The Rover Boys on Snowshoe Island; or, The Old Lumberman's Treasure Box. Stratemeyer Edward

we get back to the school."

      "All right, just as you say," answered his cousin, and then he began some horseplay with Fred, which came to a sudden end when the youngest Rover tripped him up and sent him plunging into a snowbank on the side of the narrow stream.

      "Now let up, I tell you!" warned Jack. "You never want to try any horseplay when you are tramping or skating along with a loaded gun. It's too dangerous. Remember what Colonel Colby said," and then Andy sobered down a little.

      All too soon for the boys, the skating on the river came to an end. Beyond, the stream was little better than a rocky watercourse, now thickly covered with ice and snow.

      "Why can't we leave our skates here until we come back?" suggested Randy.

      "We could if we were sure we were going to return this way," answered Jack. "But we had better take them along, for we may return to the Hall by an entirely different route. We'll place our skates in our game bags for the present;" and this advice was followed.

      After this the Rover boys trudged along through the woods bordering the stream. Soon they came upon some rabbit tracks, and less than a minute later Jack suddenly raised his double-barreled shotgun and blazed away.

      "Hurrah! you've got him!" cried Fred, and all of the boys rushed forward to where the game lay—a big, fat rabbit.

      "Say, Jack, you're the lucky one!" cried Andy. "Now you know what you promised?" he added.

      "All right—it's your turn now to have the shotgun," answered his cousin, for that was the bargain which had been made. "I'll carry the rifle."

      On and on went the young hunters, getting deeper and deeper into the woods. Here they managed to stir up more game, and Andy had the pleasure of bringing down the second rabbit, while the others laid low several squirrels.

      "This is pretty rough ground around here," remarked Jack, after they had wound in and out around some exceedingly rough rocks and through some thick underbrush.

      "We had better keep close to this stream," was Randy's suggestion. "If we don't, we may become hopelessly lost in these woods."

      "Huh! I guess we could find our way out sooner or later," retorted his twin. To Andy, getting lost in the woods would seem nothing more than a big joke.

      The young hunters continued to advance, and, during the course of the next hour, brought down several more rabbits, and also another squirrel. Then, just as Andy had handed back one of the shotguns to Jack and the weapon had been reloaded, they heard a strange noise coming from back of some bushes not a great distance away.

      "Now what do you suppose that is?" whispered Fred.

      "I think I know, Fred," was Jack's reply; "and if I am right, get ready to fire as soon as I do."

      The two boys with the shotguns went in advance, and soon reached a point where they could look beyond the bushes. Then came a sudden whirr, and up into the air went a small flock of pheasants.

      Bang! bang! rang out Jack's fowling piece, and bang! bang! came the report of Fred's firearm.

      The strange whirring continued, but then three of the birds were seen to drop to the ground, one dead and the other two seriously wounded.