Quincy Allen

“ I bet there won't be a chippy left around here when we get out."
"Oh! shucks, Jerry, remember that he isn't in your class. When he empties that six-shot gun and makes a miss every time, what does it matter? If the game had only poor Bluff and his repeater to fear they could well laugh. But when you look over the sights it's a different matter."
"That's nice of you, Frank. I'll try and be more lenient with the poor fellow, then. Anyhow, I know he shuts both eyes when he pulls the trigger, for I've watched him more than once. A man that's gun-shy never will make a success as a hunter. ”

“ The fire was speedily made, and, taking off his clothes, Bluff hugged close to the blaze while Will busied himself in hanging up the wet garments, though he had more or less difficulty in tearing his eyes away from the spot where his camera lay close by.
"Sometimes we get too much fire; then again we want more and more," remarked Bluff, as he kept turning around like a roast on the spit; for as fast as one side felt warm the other grew chilled.
"And I guess that we'd better be beating it back to camp as soon as your duds are decently dry. ”

“ I've only got bird-shot in my gun but at close quarters that ought to do as well as a bullet, eh, Frank?" asked Jerry, excited at the prospect.
"Wait I've a notion that you may be surprised yet. I've also a hunch, my boy, that there will be another claimant for the honors of this campaign. Sometimes surprises spring out of the very earth. Watch!" said Frank, laying a hand on the gun of his chum, as though impelling him to hold his fire. ”

“ Old Toby was really too much alarmed to retire to his fly; so Frank told him he could remain with him when the other boys went to their tent.
None of them expected to obtain much sleep. The wind came in fierce gusts, the trees groaned and writhed, and once or twice Frank really heard a crash in the forest that told of a rent in the timber.
"I only hope nothing of that kind happens around here; a falling tree might pin us all under, and be our death," he said to himself. ”

“ Smithson in some curiosity.
"How are you, Jerry? Guess you know me all right, eh? Why, I'm up here looking for an escaped lunatic, you see," said that worthy, without rising.
"Talk to me about your coincidences—and that's him right there in our camp, ordering poor old scared Uncle Toby around with the air of an emperor. I see it all, boys," exclaimed Jerry, shaking hands around as though he had been gone for a full week instead of one night.
"Well, he believes himself a bigger man than any emperor, for he makes and unmakes kings. That is Bismarck you see, young man. ”

“ And there he crouched while the gale blew with renewed violence, and the night wore slowly on. Several times there came a lull, and he began to hope the worst had passed; when once again the wind would swoop down, as though loth to give up its riotous dominion over the stricken forest.
Never had such a storm been heard of in October; even the first gale, which had demolished the roof of the Academy, and brought about this two weeks' vacation for the boys, had not equaled this, coming from another quarter as it did.
Jerry had one bad scare. ”

“ Are you willing to give me a little assistance?" asked the warden.
"Why, to be sure we will. It looks as though we might have some interest in his capture, too, judging by the way old Toby is loading up our good grub in those frying pans to suit his appetite. He threatens to eat us out of house and home unless something desperate is done. We'll help capture the escaped lunatic, eh, fellows?"
"Sure we will, Frank. Let Mr. Smithson tell us what to do, that's all," said Bluff, readily.
"Well, I hardly think he'll take the alarm at sight of any strangers, so long as he doesn't get a glimpse of me. ”

“ Then it was seen that Andy and his associates had impressed a hungry-looking, gaunt mule into their service, the said animal being fairly loaded down with an assortment of the most astonishing articles ever dreamed of in the mind of would-be campers.
Under the circumstances, with Erastus and Toby to help guard the camp outfit, Andy's crowd did not dare lift a hostile hand; but they took especial pains to hoot at the little company as it wheeled past, making more or less sarcastic remarks, and yet being careful not to go too far. ”

“ So under the directions of the boy who was in the hole, and in a position to see how things lay, the single-pole ladder was placed in position.
"I'm coming up now, fellows; don't let the dirt crumble in on me," called Jerry.
"It does beat all how the adventures crowd you, old man. Here the rest of us just go along in an average way, and nothing happens to anybody to stir the blood. Hang it, I say it's hardly fair," remarked Frank, in pretended chagrin. ”

“ Shall we go, fellows?" asked Frank.
"Might as well," answered Jerry; "but before we do I think these chaps ought to be told that the sheriff promised to drop in and see us to-morrow; and that if there's any more of this humbug and annoyance tried, I'm going to ask him to take the whole bunch back to Centerville."
"And I promise to prefer a charge of malicious mischief against them, and an attempt to destroy property. Incendiarism is a crime, especially when life is placed in peril; and one of us might have been burned while we slept," added Frank, severely. ”

“ Don't give up so easy, Bluff. Who knows but that we may find a chance to recover the gun again, sooner or later. Live in hopes."
"It's easy for you to say that, Frank, when your gun is all safe and sound. Why, what can I do now without anything to shoot game with?"
"Well, I wouldn't worry about that. This is Kamp Kill Kare, you know. Trust us to find plenty for you to do. There'll be fish and game to clean, and dishes to wash while Toby is busy at something else. Oh! you can be useful all right, I give you my word, Bluff," said Frank, gaily. ”

“ The boys looked at one another in dismay, for it seemed as though some would-be joker had tossed a bucket of ice-cold water over them; this vague threat of Andy Lasher's was not to be lightly dismissed as mere bluff, for whatever his reputation might be, the fellow had a way of keeping his word, especially when it concerned any sort of mischief.
Frank, however, laughed aloud.
"That sort of talk doesn't cut any figure with us, Lasher. If we go up to the head of the lake we'll try and mind our own business, and advise all others to do the same, if they know what's good for them. ”

“ They were delighted at the chance, Will lugging his camera along, though the old trapper cast a dubious eye on the affair, as if he did not wholly like the idea of visiting his traps with such a "contraption," something unheard of in his experience.
"Now, don't even whisper, fellers. Here's the swamp and my traps begins clost by. I'll show ye all about it by signs. Dumb trappers is most successful, they sez," remarked Jesse, holding up his hand. ”

“ What's this plain trail lead to?" asked Frank.
"I think it leads direct from the hemlock camp to where Andy's crowd holds out," replied Jerry, who knew considerable about this region.
"Are we far away from the lake, then?"
"It's some closer than our camp. This trail has been traveled more or less lately, too. That proves those fellows have been back and forth. They're bound to spend pretty much all their time while up here trying to make life miserable for us. We turn to the left here, fellows, and go right along this way." ”

“ I never like to attempt anything on an empty stomach. And, besides, you see, we may have to go all the way over to Jesse's shack before we learn about him," observed Frank.
"Do you really think he's stayed there?" questioned Bluff, anxiously; for even though he and Jerry seemed to be constantly bickering, deep down in their hearts they had a genuine affection for each other, as had been proven more than once. ”

“ The wagon held something that had been associated in their minds with the most delightful of times, and they felt as though they ought to continue to act as a guard of honor to the slow moving team.
"Cheer up, fellows," called Frank, seeing how gloomy his chums looked; "every one of us has good reason for feeling proud and satisfied, even if our vacation has been cut short. ”

“ Frank went on.
Jerry had thrown his gun down as if ready to drop over himself. He now stooped and picked it up again.
"Come on, fellows; there's only one thing for us to do," he said.
"And that's to hike over to that shanty and find out if they've got our chum there a prisoner," finished Frank.
Will made no move to leave his beloved camera behind.
"Hide it somewhere," suggested Frank; "for it will be too dark by the time we get across to their camp to take a picture decently."
"I guess not," observed the other, calmly; "you see I'm prepared to snap off a flashlight picture at any old time. ”

“ Then let Will have your gun while you're away."
Jerry handed it over a little regretfully; indeed, he had calculated on carrying the weapon himself, though it must have been in the way.
They saw him creep off.
For quite some little time they watched, ready to rush forward if any sound announced that Jerry had been discovered, and was in trouble.
"They're getting supper. Don't look like our outfit, does it?" whispered
Will, as he and Frank crouched there in the brush, waiting and watching.
"I should say not; still, the appetite is the main thing in the woods. A hungry man can forgive anything. ”

“ He had his own gun handy, and meant to have a share in getting a supply of bear meat for the camp larder.
"Do you see Uncle Toby? I'll be blessed if he hasn't gone and made a ladder, and has used it to climb up in that tree yonder," declared Jerry, snickering.
"Sensible old Toby. If I had to make shift to be a monkey as often as he has, I think I'd have a ladder, too. Saves considerable trouble, you see, and the wear and tear on his clothes counts, too. But didn't we leave Bluff in camp—I don't see anything of our pard, do you, boys?" ”

“ Somehow Jerry seemed to lag behind the others.
"What's the matter with him?" asked Will, turning his thumb backward over his shoulder.
"Perhaps conscience is at work. Jerry has queer freaks, you know. Wait and see what develops," answered Frank, mysteriously, and, although his companion tried to get him to say more he absolutely declined.
It was a short time after this that they heard the boom of a gun.
"Hunters abroad, somewhere around. There goes a second, yes and a third.
Game must be plenty where they are," remarked Will. ”

“ The first thing they did was to rescue the runaway canvas. It was found to be intact, the pins only having given under the strain. So shortly afterwards the second tent again arose, and things began to look shipshape around the camp.
"Seems like an Irish wash-day," remarked Will, as he surveyed the various blankets and other things spread out on bushes to dry in the sunshine and air.
"Only for Jerry's strange absence, I'd feel bully," remarked Frank.
"Don't you think we'd better start out and look for him?" asked Will. ”

“ Why, he'd have cleaned out the whole woods community, given half a chance," jeered Jerry.
"Come now, let that drop. I'm only joking, and you know it. I wouldn't lay a single finger on old Toby's white wool for worlds. But where is he, Frank?" said Bluff.
"Say, there's something in our camp, boys!" ejaculated Will, at that moment.
"What's that?" asked Frank, his interest suddenly aroused.
"Well, I saw something moving there—look now, there it is again, over just beside the nearer tent," whispered Will, in an awe-struck voice.
They all saw it now.
"Keeps moving all the time. ”

“ Jerry got away first, with Erastus perched behind him, and grinning from ear to ear with the novelty of the experience.
"H'm, he won't think it so funny if they strike a root and take a header; but then Jerry's a cautious driver, and he knows something of the lay of the land; so I hope they'll get along without a spill. Now, Uncle Toby, do you think you can stand a mile or two of rough sledding; for the 'tote-road' is hardly meant for a wagon with springs?" Frank asked, as the other vanished from sight, going back along the way they had come from Centerville. ”

“ Scattering the smouldering leaves, beating out the fire with any sort of thing they could snatch up in their excitement, they managed to get the flames under control after a little while.
It had been a most exciting experience, however. Bluff was swinging his blanket vigorously, and thrashing the fire with it effectively; though he might later on have some difficulty in getting rid of the smudges that this process necessarily produced.
"Victory!" shouted Jerry, when the last vestige of the fire had gone under. ”

“ But, for goodness' sake, change the subject. I'm sleepy," declared Jerry, curling up on a blanket by the fire.
"All of us are, I reckon. You see we were having a little circus of our own at the time this happened to you," remarked Frank.
"Yes," exclaimed Bluff, "don't you think you're the only pebble on the beach, Jerry."
"Why, what happened?" demanded the other, looking up.
"Why, what do you think we've got all those things on the bushes drying out for? Yes, one of the tents blew away in the middle of the storm. ”

“ Uncle Toby grinned, for he knew what appetites boys are apt to develop when in the woods, and, of course, he had made allowances.
They were soon gathered around the table and busy.
"What's the programme for to-day?" asked Frank, when the edge of their appetites had been taken away.
"First thing of all I want some snapshots of the camp in the morning sun. You can see that's the best time to get a good view. Now, just sit still, fellows, and let me do my little trick," said Will. ”

“ Perhaps some time I'll tell you about that experience; for I'll never forget it, never. But, Jerry, suppose we get ready to run back to the lumber shack, and wait there for the wagon? I won't be easy until we see it here. A little snack first from the grub I've got here, and which Nellie put up for us, and then we'll meander over the back trail," he said.
"Grub!" exclaimed Bluff, starting up from the soft, mossy cushion he had fashioned, after doing his little stunt with the ax; "count me in, please, and especially if your sister put it up, Frank, for I reckon it must be the boss feed then." ”

“ One of us can meet the driver on the road after we've picked out the spot for the camp. Every fellow be sure to have his outfit ready at seven in the morning. Bring two blankets apiece, and the things I've written down here—a towel, soap, and such little necessities," returned Frank.
"Who looks after the grub part of it?" demanded Bluff, who was never known to be separated from his appetite. ”