CAPTURING THE GAME POACHERS.
"Don't yuh shoot, younker!" called out Si Kedge, when, on advancing just
one more step, he found himself confronted by the rifle held by Giraffe,
who had his cheek laid down on the stock, as though he were taking aim.
"I won't, if you do just what I tell you!" said the scout, growing
bolder when he saw that a sudden spasm of alarm had taken possession of
the poacher, as he realized the conditions confronting him.
"Wat yuh want us tuh do?" asked Si.
"Throw up your hands, in the first place, and be quick about it!"
commanded the scout, thinking that was the proper thing to demand;
because, in every account he had ever read of such events, the one who
held the gun always gave that order.
Si Kedge did as he was told, but only after a vast amount of hard
language.
"You too!" Bumpus managed to call out; for since his comrade had shown
the way, he did not find it quite so difficult to follow.
"Ther up, doan't yuh see, ez far ez I kin git 'em!" complained Ed
Harkness; and then seeing the fat boy elevating his gun, he made out to
duck, under the evident impression that Bumpus might be tempted to pull
trigger, and fill him full of bird shot. "Keep thet gun daown thar, kid;
I don't like ther way yuh handles ther same. Yuh got us fur keeps; an'
we ain't squealin', is we, Si?"
Giraffe thought fast. If they allowed these two men to go free, the
chances were they would hang around, and try to give them all the
trouble they could during the night that was now well upon them. And the
idea of letting them remain there by the fire without being put under
bonds, never occurred to the boy. He knew neither of them could be
trusted further than they could be seen; that was stamped on their ugly
faces, and the shifty look in their evil eyes.
There was really only one thing to do, and that was to make them
prisoners. Once that had been accomplished, at least they might pass a
peaceful night; and then in the morning, if the humor seized them, it
would be just as easy to let the men go as to keep them.
But how on earth were they to tie the two men up? It looked like a hard
proposition, and Giraffe had to cudgel his brains with considerable
gusto before he was able to produce any result. But it dawned upon him
finally that if the men were compelled to lie flat on their faces on the
ground, and place their hands behind them, Bumpus might straddle each in
turn, and fasten their wrists, while he, Giraffe threatened with the
guns.
"Listen to me," he said, with the air of a commander giving his final
orders on the field of battle; "Both of you have got to lie down on your
faces, and put your hands behind your back; do you understand?"
"Be yuh agoin' tuh tie us up?" asked Si, his face as black as a
thundercloud.
"Just that, and nothing more," replied Giraffe, resolutely. "You think
that because we're only two boys that we'll stand for a heap; but that's
where you're away off your base. Get busy now, and down on your
marrowbones, both of you!"
"Air yuh agoin' tuh let us go free in the mornin'?" asked Ed Harkness,
already on his knees, for he wished to placate that uneasy fat boy, who
kept raising his gun again and again, as though anxious to press the
trigger just a little harder all the time.
"If you don't give us any trouble, we might; because so far as we're
concerned we're not up here to help the game warden arrest you fellows.
Lie down now, or else we'll have to help you!"
This was a ferocious threat for Giraffe to make; and doubtless he would
have been exceedingly loth to put it into operation; but then the case
was a desperate one, and required a remedy of like nature.
Even such a fire-eater as Si Kedge "threw up the sponge," as Bumpus put
it, and knuckled down to the half grown tyrant. Perhaps he realized that
in his half boozy condition he was in no shape to grapple with the
dilemma by which he and his companion found themselves faced. What with
their hands tied by the fact of their guns having been taken by Cale
Martin, they were perfectly helpless. And two firearms held in the hands
of a couple of determined boys can be just as dangerous as if grown men
had them.
So, still uttering more or less protestations, coupled with hard
language, both Si and Ed sprawled out flat on their faces.
"Now, Bumpus, it's going to be your job to secure them both, while I
cover you with the guns; and if either of them tries any funny business,
he'll wish he hadn't right speedy, believe me," said Giraffe, loud
enough for the others to hear, for he wished them to wholly understand
the situation.
Bumpus placed his shotgun close to the feet of his chum. Then he looked
blankly around.
"That's easy to say, Giraffe," he remarked in a stage whisper; "I'm
willing enough to do it, tell you that; but where in Sam Hill am I
agoin' to get the rope? We didn't bring any with us, you know; though
I'm resolved never to go off again without a whole clothes line along.
How c'n a feller tie 'em up when he ain't got even a top string with
him?"
If Bumpus thought to get his chum in a corner with that question, he
figured too soon, for the other had discounted it already.
"Here, take this," he said, throwing his red bandana handkerchief on the
ground; "and I reckon you've got the mate to it in your pocket. Use one
to wrap around the wrists of each feller. And see to it that you tie it
in half a dozen of the hardest knots you know how. Understand, Bumpus?"
"That's right, and I c'n do it too. You watch me."
As the fat boy spoke he picked up the large bandana handkerchief, and
stepped gingerly forward, Giraffe accompanying him part way. Evidently
Bumpus had recovered somewhat from his fright. Possibly this new
boldness sprang from confidence in the ability of his comrade to handle
the situation.
At any rate, he threw a leg over the prostrate figure of Ed Harkness,
and seizing both his wrists, jerked them together. The man might have
raised some protest, or even attempted to show resistance; but once that
plump form of Bumpus came down on him he had the breath partly pressed
out of his body, and must have experienced a sudden weakness.
At any rate, he lay still, while the other wound the crude rope around
his wrists, and knotted it good and hard.
"Fine!" declared Giraffe, who had been watching the operation with one
eye, all the while he kept the other on Si Kedge; "now take your own
handkerchief, and use it on Si. And put in three extra knots, Bumpus,
because he's that much more a slick one than the other feller. Lie
still, now, I warn you, Si; we ain't going to stand for any fooling, I
tell you!"
Si also relapsed into silence as soon as Bumpus dropped on his back; he
was pinned to the ground almost as effectually as though secured there
by ropes.
Bumpus finished his part of the job, and arose, perspiring, but
triumphant.
"She's done, Giraffe, and as good as I know how," he said, exultantly.
"I just warrant you that neither of them game stealers is agoin' to
break loose in a hurry now. What's next on the little programme? This is
sure turning out to be a warm night for us, Giraffe. Tell me, won't the
fellers stare when we walk into camp drivin' these jail birds before us?
Oh! my! Oh! me, I can see Davy and Step Hen give us the royal salute.
And I'll whistle 'Lo, the Conquering Heroes Come,' see if I don't."
"Well, we ain't in camp yet awhile," retorted Giraffe; "and give me a
hand to assist old Si here over to that there tree. We c'n lean him up
against the trunk, so he can keep warm, and look around him. Then Ed, he
might have a place against this other pine, here. But Bumpus, there
ain't going to be any sleep much for us this blessed night, with two
toughs to watch like these fellers."
Bumpus sighed, for he was very tired after a whole day's tramp.
"I suppose not, Giraffe;" he remarked, but stiffening up to add; "you'll
find me ready to back you up in anything you start goin'. I'm game for
it, I reckon; and if you see me agoin' to sleep in spite of everything,
why, Giraffe, just give me a kick or a punch in the ribs. I want to do
my duty every time."
"Good for you, Bumpus; I ain't goin' to make fun of you any more,
because of your size. Even fat fellers c'n come in mighty handy
sometimes, especially when you've got a game poacher to hold down."
They managed to get the two men against the trees, and as they still had
their legs free this was not so difficult a task. Then the watch began.
Giraffe kept his gun close to his hand. He spoke to his chum
occasionally, more to see if Bumpus were awake, than because of any
desire to engage in conversation.
The two men mumbled for a while, but finally their heads dropped on
their chest and they seemed to slumber, though Giraffe was suspicious,
and would never slacken in his watchfulness on this account.
He had made up his mind, however, that if Bumpus did fall asleep, he
would not arouse him, when there was no necessity for more than one
guard at a time.
An hour passed thus. Then Bumpus, who was just losing himself, in spite
of his determination to remain on duty, felt his chum give him a shake.
"Oh! I'm awake, all right, Giraffe; no need to scare me that way!"
grumbled the fat scout, stirring himself, and looking around.
"They're coming, just like I said," said Giraffe. "Looky over yonder,
and you c'n see the lantern; and I reckon now, it's old Eli that's
followerin' our trail. But we don't want to be fooled a second time,
Bumpus, so get your gun ready for boarders."
"Boarders!" muttered the fat boy; "now I like that, when they ain't a
blessed bit of grub in the pantry. Better skip this boarding-house, and
go on further. But Giraffe, that sure _is_ Eli; I c'n tell the way
he swings along from here. Whoever is it with him, d'ye think; why, see,
there are two of 'em, and men, not boys of the Silver Fox Patrol?"
Three minutes later, and Old Eli, grinning his pleasure, stalked into
camp, to say:
"Huh! glad tuh find ye so well taken keer of, boys. An' so yeou hed a
wisit frum Si an' Ed, did yeou; an' wall, what d'ye think o' thet,
gents, here's yer birds all triced up, ready tew be transported to jail.
This here is the game warden o' this deestrict, boys, lookin' for them
critters. Say as heow he don't calkerlate ter bother with Old Cale yet
awhile; but hearin' as he's be'n an' contracted with a fox breedin'
company, they'll wait an' see heow it pans eout. Kinder guess they will.
An' we'll jest stay by this fire till mornin', when we kin start back
tew camp. Thad knowed as heow yeou'd come out all right, Giraffe; but he
thort along abeout noon I'd better take up the trail; and I met these
gents a few miles back, wonderin' if ther birds had made this here fire,
so we stalked it!"
And Bumpus felt like venting his delight in one long loud yell of
thanksgiving as he realized that their troubles were now at an end.