A DISASTROUS JOURNEY
Several days had passed, finding the Pony Rider Boys in the same camp
where Cale Vaughn had left them. They had got along very well,
indeed, and though Charlie John was not much of a talker, he had
done his work well, taking the boys out every day for long jaunts, on
which the Professor had formed the habit of accompanying them.
Professor Zepplin was finding much to interest him in the great
forests, and especially in the methods pursued by woodsmen in making
their way through the forests. The trees, the bushes, the foliage
and the birds and animals had taken on a new meaning, a new interest
to the Professor, just as these things had taken on a new and
absorbing interest for the boys under his charge.
Of course Cale Vaughn was greatly missed by everyone. He was the
most interesting guide that had ever accompanied them. For one
thing, they had learned more from Cale than from any other guide.
The only way they could learn from Charlie John was by observation,
as he never deemed it necessary to explain anything to them, for
which reason they pressed him hard for information and drew him out
by frequent questionings.
The Pony Rider Boys finally decided that they would like to move, so
the camp was struck, their equipment packed and loaded on to the
ponies. Then one morning they started out on a two days' journey,
finally locating in a new camp some thirty miles from the old camp.
The country had become more rugged, the rocks were higher, the
country cut up by deep valleys and narrow passes. But the bracing
fragrance of the spruce woods was still in their nostrils. It was a
country of evergreens, of mossy silver birches and watery maples.
The ground itself was sprinkled with small red berries, strewn with
damp and moss-grown rocks, with the songs of the birds filling the
air overhead. The Pony Rider Boys voted it the most entrancing
environment in which they ever had been. They were glad they had
moved on. Now they were eager to explore the new country, so a start
was made on an exploring trip on the following day, but traveling was
slow owing to the rugged nature of that part of the forest.
On the second day in the new camp they journeyed so far to the north
that they decided to make a temporary camp and spend the night,
returning the next morning. The night was passed uneventfully, but
upon their return to the permanent camp they were met with a most
unpleasant surprise.
"Someone has been here," cried Tad the moment he came in sight of the
camp.
"Thieves!" yelled Chunky.
"What--what?" demanded the Professor.
The contents of the tents lay strewn about the camp; everything was
in disorder.
"Plenty bear come here," grunted Charlie after a glance at the
condition of the camp.
"Bears!" cried the boys.
The Indian nodded.
"Him get plenty eat."
"Oh, pshaw! Our provisions are ruined," groaned Tad.
"Even the canned goods have been ruined," added Ned.
"Are--are my canned peaches gone?" wailed Stacy.
"You may see for yourself," answered Tad.
"This is most disconcerting," muttered the Professor. "How about the
meat?"
"All gone," answered Tad.
"I reckon we shall have to live on spruce bark for the rest of our
journey," averred Ned.
"We can't very well do that," answered Butler. "Let's go over the
outfit and see what we really have left."
What they had was not enough to cut much figure in the face of the
appetites of the Pony Rider Boys. A few of the canned things were
untouched. There was coffee, though they had to scrape it up from
the ground after it had been pawed over by the marauders, but the
boys were glad enough to have the coffee even in such a condition.
Tad said he guessed the bears had not made it unfit to drink.
Of course they had some provisions in their packs, left over from
their trip into the mountains, but a careful inventory led them to
the conclusion that, with the most rigid economy, they would be able
to get along not longer than three days with what provisions they
still had.
"I reckon I had better go out and kill another moose," decided Stacy
Brown.
"You have done quite enough in that direction already," answered Tad.
"We are fortunate if we don't get into trouble over that killing of
yours."
"This is serious," spoke up the Professor. "What shall we do,
Charlie?"
"Me kill deer," said the Indian.
"Deer are out of season. We don't want to do anything of that sort,
except as a last resort," replied Butler. "We simply must have some
more provisions."
"Send Stacy around to the corner grocery for a fresh supply,"
suggested Rector.
No one laughed at Ned's silly jest. Their situation was too serious
for joking.
"Charlie, how far are we from a town?" asked Tad.
"Mebby twenty, mebby thirty miles," answered the Indian, counting up
on his fingers.
"What town is it?"
"Matungamook."
"That's a funny name," chuckled Stacy.
"Your name will be more funny if we don't get something to eat pretty
soon," returned Tad, at which Chunky's face grew solemn. When it
came to a question of food, the fat boy was deeply interested.
"That's so," nodded Rector.
"Professor, it is my opinion that we should send Charlie to--to--the
place with the unpronounceable name for fresh supplies," said Tad,
turning to Professor Zepplin.
"How long will it take?"
"Can you make it in two days, Charlie?"
The Indian nodded.
"Mebby more, mebby less."
"Then I guess we had better send you."
"I want to go, too," piped Chunky.
"It might not be a bad idea," agreed the Professor.
"Do you need any one, Charlie?" asked Tad.
"Me take fat boy. Fat boy help carry grub."
"He will carry the large part of it inside of him if you don't watch
out, and that won't do us any good," declared Ned Rector.
"Then you had better take two ponies," suggested Butler.
"Me walk," answered the Indian.
"Just as you choose," agreed the Professor. "I would suggest, though,
that you take a horse. You won't be able to carry enough provisions
otherwise."
"Me walk," insisted Charlie John.
"Let him walk," urged Ned. "He will carry as much as a horse, and
Stacy's mount will take care of the rest."
"I am not sure that we ought to let Chunky go," mused Tad. "He may
get into further trouble, and Charlie might not be able to get him
out of it."
"Me take care fat boy," answered Charlie John confidently.
"All right, Charlie. We will hold you responsible. Get back as soon
as you can. Shall you see Mr. Vaughn?"
The Indian shook his head. Mr. Vaughn, as they understood it, had
gone to another place. They hoped to see him back at the camp again
ere many days had passed.
"Get your packs ready, Stacy," advised Ned.
"I will look out for that, Ned," answered Tad. "I know what they need
for carrying the stuff. You and the Professor might make out a list
of supplies needed while I am getting the other things ready."
This the Professor did, with the assistance of Rector and Walter
Perkins, Stacy Brown changing his clothes so that he might be more
presentable upon entering a town. Frequent consultations with Tad
were had, however, as to what was needed for the outfit. Tad had
ideas and he expressed them forcibly.
Finally all was in readiness, the Indian and the boy taking barely
enough provisions to last them until they should have reached their
destination, probably on the following morning.
Good-byes were said and Stacy, with Charlie John striding ahead,
leading the way, left the camp. They were quickly swallowed up in
the dense forest. Tad stood gazing after them, a thoughtful
expression on his face.
"I don't know whether we have done the wise thing or not," he mused.
"I'll go you a new sombrero that Chunky gets mixed up in some sort of
a mess before he gets back to this camp," offered Ned Rector.
"He is in good hands," answered the Professor.
"I guess he will be all right," decided Tad. "The guide has nothing
else to do except to look after Stacy until they get to town. He
surely will not get into mischief there."
"Not get into mischief there?" jeered Ned. "I should like to see the
place in which Stacy Brown couldn't get into trouble."
"I am quite sure that Stacy will be careful," observed the Professor
smilingly.
"If you fellows will lend a hand we will try to put this camp to
rights," said Tad. "It looks as if it had been struck by a Kansas
cyclone, except that the trees are all standing in this locality."
"I agree with you. Where shall we begin?" asked Walter.
"You get the tent belongings back in place and I will gather up what
is left of the provisions. This is a fine mess of porridge."
"It wouldn't be so bad if we had some porridge," declared Rector.
"There is another thing to be taken into consideration," reminded
Tad, pausing in his work. "We must not leave the camp unguarded
again. We must also keep watch during the night. Those bears may
come back. They appear to like our grub."
"You think they may come back with some of their friends?" questioned
Perkins.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they did," answered Tad with a smile.
"But they will get a hot reception if they do. I can promise them
that much."
"I hope they come back, then," laughed Ned. "Some nice bear steak
would not go so badly just now, in the present state of our pantry
and pork barrel."
"That's so," agreed Tad. "One steak would be enough. We don't need
quite as many bears as visited us the first time."
That day came to a close quickly. Tad remained up, staying on guard
until three o'clock in the morning, when he called Ned to take his
place. Ned could be depended upon to keep a vigilant watch. As it
turned out, there was no need for a watch of any kind. No bears
appeared, nor was the camp molested in any other way.
That day was spent by the boys in making short excursions into the
woods, blazing their way, making trails, and putting into practice
the theories in woodcraft learned from Cale Vaughn. Fortunately none
of the party got lost. Tad saw to it that they did not get far
enough away for that. Besides, he had agreed with the Professor, who
remained to watch the camp, to have him blow a horn once every hour.
That would serve to guide the boys back in case they lost their way,
which they did not.
The second morning arrived with no sign of the Indian or of Chunky.
This did not cause serious alarm, but when three days had elapsed,
and still no travelers, Tad Butler began to get uneasy. This
uneasiness on his part was shared by Professor Zepplin, while Ned
Rector's face wore an "I-told-you-so" expression.
It was somewhere about three o'clock on the morning of the fourth day
when Tad, who was on watch, caught a sound that he thought was caused
by a horse crashing through the bushes. The boy did not arouse the
camp, but stood waiting with rifle held at ready in the crook of his
right arm.
A few moments later Charlie John burst into the camp astride of a
pony, white lather standing out all over the body of the little
animal. Charlie was alone.
"Where is Stacy Brown?" demanded Tad sharply.
"Fat boy Matungamook," grunted the Indian, slipping from the pony.
He thrust a folded sheet of brown wrapping paper toward Tad. The boy
now knew that something had happened to Chunky. Quickly opening the
paper and holding it down in the light of the campfire, Tad read what
was written on the sheet. This is the message he read written in a
lead pencil scrawl:
"Come quickly. I'm in jail in 'Ugamook."
"STACY"
"Professor!" yelled Tad Butler excitedly.