Phil Bradley's Snow-shoe Trail Part 17

At the same time there was enough of threat in the clouds to keep them in camp that morning, finding plenty to do to employ their time.

In prowling around Phil had made several little discoveries concerning the abiding places or haunts of certain small fur-bearing animals that frequented the border of the lake. His collection of flashlight pictures was lacking in some particulars, and he believed it would pay him to commence work trying to obtain results while on the spot.

"I wouldn't want to go back home without a few additions to my splendid series of flash exposures," he told the others while getting things ready so that he could place his cunning little trap when the shadows of evening began to gather; "and I want to see if the animals up here in this half Arctic region are as obliging as they are down in our section of the country, so as to take their own pictures for a poor hard worked photographer who needs sleep, and can't afford to sit up all night just to press a b.u.t.ton and fire the cartridge."

"You always make it a paying business for the victim, Phil," declared Lub; "for you give him a jolly lunch to settle for his trouble. Huh!

seems to me I'd like to just pull a string and get a flash if only it meant grub every time, and no harm done. They're a lucky lot, I'll be bound."

Lub had taken a turn during the morning in trying to talk with the tongue-tied boy. Of course it could only be done through the use of many signs, although there was always a chance that the little chap might know a name if he heard it.

"When I kept repeating the word Baylay I could see that he seemed interested," Lub told the others. "It's too bad we didn't ask Mr. McNab what the names of the Baylay kids were. I've tried every one I could think of and none seemed to fit. He shook his curly head every time as if he wanted me to know he owned to no such name. I reckon now they must be out of the ordinary."

And it afterwards turned out that Lub was quite right when he chanced to make this a.s.sertion, for the boy's name was indeed out of the ordinary; so it was no wonder Lub failed to strike it in his vocabulary.

Noon came and found things just about as before.

Some of them had been half expecting to see a bulky figure pus.h.i.+ng toward the camp; but the hours had crept on without such a thing coming to pa.s.s.

"It's too late now to think of starting out to try and find the place where the Baylay cabin is located," a.s.serted Ethan, when the afternoon was fairly well advanced, and the clouds seemed to have given up the battle for supremacy, for they were retreating all along the line, leaving a cold blue sky in evidence instead.

"Of course it is," Lub hastened to add, a wrinkle making its appearance across his forehead, a "pucker" Ethan always called it, and which was apt to show whenever the fat chum became worried over something or other.

The quick look he took in the direction of his charge explained the cause on this particular occasion. Lub always was fond of kids, and they loved him too. In this case the fact of their visitor being a waif of the snow forest had more or less to do with his feelings; and then, besides, the poor little chap being unable to do more than make those distressing sounds when he did want to express his feelings the worst kind brought a pang to Lub's tender heart.

"Yes," Phil decided, "it would be foolish to attempt anything of the kind now. It can wait until morning. They've given up all hope by now, I'm afraid, so they'll not be apt to suffer much worse for a little more delay. And getting the boy back safe and sound will make them all the happier."

"That's the way it treats me always," affirmed Lub, looking inexpressibly relieved at hearing the dictum p.r.o.nounced that meant another night with his little blanket-mate; "I never wanted a thing real bad, and kept being put off and put off but that it got to be what my mother would call an absorbing pa.s.sion with me."

"Yes, just like the baby in the bath leaning over and trying to reach a cake of well known soap, you'd 'never be happy till you got it,' eh, Lub?" jeered X-Ray.

"It's contradiction that makes men great," said Lub, ponderously.

"Difficulties bring out all there is in a fellow, and Phil will tell you so too. The life that flows on calmly never amounts to much. That's what makes these mountaineers such a hardy lot; they have to fight for everything they get, while the people on the fertile plains make an easy living."

"Gee! listen to the philosopher talk, will you?" said Ethan, pretending to be much surprised, when in truth he knew very well that once in so often Lub was apt to drop into this moralizing mood, and air some pretty bright views, for the benefit of his comrades in arms.

"No trouble now telling where that other camp is," X-Ray informed them.

"All you have to do is to take a glance over that way, and you'll see a thick black smoke rising up."

"If we'd had any idea there'd be trouble lying in wait for us around here," ventured Ethan, "we might have kept them guessing where we had our camp. It would be easy to pick out good dry wood, of which there is plenty lying around, and using only that kind. It gives out so little smoke they never would have noticed; whereas the half-green stuff tells anybody with half an eye where the fire is."

"What you say about the wood and the smoke is all very true, Ethan,"

remarked Phil; "but all the same I doubt whether it would have prevented their finding our location, once Mr. James Bodman started to make things interesting by offering a bonus to his guides to smell us out. They'd have heard us chopping, it might be, for in these still woods sounds carry a long ways when the air is just right."

"Yes, I guess that's so," X-Ray admitted, "because several times I've been positive I heard the sound of a faraway ax at work; and I noticed that the wind was coming from that quarter too."

"To-night we keep watch as we planned, eh, Phil?" Ethan asked.

"We'd be wise to do it just as long as we expect to hang out around this section, and that crowd is over there," he was informed.

"Yes, and I ought to be given the first watch, because I managed to get off so slick last night," a.s.serted X-Ray; "promise me that, won't you?"

"If it's going to worry you the sooner we say yes the better," laughed Phil; "so we'll consider that the night is to be cut up into thirds, and I choose the second watch for my turn; Ethan, you have to tag on at the end."

"So long as I get my full share of the work it doesn't matter a bit to me where I come in; but let there be no tricks on travelers played to-night. What's fair for one is fair to all."

"I suppose you mean to count me out, as usual?" complained Lub, feebly protesting.

"You have all you can do attending to the grub question," said X-Ray, sternly. "If you do happen to wake up in the night, and can't get to sleep again, why you might employ yourself fixing up in your mind some new dish you want to spring on us as a surprise. But as a sentry, wide awake and vigilant, you know you're a rank fizzle, Lub. Now please don't fire up, and want particulars, because I'd hate to rake up bygone happenings."

"Oh! well, if you're three to one against me there's no use in my kicking," admitted Lub, trying to look only resigned, whereas in spite of him a grin would persist in spreading across one side of his rosy features.

He had done his duty in showing a willingness to take part in the protection of the camp; if his chums were a unit in deciding against him having a share in the sitting-up business he could not say anything more.

"Your part to-night will be to see that our little friend here is kept cozy and warm," Phil told him, as he patted the boy on his curly head, and was surprised when the little fellow in the grat.i.tude of his heart suddenly seized hold of his hand and actually pressed it to his childish lips.

Never would Phil Bradley forget the sensation he experienced upon receiving mute evidence of affection; it drew him more than ever to the hapless one whom affliction had marked for its own in refusing him the great gift of speech.

"h.e.l.lo! listen to all that row going over there, will you?" cried X-Ray Tyson.

As they started up with strained ears there came floating on the wind faint but unmistakable sounds that somehow thrilled the listeners through and through.

CHAPTER XIII

THE MYSTERY OF THE PINE WOODS

"What in the d.i.c.kens can it all mean?" exclaimed Ethan Allen.

"I'm all up in the air about it," admitted Lub, helplessly.

"I heard several shots from guns!" declared X-Ray Tyson, positively enough.

"Yes, we all did," affirmed Phil; "and there was a howl in the bargain that sounded to me like that of a dog."

"Whew! I bet you one of their animals has gone _mad_, and had to be shot!" burst out Lub, in still further excitement.

"What, at this season of the year?" cried X-Ray; "I thought curs only went mad in the heat of summer, and that was why they called a part of August the dog days."

"That isn't a fact, is it, Phil?" appealed Lub.

"They used to think so," came the reply, "but of late it's been learned that the heat has little if anything to do with a dog going mad. Because they always run with their tongues hanging out people had an idea the heat affected them. On the contrary the very sight of water causes a mad dog to go into spasms. It's just a terrible disease, and in cities is said to be more frequent in winter than in summer."

"The racket has died out now," remarked X-Ray, partly to change the subject, and hide the little confusion he felt at displaying his ignorance in his little dispute with Lub.

"And I guess the dog has been killed," Ethan went on to remark; "but it took a whole lot of gunning to do the job, seemed like. They must have been pretty badly rattled, those New York City sportsmen who are up here to run the country about as they see fit."