CHAPTER XVIII
HOT ON THE TRAIL
It was a happy meeting for the two chums after the exciting events thateach had experienced. But it was rather sad, all the same; for even intheir joy at finding how both had come through their trials with butlittle damage, they could not but regret the tragic end to poor Red Fox.
"He was a high-tempered chap," said Arnold, when he had listened to hisfriend's story. "All the same, he must have had some good in him, sincehe was so completely changed at the end."
"He seemed sorry enough," Alf rejoined. "And I must say that I feelwretchedly sorry about the whole thing. In a way it was my fault--makingthe remarks that I did. It never occurred to me that he would understanda word----"
"As apparently he did. However, it can't be helped now. No doubt he hadsome evil purpose all along, or he wouldn't have come to us with thatlie about being sent by your father and mine."
"At the same time it has taught me a lesson," said Alf. "I guess I'llkeep my opinions to myself next time, when they are so uncomplimentary."
"Just as well," Bob agreed seriously. Then, turning to the dead Indian:"We've got to lay that poor redskin to rest. I wonder how we are tomanage it!"
"We can't dig----"
"And we can't leave the body uncovered. The wolves would work mischiefin no time."
"How would it be if we were to lay him in that little hollow and coverhim with big stones?" suggested Holden. "There are plenty of bouldersabout, and we could easily cover him with branches first, with stones onthe top, to keep off the animals."
"Right," Bob said; and together the lads gently raised the Indian's bodyand placed it in a little flower-scented hollow that, after all, was afitting bed to receive the royal dead--quite as fitting as a dark pit.Then they cast maple branches over it, and carried boulders until asubstantial mound was raised.
And when all was completed as well as they were able to do it,instinctively both lads knelt beside the grave and prayed for a fewminutes in silence. And the birds overhead sang their hymns to unite inthe service--happy songs of gladness they sang, that seemed to convey tothe boys' hearts the grand lesson of all funeral services--that death isnot all sadness, for we know of the joy that follows.
There was nothing more to be done now but to return to camp. Mackintoshhad probably returned by this time, and he or Haggis would be able toguide to the Dacotah village on the urgent errand. So the broncho wascaught. It had never wandered far after the recovery from its fright,which was probably due to the sudden appearance of a wolf in the scrub;and before long the chums were on the home trail, taking it in turn toride the horse.
Camp was reached about noon, and the boys were greeted at the tent bythe Scot.
"Where in the world have you two laddies been?" he immediatelyquestioned. "Here's Haggis and me (to say no' a word about Bannock)returned at breakfast-time to find no' a single body at the camp. No'that time has been wasted, for we would have rested till dinner in anycase. But it's foolish tiring yoursels like this when there's hard workbefore you. Pleasure is all very well----"
"We've been on no pleasure trip," interrupted Alf, with a sad smile. "Ithas been anything but pleasure to Arnold and me."
Thereupon Holden immediately launched into the story of his adventureand his chum's--a tale that was listened to with silent surprise both byMackintosh and the half-breed, who had come out from the tent and stoodattentively apart.
"Well, well," the Scotsman commented at the close, "these are stirringtimes for you boys. There's no' a bit o' doot aboot that." Then he addedseriously: "But I'm thinking we'll no' be able to wait here ower long.We must set oot at once. I ken something o' this Indian legend o'water-spirits, and I ken something o' Indian ways as well. There's evilthings that will be doing if we canna stop them."
"Did you find out anything while you were away with Haggis?" questionedBob.
"A bit. We found the tracks o' boots as well as moccasins, and wefollowed far enough to learn that they had gone to the Dacotah village.Then we came back to fetch you laddies. And I found four grand specimensfor my collection! Real fine they are--such as will make my britherentomologists in Edinburgh open their eyes as big as Duddingston Lochwhen they see them. But there--I must be daft to be thinkin' o' moths atsuch a time. See, Haggis! Hurry on wi' the denner! We'll be striking thecamp, for we must mak' straight for Pleasant Valley wi'oot delay."
The speaker was all bustle and hurry now, and as the boys followed torender assistance, Bob asked--
"Pleasant Valley? But did you not say that they were at the Dacotahvillage?"
"Of course I did. But I said _were_, not _are_. Did you no' attend towhat your freend said--that Red Fox told him that Mighty Hand wouldleave for Pleasant Valley by another sun? That's the day."
"Oh, I see. Then you mean to go there direct?"
"Exactly. I ken something o' that Pleasant Valley. There's no' a verrapleasant look aboot it noo--a desert o' a place--all crags and sand,wi' just a pickle o' trees. It's a branch arm o' the Athabasca, and hasbeen a torrent at some flood-time--the time that probably started thelegend. But there's no' been ony stream flowing there in therecollection o' living man. But"--and the naturalist was predominant forthe instant--"there are rare kinds o' hawk moth to be found in that samedesert! You'll be seeing the value o' my phosphorus invention beforeanother couple of nights are out."
The boys laughed as the man's enthusiasm came suddenly uppermost, to theexclusion of (to their minds) a subject of more vital importance.
"I do believe, Skipper, that you would sooner capture a rare beetle thanbe a Napoleon!" laughed Bob, to which the naturalist replied with scorn,as he indicated the lads to take the opposite end of the tent to roll--
"Beetle? What do you take me for--a coleopterist? Ma conscience, laddie,these insects are no interest to me. I wouldn't touch one with a pair o'tongs. It's moths and butterflies for Skipper Mackintosh--the daintyfluttering things that are like bits o' sunshine and beams o' themoonlight. Beetle? Speak not to me the name o' thae things o'darkness!"
The tent was rolled and most of the other adjuncts to the camp werecollected and deftly stowed on the back of the pack-horse with theneatness of expert campers. Then a hasty cold meal was taken whileMackintosh delivered his plans.
"Now, boys, listen to me. I've got to be your captain in this journey,for you'll admit that I know best. Well, I've prepared food enough forthree of us for two days. Each will carry his own. Then you've got apair o' guns and a rifle between you. That's all that you'll need. I'vegot my own rifle and a revolver, in case o' accidents, though I'm hopingthere'll be no need for the like o' that. Now we'll start off at once.There's no straight road from here for Pleasant Valley, but it's throughbog and bush where the horse canna get wi' its burden. But it'll makefour or five hours' difference to us other than by the round-about way.So Haggis'll take the pack-horse. Ay, he'll be better o' Bannock, too.Dogs are often useless creatures in an expedition that might meancreeping and hiding. Bannock's no' that bad-mannered; but he loveshunting, and a wolf might tempt him."
"How far is it to this Pleasant Valley, as it is called?" asked Holden.
"Aboot fifteen mile as we will travel, twenty at the least by the pathHaggis'll follow. Oh, ay, Haggis'll be all right. There's no fear o' himnot turning up aboot midnight. He's no' quite ceevilised yet, for hecanna mind a' the words o' 'Auld Lang Syne' and 'Rule Britannia.' Buthe's ceevilised enough to be dependable. You wait at the Old Crossingtill we turn up, Haggis!"
"Right, boss," answered the half-breed, who seldom spoke more than twowords at a time if he could avoid doing so, and he immediately rose upto make the final arrangements for his departure.
"Then there's no more to be said," the Scotsman concluded. "It's startright away; keep a brave heart and a steady foot foremost, and we'll no'be that far from our friends come nightfall."
Skipper Mackintosh had spoken nothing but the truth when he said thatthe direct trail was not one that a laden pack-horse could travel withease, far
less speed.
The earlier portion of the march was easy enough. But after about anhour's walking through the bush the travellers reached a mile ofbogland, across which a path could only be found by stepping cautiouslyfrom one grassy hummock to another. Even then the surface of the mossshivered for yards around, and the mud between the tufts oozed, as ifits mouth were watering to swallow up the trio.
"Feel for every step before you put your weight on it!" the naturalistinstructed. He, of course, had taken the foremost position of leader."If you want to disappear quicker than you did in yon muskeg, MasterBob, you can set the tip o' your big toe in yon mud, and you'll travelas quick as electricity."
This part of the journey was certainly fatiguing, but the travellerskept up good hearts by pleasant banter and dogged determination.
Reaching solid ground again, there was another easier spell of bushtramping. Then the trail began the ascent of a hill--a rocky,loose-bouldered slope that could only be traversed by a narrow path thatsomewhat resembled a strip of ribbon on the side of a house.
Up they went, higher and higher each step, with the sharp slope to theleft and a sheer declivity of loose stones at the right.
Once Alf slipped, and the stone against which he tripped went leapingdown the slope without stopping, until it was lost to sight some threehundred feet or more below.
"Which of you two laddies is the one that's danced down the hillside?"questioned Mackintosh, without seeming to look round. His voice waspleasant, but he had taken a quick glance backwards all the same, andhis face had paled a little. That was but his kindly way of cheering theboys and helping them to keep their nerves in hand.
After a time the climbing ceased. It was now a level path, though it wasnone the less ready to trap the unwary, as it twisted round spurs andcrossed little ravines. Then suddenly the travellers became aware of asound like that of a small cataract.
Mackintosh stopped, and as they listened they were able to tell that thesound was one that proceeded from the continuous rolling of innumerablestones that were being propelled down the hillside at no great distance.
"What on earth is it?" questioned Alf, and at the same moment the manpointed towards a cloud of dust that had rounded a spur ahead of them--acloud that was advancing rapidly in their direction to theaccompaniment of loud bleating.
"A herd of mountain sheep on the stampede," was the Skipper's immediateverdict.
"Sheep? Coming towards us?" exclaimed Bob, and as the words were spokenthere could be seen amid the dust a lot of woolly animals tearingfrantically along the narrow path, throwing the stones from beneaththeir feet, while now and then one would stumble and roll down the slopeas though it had been shot from a cannon.
The noise was bewildering as it echoed among the barren hills and rocks.
"See! There's a black animal chasing them!" exclaimed Holden excitedly.
"A bear," said Mackintosh with grim calmness, as he rapidly slung hisrepeating rifle into readiness, an example that the boys quicklyfollowed.
"What's to be done?" Bob questioned. Frankly he had not the remotestnotion how to meet such an emergency, for it was impossible to climbupwards, as it was equally impossible to descend, while to retire alongthe path would only be to postpone the threatening disaster for a fewminutes.
"Come! Follow me quickly; but be careful," Mackintosh suddenly ordered,he himself hastening forward as the boys followed.
At this position the side of the hill bent to the left in the form of ahorseshoe, so that it was quite easy from where the three adventurersstood to throw a stone across the intervening chasm to the path at theother side.
Mackintosh led the way until he had reached the first spur; then he toldthe boys to wait.
"Keep your hands steady and your guns ready, boys," he said. "I'm goingalong a bit to shoot down the leaders, if it may be; you empty yourrifle and a round or two o' shot into yon bear. They'll all be oppositeus on the other side in a few minutes. A steady nerve will do it; so, ifever you were cool in your born days, this is the day to be coolest."
Without waiting for further remark from either side, the man thenhastened some yards along the path and took up a position where he couldkneel and steady his gun arm on a boulder, and hardly had the severalpositions been taken up when with roar and clatter and cloud thestampede rounded the opposite hill-spur.
Crack! went the Scotsman's repeater. Crack! crack! And down tumbledthree sheep, two of which rolled over the slope, leaving one to bar theway in the path. The others took the downward plunge. Crack! crack!crack! The rifle spoke rapidly and surely, as each bullet found a billetin a different animal.
The race was checked, but not yet effectually, though the Skipper hadnow more time to pick off the leaders as they scrambled over theirbrethren--only to fall victims to the sharp-shooter and help to build upa barrier to impede the others.
It was now a terrible sight of animals in desperation.
There were a hundred mountain sheep at least, and they were scramblingin a dense mass, trying vainly to advance--fighting, struggling,tumbling down the slope in mad confusion. Now and then one would have amomentary success and almost cross the barrier; then the deadly riflewould again send its message--and the barrier would be raised by onevictim more.
Meantime, faithful to their charge, the boys kept their attention to therear of the herd, but the dust was so dense that they could barelydiscern the hindmost animals.
Then Bob suddenly exclaimed--
"Look out!"
But Alf had been equally ready. A rifle and a gun darted up to eachboy's shoulder at the same instant; a simultaneous explosion came likeone from both weapons. Then followed a roar like a miniaturethunder-peal, and a brown grizzly was seen to shoot down the declivityin pursuit of the poor sheep that he had driven to destruction in suchnumbers.
"Bravo!" shouted Mackintosh, letting go his feelings in a wild whoop ofexultation. "A grand shot, lads!"
"I guess his day's work is done," returned Alf quietly, though he wasnone the less delighted with his own and his chum's success.
Finding that the fierce pursuit had ceased, the few remaining sheepturned on the retreat, since they found it impossible to advancefarther. Then the adventurers proceeded on their way, though they, intheir turn, found it impossible to pass the barrier, and some time hadto be expended in carefully tumbling the carcases down the slope. Butsoon the work was successfully accomplished, and the path once moreclear to permit the three comrades to pursue their urgent course.
The Fiery Totem Page 18
