SEARCHING THE WHITE WILDERNESS
Nearly three hours passed before Doctor Joe and David returned to
camp, disheartened and thoroughly alarmed, to report that they had
found no trace of Jamie. In the thick-falling snow and darkness they
had been forced to relinquish the search until daylight should come to
their assistance.
Andy and the boys were dazed. It could hardly be comprehended or
credited that Jamie was, indeed, lost. They ate their belated supper
in silence, half expecting that he would, after all, come walking in
upon them. Doctor Joe was grave and preoccupied. Several times, now
he, now David, went out into the night to stand and listen in the
storm, but all they heard was the wail of wind in the tree tops.
At last, with heavy hearts, they went to bed, upon Doctor Joe's
advice. Andy asked that he might pass the night in the tent with
Doctor Joe and David, and so it was arranged. Neither Andy nor David,
more worried than they had ever been in all their lives before, felt
in the least like sleep. Doctor Joe did not lie down with them. For a
long while the two lads lay awake and watched him crouching before the
stove smoking his pipe, his face grave and thoughtful. He had spoken
no word of encouragement, and the lads knew that he was troubled
beyond expression.
The wind was rising. In sudden gusts of anger it dashed the snow
against the tent in swirling blasts, and moaned dismally through the
tree tops. The crackling fire in the stove, usually so cheerful, only
served now to increase their sorrow. It offered warmth and comfort and
protection from the night and cold and drifting snow, which Jamie, if
he had not perished, was denied. They could only think of him as
wandering and suffering in the cold and darkness, hungry and
miserable, and they condemned themselves.
When sleep finally carried the lads into unconsciousness, Doctor Joe's
tall figure was still crouching before the stove, and when they awoke
he was already up and had kindled a fresh fire in the stove, though it
was not yet day, and the tent was lighted by the flickering flame of
a candle.
"'Twill be daylight by the time we've finished breakfast," said Doctor
Joe as the lads sat up. "It's snowing harder than ever, but I think we
had better go out as soon as we can see and have a look up the brook.
Jamie may not be so far away. We may find him bivouacked quite close
to camp. The snow is getting deep and we shall not find travelling
easy."
"We'll be lookin' the best we can, whatever," agreed David. "I
couldn't bide in the tent with Jamie gone. I'm wakin' with a wonderful
heavy heart. I'm findin' it hard to believe he's not about camp, and I
were just dreamin' about he bein' lost."
"That's the way I feels too," said Andy. "I wakes feelin' most like
I'd have to cry. Can't I be goin' with you and Davy? I never can bide
here whilst you're away, Doctor Joe."
"Yes, we three will go and we'll take some of the other lads with us,
though we'll have to leave somebody in camp to keep the fire going,"
agreed Doctor Joe. "We'll need warm tents when we come back, if we
bring Jamie with us, and I hope we'll find him none the worse for his
night out."
"'Tisn't like 'twere winter," suggested David hopefully. "'Tisn't so
cold, if he were havin' matches to put on a fire, but I'm doubtin' he
has matches."
"Let us hope he had. Andy, suppose you call the others," suggested
Doctor Joe. "Breakfast is nearly ready."
Andy was already dressed, and hurrying out he presently returned with
the other lads. Breakfast of venison and bread with hot tea was
hurriedly eaten, while they put forth all sorts of theories as to the
cause of Jamie's disappearance and the possibilities of finding him.
"I'm thinkin' now," said David with a more hopeful view as daylight
began to filter through the tent, "that Jamie'll be knowin' how to fix
a shelter, and that we'll be findin' he safe and that he'll be just
losin' his way a bit in the storm. If he has matches he'll sure be
puttin' a fire on."
"I'm doubtin' he has the matches," suggested Andy discouragingly. "He
weren't thinkin' to be away from camp and he weren't takin' any. He
were never on the trails, and he'd sure be forgettin' to take un."
"Let us hope he has them," Doctor Joe encouraged. "If he has matches
I'm sure he'll be safe enough."
"'Twere my fault he were gettin' lost," said Seth. "He'd never been
gettin' lost if I'd only kept he in sight the way you said to do."
"No," objected Doctor Joe, "we'll not say it was anybody's fault."
Presently they were ready. Seth and Micah were detailed to remain in
camp, and the others set forth, David and Doctor Joe carrying their
rifles.
In much the same manner as that adopted in the search for the rock the
previous day, Doctor Joe and the boys spread out on the left, or
westward, side of the brook. Now, however, they were much closer
together, because they could see so short a distance through the snow.
Walking was much harder, and their progress correspondingly slower.
Thus they continued to the farthest point reached before turning back
the previous day, David or Doctor Joe now and again firing shots from
their rifles. Then they turned back, making the return just to the
westward of the trail made by Doctor Joe, who was on the left flank as
they passed up the brook.
"There's a rock! There's a big rock!" shouted David, as the rock
where Jamie had begun his search for the cache loomed high through the
snow.
Every one ran to the rock, and as they gathered by its side, Andy
exclaimed:
"I knows now what Jamie does! He were near enough to see the rock! He
were the last one beyond Seth, and he finds un and he goes huntin' the
cache by himself, and it gets dark and he gets lost when the snow
comes!"
"That sounds reasonable," admitted Doctor Joe. "I shouldn't be the
least surprised if you were right! It's more than probable that's just
what happened! The thing now is to find the direction Jamie probably
took from here, and the snow has covered all trace of him."
"With his trail all covered, there'll be no trackin' he. What'll we do
about un?" asked David. "'Tis hard to think out what way Jamie'd be
like to go from here."
"Let's try goin' the way the paper said the cache was," suggested
Andy. "Maybe Jamie finds un in the tree and climbs the tree and falls
and hurts himself."
"Andy is right," agreed Doctor Joe. "It is quite likely he used his
copy of the directions to find the cache, and that he went in the
direction specified. We'll do the same."
It did not take them long to find the hackmatack tree, and in doing so
they stumbled upon the pile of rocks Jamie had built up for a compass
rest. It was covered with snow, but was high enough to be discernible,
and a careful clearing of the snow discovered the fact that the stones
had been recently piled.
"They may have been piled by the man who made the cache," suggested
Doctor Joe.
"He'd never been doin' that!" objected David. "'Twould make the tree
too easy to find. I'm thinkin' 'twere Jamie piles un."
"What would Jamie be pilin' the stones for now?" asked Lige
sceptically. "He'd not be takin' time to go pilin' up stones that
way."
"He piles un to pilot us when we comes huntin' he," suggested David.
They took the next direction, and in due time discovered the round
rock, the top of which they likewise cleared of snow that they might
make quite certain it was the rock for which they were searching.
Then, in due time, Jamie's second pile of rocks and finally the birch
tree were located.
At the birch tree all clues were lost. Vainly they circled the
surrounding country, firing rifles occasionally until they came to the
edge of the marsh.
"We'd never be findin' he on the mesh, if he gets out there,"
suggested David.
"No," agreed Doctor Joe, "and there's no reason to suppose that he
crossed it to the other side."
"That's what I thinks," said David. "He's somewheres this side of the
mesh. He'd never cross un. He'd be knowin' there's no mesh between
here and camp."
"He'd know 'twere not the way to camp," declared Andy. "Jamie'd never
be forgettin' that he crosses no mesh comin' from camp however turned
about he is. He'd never be so turned about as that."
"We'll search all the country, then, between this marsh and the
brook," suggested Doctor Joe.
They could not know that Jamie, on the opposite side of the marsh, was
at that moment in a snug shelter, and had been listening to their
rifle shots, and supposing them to be the breaking of dead branches in
the wind. Jamie was too small and too inexperienced to face and
weather the storm on the marsh, unassisted, but Doctor Joe or David or
even Andy might have crossed it. How often it happens that an obstacle
that might be surmounted turns us back at the very door of success!
Wearily they trailed back through the woods, and up and down until
darkness finally forced them to return to camp unsuccessful and heavy
hearted. The younger lads were almost too weary to drag their feet
behind them. They had eaten nothing since their early breakfast, but
Seth and Micah, anxiously watching and hoping, had a hot supper of
fried venison and bread and tea ready, and as soon as they had
finished their meal, Doctor Joe directed that they go to bed and rest.
Long before daybreak Doctor Joe was stirring. He lighted the fire, and
when the kettle boiled roused David. Breakfast was ready when Andy
awoke.
"Is you startin' so early?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "'Tis
wonderful early. We can't see to travel till light with snow fallin'."
"Clear and fine outside!" said Doctor Joe, "I'm not satisfied that
Jamie didn't cross the marsh. It's likely to be a long hard tramp and
David and I are going alone this morning because we can travel faster.
If we don't find Jamie by noon we'll come back after you and the other
lads. You'll be fresh and rested then for the afternoon's search. We
can't give it up till we find Jamie."
"I'd be keepin' up with you," protested Andy.
"If you go we'll have to take some of the others," objected Doctor
Joe. "The snow is deep and they'll not be able to travel as fast as we
shall. Let us go alone and if we need you we'll come for you."
And so it was arranged.
Presently David and Doctor Joe set forth in the frosty starlit
morning. They turned their steps toward the marsh, and were near its
eastern border when David stopped and sniffed the air.
"I smell smoke!" he exclaimed eagerly.
"Are you sure?" asked Doctor Joe, also sniffing. "I don't smell it."
"There's a smell o' smoke!" insisted David. "The wind's from the
west'ard, and the smoke comes from over the mesh. There's a fire
somewheres over there."
"Your nose is keener than mine," said Doctor Joe hopefully. "Go
ahead, Davy. We'll see if you really smell smoke."
David led the way out upon the marsh, and they had gone but a short
distance when Doctor Joe was quite sure that he, also, smelled smoke.
David hurried on with Doctor Joe at his heels.
"There's somebody movin'!" exclaimed David presently. "See un? See un?
'Tis sure Jamie!"
Then he ran and Doctor Joe ran, and thus they came upon the frightened
Jamie, standing uncertainly before his lean-to.