Out with Gun and Camera Part 25

"We can, and do," responded Snap. "You ought to be locked up for it."

"Oh, give us a rest!" growled Ham.

"What brought you here?" demanded Snap sharply.

"Oh, we knew we were being followed---saw you from a distance---and made up our mind to see who it was. I don't see why you can't leave us alone."

"We are not following you," said Giant, "And if you'll leave us alone we'll not bother you."

"But you have got to keep your distance," added Whopper. "No more underhanded work, like we had before. Understand?"

Ham paid no attention to the last words. He and his crony were looking at Tommy. Now they whispered together.

"Say, aren't you the kid that ran away from the circus?" demanded Ham, turning to the small youth.

At the question Tommy looked surprised and then scared.

"Wha---what do you know about me?" he stammered.

"Answer me," ordered Ham. "You ran away from Ca.s.so's Railroad Shows, didn't you?"

"Don't tell him a thing, Tommy!" cried Snap quickly. "It is none of his business."

"Ha! I knew I was right!" cried Ham triumphantly. "You're the boy they called Buzz, the Human Fly. I saw you perform at Chester, and I heard later about your running away. And you helped to let a lion and a chimpanzee escape, too."

"I did not!" cried Tommy. "The men who were discharged let those animals get away. I had nothing whatever to do with it."

"Oh, yes, that's your story; but the circus people tell it differently," put in Carl Dudder. "I was talking to one of them only the other day. They'd give a good deal to catch you and those men."

As he spoke he advanced toward Tommy as if to catch hold of the lad.

The boy from the circus shrank back and looked very much alarmed.

"Here, Carl Dudder, you leave that boy alone!" cried the doctor's son. "Don't you dare to touch him!"

"I'll do as I please. The boy doesn't belong to you," bl.u.s.tered Carl.

"I know that---but you are not going to lay the weight of your finger on him."

"Don't do it," whispered Ham to his crony in alarm. "Remember, they are five to two."

"I think there is a reward for this boy," answered Carl in an equally low tone of voice.

"Well, if there is, keep mum and we may be able to get it."

There was an awkward pause. Tommy looked appealingly at the doctor's son and his other friends.

"Don't you worry; they shan't touch you," said Shep kindly. "They are big bullies, that's all. We know them thoroughly."

"Are you going to stay here?" asked Ham.

"That is our business," answered Snap. "Where have you located?"

"That is our business."

"So it is; but I want you to understand, once for all, Ham Spink, that this time you must keep your distance. If you try to molest us in any way you'll get the worst of it."

"How long are you going to stay?"

"That is our business, too."

"Come on, Ham," said Carl in a low voice. "What is the use of talking to them at all? Let us get back to our own camp, and let them take care of themselves."

"All right, if you say so," answered Ham Spink, and turning on his heel he walked back the way he had come, with his crony beside him.

"Now, what brought those chaps here?" demanded Snap as soon as their enemies were out of hearing. "No good, I'll wager that."

"Oh, I guess they just wanted to come and say something," said Giant. "Let us have supper. I'm too hungry to wait any longer."

Supper was had, and the boy hunters and Tommy sat around the camp fire for two hours, discussing the situation and planning what they would do for the days to come. It was decided to pay a visit to the lake for the remainder of the supplies two days later---after they had hunted and taken pictures and rested up a little.

The two days pa.s.sed quickly. The boy hunters saw and heard nothing of the Spink crowd and almost forgot about them. They went out for game, and managed to bring down some rabbits, squirrels and some fine quail, and also a pinemarten. They took over a dozen pictures of the game and also of the scenery, and Shep managed to get a fine photograph of an old owl as he sat on a tree limb. The boys made no effort to shoot the owl, for he really seemed friendly and did not offer to fly away.

It was decided that Tommy and Whopper should remain at the camp while the other three made the trip to Firefly Lake.

"Take good care of things while we are gone," cautioned the doctor's son. "Don't let the Spink crowd get the best of you."

"We'll watch out," answered Whopper. "If they try any funny business we'll shoot them into the middle of next year!"

"Oh, don't shoot anybody!" cried Snap.

"Well, you know what I mean," answered the youth who loved to exaggerate.

Shep and the others had expected to start off directly after breakfast, but Snap had to fix one of his shoes, and this delayed them. But by ten o'clock they were on the way, the others waving them a fond farewell.

"We'll look for you by to-morrow night," said Tommy.

It was an easy matter to climb down the mountain side, but the walk up the hill that separated them from the lake was another story.

Yet, as they had only their guns to carry, they made good progress, and by the middle of the afternoon they were in plain sight of the body of water where they had left the boat.

"Somebody ahead of us!" cried Snap presently, and pointed out three persons walking toward the lake.

"I wonder if they can be members of the Spink crowd?" was Shep's comment. "Let us get closer and see"

CHAPTER XVII