CHAPTER X
POSSESSION NINE POINTS OF THE LAW
"I HOPE you're satisfied now, George, about that pelt?" Lil Arthawhispered to the doubting scout, as they stepped back, after shakinghands with the scientist, who was examining his prize with considerabledelight; not that Uncle Caleb needed the money he would likely receivefor the skin, if he chose to dispose of it; but it was something worthwhile to be able to say he had taken one of those rare little, and muchsought after animals, a silver fox.
"Y-e-s, I s'pose it must be so, if he says they're so valuable," Georgeadmitted, but in a way that told how slow he was to take stock in such afairy tale; so that later on Lil Artha, finding Uncle Caleb had certainarticles that had been published in connection with the wonderful pricespaid for silver fox skins in the open London market, took pains to seethat the doubter read them, and was finally convinced.
"Nothing else would have fetched me out after such a great snow storm,"the recluse told them, presently; "only I was anxious about this trap.You see, I knew all about the ways of mink and foxes, and also how theyoften gnaw a foot off in order to get free. It would have given me abad feeling to come here and find that owing to my delay, and the littleanimal's hunger, as well as pain, it had done that same thing, and wasgone. The forepaw of a silver fox isn't worth much, only to make thedisappointed trapper say things he'd be ashamed to have any one elsehear."
"Then we're all glad we got here in good time to nip that little escapein the bud, Uncle," said Toby.
"And as my cabin is more than a mile off, with the going pretty poor,perhaps we'd better be setting out for the same right away," remarkedthe scientist. "I can give a pretty good guess that you've been havingsome rough times, and will be glad of a shelter to-night. As for myself,I'll be happy indeed to have you with me. It does get pretty lonely attimes, even though I'm deeply interested in my hobby of takingflashlight pictures of the small animals hereabout. I've even perfectedan arrangement so that lots of times they snap off their own pictures;as you'll see later on when we get to work."
"We've only got a few days to spend up here with you, Uncle Caleb,"ventured Toby; "and we must see all there is in a hurry. We've justabout got tired of roughing it in the snow, and a change to cabin lifewill set us up again."
"Then let's start right away, if you boys think you can hold out forlunch until we fetch up at my place. The return journey shouldn't takenearly as long as it did to come up here, because we can avoid plentyof pitfalls I fell into. How about that plan, Toby?"
"Whenever you're ready, Uncle, let us know," replied the scout. "Can Icarry the fox for you; and how about this trap? Perhaps after catchingyour prize you won't want to leave it around again. If that's so let metake care of it for you?"
"Well, from the looks of things, it seems to me each one of you hasenough to tote right now," chuckled the elderly man; "while I havenothing except my rifle. I'm a pretty hardy sort of an old chap, andable to carry my share of the burdens still; so if you don't mind,Nephew Toby, I'll look after both the trap and the silver fox."
Which he calmly proceeded to do; and they discovered afterwards thatUncle Caleb had an iron constitution, being able to do as much as anygrown-up of their acquaintance, possibly barring the strong man of thecircus, who could bend iron bars across his knee, and allowed an anvilto be pounded on his chest.
It appeared that Elmer had not been far out of the way when hedetermined on the direction from which they might expect the trapper tocome. His figuring this out on the merits of the fact that their shotshad not gone against the wind, had a great deal to recommend it, asUncle Caleb admitted when he heard how scout tactics had been employed.
"I've been wanting to hear a whole lot more about what Boy Scouts do,"he told them, as they trudged cheerfully along; "and while we sitbefore the fire evenings, you must explain everything to me. From thelittle I know about it up to date I'm inclined to believe they've atlast gotten hold of a very big idea, and one that's going to be of farmore lasting benefit to American boys than any other scheme ever thoughtof in their connection."
"And so far as I'm concerned, sir," replied Elmer, modestly, "I'll beonly too glad to give you all the information I can scare up. Our folksbelieve the same way you do, and as the Hickory Ridge Troop of BoyScouts has been working for some few moons now, we feel that we've shownwhat a great improvement belonging to the organization has made in agood many fellows."
"Why, here's George for instance," said Lil Artha, maliciously; "a shorttime ago his people were worried because he didn't seem to eat halfenough; and now he wants the dinner bell to be jangling all day long.That's one of the changes it's made; and I could name others, sir,almost as remarkable."
Even George himself had to join in the general laugh this remark fromthe long-legged scout brought out.
"I guess you're something of a joker, Arthur," observed Uncle Caleb,turning to smile at the other.
"That's what they all say about me," complained Lil Artha, "that I'm ajoke, a freak; as if I could help it that my legs grew at the expenseof my body. But so long as I have the brains to go along with them whyshould I care whether school keeps or not? What our scout master doesn'ttell you, we'll try and fill in; because there are heaps of thingsconnected with our trials and victories of the past that Elmer mightfight shy of on account of a false modesty. We have to blow his horn forhim, you see, sir?"
"And I wager you blow it right well, too," observed Uncle Caleb.
"Oh! I manage to get some kind of music out of it, even if I'm not theregular bugler of the troop. He's Mark Cummings, and he's away from townright now. But how much further do we have to go before we strike yourshack, sir?"
"Not over a third of a mile at the most," came the reassuring reply,that caused the tired boys to pluck up new hope, and in a way girdthemselves afresh for the fray.
They had left the marsh behind long ago. Elmer knew from this that itsborder could not be a very desirable place to camp during the spring orsummer, when it was apt to be more or less overflowed, and there wasdanger of malaria if one persisted in sleeping with fogs aboundingfrequently of nights.
Now that their troubles seemed all behind them, some of the scouts couldlook about and even admire the scenery by which they found themselvessurrounded. Elmer could at least, and he found many interesting thingsto hold his attention as they journeyed along, following in a generalway the trail which Uncle Caleb had made in coming from his cabin tothe spot where he had left the fox trap, in hopes of snaring the silverblack which he knew used that section of the woods.
Every now and then their pilot would point out some object that wasassociated with certain events in the past. Here he had met with a blackbear unexpectedly, and managed to snap off a picture of the surprisedBruin while the animal reared up on his hind legs; and then retreated. Alittle further on and he showed them where the fire had once caught himin a trap; and how he only escaped a serious singeing by discovering acleft among the rocks, where he managed to crawl in, and lie until thedanger was over. Then there was the tree into which he had been chasedby a pack of wild dogs that seemed to have taken a strange dislike forall human beings, and which he had only dispersed after killing severalof their number.
All these things were especially interesting to the scouts. They had metwith not a few thrilling like adventures in their own experience, duringtheir several camping trips to the woods; though these might sound tameafter hearing of what strange happenings Uncle Caleb had experienced.
Toby saw that George raised his eyebrows each time he heard someinteresting narrative from the recluse. He was a little afraid thedoubter might express himself in his usual skeptical fashion, and demandfurther proof to back these tales up before he could give themunqualified approval; but fortunately George had a little too much goodsense to commit such an indiscretion; it might go all very well whendealing with boys of his own age, but he did not have the nerve to tellan elderly man, and a professor at that, he doubted his word.
"He's got to be br
oken out of that bad habit," Toby was telling himself,every time he felt his heart apparently in his throat with apprehensionlest George make a nuisance of himself; "and seems to me his chums oughtto be the ones to do the thing up brown for George. What a nice fellowhe'd be if only it wasn't for his everlasting sneering, and letting youfeel he thought you were bluffing him!"
Meanwhile Elmer was studying Uncle Caleb. He quickly came to theconclusion that he would like the other very much indeed. He appeared tobe a wonderfully well-read man, with a fund of information on everysubject. Besides this, there was a quizzical gleam in his eyes that toldthe scout master the other was fond of humor, and could enjoy a joke,providing it was not along the lines of practical ones that hurt toodeeply.
He was also a master of science, and no doubt had made a name forhimself long before he forsook the haunts of men, to spend peacefulmonths here in the wilderness, studying the ways of the little creatureswhose realm he had invaded.
Still, Uncle Caleb was a peaceful man. He never claimed to be asportsman, and would not use his gun save as a means of absolutenecessity, if attacked by some dangerous wild beast; or else as a meansof procuring needed fresh meat, which did not happen very often, sincehe was inclined to be a vegetarian, and had all his supplies hauled uphere by wagon twice a year.
All these things Elmer learned by degrees, and the more he came to knowof this remarkable old uncle of Toby's the better he liked him. Thisbusiness of "shooting" things with a snapshot camera, especially byflashlight and at night-time, had always appealed more or less to Elmer;and he rejoiced to know that he was to be thrown in the company of onewho had been more or less successful in obtaining wonderfully faithfulpictures of the small swamp and woods animals.
The boys soon began to cast anxious glances ahead, for it was not verypleasant work carrying all the stuff they had brought along with them tothe forest; and besides, the best part of the deer Lil Artha had baggedso luckily for himself and friends--particularly George.
"I don't see any sign of a cabin there, do you, George?" Lil Artharemarked in an aside to the other, who chanced to be puffing along athis elbow, and grunting after his customary style, though no more wearythan the other three boys.
"No, and d'ye know I'm beginning to think there may be no cabin afterall, that's what," replied George, stubbornly. "Of course Uncle Calebhas one somewhere or other; but he may have gotten mixed up in hisbearings, you see; and right now how do we know whether we're headingright or wrong?"
"Well, if you don't take the cake for seeing the wrong side ofeverything," Lil Artha told him. "Of course there's a cabin, and we mustbe getting close to it as we stand now. About the old gentleman making ablunder, and wandering off, don't you know we've been following his outtrack all the while. And say, what's that you can glimpse through thislittle opening in the woods--in a direct line with these two birchtrees, tell me that now, George, you old humbug of a grumbler?"
Thereupon George, only too willing to be convinced, took a long look,and then slowly admitted that he might have been too hasty.
"It does look a _little_ like a shack roof, Lil Artha, and p'raps Ihadn't ought to have spoken like I did; but even now that may be afooler. Just wait and let's make sure before we holler."
In another five minutes all doubt with regard to this was ready tovanish even from that wavering mind of George, because they couldplainly see one end of what seemed to be a pretty substantial log cabin,with a broad chimney running up the back, fashioned of slabs, andhardened mud that no doubt resembled flint.
It seemed to be an ideal snug retreat for a man who wanted to get awayfrom the world, and enjoy himself after his own fancy. Here Uncle Calebhad come for years, and his visits to the haunts of civilization hadbeen few and far between. As time passed on they threatened to ceasealtogether, for he found more real happiness here than he could amongmankind, struggling constantly in pursuit of the mighty dollar, andpushing others down in trying to climb.
"How do you like the looks of it?" asked the owner of the cabin, with atouch of pardonable pride in his voice; for he had gone to considerabletrouble in order to make the place attractive; and even though mounds ofsnow covered everything around, the boys could see that he had someconveniences, such as ordinary loggers' camps could hardly boast.
"It strikes me as a pretty sight," Elmer candidly admitted; "and I don'tblame you, sir, for keeping up here. I should think you'd feel lonesomesometimes, though?"
"I do, and used to have a friend spend part of the season with me,"acknowledged the scientist; "but last fall he married, and went toEurope, so that up to now I've been all alone, and your coming will bedoubly welcome as a break in the monotony of the thing."
"But, Uncle, if as you say you are alone, who could that have been Ijust saw at that little window?" asked Toby.
"I certainly saw something moving inside there, too," Lil Arthaasserted, beginning to display something of excitement, as he waited forthe other to explain what already began to take on some of the elementsof a dark mystery.
Uncle Caleb looked earnestly at the window they mentioned. It was asmall affair, and as they afterwards discovered stood just above thekitchen table, also used during meal-time, since it was the onlycontrivance of its kind in the cabin.
"I don't happen to see anything there now, boys," he went on to say;"but after all it wouldn't surprise me very much. A very large wildcathas been hovering near my cabin for a week now. I've tried to get apicture of the beast several times, but all I managed to secure has beena rolling ball of fur for one, two glaring eyes for another, and the endof a stubby tail for a third. Now, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if thatsmart old cat has been watching me, and saw when I went off some timeago. Prowling around it must have climbed on the roof, and then findingit could back down the throat of the chimney, that's what he's done."
"Whoop!" cried Lil Artha, "a wildcat in possession, and has to be kickedout before we can use those bunks. Get your gun ready, Elmer, and we'llambush the sinner."