THE WAY BLOCKED.
"Hurrah!" exclaimed Step Hen, not in a shout, but cautious like, as
became a scout when danger was near; still, he was thrilled by the
information which this announcement from Giraffe contained.
If there was a fire beyond, the chances seemed pretty good that they
would soon know the truth with regard to Bumpus. Of course they kept on
hoping for the best; but almost anything would be preferable to this
anxiety that had been gnawing so long at their hearts, it had nearly worn
them out.
Allan thrust his burning torch into the ground, behind a neighboring
tree, so that its light might no longer blind his eyes when he tried to
see the fire Giraffe had discovered.
After all of them had been directed just where to look, by the exulting
scout whose sharp vision had first located the far-off light, it was
easily decided that there could be no doubt as to its being a fire.
And as the trail ran about that way, in a general direction, of course
they were perfectly safe in believing that some, or all, of those they
had been so persistently following, would be found alongside that fire.
The very thought gave them a delicious thrill. By another hour then,
perhaps in even less time than that, they would likely know the worst.
And if, as several of them secretly feared, those two ugly brutes of
timber cruisers had dared lay so much as the weight of their heavy hands
in anger on Bumpus, or ventured to kick him around as though he were a
slave--well, something unpleasant was going to happen to them, that was
positive.
"It's a fire, all right," announced Thad; and Giraffe breathed easier,
for he had been entertaining a slight fear lest some of his laurels be
snatched away.
"And all of a mile from here," Allan remarked. "I wonder however you
discovered it, Giraffe, with all these big trees around. There must be
just a little opening ahead, and you hit on that avenue."
"Oh!" said Giraffe, as if carelessly, though he was undoubtedly secretly
pleased with such words of commendation from one who had had such long
experience in the art of woodcraft as the Maine boy; "what's the good of
having eyes unless you use 'em? That was just dead easy--for me, you
know."
"Now, the question is, what do we want to do--what would seem to be our
best course?" Thad went on to say.
"I calculate you are referring to the torch business?" Allan remarked.
"Yes, that's it," replied the scoutmaster, "we've got to decide right now
whether to keep on using it for a while longer, or stamp on the same, and
make our way ahead the best way possible."
"But why not keep on with the light?" asked Step Hen, who was wondering
whether in the darkness he might not be so dreadfully unfortunate as to
step on another of those "fighting snakes," and have his _left_ leg put
out of commission also, which would be a dreadful catastrophe indeed.
"Because there's always a chance one of those sharp timber cruisers would
see it bobbin' along, and that would put them on their guard. We had one
experience in that line, you know, fellers, when they heard us coming,
and got all ready to receive us. I don't like ever to stamp out a fire,
but if you say the word, Thad, out it goes."
"I think on the whole," remarked the patrol leader, "it would be wiser
for us to do it. Let's locate that fire by the stars, or any other old
way. Now, you can douse the glim, Giraffe."
Accordingly the tall scout trampled on the partly-burned torch until the
very last spark had been extinguished.
"Hated to do it, but orders is orders," Giraffe was heard to mutter.
"Listen to him, would you?" said Step Hen, scornfully. "He feels that way
about all the fires he makes, too; just hates to put 'em out. Makes me
think of an old aunt I have. She raises chickens, but never has any to
eat. Why, she says she might as soon eat a baby, as a hen she'd raised,
and talked to, and made a pet of. Don't ketch me being so old-womanish
and silly."
Now that they were in darkness, it would of course make their progress
slower, since they had to reckon on all sorts of obstacles.
"One thing," said Allan, as they started out, "I think I can come back to
this same place in the morning, if we should want to find it again."
"But what would we want to find it for?" Step Hen demanded.
"Oh! I don't believe we will; but it might happen, you see, that we'd
have to take up the trail again from here," Allan explained.
"You mean in case we lost the fire, or didn't find Bumpus with those two
rascals?" Giraffe asked.
"That's it," said the Maine boy.
"Well, how're you agoin' to find this place again?" Step Hen went on to
inquire, "all coons look alike to me; and one part of this big timber
strikes me as pretty much the same as the rest, 'specially when you see
it at night time."
"You wait, and Allan, he'll tell you how," broke in Giraffe, confidently.
He felt sure from the way Allan spoke that he knew what he was saying;
and after seeing how cleverly the Maine boy had stuck to the trail, when
the marks were all Greek to himself and Step Hen, the tall scout had come
to have a sincere admiration for Allan.
Besides, just then it happened that Giraffe was feeling pretty good. He
had received a very high compliment from the acting scoutmaster, and that
is usually a great victory for any ambitious scout.
Why, he almost forgot he was tired to death, and that his injured leg had
been paining him furiously. Such an affect can mind have over matter.
"Oh!" said Allan, off-hand, and in no particular hurry to speak, because
they all really needed a little breathing spell before going on, "it's
generally dead easy to mark most any place in the timber, if only you use
your eyes. There's nearly always some odd old stump of a tree standing
around that you'd be apt to know again. Sometimes there happens to be a
tree with a queer shape, that just catches your eye. Once noticed, it's
easy to remember the same."
"And right now you're meaning that pair of trees that have fallen toward
each other till they look like a couple of girls going to hug," spoke up
Giraffe, quickly; eager to show that those boasted eagle eyes of his had
been able to see more than just the campfire far ahead.
"Sure thing. Giraffe, and I'm glad you noticed them, because two heads
are better than one, any day," Allan went on to say.
"Even if one is--but I won't say it," Step Hen chuckled.
"Guess you better not," snapped Giraffe. "But now that we've decided on
that little tree test of memory, hadn't we better be going ahead? I'm
thinkin' of our poor chum Bumpus, and what he may be enduring right now."
"Yes," declared Thad, "we've rested enough, and might just as well be
putting our best foot forward."
"Meanin' the right leg," muttered Giraffe.
"You're wrong--it's the left one with Allan and me, and majority rules in
our patrol, you know," chuckled Step Hen.
"Come on, boys, I've got the bearings pretty well, if that star only
stays out from behind the clouds that hide the moon."
Thad, upon speaking in this strain, started, with Allan alongside to give
council, and insure progress along direct lines.
Having had much more experience than the other pair of scouts they were
not only able to keep in a fairly direct line with the fire, but managed
to avoid stumbling over obstacles as well.
Giraffe and Step Hen proved less fortunate. Several times they stepped
into holes, or else tripped over vines. And each mishap was accompanied
by more or less of a crash, as well as much grumbling from the
unfortunate one, and perhaps chuckling from the other.
This would never do in the wide world. Either they must slow up still
more, so as to give the stumblers a chance to pick their way more
carefully, or else those better able to move along without trouble would
have to take Giraffe and Step Hen in tow.
It was decided that the latter method would be better, all things
considered. And so Thad convoyed Giraffe, while Allan slipped a hand
through the right arm of Step Hen.
"Case of the blind leading the blind, I guess," muttered the latter,
grimly, "because we've both got a game right leg."
"Don't talk any more than you have to, Step Hen," cautioned the other.
So they moved along for some time. At any rate it seemed to go better
now. The stumbles were fewer, and of less consequence, and naturally, as
the two who lacked experience in this sort of thing, became more and more
proficient, their confidence arose accordingly.
Now and then they were able to discover the beacon light that was drawing
them along. And in this particular the really sharp eyes of Giraffe
proved of great help. Several times he was able to direct Thad's
attention to the light when even the scoutmaster had failed to discover
it.
But all this while their progress seemed to continue in such a direct
forward line that both Giraffe and Step Hen were amazed. They could not
understand how it was done, with all those trees, and other obstacles, to
avoid.
Some boys seem to be natural-born woodsmen. It comes easy to such to
adapt themselves to circumstances, and learn all sorts of new "wrinkles"
connected with woodcraft. With others it is a hard task, though
determination to succeed is the main thing. Before that will-power, few
obstacles can stand.
It was while the four scouts were making fair progress through the timber
in this manner, that they suddenly ran up against another serious
obstacle, and one that for a time threatened to upset all their
calculations.
Allan suddenly gave the low bark of a fox, quickly repeated twice. It
brought the boys to a sudden standstill, for they recognized the signal
of danger.
The way was blocked!