Thad did not halt long upon sighting the others, but walked forward. Even though poachers, this did not mean that the three men were desperate outlaws by any means. No doubt they walked in and out of the villages in this extreme northern section of the State, and were greeted by those who knew them as fellow guides, though seldom were any of them employed in such a capacity nowadays.
Step Hen tagged at the heels of his chum. He did not know what Thad might be going to do; but although white of face just then, with a sudden fear of trouble, at least Step Hen showed no sign of running away.
The three men looked up as the boys approached. All of them seemed to be grinning, as though amused. But while the big man really looked somewhat as a mastiff might appear to a little terrier, his two companions had a sneer on their dark, evil faces that gave Thad more or less uneasiness.
He knew that while Step Hen was entitled to that fine buck, the chances were his claim would never be considered for a single minute. Might made right in the Maine woods, with men of this stamp.
“Hullo! younkers, lookin’ arter yer deer, hey?” remarked the giant, as the boys boldly approached. “Wall, they hain’t any, d’ye see? We got a fine leetle buck here as Si fetched down with his big bore cannon; only fur him the deer’s been in ther next county afore now, eh, Si?” and the giant as he said this, turned on the man who wore the greasy suit of buckskin, and sported a coonskin cap, after the style of the old-time hunters, now so nearly extinct.
“That’s right, Cale, he’d a ben agoin’ like two-forty yet, on’y for the ounce of lead I throwed into him on the jump. I guess as haow that leetle pepper box jest tickled him a mite, an’ made him feel frisky. Step right up, an’ take a look at my buck, ef so be yeou wanter, strangers; I hain’t begrudgin’ yeou that much conserlation; but doan’t yeou be sayin’ yeou had any hand in knockin’ him over, ’cause I don’t stand fur any foolishness, see?”
He looked particularly ugly when saying this last, and Thad knew there was not the slightest shadow of a chance that they would get justice from these fellows. Seeing the sadly wounded deer plunging blindly toward them, Si had fired at the animal, and now they claimed to own the prize!
Well, there was no use trying to make a fuss over it; two boys could hardly expect to overawe three such hardened woods’ rangers as these. Nevertheless, for his own satisfaction Thad accepted the rude invitation of Si Kedge to advance closer, so that he could stand over the deer.
Something caught his eye as he looked, and bending down he deftly took the object from the motionless body of the deer, just back of the shoulder, where a patch of blood appeared.
Thad held the object up so that all could see. Even Step Hen recognized it as the mushroomed bullet that had been fired from his rifle. The evidence was as positive and clear as noonday; for that bullet, after spreading out, had bored completely through the body of the buck, and was ready to drop from the other side when it caught the sharp eye of Thad. And that other wound in the neck must have been where the boasted large calibre bullet from Si’s big gun had gone, producing only a superficial hurt that would not have seriously inconvenienced the sturdy buck.