Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/95

 “Only a little race,” replied Bub, speaking with difficulty.

“White face,” said Noisy Charlie as they entered into the rays of the kerosene lamp.

“I vum! but ye look as if ye’d seen a ghost. What was it?” asked Abner.

“O nothing,” mumbled Stanley.

“Be ye goin’ to speak out, or not?” bellowed Abner, striding toward them.

“It was a couple of lucerfees,” confessed Bub.

“And they were right at our heels,” added Stanley.

Abner reached for his rifle, but Noisy Charlie stayed him by asking, “Make sound like this?” And the youths jumped convulsively from the open doorway and wheeled about with their eyes filled with horror. But Charlie was the author of the alarm.

“It was just like that,” said Bub.

“Two foxes fighting,” said Charlie, his lips twitching for a second. “Face red now.” Stanley and Bub retired to the shadows.