“Oh! my stars! no, Rob, not quite so bad as that,” Tubby hastened to add. “He had to discharge the man because of something he’d done. Uncle doesn’t say what it was, but he was both indignant and pained; because he thought a heap of Zeb Crooks, who had been with him many seasons. The man was stubborn, too, and wouldn’t ask Uncle George to forgive him, or it might have all been patched up. So he sent him flying, and started off to Tucker’s Pond with his other guide, a Penobscot Indian named Sebattis.”
“Well, that’s interesting, Tubby,” remarked Rob. “It doesn’t mean anything to us, though I can understand how sorry your uncle must have been to part with a man he used to consider faithful. So it goes, and lots of things happen that are disagreeable. I suppose he’ll have just as good a time with the one guide to wait on him as when there were a pair.”
Apparently Uncle George’s troubles did not bother Rob to any extent; but there were things weighing on his mind though, during that afternoon, and these had a connection with the flight of that man in the aeroplane, over across the Canadian boundary line.
CHAPTER VIII
TUBBY HAS AN ADVENTURE
Tubby was particularly interested in looking around. He had heard so much about these hunting camps of his sport-loving relative that now he had the chance to see for himself he kept prowling about. It was Tubby who presently discovered a haunch of fresh venison. Andy immediately announced that the keen-nosed wildcat was not in the same class with the stout chum.
“Say, we can have a mess of real venison for our camp supper to-night,” added the delighted Tubby. “Haven’t we a warrant for taking liberties in that Notice, where Uncle George invites the pilgrim to enter, wait, and make merry? How can any one be merry without a feast? I’ll take all the responsibility on my shoulders, boys, so make up your minds the main dish to-night will be deer meat.”
Later in the afternoon Tubby wandered outside to look around.
“Don’t go too far away and get lost, Tubby!” called out Rob, who himself was busily engaged.
“Oh, I don’t mean to more than stretch my legs,” came the reply. “Here’s a bucket, and there must be a spring somewhere handy. I think I’d like a drink of fresh water. I might as well fetch some back with me. Yes, now I can see a beaten path leading from the door in this direction. Rob, I won’t be gone long.”
“All right, Tubby,” Andy called out in turn. “If you don’t turn up inside of half an hour we’ll send out a relief corps to look for you. Be sure to fetch a supply of that spring water back with you. I’m getting a bit dry myself.”