"Well, they are not coming here any more!" cried Andrew Felps.
"After this those who come will pay for the privilege."
"The place isn't fenced in," said Whopper.
"No; but it will be, shortly. I am going to have a wire fence
put up."
Seeing there was a dispute going on, Giant came ashore.
"What's the trouble?" he sang out. "Bad news from home?"
"No---bad news right here," murmured Shep, coming towards him.
"What do you mean?"
"Wait and see."
"I came down here to camp out myself," went on Andrew Felps. "I and
my friends picked this very spot over two weeks ago. I am going to
have a first-class cabin built here shortly. You boys had no right
to cut down the trees."
"Can't we stay here?" blurted out Giant.
"Stay here? Not much! You'll get out just as fast as you can
pack up!"
At this announcement the hearts of the boys fell instantly. All
thought of the labor they had put on the cabin and the surroundings.
"This is too bad!" cried Whopper. "See here, Mr. Felps, can't we
stay if we pay you?"
"No, sir!" was the first answer. Andrew Felps looked at Snap,
coldly. "You can go home and tell your father I sent you."
The remark made Snap exceedingly angry and for the moment he lost
his temper.
"You are more than mean!" he cried. "We have worked hard to fit
up this spot, as you can see. But your meanness is nothing but
what I should expect from one who would act as you did about that
Spur Road tract of lumber."
"Shut up, you imp!" snarled Andrew Felps, growing red in the face.
I have my rights, as you'll soon learn. Pack up your duds and get
out at once!"
"Well, you are a gentleman!" cried Shep, also growing angry. "But
I've heard about you before---down to Fairview. Well, we'll go."
"Yes, and mighty quick, too!" roared Andrew Felps, and rushing
forward he kicked at the campfire with his foot and sent one of
the frying-pans whirling into the bushes.
"I wouldn't be so hard on the youngsters, Andy," said one of the
men, in a low tone.
"Oh, I know them, Sam," was Andrew Felps's answer. "That Dodge's
father has been trying to get the best of me for years. Do you
suppose I am going to give his cub any leeway? Not much!"
Some bitter words followed between the boys and the unreasonable
timber dealer, and then the young hunters began to pack up and
put their belongings in the rowboat.
"Oh, but wouldn't I like to get square with him!" muttered Whopper,
as the work went on.
"Maybe we'll get a chance to square up some day," answered Shep.
"I think he is more than mean."
"Here, leave that cabin alone!" came from Andrew Felps, as Snap
began to knock down the front end with the ax.
"I may as well take it down, as you don't want it," said the boy.
"You leave it alone, I say."
"Maybe you want to use it?" sneered the youth.
"If so, who is going to stop me? It was built out of my timber,
don't forget that, smarty."
"Perhaps you want to steal our outfit," cried Giant, who was boiling
with suppressed rage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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