THE RACE FOR A CAMP-SITE
"All aboard for Kamp Kill Kare!"
Frank Langdon jumped off his motor-cycle as he shouted these words, and
there was a scurrying among the other three boys, who had gathered at the
house of Will, which had been mentioned as a place of meeting.
Each motor-cycle had numerous small packages secured about it after the
individual fancy of the owner. Will carried his precious camera over his
shoulder, but the tripod, a folding affair of the latest patent, was tied
to his wheel; Jerry and Frank had their guns securely cased, and so
arranged that they would not interfere with either the working of the
machine or any jumping on and off; while Bluff carried his new repeating
shotgun hung from his back with a strap.
He saw Jerry eyeing the same with a sneer, and was up in arms
immediately.
"Just you wait, and don't cry before you're hurt. This bang-up modern
machine shooter is no more murderous for me than yours is in your hands.
'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof!' and I'm ready to compare
notes at the end of our little expedition, to see who has slaughtered the
most game," and Bluff wagged his round head with its thatch of yellow
hair, defiantly.
"Well, a man is known by the company he keeps, and any true
sportsman--" began Jerry, ready to open the discussion on the spot.
"Rats!" exclaimed Will, as he got in readiness to mount his machine;
"stow all that hot air until the first chilly night. Perhaps you'll need
it before long. I say, Frank?"
"Well, what?"
"Has the wagon started along?" asked the other, eagerly.
"Yes, I saw it off before coming over here. Everything's aboard, and
unless old Uncle Toby has an accident on the road, he guarantees to get
up there shortly after noon," replied the leader, quietly.
"So, you got your hired man to do the driving; and I've half a suspicion
the team comes from your place, too. That's mighty nice of your father,
Frank. Suppose we could keep Toby with us one night to see us started?"
"Father said we could have him all we wanted. He can take the horses
over to the nearest farm, where we expect to get our supply of fresh
eggs, and then do a part of the cooking for us, as well as chop wood and
some other stunts that, say what you will, kind of pall on a fellow after
a little while."
"Better and better," remarked Jerry, who had been known on occasion to
flunk when it came to drudgery, and wanted to be fishing or roaming
pretty much all the day, and every day.
"Well, the reason I asked was this: I wouldn't wonder but what Andy
Lasher and his pals might plan to intercept our supplies, and do
something mean to break up our fun," continued Will, earnestly.
"Whew! I hadn't thought of that," remarked Jerry, looking alarmed.
"I had, and I made an arrangement with old Uncle Toby to take Erastus
along in the wagon up to the point where we are to meet him at noon. You
know Erastus is the porter and watchman at the bank, and known to be a
fighter. When they see him sitting there beside Toby those fellows will
have business somewhere else, you mark me. He can come home on the late
afternoon train, one of us taking him over to the little station on a
motor-cycle. How does that suit you all around?"
"Talk about your Napoleon for laying out plans; it couldn't be better
arranged. The supplies will be safe, then. Now, is there anything else to
remember?" demanded Jerry.
"Not from me," replied Bluff, stealing a side glance at the open window
where Nellie and Violet were standing, watching the starting of the
wonderful expedition that was expected to startle the timid woods folks
up beyond the lumber camps at the head of the lake.
"Count me out," declared Will, raising one foot to be ready to mount.
"That settles it, then. Who goes first?" asked Frank.
"You do, to start with. Later on, after we pass the wagon, Jerry will act
as guide, as he's been up there before, and knows a lot about the
country," called Will.
"Then, here goes, fellows."
Suiting the action to the word Frank ran with his machine, then gave a
vault into the saddle, started the engine, and with a loud popping the
motor-cycle began to hustle along the road at a moderately swift pace.
Jerry came second, then Will, and last but not least Bluff, who was very
apt to have many things happen to his motor-cycle before the ten miles
had been reeled off, for that seemed to be just his fortune.
"Good luck!" called the girls from the window; while the little
mother waved a 'kerchief from the doorway, and then hurried in to
shed a few tears, for, truth to tell, these partings always affected
her in this way.
Through the town they went, with dogs racing alongside and barking
wildly, and quite a few persons waving them good wishes as they passed;
for it was pretty well known what the Outdoor Club had in view, and the
hunting toggery with which Bluff had adorned himself was a constant sign
as to the glut there would presently be in the game market of
Centerville.
Then past Frank's home, where his father waved his hat as he stood in the
doorway, warned of the coming of the squad by the rampant popping of the
motor-cycles; and after that the open country, where the northbound road
ran alongside the calm waters of Lake Camalot, now glistening in the
frosty air of an October morning.
Frank slowed up to allow of Jerry overtaking him, so that they might talk
as they covered the miles.
"There's the wagon ahead," he said.
"I had noticed it, and just beyond I thought I saw several fellows up on
the bank, perhaps Andy and his chums. It might be well for us to close
in and be ready to defend the wagon if necessary. And look out for any
sort of sharp-pointed nails on the road, apt to slash our tires,"
remarked Jerry, who had experienced so much of the trickery of the
Lasher crowd that he believed there was nothing too mean or small for
them to attempt.
"Not a bad idea, so slow up until the other boys arrive. They may hardly
feel like doing anything, now that we happen along."
"I'd feel sure they wouldn't if we could only coax Bluff to exhibit that
awful pump-gun of his. Talk about your scorchers, I think Andy would run
a mile--I know I would if I thought the murderous thing was going to be
turned on me," growled Jerry, who, as the reader must already have
noticed, was a very persistent fellow, and hard to convince, especially
when on his favorite subject of a fair deal for every living creature.
They moderated their speed, and passed the place where the hostile group
stood, with two riders on either side of the supply wagon.
Then it was seen that Andy and his associates had impressed a
hungry-looking, gaunt mule into their service, the said animal being
fairly loaded down with an assortment of the most astonishing articles
ever dreamed of in the mind of would-be campers.
Under the circumstances, with Erastus and Toby to help guard the camp
outfit, Andy's crowd did not dare lift a hostile hand; but they took
especial pains to hoot at the little company as it wheeled past, making
more or less sarcastic remarks, and yet being careful not to go too far.
The truth was, they did not wholly like the looks of the big colored man
who sat there with old Toby, and of whose abilities as a fighter they
happened to know something about.
When the rival campers had been left far behind, the boys considered it
safe to part company with the supply train, and dash off.
"We've got lots to do, locating on a good campsite, remember, fellows;
those sort of things don't grow on every bush, I tell you; so, come
along," and Frank, as he spoke, let out another kink, the popping grew
more furious, and away he shot up the road in a little cloud of dust,
with Jerry at his rear, ready to take the lead as soon as there was any
necessity for choosing at the forks.
Ten miles is a mere "flea-bite," as Bluff Masters said, when a good,
lively motor-cycle "takes the bit in its teeth," and it seemed as though
they had hardly more than got well started before the junction was
reached, where Jerry swung ahead, and the rest trailed after him.
The pace had to be more moderate after this, for the going was not so
even; but, nevertheless, they made fair time, and finally swung around at
the head of the lake, where the logging camp was situated.
It was early in the season, but there were some timber cutters at work in
the woods near-by, and a greasy man-cook stood in the doorway of the long
log cabin where the gang put up throughout the winter, while conducting
their operations of leveling the forest, or, at least, robbing it of all
the spruce for the pulp mill over at Bedington.
Jerry held up at the lumber camp, for he wished to ask a few questions of
the cook, who was a man he happened to know in a small way, though never
particularly fancying Jock Stovers.
The fellow stared at seeing a quartette of elegant motor-cycles come
dashing up to the loggers' winter quarters.
"Hello! Jock. We're going into the woods to spend a week or two; wagon
following after with all the stuff. Where do you suppose we could run
across old Jesse Wilcox these days; and is he starting to do any
trapping?" asked Jerry.
The lumber-camp cook grinned a little as he took in the new and striking
hunting apparel which Bluff Masters sported so airily; doubtless he
immediately concluded that the whole party must be a set of greenhorns,
incapable of knowing enough to come in out of the wet when it rained.
"Oh! yes, he's to work, they tells me. Leastwise I heerd ole Bud Rabig
complainin' thet he never did hev a show wen Jesse he was around,
'cause the annermiles they jest seem ter hanker arter Jesse's traps.
Folks do say he hes a kinder scent he uses ter jest coax 'em like,"
replied the cook, not above hoping these sons of Centerville rich
people might think it worth while to toss him a generous tip for any
information he gave them.
"We are heading for that old camp by the twin hemlocks, where that spring
bubbles up, winter and summer. One of us will be back here to convoy old
Toby in with the chuck wagon, and get Erastus over the farmers' station,
where he can catch a late train back. Just tell them to wait here, if
they come before I arrive, and here's some tobacco money for your
trouble, Jock."
The cook nimbly caught the flying coin, and grinned his thanks.
"Oh! I'll tell 'em all right, don't yer be 'fraid, Jerry. Say, they was a
party o' three as started in ter camp jest whar ye say, about a hull hour
ago. Boys from Centerville, too, but a tough-lookin' bunch. They tried to
do me for a breakfast, but I come out with a gun, and they shooed. Reckon
that Pet Peters was wun o' the gang."
"Whew!"
Jerry looked at the others in some dismay.
"What'll we do, fellows; that's Andy's right bower. He must have started
the three of them up here last night, meaning to have them squat by the
spring first, and keep us off. And I did want to camp just there above
all places! It's been on my mind all night," exclaimed Jerry,
disconsolately.
"An hour, you said, Jock?" asked Frank, always quick to decide
knotty points.
"I reckons about that; but them fellers was dog-tired, an' I don't think
they's agoin' ter git up to thet spring in a hurry," replied the cook,
still squeezing the half dollar, as if to "make it squeal," as Bluff
remarked later.
"Perhaps we can get there before they do. Suppose we make a try, Jerry?"
For answer Jerry started his machine on a run, jumped aboard, and was
quickly dashing away at rather a reckless pace, considering the rough
"tote" road he had to follow.
The others were close at his heels, and altogether the rattling reports
of the four exhausts quite excited the lumber-camp cook, who stood there
in the doorway gaping, as long as the motor-cycles remained in sight.