CHAPTER III.
THE MAKER OF FIRES.
"How about that, Jim; must we turn around, and go back, just becausethis feller that thinks he owns the whole north of Maine, says so?"asked Giraffe; who was really a fearless sort of lad, and could not bearto be ordered around by a bully.
Jim was looking a little "peaked," nor could Thad blame him, afterhearing what a terror this Caleb Martin had been in the community foryears; and how even the officers of the law had never as yet daredarrest him, even though there were rewards out for each one of the threemen.
"Naw, we don't turn back, if I knows it," said Jim, doggedly.
"Bully for you, Jim!" exclaimed Step Hen, eagerly. "There's eight of us,all told, in the party, and I think for my part that it's a prettyhowd'yedo now if we can't stand up for our rights against just threecowards. I call them that because all bullies are, when you come rightdown to it. My father says so; and I've seen it among the boys inschool."
"Yes, Jim," remarked Bumpus, with a grand air, though he immediatelymade a grimace, as a quick movement gave his sore shoulder a wrench;"we're going to stand by you, through thick and thin, ain't we,fellers?"
"Eight guns in the crowd!" remarked Davy Jones with an air ofconfidence. "Sure we ought to hold the fort, and then some, if deadlyweapons count for anything up here, and I'm told they do. P'raps,instead of pinning your ears to a tree, Jim, this same Mister Cale'llconsent to walk back with us, and give himself up to a game warden ofthe great and glorious State of Maine. We mustn't forget that we're allsworn-in officers of the said State, and bound to assist any game wardenwho is trying to do his duty, and earn his salary."
Presently the other guide said good-bye, and turning his canoedown-stream, shot away with the current; while the scouts headed upfurther toward the wilderness that lay around the country of the Eaglechain of lakes, close to the northern border of the State.
They landed presently to have a bite at noon. Thad took advantage of theopportunity to look at Bumpus' shoulder. As he anticipated, he foundthat there was quite an ugly black-and-blue bruise there, which wouldcause the boy considerable pain for several days; though he declaredthat nothing was going to keep him from practicing with his new gun,which seemed like a toy in the hands of a child.
"I'm sure you could not have held the butt close against your shoulderwhen you fired," Thad ventured, as his opinion.
"That's just what," admitted the other, with a sigh. "Know better nexttime, though, Thad; and thank you for making it feel easier. But I wishI'd got that bear. How fine it would be to eat steak from a big bear I'dkilled with the first shot from my new gun."
"Make that plural, Bumpus, for you fired _both_ barrels, remember,"laughed Thad.
They were soon on the move again, and pushing steadily up against thecurrent of the Little Machias. An hour or two passed. The air was notnipping cold at this time of the day; but as the season was nowconsiderably advanced they expected to meet with considerable frost, andeven some ice, before coming back once more to the home town.
Lest the reader who has not made the acquaintance of the Boy Scouts inthe previous volume, should think it strange that these six lads wereable to be away from their school duties for such a length of time atthis season of the year, it may be best to enter a little explanationright here.
An unfortunate epidemic of contagious sickness had broken out inCranford, and as a number of the scholars of the school were affected,the trustees had reluctantly decided that the session between early Falland New Years must be abandoned. If all were well at the later date,after the usual holidays, school would be resumed. But the health of thecommunity demanded that the boys and girls be separated for the timebeing.
Just then Thad's guardian, a genial old man who was known far and wideas "Daddy," Brewster, found that he had urgent need of communicatingwith a gentleman by the name of Carson, who had recently gone up intoMaine on his annual moose hunt in the big game country. As he might notcome out before January, and the necessity of giving him certaindocuments was great, Thad had been asked to make the trip.
They had long been counting on a chance to visit the home country oftheir Maine fellow scout, Allan Hollister; and most of the scoutseagerly seized on this opportunity to carry out the project, though twoof the patrol were unable to be along.
And so they were now in a condition to thoroughly enjoy the outing,since Thad had carried out his mission, and given the papers into thekeeping of Mr. Carson; receiving a message in return which he had wiredto the old gentleman when in touch with a telegraph station.
Thad himself had believed that there was not the slightest cloud alongthe horizon; and now that this Cale Martin business had cropped up, hebegan to realize that after all it might not be such clear sailing asthey had figured on.
Still, Thad was not the one to borrow trouble, though ready to grapplewith it in any shape or manner, once it found them out.
They camped early on that night, because all of them were a littletired; and the location on the shore looked especially fine.
"Hey, look at what Giraffe's going to do!" exclaimed Bumpus, after theyhad carried part of their things ashore, and were busily engaged inputting up the two big tents supplied by Jim Hasty from his camp stores,such as all Maine guides delight to possess.
"Why, ain't it a part of my business to start the fire every time?"demanded the party in question, who was on his knees; "didn't Thadpromise me that job if I'd keep on being careful about startin' firesevery-which-way? I ain't had a blessed match on my person since I gavethat promise, have I, Thad? And what's wrong about my getting the blazein my own way, tell me that, Bumpus?"
"But we want supper, and we don't mean to sit around here an hour ortwo, just watchin' you tinker with that silly old bow and stick,twirling away like you had to saw through to China. How about that,Thad?" and Bumpus turned appealingly toward the patrol leader, wellknowing that whatever he said would go.
"Bumpus is right, Giraffe," the other said, kindly but firmly. "You'rewelcome to spend all the time you want with that contraption, afteryou've started our cooking fire; but it wouldn't be fair to hold up thewhole bunch just to please yourself. Your own good sense tells you that,Giraffe."
Giraffe, of course, had to appear to be convinced.
"Just when I had a new scheme in my head, too, that I just know wouldhave made the fire come," he grumbled, as he hung the little bow on atwig of a tree near by, and produced flint and steel, and a little bagin which he kept tinder, in the shape of tiny shavings which he wasalways preparing at odd moments; "and before I get another chance to tryit, I'll have forgotten the combination, sure. But that's always the wayit goes; though don't you dare think Bumpus Hawtree, that I'm going togive up so easy. I'll fight it out this way if it takes all winter."
Being an adept with the flint and steel, Giraffe quickly had his firestarted.
"And that's the way it'll be after I've just got that one little snagpassed," he took occasion to remark, for the benefit of the fat scout,who was hovering near by. "Everything's easy as tumbling off a log, onceyou know how. P'raps you remember what a time you had learnin' to ride abike; and yet now you can cut around corners, and even stand on thesaddle while she's going. Well, you wait and see my smoke."
"Huh! that's all I ever will see, I'm afraid," chuckled Bumpus.
But presently Giraffe managed to drift into a more amiable humor. Thatwas when the coffee pot was bubbling on the fire, sending out its cheeryaroma; and the last of the eggs they had managed to buy from a potatogrower on the bank of the Aroostook were sizzling in the two largefrying-pans.
Most boys possess hearty appetites, and Giraffe was no exception to therule. Indeed, like most lean fellows, he had an enormous stowagecapacity somewhere about him, and could dispose of more food on occasionthan any two of his mates. Bumpus always declared he had hollow legs,and used them for receptacles, when other places were filled tooverflowing. But not one of the scouts could remember the time whenGiraffe complained of having eaten
too much. Like the crowded streetcar, there was always room for more.
"Wish we'd struck this section of country an hour or two before dark,"Bumpus ventured to remark, complacently, as he sat there with his fatlegs doubled under him, tailor-fashion and munching at the crackers andcheese he had made a sandwich out of.
"For why?" asked Giraffe, looking up.
"Oh! a feller might have just taken a little turn around here, andknocked over a deer, or something of the sort," Bumpus replied, with theutmost assurance in the world; just as though such a thing were ofcommon occurrence in his life. "Looks right gamey around here; how'sthat, Thad?"
"Oh! Jim Hasty told us that much!" declared Step Hen, before thescoutmaster could find a chance to say anything. "Didn't you hear himtell how every season there's been a moose or two killed within tenmiles of where we've got our camp right now. But we can't hold up yet todo any hunting; so you'll just have to put a crimp in that sportingspirit you've developed so suddenly, Bumpus."
"Listen to him talk, would you?" exclaimed Giraffe; "and only a littlewhile back you couldn't get Bumpus to even touch a gun. Say, you're amarvel, all right, Bumpus. They'll have you set up as the eighth wonderof the world soon, ahead of the telephone, wireless, moving pictures,and even the talking machine. Edison and all the rest of those oldwizards had better take a back seat when you come around."
Joking and chatting, they made the time pass very happily. If Jim Hastywere in reality much concerned over the prospect of his meeting with theugly poacher who had a bone to pick with him, he at least did not showit outwardly any longer. But then Jim was a man of few words as a rule;and it was hardly to be expected that so hardy a fellow would tremble,just at the mention of a name.
There was room for them all under the shelter of the tents, though as arule, so long as the weather kept on being fairly pleasant, the twohardy guides declared that they much preferred to wrap up in theirblankets and sleep under the stars. Such men become used to what wouldseem hardships to the city bred person, and in truth think very littleof enduring them. And it was by no means cold enough as yet, to drivethem into taking shelter under the canvas.
Giraffe had been working away at his fire-making business pretty muchall of the evening, and Bumpus had watched him for a while; but growingtired of seeing the other sawing away as if for dear life, he hadfinally laughed, and turned away.
If Giraffe came near making things "go" that evening, at least once morethe glory of a full success slipped away from his eager hands,outstretched to clutch it; for when it came time for them to "shut upshop," as Thad said, and crawl into the two tents, he had not broughtabout his expected blaze, though his face looked more determined thanever.
Bumpus, Giraffe and Allan occupied one tent; while the other threescouts were assigned to the second. The guides promised to share theirshelter only in case of a storm, or very severe weather.
The fire was allowed to die down. If any strong wind came up in thenight it would be the duty of the guides to see that burning brands werenot carried into the adjacent woods, to set fire to the brown pineneedles that covered the ground; and were so full of resinous matterthat once ignited they would send a wall of flame down the wind thatwould do incalculable damage.
Soon quiet rested over the camp. The frosty night breeze sighed amongthe branches overhead; the owl hooted to its mate deep in the wood; andthe hour of midnight, when Thad peeped forth, (and which he knew to havearrived from the position of certain stars overhead), saw the last ofthe fire vanishing in dead embers.
Thad sought the warmth of his blanket again in a hurry, for the air wasnow nipping cold, especially after the snug nest had been temporarilyabandoned. And he must have gone right to sleep, for he did not seem toremember anything after again creeping under the double folds of thewarm woolen covering.
Now, when one sleeps like most boys do, soundly, it is impossible tofigure how time passes when awakened in a hurry. So that Thad could nottell what the hour might be when he found himself starting up hurriedly,under the conviction that strange as it might seem at that season of theyear, and with the air frosty, there was a storm bearing down upon them,for he thought it was thunder he heard.
Then came a tremendous crash, and the tent swayed, but did not fall;though from the wild shouts that arose close at hand the young patrolleader reckoned the same good fortune could not have befallen the othershelter, because he could plainly catch the howls of Step Hen, Bumpusand Giraffe.
Quick as thought Thad whirled over to the exit, and crawled out. Andwhat his eyes beheld was enough to startle anybody, let alone a boy. Ifa genuine cyclone had not struck the camp on the Little Machias, thensomething almost as bad must have dropped down upon them, Thad thought,as he stared, hardly able to believe his eyes, or understand what it allmeant.