"n.o.body really believes we took it," declared Fenn.

"Well, don't let's talk about it," declared Bart. "We will try to have a good time in town--that is, if Fenn's arm doesn't get any worse."

"Oh, I don't believe it will," answered the injured lad, pluckily. But the sore was very painful.

Preparations for leaving camp were soon under way. The chums had an early breakfast the next morning--their last breakfast of the year, as Ned laughingly remarked--and then, with Fenn's arm well wrapped up, so he would not take cold in it, and each of the other lads carrying a gun, they started off for the town of Cannistota.

The weather was pleasant, though a bit cold, and the sun was shining brightly on the snow which still covered the ground. The going at first was heavy, for it was through the woods, over a trail hard to discern, but when they struck the lumber road, leading into Cannistota, the traveling was easier.

They saw no game, save some rabbits, and a few squirrels, but they would not shoot at these. They could not make very good time, and it was nearly noon when they came in sight of the town, which lay in a valley, surrounded on all sides by hills.

"Now for the doctor," decided Bart, "and then we'll see what's going on."

"And get dinner," added Ned, who was fond of his meals.

"Sure," added Frank, who was no less a good handler of knife and fork.

As the lads entered the main street of the town they were struck by the festive appearances on every side. Stores and houses were draped with flags and bunting, while from several electric-light poles men were stringing long wires, with small incandescent bulbs of various colors fastened on at intervals. This was in the centre of the place, where the two main streets crossed, and, on inquiring, the lads learned that it was planned to hold a sort of procession, with the Old Year, typified by Father Time, going out, while the New Year came in. This formality would occur in the centre of the town, under a canopy of colored electric lights. In addition there were to be bands of music, songs, and other numbers on a festive program.

"Say, we ought to stay and take this in," suggested Ned, as he saw the carnival spirit manifested on every side.

"Maybe we will," a.s.sented Bart, "after we hear what the doctor says about Fenn's arm."

The medical man looked grave when he saw the injury caused by the buck's horn.

"There is nothing to be unduly alarmed about," he said, "but it is well that you came in time. It needs attention, and while fresh cool air, such as you get in camp, is good, I shall have to treat the wound with antiseptics. You must remain in town at least three days."

The boys were a little dismayed to hear this, but as they had made tentative plans to be away from camp if necessary, it did not altogether upset their calculations. The doctor gave Fenn some medicine, dressed the sore, and recommended the lads to a quiet hotel, to stay while the wound was being looked after.

"You'll enjoy your visit to Cannistota," the doctor said with a smile, "for we always have a good time here on New Years. There is plenty of excitement."

The boys were soon to find that this was true in an unusual sense, for they took part in a most exciting scene.

"Well," remarked Fenn, as they came away from the office of the medical man, "it might be worse. What'll we do now?"

"Let's eat," suggested Ned, and they all fell in with this proposal.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE MAN WITH THE TURTLE

The chums took their meal at one of the two hotels in Cannistota, and, liking the appearance of the place, which the doctor had recommended, they made arrangements to stay there for a few days, during which time Fenn's arm was to receive treatment. They had adjoining rooms, and, once they had visited them, and left the few belongings they had brought from camp, they were ready to go out into the street again, and watch the preparations being made to celebrate the advent of the New Year that night.

"I know one thing we'd better do," remarked Frank, as they strolled along.

"What's that?" inquired Bart.

"Send telegrams to the folks at home, telling them where we are, and wishing them good luck for the New Year."

"Good!" exclaimed Fenn, "but don't say anything about my sore arm. My folks might worry."

This was agreed to, and then each lad wrote his own telegram, explaining briefly why he was not in the woods, the carnival forming a good reason for the change.

"This will be a good plan in case they have any word to send us,"

remarked Ned. "A telegram will reach us at the hotel, but it never would at camp."

Bart had taken his rifle with him when they left the hotel, and when his companions joked him about it, asking him if he expected to see a bear or a deer in the town, Bart replied:

"I want to take it to a gunmaker's and get a screw set in a little deeper," referring to one on the lock mechanism. "It works loose every once in a while, and now's a good time to have it fixed, when I'm not likely to have a use for the rifle. I intend to do a lot of hunting when we get back to camp."

As the chums strolled on, they saw, on every side, more evidences of the carnival spirit. On several side streets, as well as on the main ones, flags and bunting were in evidence, and colored electric lights were being strung. Linemen were high up on poles arranging extra wires, and others, below, were pa.s.sing up the colored bulbs, or pliers, and other tools needed by their mates on the high poles. The boys watched this for some time, and then, at Bart's suggestion, they strolled toward the centre of the village.

There a still busier scene was observed. There were a number of linemen on the tall poles, and, as the boys looked on, the current was turned into the hundreds of various-hued bulbs, to test them. It was early afternoon, and much yet remained to be done in order to get the decorations completed.

The lads found a gunsmith in his shop, not far from the intersection of the main streets, and he was soon at work on Bart's rifle, talking as he worked. The boys told him of their experience in camp, and the necessity for their visit to town.

"Got scratched by a buck; eh?" remarked the old gunsmith as he gazed from under his bushy white eyebrows at the lads. "That happened to me once. Their horns seem to sort of poison a wound. I guess it's because the critters rub their antlers up against all sorts of trees and bushes.

They get poisonous juices on 'em."

Soon the lads were again strolling along the street. The afternoon was pa.s.sing, and presently the town, which was now thronged with visitors, would be in the full sway of the carnival.

Fenn was walking ahead of his chums, looking in the store windows, and taking care that he did not collide with persons in the crowd, and so injure his sore arm. The stout youth saw, just ahead of him, an establishment devoted to the sale of pets of various kinds. There were pigeons, white rats, puppies, gold fish, some monkeys and parrots, and scores of canary birds. As several specimens were on exhibition in the windows quite a crowd was gathered about watching the antics of a pair of monkeys. Fenn, always interested in such things, drew closer, motioning to his chums, who were walking slowly, to join him.

As he turned back toward the store he saw a man entering--a man, at the sight of whom, the stout lad started, and looked at him again, more sharply.

"I wonder if it can be--yes, it's the same man--the mysterious man we've been after so long!" murmured Fenn. "He's going in that store! I hope he didn't see me." He got behind a couple of men who were close to the window, and watched until he had seen the person he had observed close the door, after entering the store. Then Fenn turned to address his chums who were now at his side.

"What's the matter?" asked Bart, laughing. "You look as if you had seen a ghost, Stumpy."

"I've seen something more substantial than a ghost," replied the lad, "I've seen the man who stole the diamond bracelet, fellows!"

"Where?" gasped Ned and Frank.

"Hush! Not so loud," cautioned Fenn, for several persons were curiously observing the four lads. "He's in that store," went on the stout youth.

They could hardly believe him, but Fenn soon told them the circ.u.mstances, and repeated his belief in the positiveness of his identification. "I'm sure it was the same man," he said.

"Well, we'll soon see," declared Bart. "He'll have to come out, some time or other, and then we can tell. We'll just wait here a while."

A little later they were all startled to see the man, about whom there seemed to be such a mystery, come hurriedly from the store.

"There he is!" exclaimed Fenn.

"It's him, all right," a.s.sented Bart, in low tones. "Now what shall we do; follow him?"