CHAPTER XVII
THE CAMP OF THE POACHERS
Upton had just glanced at his watch and noted that the hour was 3 A. M.Hal and Sparrer were both asleep, the long vigil having proved too muchfor them despite their assertions early in the evening that theycouldn't sleep a wink. A slight sound outside the door caught Walter'sattention. A second later the door swung open and Pat and Alec entered.It was clear that they had expected to find all the boys asleep, andwere endeavoring to make as little noise as possible.
Walter flashed a keen look at the two faces and read there the successof the trip. "Hey, you sleepy-heads, they've found the camp!" heshouted, thumping Hal on the back.
"Wha-wha-what?" stammered Hal, rubbing his eyes and staring about himwildly, while Sparrer blinked stupidly. Then fully recovering his sensesHal sprang to his feet. "Did you really find the camp?" he askedeagerly.
Pat nodded. "Hurrah!" cried the impetuous boy. "Say, who hit me? I wasright in the middle of a dream. I had three outlaws lined up against acabin wall and covered with a rifle when I felt that thump, and for aminute I thought it was another one of 'em who had stolen up behind meand got me foul, I'm certainly glad it was only a dream."
Everybody laughed. Upton meanwhile had hung a kettle of soup over thefire and was setting a couple of places at the table for the twotrappers, knowing that they must be hungry after their long tramp. "Nowtell us about it," he commanded when they had had a chance to dispose ofthe soup and a big slab of corn bread.
"There isn't much to tell," began Pat. "We found their camp and watchedit for a while and then came back."
"So simple," murmured Hal. "'We found their camp.' I suppose you shutyour eyes and let a good fairy take you by the hands and lead youstraight to it! It's a wonder you haven't been over to make a friendlycall before, seeing it is so handy and easily found."
There was no mistaking the sarcasm in Hal's voice, and Pat laughedaloud. "'Twas no fairy led us to ut, me bye, but just common woods senseand me partner's knowledge av the counthry." Then dropping his brogue hecontinued: "You know enough about camping to know that one of the firstand most important things to look out for in locating a camp is a goodwater supply. Alec knows every good spring for twenty miles around.Having made up our minds that the camp was within five miles Alec justran over in his mind the likely springs within that distance and the layof the land. The fact that those bloody-minded thieves have been workingour long trap lines was a pretty good indication that their camp laysomewhere handy to these. That narrowed it down to two springs, thefirst of which is at the head of a little draw which makes in to thenorth about four miles west of here just before our line swings north.The second is in a draw which makes in to the south of a pond about amile farther on and somewhat off our trap line. We made straight forthe first one and found nothing there. Then we cut across to the secondand as soon as we were in the draw we knew that we were on the righttrack."
"How?" interrupted Hal eagerly.
"The smell of wood-smoke," replied Pat. "We worked around to the spring,mighty careful to keep under cover and make no noise, expecting to findthe camp right there, but there wasn't a thing to be seen. Then wefollowed our noses up wind over a little rise and there in the middle ofa clump of spruce was the cabin, pretty near buried in snow. We watchedit for a while and then as there was nothing doing we came back, andthat's the whole of the story."
"What's the next move?" Upton asked the question with an eagerness hecould not conceal.
"A little daylight surprise party," replied Pat with a grin.
"Are we in on it?" demanded the three boys in chorus.
"That depends," replied Pat. "Alec and I have been talking it over, andif you'll agree to obey orders and keep under cover maybe we'll takeyou along. Witnesses may come in handy. But you've got to agree to dojust as you're told."
"We will!" chorused the three joyously.
"Our plan is to surround the cabin before daylight. The fact that thosefellows haven't pulled out already indicates that they are planning tolie low. But they'll be up and out early to spy on us. We've got to bein hiding before they are up, and that means that we must start in halfan hour. You fellows are to remain in hiding and leave Alec and me tohandle those chaps, and you're not to show yourselves unless we signalyou to."
"How many of them are there?" asked Upton.
"Two, we think," replied Pat. "The cabin isn't big enough for more. Nowget busy and stow away a good meal, because there is no knowing whenyou'll get another."
A hasty meal of bacon and cold corn bread, with hot chocolate, wasspeedily disposed of, and they were ready to start. At Pat's suggestionthe boys had put on extra clothing to protect them should they becompelled to remain inactive for some time. With the exception ofSparrer each carried a rifle. In single file, Alec in the lead and Patin the rear, they threaded their way through the forest. Never will thethree city boys forget the uncanny strangeness of that tramp through themoonlit wilderness. The silence of the great frozen waste, oppressiveeven in the light of day, was doubly so now. Their errand and thethought of what might happen at the end of their journey combined tostimulate already overexcited imaginations to a point where nothingseemed real. They felt as if moving in a dream. It was as if byenchantment they had been translated from their commonplace selves intothe heroes of one of their favorite books of adventure. They had thefeeling that at any moment they might return to normal conditions andfind it all a figment of the imagination.
Down the Hollow past the trail by which they had entered it Alec led theway, and out at the western end. Then for a couple of miles he boreslightly north along the old trapper's trail that Upton remembered thesheriff had taken in his search for Alec the previous fall. From thispoint they bore south, and presently came to the edge of a small pondglistening white and spotless in the moonlight. At that hour it wasseemingly safe to cross, but Alec was taking no chances and kept to thecover around the edge.
At the entrance to the draw of which Pat had told them they paused for awhispered conference. The boys were cautioned to watch every step and toguard against the slightest sound. Pat was to place them in hiding tothe rear of the camp where they would be out of all possible dangershould there be any shooting and he once more impressed upon them thefact that they were Scouts under orders and under no circumstances werethey to move unless signaled. Alec would hide near the spring, while Patwould secrete himself where he could cover the cabin-door.
Making a detour Pat led the boys to a point slightly up the hill andback of the clump of hemlocks in which he said the cabin was hidden.Upton and Sparrer he placed together in a thicket directly to the rearof the camp, and Hal he stationed a hundred yards to the right. Thenonce more charging them to make no sound he left them and vanished ascompletely as if the ground had opened and swallowed him.
The moon still rode high, but already the gray of approaching dawnappeared in the east and dulled its silver radiance. They had arrivednone too soon. Upton strained his eyes to make out the cabin, but in theuncertain shadows it was impossible. He found himself actually wonderingif Pat and Alec were not mistaken. He found it hard to believe thatthere could be any other human beings within miles of them. It wasbitter cold, and despite the extra clothing the boys felt the chill ofit. It seemed to creep into the very marrow of their bones and theexcitement which had exhilarated them at the start subsided in directratio to their increasing discomfort.
The gray in the east crept higher and the moon waxed pale. The shadowsgrew less dense and objects more distinct. Little by little somethingtook shape down there among the firs. At first it was little more than amound of white, but presently Upton made out that what he had at firsttaken to be a little blacker shadow than the rest was nothing less thanthe smoke-blackened top of a short chimney into which he could look fromhis position on the hill above. This gave him a clue to the cabin'ssituation. Evidently it backed up against the hill and at the rear wasalmost drifted over with snow. In fact the snow was banked to the eaveson both si
des, the front only having been cleared. This was screenedfrom view by a thicket of young firs in such a way that one might passin front within thirty yards and not see the cabin unless lookingespecially for it. It reminded Walter of nothing so much as thecunningly hidden home of a fox.
The gray in the east had given way to a touch of rose color when Sparrersniffed softly and silently pointed to the chimney. A thin column ofsmoke was beginning to rise. It was evident that the inmates were astir.The situation was rapidly approaching a climax. Muffled sounds fromwithin the cabin reached the boys. With hearts thumping painfully thewatchers waited. Presently there was the creak of a door. From theirposition Upton and Sparrer could not see what Hal from his locationfarther to the right had a clear view of, a dark, roughly clad man whostooped to pass out of the low doorway. But a moment later they saw himas he entered the thicket, a pail in one hand. He was going to thespring for water.
He passed from sight over the little rise that separated the slighthollow where the cabin was located from the deeper hollow where thespring was. As he reached the bottom he came into view again. They sawhim stop abruptly in his tracks as if frozen, then drop his pail andhalf turn as if to run, only to stop again and throw his arms above hishead. Then Alec appeared, his rifle covering the man before him. Therewas evidently a parley of some kind, but the distance was too great forthe sound of their voices to carry. Undoubtedly Alec had warned theother not to raise his voice. With bated breath the boys watched thestrange pantomime below. It was plain that Alec was giving orders towhich the other objected, for he violently shook his head. The former,who had partly lowered his rifle, raised it again menacingly, whereathis captive appeared to capitulate. Lowering one arm he fumbled at hisbelt and presently drew forth a wicked looking knife which with evidentreluctance he tossed at Alec's feet. The latter then permitted hisvictim to lower the other arm and evidently issued an order, for the manturned and with Alec behind him disappeared in the woods.
"He's taking him around to where Pat is," whispered Upton. "That wasn'tthe fellow that got you, was it?"
Sparrer shook his head. His eyes were blazing with excitement. "Datwasn't no Injun," he whispered. "Dat feller was easy. Wonder if de othergink will be as easy."
Once more they settled down to patient waiting. The smell of fryingbacon mingled with that of wood-smoke and tantalized their nostrils. Itseemed an age before the door creaked again. Hal only of the three boyscould see the dark face that peered out in the direction of the spring.It was the darker for an ugly scowl which contracted the low brows. Fora long minute the man stared in the direction of the spring and Halcould see his lips moving as if he muttered to himself. Then hevanished inside and the door closed. It was not long, however, before itopened again and once more the scowling face appeared, staring towardthe spring. It was clear that his companion's continued absence wasbeginning to puzzle him. Taking a step forward he imitated to perfectionthe hoarse croak of a raven. So true to life was it that Halinstinctively looked up expecting to see the black bird of ill omen.Then it flashed over him that this was a signal call to the man who hadgone for the water.
Twice it was repeated. The third call was answered from beyond thethicket in front of the cabin. Hal guessed rightly that it was Patendeavoring to entice the Indian, for the man at the cabin was Sparrer'sassailant, to come out. He hoped that by replying he would lead theIndian to think that the answer was from the latter's partner and thatthe redman would assume that something important had been discovered tokeep his partner so long and would seek to join him to find out what itwas. If once the Indian could be led away from the cabin his capturewould be easy.
But Pat's hopes in this respect were doomed to be dashed. The instantthe Indian heard the answering croak from in front of the cabin insteadof from the direction of the spring suspicion flashed into his face. Fora few seconds he stood motionless, his beady eyes boring into thethicket before him. But Pat was well hidden and Alec and his prisonerwere out of the line of vision. Pat essayed another croak, but it servedonly to still further arouse the Indian's suspicions that all was notright.
FOR A FEW SECONDS HE STOOD MOTIONLESS]
Taking a step forward he darted his keen gaze in all directions, at thesame time listening intently. Then abruptly he turned to reenter thecabin.
"Stop! Hands up, or I'll shoot!" Pat was taking the one chance open tohim. If he allowed the man to get back inside the cabin there was notelling when he would show himself again. It was clear that he suspectedsomething. It was better to take the chance that he would obey orders,knowing that some one had the drop on him, rather than be obliged to laysiege to the cabin.
The Indian froze in his tracks, both hands up. "Now walk straight backfive steps and stop," commanded Pat.
The Indian took one step back. Then in a flash he dove head firstthrough the partly open door, throwing himself flat. The wily fellowcounted on the suddenness of the move and the abrupt change of angle offire to escape. Pat's rifle cracked, followed instantly by the bang ofthe door. He had missed his man. He afterward confessed that he had madeno real effort to score a hit. The idea of taking a fellow being's lifewas repugnant to him even though the fellow was a would-be murderer. Hehad shot because the situation had required it. It was necessary thatthe fellow should know that he had to deal with those who could shootand were not afraid to.
Half the battle was won. One man was captured and the other driven tocover. Knowing that the latter would make no attempt to get away for thepresent and that in any event Hal was posted where he could give thealarm should an attempt be made Pat and Alec turned their attention totheir captive. His hands were securely bound behind him with a piece ofrope which Pat had had the foresight to bring, and he was thensubjected to a grueling examination, but sullenly refused to commithimself on any point. He was a French Canadian of the lower type andAlec recognized him as Big Pierre, a notorious character in the lumbercamps of the region.
There was an ugly glint in his black eyes that boded ill for his captorsshould he once gain the upper hand of them. He refused to admit that hehad been robbing the trap lines or that he had even been watching thecamp in Smugglers' Hollow. Only once, and that when Alex charged himwith having a hand in the theft of the black fox, did his face betrayanything but sullen rage. For just a fleeting instant a mingled look ofsurprise, interest, cupidity and anger swept across his face. Pat caughtit and signed for Alec to cease his questioning. Then he drew Alec toone side out of ear-shot of their captive.
"As sure as you're standing here he doesn't know a thing about thatfox," he whispered. "He's been double-crossed by the Injun. Perhaps wecan use him to get the redskin out of his hole. It's worth trying,anyway."