The two
were about to shoulder the packs, Quonab was lighting his pipe
for a start, when Rolf said:
"Say, Quonab! that fellow we saw at the Falls claimed to be
Hoag's partner. He may come on here and make trouble if we don't
head him off. Let's burn her," and he nodded toward the shanty.
"Ugh!" was the reply.
They gathered some dry brush and a lot of birch bark, piled them
up against the wall inside, and threw plenty of firewood on this.
With flint and steel Quonab made the vital spark, the birch bark
sputtered, the dry, resinous logs were easily set ablaze, and
soon great volumes of smoke rolled from the door, the window, and
the chimney; and Skookum, standing afar, barked pleasantly aloud.
The hunters shouldered their packs and began the long, upward
slope. In an hour they had reached a high, rocky ridge. Here
they stopped to rest, and, far below them, marked with grim joy a
twisted, leaning column of thick black smoke.
That night they camped in the woods and next day rejoiced to be
back again at their own cabin, their own lake, their home.
Several times during the march they had seen fresh deer tracks,
and now that the need of meat was felt, Rolf proposed a deer
hunt.
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