CHAPTER XVIII
ON THE TRAIL
"This is easy enough work, Bluff!"
Jerry said this as the two plodded along, following the trail left bythe clumsy animal that had looked in on Will so unexpectedly.
"So far, we haven't had any particular trouble," Bluff replied. "Thesnowfall is what is called good tracking snow--that is, it's justheavy enough without holding you up and making it hard traveling."
"I wonder how much farther the old fellow means to go?" Jerrywhispered, for he had been already warned by his chum that loudtalking was unwise when on the trail of any animal with such keenhearing as a moose.
"Give it up," Bluff replied. "I was just thinking how lucky it is forus he keeps heading straight into the wind. But I know how that is. Adeer nearly always goes that way, because he can tell by means of hisnose whether there's any danger waiting for him ahead."
"It makes it easier for the trackers, doesn't it, Bluff?"
Bluff only grunted. He wanted to discourage his companion from tryingto carry on a conversation. It was pretty hard to squelch Jerry underordinary conditions, but his own good sense as a hunter must surelytell him how necessary it was they keep quiet.
They had been going along for more than two hours, and in such adirect line that they figured they must be some miles from camp.Neither of them recognized their surroundings, which would seem toindicate that they were in a section of the Big Woods they had nevervisited before.
Bluff was considerable of a woodsman. He consulted his compassfrequently, and took various notes of his surroundings. Jerry saw allthis, and had the utmost confidence in their ability to return to campat any time the notion struck them.
If they were bothering their heads about anything just then, it musthave been in connection with the chances they had of overtaking thebig moose. Every little while Jerry would beseech his comrade to tellhim how close he thought they had come to the quarry. On suchoccasions Bluff would prove true to his name. Although he actually didnot know for certain, he would look wise, take another keenobservation, wrinkle his nose, and then hazard some opinion.
"We're gaining, all right," he was pretty sure to tell Jerry, thoughdeclining to commit himself to any particular figures.
Both were by now beginning to feel the effect of the tramp. While thesnow was hardly deep enough to interfere to any marked degree withtheir progress, in the long run it added to the labor of lifting theirfeet countless times. Its weight, whenever it clung to their heavyshoes, made an additional burden to be reckoned with.
"Bluff, it's beginning!" whispered Jerry, after another spell ofsilence had reigned between them and they had covered still moreground.
"What is?" demanded Bluff, turning around to look at his chumuneasily, for he had detected a ring of uncertainty in Jerry'sutterance.
"I saw a snowflake drifting down just then; and--yes, there's another;you can tell for yourself, Bluff!"
"Huh! Hang the luck, if it begins to come down on us now and blots outour trail, we'll be in the soup!"
The flakes came down pretty heavily for a few minutes, while the boyscontinued to press on with mingled emotions.
It proved to be a false alarm, however. In five minutes Jerryremarked, again in an excited whisper:
"She's letting up, Bluff; sure she is! I don't believe we're due forany big storm yet. The sky's brightening a lot."
Bluff saw that things were commencing to look better; but he fanciedthis was only a temporary relief. It might hold back for an hour, andeven be delayed longer; but Bluff was almost as certain as Frank hadbeen that a storm was impending.
"If the blooming old thing'd only keep away till we'd bagged our game,I wouldn't say a single thing," he muttered, and then fell silentwhile following the trail.
Fortunately there had not been enough snow to hinder them from seeingthe plain tracks of the moose. So heavy an animal was bound to sink inand leave a trail that even a greenhorn could follow fairly well.
"What time is it, Bluff?" asked Jerry, upon seeing the other snatch alook at the little gun-metal watch he carried.
"Close on three," he was informed.
"And we've been walking since noon, nearly," Jerry continued. "We musthave gone miles and miles."
Bluff did not answer. He hoped in that way to convince his talkativechum that while there was a time for everything, a trackingexpedition, with a wary old bull moose ahead, was not the occasion forcarrying on a general conversation.
Occasionally flakes of snow would drift down. Jerry always observedtheir coming with fresh apprehension, and was correspondingly relievedwhen they stopped. It was as if the weather were holding off, thoughwhen the storm did break it was apt to prove all the more fierce onaccount of the delay.
Bluff had ceased examining his compass now. In fact, he was caringprecious little whether they found themselves lost or not. Lookingahead, a night in the Big Woods did not appall him; being fond ofadventure, Bluff might even welcome the experience for a change.
Being thrown on their own resources would bring out their ability totake care of themselves. Bluff was vain enough to want to show Frankhe could be trusted when off in the timber, and get out of any tanglethat might envelop them.
Perhaps when Jerry happened to feel the little package of food thrustinto one of his pockets by thoughtful Frank, he no longer had thatinclination to laugh. Knowledge that they carried their supper alongwith them was growing more and more inspiring the farther they walked.
"Even if we did come up on the moose soon," Jerry observed, keepinghis voice low, "I don't believe I'd be equal to the job of going allthe way back to our cabin again this afternoon."
"Huh! Camp, then!" grunted Bluff.
"If we have to do that, I'll surely forgive Frank for making me totemy little camp hatchet along, because it will come in handy forchopping firewood, don't you think so, Bluff?"
"Sure," was all the other could be induced to say, and he snapped thatout as though he had a special grievance against the poor little word.
Jerry looked at him with gloomy brow.
"You're not very sociable, it strikes me," he ventured.
"And you're too much that way," he was told bluntly. "When you want tohear yourself talk so much, why don't you hire a hall? But when you'regoing to all this trouble to overtake an old bull moose, please,please shut up!"
"I won't say another word for ten minutes!" declared Jerry, in a huff.
"Make it fifteen and I'll thank you double," whispered Bluff.
After that they walked on and on, neither as much as whispering.Bluff, in the lead, was bending part way over, so that his tired eyescould the better see the trail. All that whiteness was beginning todazzle him considerably. Bluff felt a little alarmed, and hoped thathe might not go snow-blind just when they were drawing near thequarry.
The wind was increasing, and it felt colder than at any time sincethey had arrived in the Big Woods. Should the snow start to descend,and the gale grow in volume, they must unite to form what Frank hadcalled a blizzard.
Bluff knew something about such a storm. He had even been through anexperience of the sort, though at the time he happened to be close tohome, and on a well-traveled road, so there had been no such thing asgetting lost.
It would be vastly different here, where the trees looked pretty muchalike and all sense of direction must depend on a compass.
Jerry was, to tell the truth, pretty near the point where he would bewilling to call a halt. A big moose was all very well, if only youcould overtake him; but this thing of pushing on and on everlastingly,without seeming to get a yard nearer your intended game, seemedfoolish.
That was what Jerry had begun to tell himself. He wondered how muchfarther his chum meant to go. Jerry would have asked the question, butreally he was afraid Bluff would turn on him and snap him up in thatquick way he had. Besides, he had said he did not mean to speak for atleast ten minutes.
While he cast frequent looks ahead, it was more in the hope of seeingsigns
of the westering sun peeping out from the gray clouds thatcovered the heavens everywhere than that he dreamed of making anyother agreeable discovery.
Once they had actually seen a deer jumping off through the timber.Bluff had half raised his gun to his shoulder, perhaps throughinstinct, and then lowered it again instantly, with a negative shakeof his head.
Having started out for big game, he did not mean to be diverted fromhis course. A deer they could secure almost any time, but never againwould such a glorious chance arise for getting a shot at a moose--andsuch a moose, in the bargain!
Frank had advised Bluff to leave his pump-gun behind this time, andcarry the repeating rifle which Frank owned, a very serviceable andreliable weapon.
"A shotgun is all very well," he had argued, "and some of them willshoot charges of twelve buckshot in a satisfactory way; but when it'sa tough old bull moose you're after, or like that grizzly out West,you need something better. These soft-nosed bullets will mushroom whenthey strike, and fetch even a lion. They're the kind they call dum-dumbullets, and are not allowed in warfare any more, but can be used forbig-game hunting."
And so it came that Bluff was carrying another firearm than hisfavorite pump-gun. Frank knew how tough these old moose may prove tobe, and what sort of missiles it took to bring them down to theirknees. That was why he had insisted on Bluff's making the change inweapons at the last moment.
Jerry was soon wondering if that ten minutes must not be up, andwhether Bluff would scold if he ventured to make just one littleremark. He was getting tired, and he certainly did not mean to keep upthis merry chase indefinitely. If he had a good chance, he wanted totell Bluff that.
Then he observed that Bluff was showing signs of fresh interest. Yes,he even displayed more or less excitement, and bent lower than everwhile examining the tracks before him.
Jerry, being held up momentarily by this action on the part of hiscomrade, assumed the easiest position he could, so as to rest histired muscles, and then patiently waited for the other to start onagain.
It was while standing in this attitude and looking carelessly beyondthat some slight movement attracted the attention of Jerry. Hestarted, and looked again. Then he felt an icy chill run over hisframe, to be followed instantly by a burning sensation.
Yes, it moved again, he could be positive! His startled eyes traveledover the immensity of the brownish figure that was outlined thereagainst the snowy background. Not daring, and really unable, to say asingle word, Jerry simply reached out a quivering hand and, jerking athis chum's coat, pointed directly forward.
And Bluff, looking, saw the moose before them, looking, as Will hadsaid, "as big as a barn."