"We are looking for a fellow named Werner who hired one of these shacks," answered Gif.

"Who are you?" repeated the man sharply, and then Gif recognized Tony Duval.

"I am the son of one of the men who own Cedar Lodge. We want to find Werner and the two fellows who are with him."

"Aha! So you are the young fellows from Cedar Lodge who made so much trouble for Mistaire Werner and his friends," cried Tony Duval. "He has told me all about that."

"Did he tell you what he did down at Cedar Lodge?" demanded Jack.

"He say he would square the account. Why should he not do that? You have no right to destroy his things and hurt his horse."

"We didn't touch his horse!" answered Fred quickly.

"His horse is gone lame, and he say you do that," cried Tony Duval. "I do not want such people as you around my place. You can go back, and you must stay off my property," and Tony Duval emphasized his words by handling his shotgun suggestively.

"If Werner and his friend are here we want to see them," cried Jack sharply. "Which shack do they live in?"

"They live there." Duval pointed with his thumb. "They are not at home now. They go on a hunt. But you shall not make more trouble for them or you will hear from me," and again he handled his gun suggestively. The man's face was very red and looked as if he had been drinking. Evidently he was in an ugly humor.

After that the cadets attempted to argue with Tony Duval, but all to no purpose. He was very stubborn, and he insisted upon it that they had already made a great deal of trouble for his patrons. He finally ordered them away, and acted so threateningly that they retired.

"Well, we've had our walk for nothing," remarked Fred, when they were in the woods again.

"I don't know about that," answered Randy. "Let us keep our eyes open.

Maybe we'll run across Werner and Glutts."

The four Rovers and their chums walked leisurely through the woods, keeping their eyes open for the possible appearance of their enemies, and also for any game that might present itself. Thus the best part of an hour went by, and they managed to bring down one more rabbit and also a squirrel. Then they heard some shooting at a distance, and walked cautiously in that direction.

"There they are!" cried Randy presently, and pointed out of the woods and across a small clearing.

All looked in the direction indicated, and there saw Werner, Glutts, and Codfish. Each had a gun, and the three had been shooting at a number of rabbits. Only Werner had been successful, the others shooting wide of the mark.

"Let us circle the clearing and surprise them," said Jack, and to this the others immediately agreed.

With caution they made their way around the clearing, doing their best to remain hidden from the other boys. They had no desire to be mistaken for game and shot at, so they had to keep their eyes on the alert as they advanced.

Werner and his cronies had pa.s.sed into the woods, and now were making their way down a hillside into a hollow where they had built a fair-sized campfire. As the Rovers and their chums came closer they saw the three sitting around the campfire and evidently getting ready to have a midday lunch.

"Come on! We're six to three, so we ought to be able to manage those fellows with ease!" cried Fred.

"Wait a minute! I've got an idea!" exclaimed Randy, holding his cousin back.

"What is it?" questioned Spouter.

"Do you see how much higher the other side of the slope is?" went on Andy. "Well, that slope runs right down to where they are sitting and have their fire. Now a few big s...o...b..a.l.l.s started down that slope--"

"I've got you, Andy!" burst out his twin, with twinkling eyes. "It will be great! Come on, fellows, we'll smother 'em with snow!"

CHAPTER XXIII

SIX BIG s...o...b..a.l.l.s

It did not take the four Rovers and their chums long to reach that part of the slope pointed out by Andy. As he had said, this was much higher than the spot where they had stood before and the slope was much steeper, leading directly down to where Werner, Glutts, and Codfish were now busy over their campfire preparing the midday meal.

The bully and his cronies were good feeders, and had brought a considerable quant.i.ty of food for their lunch. Some of this was now spread out on a napkin resting on the snow, and the rest of it was being warmed over the campfire.

"It's the chance of our lives," said Randy softly. "Come on, fellows, let's make the biggest s...o...b..a.l.l.s we can."

All of the others were willing, and soon they had rolled six s...o...b..a.l.l.s, each of which was two feet or more in diameter.

Of course, our friends were well out of sight of those in the hollow, and as they spoke in low tones their enemies had no suspicion of what was coming.

"Now then, place all the s...o...b..a.l.l.s in a line on the very edge of the slope," said Jack. "And, Gif, you give the word when we are to push them down."

Soon the six ma.s.sive s...o...b..a.l.l.s were lined up side by side. Those behind them looked below to make sure that none of the trio was close to the fire, because they did not wish anybody to be burnt.

"Now then," whispered Gif suddenly, when he saw the three lads sit down with the cooked stuff between them. "All ready? Go!"

Everybody gave a shove, and over the edge of the slope went the six s...o...b..a.l.l.s, slowly at first, but gradually gathering both size and speed.

Through the snow they rolled and over the bare rocks until almost to the foot of the slope.

"Hi! what's this coming?" roared Glutts, happening to glance around as a strange noise reached his ears.

"It's a snowslide!" screamed Werner.

"Oh, oh! let me get out of the way!" shrieked Codfish.

All three attempted to spring to their feet, Glutts knocking over a pot of hot coffee as he did so. But the movement came too late, for the next instant the six s...o...b..a.l.l.s bowled over the three boys, hurling them in all directions. One ball rolled through the lunch, carrying most of this along, imbedded in the snow. Another s...o...b..ll went directly through the campfire, smashing that flat and leaving the embers hissing and blackened.

"Don't let them see you," called Jack, as the twins were about to dash down the slope. "Get back there out of sight."

"Oh, they'll know we did it, all right enough," answered Spouter. "Come on down and have it out with them."

This was what the majority desired, and before Glutts and the others could recover from their astonishment and dismay Gif and his crowd were down the slope.

"Huh! so you were the fellows to roll those s...o...b..a.l.l.s down on us,"

growled Bill Glutts, as he rubbed his leg where some of the hot coffee had been spilled upon it.

"That's a fine way to treat a fellow," said Werner, digging some snow from his ear.

"And you spoiled all the lunch!" wailed Codfish, looking around for his cap, which had been knocked off. "Oh dear! I wish I hadn't come to this out-of-the-way place!"

"Shut up your whining!" roared Werner. "You make me sick!"

"I don't care. I told you yesterday I wanted to go home," answered Codfish complainingly. "I hate it up here!"