CHAPTER XIX.
THE WARNING.
Step Hen was all of a tremble when he first began to handle thatburning splinter of wood, provided by Toby Smathers, to serve as afiery pen; and with which he hoped to write letters in the darkbackground he had chosen for his location.
Just as he had himself declared, regretfully now, Step Hen had neverbeen a shining light in this code business. Indeed, up to lately, hehad rather considered the whole thing something of a great bore; andwhen ordered out on the hills to wave signal flags, he had only obeyedunder protest. There had been plenty of things he much preferred tothis sort of detail work.
But after seeing how successfully a method of communication had beenestablished between the scouts in camp, and Aleck, when the latter wasbeing held a prisoner up on that shelf of rock, Step Hen had had hiseyes opened. He realized what a really valuable thing a littleknowledge along these lines was apt to prove, at most any time. And hehad then and there resolved to improve his scanty share of informationwhenever the chance came.
Right now he was secretly glad that since that occasion he had beenasking some questions along the line of acquiring information. He hadeven had half an hour's practice with Thad, early in the morning,sending and receiving messages.
How fortunate that was, Step Hen reflected, just now, when he foundhimself placed in a position where a knowledge of wigwag work wasgoing to prove of the utmost importance to the boy whom the scouts hadtaken in charge.
At the same time it was with considerable nervousness that he startedin to ask his first question. He meant to inquire if the one answeringhim were Thad himself; but when he had made the last letter of themessage Step Hen was afraid it might seem so bungled that all he wouldreceive might be the well-known signal:
"Don't understand--repeat message!"
But to his delight there came the three letters:
"Yes."
Encouraged by this, Step Hen became more ambitious. He spelled out hisown name, and added a few more words:
"This is Step Hen--something important!"
Then he almost held his breath as he waited to see what effect thiswould have. The answer began to come back, slowly and positively, Thadallowing plenty of time for the other to make sure of every sign. Andstaring eagerly, unconsciously spelling aloud just as he received themessage, Step Hen caught this:
"All right--understand--let us have news."
"It's going splendidly, Toby!" cried Step Hen, almost ready to jump upand down, in his excitement and joy, despite his wearied condition."Thad's taking it, word for word. I reckon I c'n make him understand_something_, even if I am such a big bungler at this thing. But I tellyou right now, after this I'm going in for wigwag work the hardest youever saw. It's the greatest stunt a scout can follow up. Why, it'sworth everything else at such a time as this. Now to tell him aboutthe two men headed that way, and how they're after Aleck Rawson."
With that Step Hen once more applied himself to the task before him.His heart was set on doing something that the scoutmaster wouldcompliment him on when next they met. Step Hen had aroused himself tothe fact that an occasion like this demanded that a scout should provehis worth. It might mean a merit medal for him, if his services weredeemed of sufficient value.
Toby, seeing that the torch would not be likely to last out thelabored conversation that was to follow, busied himself in gettinganother ready. As he was as good a hand at a fire as Giraffe, this didnot prove a heavy task.
Meanwhile Step Hen kept on sending his messages in short, jerkysentences. He lacked confidence in himself, and dared not launchboldly forth in a description of the strange thing that had happenedsince the four of them had made camp, after their big-horn hunt. Whenhe had spelled a sentence he would almost invariably add the query,"understand?" meaning to repeat if the answer came in the negative.But Thad was an expert at this sort of work, and could puzzle out themeaning of what Step Hen so blunderingly sent, almost as though hemight be a mind reader.
"Two men came into our camp after dark!" went the opening message.
"Yes," Thad replied, briefly, and evidently not meaning to sayanything calculated to confuse the signal sender.
"One a sheriff, name Bob McNulty."
"Yes."
"Other older man,--name Artemus Rawson.--Get that?"
There was a little interval at that. Perhaps Thad might be figuring itout; or he may have mentioned the name aloud, and be speaking with someone who was near by, possibly asking Aleck if he recognized the name.
"Yes," came the flash, presently.
Step Hen had begun to grow cold. He felt that if he once found himselfcornered, and making mistakes, he was apt to get rattled in hisexcitement, and forget the little he really did know about sending andreceiving. So when Thad replied that he had grasped even that name, thesender found himself imbued with another relay of confidence. When hestarted in once more, he sent a little faster, though the scoutmaster atthe first opportunity warned him to go slow and sure.
"Say looking for Aleck--that he has robbed uncle--headed down valleywhen left here--Understand that?"
"Yes, but not so fast. Go on," came the reply.
Step Hen understood that Thad gave him this warning, not because hewas himself unable to receive at that rate, for he had seen the patrolleader and Allan go smoothly along at twice the pace. He was thinkingof Step Hen, for he knew what was apt to happen if once the otheroverstepped the bounds, and muddled himself up; as like as not hewould get his signals mixed, and after that be utterly unable to sendcoherently.
"Be with you by morning--we think they suspect Aleck there--you knowwhat to do."
"Yes. Good for you. Anymore?"
Step Hen sighed with relief. The great burden of responsibility hadfallen from his shoulders on to those broad ones of the scoutmaster.Yes, Thad would surely know what to do--he always did when theemergency arose. And that was what made his chums feel such implicitconfidence in their leader.
And Step Hen thought that while he was about it, and the messagebusiness working so very smoothly, he might as well let Thad know oftheir success; so he managed to say:
"We got two sheep!"
"Good again."
"Smithy shot one--I got other--had warm time I tell you. Anything newat the camp?"
"Sure. They came and paid us a visit," Thad replied, slowly, so thatnot a word did Step Hen lose as he spelled the message out.
"Do you mean Kracker?" he demanded.
"Yes. He tried to ride over us rough-shod; but we took him down a peg.Sent the three men away--kept their guns--looking out for them all thetime--if you happen to meet hold them off--Toby will know."
That was an extra long one to take, and several times Step Hen had towave his torch so as to interrupt the sender, and have him go back tothe last period to repeat what he had to communicate. For of courseStep Hen, like all new beginners in wigwag work, telegraphy, andkindred things, was a better hand at sending than receiving; becausein the one case he knew in his own mind what was coming next, and wasnot apt to get confused; while in taking a message, if he lost onesmall fraction of the same, while his mind was grappling with that,he failed to catch the next letter, and thus was apt to becomehopelessly entangled.
But thanks to the intelligent manner in which Thad managed his end ofthe air wire, and the positive way in which he moved his fire pencil,the message was finally all grasped, though Step Hen was rapidlybecoming exhausted by his efforts, and the mental strain that bore onhim so heavily.
"Better quit thar!" advised the guide, who kept a close watch on things,and was able to understand just what the tired boy was enduring.
"Pretty soon, Toby," replied Step Hen, slowly. "I've done better thanI ever thought I would, and Thad knows about that Artemus Rawson.He'll see to it that Aleck isn't around when they come to camp. Oh!ain't I glad though I brushed up my code work with him early in themorning, though. That business with Aleck in the night made me ashamedto be so dull. I want to ask him one more question, for there
he'swaving to know if I'm done."
"Get through quick, then; we orter be back in camp," said the guide,not unkindly, but because he saw the condition of Step Hen.
"What is it?" Thad was signaling, waiting each time after asking thequestion, to receive an answer.
"Will you have Aleck hide himself?" asked the other.
"Sure thing."
"We'll head back to camp in morning--have to get Smithy's hornsfirst," went on Step Hen.
"Has he taken to growing a pair?" Thad asked, quizzically.
"His sheep I mean--lies back a bit--look for us about noon."
"That all?"
"Yes. Good-bye!"
The last wavering movements of Thad's torch far away in the distancetold that he was echoing this concluding word. Then it vanished.
The talk-fest was over; and Step Hen felt that at least he had donehimself proud for one who had paid so little attention to this reallyimportant adjunct to the education of a Boy Scout.
"And mark me, Toby," he mumbled as the guide kindly threw an arm abouthis tottering figure, though Step Hen hardly comprehended the fact,"I'm agoin' to take up wigwag work after this, sure I am. Neverthought it could be so interestin'. It's sure great. Here's our camp,ain't it? You tell the boys what I did, won't you Toby; I'm feelin'kinder tired like? Guess I'll sit down a spell."
Davy Jones and Smithy were wild to know how it had all turned out; andwhile the murmur of the guide's voice sounded, as he related the storyof the message sending, poor played-out Step Hen sank to the ground,dead for sleep.
In less than two minutes he was lost to the world, the last thing heheard being the low voice of Toby Smathers, recounting the recentsplendid feat of the scout whose message had undoubtedly saved AleckRawson from impending trouble.