fasten a more deadly one on the throat of the startled young hunter.
“Jump up, quick!” yelled the guide.
Encouraged by the apparent success of one of their number, the pack
again came on. Once more the fierce gray leader stole forward; but
this time a ball from George’s rifle stretched him out dead, shot
through his heart.
“Good boy!” shouted Ben. “You’ve got the prize.”
Then another rifle sounded close beside them, and, turning, they
saw Indian Pete shooting into the hesitating, disorganized pack of
bewildered dogs.
“That’s right, give it to them, Pete; let’s clean them all up at once!”
cried Ben, savagely.
Lacking the encouragement of the gray leader, the pack turned and
began a slow, sullen retreat. Pete and the guide instantly followed,
determined to kill as many of its members as possible, now that they
had the longed-for opportunity. But the survivors of the savage
band, finding they were pursued, instantly lost confidence and,
panic-stricken, dashed away, howling dismally.
When they had disappeared, the hunters took account of the casualties.
They found, by adding the ones Pete had killed back on the trail, that
they had despatched fourteen of the outlaws, including the leader. This
was the big, wolf-like creature Ben had told of, and George was greatly
elated at obtaining the chance to kill it.
“Well, we destroyed more than half the pack,” declared Ben,
enthusiastically, “and I guess the rest of them will hike for a safer
country.”
Meantime they had turned their attention to the moose, and the boys
obtained many excellent photographs of it. Free from the attacks of the
hounds, it began to force its way through the drift into which it had
plunged in its wild panic.
“Can’t we help him any?” asked George.
“No, sir! Stay away from him and keep near me. He’s mad, and there’s no
telling what may happen when he frees himself,” cautioned the guide.
When the moose finally emerged from the drift, Pete was the nearer to
it. Without hesitating a moment, the excited animal lowered its head
and charged the astounded Indian. He jumped nimbly from its path and
sought shelter behind the first convenient tree.
Not satisfied to be off, the moose wheeled and came straight at Ben and
the boys, who promptly scattered and ran, or tried to, through the deep
snow. It missed George by a very narrow margin, and then turned and
stood facing them with bristling mane, blazing eyes, and curled lip,
ready for another charge. The unusual performance had ceased to be a
joke, and, fearful that some one would be hurt, Ben fired two shots
over its head. They had the effect of bringing the maddened creature to
its senses, and with a loud snort it trotted heavily away, unharmed,
for at that season these great beasts were protected by law.
“Say, we’ve had some little excitement,” laughed Ben, looking about for
a place to sit down.
“I should say so,” agreed Ed, feeling the tear in his coat.
George went over to Indian Pete, who was examining the powerful,
grizzled body of the dead leader. The young hunter was much pleased
when Pete said he had done well to kill it.
“How many do you think were in the pack?” inquired Ben.
The Indian held up his ten fingers twice, and then five.
“Count them, plenty times,” he said.
“Did you get the one you left the trail for?” asked the guide.
Pete gave one of his customary nods in the affirmative.
“I thought so,” said Ben to the boys. “An Indian usually gets what he
starts after.”
Pete soon left to resume the long journey to his cabin. They watched
him climb the mountain, expecting that he might look back when he
reached the summit. He did not turn, however, but went stolidly on, and
disappeared from sight over the top.
“He’s a queer old fellow, but I like him,” said Ed.
“So do I,” declared George.
“He’s all right; a little peculiar, that’s all,” Ben assured them.
George wished the pelt of the Eskimo dog for a trophy, and when Ben
started to skin it he had the boys help him. He said it would do them
no harm to learn how. The job was quickly accomplished, and the pelt
was rolled into a bundle and given to George. He slung it proudly on
his back. Then they set out for the cabin, Ben in great spirits over
his success in practically wiping out this band of outlaws.
That night they listened in vain for the noise of distant baying. Once
they thought they heard it far to the south, but were unable to make
sure.
Before they fell asleep, Ed poked George in the ribs and said: “I felt
we were going to have trouble with that pack, all along. I’m glad it’s
over now.”
“So am I,” replied George. “And to think I’ve actually killed the
leader; and in a fight, too!” he added. “I believe they are all more
wolf than dog.”
“I’m sure the one that knocked me down was,” said Ed.
XIX AN INDIAN CAVE AND ITS OCCUPANTS
By January the boys had learned much about the woods and the wild
creatures inhabiting them. They had also mastered most of the essential
tricks of woodcraft, and Ben said they were graduated from the
“tenderfoot” class with high honors. While there was no chance for any
“official” examination, they were certainly qualified for “Boy Scout”
honors by an actual experience in woodcraft, which few “scouts” can
have.
They often made unaccompanied trips into the wilderness, and it was
while on one of these journeys that they chanced to discover what
seemed to be a large cave partly overgrown by bushes and completely
blocked by drifted snow. Their attention was drawn to it by a
tunnel-like hole through the drift. Poking into this with a long
pole, they were surprised to find that the opening extended back some
distance. They immediately scooped away the snow, and there, sure
enough, was a great black hole--seemingly the entrance into the heart
of the rocky cliff which towered above them.
They had never heard Ben speak of the place, and thought it strange,
if a cave was really there, that he had not discovered it. Lighting a
match--for Ben had long ago impressed upon them the necessity of always
carrying several boxes when starting into the woods--Ed held it before
him and crawled several feet into the opening. The match went out, and
he lighted another and held it above his head, so that its light would
not blind him. Taking advantage of the short-lived flame, he glanced
quickly about. He saw that he was in a low, narrow passageway between
two smooth walls of lichen-covered rock. This passageway apparently
continued for some distance over a sort of loose shale-like trail. The
young explorer wriggled a few feet farther in, but was at once urged to
return by his anxious companion outside.
“I tell you this is a great find!” he cried, excitedly, when he had
backed slowly out into daylight again. “We’ll explore it. I believe it
runs ’way back into the mountain.”
“All right, only we must be careful,” warned George; “it may drop away
into a pool or something. Say, suppose there’s a wildcat or a bear up
in there!”
“So much the better,” laughed Ed. “We’ve met them both before, so they
wouldn’t frighten us any. Tell you what we’ll do. When we go back
we won’t say anything about it to Ben; we’ll keep it a secret. Then
to-morrow we can bring a rope and some candles. I’ll tie the rope
around my waist and crawl in. If I get stuck you can pull me out.”
“That’s a good idea; we’ll try it,” agreed George.
When they reached the cabin they said nothing about their find. They
asked no questions which might betray their secret. When Ben said he
might go over to see Tom Westbrook the following day, the boys looked
at each other and winked. They politely refused an invitation to
accompany him, on the plea that they had found something they wished to
visit again. Ben smiled, but asked no questions.
Next morning, as soon as Ben had gone, they took a long length of rope,
several candles, and a supply of matches, and started for the scene of
their discovery. They also carried their rifles, for, as George had
said, there was no telling what they might find at the end of the dark
tunnel.
Eagerness gave speed to their feet, and they were soon before the
entrance into the ledge. Ed shed his heavy hunting-coat, and tied the
rope securely about his waist. Then he fastened one of the candles to
the end of a long pole. He cautioned George to keep tight hold of the
rope, and crawled boldly into the black opening.
Lest his friend might plunge over the edge of some hidden precipice
and pull the rope out of his hands, George prudently took a turn of it
around a near-by tree. Then, with a warning to be careful, he began
letting out line, an inch at a time, as Ed wriggled into the inky
depths of the unknown interior.
The rope went steadily into the hole, and George knew that his comrade
was making easy progress. Then it stopped, and he became somewhat
worried. Suppose it had become untied and had slipped from Ed’s waist!
George drew it gently toward him and, when he had taken up the slack,
felt the weight of his friend at the other end. Then he slackened it,
but the coil lay there, and the rope was motionless! Something was
wrong! He waited a minute longer, and was about to pull with all his
might in an effort to extricate Ed from any difficulty he might have
got into, when again the rope began to slip forward into the cave.
Ed had found, as he advanced, that the passageway widened. He crawled
slowly on, pausing now and then to hold the candle well out in front,
so that he could see his path and safeguard himself against accident.
The passage continued in a direct line; and, as he was already some
distance in, Ed began to wonder if he would come to the end of his rope
before he reached the end of the tunnel. If he did, he determined to
cast loose and go on, for, now he had started, the lad made up his mind
to find out where this dark alleyway led and what was at the end of it.
He was glad to find that the passage continued to broaden, for this
promised him safe and easy return. Furthermore, should he suddenly
find himself confronted by a wild beast, he would have room to use his
rifle. Also he was able to make swifter progress, and he was anxious
to reach the end of his journey and learn what awaited him there. The
air began to grow close and stifling as he got farther in, and several
times he felt a bit dizzy.
At last he came to the end of the rope, and felt it tighten and hold
him back. Pushing the candle far in advance, he saw close at hand
a circular cavern. Evidently the passage ended there. Ed determined
to find out, and, reaching his arms around behind him, he untied the
rope from his waist. Then, cautiously, he crawled forward toward the
mysterious underground chamber.
When he finally crept into this large rock-bound room, Ed was surprised
to find that he was able to stand erect. Even by raising himself on his
toes and stretching his arms aloft he could not reach within several
inches of the rocky ceiling. The place seemed to have no other occupant
than himself; and, assured on that point, the lad set about to examine
it carefully. Suddenly he exclaimed, for, as he turned, the light of
his candle brought out some strange signs on the walls.
Chiseled, or nicked, into the solid rock were strange figures and
hieroglyphics, or picture-writings. Ed began to trace them with the
tips of his fingers in an endeavor to make them out. There were many
drawings or tracings of arrows. Again there were rude sketches of hands
and feet. Then there were figures presumably intended to represent
different birds and animals. All these were separated one from another
by a series of straight and wavy lines.
Most of the drawings were over to one side of the cavern. From what
he had read, Ed believed them to be the work of long-departed tribes
of Indians. No doubt they had made use of this cave, and to reach
it had wormed their way, as he had just done, through the dark,
narrow passageway. The thought of it thrilled him, and he gave a
half-startled, involuntary glance about the dimly lighted chamber, as
though fearful that some of the prehistoric picture-makers still lurked
in its shadows.
What he saw caused him to cry out in horror. He staggered back against
the wall, his eyes fixed on the gruesome object before him. There, on
the ground and but a few feet away, sat a whitened human skeleton, its
back against the rough wall.
For a moment the shock of his startling discovery completely unnerved
him. He dropped the pole, and his candle went out. Even in the inky
blackness which followed, the lad could see, all too vividly, a vision
of that awful thing against the wall.
Panic-stricken, Ed sank to his knees and began to crawl frantically
toward the passageway. His breath came in quick gasps, and the air
of the place suddenly became suffocating. If only he could find the
entrance to the tunnel and escape! That was his one thought as he
scrambled hurriedly along in the darkness. It seemed as though he had
gone a much longer distance than necessary, and he knew he must have
passed by it. Suppose he had branched off into some other alcove of
the cave and lost himself! The possibility sickened him, and he halted
irresolutely.
Then the lad recalled that in his wild, unreasoning fright he had
left his pole and candle somewhere behind him. He remembered the box
of matches, and brought it from his pocket with violently trembling
fingers and tried to light one. For some time he was unable to do so,
owing to his excitement.
At last one of the sulphur-tipped slivers blazed up. Sheltering the
tiny flame with his quaking palms, Ed endeavored to peer about by aid
of its flickering glow. The match dropped from his nerveless fingers,
and he uttered an agonized groan, for there, within arm’s reach of him,
lay another appalling white specter!
For a minute or so he was unable to move, and he sat nervously wiping
the perspiration from his brow. Then once more he made an effort to
escape from the tomb-like prison. Lighting many matches, he at last
found his way to a side wall. Keeping within touching distance, he
began to follow it along, hopeful in that way sooner or later to find
the mouth of the opening through which he had come.
After he had followed the smooth rock wall for a long time without
coming to the outlet, Ed began to fear he had wandered from the
original chamber. If he had, he realized the improbability of ever
being able to find his way back. He used up many precious matches in a
vain endeavor to locate himself. Then he decided to hoard the balance
of his supply for use later on. Once his hand, stretched forth in the
darkness, came in contact with something smooth and hard, and he drew
back with a shudder--it felt like a human bone!
His knees and palms were scraped and bruised from contact with the hard
floor of the cave, and several times he bumped his head against sharp,
projecting points of rock. The air was dank and stuffy; but after his
first wild panic had passed, Ed found that he could breathe with little
real difficulty. This caused him to believe that the passageway fed a
supply of air into the chamber. The belief encouraged him to hope he
had not wandered far from it.
When the lad had first entered the cavern and surveyed it by the light
of his candle, the place had not appeared so large. Now, as he crawled
around it in the darkness, it seemed absolutely interminable.
Ed began to suspect that he had gone around it many times, and in some
way had missed the outlet each time. He fastened his handkerchief in
a seam of the wall, so that if he was doubling on his trail his hand
would find it on the next circuit.
Many times, as he crawled along, he blamed himself for having dropped
the pole. He felt some satisfaction in the knowledge that, oddly
enough, he had retained possession of his rifle. For a long time he
was unaware that he held it clutched in his hand; and when at last he
became conscious of it, it greatly increased his confidence.
Suddenly he halted, listening intently. From the opposite side of the
chamber he heard what sounded like a smothered ejaculation. He remained
motionless, and, though he could not see a yard before his face, he
grasped the rifle, his finger on the trigger.
Straining his ears, he thought he detected a peculiar scraping noise
near the source of the first sound. Then it ceased, and, except for the
noise of his own quick breathing and the pounding of his heart, all
was still, and black, and gruesome.
After listening in vain for a repetition of the noise, Ed started to
crawl slowly forward again. Instantly the indistinct, phantom-like
voice halted him. He shuddered and sank back against the rocks. The
sound subsided, and was followed by the same peculiar scraping.
He was wholly at a loss to account for it. He was certain of one thing,
however, and that was that whatever made it must have just entered the
cavern. He felt positive that, had there been any living thing in the
cave at the time he entered, he would have seen it when his candle was
lighted.
Again he reasoned that if something had just come in it must have come
through the passageway, which must be, therefore, on the opposite side
from him. He determined to crawl toward it and defend himself with his
rifle if necessary. Anything was preferable to remaining imprisoned in
this dungeon with its silent white inhabitants.
The sound was repeated more distinctly, and Ed started for it. All at
once a weird, reddish glow shone forth. Involuntarily he drew back, for
the light seemed ghostly and unreal.
“Ed! Oh, Ed!” came the muffled call, and he at once recognized the
alarmed voice of his friend.
He uttered a cry of joy that made the cavern ring, and crawled rapidly
toward the light, which he knew came from George’s candle.
“What on earth are you doing in here, and what sort of a place is it?”
demanded George, when he had finally emerged from the passage.
“Wait! Put your candle right in the entrance,” urged Ed, anxiously.
“I’ve been searching for that place for several hours. My, but I’m glad
to see you! But say, let’s get out of here.”
“Why, what’s the matter? Now that I’m in I want to see what it’s like.
Isn’t it a queer--What’s that?” shouted George, in an alarmed tone,
when he spied one of the white forms.
“It’s a skeleton; there are several of them in here! Come on, let’s get
out,” suggested Ed, crawling hastily into the tunnel.
“Hold on!” urged George. “They can’t hurt us.”
“I know it,” came back the stifled response from some distance up the
passageway. “I’ve seen enough for me; you stay and look around.”
George held the candle high overhead and peered about the cave. He saw
several bony white objects lying prostrate on the floor.
“Gee whiz, this is too blamed ‘spooky’ for me!” he cried, and quickly
crawled into the tunnel after his friend.
When the lads emerged into the open air Ed told of his experience and
what he had seen. For a long time they sat in front of the cave and
speculated as to the fate of its silent tenants. Then they decided to
hurry home and tell Ben about their discovery and ask him to accompany
them on a second trip of exploration.
It was after dark when the guide returned from his visit to Westbrook.
The boys showed by their manner that they had something of unusual
interest to tell him. They waited impatiently while he drew off his
heavy moccasins and mackinaw coat, and stood about restless and uneasy
while he prepared for supper.
“Well, what is it, boys?” he laughed. “I know you have something to
tell, so out with it.”
“We found a cave with a lot of skeletons in it!” George burst forth.
“And Ed was in it, too; he got lost.”
For a moment Ben stood looking at them in silence. Then his eyes began
to twinkle merrily, as though he suspected some sort of joke.
They noted his look of doubt, and at once hastened to reassure him.
“Honestly we did. It’s an awfully spooky sort of place, and there are a
lot of figures and things carved in the rock.”
“And then those things on the floor,” added Ed.
Convinced by their earnestness, the guide frankly expressed his
surprise at this unknown cave, and he asked many questions. He gave
Ed a mild scolding for having ventured into such a place alone, but
finally promised to go with them on the morrow.
Early next day they started for the cave. When they arrived before the
entrance, Ben was puzzled to know how it could have existed for so long
without his finding it. He said he had crossed over and by it many
times but had never happened to notice the concealed opening.
Assured by his presence, the boys had left the rope behind as entirely
unnecessary. Neither had Ben brought his rifle, for the lads declared
they had seen no evidence of anything dangerous living there. The guide
lighted a candle and crawled forward into the hole, closely followed by
the boys.
When they reached the death-chamber, they arose and stood upright. They
held aloft the lighted candles, and in the light from them were able to
make out four white skeletons outlined against the gloom.
“Looks like there had been something going on here,” said Ben, as he
made his way to the one propped against the wall. Ed and George did not
follow him at once, and he stooped down and began examining the bony
structure. “Yep, this poor fellow was plugged with three arrows,” he
declared, holding up something between his fingers. “Two of them are in
him, and here’s the other one on the ground.” And the guide exhibited a
sharply pointed triangular-shaped piece of flint.
They examined the other forms and found evidences of wounds or arrows
in each. By the side of the last they found part of a stone tomahawk,
or battle-ax. Ben picked many arrow-tips from the floor of the cave and
gave them to the boys for souvenirs. The boys showed him the picture
writings on the wall, and he spent some time in studying them.
“Too bad we haven’t got Pete with us; he might be able to read them,”
said Ben.
They found the pole and candle which George had dropped, and the guide
laughed at him for having been badly frightened. Then they explored
every nook and cranny. To the keen satisfaction of Ed, they found that
there were no passages leading from the main room or chamber. His fears
on the previous day had been groundless, had he but known it.
At last they crawled out and started for the cabin. On the way the
boys plied Ben with all sorts of questions regarding the cave and the
possible fate of its four occupants.
He declared that the picture-writings showed that the place had been
used as a shelter by some unknown tribe of Indians many years ago. Ben
thought that the four warriors whose skeletons rested in the cavern had
been members of a hostile tribe. Having ventured within the borders of
their enemies’ territory, they had no doubt been detected and pursued.
In their flight they had accidentally come to the opening and crawled
into the cave. Here, from all appearances, they had been followed and
slain like rats in a trap. At least, this was Ben’s supposition, and
the boys thought he was right.
The guide offered to report the find to the local paper. He promised
that Ed and George should have full credit for their discovery, and
declared it would probably be considered quite an important one by the
State authorities.
XX A FIGHT ON THE ICE
The boys were somewhat puzzled when, on a morning late in February,
they heard all kinds of weird rumblings and groans coming from the lake.
“Sounds like an earthquake,” declared Ed.
“What is it?” inquired George, turning to Ben for some explanation.
“That’s the ice talking,” laughed the guide. “The backbone of winter is
broken.”
“The ice talking?” And the lads looked at each other as though they
suspected Ben was making sport of them.
“Yes; you see, before it breaks up in the spring air gets underneath
and rumbles and makes a big noise as it rushes along in bubbles between
the ice and the water. Then the ice expands and contracts, as it thaws
during the day and freezes at night. That makes it snap and crack. We
say it’s talking,” he explained.
The boys immediately went down to the shore, where they heard the
sounds more distinctly. The winter had passed before they realized
it. Soon it would be spring. Even now the sun was quite warm, and the
snow had almost disappeared from the southern slopes of the mountains.
They sat in the bright sunlight, listening to the loud booming of the
ice--the guns of spring shattering the icy fortress of winter.
Suddenly George touched Ed on the arm and pointed to the center of the
lake.
“Look!” he cried. “What’s that?”