Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/234

 “No, ye didn’t,” denied Abner, loudly and shaking his head emphatically. “If ye’d been like most city chaps ye’d tried to steal away and got plunked, or ye ’d remained quiet till he found ye. But when ye took him by surprise ye had a second’s advantage. And let me tell ye, younker, it takes a mighty smart woodsman to catch Big Nick a-napping. Noisy Charlie could do it, mebbe, but I couldn’t. Ye had to be as silent as a angleworm in gitting to yer feet, else he’d catched ye, sure. Guess Nick can hear a watch tick a mile.”

“Then he’ll hear his head ring a good long time,” exulted Bub. “His face was covered with blood. You must have hit him an awful crack.”

“Now it’s all over I feel sort of tired,” admitted Abner. “Seems if I hadn’t ate fer a week or slept fer two. Let’s git a little nearer to the ridge and camp fer the night.”

“I can go up to the warden’s and fetch down some food,” volunteered Bub.

“No, sirree!” refused Abner. “Ye’ve made that trip once to-day in record breaking time. We’ll let grub go till to-morrer.”

But to their great joy this proposed fasting was not necessary. For when they neared the