CHAPTER XXVII. DOWN THE RIVER--CONCLUSION.
At that there was a roar from the scouts that must have shown the officerhow badly he had deceived himself; but then discovering the two desperaterascals of whom he was in search, apparently sitting there, and takingthings easy, how was he to know they were prisoners. Besides, he had eyesonly for them, as he came advancing into camp.
"A little too late, Mr. Sheriff," remarked Thad, advancing to meet theother, "we found that in self-defense we just _had_ to take thesegentlemen in out of the cold ourselves. Besides, one of them was woundedby Sebattis the other night, and a second is a pretty sick man, so we'regoing to send them down the river in the morning with part of our force."
Of course the sheriff was greatly disappointed. To have his work cut outfor him by a parcel of lads wearing the khaki uniforms of the Boy Scoutswas hard on the officer. And Thad felt that Sheriff Green must begrudgethem the reward that had been offered for the apprehension of theyeggmen, and the recovery of the plunder taken from the last bank theyhad broken into.
"Tell you what we'll do, Mr. Green," he remarked, as they all sat aroundthe fire, with the three last arrivals enjoying a late supper; "supposewe split that reward for the taking of the hoboes into three parts. Onewill go to you, as you gave us valuable information; another we scoutsbelieve we deserve; while the third I want our guides to share amongthemselves."
"That's a generous offer, my boy," declared the sheriff. "Most peoplewould think they had a right to it all, as you really do. I accept formyself and posse. And if you can take the wounded and the sick man alongin your boats, we'll see that Charlie gets down there all right. Is it abargain?"
Thad glanced around at his chums, and each gave him a nod in theaffirmative. That settled the matter, for the silent vote had beenunanimous.
"It's a go, sir, and we take you up on that," declared the leader of thescout patrol.
Accordingly they talked over the arrangements, and how they might meetagain in the town where the prisoners could be placed in charge of theauthorities, until the proper officers came to take them to Augusta.
Giraffe managed to get Thad alone later on in the evening. The sheriffwas feeling pretty good after his feed, and sat there by the fireswapping stories with old Eli, while the rest of the scouts lay around,listening and laughing.
"I noticed that you didn't say anything about that other pile of stuff welanded under the stone in the old cabin?" remarked Giraffe.
"That's right, I didn't," answered Thad, readily; "and I kept mum onpurpose. In the first place, it was none of their business, because theyknew nothing about that plunder. And if they knew that we had it, perhapsit might have made bad feelings. Just remember, and don't mention it. Ofcourse, if Charlie happens to give the secret away later on, when he'swith them, that can't be helped. I wouldn't think of denying it, if theymentioned the matter right now; but I don't believe it's any of theirbusiness. Understand, Giraffe?"
"Sure I do, and let me say I'm of the same mind too," replied the other."I'll just try and let Bumpus and Step Hen know, because, you see,they're kind of easy marks, and apt to talk too much. If that sharpsheriff ever gets a hint of what we dug up, he'll want to hear the wholestory."
Of course, with an experienced officer to look after Charlie, none of thescouts saw any reason for anxiety, or losing sleep in fear of thedesperate hobo breaking loose. Thad confined his labors to the sick andwounded. He had managed to accomplish that delicate little surgical jobwith a fair amount of success, considering his lack of experience.Kimball was loud in his praise of the boy's nimble fingers and readybrain.
"You'll sure be a great surgeon some day, younker!" he declared. "Thatwas as nice a job as many a doctor could have done. And I reckon I'magoin' to get well now, and stand for that twenty year sentence thejudge'll hand out to me. I wish there had been such a thing as Boy Scoutswhen I was young; p'raps, then, there'd been a different story to tellabout me."
Thad was sitting there, listening to the talk, when some one plucked himby the sleeve, and looking up, he saw Sebattis. There was a glitter inthe black eyes of the dusky guide that surprised the patrol leader.
"Get gun--come 'long--think hear moose call 'gain," whispered the Indian.
Thad was of course thrilled by this intelligence; but at the same time heremembered that he had promised Allan the next chance, in case they hadreason to believe a moose were in the vicinity.
Accordingly, he spoke to the Maine boy, and then asked the others tokindly moderate their noise; though Sebattis had already told him thatthey would go fully a mile from the camp before answering the far-awaycall.
Again did Sebattis seem to know where he wanted to wait to see if themoose was to be drawn near the waiting rifles. He settled down at acertain place, and sent out the strange call that, heard in the deadsilence of the Maine night, always makes the blood of the hunter leapwildly through his veins.
There was an immediate answering call, and after waiting a little time,they once more sent a challenge forth.
This was kept up for half an hour, but so far as Thad could see, noadvantage had been gained. Sebattis was grunting now, every time hecalled. Perhaps he began to believe this must be a mighty queer moose, tosend back that rolling defiance, and yet not advance to any appreciableextent.
"No good, bull!" he finally declared, as they heard the answer come fromsome distance, and in exactly the same quarter as before.
"But if the mountain won't come to Mohammed; why, he might go to themountain," Thad suggested; "in other words, chief, what's to hinder usfrom heading that way, with you giving him a call every little while?He'll either have to run away, or face the music then, I guess."
"Huh! just like Thad say; Sebattis ready; heap queer; never know bulllike that. Soon see!"
As they moved along, following the guide, who occasionally sent out acall, Allan took occasion to say to his chum in a whisper:
"He's some worked up about that answer, Thad, and I saw him shake hishead. Come to think of it, I really don't believe it's a moose at all."
"What's that?" exclaimed the patrol leader, quickly; "are you trying totell me Sebattis thinks some other guide is making all that row, andtrying to call a moose bull to the gun of his employer?"
"Just what I think; and Sebattis does too," replied Allan, positively."You keep watching him, and see how he acts."
This was a staggering idea to Thad.
"What if it should be the very man I'm wanting to see, to hand him myadopted father's important message, Mr. James W. Carson?" he exclaimed.
"Well, the chances are, that's just who it'll turn out to be," repliedAllan.
As they advanced, the calls became louder. Evidently they wereapproaching the place where that mysterious bull moose had taken up hisstand, and dared the other on, to lock horns with him in battle.
Presently Sebattis slung his moose call over his shoulder, and called outaloud:
"How there, Louie! You do um purty well; fool me some time, hey?"
Voices were heard, followed by a loud laugh; and then two men appeared,Thad having thrown on the light of his little electric torch.
"Is that Mr. Carson?" he called out, as the other approached.
"Just who it is; and who may this be?" asked the hunter, who had anotherIndian guide with him, evidently from the same village as Sebattis, forthey immediately got together, and began talking in their own language.
"My name's Thad Brewster, and I've been sent up here by my guardian, Mr.Caleb Cushman, with an important communication for you. He tried to getin touch with you at your home, but learned that you had started for yourannual winter trip into the woods of the big game country, and might notcome out again until Spring. Please take this packet, then, Mr. Carson;and if there is any answer I'll carry it back to my guardian."
Mr. Carson sat down, and after looking over the important communicationthat had followed him so strangely into the woods, wrote out an answer,which he
entrusted to the keeping of the patrol leader.
Then he asked many questions, and was deeply interested in all that heheard concerning the Silver Fox Patrol of Cranford Troop.
"I'd like to go back to your camp, and make the acquaintance of the restof the boys," he remarked, as he shook hands with each of the scouts inparting; "but all my plans are laid to leave this section at daybreak. Myguides are going to take me to where they promise I shall surely get mymoose. You were lucky in having a chance at one. We came out here to makea last try, and were hoping our luck had changed when finally an answercame. But both Louie and myself agreed that the bull was the mostcautious old animal we had ever met up with. And then, when Sebattis,with whom I have often hunted, called out, it gave us a shock, I tellyou."
So the boys and Sebattis went back to camp, and the others wereastonished as well as pleased to know Thad had been able to carry out thewish of his generous guardian; and that they need no longer think ofdividing their forces in the morning, leaving Thad, Allan and Sebattis tocontinue the search, while the others took the two cripples to thenearest river town below.
The night passed without any more exciting incidents, for which the tiredboys thought they had reason to be grateful; for of late their sleep hadnot been as sound as they might have wished, and every one of them hadmuch to make up. And besides, now that Thad had delivered his message toMr. Carson, his mind was free from worry.
With the coming of early dawn they were astir. Every scout had hisparticular duty to perform. Two of them stowed the tents away in thesmallest compass possible; another couple began to pack the canoes; whileThad and Bumpus assisted in getting breakfast; or rather the latter did,for the patrol leader had his hands full in attending to his patients,Dick and Kimball.
The sun had hardly appeared above the horizon when they were once moreafloat. Again did the merry paddles send the sparkling foam toward thestern of each slender canoe, as they headed downstream.
Sheriff Green had declared that he would take Charlie about six or sevenmiles down to a place where he knew he could get the use of a large boat,capable of carrying four men; and in this he expected to arrive atcivilization not a great many hours after the others did.
By changing the cargoes it was found possible to carry the two extrapassengers, especially since neither of them happened to be a large man.
The boys were as happy as larks as they swept down the river. Theylaughed, joked and sang by the hour, because now there was no longer anyreason for keeping silent, since they were passing out of the big gamecountry.
"But not near half of our time is up," Giraffe would remark frequently;"and after we get these two cripples safely landed, why, we mean to makea fresh start. Allan says he'll show us another trail, where we c'n meetup with a new lot of adventures, have some fine hunting, and see more ofthese great Maine woods. For one I'm just hopin' we'll run up against apack of them fierce old wolves like we heard howlin' near our cabin thatnight. A bear is all well enough, but I've always wanted to bag a wolf,the worst kind."
"Don't you think you're goin' to run the whole shootin' match," remarkedBumpus significantly. "There are others, Giraffe."
"Hello! sounds like Bumpus has changed his mind, and feels like he hadought to own a gun of some kind too!" declared Step Hen.
"That's right, he does," Bumpus hastened to declare, boldly. "If otherBoy Scouts c'n carry weapons in the woods, I don't see why I hadn't oughtto have the same privilege. My folks don't like the ijee very much; butthen a feller's just got to keep up with the procession. And it'll be themakin' of me, I guess, if somethin' coaxes me to get out in the woods,and walk miles every chance that comes along. Let's look at that finelittle gun of yours again, Step Hen. If I only can get one, that's myidea of a clever shooter. And it don't wear a feller's shoulder out,either, carryin' the same."
"Glad to hear it, Bumpus; and I reckon you'll be able to afford a gun,with all your share of the fat rewards ahead. If you say so, I'll go tothe gun store with you, and help pick out a good one. You really ought tohave an experienced hand along at such a time."
Thad and Allan exchanged glances at this remark on the part of Step Hen;for they knew full well that his rifle had been purchased entirelythrough the advice of the patrol leader.
"Thank you, Step Hen," Bumpus was heard to say sweetly in reply; "I'll beonly too glad to have you along. But I've got one important piece ofbusiness to look after the minute I get ashore, and within reach of atelegraph office. If it busts my pocketbook I'm sure goin' to send a wireto our bank cashier, and ask him if I did deliver that letter my dad toldme was so important."
"Why, I should think you'd rather send the message to your own house?"Giraffe suggested, with a wink toward Thad, for the canoes were all closetogether at the time.
"Me?" exclaimed the stout scout, drawing in a long breath. "Well, now,I'd just be afraid to hear the news from headquarters, you know. What ifthey had lost their lovely home and all because of my stupidforgetfulness, d'ye think I could stand it to stay up here weeks longer,havin' fun? No, I've got it all mapped out, and know just what I want tosay to the cashier. And believe me, I'm hopin' for the best, fellers.Have a little pity on me, won't you?"
"We do feel for you, old fellow," said Step Hen, who was drawn towardBumpus more than ever, on account of this unconscious flattery regardinghis new gun; and besides, boy though he was, he could see that the otherwas really laboring under a heavy strain, and actually suffering from thepangs of remorse.
What the number of miles might be they covered that day, no one daredeven guess; but although they fairly flew at times, owing to the combinedwork of current and paddles, another night had to be spent on the way.But about noon of the second day they realized that they were getting onthe borders of civilization again. A dog barking was the first sign, andthen came the clarion crow of a barnyard rooster.
Afterwards a house appeared, then several more; and far beyond the spireof a church reared itself against the clear heavens.
Bumpus looked frightfully pale--for him. He knew that the time had comewhen he might learn the facts as connected with that letter, the disposalof which he had never been able to solve; since the more he tried thegreater became his confusion of ideas.
And about the hour of noon the canoes were turned in toward the shore,for they saw the town of Grindstone before them, with the railroadleading southwest in the direction of the homes that were so far away.
Hardly waiting for the landing to be made, Bumpus got ashore, and wasseen hurrying off into the town. They knew that he had in mind thestation, where he could send off a hurry message; and Step Hen, receivinga word from Thad, hastened after the fat boy, so as to make sure he didnot get into any trouble.
Once at the station Bumpus, who had made a rough draft of what he wantedto wire the cashier, gave it over to the keeping of the agent, and askedthat it be sent at once. He would sit down and wait for the answer.
The clicking of the nimble telegraph key was about the only sound thatdisturbed the silence in that station, for trains were evidently few andfar between on the Aroostook railroad.
It may have been an hour that dragged past, and it may have been muchmore, Bumpus declared he had aged terribly since coming there; and StepHen tried all he knew how, to keep the other's spirits up.
"There, he's taking a message right now, and it may be for you, Bumpus!"he said.
A minute later, the operator came toward them, holding out a yellowpaper.
"Here's the answer from Cranford," the telegraph man remarked, with asmile; and Bumpus could hardly take the sheet, his hands trembled soterribly.
Less than ten minutes later, a very stout youth, clad partly in theuniform of the Boy Scout organization, might have been seen runningwildly down toward the river, followed closely by another, evidentlybelonging to the same patrol. And as Bumpus ran, he was waving above hishead a yellow sheet of paper, while he let out frequent roars, thatseemed to be fashioned on one key, and that of joy.
"She's
come, fellers!" was the burden of his whoops; "and I did my dutyall right, just like I always said I must a done. He says I delivered theletter that mornin', when I met him on the street. That makes me happy,and I'm ready to buy the best gun I c'n get in this town, and stay up inthe Maine woods a whole month, if the rest of you want me to."
They did stay some weeks longer, and met with a series of strangeadventures, that some of the boys believed really excelled those that hadbefallen them in the Penobscot region. What these happenings were, andjust how Thad and his five chums acted their parts most manfully in theface of many difficulties will be found recorded in the pages of the nextvolume of this series, now published under the title of "The Boy Scoutsin the Maine Woods," or "A New Test for the Silver Fox Patrol."
"By the way, Bumpus," remarked Thad, later, as they sat around, takingtheir ease, "did the cashier tell you what the nature of thatcommunication was; and did it turn out to be so dreadfully important?"
Bumpus grew red in the face and grinned.
"Oh! shucks! I s'pose you all have just _got_ to know," he remarked. "Itwas on'y a line from my dad, tellin' the cashier he'd lunch with him thatsame day, and take him out in his new Alco car. You know my dad's thepresident of the bank, but he's been sick at home for a long time, andhad to get a car to take him out in the air. But who cares for expenses;gimme two cents' worth of gingersnaps? I'm feelin' fine right now', andc'n afford to laugh at all my silly worryin'. Might a known a scoutwouldn't do such a silly thing as to forget an important message. Shucks!Step Hen, let's go around and see if we can find that gun anywhere. I'vegot the money to buy it all right."
Of course the boys understood that the pretended anxiety of Bumpus inconnection with trouble coming to his family through carelessness on hispart had all been put on; but what he had feared was the reproaches ofhis father, who had long been trying to cure him of this same fault.
The two injured men had been handed over to the proper authorities, and adoctor was even then examining what Thad had done for Kimball.
"You owe this lad a lot of thanks, my friend," the doctor said; "hecertainly has done a very neat job in uniting the lips of that artery.I'm afraid you'd have passed in your checks for a certainty, only for theprompt first aid to the injured which you received;" and Thad felt amplyrepaid when he thus learned that after all, his crude work had not beenso clumsy as he had feared at the time.
To dispose of the three hobo yeggmen, it might be stated that they wereeventually sentenced to various terms in the penitentiary. The reward,which had been increased to two thousand dollars, was paid over to theboys, and by them divided, just as Thad had proposed. And everybodyseemed more than satisfied.
But of course that was only a small part of what was coming the way ofthe six scouts. Thad soon learned that the bank recently robbed had alsooffered a reward for the recovery of the bonds that had been taken; andthis eventually fell into the treasury of the Silver Fox Patrol.
Then there was that other plunder, which had been found under the stonein the old cabin of the trapper, away up the river in the big gamecountry. Doubtless the plundered bank would be delighted to pay a big sumfor the return of those valuable documents, not to mention the cash thathad also been recovered.
Thad did not have the time just then to open up communications, for hewanted to be off with his chums on another trip in a different direction;and one that Allan had wished they could take at the time they werecompelled to follow on the trail of Mr. James W. Carson. So Thad placedthe sealed packet in the safe of a gentleman whom Allan chanced to knowright well, and who promised to open negotiations with the robbed bank,while the scouts were up in the woods.
"I'm pretty sure," the gentleman remarked, "that there is a very nice sumoffered in this case; and if so, you lads are to be congratulatedindeed."
"It means a trip out West next summer for our whole patrol; and a hunt inthe wild Rock Mountains;" declared Bumpus, who was now wearing aperpetual smile, because of the good news he had received from Cranford.
And it turned out that they did receive a splendid purse from the bankpeople, who were overjoyed to get back papers that were of tremendousvalue to them, even if of little account to others. What this amount wasthere is really no necessity of telling; but it was enough, added to allthe rest they received, to make the six boys the happiest fellows in allthe great state of Maine. And doubtless, even before they knew to acertainty just what they were going to receive, it can be set down for afact that they would start out on the second half of their vacation inthe Maine woods with lighter hearts than they had known for many a day.
THE END.
Transcriber's Notes
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--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.
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