Out with Gun and Camera Part 14

They let the dog have another cruller and the heads of the fish, and the animal made a meal of them. The boys felt cold and tired and crawled back into the tent to finish their night's rest. Soon the collie came nosing at the opening.

"Come here!" said Giant in a low voice, and instantly the dog nestled down at his side, and there he remained until daylight.

"We can take him in some of our pictures," said the small youth.

"He'll add to the picturesqueness."

"What are you going to call him?" asked Whopper.

"Sphinx."

"And why Sphinx?" asked Snap.

"Because he won't tell us who he is, where he came from, or anything about himself."

"Oh, that's not a pretty name," cried the doctor's son. "I vote we call him Wags, because he wags his tail so much."

"All right, Wags it is," said Giant. "What do you say, Wags?"

he added, turning to the dog.

The collie barked and wagged his tail vigorously. Evidently he was perfectly satisfied.

As the lads had no more game or fish to eat, they made a hasty meal of bacon, bread, crullers and coffee. As soon as the repast was over they took down the tent and placed that and the other things on board the rowboat. The collie had been fed and was more frisky than ever.

"Wonder if he'll go into the boat with us?" said Snap. "Some dogs don't like the water."

"Most collies do," answered Giant. "I'll try him." He called Wags, and the dog leaped into the craft and took his place at the bow.

"He'll do for a lookout," said Whopper. "Come on, it's time to start."

They looked around the temporary camp, to make certain that nothing had been left behind, then entered the rowboat and shoved off.

Snap and Whopper took the oars, and soon they were on the journey up Lake Cameron to Firefly Lake.

"Don't forget one thing," said Snap shortly after starting. "If possible we want to bring down some sort of game for dinner. It won't do to use up our canned things and that stuff."

"Everybody watch out," said Giant. "And if we can't shoot something, why, toward dinner time, I'll try my hand at fishing again."

CHAPTER IX

INTO THE RAPIDS

It was another ideal day, and the young hunters felt in the best of spirits. Whopper felt so good that presently he burst out singing an old school song, and the others joined in.

"That's all right, and very good, but if we want any game we've got to keep quiet," said the doctor's son after the song was ended.

"Right you are," answered Whopper promptly. "And as I'd rather eat later than sing now I'll shut up."

They followed the sh.o.r.e line of Lake Cameron, heading for the rocky watercourse that connected that body of water with Firefly Lake. The eyes of all were on the alert for game, and toward the middle of the forenoon Giant called a halt.

"I saw something in the trees yonder," he said, pointing ash.o.r.e.

"Looked to me as if they might be partridge."

"Partridge would suit me first rate," answered Snap. "Let us land and try our luck."

"Making as little noise as possible they beached the rowboat and Giant silenced the dog, not knowing what he might do while on a hunt.

"Perhaps he's a good bird dog and perhaps he isn't," he said. "We'll take no chances."

Each of the young hunters had his shotgun, and one after another they followed Shep to the spot where the game had been seen among the trees. High among the branches of a silver maple tree they saw some ruffed grouse, commonly known to many sportsmen as partridge.

"There's our chance," said the doctor's son. "Who is to fire?"

"Let us all take a chance," pleaded Giant. "Just to open the outing, you know."

Shep was willing, and said he would give the word. With great caution they crept as close as possible to the grouse. The birds were on three branches of the maple, one over the other.

Silently the four boy hunters raised their firearms. Shep looked at them and then along the barrel of his piece.

"Fire!" said he, and one shot rang out after another quickly. There was a mad whirring and fluttering from the ruffed grouse. Two dropped like lead, while two others flew around in a circle, badly wounded. Then the boys discharged their guns again, and wounded two more birds. As the game came down they rushed in and wrung the necks of those not already dead.

"Six, all told," said Giant proudly. "That's one and a half apiece."

"Not so bad," answered Snap.

"It's dandy!" shouted Whopper, throwing up his cap in his delight.

"Now we can have roast partridge for dinner, and supper, too, if we want to."

"Right you are," came from Shep. "I believe we all made a hit,"

he added.

"A hit?" repeated Whopper. "We all made home runs!" And at this reference to baseball all of the boys laughed.

Taking the game to the rowboat, they resumed their journey, and by noon reached the watercourse connecting the two lakes. Here they stopped at a spot well known to them and built a camp fire, and here they roasted all of the game, fearing it might not keep in such hot weather.

"I'm going to try baking 'em in mud," said Giant, who had learned the trick from Jed Sanborn. Leaving the feathers on the grouse the lad plastered each bird thickly with some clayey mud, and then placed them in the fire to roast, or bake, as he called it. He watched them with care and tried one frequently to see if it was done.

"Now I guess this will do," he said at last, and cracked the baked mud from the grouse. With the mud came the feathers of the bird, leaving the meat clean. The grouse was tender and juicy and done to a turn.

"Giant, you'll have to get a job as a chef in a big hotel," said the doctor's son, smacking his lips over the feast. "This game certainly couldn't be, better."

"Why not leave some of the partridge right in the baked mud?"

suggested Snap. "It ought to keep well that way."

"We can try it," said Whopper.