THE FIRST NIGHT UNDER CANVAS
"This is something that just can't be beat!" Toby remarked, after he had
made serious inroads upon his first helping, and taken off the keen edge
of his clamorous appetite. "I enjoy my food at home all right, but let
me tell you nothing can ever quite come up to a supper cooked under the
trees, and far removed from all the things you're accustomed to meeting
every day."
"And this coffee is sure nectar for the gods," said Steve, helping
himself to a second cup as he spoke. "Now, at home I never can bear this
tinned cream, yet, strange to say, up here in the woods it seems to go
first rate. Pass me the sugar, please, Jack. And Toby, after I've
slacked my hunger a bit so I can act half way decent I'm meaning to
toast some of the slices of bread at that splendid red-ash fire."
So they continued to sit there and fairly gorge themselves until Steve
could hardly sigh, he was so full; but then all boys are built pretty
much alike in that respect, so we can easily forgive Steve in
particular. Cutting wood does put an edge on a naturally keen appetite
that knows no limit save capacity; and Steve had many good qualities to
more than balance his greediness.
Later on when they lay around enjoying the sight of the crackling fire,
and casting pleased glances toward the capacious khaki-colored
waterproof tent that stood close by, they talked of many things that had
some connection with their intended stay in the Pontico Hills country.
"This sweet little stream with the ice-cold water is the Spruce Creek
you've got marked on your map, of course, Jack?" suggested Toby. "Now
how far away would you say Paradise River lies from our camp?"
"Oh! not more than ten minutes' walk from here, I imagine, and in that
direction," and Jack pointed as he spoke, showing that he already had
his bearings pretty well fixed in his mind.
"Why do you suppose those loggers ever made camp here when they expected
to get their timber out through the river, and the lake below, perhaps
shipping by way of Chester?"
Toby asked this question as though he sought information, and if so, he
appealed to the right person, for Jack was quick to reply.
"Why, I understand that the ground lies pretty low down by the river,
Toby; and a camp there might be in danger of being flooded out with the
spring rise. You know Paradise River does get on a tear some years, and
pours into our lake like mad. These lumbermen had long heads, and didn't
mean to take chances of being drowned out of their camp. This higher
ground served them better, just as it will us now. That's the only
answer I can think of."
"And it comes mighty near being the true one, I'm telling you, Toby,"
affirmed Steve, positively. "I'm right glad we've been wise enough to
look out for that sort of thing. Huh! had one nasty experience of being
flooded in a camp, where we had to wade up to our necks in the stream
that grew in a night, for the little island was all under water. No more
of that sort of thing for this chicken, thank you."
They talked until all of them began to grow sleepy. Then the horse was
looked after for the last time, and found to be lying down, well
satisfied with the feed of oats and sweet grass that had made up his
supper.
Inside the tent there was plenty of room, for the three intending
sleepers. Apparently Mr. Whitlatch, the photographer, carried quite a
lot of paraphernalia with him when going off on his periodical
excursions, taking pictures of Nature as found in the vicinity of
Chester; and meant to have an abundance of room in which to keep his
camera and other traps safe from the heavy rainfalls that frequently
deluged that section of country.
Making themselves comfortable, the three boys tried to compose
themselves for the sleep they needed so much, for very likely none of
them had rested soundly on the last night under the family rooftree, on
account of nervous anticipations of the fun in store for them.
It turned out a difficult thing to do. Going to sleep away from the
surroundings with which they were familiar excited them so much that
even though they closed their eyes to shut out the fitful flashes of the
fire burning just outside they could not control their thoughts.
Then again at times sounds that were not at all familiar came to their
ears. As a rule they understood that these were made by the small
fur-bearing animals inhabiting the wooded region, and which must have
been thrown into an unusual state of excitement by their arrival on the
scene.
The hours passed.
In due time all of the campers managed to get asleep, though, if they
awakened during the night, it must have given them a queer feeling to
realize that they were no longer surrounded by the familiar walls of
their rooms at home, but had only a thin canvas covering between
themselves and the star-studded heavens above.
Morning came.
The whinny of old Moses acted as reveille to arouse the trio inside the
tent; possibly the animal was accustomed to having his breakfast at peep
of day, and wanted to know why it was not forthcoming now.
First Toby, then Jack, and finally Steve came crawling forth, clad in
their warm pajamas. They stretched, and went through certain gymnastic
feats calculated to limber up their cramped muscles. Then, as the fresh
morning air began to make Toby in particular shiver, he plunged inside
again to commence dressing.
"It really isn't because I'm so ferocious for my breakfast, boys," he
hastened to explain, when the others followed him under the shelter;
"but that air is pretty nippy, seems to me, and I don't like too much of
it when minus my clothes. Steve, how about you trying your hand at those
bully flapjacks you've been boasting of being able to make ever since
this camping trip was first planned?"
"Oh! I'm game, if you both say the word," affirmed the other. "That's
why I just insisted on fetching that self-raising pancake flour along.
What would a camp be like without an occasional mess of flapjacks?"
Later on, while Steve was making ready to carry out his job, Toby sought
Jack, who was doing something inside the tent.
"Say, do you know, Jack," he went on to remark, "I woke up some time in
the night and couldn't just make up my mind what it was roused me.
Seemed like a clap of distant thunder; but when I peeped out under the
canvas the stars were shining to beat the band. Did you happen to hear
it too, Jack?"
"Just what I did, Toby," returned the other, with a smile, "and as you
say, it did sound like far-away thunder. I saw you peeking out, but
didn't say anything, for old Steve was sleeping fine, and I didn't want
to wake him up. After you went off again I crept outside for an
observation. It was around midnight then."
"Course you could tell by the stars," suggested Toby, eagerly. "I saw
you taking their positions about the time we crept in for a snooze. I
must learn how to tell the hour of the night by the heavens before we
finish this camping trip. It must be a great stunt, I should think,
Jack."
"As easy as falling off a log, once you begin to notice the heavenly
bodies, and their relations to each other," Jack told him. "I'll take
pleasure in putting you on the right track any time you see fit."
"But about that sound, could it have been a blast of any sort, Jack?"
"That's hard to say," the other replied, looking thoughtful, Toby saw.
"It may be they are doing some quarrying miles away from here; or else
some railroad is being cut through the hills."
"But even if that's so, Jack, why should any one want to set off a blast
in the middle of the night, tell me?"
"I give it up, Toby. Possibly before we leave this region we may have
found out an answer to your question. Forget that you heard anything
queer, that's all. We expect to scour this whole region up here, and if
anything like that is going on, as likely as not we'll learn all about
it."
Toby looked strangely at his companion as though a suspicion may have
arisen in his mind to the effect that perhaps this queer sound had
something to do with the mission that Jack had undertaken in coming to
the Pontico Hill country; but Toby had the good sense not to press the
matter any further, though his boyish curiosity had undoubtedly been
exercised.
When breakfast was ready, they made themselves as comfortable as the
conditions allowed. Already there was a vast improvement over the
arrangements of the preceding night. Two short logs had been rolled up
so as to serve as seats while they discussed their meals. This was much
nicer than squatting on the ground in attitudes that severely tried the
muscles of their bodies. Toby promised to make a rude but serviceable
camp table upon which their meals might be served. And a host of other
things were considered by means of which their stay in the woods might
be made much more comfortable.
They talked of numerous things besides those that concerned the present
outing. Football came in for a fair share of their attention, because
the fever to excel in sports had already seized hold of these Chester
boys, and in the fall they hoped to put a sturdy eleven in the field
that would be a credit to the town.
Besides this other sports were mentioned, especially those having an
intimate connection with the season of snow and ice. Lake Constance
offered a fruitful field for iceboating; and there could hardly be a
finer stream than the crooked Paradise River when it came to skating
distances during a Saturday, or in the Christmas holidays.
So the time passed. They had actually cleaned out the coffeepot and both
fryingpans of their contents, but at least no one could ever complain of
getting up hungry in that camp--not while Steve had anything to do with
the cooking. His flapjacks had turned out to be a big success, and Toby
in particular was loud in praise of them; though by the way he winked at
Jack when declaring them the best he had ever devoured, barring none, it
was plainly evident that he was saying this partly in the hopes that the
gratified Steve would repeat the dose frequently.
"This will never do," said Jack, finally; "we have too much on hand this
morning to be loafing here. First we'll get the dishes out of the way,
and then arrange programme for the work. By noon I expect to have things
more ship-shape."
The others were eager to assist, and presently every one had his hands
full. The big tent was raised in better shape than could be done in
their hurry of the preceding evening. Then all their stock was gone
over, some of it placed securely away in the covered wagon until needed,
and the rest kept handy for immediate use.
A dozen different artifices were carried through, each intended to make
things more comfortable and handy. Plainly Jack knew ten times as much
about the business of camping-out as either of his chums; and they were
only too pleased to take lessons from him, being eager to "learn all the
frills," as Toby said.
And just as Jack had predicted when noon came they had most of these
innovations carried through, so that the afternoon could be used for
other enterprises as the humor suggested.