TO BEARD THE TIGER IN HIS DEN.
"Sure you can go, Jim; and what's more, I'd like to take the tramp with
you, if it's agreeable to you!"
Jim Hasty, the guide, swallowed something in his throat, when he heard
Thad say these words, for he was plainly much affected.
He had come in a hesitating way to ask as a favor that, since the scouts
were now settled for a few days in camp on the lake shore, could he be
spared to make the run through the pine forests to where the well
remembered cabin of Old Cale Martin stood, from which he had carried
Little Lina away, after her father had positively refused to even hear
of their marriage.
"It's mighty kind o' yeou tew say thet, an' I feel it, I swan," he
finally stammered, as he managed to thrust out his brown hand, and take
that of the boy which had been so impulsively offered to him.
"Why," Thad went on, heartily, "you know, Jim, I'm as much interested in
this matter between you and Cale Martin as can be. And I'm just bound to
see you through. I heard what one of those men told you about Cale going
off to his cabin, so's to try and keep away from temptation, while Jim
Hasty was around the neighborhood. He'd sworn to pin your ears to a
tree, and feared that he'd up and do it, if he had the chance. Something
better inside Old Cale was a tuggin' away at his hard old heart; and
Jim; you and I know what it is."
The short guide nodded his head violently, while his eyes glittered.
"Pore ole dad, he wants tew see his leetle gal ther wust kind, an' it's
jest his consarned pride as keeps him frum knucklin' right down, an'
ownin' he war wrong. Thet's what I sez in ther fust place. I jest knowed
he dassen't raise a hand tew hurt me, as he threatened, 'cause Lina
keers fur even ther leetle finger o' my hand; an' she war ther apple o'
his eye. An' shore I feels as it's agoin' tew be awl right, ef so be I
kin on'y git a few words wid ther ole man, face tew face."
"And you shall, if I can help you out, Jim," declared the boy, with
emphasis. "Perhaps some day, I might even see the Little Lina that all
this fuss has been about. I'd sure like to, the worst kind. But about
when do you think we'd better hike out across country for the Martin
cabin, Jim?"
"I'd like tew start inside o' an hour," returned the other, quickly, as
his eye instinctively turned upwards toward the heavens, with the idea
of gauging what the weather might have in store for the State of Maine
during the next twenty-four hours.
"I see, you're afraid of a heavy snowfall, that would make the going and
coming a hard job; is that it, Jim?"
"It shore is, Thad," replied the guide, promptly. "Yew see, it's long
past due. The woods is as dry as tinder, and we need a big fall o' snow
er rain ther wust kind. D'ye think we mout git away by thet time?"
"I don't see why not," answered the young scoutmaster "I'm feeling in
apple pie condition this morning, myself; and you're just wild to make
the venture. So we'll call it a go in an hour, Jim. By that time
breakfast will be done with, and the boys have their plans arranged for
the day. Eli will take charge with Allan; and there ought to be no
trouble. Both Bumpus and Giraffe are too tired after what they went
through with the day before yesterday, to want to wander; the game
warden is well on his way with his two prisoners; and everything looks
just fixed to carry out your little plan."
"It does thet," returned the other, eagerly. "Seems like things happened
jest tew suit me. I calls it 'Little Lina luck,' fur they nigh allers
turn thetaways when I'm tryin' tew please her. I worried a heap over
them tew critters, Si Kedge an' Ed Harkness; thinkin' thet w'ile I mout
convince dad, they was apt tew give me a lot o' trouble. An' see haow
they was kerried off tew jail tew clar ther field fur me! Oh! sumpin'
tells me hit's goin' tew be awl rite yit."
"Is there anything we ought to take along with us besides our guns, and
some grub, enough for several meals, because we won't have any time for
hunting?" asked Thad.
"Nawthin' as I knows on; I'm makin' sure to kerry ther life preserver,"
and as he said these mysterious words, Jim pressed his hand against his
breast, where in an inner pocket _something_ undoubtedly snuggled
unseen; but somehow Thad never once dreamed that the guide could refer
to a pocket flask, because he happened to know Jim did not drink.
However, Thad did not bother about trying to fathom Jim's little secret.
He fancied that it would all be made plain shortly; certainly when they
happened upon the stern old man who was day after day cheating himself
out of happiness, by refusing to let bygones be bygones, and accept
things as they were.
Of course the balance of the Silver Fox Patrol showed great interest
when they heard what was the plan. Thad could read a trace of
disappointment on more faces than one when he announced that he meant to
go alone with Jim. A larger detachment would do more harm than good,
since Old Cale might be angry at having his solitude invaded by a party
that Jim was piloting through the piney woods. And besides, Allan was
needed to take charge of the camp while the leader was away, Step Hen
had had his outing in the company of Thad, himself; Bumpus and Giraffe
were fairly saturated with adventure, and still feeling the effects of
their experience; while Davy was needed in camp, and complaining of a
lame foot besides.
So within the hour that had been set for the start, Thad and Jim left
camp, with many hearty wishes for their success.
"Be sure and tell us all about it when you get back!" called Bumpus; for
some of the boys scented a little romance back of Jim's queer actions,
and knew more or less about his relations with the giant father of his
little wife.
"And look sharp for forest fires, because, seems to me I smelled smoke
in the air a little while ago!" were the last words from Allan, who,
being a Maine boy, knew what such a thing meant.
Thad glanced sharply at Jim.
"Do you imagine we'll stack up against anything like that, Jim?" he
asked.
"Thet's hard tew say," replied the guide. "At this time o' year, an'
with ther woods as dry as they be, anything is possible, I'd say. I
don't smell smoke right naow, but then ther wind mout a changed sense
Allan sez he did."
"Well, I hardly know whether I want to run up against a real woods'
fire, or not," Thad declared. "Of course, I've always wanted to see what
one looked like, because I've heard so much about them; we're on a new
test now, for the Silver Fox Patrol; being assistant fire wardens of the
state of Maine; and as such none of us should wish a fire to occur. So
I'll just forget all about it. If one happens to come along, I guess
there's no harm in my looking at it."
Jim laughed at this quaint philosophy.
"I jest reckons naow, yeou'll be doin' a heap more'n jest lookin' at
hit," he took occasion to remark, with a sage shake of his head.
Thad laughed outright.
"I can guess what you mean, Jim," he remarked. "You think that about
that time the fire will take to chasing after me, and I'll have all I
want to do in skipping out. Well, let's forget all about that, now, and
talk of something else. For one thing, this is a splendid crisp fall
morning. I saw pretty good ice on the edge of the lake. And say, I'd
like to be up here a month or two from now. I warrant you there's some
mighty fine skating on that sheet of water."
"Thet they be, sumtimes," replied the other, with a nod. "I've seen hit
jest as slick as a big pane o' glass fur miles an' miles. With ther wind
ablowin' great guns I've jest opened my coat, an' been blown like a
thistle-down from one end tew t'other, in less time than yew cud think.
My dad, which is long gone, onct had an adventure with a pack o' wolves
on thet same smooth ice, I kin remember him tellin' 'bout."
"I'd like to hear it, Jim," said the scout, eagerly.
"Wall, I'm a pore hand at tellin' a story," the guide admitted. "Seems
like he war askatin' home, arter killin' a deer, an' hed sum o' ther
meat on his back, when ther wolves took arter him. They chased him right
fast, and ther on'y way dad he cud 'scape ther fangs war by making a
sharp turn every time they gut too clost. Yer see ther critters cudn't
swerve fast enuff, an'd slide a long ways on ther ice 'cause it war so
smooth. An' in that way he kept goin' till he gut nigh home; when sum o'
ther neighbors, they kim out, an' knocked spots outen ther wolves."
"Whew! I can just imagine it," declared Thad, "and I wager, now, it must
have been some exciting while it lasted."
Chatting in this way they tramped on through the pine woods, heading in
a direct line for the distant cabin of Cale Martin, whose wife had long
since been dead, so that with Little Lina also gone, the old woodsman
had lived alone for more than a year, always nursing his grievance
against Jim Hasty.
When noon came, and they stopped a little while to refresh themselves
with some of the food carried along in Thad's haversack, Jim announced
that they must be more than half way to their destination.
Thad looked into the face of the guide frequently, wondering if Jim's
heart was beginning to fail him the closer he drew to the implacable
giant who had uttered such ferocious threats against his new son-in-law;
but the only thing he did notice was a smile of supreme confidence
whenever Jim happened to put up his hand to touch the breast of his
coat, about the place where an inner pocket would be. And from this Thad
understood that the other had the fullest confidence that the message he
was bearing to Lina's father, the olive branch he meant to extend to Old
Cale, was sure to work as she had intended it should.
It was about an hour and more, possibly two, after the noon halt, that
Thad saw Jim come to a stop, and start to sniff the air suspiciously.
"What it it, Jim?" he asked, though he could give a pretty good guess
even before the woods' pilot uttered a word.
"I smells smoke, sure enuff, naow," replied Jim.
"Then the wind's changed, hasn't it?" inquired Thad, bristling up, as a
vision of more or less excitement to vary the monotony of this rather
dreary tramp through the piney forest flashed before his mind.
"It sure hes, Thad; and I kinder guess afore a great while yeou might be
havin' thet wish o' yeourn kim true; 'cause ther's a fire sumwhar not
far away right naow; which, with ther change o' wind, is liable tew
sweep daown on us like a whirlwind. Mebbe so be yeou mout see more'n
yeou bargained fur, Thad!"