The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 94: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

88 slam! Got to keep yer eyes peeled, then, er they’ll jump on you, like’s not!” “You bet!” Ross Compty exclaimed. “Td ruther be gouged by a hemlock bark spud than git hit by one of them deer’s dew claws!” D. Cuecy was staggering when Red stopped all hands with a yell. There are many tasks less exacting, less exhausting than following a score or so of loggers six or eight miles up and down mountains and through heavy Adirondack timber. D. Cuecy dropped upon a log and sat with lower jaw hanging, catching his breath. He was so tired that his face was streaky white and red, and his lips pinched out and bluish. ‘“ Here’s a good place to wait. We'll set D. Cussy here, and the rest of us ’ll scatter around—you set here!” Red ordered, and immediately the loggers started away on their made courses. ‘“‘Here’s yer gun!’’ Red handed him the double-barreled shotgun. “‘ Set here! Don’t move! When ye see a big buck, er bear, er anything you want to kill, plug ’im! Then holler! We’ll all be around here, set- tin’, an’ waitin’ fer them deers to stir aroun’ our way!” Then Red hurried away at top speed, watching over his shoulder, for he was afraid that D. Cuecy might begin to shoot before he was out of sight. A few minutes later Red joined the rest of the loggers a quarter of a mile away, in the direction of the log camp. ‘Leave him any cartridges?” some one asked. “ You bet!”-Red grinned. “ ’Bout a hun- dred. Come along toward night, and he’ll need some. That gun of his’n makes a good roar, an’ we can hear him when he gets ex- cited.” There was a laugh, and the crew walked slowly toward the camp, which was hardly a quarter of a mile farther on. They were jubilant. It had been a hot and breathless ramble through the woods, but they had had their reward in watching the “‘ city fel- ler” tripping and stumbling and staggering along. “Mr. Vroon will certainly be pleased, greatly pleased, the way you boys have en- THE ARGOSY. a tertained D. Cuecy!” Foreman Bigger grinned, when they had given him a minute description of the ridges they had gone over, of the swamps they had crossed, of the ledges they had climbed. “The entertainment ain’t only jes’ be- gun!”’ Red declared. ‘“ Long about ten- eleven o’clock we’ll have to go out ’n look for him! We kinda want to listen, so’s he won’t get too fur away!” The camp guest was not at his place for the big Sunday dinner. But two or three hours later, after taking naps in the dormi- tory, shaving and washing, doing the vari- ous odd little jobs that fall to the Sundays in a log camp, Red and Slip Wanda went out to see if the hunter was stil] at his post. They were half-way to the gap in the ridge where D. Cuecy had been left when they heard the double-barreled gun roar twice. ‘‘ Shootin’ at some noises!” Red spat in disgust. ‘‘ Them kind ain’t fit to go out without a chain an’ collar on their necks! He’d probably kill us if he hearn us!” “‘T ain’t goin’ clost to him!” Slip swore vehemently. ‘I never wanted to be took for no buck!” From the top of the ridge they could look into the gap. There sat D. Cuecy, with his shotgun ready for instant action, looking first one way and then another. His alertness was commendable. The woodsmen, after a few minutes, returned to the camp. “* He’s all right,” Red announced. ain’t learned much, yet!” The day waned, and a little while before dark the boys heard more shooting—four quick shots—out toward the gap where D. Cuecy was sitting ‘“ hunting deer.” ‘“‘'Whooe-e-e! He’s killed ’im now!” Red grinned, and the boys all laughed. ‘“ By an’ by we'll hear ’im tryin’ to come to camp with his meat!” They had left D. Cuecy out on the ridge to “enjoy the night.” They knew that long since the tenderfoot had begun to grow hungry and that he was now expecting them to arrive any minute to lead him to the warm shanty of the log jobbers. After supper, in the dark of the night, they went outside and listened. They had “He oO Comiclbooe S CO