CHAPTER XXVII.
BUMPUS CALLS FOR THREE CHEERS.
THE mountaineer was the first to speak.
"'Pears like I was interruptin' a leetle fambly reunion," he remarked,drily.
At any rate, Thad noticed, there did not seem to be any great show ofanger in the actions or words of the man. Nor was he leveling thatterrible gun, which had doubtless brought consternation into the heartsof more than one invading group of revenue officers in times past.
Indeed, Thad was rather inclined to think Old Phin looked remarkablydocile, as though his claws had been pulled, and he no longer felt thatthe whole world was against him.
Mr. Quail, however, did not see things in this way. He was not aware ofthe great change that had come about in the Dady family, that threatenedto remove from the Blue Ridge the most remarkable and picturesque figurethe region had ever known.
"I'm ready to make that promise you once put before me, Phin!" he criedout, as if secretly fearing that harm might fall upon the head of hisventuresome boy, because of his braving the moonshiner's wrath bysearching out the secret Still.
"Hit's too late fur thet, Mistah Quail!" declared the other grimly.
"But surely you wouldn't think of changing your mind now?" said theprisoner.
"Thet's jest what I done, suh," answered Phin. "Polly, I'se noticin' ashow yuh brung them byes up hyah tuh the old Still. Reckons as how yuhnever'd dared do thet same on'y foh what's cum ter pass."
"Reckons as how I wudn't, dad," replied the girl; who, somehow, did notseem to display any particular fear of the stern parent, such as mighthave been expected under the circumstances.
"Are you going to let me go free, Phin Dady?" demanded the prisoner,hoarsely.
For answer the moonshiner stepped forward, and with a key he produced,released the iron that had been fastened about the ankle of the one-timerevenue marshal.
"I give you the promise you wanted, Phin, and never will I tell a livingsoul where the hiding-place of your Still lies," Mr. Quail declared,trying to conceal his emotion as a brave man might.
"Thet's good o' ye, Mistah Quail," remarked the other, with one of hisdry chuckles that somehow Thad liked to hear.
"And more than that, Phin," continued the other, earnestly, "I agreenever again to enter these mountains in search of the men who live here,and who believe they have a right to make this moonshine stuff as theyplease, whether the authorities down in Washington let them or not. I'veresigned as a marshal, Phin. You and your friends will never have tothink of me again as an enemy. And I suppose then that the curiouspublic will never get the sight of this famous Still of yours, that Iboasted they would."
"Thet's whar yuh makes a mistake, suh," said the old man, with a widegrin. "I reckons now as it's a gwine to be ther trade mark ter be usedon ther bottles. I be'n tole thet it ort ter help make sales, w'en theyknows the new medicine, made outen roots an' yarbs got in thermountings, an' wich cures all kinds o' shakes an' chills like magic, ismanufactured in ther same old Still as Phin Dady cooked moonshine stufffoh nigh on ten hull yeahs."
"What's that?" exclaimed the late prisoner, while Polly laughed softly,like one who sees a new life opening up before her.
Thad began to see glimpses of light. He remembered the strange wordsused by the girl from time to time. Yes, there _had_ a change takenplace; things were never going to be the same as they had been in thepast. Accident had opened the eyes of the old mountaineer, and he haddiscovered a way to make money, with the Government for, not againsthim.
"W'y, yuh see," he began, rather clumsily; when Polly took the wordsfrom his mouth, being so full of the subject that she just could nothold in.
"He used ter make up a kind o' medicine w'enever we gut ther shakes, an'it did the bizness the slickest yuh ever did see, suh," she started tosay. "Thar was a man as kim erlong heah, an' heerd 'bout hit. So he sezas how he'd like ter take a bottle erlong, and hev it tested. W'ich theydone, an' writ as how it was sich a wonder thet p'raps dad, he cudsupply ther trade. An' on'y yist'day he done gits a letter, suh, asbinds ther bargain. Old Phin, he ain't agwine tuh make moonshine nomoah. We's ameanin' tuh go tuh town, jest as soon's we heahs from therpeople in Washington, as these drug men hes gone ter see. Yuh know hitwudn't be nice if they sot on my dad as soon as he showed up, an' lockedhim in prison, 'case as how he use ter make mounting dew on ther sly."
Crudely expressed as it was, Thad understood the whole story now. Itfairly took his breath away, it was so strange. To think of this gauntold mountaineer having discovered a medicine that was going to prove asgreat a benefit to mankind as the stuff he had been hithertomanufacturing was a curse! It was almost too wonderful for belief.
"Do you mean that the gentlemen who mean to handle the product of yourStill in the future are trying to get the authorities to wipe all thepast off the slate, and let your father start fresh?" asked Mr. Quail.
"Thems erbout hit, suh," Polly replied, nodding her head. "Hand we-uns'spect ter live in town arter this, whar p'raps I kin wear a hat, an'hev sum shoes as hain't big ernuff fur a man, an' git some larnin' inschool. Soon's as we knows, we reckons on movin'."
"And Phin Dady, perhaps I might be of assistance to you down atWashington, once I get to a barber, and look something respectable,"said the late prisoner.
"D'ye mean thet ye don't hold no grudge agin me foh what I done tuh ye?"demanded the old moonshiner, evidently surprised.
"That's just what I mean," replied the other, heartily. "Outside ofkeeping me a prisoner, and even that was partly my fault, you've notbeen harder on me than one might expect. And I'm so happy now, with thisnoble lad by my side, and the knowledge that my wife still lives, that Icouldn't bear you any ill feeling. I hope you'll be a big success inyour new business; and here's my hand, if you care to take it."
"Hurrah!" cried Bob, feeling like throwing up his hat when he saw thetwo men, enemies for so long, shaking hands in a friendly way.
Thad himself had never felt so light-hearted. It seemed as though all oftheir troubles had suddenly taken flight, and the future looked brightindeed. This hike through the Blue Ridge had turned out ten times morewonderful than any of them had ever dreamed, when the undertaking wasfirst discussed, away up in Cranford. It had given Bob back a fatherwhom he had believed was dead; and presently Bertha, too, would be takenfrom the guardian who had no real legal right to her charge.
The Boy Scouts would be able to go back to their home town with afeather in their hats, after accomplishing so many wonderful things.
But how were they going to get down to the faraway camp? Would Mr.Quail, who must be weak on account of having been kept in the cavern solong, be able to stand the rough trip? Perhaps, after all, they hadbetter stay there during the balance of the night, and wait for daylightto come.
Thad was perfectly willing to leave all this to the gentleman himself;and presently he became aware that they were even then discussing it.
His long and bitter association with those cold walls, and that Still,must have given Mr. Quail a dislike for the sight of them; because heexpressed himself as only too willing to start down without delay.
"It's true that I'm not as strong as I might be right now," he admitted;"but that weakness ought to pass away as I get the fresh air. Besides,having my boy at my side will work wonders. Yes, please do not let mycondition keep us here one minute longer than is absolutely necessary."
And so they all started down. Since there was no longer any need forsecrecy, Polly carried the lantern along.
After all, it was not such very hard work. With a light to show themwhat they had to avoid, and a pilot who knew every foot of themountainside, they made very fair progress indeed. Even Mr. Quaildeclared he was getting stronger all the time, as he drew in bigquantities of the sweet mountain air, so different from that he had beenenduring so long, tainted with the fumes of the Still.
Once Polly halted, and drew their attention to a light far down.
"Thet's yer fire," was what she said, simply; and b
oth Bob and Thadallowed their gaze to fall upon the flicker with a sense of deepsatisfaction; for they knew that they were about to prove to bemessengers of good tidings to those tried and true comrades so anxiouslyawaiting their return.
Thad forgot that his feet burned, and that his muscles cried out inprotest against such unusual exertion; the thing that had happened wasof so wonderful a nature that every time he thought about it he toldhimself he ought to consider himself equal to the task of walking up anddown hill all the remainder of the night, without a single groan orfalter.
Now they were evidently drawing nearer the lower part of the mountain.Glimpses they caught of the camp-fire told them this good news. Besides,Thad really began to recognize his surroundings.
And he was not so very much surprised when Polly suddenly stopped andpointing to the rock at her feet, remarked:
"Hit war right thar, dad, as I got cort by ther foot; an' on thet ledgeyonder ther cat squatted, agrowlin' and spittin' like the Ole Nick, andmeanin' tuh jump right on me. See, hyars a stick thet helped tuh beathim off. An' as yuh knows, 'twar this same boy, Thad they calls 'im, asdun fixed Uncle Cliff up, so's Nate an' Tom, they cud fotch him acrosttuh ther doc. Reckon we ort tuh do all we kin ter show 'em ther Dadyfambly hes gut feelins."
"Shore we ort, gal, an' we's agwine tuh do thet same," declared OldPhin.
"We don't doubt it," said Thad, more or less affected by these evidencesof gratitude on the part of the mountaineer and his daughter. "What Idid was only a little thing you know, that could hardly count."
"But hit saved Cliff's life, an' thet meant sumthin' foh him," the girlcontinued, with a shake of her tousled head. "Come erlong, an' let's gitdown thar. Reckons as how a cup o' coffee'd taste right good tuh yuhdad."
"Coffee!" echoed Mr. Quail, as though the very sound of the word touchedhis inmost feelings; "it'll seem like nectar for the gods just to smellit again, after--but no matter, it was the best they had, and I oughtn'tto say anything."
All the same Thad noticed that his steps quickened a little, and heseemed to sniff the air from time to time, as if in imagination he couldalready catch a faint whiff of the treat in store for him.
As they drew closer to the camp Thad could see that some of the boyswere sitting there. Perhaps they had been too anxious to even try andsleep; though he believed he knew of one at least who could never haveheld out all this while, no matter how strong his determination.
Waiting until they had arrived within a certain distance, and there wasno evidence that any one had noticed the descending lantern, Thad gavevent to a call. It was the bark of the fox, and used by the members ofthe patrol as a signal in case they wished to communicate with oneanother.
He saw the figures about the fire quicken into life. They seemed tojump to their feet, and stare about them, as if unable to understandwhat that call meant.
A little to the surprise of Thad his signal was repeated from a pointclose by, and immediately Allan Hollister showed up. Undoubtedly theMaine boy had been scouting around the borders of the camp, seeking toguard against any surprise. He had watched the coming of the group withthe lantern, and guessed that two of them must be the missing comrades,Thad and Bob.
When they all stalked into camp, the boys were thunderstruck to see OldPhin and his daughter, apparently on the best of terms with theircomrades; and as for the tall man with the long hair and beard, theycould easily guess who he must be by the way Bob Quail clung to hishand.
Then Bumpus called for three cheers, and they were given with a vim thatmade the valley echo from side to side. Possibly some of thosemoonshiner videttes must have started up, wondering what on earth couldbe occurring in the camp of the Boy Scouts.
There was little chance that any of the boys would get a wink of sleepduring the remainder of that eventful night. Long did they sit there bythe revived fire, watching Mr. Quail drink his coffee, cup after cup,and listening to the strangest story they had ever heard. Even whenfinally, along about three in the morning, they were induced to liedown upon their various beds of leaves and grass, sleep must haveutterly refused to visit their eyes, save in the case of Bumpus himself;and he could drop into slumber in almost "any old position, even if hewere hanging by his heels," as Giraffe used to say.
And so the night passed away, and another morning found them, red-eyedbut joyful beyond compare; for they felt that their great hike among themountains had turned out to be the finest thing possible, both for theircomrade, Bob, and themselves.