CHAPTER XXIII.
CAPTURING THE GAME POACHERS.
"Don't yuh shoot, younker!" called out Si Kedge, when, on advancing justone more step, he found himself confronted by the rifle held by Giraffe,who had his cheek laid down on the stock, as though he were taking aim.
"I won't, if you do just what I tell you!" said the scout, growingbolder when he saw that a sudden spasm of alarm had taken possession ofthe poacher, as he realized the conditions confronting him.
"Wat yuh want us tuh do?" asked Si.
"Throw up your hands, in the first place, and be quick about it!"commanded the scout, thinking that was the proper thing to demand;because, in every account he had ever read of such events, the one whoheld the gun always gave that order.
Si Kedge did as he was told, but only after a vast amount of hardlanguage.
"You too!" Bumpus managed to call out; for since his comrade had shownthe way, he did not find it quite so difficult to follow.
"Ther up, doan't yuh see, ez far ez I kin git 'em!" complained EdHarkness; and then seeing the fat boy elevating his gun, he made out toduck, under the evident impression that Bumpus might be tempted to pulltrigger, and fill him full of bird shot. "Keep thet gun daown thar, kid;I don't like ther way yuh handles ther same. Yuh got us fur keeps; an'we ain't squealin', is we, Si?"
Giraffe thought fast. If they allowed these two men to go free, thechances were they would hang around, and try to give them all thetrouble they could during the night that was now well upon them. And theidea of letting them remain there by the fire without being put underbonds, never occurred to the boy. He knew neither of them could betrusted further than they could be seen; that was stamped on their uglyfaces, and the shifty look in their evil eyes.
There was really only one thing to do, and that was to make themprisoners. Once that had been accomplished, at least they might pass apeaceful night; and then in the morning, if the humor seized them, itwould be just as easy to let the men go as to keep them.
But how on earth were they to tie the two men up? It looked like a hardproposition, and Giraffe had to cudgel his brains with considerablegusto before he was able to produce any result. But it dawned upon himfinally that if the men were compelled to lie flat on their faces on theground, and place their hands behind them, Bumpus might straddle each inturn, and fasten their wrists, while he, Giraffe threatened with theguns.
"Listen to me," he said, with the air of a commander giving his finalorders on the field of battle; "Both of you have got to lie down on yourfaces, and put your hands behind your back; do you understand?"
"Be yuh agoin' tuh tie us up?" asked Si, his face as black as athundercloud.
"Just that, and nothing more," replied Giraffe, resolutely. "You thinkthat because we're only two boys that we'll stand for a heap; but that'swhere you're away off your base. Get busy now, and down on yourmarrowbones, both of you!"
"Air yuh agoin' tuh let us go free in the mornin'?" asked Ed Harkness,already on his knees, for he wished to placate that uneasy fat boy, whokept raising his gun again and again, as though anxious to press thetrigger just a little harder all the time.
"If you don't give us any trouble, we might; because so far as we'reconcerned we're not up here to help the game warden arrest you fellows.Lie down now, or else we'll have to help you!"
This was a ferocious threat for Giraffe to make; and doubtless he wouldhave been exceedingly loth to put it into operation; but then the casewas a desperate one, and required a remedy of like nature.
Even such a fire-eater as Si Kedge "threw up the sponge," as Bumpus putit, and knuckled down to the half grown tyrant. Perhaps he realized thatin his half boozy condition he was in no shape to grapple with thedilemma by which he and his companion found themselves faced. What withtheir hands tied by the fact of their guns having been taken by CaleMartin, they were perfectly helpless. And two firearms held in the handsof a couple of determined boys can be just as dangerous as if grown menhad them.
So, still uttering more or less protestations, coupled with hardlanguage, both Si and Ed sprawled out flat on their faces.
"Now, Bumpus, it's going to be your job to secure them both, while Icover you with the guns; and if either of them tries any funny business,he'll wish he hadn't right speedy, believe me," said Giraffe, loudenough for the others to hear, for he wished them to wholly understandthe situation.
Bumpus placed his shotgun close to the feet of his chum. Then he lookedblankly around.
"That's easy to say, Giraffe," he remarked in a stage whisper; "I'mwilling enough to do it, tell you that; but where in Sam Hill am Iagoin' to get the rope? We didn't bring any with us, you know; thoughI'm resolved never to go off again without a whole clothes line along.How c'n a feller tie 'em up when he ain't got even a top string withhim?"
If Bumpus thought to get his chum in a corner with that question, hefigured too soon, for the other had discounted it already.
"Here, take this," he said, throwing his red bandana handkerchief on theground; "and I reckon you've got the mate to it in your pocket. Use oneto wrap around the wrists of each feller. And see to it that you tie itin half a dozen of the hardest knots you know how. Understand, Bumpus?"
"That's right, and I c'n do it too. You watch me."
As the fat boy spoke he picked up the large bandana handkerchief, andstepped gingerly forward, Giraffe accompanying him part way. EvidentlyBumpus had recovered somewhat from his fright. Possibly this newboldness sprang from confidence in the ability of his comrade to handlethe situation.
At any rate, he threw a leg over the prostrate figure of Ed Harkness,and seizing both his wrists, jerked them together. The man might haveraised some protest, or even attempted to show resistance; but once thatplump form of Bumpus came down on him he had the breath partly pressedout of his body, and must have experienced a sudden weakness.
At any rate, he lay still, while the other wound the crude rope aroundhis wrists, and knotted it good and hard.
"Fine!" declared Giraffe, who had been watching the operation with oneeye, all the while he kept the other on Si Kedge; "now take your ownhandkerchief, and use it on Si. And put in three extra knots, Bumpus,because he's that much more a slick one than the other feller. Liestill, now, I warn you, Si; we ain't going to stand for any fooling, Itell you!"
Si also relapsed into silence as soon as Bumpus dropped on his back; hewas pinned to the ground almost as effectually as though secured thereby ropes.
Bumpus finished his part of the job, and arose, perspiring, buttriumphant.
"She's done, Giraffe, and as good as I know how," he said, exultantly."I just warrant you that neither of them game stealers is agoin' tobreak loose in a hurry now. What's next on the little programme? This issure turning out to be a warm night for us, Giraffe. Tell me, won't thefellers stare when we walk into camp drivin' these jail birds before us?Oh! my! Oh! me, I can see Davy and Step Hen give us the royal salute.And I'll whistle 'Lo, the Conquering Heroes Come,' see if I don't."
"Well, we ain't in camp yet awhile," retorted Giraffe; "and give me ahand to assist old Si here over to that there tree. We c'n lean him upagainst the trunk, so he can keep warm, and look around him. Then Ed, hemight have a place against this other pine, here. But Bumpus, thereain't going to be any sleep much for us this blessed night, with twotoughs to watch like these fellers."
Bumpus sighed, for he was very tired after a whole day's tramp.
"I suppose not, Giraffe;" he remarked, but stiffening up to add; "you'llfind me ready to back you up in anything you start goin'. I'm game forit, I reckon; and if you see me agoin' to sleep in spite of everything,why, Giraffe, just give me a kick or a punch in the ribs. I want to domy duty every time."
"Good for you, Bumpus; I ain't goin' to make fun of you any more,because of your size. Even fat fellers c'n come in mighty handysometimes, especially when you've got a game poacher to hold down."
They managed to get the two men against the trees, and as they still hadtheir legs free this was
not so difficult a task. Then the watch began.Giraffe kept his gun close to his hand. He spoke to his chumoccasionally, more to see if Bumpus were awake, than because of anydesire to engage in conversation.
The two men mumbled for a while, but finally their heads dropped ontheir chest and they seemed to slumber, though Giraffe was suspicious,and would never slacken in his watchfulness on this account.
He had made up his mind, however, that if Bumpus did fall asleep, hewould not arouse him, when there was no necessity for more than oneguard at a time.
An hour passed thus. Then Bumpus, who was just losing himself, in spiteof his determination to remain on duty, felt his chum give him a shake.
"Oh! I'm awake, all right, Giraffe; no need to scare me that way!"grumbled the fat scout, stirring himself, and looking around.
"They're coming, just like I said," said Giraffe. "Looky over yonder,and you c'n see the lantern; and I reckon now, it's old Eli that'sfollowerin' our trail. But we don't want to be fooled a second time,Bumpus, so get your gun ready for boarders."
"Boarders!" muttered the fat boy; "now I like that, when they ain't ablessed bit of grub in the pantry. Better skip this boarding-house, andgo on further. But Giraffe, that sure _is_ Eli; I c'n tell the wayhe swings along from here. Whoever is it with him, d'ye think; why, see,there are two of 'em, and men, not boys of the Silver Fox Patrol?"
Three minutes later, and Old Eli, grinning his pleasure, stalked intocamp, to say:
"Huh! glad tuh find ye so well taken keer of, boys. An' so yeou hed awisit frum Si an' Ed, did yeou; an' wall, what d'ye think o' thet,gents, here's yer birds all triced up, ready tew be transported to jail.This here is the game warden o' this deestrict, boys, lookin' for themcritters. Say as heow he don't calkerlate ter bother with Old Cale yetawhile; but hearin' as he's be'n an' contracted with a fox breedin'company, they'll wait an' see heow it pans eout. Kinder guess they will.An' we'll jest stay by this fire till mornin', when we kin start backtew camp. Thad knowed as heow yeou'd come out all right, Giraffe; but hethort along abeout noon I'd better take up the trail; and I met thesegents a few miles back, wonderin' if ther birds had made this here fire,so we stalked it!"
And Bumpus felt like venting his delight in one long loud yell ofthanksgiving as he realized that their troubles were now at an end.