"All of us, including Martha and Mary, will be glad to become acquainted with your cousin and her school chum," wrote Mrs. Dick Rover. "The girls are very anxious to learn more about Clearwater Hall, and it is just possible that we may send them to that school later on."
"All of us, including Martha and Mary, will be glad to become acquainted with your cousin and her school chum," wrote Mrs. Dick Rover. "The girls are very anxious to learn more about Clearwater Hall, and it is just possible that we may send them to that school later on."
"Hurrah! that's fine!" cried Jack, when Spouter showed him the letter. "If only May and Ruth go to New York, I'm sure they'll be able to persuade Martha and Mary that thereis no better girls' school on earth than Clearwater Hall."
"You leave that to me, Jack," answered Spouter. "I'll tell May just what to do."
Of course the Rover boys were all very anxious after the examinations were over to find out how they had fared. On the following Friday afternoon Colonel Colby read the results. Fred and Randy had received ninety-four per cent., Jack had gotten ninety-two, and Andy had reached eighty-eight. As seventy per cent. was the passing mark, it can be seen that the boys had passed with considerable to spare.
"My, that's a relief!" sighed Andy. "Somehow, at the last minute, I was afraid I had fallen down completely. There were a few examples in algebra that were regular stickers for me."
"Physiology was what got me," observed Jack grimly. "How do I know how many bones I've got in my body? I never saw them," and at this there was a general smile.
After the examinations there was but little to do at the school apart from the drills. There was an entertainment given by the boys in which both Jack and Andy took part. Then, almost before they knew it, the session came to an end, and the cadets had packed up and were on their way home.
"After all, I'll be glad to see little old New York once more," remarked Randy, when they and their friends were seated on the train.
"Right you are!" cried Fred. "I think, after the semi-country life at Haven Point, a big city will look mighty good to us."
"Say, fellows, do you remember when we came up to the school, how we fell in with Asa Lemm?" remarked Andy.
"I haven't forgotten it!" cried his twin, and then he added quickly: "I wonder if old Lemon wrote to our folks."
"I don't think so," answered Jack. "If he had, I think we would have heard of it."
When the boys arrived at the Grand Central Terminal, they found Martha and Mary and Tom Rover awaiting them.
"Glad to see you back, boys!" cried the father of the twins, as he greeted them warmly, and then greeted the others.
"Oh, Jack, I declare you're growing awfully tall!" burst out his sister Martha, as she embraced him.
"Well, I guess Fred is growing tall, too," put in Mary Rover.
"Well, you wouldn't expect any of us to grow shorter, would you?" queried Andy gaily, and this made both of the girls laugh.
With greetings all around finished, the whole party pushed its way through the crowd to the Forty-second Street entrance of the Terminal, where two of the Rover limousines were in waiting.
"This looks something like!" remarked Jack, when the automobiles were on their way through the busy streets to Riverside Drive. "I haven't seen so many people since I left."
"And how do you like Colby Hall?" questioned his sister eagerly.
"Dandy, Martha! It couldn't be beat! I can tell you, we boys are mighty glad that our dads picked out such a bully good school for us," and his face showed his satisfaction.
"And what about Clearwater Hall?"
"That's a dandy place, too,—at least, the girls who go there say it is. If May Powell comes down with Spouter, she'll tell you all about it."
The home-coming of the Rover boys was a gala occasion. Dick Rover and his brother Sam had just come up home from the offices in Wall Street, and they and their wives, as well as the twins' mother, greeted the lads affectionately.
"It's been kind of lonely since you went away," said Mrs. Tom Rover, as she caught each of the twins around the waist.
"I suppose you missed our tricks, Ma," returned Andy slyly.
"Maybe I did, Andy. But I wouldn't mind the tricks so much if only you were here," and she gave a little sigh.
"Well, we're going to be here for a week, anyway," put in Randy, and then both of the twins gave their mother such a hug as she had not received for a long time.
Jack was already telling his father and his two uncles something about Colby Hall. All of the men listened with close attention and considerable satisfaction.
"I guess Larry has patterned it pretty closely after Putnam Hall and West Point," remarked Sam Rover. "And that's as it should be, to my way of thinking."
"He'd have to go a long way to do better," answered Tom Rover. "Everybody knows that West Point is an ideal school, and dear old Putnam Hall was a close second to it."
"I hope you lads haven't been playing too many tricks," went on Dick Rover, as he gazed from one face to another before him.
"Well, Uncle Dick, we had to playsometricks," answered Andy, a bit lamely.
"You couldn't expect us to just sit still and hold our hands," added Randy.
"We might as well own up to one thing," said Jack boldly. "We did play a trick on one of the teachers—a fellow named Asa Lemm. Nobody liked Lemm, and when Colonel Colby had a rumpus with him and made him resign, all of us felt better."
Fortunately for the boys, an interruption came just at that moment in the way of an announcement that dinner was ready. This was served in the Dick Rover home, and was participated in by all of the members of the Rover family. It made quite a table full.
"Gee! but it's nice to be here once more!" exclaimed Andy, while he was eating.
"Beats a meal in the mess-room at the Hall all hollow, doesn't it?" returned his twin.
"And yet you talk about going away on a hunting trip," broke in their father quizzically.
"Oh, yes! But Uncle Tom, we are going to spend a whole week in New York before that!" broke in Fred.
"I want to know a little more about this trip you're planning to Snowshoe Island," remarked Dick Rover. "I want to make sure that it's a perfectly safe place for you to visit."
"Oh, I'm sure it's safe enough," answered Jack; and thereupon he and the others told what they knew about the island and Barney Stevenson.
"That old lumberman must be quite a character," was Dick Rover's comment. "Well, we'll see about this trip later," and there, for the time being, the matter was dropped.
The boys had gotten home just two days before Christmas, and they spent their entire time the next day in shopping for presents. In this they were partly aided by Martha and Mary, especially when it came to selecting presents for their mothers. Then, however, they sent the girls away, so that they might buy something for them. Although they did not mention this, Jack also wished to get a little reminder for Ruth, while Fred was equally desirous of obtaining something for May.
Christmas dawned bright and clear, and many were the cries of joy which rang throughout the three Rover households. All the young folks spent over an hour in running back and forth, wishing this one and that one "Merry Christmas!" Then came the distribution of presents.
"Just what I wanted!" cried Fred, as he inspected his pile of gifts. There was a new watch, some gorgeous neckties, several books, and a splendid little double-barrelled shotgun.
"Don't say a word! It couldn't be better!" came from Randy.
"The best Christmas ever!" echoed his twin. They, too, had numerous gifts, including littlediamond stickpins, new skates, some boxing gloves, and bright-colored sweaters, into which their cousins had knitted the initials C. H.
"Now, I presume, you'll be real Colby Hall cadets," said their mother, when they had donned the sweaters and were strutting around in them.
"This sure is one grand Christmas!" said Jack. He, too, had fared well, receiving a beautiful seal ring, a new traveling bag, completely equipped, several sets of books for which he had longed greatly, and also a small, but first-class, repeating rifle.
"Now we've certainly got to go on that hunt," remarked Fred, placing his new shotgun beside the new rifle.
"Right you are, Fred!" responded Jack. "But first we're going to have one dandy time down here in New York."
"What an awfully large place New York is!"
It was Ruth who uttered the words while she was taking a ride down Fifth Avenue in company with Jack and his sister and several of the others.
It was the day after Christmas, and Spouter had arrived at noon, bringing his cousin May and Ruth with him. The young folks were taking a ride previous to stopping at the Grand Central Terminal to meet Gif, who was to come later.
"You won't find many places larger," answered Dick. He felt very happy to think that Ruth was beside him, and more so because Ruth and his sister seemed to become good friends from the very moment they met.
Behind the first auto came a second, containing Spouter, May, Mary, and Fred. They, too, were enjoying themselves, the youngest Rover doing what he could to point out the various places of interest to Spouter's fair cousin.
The Rover boys, aided by Mary and Martha, had laid their plans for the next five days with care. The young folks were to be taken to Central and Bronx Parks, to several well-known theaters, and also to the Grand Opera, and Mrs. Dick Rover had arranged to give a party at her home in the visitors' honor.
Mary and Martha had been eager to hear about Clearwater Hall, and the two girl visitors were not slow in singing the praises of that institution.
"Oh, I think I'd like to go there!" cried Martha. "What do you think, Mary?"
"I think I'd like to go myself, now that we know somebody there," was her cousin's reply. Mary had always been a little shy.
During those days of pleasure in New York only one thing occurred to mar the happiness of the young folks. That was one afternoon when all of them went over to Central Park for a couple of hours to enjoy the skating. There, quite unexpectedly, they ran into Nappy Martell. He favored the Rover boys with a black look, and then lost himself in the crowd of skaters.
"He certainly has no love for us," was Jack's comment. "If he could possibly do us an injury, I think he would do it."
But aside from this incident the young folks had nothing to worry them, and they spent a mostagreeable time on the ice. They talked a good deal of nonsense, and often laughed when there was no apparent cause for so doing, but that was due entirely to their high spirits. When they returned to the Rover homes the girls had a glow in their cheeks and a sparkle in their eyes that made them more beautiful than ever.
"That Ruth Stevenson is certainly a handsome girl," whispered Mrs. Dick Rover to her husband.
"So she is, Dora," answered Dick. "And if you'll notice, our Jack has quite an eye for her," he added dryly.
"Oh, Dick! you don't suppose he's smitten with her? Why, he's so young!"
"I'm not saying anything about that, Dora. I can't help but remember that I was smitten with you the first time I saw you," and at this Dora Rover gave her husband a warm look that meant a great deal.
May had not forgotten her promise to her Cousin Spouter, and during the visit she did all she could to impress on the older folks the charms of life at Clearwater Hall. She told of what fine teachers there were at the school, how rapidly most of the pupils advanced in their studies, and of the good times to be had there.
"And I do hope that you will let Mary andMartha join us," she concluded. "I am sure they will feel perfectly at home there, and that they will be as well taught, if not better, than they would be if they remained here in the city."
"I'll think it over, May," answered Mrs. Sam Rover; and Martha's mother said the same.
Jack and his cousins had already sent a letter to Barney Stevenson, completing the arrangements for going up to Snowshoe Island. Now came a brief communication from the old lumberman, stating that he would be on the look-out for them, and would do all he could to make their outing enjoyable.
"What a nice letter for him to write!" exclaimed Ruth, when Jack showed her the communication. "Oh, I do hope you'll be able to fix up this difference between old Uncle Barney and my folks! It's dreadful to have him on the outs with our family."
"As I said before, Ruth, I'll do what I can," Jack replied.
With so much going on, the holidays sped by swiftly, and all too soon it was time for the visitors to take their departure. Spouter and Gif both wished they could accompany the Rovers to Snowshoe Island, but this was not to be, as they had already made other arrangements.
"But have a good time," said Spouter.
"Don't forget to lay low a few deer and a bear or two," added Gif.
"Good gracious! you don't expect them to shoot bears, do you?" exclaimed May, in some alarm.
"I don't believe there are any bears on that island, are there?" came from Ruth.
"There are very few bears anywhere," answered Jack. "Gif was only fooling. The biggest game that we may possibly see will be a deer, although even they are growing scarce. We may see nothing bigger than squirrels, rabbits and partridges, and maybe a mink or a fox."
The Rover boys accompanied the others to the Grand Central Terminal. Here Jack managed to have a few words in private with Ruth, and at the conclusion he gave her hand so tight a squeeze that she blushed. Then the visitors boarded the train and in a minute more were gone.
"And now to get ready for the trip to Snowshoe Island!" cried Randy.
"That's the talk!" returned his twin.
The boys were to leave for Rockville, the nearest railroad station to Snowshoe Island, on the day after New Year's. They spent several hours in packing their things, being advised in that matter by their fathers, who, as my old readers know, had been on many hunting expeditions before them.
"Now, there is no use of my giving you any advice on how to handle your firearms," said Dick Rover. "I have given you that advice before, and you ought to remember what I said."
"I do, Dad," answered his son. "And I'm sure the others remember, too."
"And I want you two boys to keep out of mischief," put in Tom Rover, addressing his twins. "Of course, you can have all the fun you please, but let it be good, innocent nonsense. Don't do anything mean, and don't do anything to get somebody else into trouble."
"And my advice is, to go slow and be careful," added Sam Rover. "In other words: 'Look before you leap'——"
"As the clown in the circus said," finished Tom Rover, "when he thought he was going to jump through a paper hoop and found instead that it was a solid white barrel-head;" and at this little joke there was a general laugh.
The boys had already told their fathers about the doings of Nappy Martell and Slugger Brown.
"Nappy Martell is evidently the son of his father," remarked Dick Rover. "The senior Martell is just as domineering, and not one bit more reliable. Down in Wall Street we've been watching him pretty closely."
"Yes, and he needed watching," put in TomRover. "To my mind, if he isn't a fraud, he's pretty close to it."
"You said something about his underhanded work before," came from Sam. "If he is a swindler, I certainly hope that sooner or later they expose him."
The boys had learned that Rockville was a town of considerable importance and boasted of several good-sized stores. They felt certain that they could buy all the supplies needed at that place, so it would be unnecessary to get them in New York. They, however, took along all the clothing that was needed, and likewise their guns and a good supply of ammunition.
"Now do be careful!" pleaded Mrs. Tom Rover, when they were ready to depart. "I don't want any of you to get shot."
"Don't you worry, Ma. We'll be careful all right enough," answered Randy, as he kissed her good-bye.
Several of the neighboring boys had come to see them off, and there was a little bit of envy as these watched the Rovers depart. They went to the railroad station in one of the limousines, only the two girls going with them to see them off.
image4"WHAT A NICE LETTER FOR HIM TO WRITE!" EXCLAIMED RUTH.Page191
"Now don't get hurt, Jack," said Martha, when it was almost time for him to take the train. "Remember, if you do, Ruth will never forgiveyou," and she gave her brother a roguish look which, somehow, made his cheeks burn.
"Aw, cut that, Martha!" he answered. And then, of a sudden, he continued: "You join those girls at Clearwater Hall, and I'll pick a fine cadet for you to go out with."
"Boo!" cried Martha, and put out the tip of her tongue at him. "Who said I wanted any of your old cadets!" Then, as he and his cousins ran for the train, she waved him an affectionate farewell.
The boys had obtained seats in advance in one of the parlor cars, and soon they made themselves comfortable. They talked over what had happened while their visitors had been with them, and presently commenced to discuss the expected hunting on and around Snowshoe Island.
"We ought to have a dandy two weeks," was Fred's comment. "Just think of it! For fourteen days we'll be able to do exactly as we please!"
"Yum-yum!" added Randy. "Sleep as long as you please, eat when you please and as much as you please, and shoot all the game you want to! What more could a fellow want?"
"And cut all the firewood you want to! And wash all the dirty dishes you want to! And miss all the really good game you want to——" commenced Andy.
"Jump on him!"
"Throw him out of the window!"
"Let's make him go without his supper to-night!"
So the cries went on as the three others caught Andy by the arms and by the coat collar.
"Hold up! I surrender!" gasped the fun-loving youth. "Let up! will you?"
"You've got to promise to be good and not throw cold water on our hopes," announced Jack. "We're going to have the best time ever on Snowshoe Island. And not a thing is going to happen to mar our pleasure."
But in this last surmise the oldest Rover boy was sadly mistaken. Many things of which he and his cousins did not dream were to occur, not only to startle and annoy them, but also to place them in extreme peril.
"Next station stop Rockville!"
"That's our jumping off place, boys! We had better get our baggage together!" exclaimed Jack.
"I wonder if Barney Stevenson will be at the station to meet us?" questioned Fred.
"That depends on whether he got my last message or not," answered Jack. "However, if he isn't there, I guess we can find our way to Snowshoe Island alone."
Soon the long train rolled into the little station at Rockville, and the boys alighted, being assisted by the porter, who had already taken charge of their baggage. He readily accepted the tip they gave him, and, as he had learned that they were off on a little hunting tour, said he hoped they would have every success.
"But don't you bring down too many lions and elephants," added the colored man.
"No, we'll leave the lions and elephants foryou," returned Andy, and this made the porter grin broadly, showing two rows of white ivories.
"Hello, boys! So you've got here at last, eh?" cried a voice from the doorway of the railroad station, and old Barney Stevenson strode toward them. He looked the picture of health, having recovered entirely from the accident in the woods. He shook hands cordially, giving each hand a squeeze that made the recipient wince.
"We're glad to see you, Mr. Stevenson," began Fred, when up went the old lumberman's hand in protest.
"'Twon't do, boys! 'Twon't do at all! If you're going to come over to Snowshoe Island with me, you've got to drop that Mister business. Plain Uncle Barney is good enough for me."
"All right, then! Uncle Barney it is!" answered Fred, and the others smiled and nodded.
"I just got your message this noon," explained the old lumberman. "Billy Sanders, the station agent's son, brought it over to me. I see you've got your duffle with you," and he looked at their various bags.
"We didn't bring anything along in the way of provisions," answered Randy. "We thought we could buy all those things here in town."
"So you can—providing you've got the money, lad;" and Uncle Barney smiled.
"Oh, we've got the money!" answered Andy. "Our folks treated us very handsomely."
"I brought over my big bobsled," went on the old lumberman. "Come ahead—I'll help you carry your baggage. We can leave it all at Crumpers' boathouse until we get the other stuff."
He led the way, and they soon found themselves at the boathouse he had mentioned. Here they placed their traveling bags on Uncle Barney's bobsled, and then made their way to a nearby general store, where the old fellow was well known.
"We've got a list written out here," explained Jack, bringing it forth. "I'll read it to you, and then you can tell me what you think of it."
The list was quite a long one, and the old lumberman listened attentively as Jack read it over. Then he nodded approvingly.
"You've got it about right, boys," he said. "You must have been out before."
"My dad helped me make out this list," explained Dick. "He and my uncles have had quite some experience hunting, and, of course, they knew just what to take along."
"Do you think it will be enough?" questioned Randy anxiously. His appetite for eating never seemed to be lacking.
"You've got enough there for six or eight," answered the old lumberman. "However, it won't do any harm to add a few more beans and a little extra bacon; likewise a little more sugar, seeing as how boys generally like things sweet."
It was an easy matter to purchase the various articles at the general store, and the boys had the clerk pack them securely in several soap boxes. Then Jack, as the treasurer for the crowd, paid the bill.
By this time it was growing dark, and Uncle Barney told them they had better not waste their time.
"I may be mistaken, but it looks a good deal like another snowstorm to me," he explained. "And if it's going to snow, we might as well get to the island before it starts to come down too hard."
The old lumberman was right about the snow, and some early flakes came sifting down while they were still at the boathouse packing the bobsled. The old lumberman showed them how to secure the load so that there would be no danger of its falling off.
"Now then, on with your skates, and we'll be off," he announced. In the winter time he always made the journey between the island and the town on his steel runners.
"I suppose skating is a good deal easier than walking," remarked Fred, while the boys were putting on their skates.
"To be sure. And we can make so much better time."
"How far have we got to go?" questioned Andy.
"To the upper end of the island, where I've got my home, is about four miles."
"Oh, that isn't so far!" cried Fred. "We can skate that in no time."
"We could if we could go in a straight line. But we can't," answered Uncle Barney. "The wind blew the last snow in all sorts of ridges across the ice, and we'll have to pick our way along as best we can."
A long rope had been attached to the bobsled, so that they could all assist in hauling it along. On the smooth ice the load proved to be a light one, so that they had little difficulty in progressing. But, as the old lumberman had said, the ridges of snow on the lake were numerous, and some of these were piled up several feet high, and the party had to make long detours around them.
"This isn't going to be so easy, after all," remarked Fred, after they had skated for almost half an hour. "I thought we would get to Snowshoe Island in no time."
It was now quite dark, and the snow was falling steadily. So far, there had been little wind, but now this, too, sprang up, sending the frozen particles directly into their faces.
"Gee! this isn't so pleasant!" exclaimed Andy, as he pulled down his cap and pulled up the sweater he was wearing.
"The wind is increasing," said Fred a minute later. "Hark to that, will you?"
All listened, and from a distance heard the wind stirring through the woods bordering the lake in that vicinity. Then the wind bore down upon them, and with it came a heavier fall of snow.
"Say, this is going to be some snowstorm!"
"Yes, and some blow too!"
"I wish it wasn't so dark!"
"Uncle Barney, are you sure you know the way?" questioned Randy, as all came to a halt for a moment to turn their backs to the wind and catch their breath.
"Oh, yes, my lad! I know the way well enough," was the old lumberman's reply. "But, believe me, I didn't expect any such snowstorm as this when I went after you. I thought it would be just an ordinary fall."
"It seems to be getting heavier every minute," declared Jack, as he sheltered his eyes with hishand and tried to peer forth into the darkness. "Why, the snow is coming down in regular chunks!"
The flakes were indeed both heavy and thick, and the wind sent the snow sweeping across the ice, forming new ridges in every direction.
"The first thing you know, we'll be blocked completely," declared Randy, after they had progressed another quarter of a mile. "Just look at that wall of snow, will you?" and he pointed ahead, where a snowdrift was all of five feet high and rapidly growing higher.
The Rovers could see by his manner that the old lumberman was growing much disturbed. He led the way first in one direction and then in another. Then presently he called a halt.
"It ain't no use," he declared flatly. "I thought I could work my way around these snowdrifts, the same as I did when I came over to town after you. But the darkness and this heavy fall of snow is bothering me tremendously."
"What do you think we ought to do?" questioned Fred anxiously. The situation was making the youngest Rover boy a little fearful.
"I guess about the best thing we can do is to strike a bee-line for the island," answered Uncle Barney. "It won't be much harder to break through these snowdrifts than it is to try to findour way around them in this wind and darkness."
"Are you sure you know the way to the island?" questioned Jack, who knew only too well that it was the easiest thing in the world to get turned around in such a situation as this.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure I haven't lost my bearings," answered the old lumberman. "However, to make sure, maybe I had better have a squint at my compass."
"Oh, say! that puts me in mind!" burst out Randy. "What's the matter with using one of our flashlights?" for the boys had brought along two of those useful articles, which were now packed in the baggage on the bobsled.
"Yes, let's get out both of the flashlights," returned Fred. "In this darkness we'll want all the light we can get."
Sheltering themselves as best they could from the wind, which seemed every minute to be increasing in violence, the boys unstrapped part of their load and managed to bring forth the two flashlights. While this was being done, Uncle Barney brought from his pocket a small compass.
"Now, I think north is in that direction," he said, pointing with his hand. With the aid of one of the lights, the compass was inspected, and it was found that the old lumberman was almostright, he having pointed a little to the northwest.
"If we'd gone on the way I expected to go, we'd have struck the lower end of the island instead of the upper," he explained. "It wouldn't have made a great deal of difference, but we might as well take the straightest line we know how. Come on! Follow me, and I'll break the way for you."
Once more they started forward, and in a minute more the boys found themselves struggling through snow which was several feet deep.
"Gee! a fellow ought to have snowshoes instead of skates!" panted Fred, when in the midst of the drift. "This is the worst ever!"
"The drift isn't very wide, Fred," announced Jack, who was ahead of his cousin, flashing one of the lights around. "Here we come to the clear ice again," and a few seconds later they found themselves skating along as easily as before.
But this open patch did not last long. Soon they came to several more snowdrifts. The first was barely a foot high, but the second was almost up to their arm-pits. The old lumberman was still ahead, breaking a path for them as well as he was able. Hampered with the load of the bobsled, the boys made slow progress.
"It's no use!" groaned Andy at last. "I'm all out of breath. I've got to stop and rest."
"We had better not stop to rest here, Andy," answered Jack quickly. "We must reach some sort of shelter from this wind."
"I'm all out of breath myself," came from Fred. The exertion of plowing through the snowdrifts had tired him dreadfully, and he was trembling in the legs so that he could scarcely stand.
"Come on, boys! Don't stay here!" called back Uncle Barney to them. "This snowstorm is getting worse every minute!"
The old lumberman had scarcely spoken when all the boys heard a strange whistling in the air. Then the wind tore down upon them harder than ever, sending the snowy particles in all directions, so that to make out what was ahead, even with the flashlights, was out of the question.
The situation was certainly a disheartening one, and the boys huddled close together around the bobsled, both for protection and to talk the matter over.
"Can you tell us at all how far we really are from some sort of shelter—I mean the nearest shelter at hand?" questioned Jack of Uncle Barney, as the old lumberman came back to see what had happened.
"It's about a mile to my cabin," was the reply.
"And is that the nearest place?" asked Fred, who had sat down on the bobsled load to rest.
"No. The nearest place is a little hut that I put up at this end of the island several years ago. It isn't very much of a shelter, but it might do."
"Do you mean we could stay there all night?" queried Randy.
"Oh, yes. It's plenty large enough for all of us, and there is a rough fireplace where we could start a blaze and cook something."
"Then let's head for that place, by all means!" cried Jack. "This storm is getting worse every minute."
With the wind whistling keenly in their ears and blowing the snow across the ice and into numerous high drifts, the little party moved on once more, the boys doing their best to keep up with the old lumberman. This was comparatively easy, for even Uncle Barney was well-nigh exhausted by his exertions.
"If this snow keeps on, it will be one of the worst storms we ever had up here," he announced. "But, somehow, I don't think it will last; the sky didn't look heavy enough this afternoon."
"I hope it doesn't last," returned Jack.
"We don't want to be snowed in while we are up here," added Randy. "We want to have a chance to hunt."
To make progress against the fury of the elements was not easy, but presently the boys heard Uncle Barney give a cry of satisfaction.
"Here we are, lads, in sight of the island!" exclaimed the old lumberman. "Now it won't be long before we reach that shelter I mentioned."
By the aid of the two flashlights, the boys made out a number of trees and bushes ahead. The bushes were covered thickly with snow, and behind them were sharp rocks, also outlined in white.
"This is what I call Squirrel Point," explained the old lumberman. "It used to be a great place for squirrels."
"How much further to that shelter?" queried Fred. Just then he took no interest whatever in game. He was so tired he could scarcely place one foot in front of the other; and, to tell the truth, his cousins were little better off.
"We've got only a couple of hundred feet to go," was the reply. "Come ahead. I'll help you pull that bobsled," and now Uncle Barney took hold, and once again they started forward, this time skirting the lower extremity of Snowshoe Island. Here there were a great number of pines and hemlocks growing amid a perfect wilderness of rocks, now all thickly covered with snow.
"Now you'll have a little climbing to do," announced the old lumberman a few minutes later. "You might as well take off your skates, and I'll do the same. And we'll have to hoist that bobsled up the best we know how."
He had turned toward the island, and soon they were climbing up over the rough rocks and pulling the bobsled after them. In one spot they had to raise the sled up over their heads. The old lumberman assisted them in this task, and then pointed to a small, cleared space between a number of pines.
"Hurrah! I see the hut!" cried Jack in delight, and ran forward, followed by his cousins. Uncle Barney came with them, and an instant later had forced open a rude door. Then one of the lights was flashed inside.
The boys and Uncle Barney had expected to find the little cabin vacant. Consequently they were much surprised when they heard a queer little noise, not unlike the snarl of a dog.
"By gum! it's a wolf!" ejaculated the old lumberman in amazement.
Scarcely had he spoken when there leaped into view a full-grown wolf. As he confronted the boys and the old man, he snarled viciously, and his eyes appeared to gleam like two balls of fire.
"It's a wolf, sure enough!"
"Shoot him, somebody! Shoot him!"
"Where's my gun?"
"The guns are all strapped down on the bobsled!"
Such were some of the cries which came from the Rover boys when they found themselves confronted by the wolf. They fell back several paces, and Uncle Barney did likewise. The old lumberman had gone to Rockville armed, but he too had strapped his weapon fast on the bobsled, so that he might assist the boys in hauling the load.
As the little party fell back wondering whatwas best to do, the wolf gave another leap, thereby reaching the doorway of the little cabin. Then, with a snarl, he whirled around, leaped into the snow behind some hemlocks, and in a moment more had disappeared from view.
"Well, what do you know about that!" cried Fred faintly.
"And to think we weren't ready to shoot!" groaned Randy.
"We're a fine bunch of hunters, we are!" scoffed Andy.
"Well, we didn't expect to find a wolf in possession of this hut," remarked Jack. "Just the same, I wish we had been able to get a shot at him," he added wistfully.
"I should have carried my gun," remarked Uncle Barney. "It was a mistake to put it on the sled. That's just my luck, confound it! Whenever I go out free-handed, I'm almost certain to see something worth shooting," and he shook his head grimly.
"You didn't say anything about wolves being on the island," said Fred, while the old man was looking around inside the cabin with both flashlights.
"There are very few wolves in this neighborhood," was the reply. "The last wolf I saw on the island, outside of this one, was two years ago."
As the door to the cabin had been closed, the boys wondered how the wolf had gotten into the place, but Uncle Barney showed them a small, broken-out window in the rear of the shelter. This window was now partly covered with snow.
"I suppose the wolf thought he couldn't get out that way on account of the snow, and consequently he had to come by way of the door," explained the old lumberman. "Well, I'm mighty glad he didn't go any damage."
An examination revealed the fact that no other living thing was in or around the cabin, and as soon as they were satisfied of this, the boys brought in the bobsled. In the meantime, Uncle Barney stirred around outside and managed to find some firewood which was fairly dry. Then a blaze was started in the rude fireplace, the door was shut, and a blanket was nailed up over the broken-out window.
"Now this is something like!" remarked Jack, when the cabin began to grow warm. The boys had unpacked the contents of the bobsled and brought forth a candle, which was lighted and placed in a rude holder on the wall.
Now that they were safe from the storm, all of the Rovers felt in better humor. Uncle Barney showed them how they could obtain water by melting some snow and ice, and soon theyhad enough to make a pot of chocolate and another pot of coffee. In the meantime, the old lumberman, assisted by Jack, opened up a box of sardines fried some bacon, and also warmed up a can of green corn which had been among the stores. They had no bread, so they used up one of the boxes of soda crackers which they had purchased.
"It's too bad we haven't got some game to cook," observed Randy.
"Let's be thankful that we've got some sort of a roof over our heads, and that we can rest," put in Fred. He had not yet gotten over the struggle to get through the snow.
With nothing else to do, the boys and the old lumberman took their time over the evening meal, and never had anything tasted better than did this first supper on Snowshoe Island to the Rovers.
Outside the wind was blowing as strongly as ever, and the snow still came down steadily. To make sure that they would not suffer from the cold, all of the lads went out with Uncle Barney and brought in a large supply of firewood. Then they built up a good blaze, around which they sat in a semicircle on the sled and the boxes brought along, and on a rude bench of which the little cabin boasted.
"When I first came to Snowshoe Island, twelve years ago, I thought I would locate at thisend," remarked Barney Stevenson during the course of the conversation. "But after staying here a short while I concluded that it was nicer at the upper end, so I went there."
"Did you buy the island as far back as that?" queried Jack.
"Oh, no, lad. In those days I only leased the island. You see, it belonged to an old lady named Martinson. She had a son who drifted out to California, and then went to Alaska. When the old lady died, Luke Martinson came back home, and then he came to see me. He wanted to get rid of all his property around here so he could go back to Alaska, and he offered this place to me, and I bought it. That was several years ago."
"It's nice to own an island like this," observed Fred. "A fellow can have a regular Robinson Crusoe time of it if he wants to."
"When I bought the island I thought I'd have no difficulty in holding it," continued Barney Stevenson. "But since that time I have had a whole lot of trouble. Two men claim that Luke Martinson never had any rights here—that the old Martinson claim to the island was a false one. They have tried two or three times to get me off the place, but I've refused to go."
"Didn't you get a deed to the island?" questioned Jack, who had often heard his father andhis uncles speak about deeds to real estate.
"Certainly, I got a deed! But they claim that the old Martinson deed was no good. But it is good—and I know it!" grumbled Uncle Barney.
"Who are the men who want to take the island away from you?" questioned Andy. "Some hunters around here, or lumbermen?"
"Oh no! They are two men from the city—a real estate dealer and a man who used to be interested in buying and selling property, but who lost most of his fortune and then went to teaching, or something like that."
"Teaching!" exclaimed Jack, struck by a sudden idea. "What is that man's name, if I may ask?"
"His name is Asa Lemm, and the name of the other man is Slogwell Brown," was the reply of the old lumberman, which filled the Rover boys with amazement.
"Asa Lemm and Slogwell Brown!"
"What do you know about that, boys?"
"That's bringing this matter pretty close to us, isn't it?"
"I should say so!"
Such were some of the remarks coming from the Rover boys after Barney Stevenson had made his astonishing declaration that the father of Slugger Brown and the ex-teacher of Colby Hall were the two men who were trying to dispossess him.
"Why, you speak as if you knew those two men!" exclaimed the old lumberman.
"We certainly know Asa Lemm," answered Jack.
"And we know the son of Slogwell Brown," added Randy.
"Yes, and if Mr. Brown is no better than his son, I wouldn't put it past him to do something crooked," was Andy's comment.
"Tell me what you know," said Uncle Barney.
Thereupon the four boys related the particulars of the trouble they had had with Professor Lemm, and of how he had left the military academy. They also told much about Slugger, and, incidentally, Nappy Martell, and of how the two cadets had been dismissed by Colonel Colby.
"This certainly is wonderful!" exclaimed the old lumberman, when they had finished. "I had no idea you boys knew anything about those men. I reckon your opinion of their honesty is just about as high as mine is," and he smiled grimly.
"Asa Lemm claims to have lost quite a fortune," said Jack; "but we certainly did not think that part of it was located in this island."
"It isn't located in this island—at least it isn't so far as I am concerned!" cried Uncle Barney. "If those men bought what they thought were the rights to this island, they were defrauded, that's all! And that has absolutely nothing to do with my rights to this land!"
"I should think if you got a good deed to the land from that Luke Martinson—and his folks had a good deed from somebody else—that ought to be proof enough that you own the island."
"Well, I've got the deed from Martinson, and I've got the old deeds he used to have, too! I've got them placed away in a tin box and in a safe place, too!" answered the old man.
"Then, if you've got those deeds, why do they bother you?" questioned Fred.
"As I've said before, they won't admit that the deeds old Mrs. Martinson had were any good. The fact of the matter is, Slogwell Brown wants to get those deeds away from me. He has been at me to let him look at the deeds several times, but I've always refused, for I was afraid that if he got the deeds away from me I would never see them again."
"I thought they recorded deeds at the Court House," said Jack, who had heard this fact mentioned between his father and his uncles.
"They do record deeds, and I suppose that one was recorded at some time or other; but the Court House in this county was burnt down some years ago and all the records went up in smoke."
"But you could get the deeds recorded now—I mean have it done over again," remarked Randy.
"I suppose so. But that wouldn't do me any good, because they would probably try to prove that the deeds I brought in were not the originals. You see, the date when a deed is recorded has a good deal to do with it. Anyway, I'm not going to let anybody have those deeds until I am sure of what I'm doing," went on Uncle Barney. It was easy to see that the old man was peculiar and wanted to do things in his own manner.
"Did you ever ask a lawyer about this?" questioned Fred.
"No! I ain't got no use for lawyers!" was the quick reply. "I hired a lawyer in a lawsuit nigh on to thirteen years ago, and I lost the suit and it cost me over a hundred dollars more than I might have paid otherwise." The old lumberman did not add that this was a lawsuit to which Ruth Stevenson's father was also a party, yet such was the fact.
"How long is it since you heard from Mr. Brown and Professor Lemm?" asked Andy.
"The last time they came to see me was in the middle of the summer. They threatened all sorts of things, and they got me so mad that I had to take down my shotgun and warn them away. Then they left in a big hurry."
"Don't you think it's a bad thing to warn them off with a gun?" questioned Jack. "They might have you arrested for threatening their lives."
"I'm not afraid of them!" was the quick reply. "This is my island, and nobody shall take it away from me!"
The boys could see that the subject was becoming distasteful to the old man, and so they started to speak of other things. They questioned him about how they could get to his regular cabin,and also the cabin they were to occupy, and then spoke about the game they might have a chance to bring down.
"Your going hunting will depend a good deal on how the weather turns out," said the old lumberman. "If this snow keeps on for a day or two, it will make traveling pretty bad. However, I'm in hopes that the storm will clear away by morning."
The boys had put in a strenuous day, and they were glad enough when Uncle Barney suggested that they turn in for the night.
"We're pretty short on blankets," he said, "but that won't matter so much so long as we keep the fire going. I've got a good back log started, and that ought to last until morning, if not longer. When I'm at this hut alone, I usually sleep in that corner, and I'll do the same to-night. You can spread yourselves around as you please."
With such a limited supply of blankets, it was no easy matter to make comfortable couches, yet the boys had left home to rough it, so nobody complained. They lay down in their clothing, using some of their suitcases and Gladstone bags for pillows.
"If we had had a chance to do so, we might have brought in some pine boughs to lie on," said Jack. "But as it is, I guess we'll manage."
"Is there any chance of that wolf coming back?" questioned Fred, a bit anxiously.
"I hardly think so, Fred. And, anyway, I don't see how he's going to get in here, with the door closed and the blanket nailed over the window. However, we can keep our guns handy in case he does appear."
Worn out so completely, it did not take the boys long to fall into a sound sleep, and the old lumberman soon joined them, snoring lustily. Thus the night passed, and nothing came to disturb them.
Of the lads, it was Randy who was the first to arise in the morning. He found Uncle Barney in the act of stirring up the fire. The old lumberman had already brought in some ice to be melted for a pot of coffee.
"I ain't really awake in the morning until after I've had my cup of coffee," he explained. "That's the one thing that really sets me on my feet."
"How about the storm?" questioned Randy, and now the sound of his voice set the others to stirring.
"The storm is about over," was the welcome announcement. "In a little while I think you'll see the sun peeping out over the woods on the eastern shore."
"Hurrah! that's good news!" cried Andy, leaping to his feet and stretching himself. "I must have a look!" and, jamming his cap on his head, he started for the door. The other Rovers followed him.
Outside they found the snow covering everything to a depth of from several inches to several feet, but the air was as clear as a bell, and just beyond the woods, on the eastern shore of Lake Monona, there was a rosy glow, betokening the rising of the sun.
"It's going to be a grand day!" exclaimed Fred.
"I don't think it could be any better, even though the snow is quite deep in spots," returned Jack.
Once more they went over the stores which had been brought along, and took out enough for breakfast. They had with them some flour for griddle cakes, and soon the appetizing odor of the cakes, mingling with the aroma of hot coffee and hot chocolate, filled the little cabin. Then they took turns at frying bacon and making more griddle cakes and eating breakfast.
"What do you think will be the easiest way of getting to the other end of the island?" questioned Jack of Uncle Barney, while they were eating.
"Well, as you've got the bobsled and all those stores along, I should say the easiest way wouldbe to climb down to the lake again," was the reply. "That wind must have cleaned off some of the ice, and we can get along a good deal better by skating and by hauling the bobsled over the ice than we can trying to break our way through the woods in this heavy fall of snow."
"I was thinking if we walked the length of the island we might stir up some game," remarked Randy.
"You'll have plenty of chances to go out after game after you're settled at the regular camp," returned the old lumberman. "The game isn't going to run away, you know," and he smiled pleasantly.
Breakfast at an end, the boys lost no time in repacking their belongings, and Uncle Barney assisted them in fastening the load to the bobsled.
"But I'm going to carry my shotgun this time," announced Fred. "Then, if any game appears, I'll be ready for it."
"You can all carry your guns if you want to," said the owner of the island. "I'll leave my weapon strapped to the sled, so that if any game appears you boys can do the shooting."
The little cabin was closed up, and then the party made its way down over the rough rocks and between the trees to the lake shore. It was no easy matter to bring the bobsled along, andonce Fred slipped on one of the smooth rocks and pitched headlong into a snowbank.
"Hi you! stop your fooling!" cried Andy, and then, in great glee, he picked up a chunk of snow and hurled it at Jack.
"Let up!" cried the oldest Rover boy. "This is no time for jokes!" and then, as Andy came at him with another chunk of snow, he jumped at his cousin, put out his foot, and made the fun-loving youth measure his length in a drift.
"Wow! but that snow is cold!" cried Andy, who had gotten some down the sleeves of his sweater. "Stop! Don't bury me! I'll be good!" And then he scrambled to his feet once more, while Fred did the same. Then the whole party proceeded on its way.
Reaching the lake, they lost no time in putting on their skates, and then, with Uncle Barney leading the way, the four Rovers followed, dragging the loaded bobsled behind them.
On all sides could be seen snowdrifts and ridges of snow piled in curiously fantastic shapes. But the keen wind of the afternoon and night had cleared many long reaches of the ice, and over these reaches Uncle Barney picked his way, gradually working closer and closer to the upper end of Snowshoe Island.
"We'll turn in here," he announced presently,when they came to where there was something of a cove. "There seems to be quite a cleared space. It won't be very long now before we reach the upper end."
As they turned in once more toward the island, Jack noticed a peculiar fluttering among some trees not far away.
"Wait a minute!" he cried out in a low tone. "I think I see some game!"
All came to a halt, and then Uncle Barney looked in the direction to which the oldest Rover boy pointed.
"You are right, my lad," answered the old lumberman. "There is a fine chance for all of you."
"What are they?" questioned Fred a trifle excitedly.
"Wild turkeys! And the best kind of eating—if you can only get close enough to bring them down."
"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 untilyou 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 aheadwas 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 andhemlocks, 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."