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Boy Scouts on the Great Divide;
or, The Ending of the Trail
By Archibald Lee Fletcher
Chicago
M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY
Copyright 1913
MADE IN U.S.A.
CONTENTS
I--A BOY SCOUT
II--THE RUNAWAY
III--THE CASE IS STATED
IV--A CHASE IN THE NIGHT
V--A DETECTIVE AND A ROBBER
VI--THE CALL OF THE BEAVER
VII--ARRESTED AS SPIES
VIII--A MIDNIGHT BEAR HUNT
IX--LYNCHING IS THREATENED
X--ONE DANGER TO ANOTHER
XI--A WYOMING HOLD-UP
XII--AN INTERRUPTED WIG-WAG
XIII--TOMMY GOES AFTER BEAR STEAK
XIV--A PAIR OF PRISONERS
XV--AN UNDERGROUND CHANNEL
XVI--CULLEN LOSES HIS STAR
XVII--A MEETING UNDER GROUND
XVIII--THE FINDING OF WAGNER
XIX--SHERIFF PETE'S WINK
XX--DETECTIVES IN TROUBLE
XXI--CONCLUSION
Boy Scouts on the Great Divide;
or, The Ending of the Trail
CHAPTER I
A BOY SCOUT CAMP
On a sunny September afternoon two shelter tents stood in a mountain
valley, on the south bank of a creek which, miles and miles below,
becomes the Sweetwater river.
Above the flap of each tent lifted a yellow pennant, in the center of
which a blue beaver stood in an alert and listening attitude, his flat
tail outstretched.
A campfire blazed in front of the two tents, and some distance away four
bronchos fed noisily on the sweet grass of the valley. Tinned provisions
and cooking utensils were scattered here and there in front of the
blaze, and four boys wearing the khaki uniform of the Boy Scouts of
America were busily engaged in preparing supper.
Those who have read the previous volumes of this series will require no
introduction to Will Smith, George Benton, Charley (Sandy) Green, or
Tommy Gregory. As will be remembered, they were all members of the
Beaver Patrol, Chicago. Will Smith had recently been advanced to the
important position of Scoutmaster, and George Benton had been elected to
the position left vacant by the advancement of his chum, that of Patrol
Leader. Besides carrying the badges of their offices and their patrol,
the boys all wore medals showing that they had qualified in the Stalker,
Ambulance, Seaman and Pioneer grades.
After rather striking adventures on Lake Superior and in the Florida
Everglades the boys had been persuaded by Mr. Horton, a well-known
criminal lawyer of Chicago, to undertake a mission in the interest of a
client in whom he had become greatly interested. The lads had already
arranged a vacation trip to the Great Divide, and it necessitated only a
slight change in their program in order to make the investigation
desired by the attorney, who had shown himself their friend on more than
one occasion. In fact, the Superior trip had been taken at his expense.
Mr. Horton had presented the request which had changed the lads'
vacation plans on the night before they left Chicago, and so no details
whatever of the case had been given them. They had been asked to proceed
to the city of Green River, in the state of Wyoming, and there secure
burros, provisions and tents and travel to the valley lying south and
west of Altantic peak.
The noted attorney had informed them on the morning of their departure
that, in case further instructions did not reach them by wire before
they came to Green River, a messenger would follow them into the
mountains with full details, and also a history of the case in which
they were to be employed. On this sunny afternoon they were awaiting the
arrival of the messenger, no information having been received by
telegraph.
The tents had been set up on the previous evening, and the boys did not
think it possible that the messenger could be more than twenty-four
hours behind them. While they waited for the supper to cook they watched
the country off to the south anxiously.
"Last call for supper!" cried Sandy, spreading a great white cloth on
the fragrant grass of the valley. "We can eat out-doors in this country
without any danger of people butting in to see what we've got for
supper."
"You say it well!" said Will, "but you can't prove it! For instance," he
added, pointing to the south, "there's some one coming right now to see
what we've got for supper!"
The figure pointed out was that of a tall and slender man who was
climbing the slope to the southeast. He carried a long rifle over his
shoulder and a cartridge belt was conspicuously displayed about his
waist.
While the boys arranged their food on the table cloth, the man
approached warily. When he came into the valley in which the camp was
situated he turned away to the right as if about to circle the tents and
the fire. Tommy stood up with a great slice of bread in one hand and a
cup of coffee in the other and waved both at the stranger.
"Come on in!" he shouted. "The eating's fine!"
At this invitation the stranger came forward to the fire and stood for a
moment without speaking, gazing at the boys with eyes strained to their
utmost in an effort to make them look piercing.
"Thank you very much for the invitation!" replied the stranger, "I've
had a long walk today and I'm both hungry and tired! My name is
Katz--Joseph J. Katz, and I'm in business in a small way in Denver."
"I bought a burro at Green River," Katz went on, "but lost him twenty
miles to the south. He got his foot in a prairie dog's hole or something
of that kind and broke his leg so I had to shoot him."
"And you've been walking ever since?"
"Indeed I have!" was the reply. "And I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to
extend your hospitality until morning. I have a friend who will be along
sometime tomorrow with a couple of light tents and a couple of burro
loads of provisions."
"Then you're going to camp in the mountains, I take it?"
"Yes," was the reply. "We're going farther in and take a rest and look
for a good sheep valley while we do so."
"You're welcome to remain here until your friend comes in!" answered
Will. "We have plenty of provisions."
"Then you are thinking of remaining in the mountains for some time?"
asked the stranger. "In that case we may meet often."
"I hope so," replied Will. "We are boys from Detroit having a little
vacation from the hills and it will be all the pleasanter if we have
congenial company. But sit down and eat. You must be hungry."
Kata fell to with an appetite and Tommy saw that his plate was
replenished as soon as it was emptied. While he was eating Sandy and
Will arose from the cloth, excused themselves and passed into one of the
tents, where Sandy stood regarding his companion with accusing eyes.
"Say," the boy asked, "are you getting to be such a liar that you just
can't tell the truth?"
"What's the matter now?" demanded Will.
"Why did you tell that fellow we were from Detroit?"
"Because he lied to me!" was the rather indignant reply.
Sandy grinned and looked the question he did not ask.
"He told me he was from Denver," Will went on, "and Tommy says he's a
Chicago detective. The kid says he saw a detective badge under the
fellow's lapel. And I guess Tommy knows a detective badge," the boy
continued with a wink. "I should think he would after the fun he's had
with Chicago detectives, and the times he's been chased by them."
"You don't suppose he's come on here to pinch one of us, do you?" asked
Sandy. "If he has, we'll pitch him into the stream that takes the
longest road to Cape Horn."
"Of course not!" answered Will. "For all I know he may be the messenger
sent by Mr. Horton."
"Then why should he lie about his home city?" asked Sandy.
"I don't know," answered Will. "He may be the messenger and he may not
be. If he is a messenger, he's a fool, because he ought to know without
further investigation that we're the boys he set out to find. If he
isn't a messenger, he's a charter member of the Ananias club or Tommy's
very much mistaken."
"I don't believe he's a messenger," Sandy answered and the two went out
to the fire together.
"I have heard a great many stories of robbery and murder in this
country," the boys heard Katz saying to Tommy, "but up to this time I
have seen no unlawful acts committed."
"Oh, but they have a stage hold-up or some scrape of that kind every
week or two!" replied Tommy with a wink at Will. "We remained over at
Green River a couple of days and heard a good many stories about highway
robbery. There is said to be gold in these mountains," the boy
continued, "and there is also said to be a band of brigands who lie in
wait for treasure hunters."
Katz appeared deeply interested in what the boy was saying. In fact he
seemed rather excited, too, and the boys noticed that he reached out one
hand to stroke the gun, which lay near his side, as he listened.
Sandy nudged George in the side and whispered:
"I'll bet Tommy's got him scared half to death!"
"I guess that's what the kid's telling him these stories for!" George
ventured. "He's always up to tricks like that."
While the boys worked about the camp preparing beds for the night and
clearing away the remains of the supper Tommy remained close to the side
of the trench, asking of his experiences on the way in and telling many
exciting stories of highwaymen, the most of which had origin in his own
brain.
"Tommy'll have that fellow so scared that he can't sleep!" Sandy
whispered to George.
"Then the fellow shouldn't get scared so easy!"
"I consider it very fortunate for you boys," they heard Katz saying
after a time, "that I came along just as I did. If this country is as
thoroughly infested with robbers and murderers as you seem to think it
is, I may be of service to you before morning."
"Sure!" agreed Tommy. "We may have a battle with outlaws almost any time
now! We're glad you're here to protect us!"
"Of course, one man can't fight a whole regiment," Katz went on rather
boastfully, "but I'll do what I can to protect you in case the camp is
attacked."
"I know you will!" answered Tommy with a sly wink at Sandy. "I knew you
were a brave man as soon as I saw you!"
During the evening the boys taking the lead made by Tommy told numerous
stories of train-robberies and murders in the mountains as they sat
around the campfire. Katz listened attentively to them all and more than
once the lads saw him involuntarily reach a hand back to his pistol
pocket. On such occasions they nudged each other joyfully.
"I wish something would happen tonight," Tommy whispered to Will as they
prepared for bed. "I'd just like to see how this Katz would act under
fire. I've a good mind to make something happen!"
"You'd better cut that out!" replied Will. "The messenger we are waiting
for may be here at any time now and we may have to move camp at any
time. So we want to rest while we can."
"All right!" Tommy answered reluctantly. "I'm just as anxious to get a
good night's sleep as you are."
"Who's going to stay awake?" asked Sandy stepping up to where the boys
were talking.
"I don't think it's necessary for anyone to stay awake," cried Will.
"I don't believe we ought to all sleep at once!" Sandy observed. "Not
with this stranger in the camp, anyway," he added.
"Aw, the stranger's all right!" Tommy exclaimed. "He's a bum Chicago
detective out after some fugitive from justice and he thinks its foxy to
lie about his occupation and his residence. Don't you think I know the
earmarks of a Chicago detective?" he added.
"You ought to, considering the number of times you've been mixed up with
them," laughed Sandy. "You certainly ought to know all about Chicago
detectives."
"What makes you go certain this man is a Chicago detective?" asked Will.
"I haven't seen anything that looks like Chicago about him!"
"Why," answered Tommy, "he's mentioned Harrison street and Desplaines
street and Chicago avenue half a dozen times when talking about the
police department of Denver! And he's been telling about police boats on
the lake and on the North and South branches and giving himself away
generally. Of course, he doesn't know we're from Chicago and so he
doesn't think it necessary to be careful in his speech."
"All right, time will tell!" exclaimed Sandy.
It was arranged that Will, Tommy and George were to sleep together in
one of the tents until midnight while Tommy stood watch, and from that
time on, the other boys were to watch two hours apiece. Katz was to have
the second tent all to himself.
For sometime after the lads and Katz went to their tents, Tommy sat by
the fire listening to coyotes and grey wolves howling off in the
mountains. Occasionally a coyote came within a few paces of the fire and
set up a howl which must have been heard in the dreams of the sleepers.
Along near midnight the boy heard, very indistinctly, shouts to the west
of the ridge which lay to the south of the valley. Still more faintly,
return shouts were heard. The men, whoever they were, seemed to be
advancing toward the camp. While the boy listened a volley of shots came
from the west, followed by hoarse shouts and imprecations.
It now became plain that two horsemen were speeding toward the valley
and that the shots which were being fired were directed at them. There
was no moon as yet although there would be one later on, and little
could be seen of the horsemen who were doubtless seeking refuge in the
canons farther to the north, but the heavy breathing of the horses and
the creaking of the saddles could be distinctly heard.
"I just went to the tent to wake Katz!" Tommy chuckled, "and saw him
sneaking away making flat-footed for the hills!"