“And the wolverenes fight shy of the hunters,” put in old Runnell. “Can’t blame ’em either.”
“Maybe we had better not go after this beast,” put in Teddy. “I don’t want to be chewed up.”
“Oh, yes, let us go after him,” came from Bart. “I’m not afraid. Remember, he stole our deer meat.”
“Better let that meat go,” went on Teddy.
“Oh, I don’t want to eat the meat after a wolverene has chewed on it,” added Bart. “But we ought to teach the beast a lesson.”
“Wolverenes are great for stealing hunters’ meat,” said Joel Runnell. “And not only that, they soon learn how to get at rabbits and other animals that have been trapped. I once heard tell of how a hunter went out to look at his traps and he discovered a wolverene watching ’em. He kept out of sight, and pretty soon a rabbit got into one of the traps. As soon as the rabbit was a prisoner, Mr. Wolverene came out of hiding and pulled the rabbit out of the trap, and just then the hunter killed the beast.”
The matter was talked over, and it was decided that two of the boys should go with old Runnell after the wolverene. Lots were cast, and the choice fell upon Joe and Bart.
“Bart, that ought to suit you,” said Fred.
“And it does,” was the quick answer.
“It suits me, too,” came from Joe. “Sorry you can’t go, Harry,” he added to his brother.