CHAPTER IV
THINGS BEGIN TO HAPPEN
"Talk to me about that!" exclaimed Jerry, as he thrust his head out fromthe tent.
"What's it all mean?" demanded Will, still half asleep, while crawlingforth.
"I knew it would come! What did I say, fellows? They're at their oldtricks, all right!" cried Bluff. "Where's my gun?"
Frank understood, after that one moment of utter astonishment. Herealized that it was a trick on the part of some one who must have creptinto their camp while they slept. This unknown had fastened all the campcooking outfit to a rope, and this in turn had been thrown over a limbof a tree, the other end being grasped by the jokers.
A series of pulls had carried that string of pans and kettles up intothe air, where they jangled against each other as the cord was violentlydrawn up and then lowered suddenly.
Frank sprang forward. He could give a shrewd guess as to where theparties lay who took such delight in pestering himself and the chums,and he was just then in a frame of mind to visit severe punishment if hecould only lay his indignant hands upon them.
He had not taken three steps when he measured his length upon theground, while a chorus of heavy laughs announced that this was a part ofthe program on the part of those who had actually followed all the wayfrom town on purpose to annoy them.
Another rope had been stretched across in front of the tents, with theidea of tripping any one, should they rush out in hot haste.
It was all in the game, and Frank, while he barked his nose and bruisedhis elbows and knees, knew full well he should have exercised a littlemore caution.
He sprang to his feet full of vim.
There was a dreadful crash behind that gave him a shock, until herealized that it must come from the cooking utensils being dropped in aheap as those who had held the other end of the cord let go in order toseek safety in flight.
Bluff by this time had appeared in view, hugging his pet repeater in hisarms.
He banged away with a vim, and several shots made the echoes ringthrough the adjacent woods.
"They're gone," announced Frank, limping back to the vicinity of thefire.
"Did they hurt you?" demanded Bluff indignantly, as he saw Frank rubbinghis barked shins.
"Well, not so that you could notice; but I fell over that rope you sawJerry go down across, and which those rascals stretched here for thatpurpose. Nothing serious, beyond a few scratches," returned the other,forcing a smile.
"I wonder if they mean to follow us all the way and keep up thisracket?" said Bluff. "Are we ever going to camp out without that crowdpestering us like a flock of hornets?"
"Wow! Talk to me about that, will you? A flock of hornets is good--foryou, Bluff. I've got a few bumps myself, tumbling over that beastlyrope. And what a ghastly trick, to tie up all our cooking things thatway! The fellow who originated that joke ought to be put in the funnyhouse over at Merrick," said Jerry.
"I hope they haven't dented all your nice aluminum ware, Frank,"remarked Will.
"That would be a shame, and I value it so. But investigation doesn'tseem to prove any serious damage, for which I'm glad."
"Hey, Frank, if you're getting out the arnica bottle, just rememberthat there are two of us in the same boat, will you?" sang out Jerry,also rubbing his legs.
"What did I say, fellows, about keeping guard? I tell you it's the onlysafe way when such a determined scamp as that Pet Peters is around. Andafter this I think we ought to make a regular practice of taking turns.I'm willing to sit up my share," went on Bluff.
"Did you try to tickle them with your shot?" demanded Jerry.
"No; only meant to give them a little scare, and let 'em know we carriedguns with us this time."
"I feel just cross enough to wish you could have punctured them alittle--not enough to hurt much, you understand, for I'm not a savage;but they need a lesson, and that might have done the business," Jerrycontinued.
The camp soon quieted down, and there was no further alarm.
When morning came they found that no particular damage had resulted fromthe trick played by the town crowd that usually tagged after Pet Peters.
"I didn't hear Pet's sweet, melodious voice last night, come to think ofit," remarked Frank, as they ate their breakfast and discussed theexciting events of the first night out.
"Nor I. Perhaps he was smart enough to keep silent and let the rest dothe shouting. Anyhow, we're in about thirty feet of pretty good line,"laughed Jerry.
"They took the one we had on old Peter, to keep him from straying, andmade that tripper out of it. As you say, Jerry, this other is strange inour camp, and they must have fetched it along. It may come in handy; whoknows?" said philosophical Frank, always ready to get the best there wasout of troubles.
"And now it looks like we might have these 'varmints,' as old JesseWilcox, the trapper, calls them, on our hands, as well as the wonderfulghost mystery to solve."
"The more, the merrier, Will. Give me excitement all the time when outin the forest. It's quiet enough at home, and in school. Me for themerry life, and plenty of thrills," sang Bluff.
After getting old Peter harnessed up they resumed the interruptedjourney. When noon came they were within a couple of miles of the placefor which they were headed, and it was determined not to make a halt,but keep on until their goal had been gained.
The Sunset Mountains proved to be of considerable dimensions when oneapproached close to the foothills known as Oak Ridge, on account of theforest that covered the slopes. The scenery was quite wild, and all ofthe boys decided that they had missed it in not coming here on one oftheir former outings.
They allowed Frank to select a camping spot. His knowledge of suchthings was of great value to the chums while afloat in the wilderness.Experience is ten times better than all the book learning one canmuster.
As the day was pretty well spent by the time things had been arranged tosuit the particular head of the expedition, none of the boys felt likewandering far from the cozy fireside that afternoon.
"To-morrow we can take up the game in earnest, fellows. I went to seeCaleb, at the lock, and he told me about his adventure. Wait till I geta chance, and I'll only too gladly let you hear it. But be ready to tiedown your caps, for as sure as you live it's bound to make your hair tryto stand on end like the quills on the back of a fretful porcupine,"observed Jerry while they were busily engaged in the first preparationsfor supper.
"Wow! That tickles me!" announced Bluff. "After our experiences over onold Wildcat Island, I seem to just hanker after thrills. I wonder----"And instead of finishing his story he cast a loving glance toward hisgun, which happened to be leaning up against an adjacent tree at thetime, and within arm's length of the proud owner.
"There you go again, you bloodthirsty savage, wondering if this poor,inoffensive ghost, which hasn't hurt anybody, that I've heard, couldstand up before that Gatling gun of yours. Be careful, my boy. This maybe another Prince Bismarck, who believes that his mission in life is toplay Hamlet's ghost scene. You might be sorry if you fired first, andinvestigated afterward."
Will's remark was caused by the fact that while in camp above the lake,in the preceding fall, they had come in contact with an eccentriccharacter who had escaped from the asylum at Merrick, and who persistedin believing himself to be the one great Bismarck, carrying out the partwith wonderful fidelity.
The supper progressed fairly well under the joint care of Bluff andJerry, who had insisted upon showing what they had learned since thetime the four chums sat around a glowing campfire on their previousouting.
Will was busily engaged tinkering with his camera, and dreaming of thenew pictures he hoped to get on this trip, to add to the albumcontaining the records of the club's outings.
Frank lounged in a comfortable place, idly watching the busy workers atthe fire, and smiling at several things they did which long experiencetold him would have to be rectified ere they could hope to callthemselves veterans in the art of getting up a camp dinner
that a Maineguide might envy.
The heat of the fire was not unpleasant just then, for, as has been saidbefore, the weather was singularly cool for early July. Frank felt atrifle drowsy. He allowed his eyes to droop several times, only to openthem again as one of the cooks dropped enough of his pride to sing outand ask how a certain thing should be done.
Once, however, Frank found his eyes wide open, and without a query fromeither Jerry or Bluff, who had their heads together, tasting somethingthey were concocting, and with which they meant to surprise theircomrades.
Frank had chanced to be looking at the bark of a tree as he sat there,when, to his surprise, something began to project from the same. Even ashe stared, a stick that was thrust out speared the loaf of bread thatchanced to lie close by, and after it was raised from the ground itbegan to quickly vanish around the tree!