"Look here, Biceps," he said, flinging the knife into the snow, "I wish I hadn't killed that bull.""I thought we were hunting for poachers," answered Albert, dubiously; "and now we have been poaching ourselves.""By Jiminy! So we have; and I never once thought of it," cried the valiant hunter. "I am afraid we are off my father's preserves too. It is well the deputy sheriffs are not abroad, or we might find ourselves decorated with iron bracelets before night.""But what did you do it for?"
"Well, I can't tell. It's in the blood, I fancy. The moment Isaw the track and caught the wild smell, I forgot all about the poachers, and started on the scent like a hound."The two boys stood for some minutes looking at the dead animal, not with savage exultation, but with a dim regret. The blood which was gushing from the wound in the breast froze in a solid lump the very moment it touched the snow, although the cold had greatly moderated since the morning.
"I suppose we'll have to skin the fellow," remarked Ralph, lugubriously; "it won't do to leave that fine carcass for the wolves to celebrate Christmas with.""All right," Albert answered, "I am not much of a hand at skinning, but I'll do the best I can."They fell to work rather reluctantly at the unwonted task, but had not proceeded far when they perceived that they had a full day's job before them.
"I've no talent for the butcher's trade," Ralph exclaimed in disgust, dropping his knife into the snow. "There's no help for it, Biceps, we'll have to bury the carcass, pile some logs on the top of it, and send a horse to drag it home to-morrow. If it were not Christmas Eve to-night we might take a couple of men along and shoot a dozen wolves or more. For there is sure to be pandemonium here before long, and a concert in G-flat that'll curdle the marrow of your bones with horror.""Thanks," replied the admirer of Midshipman Easy, striking a reckless naval attitude. "The marrow of my bones is not so easily curdled. I've been on a whaling voyage, which is more than you have."Ralph was about to vindicate his dignity by referring to his own valiant exploits, when suddenly his keen eyes detected a slight motion in the underbrush on the slope below.
"Biceps," he said, with forced composure, "those poachers are tracking us.""What do you mean?" asked Albert, in vague alarm.
"Do you see the top of that young birch waving?""Well, what of that!"
"Wait and see. It's no good trying to escape. They can easily overtake us. The snow is the worst tell-tale under the sun.""But why should we wish to escape? I thought we were going to catch them.""So we were; but that was before we turned poachers ourselves.
Now those fellows will turn the tables on us--take us to the sheriff and collect half the fine, which is fifty dollars, as informers.""Je-rusalem!" cried Biceps, "isn't it a beautiful scrape we've gotten into?""Rather," responded his friend, coolly.
"But why meekly allow ourselves to be captured? Why not defend ourselves?""My dear Biceps, you don't know what you are talking about.
Those fellows don't mind putting a bullet into you, if you run.
Now, I'd rather pay fifty dollars any day, than shoot a man even in self-defence.""But they have killed elk too. We heard them shoot twice.
Suppose we play the same game on them that they intend to play on us. We can play informers too, then we'll at least be quits.""Biceps, you are a brick! That's a capital idea! Then let us start for the sheriff's; and if we get there first, we'll inform both on ourselves and on them. That'll cancel the fine. Quick, now!"No persuasions were needed to make Albert bestir himself. He leaped toward his skees, and following his friend, who was a few rods ahead of him, started down the slope in a zigzag line, cautiously steering his way among the tree trunks. The boys had taken their departure none too soon; for they were scarcely five hundred yards down the declivity, when they heard behind them loud exclamations and oaths. Evidently the poachers had stopped to roll some logs (which were lying close by) over the carcass, probably meaning to appropriate it; and this gave the boys an advantage, of which they were in great need. After a few moments they espied an open clearing which sloped steeply down toward the river. Toward this Ralph had been directing his course; for although it was a venturesome undertaking to slide down so steep and rugged a hill, he was determined rather to break his neck than lower his pride, and become the laughing-stock of the parish.
One more tack through alder copse and juniper jungle--hard indeed, and terribly vexatious--and he saw with delight the great open slope, covered with an unbroken surface of glittering snow.
The sun (which at midwinter is but a few hours above the horizon)had set; and the stars were flashing forth with dazzling brilliancy. Ralph stopped, as he reached the clearing, to give Biceps an opportunity to overtake him; for Biceps, like all marine animals, moved with less dexterity on the dry land.
"Ralph," he whispered breathlessly, as he pushed himself up to his companion with a vigorous thrust of his skee-staff, "there are two awful chaps close behind us. I distinctly heard them speak.""Fiddlesticks," said Ralph; "now let us see what you are made of!
