Frank in the Woods Part 11

The bear had struck Frank a severe blow, which, for a few seconds, rendered him incapable of action; but as soon as he had recovered, he ran for his gun, and while he was ramming home the charge, he saw Harry's coat-tails disappearing in a thicket of bushes, and the bear, seated on his haunches, engaged in fighting the dog, which, having experienced some pretty rough handling, had learned to keep out of reach of the dangerous claws.

As soon as Frank had loaded his gun, he hurried forward to put an end to the fight, when a sheet of flame shot out from the bushes, and the bear ceased his fighting, and lay motionless on the snow. A moment afterward Harry appeared, and, upon seeing Frank, exclaimed:

"I've finished the job for him! But he gave you fits, didn't he? Your face is all b.l.o.o.d.y. I guess he made your head ache!"

"I guess he did, too," replied Frank. "I tell you, he hit me an awful crack. I had as soon be struck with a sledge-hammer."

Fortunately, there were no bones broken. After Frank's wounded head had been bandaged with his handkerchief, the boys proceeded to remove the skin of the bear, which was the largest of his species they had ever seen. Selecting some of the choice parts of the meat, they then started toward the camp.

Their appearance relieved the anxiety the others had begun to feel at their prolonged absence. The story of their adventure afforded abundant material for conversation while they were eating their dinner, which Frank, who had experienced no serious inconvenience from the blow he had received, speedily served up; and many were the speculations in regard to the lecture they would be certain to receive from the trapper, for their "keerlessness."

It was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon before the boys started for Uncle Joe's cabin. As it promised to be a fine, moonlight night, they were in no hurry. Allowing the moose to trot along at an easy gait, they sat in the bottom of the sled, enveloped in furs, amusing themselves in shouting and singing, when Archie suddenly exclaimed:

"Look there, boys! Now, see me make that varmint jump."

The boys looked in the direction indicated, and saw a large, gaunt wolf standing on the bank of the creek, regarding them attentively, and seeming to be not the least concerned about their approach. As Archie spoke, he raised his gun; but the wolf, as if guessing his intention, suddenly turned, and disappeared in the bushes.

"Boys," said Frank, "that little circ.u.mstance has set me to thinking.

Supposing that a pack of those fellows should get after us to-night, wouldn't we be in a fix?"

"That's so," answered the others, in a breath, their cheeks blanching at the very thought.

"I never thought of that," said Archie. "Hurry up, Harry. Lay on the goad, and let's get home as soon as possible."

The joking and laughing instantly ceased, and the boys bent suspicious glances on the woods, on each bank of the creek, over which darkness was fast settling, and their hands trembled as they reached for their guns, and placed them where they could be found at a moment's warning.

Harry urged on the moose, intent on reaching the tree where the accident had happened in the morning, if possible, before dark. That pa.s.sed, they would feel comparatively safe; for if the wolves should overtake them before they reached the tree, escape would be impossible. The moose shuffled over the snow at a rapid rate, as if he, too, knew that they were in danger; but Harry kept him completely under his control, and in less than half an hour the tree was in sight. After considerable exertion, the sled was lifted over the obstruction, and as the boys resumed their seats, they felt relieved to know that the worst part of the ride had been accomplished; but they had not gone far when, faintly, to their ears came the sound for which they had been waiting and listening--the mournful howl of a wolf. The moose heard it too, for, with a bound like a rocket, he set off on that break-neck pace that had so amused the boys in the morning. But it was far from a laughing matter now. The moose was not running from a harmless noise behind him, but from a danger that threatened them as well.

Presently the dreadful sound was repeated from another part of the woods, still distant, but nearer than before. The boys had often heard the same sound, when seated around their blazing camp-fire, and had smiled to think what a momentary horror would seize upon them as the sound first came pealing from the depths of the woods. But they had no camp-fire to protect them now; nothing but the speed of their horned horse and their own bravery could save them.

In a few moments, another and another joined in the hideous chorus, each nearer and more fearfully distinct than the others. The wolves were closing in behind them from all sides; but with their usual cowardice, were delaying the attack, until a sufficient force could be collected to render an easy victory certain. Up to this time not a wolf had been seen, save the one that Archie had first discovered; but in a few moments they could be heard das.h.i.+ng through the bushes on either side of the creek, and, soon after, the boldest began to show themselves on the ice behind them.

To describe the thoughts that ran with lightning speed through the minds of the terrified boys were impossible. In spite of the piercing cold, so intense were their feelings of horror, that they were covered with perspiration, and every thing they had done in their lives--minute incidents, long since forgotten--seemed spread out before their eyes like a panorama. Rapidly ran the terrified moose; but nearer and nearer came their dreadful pursuers, each moment increasing in numbers, and growing more bold. The moment was fast approaching when they would make the attack.

"Let us commence the fight, boys," said Frank, in as firm a voice as he could command. "We must kill as many of them as we can, before they close on us. George, take Harry's gun. Archie, you and I will fire first. Remember now, no putting two charges into one wolf. Harry, keep on the ice. Ready--now!"

The guns cracked in rapid succession, and the howls which followed proved that the ammunition had not been thrown away. The wolves sprang upon their wounded comrades and commenced to devour them, and George seized the opportunity to put in two excellent shots. During the delay thus occasioned, short as it was, the wolves were left far behind, and the boys had ample opportunity to load their guns. Harry, although generally very timid, when he found himself placed in danger, was the most cool and collected one of the party; and it was well that it was so, for it required all his presence of mind and power of muscle to keep the moose on the ice. He was struggling desperately, first to relieve himself of the weight of the sled, and, failing in this, he would make frantic endeavors to turn into the woods. If any part of the harness should break, they would be left at the mercy of their pursuers.

Again and again did the fierce animals overtake them, and as often were some of their number stretched on the snow. At length, a loud hurrah from Harry announced that they were nearing home; and a few moments afterward, just as the wolves were closing around them again, the sled entered Uncle Joe's "clearing." The noise of purling waters to the desert-worn pilgrim never sounded sweeter than did the sharp crack of rifles and the familiar voices of the trapper and his brother, to the ears of the rescued boys. The inmates of the cabin had heard the noise of the pursuit, and had rushed out to their a.s.sistance.

The moose was speedily unhitched from the sled, and after the boys had closed and fastened the doors of the cabin, they began to breathe more freely.

CHAPTER XIII.

The Black Mustang.

Supper over, the hunters drew their chairs around the fireplace, and d.i.c.k, after filling his pipe, and drawing a few puffs by way of inspiration, said:

"I believe I onct told you 'bout havin' my hoss pulled out from under me by a grizzly bar, didn't I? Wal, I told you, too, that I ketched another, an' I had a job to do it, too--to ketch the one I wanted; an'

the time you've had tryin' to ketch that black fox reminds me of it.

You know, I s'pose, that large droves of wild hosses roam all over the prairy, an' them droves ar allers led by some splendid animal--allers a stallion--one that has got the legs to go like lightnin', an' the wind to keep it up. An' he's allers the c.o.c.k o' the walk, too--the best fighter in the drove; an' when he moves round, it would make you laugh to see the other hosses get out of his way. He holds his place until he dies, unless some other hoss comes along an' wallops him.

Then he takes his place with the common f.a.gs o' the drove, an' the new one is king till he gets licked, an' so on. It ar a mighty hard thing to capture one o' them leaders. You can ketch one o' the others easy enough, but when it comes to la.s.soin' the 'king,' it's a thing that few trappers can do. Jest arter my sc.r.a.pe with the grizzly bar, Bill Lawson an' me fell in with a lot o' fellers that war goin' to spend a season on the Saskatchewan, an' they wanted me an' Bill to join 'em; so I bought me a hoss of an ole Injun for a couple o' plugs o'

tobacker--reg'lar Jeems River it war, too--an' we started out. My new hoss was 'bout as ugly a lookin' thing as I ever happened to set eyes on. He war big as all out-doors, an' you could see every bone in his body. An' he war ugly actin', too; an' if a feller come within reach of his heels, the way he would kick war a caution to Injuns. But I hadn't been on the road more'n a day afore I diskivered that he could travel like a streak o' greased lightnin'. That war jest the kind of a hoss I wanted, an' I didn't care 'bout his ugly looks arter that.

"For more'n three year, me an' Bill had been keepin' an eye on a hoss that we wanted to ketch. He war the leader of a large drove. He war a sort o' iron-gray color, with a thick, archin' neck--a purty feller; an' the way he could climb over the prairy was a caution to cats. We warn't the only ones arter him, either, for a'most every trapper in the country had seed him, an' had more'n one chase arter him. But, bars and buffaler! It war no use 't all, for he could run away from the fastest hosses, an' not half try; an' many a poor feller, who straddled a hoss that every body thought couldn't be tuckered out, had left his animal dead on the prairy, an' found his way back to his camp on foot. We war in hopes that we should see him, for we war travelin'

right through his country; an' I knowed that if we did find him, I would stand as good a chance o' ketchin' him as any one, for my ugly-lookin' hoss was the best traveler in the crowd.

"One night we camped on a little stream, called b.l.o.o.d.y Creek. We called it so from a fight that a party of us fellers had there with the Injuns. About an hour arter supper, while we war all settin'

round the fire, smokin' an' telling stories, ole Bob Kelly--the oldest an' best trapper in the country--started up off his blanket, an', c.o.c.kin' his ear for a moment, said, 'Somebody's comin', boys.' An', sure 'nough, in a few minits up walked a stranger.

"It ar a mighty uncommon thing to meet a teetotal stranger on the prairy, an' a man don't know whether he is a friend or foe; but we war mighty glad to see him, and crowded round him, askin' all sorts o'

questions; an' one took his rifle, an' another pulled off his powder-horn an' bullet-pouch, an' a big feller dragged him to the fire, where we could all get a good look at him, an' made him drink a big cup o' coffee.

"'Whar do you hail from, stranger?' inquired ole Bob Kelly, who allers took them matters into his own hands, an' we little fellers had to set round an' listen.

"'I b'long anywhere night ketches me,' answered the stranger. 'I'm an ole trapper in these yere parts.'

"'Whar's your hoss?' asked ole Bob.

"'I left him dead on the prairy--dead as a herrin'. I rid him a leetle too hard, I reckon. I war chasin' up the black mustang.'

"If I should live to be a hundred year older 'n I'm now, an' should live among the Blackfoot Injuns the hull time, I shouldn't expect to hear another sich a yell as 'em trappers give when the stranger mentioned the black mustang. They crowded round him like a flock o'

sheep, all askin' him questions; an' he tried to answer 'em all to onct; an' sich a row as there war round that camp-fire for a few minits! It war wusser nor any Injun war-dance I ever seed. Now, me an'

Bill hadn't never seed the black mustang, nor heerd o' him afore, 'cause we hadn't trapped in that part o' the country for a'most three year, but we knowed in a minit that it must be the leader o' some drove. But Bill had lived among the Injuns so much that he had got kinder used to their ways, an' he didn't like to see them trappers carryin' on so, an' actin' like a parcel o' young'uns jest turned loose from school; so, as soon as he could make himself heered, he yelled:

"'What in tarnation's the matter with you fellers? As soon as you git through hollerin', me an' d.i.c.k would like to know what all this yere fuss is about.'

"'Why, the black mustang has been within ten mile of this yere camp to-night,' said one of the trappers.

"'Wal, an' what o' that?' said Bill. 'Ar the black mustang any better hoss than the gray king?'

"They all set up another yell at this, an' one of 'em said:

"'Why, the gray ain't nothin' 'long side o' the black mustang. He could run away from him in less'n two minits. I guess you hain't hearn tell of him, have you?'

"'In course I hain't,' said Bill.

"'Then you ain't no great shakes of a trapper,' said another.

"Now, the rascal knowed that war a lie, for there warn't no trapper in the country that could lay over Bill, 'cept ole Bob Kelly, an' every one said as how he war the best trapper agoin'; an' the way Bill eyed the feller, made him kinder keerful of his we'pons for a day or two arterward.

"Arter talking a little while, we found out the black mustang war the leader o' the largest drove on the prairy. He had been round for 'bout a year, an' every trapper in that part of the country had had a chase arter him; but it war like chasin' the wind; an' besides this, he could run all day, an' be jest as fresh at night as when he started in the mornin'.

"'Wal,' thinks I, 'd.i.c.k, here's a good chance for you to try your hoss's travelin' qualities;' an' I made up my mind that I would start off an' foller the black mustang till I ketched him, if it tuk me my lifetime.