CHAPTER X
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
The doctor's son and Whopper had no easy time of it making their way through the bushes and around the rocks which lined the watercourse between the two lakes. There was no trail on that side of the stream, and they had to "go it blind," to use Shep's words.
"Say, this is worse than climbing a mountain!" gasped Whopper, after slipping and sliding over a number of rocks and coming down rather suddenly in a hollow.
"Rather knocks the breath out of a fellow," returned Shep. "Take care that you don't sprain an ankle, Whopper."
"That's what I'm watching out for. I don't want my whole outing spoiled."
After a large amount of hard walking and climbing they managed to cover about half the distance to Firefly Lake. But by that time both were so exhausted the doctor's son called a halt.
"No use of killing ourselves," he said. "We can't go any farther than the lake to-day, anyway."
"Hope Snap and Giant wait for us at the mouth of the river," said
Whopper. "I don't want to tramp along the lake shore afoot."
"Oh, they'll wait, and mostly likely start a camp."
"Say, if I remember rightly the river makes a bend to the right here," went on Whopper after a pause. "And if that is so, what's the matter with our striking inland a short distance and cutting off some of the walk?"
"I'm willing—-anything to reach Firefly Lake before it gets too dark to see."
Having rested themselves, the boys commenced to draw away from the river shore, taking to the woods, where the walking was easier. It was now close to six o'clock, and the sun was going down over the trees to the westward.
"Hope they have supper ready by the time we get there," said Whopper after a period of silence. "This transit is making me as hungry as a bear."
"Same here. Well, we'll have the partridge to fall back on, even if they don't cook anything else."
The two young hunters tramped on. As they walked they kept their eyes open for a possible sight of game. So far all they had seen were some birds, not worth shooting.
Another quarter of a mile was covered when they came to a patch of spruces. As they advanced they saw several rabbits leap from beside one of the trees.
"A chance for a shot!" cried the doctor's son, and speedily swung his shotgun into position, an example followed by his chum. Both young hunters blazed away without delay, and each was successful in laying a rabbit low. Before they could fire again the rest of the game was out of sight.
"Not very large," was Shep's comment as they picked up the game. "But the rabbits are young, and they'll make fine eating."
"It is a good thing that new game law isn't in effect yet," said
Whopper. "If it was we'd not be allowed to shoot rabbits until next
October."
"You are right, Whopper—-hunting will be a good deal more restricted after the new laws go into effect."
Placing the rabbits in a gamebag, the two chums walked on, past the clump of spruces and then across a little clearing. Here, much to their surprise, they came in sight of a dilapidated cabin. It was a small affair of rough logs with a rude stone chimney and one window and one door. One end of the cabin sagged greatly, as if on the point of falling down.
"I hadn't any idea this was here," was the comment of the doctor's son. "Wonder who it can belong to?"
"Perhaps some hunters put it up in days gone by," returned Whopper.
"It doesn't look as if it was inhabited."
"Let's go in and take a look around," suggested Shep. It was his delight to poke around in new and odd places.
"We don't want to lose time," was his chum's reply. "It will be dark before you know it."
"Oh, it won't take long to look," answered Shep.
The old cabin was surrounded by weeds and bushes, and they had to fairly work their way to the doorway.
"Somebody has been here, that's certain," cried the doctor's son.
"Here are eggshells and newly picked chicken feathers."
"Hello, in there!" cried Whopper, poking his head into the small doorway. He could not see, for the cabin inside was dark.
Scarcely had the word been uttered when a most surprising thing happened. Something whizzed through the air, directly between the heads of the two boy hunters. It was a good-sized chunk of wood, and it struck a rock outside with a thud.
"Why—-why—-stop that!" stammered Whopper, and fell back, and Shep did the same.
"Evidently somebody doesn't want visitors," was the comment of the doctor's son. "I say," he called out, "what do you mean by heaving that wo——-"
Crash! From the interior of the cabin came another chunk of wood, a gnarled root, just grazing Shep's shoulder. Then a stone followed, striking Whopper a glancing blow on the hip. Both lads retreated in confusion.
"Well, of all things!" gasped the doctor's son when he could get his breath. "That's a cordial welcome, I must say."
"Have you any idea who it was?"
"Not the slightest. It was too dark to see anybody."
"Couldn't be any of the Ham Spink crowd?"
"No. I don't think they'd treat us in just that way."
"Maybe it's some crazy chap."
"That's more like it—-some hermit like old Peter Peterson," returned Shep, referring to an old man who lived near the lakes and who rarely showed himself in any of the settlements.
"Peter Peterson wasn't crazy; he didn't heave things at folks."
"Let us see if we can get him to come out. I'd like to see what sort of a chap he is."
Keeping at what they thought was a safe distance, the two boy hunters called loudly half a dozen times. No answer was returned.
"Perhaps he's deaf," suggested Whopper.
"More likely he doesn't want to show himself."
"Maybe it's a she, Shep."
"Possibly. If it's a woman she must be a regular witch. Let us call again."
They did so. At first they heard nothing in return. Then came a strange sound from the cabin, and for one brief instant a dark, impish face showed itself at the broken window. Then the face disappeared and a stone came whizzing toward the lads' heads. They ducked just in time, or one or the other might have been seriously hurt.
"Let's get out—-no use of staying here to be a target!" cried Whopper, who was growing nervous. "No telling what that fellow—-or woman—-may do next. Might come for us with a carving knife!" And he hurried away, with the doctor's son beside him. They did not slacken their pace until the dilapidated cabin had disappeared from view.
"Did you see him—-or her?" asked Shep.
"Just about and no more. What a dried-up, hateful face!"
"Just what I thought. I'll wager that that person, whoever he or she is, is as mad as a—-a crazy person can be."
"I believe you, and I don't know as I want to go near that cabin again."
"We ought to tell the authorities about it, though. That person might kill somebody some day."
"Well, we can tell the police when we go back."
"Could it be some tramp, who is living on farmers' chickens and the like?"
"It might be. But I think it's somebody who's crazy. A tramp wouldn't find it any fun to live away out here. Why, it must be two miles, at least, to the nearest farm."
"More like three."
"Tramps like to stay near the farms and near railroads. No, that's some kind of a crazy hermit."
Discussing the happening from every point of view, the two lads trudged on. It was now growing dark rapidly, and they were anxious to reach Firefly Lake.
"Hope we haven't missed the way," said the doctor's son presently.
"Seems to me we ought to be getting to the river or the lake soon."
"Here's a rise of ground. I'm going up there and take a look," answered his chum.
From the small hill they made out the glint of water in the distance, and they also saw the glare of the camp fire Snap and Giant had started.
"Might as well steer straight for the camp fire," said Shep. "It will save us some walking."
When within a few hundred feet of the camp they set up a loud
whistle, to which the others immediately responded. Then Snap and
Giant came to meet them, and relieved them of some of the things.
A little later all were seated around the camp fire.
"So you got through all O.K., eh?" said the doctor's son, after Snap and Giant had told their story. "Well, so did we—-but we had some queer things happen." And then he and Whopper told of the tumbles, and of what had occurred at the old cabin in the woods.
"Say, wish I had been along!" cried Snap. "I'd like to investigate that cabin and see who is there."
"You wouldn't want to investigate a block of wood or a stone thrown at your head, would you?" demanded Whopper sarcastically.
"Maybe we could go there when the hermit—-or whatever he or she is—-is asleep," went on Snap. He always believed in getting at the bottom of a mystery.
"If you go there you'll go without me," declared Whopper firmly. "I wouldn't tempt that—-er—-crazy fellow again for a billion dollars! Why, he might come out and carve a chap all up with a butcher knife, or blow your head off with a gun!"
Supper was ready, and while they were talking the young hunters managed to stow away a hearty meal, after, which all felt better. But the experiences of the day had worn them out, and each was glad enough to retire early.
"We want to be stirring early to-morrow," said the doctor's son. "We want to go up the lake and then begin to tote the outfit over the hills to the mountains."
"How about it—-going to set a guard?" asked Giant.
"Wonder if we can't put Wags on guard?" asked Snap.
"I think he'd bark if anything came to disturb us," came from
Whopper.
"We'll tie him to the front tent pole," said the doctor's son. "Then he won't be able to run off, and more than likely he'll bark if anything goes wrong."
They fixed the camp fire and then tied the collie fast by a cord slipped under his collar. Evidently Wags was used to this treatment, for he did not seem to mind it in the least. The young hunters entered the tent, and in less than a quarter of an hour all were sound asleep.
Thus an hour passed. Then, of a sudden, all the lads found themselves wide awake. Wags was barking furiously, and the hair of his body seemed to be fairly standing on end.