CHAPTER XV--Tom's Chance for Adventure Comes Unexpectedly, WearingHobnail Shoes and Carrying a Rope
The next day's trip was an easy one. Each one of the party was tired,and Mills let them sleep late. After breakfast they set off up thequarter mile of steep trail to Swift Current Pass, through the powder offresh snow which was fast melting, and then down on the other side, overthe trail Joe had taken on his first ride in the Park. How different itseemed to him now! He sat his saddle like an old timer. He did not givea thought to the steepness--it didn't even seem steep! In fact, he hunghis reins over the horn of his saddle, and unslinging his camera,snapped several pictures of the party as it rounded the turns of theswitchbacks, with the girls looking up at him and waving their hands,and Bob making horrible faces.
At the usual point, Mills gave a yell, and started the race to thehotel. But it was Joe's job now to get ahead of the packhorses, and holdthem back. He could not gallop with the crowd. It was almost ten minuteslater that he and Val reached the tepee camp, with their eight beasts ofburden.
Spider was standing in front of the tepees, and ran out to grab Joe'shand.
"Hello, old scout!" he cried. "Gee, but I'm glad to see you! How areyou? All right? Maybe I wasn't worried in that rain yesterday. You allright?"
"Sure I'm all right," Joe said. "Wow--some good time, too! You'll haveto stay up all night hearing about it. I'll be back soon, and get yourlunch."
"Forget that," said Tom. "I've got it already. I'm a bum cook,though--haven't had a decent meal since you left. I'll wait for you.Nobody in camp just now, but some due to-night."
Joe rode on to the hotel, helped unpack, and said good-bye to all theparty. It was hard, too, for after those seven days on the trail and incamp, even though he was only the camp cook and they were congressmenand congressmen's families, he felt as if they were all old friends.
Mr. Elkins drew him to one side a little. "I know you're working yourway out here," said he, "and we'd all like to help you, Joe, for you'vebeen a fine cook for us, and we've all been like a jolly familytogether. I don't suppose you'd let me make you a little present, wouldyou, to show how grateful we are?"
Joe turned red. "Oh, no, sir," he answered. "Scouts never take tips, andthat would be a tip, wouldn't it, sir, really? I get paid by Mr. Mills,or the saddle company. Why, I've had more fun being with you all thanyou've had, I guess!"
Mr. Elkins put a hand on Joe's shoulder. "That's the talk I like tohear," he said. "You've made me realize what the Boy Scouts are after,Joe, and if you ever come to Washington, and want to see how Congressworks, you let me know, and you and I'll do the town!"
Every one shook hands with him then, even Mrs. Jones, who, now the hotelwas in sight again, was as cheerful as a cricket.
"I just love roughing it--now it's all over," she laughed.
But Bob was not to be seen. Joe looked around for him, and wonderedwhere he could be. He shook hands with Lucy last of all. She was sweeterand prettier than ever as she smiled at him.
"Not good-bye--au revoir," said she. "You're going to swap snap shotswith us, and write me how you are, and what you see in the Park afterwe're gone, and some day you'll come to Washington, won't you?"
"You bet I'd like to," he answered. "Gee, you--you--you've been awfulnice to me--kind of makes me homesick----"
He couldn't finish, and Lucy gave his fingers a friendly littlepressure, and turned away.
Joe got on Popgun again, still wondering where Bob was, and turned todepart, when with a "Hi, there--don't go yet!" Bob burst from the hoteldoor.
He was bearing in one hand a jointed bamboo fish-pole, in the other afull box of tackle and flies.
"This is for you," he said. "'Course, you can't get a good, big fishwithout me to catch it for you, but you can cook what you do get O.K.And don't let any more bears kiss you, and send a feller some snap shotswhen you have 'em developed, and here's my address."
Joe took the rod and tackle. "Gee, Bob, that's white of you," he said."Guess I'll never forget this trip."
"Me, neither. Old Pennsylvania's goin' to look like a prairie when I getback. So long, Joe."
"So long, Bob."
He waved his hand to Alice and Lucy, who watched him from the doorway,and rode off behind Mills, dropped his dunnage bag at the camp, and tookPopgun to the Ranger's cabin.
"If you boys will let me, I'll grub with you this noon. Not a thing inmy shack," the Ranger said.
"Fine--come on. Well, Mr. Mills, did I make good?"
Mills gave him a funny look out of his pale, keen blue eyes.
"I never pick a man that doesn't," he said. "By the way, here's yourmoney--seven days at three dollars a day. Cooks are coming high thisyear."
He handed the astonished Joe twenty-one dollars--six of it in cartwheels, which you almost never see in the East.
"Say, I didn't expect so much. Is that on the level?" Joe demanded.
"Regular price this season--labor's awful scarce. I don't see why youshouldn't have all the work you want for the rest of the season."
"Gee, and it isn't work--it's fun!"
"Glad you think so," the Ranger laughed. "Yesterday struck me as work."
"Sure, but it was fun, too."
The two boys and the Ranger ate their lunch at the tepee camp, where Tomhad been experimenting on the stove. Poor Tom! He wasn't much of acook--not compared to Joe, at any rate, and he got rather sore for aminute when Mills suggested that Joe remake the coffee.
"Don't get peeved," Mills laughed. "Just take one drink of Joe's coffee,and you'll feel better."
Then Tom laughed, too. "Well, old Joe's a professional chef now," hesaid. "I'm only a janitor. Has he been well, honest and true, Mr.Mills?"
"Far as I've seen, he's as sound as the best," Mills answered. "Whydon't you take him over and weigh him this afternoon?"
"I will," said Tom.
And he did. They found some scales in the basement of the hotel, and Joegot on. He had gained five pounds that week, in spite of the hard workof the trip! Spider gave a shout of glee.
"Hooray!" he cried. "I told you the old ozone would do it! We're givingthe bugs the knock out. Now, when an M. D. comes along, you're going toget the once over again, and see if you can climb."
"I--I----" Joe began, looking rather guilty. "Well, Tom, I did climb aglacier, and fell in, too!"
"It would have served you right if they hadn't fished you out--tell meall about it."
All that afternoon, after Joe had given his money to Big Bertha, to keepin the office safe for him, the two boys sat by the lake shore, on alittle point of rocks, taking turns fishing with the new rod, while Joenarrated the story of his trip. They caught only two smallish trout,hardly enough for a good mess, but that didn't matter. It was too muchfun telling and hearing about the wonders of the Park.
"And you've just had to stick around here, old Spider, working for me,"Joe exclaimed, penitently. "To-morrow, I'm going to see Big Bertha, andget him to let me run the camp for a while, so's you can take a trip."
"Yes, and who'll go with me?" said Tom. "Can't go alone. Besides, didn'twe come out here for you to get well? Forget it, wifey."
"Oh, I don't care what you call me to-day," Joe laughed. "I've had toogood a time--and I'm going to find a way for you to, now. Youwait--something will turn up."
Something did--and that very night, just after the party Tom expectedwent into the chalets, too tired to camp.
Yet the turn-up did not look a bit promising when it arrived. It was asmall man, with big steel spectacles, enormous hobnail boots, a hugepack, a blanket roll, and a coil of curious, soft rope around his waist.He was a man about forty years old, and didn't look as if he could carrysuch a load two miles. Yet he came down the trail at six o'clock erectand brisk, and said casually he'd come that day from the Sun Camp, overPiegan Pass.
"That's twenty-two miles!" the boys exclaimed.
"Is it?" said he. "I should hardly have called it so far. Have you acook here?"
"Why, yes,
" said Tom. "Joe's a cook. Folks at camp generally get theirown meals. I'd hardly know how to charge."
"I hate my own meals," the man said. "That's why I always take a pocketfull of raisins for lunch. You get me dinner and breakfast, and I guesswe can reckon out a fair payment. Am I alone in the camp to-night?"
"There was a party coming," Tom said, "but they were so tired, they wentto the chalets. I don't expect anybody else."
"Too bad," the man said. "Not that I pine for company, but I do want tofind somebody to climb with me. Here I've brought an Alpine rope all theway out here, and I can't find a soul to shin a precipice."
He wriggled out of the coils of the soft, braided rope, which was almostas pliable as silk, and laid it on the table.
"You don't know of anybody, do you?" he added.
"Why, no sir, I don't," Tom answered, fingering the rope curiously, tofeel its soft, strange texture.
"I do," Joe spoke up.
Tom and the man both turned toward him.
"Who is it?" they said.
Joe simply made a gesture toward Tom.
"You?" the hiker asked. "You look like a strong, capable boy, but haveyou had any experience with rock climbing?"
"Joe's talking through his hat," Spider stammered. "I couldn't go. Myjob's to take care of this camp----"
"I can fix that," Joe cut in. "I'll look after the camp. Besides, here'ssomebody comes to the Park looking for a climb, and it's up to the Parkto find somebody to go with him."
"That seems settled," the man smiled. "But have you had any experiencerock climbing?"
"No sir, not really, I guess," Tom said. "I climbed the head wall ofHuntington Ravine on Mount Washington once, when we scouts took a hikein the White Mountains, and Joe and I have climbed some little cliffsaround home, with just a common rope, and I got a box of spikes for myshoes, but of course, I've never been in the Alps, or anything likethat."
The man had now laid off his pack, and was inspecting his tepee as helistened.
"The head wall of Huntington Ravine isn't a bad little climb," he said,"though one of the side walls is better. But it hardly qualifies you asan Alpine guide. However, if you'd care to come with me, and we couldget somebody to tell us where there's an interesting wall, I'd be gladof your company to-morrow."
"Oh, gee, I'd like to go!" Tom cried, "if I can get off."
"You can get off," said Joe, "and after supper I'll go get the Ranger tocome and tell Mr.--Mr.----"
"Kent is my name," the little man said. "At home I'm Dr. Kent, but outhere I wish to forget it."
"----Mr. Kent where there's a good cliff. Would you like an omelette forsupper, Mr. Kent, with some chicken soup and fried potatoes and griddlecakes and coffee?"
"That sounds very nice," said he. "But I warn you I sha'n't know whatI'm eating. I've had nothing since breakfast but a couple of raisins."
Joe went busily about getting his supper, while Tom set the table, gotfresh water, put some extra blankets in his tepee, and ran to the supplystore for some jam or canned fruit for dessert.
"Now, you be sure to explain to Big Bertha that I'm going to take yourplace if he'll let you off," Joe whispered. "He knows I can do it. If hemakes any kick, I'll go up after supper."
When Tom came back, he reported that it was all right, Big Bertha hadnot kicked at all.
"He's an old peach," Tom added. "Asked me why I hadn't suggested such ascheme before."
"I knew that would be all right," Joe laughed. "After grub, I'll get Mr.Mills, and he'll go, too, maybe. Gee, he's dandy on a trip, and he knowshow to use a rope."
The two scouts now devoted their entire attention to the single guest atthe camp. When Joe called, "Come and get it!" Tom set a camp chair atthe table, and brought the steaming food from the stove. While Dr. Kentwas eating the soup, Joe made the omelette just right, and kept thefried potatoes sizzling, and with them sent in a pot of piping hotcoffee and a plate of rolls. Then he made griddle cakes--five helpingsof them the man ate, too, four thick cakes to a helping! He topped offwith preserved peaches. When he had finished, he drew a cigar case froman inner pocket of his old, worn leather jacket, lit a cigar, came overto a seat by the camp-fire which Tom had now lighted, stretched out hisshort legs, which were clad in great, heavy, square-toed boots, bluewoollen stockings that were in wrinkles, and worn woollen knickerbockersof a once rather startling brown and green striped pattern, sighedcontentedly, looked at the two scouts, and remarked:
"Tom and Joe--those are your names, eh? Well, I never fared so well,boys, in the Savoy in London or the Waldorf in New York. Joe, I knewwhat I was eating all the time, it was so good. I don't know how youchaps ever got way out here--I can tell you both come from New England.But I'm glad you came. I think maybe the Lord sent you for my especialbenefit. What do you think about it?"
"Tom thinks you were sent here for his special benefit," Joe laughed."He's not had a chance to see a bit of the Park yet."
"Why, Joe--I do not!" poor Tom cried, getting red.
"Well, it looks mutual," the man admitted. "Now, where's this Ranger? Ilike to get to-morrow all settled while it is still to-day."
Tom went up to the cabin for Mills, while Joe was getting a bite readyfor Spider and himself. Mills appeared in less than ten minutes. Tomintroduced the two men, and went into the cook tepee, to eat with Joe,while they both strained their ears to hear the plans.
"Well," the Ranger was saying, "there's a mighty nice climb at the headof Iceberg Lake. I was never up it, but I know where the goat trailstarts. Might be good sport to follow that trail."
"Chimney work, or mostly shelf?" the other man asked.
"Mostly everything, I should reckon. I don't now recall any realchimney, till the top. The goats sort of switchback on ledges. Guessyou'll need sharp toe-nails, here and there."
"Any ice work?"
"Nothing sticks on that wall!" said the Ranger.
"And the height?"
"Oh, maybe two thousand."
"You mean two thousand, all cliff?" the man demanded.
"Sure," said Mills. "Well, maybe you can knock off two hundred for theshale slide at the bottom. It goes right up to the crest of the Divide."
"Well, that sounds like a climb!" Dr. Kent exclaimed. "Suppose this boyTom here can do it?"
Tom and Joe, pretending to eat, stopped their forks half-way to theirmouths to listen. Tom was almost trembling.
"He can if you know your business," Mills answered, laconically."They've got good heads, both those boys--and heads count on a goattrail."
The doctor looked at Mills rather sharply. Evidently he was not used tobeing spoken to in just that way.
"I have climbed the Matterhorn," he replied.
"We got a different kind o' stone out here," said Mills. "It ain'treliable. What's the matter with me going too? I ain't had a good climbsince I hunted bighorns last, five years ago. And we can all ride up tothe lake on my horses, and I can see how the trail's standing up afterthe rain."
"Three on the rope are better than two, of course," the other said. "AndI'd be glad of your experience. I have at least climbed enough to knowthat it is safer to have a guide who knows the cliff."
"Stranger," Mills smiled, in his quiet way, "you seem kind o' sore atme. But I'm the Park Ranger for this district, and Uncle Sam don't wantno accidents in here. You may be the next thing to a mountain goat, butI've never seen you climb, and it's up to me to be kind o' what you'dcall sceptical. Now, wouldn't you act so, if you was here for UncleSam?"
The doctor put out his hand. "I'm ready to climb anywhere you say we canget," he said. "You're the sort Uncle Sam needs everywhere. Shake, andsay we're friends."
The boys saw them shake hands, and then they heard Dr. Kent calling.
"Tom," he said, "Mr. Mills is going with us to see that we don't breakour necks. We leave to-morrow at five o'clock. Is that too early,Mills?"
"Not a bit," said the Ranger.
"Joe, can you have breakfast ready then?"
"Yes,
sir."
"Mills, will you breakfast with us?"
"Thanks--I sure will if Joe makes the coffee."
"Then it's settled. Now, Tom, you can go to bed as early as you like.I'm going to turn in right away."
("Sounds like a hint!") Joe whispered.
Tom nodded. He saw that the camp was all right, bade the doctorgood-night, and with Joe and Mills walked up the path toward their camp.
"Well, Joe," Mills said, "they're keeping you busy, eh? Sorry you can'tcome along to-morrow--we might find a hole somewhere for you to fallinto."
"I'll let Spider do a few flipflaps now," said Joe. "I've had my turn."
"If anybody tumbles, I hope it's the M. D.," Tom laughed. "He's just alittle bit fond of Dr. Kent,--strikes me."
"Sh! You forget he's climbed the Matterhorn," said Mills.
He went on to his cabin, and the boys settled down in their own tent.
"Well, old Joey, here you are home!" Tom cried, giving him a slap. "Gee,wifey, it's been lonely for a whole week without you!"
"And it's some nice to get back," said Joe. "It sure seems like home,this little old tent, and Mr. Rogers' little old cot. Slept on the floorlast night, and on the ground all the other nights. Oh, you cot!"
He sank luxuriously down, wrapped in his blankets, and let Tom blow outthe lantern.
"Home!" he sighed, sleepily. "Just a little old tent, but home--with oldSpider snoring in the other bunk."
"I don't snore!" Tom retorted. "It's you who snore."
"You may if you want to," said Joe. "It would take more'n a snore tokeep me awake to-night. Oh, you cot! 'Night, Spider."
"'Night, Joe."
If either of them snored, no one knew it, except the porcupine that camesniffing around the tent, and then, disappointed, went off through theforest.