PLANNING A SURPRISE
"MORE trouble ahead!" cried Roger, starting back, for he did not fancy
a hand-to-hand conflict with that furious beast, intent on claiming the
game that had fallen to Dick's gun.
"Do nothing rash!" admonished the other, who knew the headstrong ways
of his cousin, and wished to prevent any action that might precipitate
a struggle.
"But see how the beast acts! As if he owned the earth, Dick!"
"Well, what of it?" came the steady reply, for Dick was hastening his
reloading operations while talking, something Roger did not seem to
have thought of.
"But you shot the bull, Dick," urged the other.
"Then I make of him a present to our friend, the big cat," Dick told
him. "We have quite enough meat out on the open, all we can manage.
Besides, I pity your teeth if you ever try to bite into the flesh of
that tough old rascal. Move around, and let the cat be. That's all he
asks of us."
"But, Dick, I don't like to let it seem as though the two of us were
afraid of just a hungry panther," remonstrated Roger, who was proud of
his valor.
"Oh! for that matter, there's the poor old wolf, you remember. And in a
short time the air will be black with buzzards coming to the feast from
a distance of miles around. Let good enough alone, as I've heard your
mother tell you, many's the time."
Grumbling a little, and sending more than one aggressive look backward
toward the audacious panther, Roger finally agreed to accompany his
chum out to where the other victims lay.
The rest of the herd had galloped away, and were far distant by this
time, though now lacking a gallant protector. And, lying where they
had fallen, were the yearling bull and another, for both boys had made
capital shots.
"What shall we do first?" asked Roger.
"I want to see you charge that rifle of yours before we start a single
thing," he was told bluntly by his companion.
"Oh! I had forgotten that part of the game, but you know I generally
do reload without any loss of time, Dick. I learned that long years
ago, and many a time, as I can distinctly remember, it saved me a heap
of trouble."
This duty having been accomplished, Roger waited to hear what they
were to attempt next; for as a rule he was content to let Dick do the
planning.
"While you go and fetch the horses, Roger, I'll start to cutting up
this fine young bull. You've got your bearings, of course, and know
just where we left our mounts?"
"I surely do know," the other replied, "and I'll have them here before
long. If I were you, Dick, I'd keep one eye out for that slippery beast
of a panther. For all any one can say, he may take a notion that he
prefers tender meat to tough. And that I'd call carrying the joke too
far."
"Depend on it, Roger, I'll keep my gun handy all the while, and, if Mr.
Panther gives me any trouble, I'll be tempted to waste a bullet on him.
Get back as soon as you can, that's all."
With that advice ringing in his ears Roger hurried off, while Dick,
drawing his hunting knife with the buckhorn handle, proceeded to first
remove most of the skin of the young bull, so that it could be used
to wrap around the meat. After this he started to cut away such choice
portions as he meant to keep.
Every now and then as was his habit, he raised his head to take a quick
glance around; but neither the panther nor the wolf came into sight.
Evidently the hungry animals were not excessively particular about the
tenderness of their meat, if only the supply proved sufficient.
Roger came galloping up after a bit, leading the second horse. The
animal did considerable snorting, as horses always will when they scent
freshly spilled blood; but Roger knew how to stake them out so that
they could not wander away.
After that he commenced dressing the second buffalo, also a yearling.
Since both boys had had considerable experience in this, they made fair
work, and the two piles of fresh meat mounted up by degrees.
It was just as well, for evening was not far away now, the day having
drawn on toward its close. Off yonder, in the glowing west, the sun was
sinking, and beginning to paint the fleecy white clouds a vivid red
that had strange fluted columns running up and down. To the imagination
of the two boys these were the beckoning fingers that tempted them
always, just as the rainbow for ages past has promised a pot of gold to
him who could find the spot where its foot rested on the earth.
The two bundles of meat were tied securely, and fastened to the backs
of the prancing horses. Then the boys set off, expecting to strike the
camp of the expedition along the bank of the river.
As they passed the timber they could see something of a commotion
in the place where they had had their adventure with the savage old
buffalo bull. Dozens of big bald-headed birds were sitting on dead
limbs of the trees, now dropping awkwardly down to the ground, and anon
flapping back to their perches.
"The buzzards came, just as I thought they would," remarked Dick; "but
they'll have to wait for the second table, because that cat and the
wolf must first be served. When they can hold no more they may go away
and let the poor buzzards have a chance."
Dick did not have any particular trouble in finding his bearings.
It had been indelibly impressed on his mind that the river lay to
the north, and, with the setting sun on their left, it would be no
difficult task to find the water.
He had also figured out about where the boats and the horses would
bring up when the day's toll had been taken, so that he was now making
what he would have called a bee-line for that particular place.
The sun was down behind the level horizon at last, and shadows had
begun to creep out of their hiding-places. Roger began to feel a little
anxiety concerning their hoped-for arrival at the river.
"It seems to be further than I thought," he ventured to say presently.
"Meaning the river, I suppose," remarked Dick, calmly. "Yes, I expected
that it would take us some little time to get there, because there was
a big bend just at the place we left the water, on sighting that hill
which we climbed to look around for game."
"Dick, I believe I see something that flickers ahead of us!" exclaimed
Roger just then.
"It must be the light of the fires, which as usual have been built
below the river-bank, so that their glow may not betray the camp to
hostile eyes. Yes, just as you say, Roger, we are getting there, and
will be in on time."
"Oh! as to that, Dick," said the other with a laugh, "even if supper is
started they will be sure to switch off and give this fresh buffalo
meat the first showing. But, for one, I shall be glad to rest. After
all that prancing around my tree every muscle in my legs cries out in
pain, I do believe."
They were not long in arriving at the camp, and, when the campers found
what the packages that the horses carried contained, they greeted the
newcomers with cheery words of welcome and of thanks.
It was a lively scene, with the boats drawn up on the sandy beach under
the river-bank; the horses picketed out to graze; the tents that had
been erected to serve as sleeping quarters for the company; and the
blazing fires about which the cooks were starting to cook the evening
meal. For a background to the picture there was the ever-murmuring
river, and the boys, many a time, wished they were able to send a
loving message down those hundreds of miles to the little settlement of
St. Louis, where their loved ones dwelt.
They knew that a monumental task still lay before them, since the
terrible, rocky mountains, of which they had heard vague stories from
the Indians, had to be scaled, as well as trackless wastes of desert
land crossed, before they could hope to feast their eyes on the blue
sea which was their goal.
Still, the whole summer lay before them, and they had already
surmounted so many obstacles that nothing seemed to daunt those bold
spirits. Each day's journey they counted another link in the chain,
and, having virtually burned their bridges behind them, it became a
necessity that they succeed.
The supper was finally cooked, and those who were not on duty as guards
settled down to enjoy what had been prepared. As usual Dick and Roger
found places close together, for they were chums in everything, and
liked to chat while eating.
"This pays me for all my trouble with that old bull," remarked Roger as
he munched away. "Sweeter meat I never tasted, if I do say it myself."
"Oh! I agree with you there," Dick told him. "But I find myself
wondering why Captain Lewis keeps looking over this way so often. And
then, too, it strikes me he is unusually solemn to-night. What do you
say, Roger?"
"I hadn't noticed it before," came the reply presently, "but, now that
you call my attention to the fact, I really believe you are right. He
does look as if something had gone wrong. I wonder what could have
happened while we were away this afternoon."
"We may have to take it out in guessing," Dick observed, "unless the
Captain decides to tell us about it, which is hardly likely. But the
rest of the men seem to be noisier and in better humor than usual.
There's Andrew Waller keeping a lot of them roaring with laughter as he
tells some comical story. I never saw him so lively, come to think of
it."
About the time all of them were through eating, Dick discovered that
Captain Meriwether Lewis was walking directly toward the spot where he
and his chum still sat. A couple of convenient stones had afforded them
resting places; but, as the commander of the expedition paused beside
them, both lads immediately sprang to their feet, courteously offering
the captain a seat.
"I will accept if one of you can sit tailor-fashion on the ground,"
remarked Captain Lewis, but without any sign of merriment in his
voice, for he was still looking very grave. "I want to speak with both
of you lads, and it is concerning a subject in which you are deeply
interested."
Of course that aroused their curiosity at once, and Roger lost no
time in dropping upon the sand, where he could make himself fairly
comfortable.
As soon as they were all seated again the captain began:
"While you two boys were away on your hunt this afternoon, something
happened which deepened my suspicion that we have a traitor among us.
By a mere accident I picked up a bit of paper that some one must have
drawn from his pocket unknown to himself. Glancing idly at it I was
startled at what I read."
He looked around him as though to make certain that no eye watched his
action, and then placed a small piece of paper, very much wrinkled and
soiled, in Dick's hand. Together the boys fastened their eyes on the
writing and made out the fragment of a sentence:
"if you think it unsafe to stay longer in the camp, join us;
but be sure and bring plenty of guns and ammunition along,
for we need them."
There was no signature, but the boys did not doubt in the least that
the one whose hand had Penned this note of instructions was François
Lascelles or his equally rascally son, Alexis. The question was, who
could the recipient be, and how were they to find out.
"After you found this paper, Captain, you watched to see if any one
seemed to be searching for anything, I suppose?" Dick asked eagerly.
"All the afternoon I have kept on the alert, but, whoever the villain
is, he has either not discovered his loss, or else has assumed an
appearance of indifference in order to blind hostile eyes."
"But how do you suppose he could have received the message?" continued
Dick.
"That, too, may always remain a mystery," continued the other,
reflectively, "but an arrangement could have been made whereby certain
stones that were laid down in a peculiar manner would direct him to
search in a hollow stump or under a log for a letter. All we know is
that this traitor did receive his message, and started to tear it to
pieces, but on second thought kept part of the letter."
"It will be his undoing yet, sir, I think," Roger ventured to suggest.
"Too bad there was no name mentioned, so we could charge him with the
deed, and punish him as he deserves. I am wild to know who he is, for I
shall long remember how he tried to put an end to us in the rapids of
the Yellowstone."
"Perhaps you may, and that before another dawn comes," remarked the
captain, as he smiled indulgently at the headstrong boy, whom he had
come to like very much, as, indeed, he did Dick, also.
"That sounds as though you had made a plan of campaign, Captain," Dick
observed, with a pleased look that was only exceeded by the smile on
the face of his companion.
"I have laid out a little scheme which I think may work well, and trap
the guilty wretch in the toils," explained the captain. "You remember
the special mention made of guns and ammunition, which he was told to
take with him, if he really believed his usefulness in the camp had
come to an end? That gave me my clew."
"The bait will be a stock of powder and ball, and perhaps several guns,
unless I fail to catch your meaning, sir?" Dick continued.
"Before we go to sleep, to-night, I shall have three men, whose names
I need not mention, know that there are several good guns, and quite a
quantity of ammunition for them, in the supply tent where we keep our
extra provisions. It is not guarded beyond the fact that sentries are
posted outside the camp to watch for enemies. But to-night both of you
boys, together with myself and Captain Clark, will be in hiding, ready
to capture any one who ventures to enter that supply tent."
"Thank you for thinking of us, sir," exclaimed Roger, warmly.
"Why should I not do so, when the first intimation I received that
there was a traitor in the camp came through you two boys? And,
besides, you are more deeply interested in his capture and punishment
than any of the others, because this unknown spy is working hand and
glove with François Lascelles, who hates you most bitterly."
"Tell us what to do, Captain, and you can rely on our working with you
to the best of our ability," Dick assured the commander, who smiled at
him and went on to explain further.
"Understand then, that, later on, both of you, when not observed,
are to take your guns and disappear. I will look to find you in that
bunch of brush yonder to the right, and from that point we can watch
the supply tent until something happens. I think the bait will be
sufficiently attractive to tempt the man to make his move, meaning to
steal the guns and ammunition, after which he hopes to leave us in
the lurch. After we make sure that he is inside the tent, we can creep
up and face him as he comes out laden with his booty. That is enough,
since you understand," with which the captain laughingly arose to his
feet and sauntered away, leaving the boys thrilled through and through.