IN THE RAPIDS
"Give him another call, Frank!"
"That fellow beats all creation for lagging! I believe he'd rather snap
off his old camera than eat, any day. If he doesn't look out, that
panther may get--Glory to goodness! What's that, Reddy?" cried Jerry.
"Sounds like a bit of an avalanche, though this here is a queer time of
year for that. Generally comes, you know, in snow time, or when the
rains arrive," was the cowboy's ready answer.
"But--Will--he may have started it, and gone down into one of these
beastly holes!" observed Bluff uneasily.
"Let's go back, fellows, and make sure," remarked Frank instantly.
They retraced their steps, Reddy leading the way, and every one on the
lookout for any signs of an unusual happening.
"There's where it fell, and it looks like quite a lot of stuff had gone
down the slope," said their guide presently.
"Hello, Will! Will!" shouted Frank.
"Well, I'm waiting for you," said a quiet voice close at hand.
"Where in the world are you, pard?" burst out Jerry.
"Oh, here," came the reply.
"Ginger! I believe he's down the bank!" cried Bluff.
"Just what he is! Come here, fellows! Did you ever see anything to beat
that? Talk to me about your lucky dogs! Here's one that takes the cake
every time!" sang out Jerry, as he thrust his head out beyond the edge
of the platform where the slope began.
"Oh, I don't know. There have been cases where people have been saved
from all sorts of disasters by the fortunate presence of a rope. Chuck
us a loop, Reddy, will you, please?" said Will, and Jerry became as dumb
as an oyster.
No wonder Frank laughed, even while he watched the cowboy dropping his
lariat down as the other so coolly requested. Will had slid some twenty
feet down the steep bank, along with the loose surface stuff, which
gathered force as it proceeded. Then a projecting stone had caught the
bag of his coat, and he was supported in this fashion by the stout
fabric.
"What are you trying to do down there? Expect to cut me out of my job as
the cliff climber of the party?" asked Frank jokingly.
"Not so that you'd notice. Thought I might get a better view down along
here. But first of all, save my precious camera, before I consent to
come up," answered Will, and he insisted upon fastening the same to the
dangling rope.
Bluff saw his chance to get back at his chum for more than one indignity
along the same line that he had suffered in the past, so he called out:
"Here, you! Just hold your horses! I'm going over yonder and strike you
off as you hang there. It will do to amuse the girls when we get home.
We don't often have a chance to bring the photographer into these
pictures. Now, here you are. Look pleasant! There! That job's done! Now
yank him up, fellows, and don't be too easy with him. He deserves a good
digging for scaring us so."
But Will had suffered no material harm from his little slide.
"Glad I stopped part way," he observed, looking down, "for it's quite
some distance to the bottom, and then those rocks would have bruised me
more than a little. Yes, I agree with Bluff, there; it's better to be
born lucky than rich."
After that they saw to it that Will did not lag behind. He was not to be
trusted any more than could be helped.
Reddy was as good as his word. He eventually brought them within sight
of several feeding elk. They carried out his further directions to the
letter, and were thus enabled to approach within easy gunshot of the
unsuspicious animals.
A program had been arranged, and every one knew just what part in it he
was expected to play. Consequently, there was no confusion. Frank, Jerry
and Bluff had their chance to aim. To each was assigned a different
quarry, though after the first shot they were to fire as they pleased.
"Ready?" whispered the master of ceremonies, after Will had performed
his little, necessary operation with his camera that would produce happy
results.
"Yes," said Frank.
"Ditto!" from Jerry.
"Same here," came from Bluff.
"Then go!"
There followed a crash of firearms. Instantly confusion broke out among
the little herd of feeding elk. One was down, another went limping off,
to fall as Frank sent in a second hasty shot; while the balance fairly
flew off in their fright.
"Hurrah!" shouted the hunters, as they saw that they had met with
splendid success, since two of the big animals had fallen to their guns.
Bluff looked grimly disappointed.
"I hit my buck, for I saw him go down on his knees," he asserted
moodily.
"Oh, that ain't anything. An elk often runs off with several bad wounds.
I only hope he don't die in the woods somewhere," said Reddy, examining
the tracks of those that had escaped.
"Will it pay us to follow them up and see if Bluff's buck fell?" asked
Frank, more to please his chum than because they needed the game.
"Nope. The buck runs like he wasn't even hurt much. No ketchin' up with
them fellers after that riot call. We'd best pay attention to what we've
got, and return to camp," replied the guide; and Bluff shrugged his
shoulders, saying:
"But I hit him, anyhow, I'll tell you that, fellows."
Frank found that all Reddy meant to do was to hang the two elk up, after
they had cut some choice portions for immediate use. The other cowboys
would come with the horses, on their way down the river, on the morrow,
and secure the game.
"We got fooled out of elk steaks once and don't mean to again, I tell
you," said Jerry, as he shouldered his portion of the load.
So they returned to camp.
"What's this?" said Mr. Mabie as they came filing in. "Back already, and
only out two hours? Got some meat, too, I see. That's good. Such
appetites as you boys are developing threaten to eat us out of house and
home soon, unless we eke out with game. Who cut up the elk?"
"The boys all took a hand. They wanted to learn," smiled Reddy.
"I kind of thought they had," nodded the stockman, who could easily see
that it was not the work of an experienced hand.
Bluff failed to catch the twinkle of humor in the other's eyes.
"Yes, and I could have made even a better job if I'd had the knife along
I foolishly went and left at home," he remarked disconsolately, whereat
Jerry, Will and Frank exchanged looks, and shrugged their shoulders, but
said nothing; for in a case of that kind words are useless.
They were all very enthusiastic that night over the feast. The cook had
dutifully pounded the steaks before placing the same on the fire, so
that if they seemed tough it was not his fault.
The meat, however, was sweet and tasty; and besides, with hunger serving
as the best-known sauce, who could complain?
Bluff kept on the lookout for the mate of his panther, but if the old
fellow was prowling around he had more discretion than to show himself
while these hunters were near by.
With the morning the camp was to be abandoned. Tents came down while
they were eating breakfast, and everything was packed away in as small a
compass as possible, for carrying on the backs of the pack horses, which
were brought in from the pen, or corral, where they had been kept all
this while, in charge of a guard.
The three bullboats awaited the adventurous ones. These were of the type
much used in this far region of the Northwest, being fashioned of tough
hides of bulls, and impervious to water.
Besides their guns, which were strapped to their backs, the voyagers
carried little or nothing. In case of an upset they did not stand to
worry over anything except saving their own lives.
So they quitted the camp under the cataract, where they had spent
several very enjoyable days.
[Illustration: IMMEDIATELY THE TWO ADVENTUROUS CRUISERS WERE IN THE
RAPIDS.--_Page 141_.
_The Outdoor Chums After Big Game_.]
Swiftly they descended the stream for several miles. Then, according to
agreement, they hauled in at the head of the rapids for a little rest
and consultation before making the riffle.
Will had declared his intention of going down the shore and taking up
his position about midway of the drop, so as to snap off the two
descending bullboats as they came flying along in the midst of the
churning water. Afterward he and Mr. Mabie would enter the last boat and
make the plunge.
When he was ready, with his camera focused, he waved his arm as a
signal. Immediately one of the boats started forth, containing Bluff and
Reddy. When they got fully into the swirl the second craft appeared in
sight.
Jerry sat in the bow of this, and Frank in the stern, the more
responsible position. Immediately the two adventurous cruisers were in
the rapids, and shooting down with incredible swiftness.
The leading boat managed to pull through all right, for Reddy knew the
route; but disaster awaited that containing the two chums. Whether they
struck a half-submerged rock, and were capsized, or made a
miscalculation, and found themselves seized by the cross-current, no one
ever knew.
"Look out!" shouted Jerry, and the next instant both he and Frank were
overboard, and trying to keep away from the threatening snags while they
went whirling down the rapids.