CHAPTER XXII.
"BE PREPARED!"
The two poachers were undoubtedly partly under the influence of liquor;for the boys could see that they did not walk as straight as they shouldhave done. Besides, their eyes looked red, and there were otherevidences of drunkeness, familiar to Giraffe and Bumpus, who had oftenseen drunken men.
This made the situation the more critical, because in this condition menoften do things that they might hesitate to attempt if not under theinfluence of strong drink.
They halted not far from the fire, and looked at the two scouts sittingthere.
"On'y two boys arter all, Si," remarked the one they supposed was EdHarkness, as he swayed slightly to and fro, while coming to a halt. "Iguessed as haow yuh must a be'n mistook w'en yuh said it mout be therhull outfit. Les sit down, Si, an' make us tuh hum."
Fitting the action with his words he dropped on the ground, and held outa pair of red and trembling hands to the fire. His companion still stoodthere, glaring at the two boys, just as though they had done somethingto offend him. Plainly Si Kedge was something of a pine wood's bully;and he thought it good policy to cow Giraffe and Bumpus right at thestart, so as to take the spirit out of them.
Indeed, Bumpus looked so white and frightened that it encouraged the manto follow up his half-conceived idea.
"Say, whaz yuh doin' here? Where's the rest o' the bunch? Know me? I'mSi Kedge, an' I'm a bad man to rile; so don't get gay now. Got anythin'to eat 'raound here?"
Bumpus cast a quick, apprehensive glance toward his companion. His oneprevailing idea just then was that they ought to get up, and skip out aslively as they could, leaving their nice fire for the two rough woodmento enjoy. As far as he could see, neither of the men seemed to possessany firearm; at least they certainly did not carry guns, as might beexpected.
But Bumpus saw something in the face of his chum that told him Giraffewas not thinking of giving up that hard earned fire. He had worked toolong to get it, to desert the comfortable camp, just because two halfdrunken fellows chanced to wander that way.
Bumpus saw more than that. Giraffe had his big old rifle across hisknees. He must have reached out his hand and secured it, while his chumwas still staring at the unpleasant couple who had invaded their camp.
That gave the fat boy an idea, following which he too reached for hisgun, though not making any show of it, for fear of arousing a storm.
"We've been hunting, and got twisted in our bearings; so we thought itbest to go into camp," Giraffe started to say, trying to keep his voicefrom wabbling, as it seemed to be trying its best to do. "And as forgrub, we haven't got a single bite along with us."
"They lies, Si!" burst out the second man; "'case I kin see a heap o'bones clost ter whar they is settin', like they'd be'n eatin' somegame."
"We have," replied Giraffe; "we knocked over a couple of birds, but theywasn't half enough to satisfy us."
"Huh! got any licker?" went on Si, still eying the boys steadily withthat half threat in his bloodshot eyes, that Giraffe knew meant trouble,sooner or later, so that he almost instinctively allowed his thumb todraw back the hammer of his big bore rifle.
"We never use it; and on that account don't carry a drop along with us,"he answered.
"I guess naow, ther foolin' yuh, Si!" broke in the fellow who wassitting down. "And looky thar, d'ye see they gut guns? Them's w'at weneeds ther wust kind, sense Cale Martin took ours away, w'en he sez ashaow we're that drunk we'd git inter trouble with 'em. Bring me thetdouble-barrel. Allers did say as haow I'd like tuh own a scattergun, tuhuse on pa'tridge. D'ye hear me?"
Bumpus looked to Giraffe. He was unable to grapple with the situationhimself; but perfectly willing to do whatever his chum directed. Had thetall boy told him to step over, and present the poacher with his nicenew Marlin ten-bore, Bumpus no doubt would have done it without amurmur.
"Get the hammers raised," was what Giraffe said instead.
"Gee! are you agoin' to fight?" muttered Bumpus; but obeying instantly.
The poacher who had made the demand made a move as though half temptedto get up and enforce his words; but seemed to think better of it.
"I'll step over, an' tackle yuh arter I got my hands warm, see ef Idon't," he remarked.
Bumpus breathed again, for he had thought that the crisis was upon them.He saw that Si Kedge had also stepped closer to the fire, and thrust outhis hands, as if not averse to taking some of the cold tingle out ofthem by the application of warmth.
"What we goin' to do, Giraffe?" whispered Bumpus.
"Stand up for our rights, that's what," replied the other, in about thesame style of voice. "They ain't going to chase me out of this camp, notif I know it."
"But they're ugly, and mean to give us trouble," urged the alarmedBumpus.
"You mean they think they are," returned Giraffe, grinding his teeth, asif by that method he could infuse his soul with more of the fightingspirit that was required to grapple with the situation. "When they startto making a rough house here somebody's liable to get hurt. And as wehold guns, and they ain't got any, you c'n easy see who it's apt to be."
"All right, Giraffe; tell me what to do, that's all; because you see,I'm that rattled I just can't think for myself."
"Keep as cool as you can, Bumpus, and it'll all come out right. If wecan't handle a pair of fellers as unsteady as they are, it'll be somequeer."
"But if they keep right along comin' at us?" queried the other,anxiously.
"Then shoot!" replied Giraffe, savagely, between his teeth.
"Right at 'em?" gasped the shorter scout.
"Oh! aim at their legs, like I'll do," returned Giraffe. "We'd hadn'tought to do anything worse than that. But mark me, Bumpus, when they seewe mean business, they won't dare come far."
Giraffe was still very white, but his eyes shone with resolution. He hadmade up his mind just how he ought to act under the circumstances; andbeing exceedingly stubborn by nature it would require something littleshort of an earthquake to make him change now.
Meanwhile the two men had been muttering between themselves on the otherside of the fire. What they were talking about the boys did not know;but doubtless it must have had something to do with the nice guns whichthey expected were so soon to fall into their possession; for neither ofthem could imagine that these two city boys, as they deemed the scouts,would dare defy them, once they ordered them to lay the guns on theground.
"Be ready!" whispered Giraffe again, and thus unconsciously repeatingthe motto of the organization to which both of them belonged, forpreparedness is the cardinal virtue in every Boy Scout.
The two poachers had evidently managed to map out some scheme by meansof which they expected to overawe the lads, and secure everything theychanced to have about them, which was worth taking.
Bumpus could see that they were about to get upon their feet, and thismust mean they intended to force conclusions. He shot one last look atGiraffe, to imbibe some artificial courage, if such a thing werepossible; and he saw that while the thin face of his chum looked ghastlywhite, it at the same time showed a pair of set jaws, and back of itgleaming eyes that told of a resolute spirit. And somehow the veryrealization that Giraffe could be brave gave the fat scout theconsolation he sought.
He had followed out the injunction of the other, and both hammers of hisMarlin ducking gun were drawn back, while his forefinger toyed with thetrigger of the right barrel.
Yes, the two men were about to start trouble, for already had the onethey knew to be Si Kedge gained his feet, as he seemed a little morespry than his partner in wickedness.
Bumpus saw that he was starting to go around the fire in such a way thatit must be Giraffe who would have to look after him; while the secondscoundrel, Ed Harkness, fell to his lot.
He elevated his gun a little, so that he could throw it to his shoulderin the wink of an eyelid, if necessary. Then he waited for the turn ofevents.
"We're acomin' 'raound tuh see yuh, kids," called out Si Kedge, in athic
k and meant to be threatening tone; "an' see tuh it yuh don't giveus any trouble; er it'll be the wuss fur ye. Stand up, an' make us apresent o' them fine traps yer holdin'. It ain't right thet boys shud bekerryin' guns, w'ile men goes without. Go on, Ed; what yuh standin' backfur?"
Ed knew. He did not like the way that double-barreled gun was aiming inhis direction. The two boys had hastily climbed to their feet at theproper instant; and both of them were now standing there, presentingtheir guns, but not in the fashion Si had intended when he gave theorder, for they were "muzzle to the front."
"Just stand where you are, both of you!" said Giraffe, in a low butthreatening voice. "I've got a bead on you, Si Kedge, and if you want tosee how well I can shoot this big-bore gun, just take two more stepsforward. Bumpus, got that other coward covered, have you?"
"You're right, I have!" sang out the fat scout, trying to appear as boldas if the whole thing might be only a little comedy that he was enjoyingimmensely; when, to tell the honest truth, Bumpus could feel his fatknees striking each other just like he had seen the telegraph operatorpound the key of his instrument; but if his gun wabbled, the fact washardly apparent to the man he was trying to keep covered.
It was certainly a fine tableau, that would often come back to thememories of those two lads in future days. But while they seemed to beholding the fort, so to speak, Giraffe knew only too well that they wereup against two desperate characters, and that if they slipped just onecog, it might have a different ending than the one they wished to see.
What to do with the two men, now that they had thrown down the gage ofbattle, and virtually made them prisoner, was a puzzle that Giraffe hadto solve. But his success thus far gave him courage to go at the newdifficulty with resolution. And Bumpus, content to bask in the glory ofhis chum's more aggressive nature, gave promise of proving himself agood scout, obedient to the one in authority over him and capable ofdoing his little part in the game.