Frank in the Woods Part 10

While they were talking, George came up, and, after the hunters had collected their game, d.i.c.k led the way toward home, while Frank brought up the rear, leading the young moose.

Meanwhile, Archie and Harry were in hot pursuit of the black fox. They found the trail, as before, in the gully, and Sport started off on it, and met with no difficulty until they arrived on the banks of a small stream that ran a short distance from the cabin. Here the trail came to an abrupt termination, and all efforts to recover it were unavailing. This was the identical spot where they had lost it before.

For almost an hour they continued, but without any success; and Harry exclaimed, as he dropped the b.u.t.t of his gun to the ground, and leaned upon the muzzle with rather a dejected air:

"It's no use. We're fooled again. That fox has got his regular run-ways, and we might as well call off the dogs, and go home."

"Not yet," said Archie; "I can't give up in this way; neither do I believe that any fox that ever lived can fool Sport. Hunt 'em up! hunt 'em up!" he continued, waving his hand to the dog, which was running about, tearing the bushes with his teeth, and whining, as if he, too, felt the disgrace of being so easily defeated. The obedient animal sprang upon the trail and followed it to its termination, and then commenced circling around through the bushes again; and Archie walked across the stream and examined the banks for the twentieth time, but no signs of a trail could be found.

At length, Harry suddenly exclaimed:

"Look here, Archie; here's where the rascal went to;" and he pointed to a small tree that had been partially uprooted by the wind, and leaned over until its top reached within ten feet of the ground.

"You see," Harry went on to say, "that the tops of all the other trees are almost loaded down with snow, but this one hasn't got a bit on it.

The fox must have shaken it off when he jumped up there."

Archie, who was ready to catch at any thing that looked like encouragement, hurriedly recrossed the stream, and, after examining the top of the tree, climbed up on it, when he discovered the tracks of the fox in the snow that had fallen on the trunk. He descended to the ground, and the boys ran along up the stream, carefully examining every log and stick that was large enough for a fox to walk upon, and finally, to their joy, discovered the trail, which ran back toward the gully from which it had started.

The dogs immediately set off upon it, and the boys, who had learned considerable of the "lay of the land," struck off through the woods, in an almost contrary direction to the one the dogs were pursuing, toward a ridge that lay about three miles distant.

Archie led the way at a rapid pace, now and then looking over his shoulder, and exclaiming, "Hurry up, Harry." Half an hour's run brought them to the ridge, and their feelings were worked up to the highest pitch of excitement, when they discovered that the fox had not yet pa.s.sed.

"We're all right now," said Archie, joyfully; "that black fox is ours."

"Yes," said Harry, "provided this is his runway."

"O, don't begin to throw cold water on our expectations," said Archie.

"It'll be too bad if----. There they come, now; get out of sight, quick."

As Archie spoke, a long, drawn-out bay came faintly to their ears, and the dogs appeared to be coming up the ridge. The young hunters hastily concealed themselves, and Archie had just c.o.c.ked his gun, when the black fox broke from the bushes, and, as if suspicious of danger ahead, turned off down the ridge. It was a long shot, but Archie, without a moment's hesitation, raised his gun to his shoulder and fired.

"I told you he was ours," he shouted, as the smoke cleared away, and the black fox was seen struggling in the snow. A blow on the head with a stick stilled him, and the boys, after examining their prize, which was the finest of his species they had ever seen, started down the ridge to meet the dogs, and soon arrived at the cabin with their prize, and were delighted to find how successful their comrades had been in capturing the moose.

Frank and Archie immediately set to work to break the young moose to harness. He proved very tractable, and soon learned to draw the boys in a sled, over the ice, with all the regularity of a well-broken horse, more than compensating them for all the care they had bestowed upon him.

CHAPTER XII.

The Moose Shows his Qualities

A severe storm having set in, rendering hunting or trapping impossible, the hunters pa.s.sed a few succeeding days in-doors, and busied themselves in making a sled and harness for the moose, which, since his capture, had received a large share of Frank's attention. He had been hitched to a sled regularly every day, and had been trained until he had learned to obey almost as well as a horse. He was very much afraid of a whip, and his only fault was a desire to get over the ground as fast as possible. Sometimes, when fairly started, it was a difficult task to restrain him. But the boys, far from considering this a failing, looked upon it as a quality worth cultivating; and their horned horse was always allowed to show off his speed to the very best advantage.

One morning, after the weather became settled, Archie proposed taking a ride up the creek, to which the others readily agreed. The moose was brought from the barn, and after considerable trouble--for the new harness had been made too small--he was finally hitched to the sled.

It was their intention to camp in the woods and eat their dinner.

After providing the necessary articles, an ax, plenty of ammunition, a supply of coffee, salt, and pepper, a camp-kettle and frying-pan, they sprang into the sled, and waving their hands to Uncle Joe and the trapper, who stood in the door, watching their departure, they shouted to their horned horse, which set off up the creek at a rapid pace.

"Let him out now!" shouted Frank to his cousin, who was driving. "Let him out. We've got all day before us, and let us see how fast he can go."

Archie pulled his cap down over his ears, and commenced shouting to the moose, which almost redoubled his pace, and whirled them over the snow at a rate the boys had never seen equaled by a living animal.

His gait was an awkward, shambling trot; and as the boys watched his movements, they could not help laughing outright, whereupon the dogs joined in the chorus, yelping and barking furiously. This frightened the moose, which uttered a loud snort, and throwing back his head, ran faster than ever; and Archie, who began to fear that he was running away with them, pulled and jerked at the lines, but all to no purpose; the moose ran faster and faster, and the boys, who did not pause to consider the danger they might be in, laughed and shouted until they were hoa.r.s.e. At length Frank exclaimed:

"You had better check him up a little. The first thing you know, the concern will run away with us."

"I believe that is what the rascal is trying to do now," answered Archie, pulling with all his strength at the reins. "He has got a mouth like iron."

"Well, let him go then, until he gets tired," said George; "he can't run this way all day, and besides, if we are obliged to spend a night in the woods, it will be no new thing to us. Get up there! Hi! hi!"

Archie, finding that it was impossible to stop the "concern," as Frank had called it, turned his entire attention to keeping him in the creek, in which he succeeded very well, until, as they came suddenly around a bend, they discovered before them a huge log, lying across the ice. To avoid it was impossible, for the log reached entirely across the creek.

"Stop him! stop him!" shouted Harry. "If he hits that log he'll break the sled all to smash. Stop him, I tell you!"

"I can't," replied Archie, pulling at the reins.

"Let him go, then," said Frank. "Lay on the whip, and perhaps he will carry us, sled and all, clean over the log."

This was a desperate measure; but before Archie had time to act upon the suggestion, or the others to oppose it, they reached the log. The moose cleared it without the least exertion, but the next moment there was a loud crash, and Frank, who had seated himself on the bottom of the sled, and was holding on with both hands, suddenly arose in the air like a rocket, and pitching clear over his cousin, turned a complete somersault, and landed on the crust with such force, that it broke beneath his weight, and he sank out of sight in the snow. The next moment he felt a heavy weight upon him, and heard a smothered laugh, which he knew was uttered by Archie. The latter regained his feet in an instant, and making a blind clutch at his cousin--for his face was so completely covered up with snow that he could not see--inquired, as he helped him to his feet:

"Who's this?"

"It is I," answered Frank. "But where is the moose?"

"Gone off to the woods, I suppose," answered Archie. "It's just our luck. Eh! what? No, he hasn't--he's here, safe."

He had succeeded in clearing his eyes of the snow, and saw the moose struggling desperately to free himself from the sled, which had caught against the log, and was holding him fast. Frank and his cousin at once sprang to secure him, and, while the former lifted the sled over the log, Archie seized the lines, and, in order to render escape impossible, made them fast to a tree. By this time George and Harry had come up, and at once commenced searching about in the snow for their weapons, and the others busied themselves in repairing the runners of the sled, both of which were broken. In a short time every thing was ready for the start. George volunteered to act as driver, provided the dogs could be kept quiet, and, after a few objections from Harry, who "didn't like the idea of riding after that moose,"

they again set out. Fortunately no one was injured in the least--not even frightened--the only damage sustained by the establishment being the breaking of the runners. Boy-like, they gave not one thought to the danger they had been in, but amused themselves in laughing at the comical figures they must have cut, as they all "pitched head-over-heels out of the sled together." The dogs, however, did not seem to regard it in the light of an amusing adventure, for they could not be induced to enter the sled again. They ran along behind it, keeping at a respectful distance, and the moment the sled stopped, and their masters began trying to coax them in, they would retreat precipitately.

The moose now seemed to have become quieted. Whether it was for the reason that the dogs were kept still, and there was less noise behind him, or that he had been fatigued by his sharp run, the boys were unable to decide. He trotted along at an easy gait, but still going as fast as they wished to travel, until Harry announced "that it was half past eleven o'clock, and high time that they were looking up a place to eat their dinner." A suitable spot for an encampment was soon selected, and, after the moose had been unharnessed and fastened to a tree, Frank and Harry set out to procure something for dinner, leaving the others to attend to the duties of the camp.

The Newfoundlander, which accompanied the hunters, was sent on ahead to start up any game that might be in his way. After he had led them about a mile from the camp, his loud barking announced that he had discovered something. The boys hurried forward, and found the dog seated on his haunches at the foot of a tall hemlock, barking furiously at something which had taken refuge among the branches.

"It's a bear," exclaimed Harry, as soon as he could obtain a view of the animal.

"Yes, so I see," answered Frank, coolly pouring a handful of buck-shot into each barrel of his gun. "We'll soon bring him down from there.

You be ready to finish him, in case I should miss."

"Shoot close, then," answered Harry; "for if you only wound him, he will prove a very unpleasant fellow to have about."

Frank, in reply, raised his gun to his shoulder, and a loud report echoed through the woods, followed by a savage growl. The shot was not fatal, for, when the smoke cleared away, they discovered the bear clinging to the tree, apparently none the worse for an ugly-looking wound in his shoulder.

"Shoot me if the rascal isn't coming down!" exclaimed Harry. "Try the other barrel, Frank, quickly."

It was as Harry had said. The bear was beginning to descend the tree, and his whole appearance indicated that he meant fight. Frank was a good deal surprised at this, for he had great confidence in his double-barrel, and in his skill as a marksman, and had been sanguine of either killing or disabling him at the first shot; but the celerity of the animal's movements proved that his wound did not trouble him in the least. It was evident that their situation would soon be any thing but a pleasant one, unless the other barrel should prove fatal.

Frank could not pause long to debate upon the question, for the bear was every moment nearing the ground, now and then turning toward his enemies, and displaying a frightful array of teeth, as if warning them that it was his intention to take ample revenge on them. Again he raised his gun to his shoulder, his nerves as steady as if he were about to shoot at a squirrel, and carefully sighting the head of their s.h.a.ggy enemy, pulled the trigger. The bear uttered another of his terrific growls, and after trying in vain to retain his hold upon the tree, fell to the ground. Brave was upon him in an instant, but the bear, easily eluding him, raised on his haunches, and seized the dog in his paws. One smothered howl came from Brave's throat, and Frank, clubbing his gun, was rushing forward to the rescue of the Newfoundlander, whose death now seemed inevitable, when another charge of buck-shot, from Harry's gun, rattled into the bear's head, and again brought him to the ground. Brave was released from his dangerous situation, and the moment he regained his feet he attacked the bear with redoubled fury; but the animal easily beat him off, and rushed, with open mouth, upon Frank.

"Run! run!" shouted Harry; "the rascal isn't hurt a bit."

But with Frank, retreat was impossible; the bear was close upon him, and he would have been overtaken in an instant. Bravely standing his ground, he struck the animal a powerful blow, which staggered him for an instant; but, before he had time to repeat it, his gun went flying out of his hands, and he was stretched, stunned and bleeding, on the snow. The bear, no doubt, considered him disposed of, for he kept on after Harry, who, being unable to fire for fear of wounding either Frank or the dog, had been compelled to witness the struggle, without having the power of lending any a.s.sistance.