“We’ll give those crows something to remember us by,” said the youngest of the Rover boys.
“All ready!” yelled Jack. “Take aim!” He paused another instant. “Fire!”
Bang! Crack! Bang! went the guns in almost a perfect volley. The reports were followed by a scream from the woman in the house and a yell of delight from the red-headed boy. Then nine of the crows were seen to be coming down, some dropping rapidly, showing they had been killed instantly, and others fluttering as if badly wounded. With loud caws the other birds wheeled abruptly and flew out of sight.
“That’s the time we brought ’em down!” cried Jack, in satisfaction. “Those crows at least won’t bother any more chickens.”
“Gosh! but you’re some hunters, ain’t you?” said the red-headed boy, his eyes wide in wonder.
“Oh, that was easy,” answered Jack. “Come on, fellows, let’s go after the birds that we wounded and put them out of their misery.”
Three of the crows had been only wounded, and they were quickly dispatched, and then the boys walked back to the farmhouse where they found a lean woman awaiting them.
“You young men certainly came in the nick of time,” she declared emphatically. “I’m very much obliged to you, and I’m sure my husband will be too when he gets back from his work. Those crows are the plague of my life. I can’t keep the chicks locked up all the time, they need the air and the sunshine. But every time I let ’em out those crows get after them.”
“Want them crows?” asked the red-headed boy.
“No. You can have them,” answered Jack. “But I wouldn’t mind having a drink of water,” he added.
A well was handy and while the crowd was having a drink the woman continued to talk about her troubles.
“The crows are troubling us all the time, and once in a while we have a tramp or two come here,” she vouchsafed. “And yesterday I had two young men stop here and they were just as impudent as they could be.”
This remark interested the Rovers and their chums and they immediately asked the woman for some particulars. She said the two undesirable visitors had lost something on the road and insisted that Tommy help them in hunting for it and then had insisted that she supply them with lunch, asking in anything but a friendly fashion. The two young men had gone off only when Tommy had come in announcing that his father was coming down the road.
“What were the names of those young men?” questioned Fred.
“They didn’t give their names,” answered the woman, “but one called the other Nappy and he called the first fellow Slugger.”
“Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell again!” exclaimed Randy. “Can you beat it?”