CHAPTER XV
BOSE PAYS FOR HIS BOARD
When he had set the supper on the ground, and then backed away, Max wassimply taking precautions. Doubtless the men noticed what he did, andknew from this that he did not trust their professions of friendliness;for they exchanged further talk in low words that were not intelligibleto any of the boys.
The girls, unable to longer restrain their natural curiosity, hadthrust their heads from the shelter to see what it all meant; and themen must have seen them, though they were savagely attacking the foodthat had been placed before them.
It was astonishing how quickly they cleared their pannikins of thecooked ham and potatoes, as well as gobbled what crackers Max had beenable to spare. Each swallowed two cups of scalding coffee without awink.
When the entire amount of food had been made to vanish as though struckby a cyclone, Max expected there would be something doing. He knew thecrisis was close at hand, and his cough warned the others to be on thealert. Bandy-legs shuffled a little nearer the recumbent bulldog, andthe hand he held behind him really clutched his open knife, with thekeen blade ready to do its duty by that rope. Shack and Toby sat closetogether. They had their hands clasped around their knee but wereprepared to bound to their feet like a flash; and close beside them laytheir war clubs "ready for business at the old stand," as Toby wouldhave said had he been given the chance to express his opinion.
The men were now very close to the end of their meal. It had been afairly bountiful spread, considering the conditions, but from therapidity with which those two unwelcome guests caused it to vanish itlooked as though they might still be far from satisfied.
The taller one began to crane his neck after the manner of a diner in arestaurant looking to see whether the next course was on the way or not.
"Hopes as how that ain't all you means to hand out, younker?" he wenton to say, with a little menace in his manner that did not seem to bejust the right thing for one to display who had been treated so well.
"As our stock of food isn't so very large, and we don't know just howlong we may have to camp out, it's all we can spare just now," repliedMax, in as amiable a tone as he could command.
After all it was a mistake to suppose that men like these desperaterascals would allow themselves to feel anything like gratitude. Theirinstincts were brutal to the core, and they only knew the law of force.These boys and girls had plenty to eat, and they were far fromsatisfied. If further food was not forthcoming through voluntarymeans, they would just have to take things as they pleased. They couldhave nothing to fear from interruptions, in this lonely neighborhood;and as for these four half-grown boys putting up a successful fightagainst two such hardened characters as they were, was an absurditythat they did not allow to make any impression on them.
Still the taller man did not want to rush things too fast. There wassomething about the cool manner of Max Hastings that warned him theconquest might not be the easy task they thought, he may have sensedthe fact that the young leader of the camping party was not an ordinaryboy; and then too Shack Beggs had a husky sort of look, as though heknew pretty well how to take care of himself.
The bulldog had kept so quiet all this time that the men did not paymuch attention to him, lying there peacefully. They probablycalculated that if things came down to an actual show of hands it wouldmean two boys apiece; and surely they should be equal to overcomingsuch opposition.
"Hain't that same kinder rough on us, young feller?" demanded the hoboor escaped jailbird, whichever the taller man might be. "Wot yer givesus only makes us hungrier'n 'ever. Wisht you'd look 'round an' see ifyer cain't skeer up somethin' more in the line o' grub. Then we'llstretch out here nigh yer fire, an' git some sleep, 'cause we needs thesame right bad."
"You've had all we can let go," said Max; "and as your room is betterthan your company, perhaps you'll feel like moving on somewhere elsefor the night. If it happens that you've no matches to make a fire tokeep warm by, there's part of a box for you," and he coolly tossed asafety-match box toward the taller man, one of a number he had found ona shelf in Mrs. Jacobus' cabin.
Somehow his defiant words caused the men to turn and look dubiously ateach other. They hardly knew what to expect. Could that shack shelterseveral men besides the girls whose frightened faces they could seepeeping out? There did not seem to be any chance of that being thecase, both decided immediately. After exchanging a few mutteredsentences the two men began to slowly gain their feet.
Shack Beggs and Toby also scrambled erect, holding their cudgels behindthem prepared for work. Those men looked dangerous; they would not bewilling to leave that comfortable camp at the word of a boy, a merestripling, at least not until the conditions began to appear morethreatening than at present.
Max was watching their every action. He had nerved himself for thecrisis, and did not mean to be caught napping. Should either of themen show a sudden disposition to leap toward them Max was ready toproduce his weapon, and threaten dire consequences. The hand that hadnot quivered when that huge mastiff was in the act of attacking themwould not be apt to betray Max now, as these rascals would discover totheir cost.
"That's kind in yer, kid, amakin' us a present o' matches when we ain'tgot nary a one," remarked the spokesman of the pair, as he turnedtoward Max, and took a step that way.
"Hold on, don't come any closer!" warned the boy, threateningly.
"What's the matter with yer?" snarled the man, suddenly dropping themask that he had been figuratively wearing while using soft words.
The bulldog must have seen that the danger line had been reached, forhe was erect again, and pulling ferociously at his tether, gnashing hisugly white teeth together with an ominous sound, and showing his redopen mouth.
"Just what I said before," returned Max, steadily; "you came herewithout any invitation from us. We've warmed you, and fed you the bestwe could afford, and now we tell you that we want your room a heap morethan your company. That's plain enough English, isn't it, Mister, ordo you want me to tell you to clear out?"
The taller man laughed, but it was a very unpleasant sort of a laugh,which must have made the listening girls shiver with dread of whatmight be coming when those two burly men flung themselves at the boysin the attempt to capture the camp with its spoils.
"Oh! so that's the way the thing runs, is it, kid?" sneered the man;and then changing his manner again he went on to demand harshly: "Whatif we don't mean to clear out? Supposin' we takes a notion this hereis comfy enough fur two ducks that'd like to stay to breakfast, andshare yer stock o' grub? What'd ye do 'bout that, younker?"
He took another forward step, and from his aggressive manner it wasplain to be seen that he meant to attack them speedily. Max waited nolonger. He did not want matters to work along until they reached thebreaking point, for that would mean a nasty fight; and while he and hischums would undoubtedly come out of this first-best there must be somebruises received, and perhaps blood might have to be shed. So heconcluded to stop things where they were.
Accordingly he brought his hand to the front and made so as to let themsee he was armed. As the hobo did not advance any further it looked asthough he may have taken warning; the sight of that up-to-date weaponwas enough to make any one pause when about to precipitate trouble, forit could be fired as fast as Max was able to press the trigger.
"Bandy-legs!" snapped Max.
"Here!" answered the one addressed.
"Have you got your knife laid on the rope?" continued the leader of thecamp.
"You just bet I have, and when you say the word he's goin' to jump forthat biggest feller's throat like a cyclone; ain't you, Bose?" turningtoward the dog.
The ugly looking bulldog gave a yawp that may have been intended for anaffirmative answer; and his appearance was so very fierce that ithelped the hobo make up his mind he did not care for any closeracquaintance with such an affectionate beast.
"Hold on there, don't you be in too big a hurry 'bout slit
tin' thatsame rope, kid!" he called out, shrinking back a step now, and halfraising his hands as if to be in readiness to protect his neck againstthose shining teeth.
"Then you've changed your mind about wanting to sleep here in thiscamp, have you?" asked Max, quietly. "We'll allow you to do it on onecondition, which is that you let us tie you both up, and hold you hereuntil the sheriff comes to-morrow."
From these words it became apparent to the men that the fact of one ofthem was wearing a broken handcuff must have been discovered by theboys. They looked as black as a thunder cloud, but realized that theywere up against a blank wall.
"Excuse us 'bout that same, kid," the taller man said, bitterly; "we'drather take the matches an' go to make a camp somewhere else, where wewon't bother youse any. But p'raps ye'll be sorry fur actin' like thatby us, won't he, Bill?"
"He will, if ever I has anythin' tuh say 'bout it," growled the shorterrascal, shaking his bullet-shaped head, which the boys now saw had beenclosely shaven, which would indicate that he must in truth be someescaped convict.
"We're waiting for you to move along," remarked Max. "Don't botherthanking us for the little food we had to spare you. It may keep youfrom starvation, anyway. And see here, if so much as a single stonecomes into this camp after you've gone I give you my word we'll cutthat rope, and start the dog after you. Now just suit yourselves aboutthat!"
The men gave one last uneasy look at the bulldog, and as though he knewhe was in the spotlight just then Bose growled more fearfully thanever, and showed still more of his spotted throat, and red distendedjaws, with their attendant white, cruel looking fangs.
It was enough. The taller man shook his head dismally as though,knowing that neither of them possessed the first weapon, he judged itwould be something bordering on suicide to provoke that fierce beast toextreme measures.
"There'll be no stone throwin', make yer mind easy on that score,younker," he told Max, between his teeth; "but if ever we should happento meet up with you er any o' yer crowd agin, look out, that's all!Kim erlong, Bill, we quits cold right here, see?"
With that they stalked moodily away, and the boys seemed able to drawfreer breaths after their departure. Max stood ready to carry out histhreat should the men attempt to bombard the camp with stones, and forsome little time he kept Bandy-legs standing there, knife in hand,ready to sever the rope that kept Bose from his liberty.
There was no need, it turned out. The two men had realized that theywere in no condition to carry matters to a point of open hostilitieswith those who had fed them and given them a helping hand; and perhapsthat vague threat of detaining them there until the coming of theofficers may have added to their desire to "shake the dust of thatregion from their shoes," as Bandy-legs expressed it, although Tobytold him he would have a pretty hard time finding anything like dust inthose days of rain-storms and floods.
It took a long time to reassure the girls, and coax them to try andsleep again. As for Max he was determined to keep awake, and on guarduntil dawn arrived; which in fact was exactly what he did.
CHAPTER XVI
AFTER THE FLOOD--CONCLUSION
"Well, it's come morning at last, and for one I'm right glad to seeit," and Bandy-legs stretched himself, with numerous yawns, whilemaking this remark.
Max admitted that he felt pretty happy himself to see the day break inthe far east, with a prospect for the sun appearing speedily, since theclouds had taken wings and vanished while darkness lay upon the land.
Everybody was soon moving around, and the girls insisted that breakfastshould be given over entirely to their charge.
"From what you've told us," Bessie French declared, when there weresome plaintive murmurs on the part of Bandy-legs and Max to the effectthat they wished to save their guests from all hard work, "we expectthat you find plenty of times to do all the cooking that's good foryou. Now it isn't often that you have girls in camp to show you whatthey know about these things; so I think you'd better tell us to dojust as we feel like; and that's going to be take charge of the mealsas long as we're together."
Of course secretly Max and Bandy-legs were just as well pleased asanything could be over this dictum from the fair ones; they simplywanted to do their duty, and show that they meant right.
Well, that breakfast was certainly the finest the boys had ever eatenwhile in the woods at any time; and they voted the cooks a greatsuccess.
"We'd be happy to have you with us always, when the camping fever camealong," Bandy-legs informed them, as he came in for his third helping;"though of course that would be impossible, because we sometimes getaway off out of touch with everything, and girls couldn't stand what weput up with. Besides, I don't believe your folks would let you try it.So we'll always have, to remember this time when we get our gritsburned, or, something else goes wrong, as it nearly always does whenI'm trying to play _chef_."
After the meal was over they held a council of war to decide upon theirnext move. It seemed folly to stay there doing nothing to better theircondition; and that sort of thing did not correspond with the habits ofMax, who believed in getting out and hustling for business, rather thanwait for it to come to him.
"We'll get our stuff together, such as we might need in case we do haveto stay another night in the forest," he told them in conclusion, whenevery one had been heard, and it was decided to make a start; "and thenhead in a certain direction that I told Steve I thought would take himto a road marked on my rough map. If we're real lucky we may even meetSteve headed for this place, with some sort of vehicle that will carrythe whole crowd."
No one appeared very enthusiastic, for truth to tell it was not at allunpleasant camping in this way; and only for the fact that they knewtheir folks would surely be dreadfully worried concerning them thegirls secretly confessed to one another that they might have wished theexperience to be indefinitely prolonged.
"I'll never forget that cute little shelter," Mazie told Max, as theyfound themselves about ready to say good-bye to their night'sencampment; "and although we did have a bad scare when those two trampscame around, I think I slept almost as well as I should have done at myown home. That's because we all felt such confidence in our guardians.Now, don't get conceited, and believe we think you're perfect, becauseboys have lots of faults, the same as girls."
"I wonder what became of those two poor fellows?" mused Bessie, whostill believed that the men were just ordinary, lazy, good-for-nothinghoboes, with a dislike for hard work, and resting under the convictionthat the world owed them a living; for the boys had decided that therewas no use telling them about the broken handcuff they had noticed onthe wrist of the smaller scamp.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they were miles away from here by now,"said Max, with a knowing wink toward Toby, who chanced to be standingnear.
"Then they're more active than most tramps I've seen appeared to be,"remarked Bessie; "but I do hope we meet Steve coming with some sort ofconveyance, because twenty miles over poor roads fills me with horror,though I'll try the best I know how to keep up with the rest of you.Think of poor little Mabel, though; she would be tired before we hadgone three miles."
"Never fear but what we'll get hold of some sort of vehicle, sooner orlater," Max assured her; "when we strike the road we are bound to runacross farms occasionally; and surely they will not all have beendeserted. Some of them must be on high land, and safe from the floods."
It was in this spirit that they said good-bye to the pleasant camp, andturned their backs upon the modest but serviceable shack.
"I honestly believe it would shed rain like the back of a duck,"Bandy-legs declared, proudly, as though satisfied to know that he hadhad a hand in building the shelter.
"But we're all glad it wasn't put to the test," Mazie observed, as shelooked up at the clear sky with the greatest of pleasure.
It may not have mattered so much to the boys whether or not the rainshad stopped for good, but they could understand that there were hostsof people who would be mighty thankful
the morning had broken sopromising, for if clear weather prevailed the floods would of coursehave a chance to go down.
Max had laid out his plans as well as he could, on the preceding night,so that he was prepared to move right along the line of leastresistance; that is, from the conformation of the country, as markedupon the little map he had drawn of the neighboring region, he meant toselect a route that would keep them away from the lowlands, now flooded.
They did not find any great difficulty in making fair progress,although the little lame girl had to be assisted often. She was verybrave, however, and anxious to prove that she must not be looked on ashelpless.
Inside of an hour they had come upon a road, just as Max had figuredwould be the case. So far nothing had been seen of Steve, thoughaccording to promise they were careful to leave a broad trail behindthem, so that if he should visit the camp after their departure hewould find no difficulty about following in their wake.
If Steve had faithfully carried out the directions given him, Max knewthat he certainly must have reached this same road, and possibly notfar from the point at which they too struck it. As he walked along Maxwas keeping a bright lookout for certain signs which he had arrangedSteve should leave on the right-hand side of the hill road to tell themhe had been there.
These he discovered inside of ten minutes after they started to travelalong the highway, which was in fair condition considering the badweather. A branch had been partly broken, and as it lay seemed topoint ahead. When a short distance beyond they came upon the samething repeated, there no longer remained the slightest doubt but whatit was the work of their absent chum.
Max explained all these things to the girls, partly to cheer them up;and then again because he knew Bessie would be interested in everythingthat Steve did.
After that they all watched the road at every bend, and hope keptsurging up in their hearts as they fancied they heard the distant soundof wheels. What if disappointments came many times, they knew thatSteve must be ahead somewhere, and would exhaust every device in theendeavor to accomplish the more important part of his duty.
Just about an hour afterwards they all caught the unmistakable sound ofwheels, and then came a well known voice calling to the horses to "getbusy"; after which a big hay-rick turned the bend a little way ahead,with Steve wielding the whip, and a boy perched on the seat alongsidehim, possibly to bring back the rig after they were through with it.
Loud were the cheers that went up, and no one shouted with more vimthan Shack Beggs, who seemed to have gradually come to believe thatfrom this time on there was no longer going to be anything in the shapeof a gulf between him and Max, as well as the other chums. He had beenthrough peril in their company, and there is nothing in the wide worldthat draws people closer together than sharing common dangers.
So the hay-rick was turned around, and the girls made as comfortable ascould be done. The boys managed to perch almost anywhere, and were asmerry as though they had not a care or a worry in the world.
"Can we make Carson in a day?" Bessie demanded, when the two horsestoiled slowly up a rather steep hill.
"I think we will," Max assured her; "if we're lucky, and don't getstalled by some washed-out bridge. But at the worst we ought to getwhere we can use the wires to send the news home; and find decentshelter to-night, at some farmhouse."
"Now watch us make time!" called out Steve, who was still doing duty asdriver, though Bandy-legs and Shack Beggs had both offered to spell himwhen he got tired.
The grade being down-hill they covered the ground much more rapidly,and amidst more or less shouting the next mile was put behind them.
So they went on until noon came, and Max was of the opinion that morethan one-third of their tedious journey had been accomplished. Thisthey learned was a fact when they stopped at a farmhouse, and coaxedthe good wife to cook them a glorious dinner, allowing the horses tohave a good rest, so that they would be equal to the balance of theday's work.
Max, as usual, improved the opportunity to pick up pointers, and inthis way no doubt saved himself and friends more or less useless work;for they heard about a bridge that had been carried away, and were thusenabled to take a branch road that kept to the higher ground.
Once more they were on the move, and headed for home. It wasencouraging to learn that the water seemed to be already lowering, asthe worst of the freshet had spent its force, and the promised stormhad been shunted off in another direction by a fortunate change of wind.
As the afternoon began to draw near its close they found themselvesgetting in very familiar country, and this told them Carson and homecould be only a few miles distant. There was no longer any doubt aboutmaking it that evening, though it might be sunset before they arrivedat their destination.
Of course this gave the girls more or less happiness, though theyprotested that they were enjoying themselves hugely. It was far from acomfortable ride at the best, however, and often Bessie and Mazie wouldgladly get out and walk with some of the boys, while they were climbinghills. This eased the strain on the tired horses, and at the same timegave their own cramped limbs a chance to secure the much neededexercise.
Finally the last hill had been mounted, and there lay Carson bathed inthe glow of the setting sun. The boys greeted the welcome sight withlusty cheers, in which two of the girls joined. Mabel did not feel sohappy, because she could not forget how her own beloved home had beencarried away in the flood; though there was little doubt but that AsaFrench was able to build him a far better house, and stock his farmafresh, for he had plenty of money out at interest.
The day was over, but the light still remained as the hay-rick, withthat little company of boys and girls aboard, reached the streets ofCarson. Shouts attested to the interest their coming aroused; forevery one knew about the fall of the bridge, and how Max and hiscomrades were carried away with it. No word having come from themsince, of course their families were almost distracted; and it caneasily be understood that the warmest kind of welcome awaited all ofthe castaways on their arrival home.
Carson was already beginning to recover from the shock occasioned bythe rising waters. All sorts of "hard luck" stories kept coming totown from neighboring farmers, who were so unfortunate as to live inthe lowlands, where the soil's richness had tempted them to make theirhomes. It seems to always be the case that where danger lurks in theway of floods or volcanic eruptions, there the wonderful productivenessof the soil serves as a lure to tempt people to accept risks. As arule these folks are able to laugh at their neighbors on the higherlands; but sooner or later there comes a time when things do not lookso rosy, and perhaps they lose all their accumulation of years.
Already plans were being discussed to take advantage of the misfortunesthat had come upon the community so as to build better. The new bridgewould be a beauty, and so staunch that no flood could ever dislodge it.Houses that had been swept away, or ruined in other ways were to bereplaced by more commodious and up-to-date buildings, and the new barnswould also far outclass those that had gone.
It was perhaps a much needed lesson, and Carson inside of a few yearswas bound to profit by what at the time had seemed to be the greatestcalamity that had ever visited the community.
Max Hastings and his chums would never forget their strangeexperiences. They had to relate the story many times to the goodpeople of Carson, as well as their schoolmates. That cruise on afloating bridge would go down in the annals of the town as one of themost remarkable events that had ever happened.
Of course Mabel found a chance to communicate with her almostdistracted parents and assure them of her safety. None of the threegirls suffered in the least as the result of their exposure andprivations. They always declared that it had in many ways been themost delightful experience in their lives; and whenever this was saidin the presence of Steve or Max of course those boys smiledcontentedly, because they took it as a compliment that Mazie and Bessieconsidered camping in their company, under such discouragingconditions, as a
genuine picnic.
It was perhaps a rather remarkable fact that some of Steve's picturesdid actually turn out fairly well. He had tried the best he knew howto keep the little camera from being submerged in the water; and whileoutwardly the leather case had suffered, the films were very littleinjured.
They were more than glad of this, because it gave them somethingtangible as a reminder of the eventful trip, and the strange adventuresthat followed their being kidnapped by the runaway bridge.
Later on that summer, when they had a chance to make a day's tour in anautomobile, Max, Steve, Bandy-legs, and Toby invited both Mazie Dunkirkand Bessie French to accompany them; and in fine style they visitedalong the route of their homeward journey after leaving the camp underthe forest trees.
Nothing would satisfy the two girls but that they must leave the carsomewhere and foot it through the well remembered aisles of the densewoods until finally they came upon the dear shack where they had spentthat never-to-be-forgotten night.
There they cooked dinner, and enjoyed a real picnic. Every littleevent of that delightful past was gone over again with exactness; andall of them pronounced the day one of the happiest of the calendar.The shack was still in serviceable condition, and the girls werepleased to pretend that they might still have need of a shelterwhenever a cloud as big as a boy's pocket appeared in the sky.
Max never learned what became of the two men who had invaded theircamp. Doubtless the annals of some penitentiary might disclose thefact that they had escaped from its walls; but whether they wererecaptured or not none of the boys ever knew.
Of course Max and his chums were looking forward to other outings whenthe vacation period came around again; and we trust that it may be ourgood fortune to be given the privilege of placing before the readersome account of these stirring happenings. Until such time we can onlyadd that Shack Beggs was surely making good, having completely severedhis relations with those cronies who had so many times led him alongcrooked, ways; and whenever Max has the chance he does not hesitate tohold out a friendly hand to the struggling lad, knowing that it is thisencouragement on the part of his boy friends that will do more thananything else to plant Shack's feet firmly on solid ground.
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