CHAPTER XVI
UP AGAINST A SILVER-TIP
There was some difficulty when it came to selecting such things as mightprove most handy in their difficult task. Several had to be laid asideas being too bulky and cumbersome; for weight would count heavilyagainst them in forcing a passage through the thick growth in theravine; as well as later when they struck the mighty upheaval of rockson the side of the mountain, below the natural pass into theHole-in-the-Wall valley.
Those things they had selected were divided up, and made into twopackages of about equal weight. When Jack did not happen to be lookingPerk managed to slip several articles into his pack, evidentlybegrudging their lack; which he considered only right and proper, sincehis shoulders and back must stand for the extra strain.
"An' if we do need 'em, which is like enough," he told himself, as if inapology for his deceit; "they might jest prove _life-savers_--yeou neverkin tell haow the cat's agoin' to jump; an' they do say as a stitch intime saves yeour whole bacon."
Having attached these bundles securely to their backs the pair wereready to start forth on their perilous errand--matching their wits andcourage against the lawless spirits who had defied the power of UncleSam, believing it would take the whole U. S. army to dislodge them fromsuch an isolated and natural fortress.
"First thing we've got to remember, partner," said Jack, softly, as theybegan to plunge into the wild growth that filled the deep ravine fromone side to the other, "is to get our bearings as we advance."
"Gosh amighty! Jack, is that a go, when all we got to 'member is haow wekept aheadin' 'long this ere coulie. I doant see haow anybody could goastray in sech a canyon as this same."
"To be sure," Jack assured him, "that's true as long as this is the onlyold waterbed we'll have to follow; which it isn't, if you remember thosedirections Simeon sent in. Once we became a bit rattled as to whichchannel to follow, and it'd ruin all our calculations--the element ofuncertainty has wrecked more clever plans than anything agoing. Morethan that, we must turn around and stare at the way things look from theother direction; because we'll be heading back to our camp when we needto follow our trail. You know lots of landmarks may seem okay in going,which you'd never recognize when coming from the opposite quarter."
"Yeah! I knowed that too, buddy," affirmed Perk, with a grin; "read'baout the same lots o' times as a kid, when I used to soak in storieso' them old days in Kentucky, that they called the Dark an' BloodyGround----Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, Harrod an' them forest rangerspicked that trick up from the Shawnee Injuns they used to fight. We'llface the other way heaps o' times, an' make picters o' the scenery onaour minds; that's okay with me, Jack."
For some little time they had all they could do to push their way along,so matted were the vines and the underbrush, so extremely rough thefooting.
Twice Perk had stumbled, and come near having an ugly fall; he evenmanaged to skin his right knee painfully by coming in contact with arock; but never a grunt did he emit, accustomed as he was to taking suchthings as part of the game.
"Mebbe naow this is what I get fur loadin' me daown so heavy," he toldhimself, under his breath; "but jest the same I aint ameanin' to throw asingle thing away; 'cause that'd sure turn aout to be jest what weneeded most to save our skins."
Later on, as they stood still and rested a bit, Perk again confided inhis companion; he always did seem to suck more or less consolation outof these frequent "chinnings," as they afforded him opportunities to seethings through Jack's eyes, an advantage Perk greatly appreciated.
"More I get thinkin' 'baout the slick way that same Simeon took acarrier pigeon 'long with him, so he could be sure o' gettin' valuableinformation into the hands o' his boss, the more I admire the ole gink.I knowed as haow the French used them birds over across the water, whenwe was afightin' the Heinies; but say, tryin' sech a game aout in theSecret Service was a new dodge on me."
"Both clever, and original, Perk," assented the other, fastening on hispack once more; "but then, as I remember Simeon Balderson he was alwaysdifferent from the common truck of the Force. I'll be right sorry ifanything has happened to him--wiped out by these devils up here, justbecause they naturally hate all Service men."
Thus they continued to stumble along, sometimes one in the lead, andthen later on the other would forge ahead, just as circumstances broughtthings about.
There was no attempt to make any kind of speed, since time did not countin what they were trying to accomplish--far better to spend a week, eventwo, than to ruin everything by some incautious move.
From time to time sounds would come to their ears, mostly ahead; but inevery case these could be set down as proceeding from birds, or smallanimals that may have discovered their approach, and were showing signsof restlessness.
Once, however, a faint report drifted to their ears through some slantin the breeze, being possibly a mile or more distant, which bothrecognized as a gunshot--the only evidence of human beings that thus farthey had discovered.
It acted as a spur, making them remember what they were up against; butPerk only smiled, as though he cared very little how soon they ran intothe jaws of trouble, and matched their talents against those theysought.
Then they had a severe shock--it came almost without the least warningtoo, which made it more stunning.
A rustling in the underbrush--what sounded like a snarl or a grunt; andas they flashed a startled look in that direction, a huge shaggy figureuprose to betray the presence of a genuine Rocky Mountain grizzly ofun-heard-of proportions, standing erect.
To make the matter all the more serious the frightful beast was almostdirectly in their way, blocking any further movement along the ravine.Besides, while they carried arms, it was highly imprudent on severalaccounts for them to dream of using the same.
In the first place their automatics would seem but trivial instrumentswhen used against such a monster, said to have the nine lives of a cat;and often known to still be in fighting trim after receiving a volley oflead from powerful modern sporting rifles.
Then again if they were forced to fire, even though lucky enough to downtheir hairy enemy, the sound of the discharges was certain to be heardby those in hiding, and would serve to turn the entire settlement outsearching for the cause of the rattling sounds.
"Hot-diggetty-dig! did yeou _ever_ see sech a buster o' a bar?" Perk wasgasping, as he stared aghast; "an' the tarnel beast's startin' to movethis way, as sure as shootin', Jack!"
"We've just got to clear out!" came the ultimatum from Jack.
That was easy to say, but what chance would they have against such apowerful beast, evidently with some reason to hate all two-leggedbipeds, having possibly at some time in the past been severely woundedby such a creature, and holding a vendetta against all the clan. Hecould break through the worst tangle with ease, while they must be heldup, and their progress impeded frightfully.
Jack hit a brilliant idea almost on the instant.
"Follow me, Perk!" he shrilled, tersely; "we've got to climb a tree!Let's go, partner!"
"Which tree?" Perk demanded, as he kept close at the other's heels.
"Over this way--got limbs low down--silver-tips can't climb a tree, I'veheard. Hurry--hurry!"
There was indeed need of haste, for they could distinctly hear thesmashing advance of the big brute; also catch the growling as he pursuedthe fleeing pair who had dared invade his private hunting patch.
Neither of them dared cast a single look back, lest they stumble over anoutcropping rock, or get entangled in some running vine, such as fairlycovered the ground in certain places, to serve as traps to incautiousfeet.
Jack managed to arrive at the selected tree ahead of his mate, andswinging around to the further side, so as to keep out of the other'sway, commenced to lift himself into the lower branches.
This was no slight task, seeing how heavily they were both loaded downwith those bundles fastened to their backs; but it is wonderful
whatfright can accomplish under similar conditions; and Perk was alreadypawing at the other side of the friendly tree, wild with eagerness tohoist himself far enough from the ground so as to avoid contact withthose cruel claws of the monster, of which he had doubtless heardthrilling stories concerning their length, and sharpness.
Nearer came the crashing sounds, and the growls; but by great good luckthe angry beast arrived just too late to attain his end; for while hereached up all of ten feet Perk believed, he could not more than barelytouch the lower foot of the climber, which was instantly drawn beyondhis reach.
For a full minute, more or less, neither of them could spare the breathto make any sort of comment over their narrow escape--it was enough forthem to know they had nothing to fear immediately from the iratesilver-tip, still standing erect, and emitting those hoarse growls, asif to tell them what he would do if only they ventured within his reach.
Then Perk made a slight move, and Jack feared he might be about to kickat the beast's elevated snout, which would only irritate Bruin a greatdeal more.
"Keep quiet, and don't do anything to stir him up more than he isalready," was the way Jack cautioned his running mate, knowing theimpulsive nature of Perk only too well. "He may fade away when he seeshe can't touch us. Just get your breath back, Pal Perk, and wait up."
"Okay, brother," replied the other, as though recognizing the soundnessof his comrade's doctrine.
But somehow or other the big beast showed no signs of intending to breakthe siege by "fading out," as Jack had termed it; he continued to movearound the base of the tree, now on all fours, and again raising up tohis full height with ferocious growls if either of them so much as madea slight move.
"Gee whiz! he sure is some wheeze, I'd say, Jack," Perk remarked, aftersome little time had passed, with no change whatever taking place. "Whatif the ole geezer takes a notion to tent aout here at aour tree--say,that'd be the limit, bet yeour boots it would!"
Then he fell silent for a spell, as though mentally calculating theextent of such a calamity on their fortunes.