Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/320

 hunting knife into the savory beans to see if they were done to suit him. “He had the first grudge. We would only be actin’ in self-defense; but if he’s anxious to take the job off’n our hands, why not let him?”

“I guess them is my sentiments,” slowly decided Pete.

“I’m willin’ to go the whole hog,” brutally announced Joe. “But if ye two think that way, why, I’ll stand back. I only hope we won’t be sorry fer waitin’.”

“How can we be sorry?” scoffed Ben. “Any chance of their getting away? We’ll be hearing from Nick almost any time now.”

Before sitting down to their breakfast the men lifted Bub against a tree and tied him. “Let the t’other one wait till we finish,” suggested Joe, returning to his coffee.

As the others were about to follow his example the report of a rifle held them transfixed like so many statues. Then came a long drawn out cry, like the scream of a lynx.

“It’s Nick, and he’s sighted his game!” yelled Joe, leaping to the rifles.

Instantly Pete answered the signal and armed himself. “Come on,” he shouted to Ben. “We may head the old hound off if we work sharp.”