Guns and Snowshoes | Page 3

trouble with Ham Spink, a dudish youth from Fairview, who, with some cronies, located a rival camp across the lake, but this was quickly quelled. Then, during a forest fire, they captured a long-wanted criminal, and came home at last loaded down with game, and with the firm determination to go out camping again during the winter.
"We couldn't spend our time more pleasantly," was what Snap said. "Just think of a cozy camp in the snow, with a roaring camp-fire, and plenty of game on all sides of you! Um! um! It's enough to make a fellow's mouth water!"
"Oh, we'll have to go!" had been Shep's answer. "Of course we'll have to go to school, but we are going to have a long vacation around the holidays--"
"And we can ask for our Christmas presents in advance," Giant had interrupted. "If we go out, I know what I want?"
"What, Giant?"
"A pair of snowshoes."
"Oh, we'll all want those," had come from Whopper. "And sleds, too--for our traps."
"That's right."
"And another shot-gun."
"Yes, and plenty of blankets. It's no fun to camp out in winter if you can't keep warm."
And so the talk had run on, until the winter outing of the Gun Club became almost a certainty to them. But there were certain restrictions, one of which, placed on all of the boys by their parents, was that they should end the term at school with good averages in all their lessons.
"You must get at least eighty-five per cent. out of a possible hundred in all your lessons," said Doctor Reed to Shep, "otherwise you cannot go," and the other parents said practically the same thing to Snap, Whopper and Giant. And then the boys pitched in with a will, resolved to come out ahead, "or know the reason why," as Snap said.
CHAPTER II
A QUARREL IN THE SNOW
The snow lay on the ground to the depth of four inches and was still coming down thickly. It was the first fall of the season, and was late,--so late, in fact, that the boys had been afraid there might come no fall at all. Fast and furiously flew the snowballs and each lad was hit many times.
"How is that?" sang out Whopper, as he planted a snowball directly in Snap's ear.
"And how's that?" returned Snap quickly, and sent a chunk of soft snow down Frank's collar.
"Wuow!" spluttered Whopper. "Hi! that isn't fair! Oh, my poor backbone!"
"Here you are, Giant!" called out Shep, and hit the little lad in the back. "Sorry, but it can't be helped. I--Oh, my!" and Shep bent double as a snowball thrown by Giant with much force took him directly in the stomach.
"Just to remember me by!" sang out Giant. "Here's another," and the ball struck Shep in the elbow. "Small favors thankfully received and big ones granted in return. There you are!" And still another snowball landed on Shep's neck.
Five other boys had come up, and now the contestants were lined up on both sides of the street not far from a corner, where there was a turn running down to the depot. As the snowballing went on a distant locomotive whistle sounded out and the afternoon train from the East rolled into the station. Several passengers alighted and among the number was Andrew Felps, of the Felps Lumber Company, the man who had caused the boy hunters so much trouble the summer previous.
Mr. Andrew Felps was in a bad humor. He had gone to the city on business and matters had not turned out as he had expected. Now he had gotten back, dressed in his best, and wearing a new silk hat, and he had no umbrella with which to protect himself from the snow-storm. More than this, his coachman, who generally met him when he came in on the train, was not in sight.
"Bah! I'll have to walk I suppose," muttered the saw mill owner, as he looked around for a carriage and found none. "Just the time you want a rig you can't find one. I'll discharge Johnson as soon as I reach home."
With his coat buttoned up around his neck, and his head bent low to escape the scudding snow, Andrew Felps hurried away from the depot and up to the main street of Fairview. Then he made another turn, presently reaching the spot where our heroes and the other lads were having their sport.
"Hi! here comes old Felps!" cried Giant. "We ought to give him something to remember us by!"
"Don't you do it!" returned Snap quickly. "He doesn't know what fun is, and he'd be sure to make trouble."
Some other boys were coming up, and the snowballs began to fly more furiously than ever. Snap, Shep, Whopper and Giant were on one side, and a boy named Carl Dudder and five other town lads on