CHAPTER VIII TUBBY HAS AN ADVENTURE
Tubby was particularly interested in looking around. He had heard somuch about these hunting camps of his sport-loving relative that now hehad the chance to see for himself he kept prowling about. It was Tubbywho presently discovered a haunch of fresh venison. Andy immediatelyannounced that the keen-nosed wildcat was not in the same class with thestout chum.
“Say, we can have a mess of _real_ venison for our camp supperto-night,” added the delighted Tubby. “Haven’t we a warrant for takingliberties in that Notice, where Uncle George invites the pilgrim toenter, wait, and make merry? How can any one be merry without a feast?I’ll take all the responsibility on my shoulders, boys, so make up yourminds the main dish to-night will be deer meat.”
Later in the afternoon Tubby wandered outside to look around.
“Don’t go too far away and get lost, Tubby!” called out Rob, who himselfwas busily engaged.
“Oh, I don’t mean to more than stretch my legs,” came the reply. “Here’sa bucket, and there must be a spring somewhere handy. I think I’d like adrink of fresh water. I might as well fetch some back with me. Yes, nowI can see a beaten path leading from the door in this direction. Rob, Iwon’t be gone long.”
“All right, Tubby,” Andy called out in turn. “If you don’t turn upinside of half an hour we’ll send out a relief corps to look for you. Besure to fetch a supply of that spring water back with you. I’m getting abit dry myself.”
So Tubby walked off. He was feeling in the best of spirits. He believedhis troubles were mostly in the past, and the immediate future looked asrosy as the sky at dawn. In another day or two Uncle George would surelyturn up, when the little operation of having that paper signed could becarried out. Then for a week of unalloyed happiness, roving the pinewoods, feasting on royal game, and enjoying the society of theworld-wide sportsman at evening time, when sitting in front of a cheeryblaze inside that bunk-house the boys would be entertained withwonderful stories of the amazing scenes Uncle George had run acrossduring his long and adventurous career.
Tubby had no difficulty in following that beaten path. In going to andfrom the spring the guides had made such a plain track that even a worsegreenhorn than Tubby might have kept right. In fact, to stray would havebeen unpardonable sin in the eyes of a scout.
It proved to be much longer than he had expected. Tubby fancied thatthere was another water place closer to the camp, though Uncle Georgefor some reason of his own preferred this spring. The path turned thisway and that, passing around high barriers of lopped-off branches, nowdead, and beginning to decay as time passed. Tubby could not but shudderas he contemplated the effect of a stray lighted match thrown into oneof these heaps of dead stuff, that would prove as so much tinder. Hehoped they would not have the ill luck to witness a forest fire.
Finally he came to the spring. It was a fine one, too, clear andbubbling. Tubby lay as flat as he could, and managed after considerableexertion to get a satisfying drink of that cold water.
“My, but that is good!” he told himself, after he had once more resumedan upright position. “I don’t wonder at them coming all this distance toget a supply of water. Now to fill my bucket, and trot back over thetrail; and by the same token it won’t be just as easy a job as comingout was. But then the boys will thank me for my trouble, and that’squite enough.”
As Tubby started off, carrying the pail of water, he suddenly bethoughthimself once again of that tremendous bobcat Andy had killed. Itoccurred to Tubby that he had been informed such creatures were alwaysto be found in pairs. What if the mate to the defunct cat should bar hisway, and attack him, recognizing in him one of the party that had beenthe means of making her a feline widow?
Tubby did not like the idea at all. He cast numerous nervous looks abouthim, as he hastened his steps a little. As a rule he swept the lowerbranches of the trees with those keen glances, for if the bobcat werelying in wait to waylay him it would select some such roost for itshiding place.
Then all at once Tubby plainly heard a sound behind him, that wasexactly like the swift patter of feet in the dead leaves and pineneedles. He whirled around and immediately experienced one of thegreatest shocks of his whole life!
In and out of the aisles of the forest a moving object came patteringalong. Tubby saw that it was about knee high and of a singular duncolor. To his eyes it looked terribly fierce!
“Oh, murder! It must be a savage wolf, come across from Canada!” waswhat he told himself, remembering something he had heard a man say whilethey were waiting at a little wayside station in Maine, about suchbeasts of prey having been unusually plentiful up in Canada in thepreceding spring, and bolder than ever known before.
Tubby wanted to drop his water pail and run like mad. He also would haveliked to give a series of shouts, not that he was frightened, of course,but to sort of alarm the animal and cause him to turn tail; but histongue seemed to be sticking to the roof of his mouth in the queerestway ever, and which for the life of him he could not understand.
But while he still held on to the bucket Tubby did manage to get hislegs in motion once more; he was far from being paralyzed. The animalkept advancing and stopping by turns. Tubby thought the wolf was layinga plan to surround him, when the beast trotted to one side or the other.Yes, and the cunning of the animal to wag his tail that way, and act asthough pleased to see him! Tubby thought of that ancient fairy storyabout Little Red Riding Hood, and how she met a wolf on the way to hergrandmother’s home. They always were tricky creatures, no matter in whatcountry found; but Tubby was on his guard.
By now at least he had managed to regain his voice, and when the wolftrotted closer than he thought was safe he would make violent gestureswith his arms, and try to shoo him away. Apparently the beast did notknow just how to catch Tubby napping, for he continued to trot along,forcing himself to look as amiable, Tubby saw, as he possibly could,although not deceiving the boy in the least.
“You can’t fool me with your making out to want to be friendly, youmiserable old scamp!” he chattered, after he had actually put down thenow only half filled bucket, the better to throw up both arms, andpretend to be picking up stones, all of which hostile actions caused theobstinate creature to dart away a short distance although quickly comingon again. “Get out, I tell you! Oh, why didn’t I think to get the loanof Rob’s gun! What if he tumbles me down in spite of all my fightinglike mad! But, thank goodness, there’s the cabin, and maybe I can makeit yet!”
He did in the end, and burst upon the other pair like a thunderbolt, sothat both boys scrambled to their feet, and Rob exclaimed:
“What ails you, Tubby? Have you seen that big bull moose again—and didhe attack you?”
“Oh, Rob! Andy! The wolf! The wolf!” stammered Tubby, now completely outof breath; but he had said quite enough, for the two boys snatched uptheir firearms and darted out of the cabin.
Tubby waited, fully expecting to hear shots, and perhaps wild yelping.Instead he soon caught the sound of whistling, and then he heard theboys laughing heartily. While Tubby stared and waited they came backinto the bunk-house. The panting fat boy was startled to see trottingalongside, leaping up again and again, his terrible “wolf”!
“W-w-what’s all this mean, fellows?” he stammered in bewilderment, atthe same time dimly comprehending how his fears had magnified the evil.
“Only that your wolf turns out to be a poor dog that’s probably got lostin the woods and was trying to make friends with you,” laughed Rob.
Tubby quickly recovered, and joined in the laugh. The joke was on him.He no longer declined to make up with the four-footed stranger. Hisheart was tender, and he repented having called the wretched beast somany hard names. Tubby was really the first to discover that the dogacted as though almost famished, sniffing around, and looking longinglyup toward the hams that hung from the rafter.
“Oh, you poor fellow!” said Tubby. “I bet you’re as hungr
y as can be.Haven’t had a single bite for a whole day? I guess I know what thatmeans. I’ll fix you out in a jiffy, see if I don’t; Uncle George willsay I’m doing the decent thing by you, too. Here, Wolf, for I’m going tocall you that just for a joke, watch me get you a hunk of the poorestpart of that haunch of venison.”
Tubby was as good as his word, too. The stray dog had reason to rejoiceover the freak of fortune that had sent him in the way of these newfriends. Indeed, he gave promise of turning out to be quite a welcomeaddition to the party, for all of the scouts were fond of pet animalsthat could show affection. Wolf duly licked Tubby’s plump hand afterbeing fed, as his only way of displaying dog gratitude.
So the long afternoon wasted away. As evening approached the boys gaveup all hope of seeing Uncle George that day. But then none of themworried, for things had turned out splendidly so far, and they couldfind reason to hope for the return of the party within forty-eight hoursat most.
Tubby was as good as his word, too, and cut off quite a bountiful supplyof that nice fresh venison, which he cooked with some strips of bacon;for all of them knew that this was the only proper way in which suchmeat should be used, since it was too dry to be attractive otherwise.
They pronounced the supper “gilt-edged,” which in boyish language meansthe acme of perfection. As every one, including even “Wolf,” whoseappetite seemed boundless, proved to be exceedingly hungry, the repastwas a royal feast. Then they sat around the fire, chatting and tellingstories. Tubby even started up one of their school songs, and beingjoined by the other pair, the low rafters of that bunk-house resoundedwith the glorious refrain. In days past sounds far less innocent, ribaldlanguage and loud oaths, may have been heard within those walls, for asa rule the sturdy lumber jacks are the roughest kind of men, as hard assome of the knots they strike with their axes.
An hour or so later the boys settled down for a good sleep. Wolf hadbeen let out for a run, and did not come back again, so Rob said he mustbe feeling so refreshed after his feed that he wanted to take a turnaround, possibly in hopes of finding his lost home; or again it might behe was desirous of running a deer, for Wolf was a guide’s dog, they haddetermined.
When they all retired the dog had not shown up again. Andy said he wasan ungrateful cur, deserting his friends in that fashion; but Tubbystood up manfully for the dog, declaring that it was only right heshould want to find his own people.
The fire had been allowed to die down, and Rob meant to let it go out.To shut the glow from their eyes he had made use of a rude screendoubtless intended for this very purpose by Uncle George.
An hour, perhaps several, passed away. Then Rob felt some one clawing athis arm, after which a low whisper sounded close to his ear. It wasAndy, and he had something to communicate that was quite enough to causea thrill to shoot through the heart of the aroused scout master.
“Listen, Rob, and keep very still,” said Andy softly. “There’s some oneoutside the door trying to get in. I heard him try the latch and give apush; and I think he’s gone to prowling around, trying each of thewooden shutters over the windows in turn.”
The Boy Scouts at the Canadian Border Page 8
