CHAPTER XXIX.
JASPER GRINDER AND THE WOLVES.
Left to himself, Jasper Grinder piled the wood on the camp-fire and thensat down to meditate on the turn affairs had taken.
He was in a thoroughly sour frame of mind. To his way of thinkingeverything had gone wrong, and he wondered how matters would terminate.
"I was a fool to come out here, in the first place," he told himself. "Iought to have known that Baxter had no sure thing of it. If I hadn'tfallen in with the Rovers, I would have frozen and starved to death. Andthey don't want me; that's plainly to be seen."
Had he felt able to do so, he would have packed a knapsack withprovisions and started oh his way down the river toward Timber Run. Buthe did not know how far the settlement was away, and he was afraid totrust himself alone in such a wilderness as confronted him on everyhand. He did not possess much money, but he would have given everydollar to be safe back in the city again.
He wondered if the Rovers would gain possession of the treasure beforethe Baxter party came up, and also wondered what would happen should thetwo parties come together. He had not been treated very well by DanBaxter, and so he hardly cared who came out on top in the struggle forthe treasure.
"Whoever gets it will try to count me out," was the way he reasoned."I'm at the bottom of the heap, and likely to stay there for some timeto come."
The time dragged slowly, and to occupy himself he began to cut more woodfor the fire. The task made him grit his teeth.
"Got to work like a common woodchopper," he muttered. "It's a shame!"
He was just dragging the last of the wood up to the fire when a suddenyelping broke upon his ears. Looking up, he saw a lone wolf standing atthe edge of the timber, gazing fixedly at him.
"A wolf!" he muttered, and his face grew pale. "Scat!" And he waved hishand threateningly.
The wolf disappeared behind some brush, but did not go far. Sittingdown, it let out the most dismal howls imaginable, which soon brought adozen or more other wolves to the scene. Then all of the pack came intoview, much to Jasper Grinder's horror.
"They want to eat me up!" he groaned, and ran for the nearest tree,which was close to the shelter. "Oh, I must get away, somehow!"
He clutched at the tree and began to climb with all possible-speed. Hisgun lay close at hand, but in his haste he forgot to pick it up. Once inthe tree he sat down on a limb, a perfect picture of misery.
Seeing the man retreat the wolves at once became bolder, and keeping asafe distance from the fire, they drew up in a circle around the treeupon which Jasper Grinder rested, and from which hung the bear meat. Atone point under the tree there was a spot covered with bear's blood, andthis blood several of the wolves licked up in a manner to make theformer teacher's own blood run cold.
"If they get at me they'll chew me up, I know they will," he moaned."Oh, why did I ever come out in this savage waste!"
Sitting in a circle, the wolves lifted their heads and howled dismally.Two came to the tree and scratched the bark, as if to attempt climbing.
"Go away! Go away!" shrieked Jasper Grinder. "Scat! Go away!"
The wolves left the tree-trunk, but did not go away. Instead one afteranother began to leap up, trying to reach the meat which hung sotemptingly above them. One or two prowled among the stores, tearingthis and that, and picking up the scraps of the morning meal.
In this fashion half an hour went by, and it is safe to state that thiswas the longest and most trying half hour that Jasper Grinderexperienced in his whole life. He shouted at the wolves and threw bitsof sticks at them, but to this they paid no attention. Then he cried forhelp, but the Rovers and John Barrow were too far off to hear him.
"If I only had the gun, I could fire it as a signal," he said tohimself. "Why did I not bring it up with me?"
He wondered if he could pull the gun up by means of a string he found inhis pocket, and resolved to try. Making a loop in one end of the stringhe lowered it with care, until it rested close to the gun, and then hedid his best to slide the string along under the barrel. This wascomparatively easy, for the barrel was tilted up against a rock.
The wolves watched the maneuvering with interest, and no sooner did thegun begin to shift than three leaped forward, snarling angrily. Onesnapped at the barrel of the piece, one at the butt, and a third at thetrigger. An instant later came the report heard by the Rovers and JohnBarrow.
The shot was almost a deadly one, not alone for two of the wolves, butalso for Jasper Grinder, who was not expecting the gun to go off. Thepiece was loaded with buckshot, which tore through the sides of two ofthe beasts, and then passed upward into the tree-branches, taking theformer school-teacher in the left shoulder.
"I'm shot!" gasped Jasper Grinder, and almost fell from his perch. Buthe managed to save himself, and hung in a crotch, weak and almosthelpless, the blood flowing freely and dripping to the ground, where thewolves licked it up eagerly. A few had retreated at the report of thegun, but now all came back, snarling and yelping more wildly than ever.
It must be confessed that Jasper Grinder's position was trulyunfortunate. The loss of blood was fast rendering him unconscious, andhe was in mortal terror of dropping down and being devoured.
"Help!" he called feebly. "Help! For the love of Heaven, help me!"
Just as his senses were leaving him he heard a distant cry, and lookingin that direction, saw John Barrow and Dick approaching, followed by Tomand Sam.
"The wolves have Grinder treed," cried the guide. "I'll give 'emsomething to remember us by!"
He had a double-barreled shotgun, and he let drive twice in quicksuccession, firing into two groups of the beasts, and killing two andwounding several others. Then Dick fired, bringing down another. Tom andSam also discharged their pieces, and added three others to the dead ordying.
This slaughter was too much for the remaining wolves, hungry as theywere, and in a twinkle they ran off into the timber, howling dismally.
"They won't come back," was John Barrow's comment. "They have learned torespect us." And he was right, the wolves bothered them no more.
While the guide was busy finishing the beast which had been too muchhurt to retreat, the boys turned their attention to Jasper Grinder. Theysaw he had fainted, and noticed the blood dripping from his shoulder.His body was slowly leaving the tree crotch where it had rested.
"He's coming! Catch him!" cried Sam, and as the unconscious man camedown they did what they could to break his fall. Fortunately he landedin the deep snow, so the fall proved of small consequence.
"He's shot, that's what's the matter with him," said Dick, after anexamination. "Who fired at him? I'm certain none of us did."
The question could not be answered. Bringing out a blanket, they placedJasper Grinder upon it, close to the fire, and John Barrow made anexamination of the wound, picking out a couple of the loose buckshot.
"He was probably shot from his own gun," said the guide. "More thanlikely he dropped the piece from the tree, and it went off when itstruck the ground."
They bound up the wound carefully, and did all they could for thesufferer. Then, while Dick watched over Jasper Grinder, the others gotrid of the wolves' carcasses by dragging them into the timber, and thenset to work to prepare the midday meal.
It was fully an hour before Jasper Grinder was able to speak, and thenhe could say but little. But he explained how it was that he had beenshot. He wanted to know if the wolves had been driven off, and beggedthat they would not leave him alone again.
"We'll stay by you, now you are down," said Dick sympathetically. "Weare not brutes, even though we haven't any great love for you."
"Thank you; I'll not forget your kindness," returned Jasper Grinder, andfor once it must be admitted that he meant what he said.
The wounded man could eat no solid food, so they prepared for him somebroth made from bear's meat, which was very strengthening. After anotherexamination John Barrow was of the opinion that the wound was not adangerous one, but that the m
an would have to keep quiet for severaldays or a week.
"We'll have to take turns at watching him," said Dick. "It's too bad,but I see no other way out of it."
They drew lots, and it fell to Sam to remain with the patient during theafternoon. An hour later Dick, Tom, and the guide set off to look oncemore for the treasure.
"Well, I'm tired enough to stay here and rest," said Sam. "That walkingthis morning played me out completely."
There was not much to do, since Jasper Grinder had brought in sufficientwood to last for a day or two. For an hour Sam rested and watched theformer teacher, who had fallen into a doze. Then the youngest Rover setto work to improve the shelter, doing several things which the guide hadsuggested.
The youth was hard at work patching up one side of the improvised hutwhen he heard a movement in the brushwood not far away. Fearing somewild animal he ran for his gun, but ere he could reach the firearm avoice arrested him.
"Stop, Sam Rover, stop!"
The voice was that of Dan Baxter, and an instant later the bully cameinto view, rifle in hand, and followed by Bill Harney.
"What do you want here, Baxter?" demanded Sam, as coolly as he could,although the situation by no means pleased him.
"Are you alone?"
"No."
"Who is with you?"
"What business is that of yours?"
"I'm making it my business."
"I reckon he's alone, right enough," put in Bill Harney. "I don't seeanybody else around."
The big guide rushed forward, and knocking down Sam's gun placed hisfoot upon it.
"Give me my gun!"
"Not so fast, my bantam!" cried the guide. "Baxter, reckon ye had betterlook into the shack and see what's there."
The bully did as requested. On seeing Jasper Grinder, he started back.
"Grinder!"
"Who calls?" asked the wounded man, and opened his eyes. "So it is you,Dan Baxter. What do you want?"
"What did you desert us for, Grinder?"
"I didn't desert you. I got lost, and they found me, half starved andfrozen. Now I am wounded. Are you in possession of this camp? Where arethe Rovers?"
"Sam is here. I don't know anything about the others. Have they foundthat treasure yet?"
"No. They went off to look for it." Jasper Grinder tried to go on, butfell back exhausted and could say no more.
"Here's a queer go!" muttered the former bully of Putnam Hall. "Isuppose they shot Grinder. If they did, they ought to suffer for it. Iguess--Hullo, what's up out there?"
A scuffle outside of the shelter had reached his ears. Bill Harney hadbeen standing close to some firewood, and without warning Sam had rushedat the big guide and sent him sprawling backward.
"Hi! stop him!" yelled the guide, as he started to struggle to his feet.But before he could get up, Sam had taken time by the forelock anddisappeared into the timber skirting the pond.