UNEXPECTED VISITORS
"Oh, say! we've got to bring down at least one of those wild turkeys!" cried Andy.
"Keep quiet," admonished Jack, speaking in a whisper. "If those turkeys hear you they'll be gone in a jiffy."
"I didn't know there were any wild turkeys around here," remarked Randy. "I thought they had been all cleaned out long ago."
"They are getting very scarce," answered Uncle Barney, "but once in a while you will see a small flock of them. I was after that flock about a week ago, but they got away from me. I've a notion that it's about the last flock in this district."
While this talk was going on in low tones of voice, all of the Rovers had abandoned the bobsled and were moving toward the shore of the island.
"You had better come this way and crawl up in the shelter of yonder rocks and brushwood," advised Uncle Barney. "And don't shoot until you have a good aim and know what you're shooting at," he concluded.
It must be admitted that all of the boys were somewhat excited over the prospect ahead. They caught only a brief glance at the game, but felt certain that it was close at hand.
"Wild turkeys are a good sight better than rabbits or squirrels, or even pheasants," said Fred. "They'll make dandy eating."
"Don't eat them until after you have shot them, Fred," remarked Andy dryly.
"Hush," warned Jack. "Now, make as little noise as possible, and each of you hold his gun ready for use."
They had not stopped to take off their skates, but this was unnecessary, for the snow was deep and the skates merely kept them from slipping. They pushed on around some large rocks, and then in between the thick brushwood, where the snow fell upon their heads and shoulders, covering them with white—something which was to their advantage, as it aided them in hiding themselves from the game. Not far away they could hear the wild turkeys, one in particular giving the peculiar gobble by which they are well known.
"I see them," whispered Fred a minute later, and pointed with his gun.
There in a little clearing some distance ahead was a tall and long turkey gobbler surrounded by a number of hens. They were plump and of a peculiar black and bronzed color.
"Let's all fire together. Maybe we can bring down the whole flock!" exclaimed Randy, and his manner showed that he was growing quite excited.
"All right—I'm willing," answered Jack. "But let us see if we can't get a little nearer first."
"Maybe if we try to get closer they'll get away from us," said Andy.
"Keep your guns pointed at them, and if they start to leave fire as quickly as you can," answered Jack, and then he moved forward with his cousins ranged on either side of him.
The Rover boys had advanced but a few paces when the wild turkeys caught sight of them. The turkey cock issued a loud note of alarm, and all started to fly from the low bushes upon which they had been resting.
"Fire!" yelled Jack, and discharged his rifle.
The crack of this weapon was followed by the report of Fred's shotgun, and then the twins also let drive. Then Fred fired again, and so did some of the others.
At the first report the turkey cock was seen to rise in the air, followed by some of the hens, while two hens dropped lifeless in the snow. The turkey cock, however, was seriously wounded and fluttered around in a circle.
"Give him another shot!" yelled Fred, whose gun was empty; and thereupon Jack and Randy fired and the gobbler fell directly at their feet. He was not yet dead, but they quickly put him out of his misery by wringing his neck. By this time the hens which had flown away were out of sight.
"Two hens and one gobbler!" cried Jack, as he surveyed the game. "I think we can congratulate ourselves on this haul."
"You certainly can!" exclaimed Uncle Barney, as he plowed up behind the boys. "Wild turkeys are no mean game to bring down, let me tell you! I've tried time and again to get a turkey, and somehow or other it would always get away from me."
"Some size to this gobbler!" remarked Fred. "And some weight, too," he added, as he picked the turkey cock up by the legs.
"He'll weigh sixteen or eighteen pounds at least," said the old lumberman, as he took the turkey cock from the youngest Rover boy and held the game out in both hands. "Yes, sir! every bit of eighteen—and he may go twenty. You'll have a dandy meal off of him."
"I know what I'd like to do," said Randy wistfully. "I'd like to send him home to the folks."
"That's the talk!" returned his twin. "Why can't we do it?"
"I'm willing," answered Jack. "The express company ought to know how to pack game like that so it will carry properly."
"They'll pack anything you want them to down at the railroad station," said Uncle Barney. "There is a man there who makes a specialty of that sort of thing for hunters. He'll see that the turkey reaches your folks in New York in first-class shape."
"We can send the gobbler home and keep the two hens," said Fred. "That will make eating enough for us, I'm sure. They must weigh at least seven or eight pounds apiece."
"All of that," came from the old lumberman.
Much elated over the success of their first effort at hunting on Snowshoe Island, the Rovers picked up the game and made their way back to where they had left the bobsled. They placed the turkeys on the sled, and then resumed their journey once more.
"We're coming up to the end of the island now," announced Barney Stevenson presently, and a minute later they made a turn around some trees lining the shore and came into view of a cleared spot, containing a small boat-landing. Beyond the cleared spot, backed up by some tall pines and hemlocks, were two fair-sized cabins, standing about a hundred feet apart.
"That's the cabin I use," explained the old lumberman, pointing to the building on the right. "The other is the one you can make yourselves at home in."
The setting for the two cabins was an ideal one, and the boys could well imagine how beautiful the place must look in the summer time with the green trees, and the cleared space sloping down to the great lake. Now, of course, the ground, as well as the trees and brushwood, was heavily covered with snow, and the snow hung down off the rough roof of each cabin.
"I'll take you directly over to the cabin you are to occupy," said Uncle Barney. "I've got it all in shape for you, with plenty of firewood and everything."
He led the way, and they followed, dragging the bobsled behind them. The door to the cabin had been locked, for the old lumberman stated that he did not wish any outside hunters or other people to take possession during his absence.
"Of course, a good many of the hunters and lumberman are my friends," he explained. "But then there are often strangers, and some of those fellows wouldn't be above carrying off anything that suited their fancy."
The boys gave cries of delight when he took them into the cabin which they were to occupy during their stay on the island. They found it a fairly large place, divided into two rooms, one a general living-room and the other a sleeping apartment. In the former was located a fairly well-made table, a couple of benches, and also a swinging shelf, containing quite an assortment of dishes, while at one side there was a big open fireplace, and in a corner a small closet furnished with numerous kitchen utensils.
The other apartment contained three regular bunks and a temporary one put in for the occasion; and these bunks were well spread with fresh pine boughs and camp blankets. The opening from one room into the next was so located that the warmth from the fire in the living-room could easily reach the sleeping apartment.
"Say, this is bang-up!" exclaimed Randy.
"It's the best ever!" echoed Fred.
"It's a peach!" was Andy's comment.
"I certainly didn't expect anything half as good as this, Uncle Barney," remarked Jack, his eyes showing his pleasure. "If we don't have a good time here, it certainly won't be your fault."
"Then you really like it, do you, boys?" asked the old lumberman anxiously.
"I certainly don't know how it could be better," remarked Randy. "And just look at the dishes and things to cook with!"
"And these fine bunks!" exclaimed his twin, sitting down on one. "Why, this is just as good as a hair mattress!"
"And how sweet the pine boughs smell!" murmured Fred.
"If you boys want to send that turkey cock home, you had better let me take it down to Rockville to-day," said the old lumberman. "I won't mind the trip at all," he added, as he saw that some of them were going to remonstrate. "Fact is, I forgot to get some of the things I was going to buy yesterday. So if you'll just make yourselves at home here, I'll go down there and be back some time before nightfall."
"Don't you want to wait until after dinner?" questioned Jack.
"No. I'll get something to eat while I'm in town."
The matter was talked over, and it was finally arranged that Barney Stevenson should return to Rockville with the turkey cock and have it shipped by express to the Rover boys' folks in New York. Jack wrote out a card, which was to be sent with the game, and also another card to be tacked on the box in which it was to be shipped. Then the old lumberman hurried over to his own cabin to get ready for the journey.
"Won't our folks be surprised when they get that box!" exclaimed Fred. "I wish I could be there to see them."
"They'll know we didn't lose any time going hunting," added Andy, with a happy laugh.
When the old hunter had departed with the turkey cock, the boys hung up the dead hens and then proceeded to make themselves at home in the cabin which had been assigned to them. They had quite something to do to build a fire and to unpack and stow away the various things which they had brought along, and almost before they were aware it was time for dinner.
"Shall we eat the game to-day?" questioned Randy.
"Oh, let us wait until to-morrow. Then Uncle Barney will be with us, and he can enjoy it, too," answered Jack, and so it was decided. Then the boys started in to get such a meal as their stores and the things which the old lumberman had turned over to them provided.
It was great fun, and all of them felt in the best of spirits. Andy could hardly keep himself down, and had to whistle at the top of his lungs, and even do a jig or two while he moved about.
"It's going to be the best outing ever!" he declared over and over again.
"Yes, and won't we have something to tell when we get back to Colby Hall!" put in Fred.
It was over an hour later before dinner was ready. Having had such an early breakfast, the boys did full justice to all the things they had cooked, and they spent quite some time over the meal. After that they continued to put the cabin in order, and cleaned their skates, and also looked over their guns.
"We'll have to try these snowshoes to-morrow," announced Jack, referring to a number of such articles which Barney Stevenson had hung on the walls of the cabin. "Maybe we'll almost break our necks at first, but there is nothing like getting used to a thing."
"What do you mean? Getting used to breaking your neck?" questioned Andy dryly, and this brought forth a laugh all around.
About the middle of the afternoon the boys found themselves with but little to do, and Fred suggested that they might go out and look for more game.
"Oh, let's take it easy for the rest of the day, and go out early in the morning," cried Randy.
"Let us go over to the other cabin and take a look around," suggested Andy. "I'm sure old Uncle Barney won't mind. He's a fine old gentleman, even though he is rather peculiar."
"I want to talk to him about Ruth Stevenson's folks some time," said Jack; "but I'm afraid I'm going to have a hard time getting at it."
Andy led the way out of the cabin, and the four boys had almost reached the place used by the old lumberman when suddenly Fred gave a cry.
"Here come two men from the lake!"
"Maybe it's Uncle Barney coming back with one of his friends," said Andy.
"No; neither of the men walks like the old lumberman," announced his twin.
"One of those men looks familiar to me," burst out Jack. He gazed intently at the advancing pair.
"There are two others behind them," broke in Fred. "Young fellows, I think."
"One of those men is Professor Lemm!" cried Jack.
"And the two fellows in the rear are Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell!" added Fred.