start.

"Good-bye, boys, and the best of luck for you!" shouted Doctor Reed,
who had driven down in his sleigh, to see them off.

"Don't let the bears eat you up!" called out a riverman who stood on
the dock.

"No danger of that," answered Snap.

And then with a shout and the waving of caps, the members of the
Fairview Gun Club set off on their winter outing, never dreaming of
the many surprises and perils which awaited them.




CHAPTER VI

CHICKENS AND MINCE PIE


It was a perfect winter day, with a dull golden glow in the sky and
only a faint breeze from the north blowing. On the ground the snow lay
to the depth of ten inches or a foot, but the wind of the week past
had almost cleared the ice on the river. Here and there were long
ridges of snow across the glare, but that was all.

The young hunters had tied long ropes to the sleds, and while Whopper
and Shep pulled one turnout, Snap and Giant dragged the other. The