CHAPTER XVIII. STILL IN PURSUIT, WITH THE TRAIL GROWING WARMER.
Step Hen was not alone in feeling angry at this action on the part of thetwo unscrupulous timber cruisers. Every one of the scouts experienced adegree of indignation that might easily be fanned into boyish rage.
"And I don't calculate, now," said Giraffe, presently, "that Hank andPierre are the kind of men to step out of their way ten feet to do a gooddeed, 'specially toward a boy they'd never yet seen?"
"Well, they didn't impress me that way," declared Thad.
"And they haven't much of a reputation for being tenderhearted, Ibelieve," Allan added, speaking over his shoulder, for he was followingthe trail persistently.
But then, even a novice could have kept on that trail. None of the threewho made it seemed to think anything about hiding their tracks.
Those of Bumpus in particular were plainly marked, and presently Giraffebegan to notice this patent fact.
"There seems to be a big difference in these footprints," he said.
"There certainly is," Allan replied.
"Now, I don't mean it that way, because of course Bumpus hasn't got feetanywhere near as big as those of Hank and Pierre. But always it's thesame, and his footprints look deeper than theirs. But for all he's sofat, sure Bumpus can't be heavier than either of those big broadshouldered husky men?"
Giraffe seemed to realize that there must be an explanation which wouldclear up this little mystery, and he wanted it.
"That isn't what makes the difference, Giraffe," the tracker went on."You know, we decided that Bumpus went along here right soon after thestorm yesterday afternoon, and while the ground was still soft?"
"Yes, I remember, Allan."
"Well," said Allan, "Hank and Pierre didn't happen on the scene untilthis morning, and by then the ground was somewhat firm again. Is thatplain enough?"
"I should say it was, and thank you for the explanation," Giraffeanswered. "It beats all what you fellers can get out of this thing. Why,that alone is about as interesting a fact as anybody could think up."
"Then Bumpus had, say twelve hours the start?" suggested Step Hen.
"Right here, yes," replied Allan. "But you must remember that he wasmeaning to settle down for the night about this time. And when he went onthis morning, perhaps they'd be only a couple of hours behind."
"Whew! things seem to be getting mighty interesting," remarked Giraffe.
"I should say they were," Step Hen asserted.
"Don't I wish Davy and Smithy and Bob White were here." the long scoutwent on.
"Huh! there's four of us as it is, and all carryin' good guns too. Weought to be enough of a crowd to hold up that pair of cowards," declaredStep Hen, who did not seem to have a very high opinion of Hank and hismate.
"We did it once, all right," remarked Giraffe, with a grin, "and we c'ndo it again, or my name is Dennis."
"But Bumpus hadn't camped yet, had he?" Step Hen asked.
"I think we're coming to where he spent last night," said Allan. "I had aglimpse just then of something that looked like a dead camp-fire. Yes,here it is, boys, you see."
"Well, he did do it, all right," muttered Giraffe, as he stood there, andlooked down upon the ashes of a fire.
"Yes," Thad remarked, "and here we can see where he obtained dry timberby hacking into the heart of this stump."
"Oh! Bumpus is the surprise of this trip, all right!" exclaimed Step Hen."I'm just goin' to take off my hat to him, after what he's done."
"He seems to keep us guessing, don't he?" Thad remarked, looking aroundwith a feeling akin to pride, to realize that the one who all along hadbeen termed the real tenderfoot of the patrol, should so suddenly developsuch astonishing skill in taking care of himself.
"No babes in the wood about this business, let me tell you." assertedGiraffe, after he had examined the way Bumpus had made his fire. "Donethings pretty near as well as an old seasoned fire builder could havemade out."
That was a high compliment indeed, coming from Giraffe. Bumpus must havefelt greatly pleased, could he have heard it. Perhaps his right earburned him just about that time, for all boys know that such a thinghappens only when some one is making complimentary remarks about you.
"But Bumpus left here this morning, of course?" said Step Hen; and Allanwent on:
"He did, after passing a pretty comfortable night on that bed of hemlockboughs which he made, and which you can see there. Kept his feet towardthe fire, too, just like an old experienced camper, who was without atent and blanket would do. And his going off without this last is whatconvinces me Bumpus didn't really mean to lose himself when he startedout to get his bear. He just took a lot of grub along, his hatchet, andplenty of ammunition, so as to be pretty well fixed in case he couldn'tmake use of his compass in finding the way back to camp."
Giraffe placed his hand on the dead ashes.
"Wet 'em down again, sure he did," he remarked.
"Ain't our chum just _it_ though," chuckled Step Hen.
"He kept his fire burning all night," Thad remarked, casually.
"How d'ye know that?" asked Step Hen.
"Oh! the amount of ashes tells that he used a heap of wood," was thereply. "You can see he made his camp close to this fallen tree, and usedhis little axe in cutting up the dead branches."
"Bumpus deserves to be made a first-class scout," said Giraffe, ingenuine enthusiasm.
"He's on the road there, anyhow," declared Allan.
"But we must be off," Thad remarked. "We've had a few minutes' rest whilefiguring out all these things our chum has been up to. Now let's put ourbest leg forward."
"That means the right one," said Giraffe.
"No, you're away off there; it's the left one," remonstrated Step Hen,limping more decidedly with his right leg to prove that it was not "inthe running."
"Both of you are correct," declared Thad. "It all depends on the point ofview you choose to take."
"And of course Hank and Company started out on the new trail, because Ican see the marks of their brogans?" ventured Giraffe.
"Yes," Allan replied, "they looked around the camp a bit, perhapssurprised to find that even a tenderfoot scout knows how to take care ofhimself. Then they pushed on."
"How far behind Bumpus?"
"I should say about three hours," replied the trail master, withouthesitation.
"He's got that much lead, then?" Giraffe asked.
"Close on it," Allan answered. "But something may cause him to stop, andthen they'd overtake him. On the whole, I'd rather guess those men wouldmake faster time than our chum."
"And be slowly but surely gaining, all the while?" suggested Thad.
"Yes."
"Then we've got to get a hustle on us, that's all," Giraffe asserted."Already we're away behind in the race, and just as like as not anothernight's going to catch us before we overhaul these parties. That'll makeit bad."
"We can't help it any," remarked Thad, "we're doing our level best, andthere's a limit, you know. We've just got to leave the rest toProvidence."
"And Bumpus' luck--don't forget that," said Step Hen.
"He's sure got it along with him this trip," Giraffe avowed, "and it'sbeen working over time for our fat chum too. Seems to me these here gentsare kind of rash tryin' to meddle with a feller that has everythingcomin' to him like Bumpus has. P'raps they'll think they have made amistake when they tackle that walkin' wonder."
Both Giraffe and Step Hen chuckled a little, as though the idea ratherappealed to their boyish sense of humor. And Thad could not help thinkingthings had come to a strange pass indeed, when these two scouts, who hadlorded it over Bumpus so long, on account of their superior knowledge,were ready to admit that they might yet sit at the feet of the fat chum,and take lessons in woodcraft.
Would wonders ever cease, Thad thought? But then, he knew only too wellthat once a scout becomes fully enthused with zeal in the pursuit ofknowledge along these lines he will not o
nly open up new pleasures dailyfor himself, but surprises for his friends as well.
They had been gone from the camp-fire about half an hour now. There wasno trouble at all about following the trail; indeed, Allan more than oncedeclared that even if a bandage were tied over his eyes he would havebeen able to keep right along, using his fingers to guide him, so plainlymarked were the footprints of men and boy.
"Hello!" said Allan, suddenly, "I wonder now what started him torunning?"
"Bumpus, you mean, don't you?" asked Giraffe.
"Yes, he began right here. You can see how his toes press down," Allanremarked.
"Perhaps he discovered the men behind him," suggested Step Hen.
"No, they were still more than two hours' back," Allan contrived, as hewalked on hastily. "And besides, Bumpus never once turned to look behind;I could tell from his track if he did. Something in front must haveattracted him."
Giraffe and Step Hen looked at each other.
"I wonder," said the former.
"'Twould be just Bumpus' luck if he did," the other boy exclaimed.
Neither of them spoke their thoughts aloud further than that. For a shorttime they kept moving rapidly along. And then Allan held up his hand as asignal for the others to stop.
"Well," he said, "it happened, after all these days of tramping. Bumpuscame across the trail of a bear, and a big fellow too. See here, you cansee his tracks, where none of the others have marred them."
The Boy Scouts Through the Big Timber; Or, The Search for the Lost Tenderfoot Page 18
