CHAPTER II
DEER-STALKING
The boys did not find that time hung heavily on their hands when left totheir own devices.
The two tents that marked the camp at Crane Creek were pitched on agrassy slope that led down to the Athabasca's dancing waters. This hadbeen their camp-ground for several days after a desultory huntingpilgrimage from Loon Portage--the last town where they had left railwaysand civilisation. Having penetrated northwards into a region that wasapparently remote from attacks of the plough and beyond the sound of therancher's whoop, it was determined to make this a headquarters for acouple of months or so. Sport in much variety had already been found.Moose-tracks had been seen in the vicinity, and it had been with thehope of practically substantiating the discovery that the two elders hadstarted off that morning.
The boys' first consideration was that of dinner.
"Let's go into the woods and see what we can find!" Bob Arnold suggestedto his chum, after they had watched the canoe disappear round a bend ofthe river. "There's only the carcase of a prairie chicken left in thelarder. That won't be much to satisfy our paters when they come back."
"And we'll want to tackle a small morsel ourselves," added Holden. "I'venever had such an appetite in my life until I came West. There'ssomething inside me that is always calling out: 'Grub! Grub! Give megrub!'" And the boy sniffed the pine-scented air with relish, as ahungry street gamin sniffs the fragrance of a cook-shop.
Bob laughed as he strolled back to the tents and stuck a tin dipper intoa wooden pail near by for a draught of cold water that had lately beentaken from a moss-bordered spring.
"You're a freak of Nature; that's what you are, Alf. Two months ago youwere as thin and white as a sheet of paper, and even Saturday's schoolresurrection-pie failed to tempt you. Now you are the colour of aredskin, and nothing is safe from your teeth!"
"I'll not deny that I'm sometimes a bit peckish," returned the youngerboy, entering one of the tents and filling a cartridge belt, which heproceeded to buckle round his waist. Then he remarked with twinklingeyes: "Say! Mustn't the fellows at St. Wenford's be green with envy ifthey think of themselves swotting away in class while we're having thetime of our lives in the backwoods? They'll all be back by this time,for the school was only to be closed for seven weeks, the doctor said.Lucky thing fever is--in some ways."
"In some ways--perhaps," repeated Bob in an undertone that had muchseriousness in it, as he followed his friend's example in preparing forthe hunt. "But it didn't seem very lucky--to me--when--when your dad wassent for, post-haste, that night. It didn't seem the best of luckthen--to me, I mean."
"Nor to me," added Alf with equal seriousness. Both boys sighed at thememory, and then the younger resumed light-heartedly: "I tell you whatit was, Bob, I was thoroughly riled with that fever. We always meant tobe chums for the rest of our lives, just like our dads; and it put myback up to find the fever trying to upset our plans. That's what did it.Once I got the spirit of fight into me, I knocked the stuffing out ofthe old fever!"
"That you did!" laughed Arnold. "The doctors said they never sawanything like your recovery, once you set to work. Well, I'm fixed upfor shooting. Are you all right? Better take hunting-knives. They comein handy."
"And a repeating rifle, in case of big game. One will be enough; we cantake turns in carrying it."
"All aboard. I'll just see that the camp-fire is properly stamped out,and then we'll set off."
In a short time all preparations were completed, and the two boys wereready to enjoy a morning's adventure in any form that it chose to offer.
Having hopes that something bigger than duck or chicken might rewardtheir efforts, the chums immediately struck inwards through the bush,following an old trail from a buffalo wallow that was the ancient pathof those bovines when they sought water to drink or mud to wallow inwhen the mosquitoes were troublesome.
Beyond chipmunks, gophers, and a single jack-rabbit (the latter fallingto Bob's gun), nothing was met to tempt powder for some time. Then theyreached a large "slough" that in early spring would be a small lake,though now it was filled with long blue grass and wild lavender. Herethe boys paused as they examined the clearing.
"It's a likely-looking place for rattlesnakes," Bob remarked. "It hardlyseems probable that---- What's that?--Over there in the centre?" Thespeaker's voice had suddenly dropped to an excited undertone as hepointed to a couple of small dark marks that peeped above long grass andmight have been the ends of a broken branch.
Alf stared keenly for a few moments.
"I thought I saw them move----"
"So did I. Wait a minute and we'll make sure."
Keeping as still as statues, the boys waited in silence with both pairsof eyes steadily fixed upon the dark objects, and the pulses of eachgave a sudden jump, for then the points moved and sank among the longgrass.
"Antelope! Those are horns!" decided Alf, to which Bob returned, with asly dig at his chum's ribs--
"'Horns?' _Antlers_, you old duffer! We're not hunting cows!"
"Same thing," was the retort. "Horns or antlers both mean deer in theseparts." Next the boy gave a slight start. "Say! I thought I heard thebranches moving above my head!"
The young hunters turned to look upwards among the dense leaves of agigantic maple tree whose lower branches were matted with twiningconvolvulus and other wild creepers.
"A bird or a chipmunk," was Bob's decision. "In any case, whatever itis, this antelope comes first. We are both at windward, though I guesshe hasn't scented us yet on account of the long grass. But I think itwould be better if we got round to the lee-side and waited for him torise."
"How would it be if I were to stay here, in case he comes this way?" Alfsuggested. "You could take the rifle----"
"A good idea. No, you keep the rifle," amended Bob, falling in with thesuggestion. "If I get to lee, I'll be near enough to do damage with thebreech-loader. If I fail, you'll have the longer sight with the rifle."
"All right," said Holden. "I'll wait just where I am behind this redwillow. I'll not fire until I'm certain that your gun is out of it."
"Good. I'm off," responded Bob, and immediately he started a cautiouscreeping journey in the shelter of the bush, in hopes of reaching thelee-side of the slough without attracting the attention of the animalthat was apparently resting in innocent bliss among the cool blue grass.
During his silent guard Alf a second time thought that he heard arustling above his head. But, following former experience, he thoughtthat the sound was due to nothing more than a flying squirrel at themost, and he did not allow his eyes to be diverted from the spot wherethe signs of the antelope had last been seen.
By and by he at last caught sight of his chum. Bob had reached thefarther end of the oval slough, and had risen to show himself. He wavedhis arm to announce his position before creeping down to the grass.Holden answered the signal, and rose to be ready for emergencies. But,as he moved his right foot, he stepped upon something soft, whereupon hewas startled by a cry like that of a kitten. He gave a swift glancedownwards, and saw that he had inadvertently trodden on something smalland furry which was now expressing pain by means of shrill infantilewails.
But his attention was immediately diverted by the sight of a dark bodystarting up from the long grass in the slough. At the same instant heheard the sharp crack of Arnold's gun. Alf darted the butt of his rifleto his shoulder, to be in readiness for an emergency shot; but, beforethe position was attained, something launched down upon him from thetrees--bearing him forwards into the willow bush, while the forestechoed with the snarls of an infuriated wild beast.