The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island Part 8

"I guess I'll have to stay right where I am for a spell, Bill," said the hurt man.

"That's what, Uncle Barney. And you're welcome to stay as long as you please," announced the owner of the cabin. The boys had brought along the old lumberman's game bag and shotgun.

Bill Hobson wanted to know the particulars of the affair, and the Rover boys related how they had come up into the woods to hunt and heard Barney Stevenson's cries for a.s.sistance, and how they had liberated him and brought him along on the litter.

"I'm very thankful indeed to you," said Barney Stevenson, and his face showed his grat.i.tude. "If I can ever do you boys a good turn, believe me, I'll do it."

"Didn't you say you lived on Snowshoe Island?" queried Jack.

"Yes."

"I've heard of the place, but I don't know exactly where it is located or why they call it Snowshoe Island."

"It's a big island located almost in the middle of Lake Monona,"

answered the old lumberman. "I own the place, and it's called Snowshoe Island because some years ago a number of Indians lived on it and made their living by making snowshoes. The Indians are all gone now."

"I guess, Uncle Barney, you've lived on that island a good number of years," put in Bill Hobson.

"Twelve years coming this Christmas," was the reply. "I went there the day after my wife was buried," and the old lumberman's face clouded as if the memory of what had happened was still bitter.

"Do you do any lumbering there?" questioned Randy, more to change the subject than for any other reason.

"Oh, yes; I do quite some lumbering during the season. I have a firm in the city that sends up there every year for all the stuff I cut. At this time of year. I like to go out hunting. It's the one sport that I thoroughly enjoy. And I reckon you boys enjoy it, too, or you wouldn't be out with your guns."

"Yes, we like to go hunting once in a while."

"Well, now, listen to me, boys. You saved my life out there in the woods, and if I was real well off, I'd try to reward you for it. But, as it is----"

"We don't want any reward," broke in Jack quickly.

"I know you don't--you're not that kind. And I'm not going to offend you by offering it. Just the same, if you ever feel like coming over to Snowshoe Island and paying me a visit, I'll treat you as well as I know how."

"Maybe we might be able to go over there and do some hunting some time," suggested Andy.

"Yes, you come over some time and stay a few days or a week with me, and I'll give you the best time hunting I can," answered Barney Stevenson.

"By the way, Mr. Stevenson," said Jack curiously, "do you know a Mr.

Frederic Stevenson?" Jack had learned from Ruth that that was her father's name.

At this unexpected question, the old lumberman opened wide his eyes and glared at the young cadet.

"Yes, I know him--very well," he growled. "But I don't want to hear anything about him--not a word! Is he a friend of yours?"

"He is the father of one of the young ladies who is a pupil at Clearwater Hall."

"Oh, I see! Humph! Well, I don't want to hear anything about Fred Stevenson, and if you want to be friends with me, you needn't mention his name to me again," went on the old lumberman, much to the surprise of the Rover boys.

CHAPTER VI

DEEP IN THE WOODS

"What do you suppose was the reason that old lumberman didn't want to hear Mr. Stevenson's name mentioned?" questioned Randy of Jack, about half an hour later, when the four cadets were tramping through the woods again to resume their hunting.

"I'm sure I don't know, Randy," was the slow reply. "Evidently he was very bitter over something."

"Having the same name, it looks to me as if this Uncle Barney, as they call him, might be some relative of Ruth's family," said Fred.

"More than likely."

"Maybe he's some cast-off relation, who got into trouble with them and then took himself off to that Snowshoe Island," was Fred's comment.

"I'd have asked him some more questions if he hadn't acted so ugly about it," went on Jack.

"Yes. But he seemed to be a very nice sort of man otherwise," put in Andy quickly.

"I agree with you there." Jack gave a little sigh. "There must be some mystery to it."

"Why don't you ask Ruth about it some time?"

"I will, when I get a good chance to do it. Of course, if it's some sort of family affair, I'm not going to b.u.t.t in."

Before the Rover boys had left the cabin of Bill Hobson, they had been a.s.sured by old Uncle Barney that he was feeling fairly comfortable and that the owner of the place would look after him until he recovered.

Barney Stevenson had mentioned Snowshoe Island several times, and had told the boys again that he was sorry he could not reward them for coming to his a.s.sistance, but that if they ever cared to visit his island, he would do his best to make them feel at home and show them where the best hunting in that vicinity was to be had. He had also mentioned the fact that there was a vacant cabin close to his own on the island, and that they would be welcome to camp out there at any time they chose to do so.

"I'd like to visit his place some time," said Fred, "just to see how the old fellow lives. I'll bet he's got quite a comfortable outfit there."

"He may live in very queer style," returned Randy. "According to what he says, and what that Bill Hobson told me, he must be a good deal of a hermit."

"Maybe he committed some sort of crime and the other Stevensons cast him off," suggested Andy.

"Oh, I can't think that! He didn't look to be a criminal," returned Jack. "Don't you remember what he said about taking up his residence on the island after his wife died? Maybe that loss made him feel as if he didn't want to mingle with the rest of the world."

The boys talked the matter over for some time, but could reach no conclusion whatever regarding the way the old lumberman had acted when Frederic Stevenson's name had been mentioned. Then, however, they stirred up some more squirrels and rabbits, and in the excitement of the chase that subject, for the time being, was forgotten.

They had brought a lunch with them, and at noon they found a convenient spot and there built a small campfire, over which they made themselves a can of hot chocolate, and this, with some sandwiches and some doughnuts, const.i.tuted the repast. Andy wanted to take time to clean a couple of the squirrels and cook them, but Jack and the others were afraid this would take too long, and so the idea had to be abandoned.

"Gee! but this tramping through the woods gives a fellow an appet.i.te!"

cried Andy, after he had eaten his second sandwich and his third doughnut. "I could eat a whole rabbit or a squirrel myself." And then, feeling in fine fettle, he proceeded to pull himself up on a near-by tree limb and "skin the cat," as it is called by acrobatic boys.

"You look out, young man, that you don't tumble down on your head,"

warned Jack. "This ground around here is frozen pretty hard."

"If I tumble, I know where I'll land," cried Andy gleefully; and, swinging himself back and forth on the tree limb, he suddenly let go and came down straight on Jack's shoulders. Both went down in the snow, and there rolled over and over, each trying to get the better of the other.

Then Fred commenced to s...o...b..ll the fallen pair, and Randy joined in; and a moment later there began a s...o...b..ll fight on the part of all four which lasted about ten minutes.