CHAPTER VIII
AN UNKNOWN ENEMY
The footsteps outside came nearer the entrance. Chester's fingertightened on the trigger of his revolver, as he saw the stranger in thetent draw himself taut.
At that moment Hal's figure appeared in the entrance.
There were two sharp cracks, so close that they seemed as one, and twospurts of flame in the darkness. Came a cry of pain from the stranger inthe tent and Hal dashed forward.
"Quick, Hal! Grab him!" shouted Chester.
But quick as he was, Hal was not quick enough. With a snarl the manjumped toward Hal even as Hal leaped himself. The stranger was of muchgreater bulk than Hal and the lad was hurled to the ground. When heregained his feet the stranger had disappeared.
Chester, unmindful of his wound, had leaped from his cot and now ranoutside. Some distance away he saw a figure disappear in the darkness.The lad did not fire a second shot, for at that distance he could not besure of a hit and he did not wish further to alarm the camp.
Hal struck a light and the two chums looked at each other.
"Did you get a look at him, Hal?" asked Chester.
"No, did you?"
"No. He was in the tent for some time, but I waited until I was surewhat he was going to do before I fired, though I had him covered allthe time."
"You must be losing your eye. At that distance you should you should havepotted him without trouble."
"I guess I could have done it this time had I tried," returned Chester."I shot at his revolver."
"Well, I guess you hit it," said Hal. "There it is, right where hedropped it. But his bullet whistled pretty close to my ear."
"I suppose I shouldn't have taken a chance," said Chester. "Next timeI'll shoot to hit something better than a pistol."
"Well, it doesn't make any difference now," said Hal. "He didn't get me.I wonder who he is and what he wanted to shoot me for?"
"You've got me, look at the gun and see if there is any mark ofidentification on it."
Hal stooped over and picked up the revolver. He examined it carefully andthen passed it to Chester.
"Can't find anything," he said.
Chester examined the weapon with no better success.
"Well," he said at last, slowly, "there is one thing certain. You've anenemy of some kind in the camp. It will behoove you to be careful inthe future."
"I suppose the bullet was meant for me," said Hal, "although, of courseit might have been meant for either you or Stubbs."
"Great Scott! What would anybody want to shoot Stubbs for?"
"Well, you can search me," said Hal with a shrug of his shoulders, "whichmay not be very good English, but expresses my sentiments just the same."
"How about Stubbs' conspiracy? Maybe one of the conspirators has caughtStubbs nosing about."
"By Jove! It might be that, after all," said Hal. "I wonder!"
"At all events, we shall all have to be on our guard," declaredChester. "We don't know for which of us the bullet was meant. We'llhave to warn Stubbs."
"So we shall, and if I mistake not here he comes now."
Hal was right. A moment later the rotund face of the little warcorrespondent appeared in the tent entrance.
"Stubbs," said Hal gravely, "you missed getting killed by just aboutfive minutes."
The little man started back in alarm.
"Wha--what's that?" he demanded.
"I said you just escaped getting killed."
"But who would want to kill me?" demanded Stubbs, plainly very nervous.
"It might have been one of your conspirators," said Hal. He displayed theweapon from which a bullet had sped toward his own head.
"Hey!" shouted Stubbs. "Put that gun down! Don't shoot!"
The little man was so visibly frightened that Hal looked at him insurprise.
"Surely you didn't think I was going to shoot you, Mr. Stubbs?" he askedin some surprise.
"I don't know," returned Stubbs, wiping a moist brow with hishandkerchief. "I don't understand you fellows at all. First you said youwanted to kill me five minutes ago and there you stand with a gun in yourhand. What am I to think?"
"Stubbs, you're crazy," said Hal, calmly. "I didn't say I wanted to killyou. When I came into the tent just now there was a man took a shot atme. I don't know whether he wanted to kill me, or whether he wanted tokill you. He may even have been trying to kill Chester. He didn't taketime to investigate. He fired at the first figure to enter the tent. Idon't know who he was. Have you any enemies?"
"I--I--Why I don't know," said Stubbs.
"How about the conspirators. Do any of them know you?"
"What conspirators?" demanded Stubbs, and added, "I wish you would quitharping on that subject. It's all right to have a little fun with me oncein a while. I don't mind it; but enough is enough."
Chester was about to make an angry retort, but Hal stayed him with aword.
"All right, Stubbs," he said. "If you don't know anything about aconspiracy you don't and that's all there is about that. But if you do, Ishould advise you to be careful. I believe that shot was meant for you."
"I am afraid that this tent is going to be dangerous for me," saidStubbs, slowly. "I shall remain here no longer."
"What! Not going to leave us, Stubbs?" exclaimed Chester.
"Yes," returned the little man quietly. "If I remain here I'm liable towake up dead some morning, and I wouldn't like that. There's anexpression in New York that hits me just right. 'Safety first!' I'm goingto get out of this tent, and I'm going to get out right now, while I'mall together."
He hurried to the far side of the tent and got his belongings together.Then he moved toward the door. There he paused a moment, as if undecided,then walked up to Hal and extended a hand.
"Good-bye, Hal," he said quietly. "I may not see you for some time andthen again it may be soon."
Hal took the hand as he said:
"Look here, Stubbs, we don't like to lose you."
"I know, I know," said the little man, "but it will be better for allconcerned."
He approached Chester and extended a hand to him also.
"Come now, Stubbs," said Chester. "Drop those things back down there andgo to bed."
"Not much," replied Stubbs grimly. "I'm going to hunt a safer spotthan this."
He released Chester's hand and made his way to the door. There, justbefore moving away, he turned and spoke.
"Boys," he said, "we've been pretty good friends, the three of us,haven't we?"
"You bet we have, Stubbs," returned Chester warmly.
"We certainly have, Mr. Stubbs," Hal agreed.
"All right, then," said the little man. "You both have been good enoughto tell me once or twice that I have been of some service to you."
"You certainly have, Mr. Stubbs," declared Hal, "and anything we can doto repay you--"
"Never mind that," said Stubbs with a wave of the hand. "All I want tosay is this: If, at any time, within a day or two or within a month ortwo, I do anything you don't like, anything that puts you to someinconvenience--you will know that I am doing it for your owngood--because I am fond of both of you and don't want to see you getin trouble."
"Say, Stubbs, what on earth are you talking about?" asked Chester ingreat surprise.
"Never mind what I'm talking about," returned Stubbs, half angrily. "Ijust want you to remember what I am saying."
"We'll remember, if that will do you any good," said Chester, "but I wishyou would tell me what it is all about."
"I may not be talking about anything, and then I may be talking about awhole lot," was Stubbs' enigmatical response. "Time will tell."
"Time will tell what, Mr. Stubbs?" demanded Hal.
"Oh, rats!" said Stubbs. "I haven't time to stay here and talk to youfellows all night. Just remember what I said. That's all."
He stepped out the tent and was gone.
Hal and Chester gazed at one another in the utmost surprise.
"What in the time of the Czar d
o you suppose he was talking about?"asked Chester.
"I'm not good at conundrums," replied Hal. "He's got something on hismind, all right."
"Providing he has a mind left," agreed Chester.
Hal smiled.
"From the way he talked that fact is open to doubt," he replied.
"I didn't think he was a drinking man," said Chester.
"Oh, he was sober enough. By the way, did you notice his hesitation whenI asked him if he had any enemies?"
"By George! I did. He couldn't answer. I'll bet he knows more about theman that fired that shot at you than he is willing to admit."
"It looks like it," Hal agreed. "From his actions, I would judge that theshot was meant for him."
"Exactly," said Chester, "and he knows who it was that fired it."
"Well, there is no use talking about it," declared Hal. "We can'tpossibly figure it out ourselves. One thing, though, we shall have to beon our guard. The unknown enemy may not know that Stubbs has moved andmay try again."
"Right," said Chester. "We'll have to sleep with one eye open."
"Oh, we're safe enough to-night," said Hal. "He'll figure we'll be on thewatch and will postpone his next visit for a day or two. By the way, oldman, how do you feel?"
"First rate. I'll be as good as new in the morning."
"I hope so. In that event we had better get a little sleep."
"Then you don't think it necessary for one of us to stand watch?"
"No; here goes for bed."