The mountain chosen for the climb was one of the wildest and ruggedest
of the Blue Ridge range. It rose just beyond Blue Mountain, whereon
Hammond and his friends had their summer camp, and its dark shadows fell
afternoons into the hollows and dells where clung the cabins of the poor
whites who recognized the leadership of Bob Thornton.
"It's not a pleasant feat to contemplate," grumbled Bruce Browning,
looking from the door of the cottage he occupied in company with others,
and staring up at the half-naked heights that thrust themselves skyward.
"It's much prettier at a distance. I haven't any sympathy for these
fellows who form Alpine clubs, to bury themselves in snowdrifts and
break their necks in crevices, when they might be staying at home,
sensibly enjoying themselves."
"I don't doubt you're really wishing for a rattling good chill," laughed
Sep Colson. "It would be such an excellent excuse to laze all day in
that hammock."
"Hardly that," grunted Bruce. "A fellow might as well wish he'd break an
arm to get out of the job of sawing a little wood. But, seriously,
doesn't it seem to you a great waste of energy for a mighty little
return to go panting up that mountain, trying to beat a lot of other
fellows who haven't any more sense than you?"
"No more of that," cried Rattleton, coming up at that moment, and
overhearing the question. "You're the worst grumbler on the face of the
footstool, Browning. I should think you'd be just dancing with joy this
morning to think how you slipped through that scrape down at Thornton's.
And if there is anything prettier than that mountain, with the morning
mists creeping around it, I don't know what it is."
"Oh, it's pretty enough--at a distance!" growled Bruce. "And, of course,
I'm going with you, even if I haven't got over that headache yet. You
couldn't get along without me."
"Roight yez are in thot!" declared Barney Mulloy, coming, with a shining
face, from a dip in the lake. "Indade, we couldn't git on widout yez,
an' it's moighty bad we filt whin we thought ye wur dead."
After solemn consultation over the matter, it had been determined to
keep Browning's adventure a close secret. It would be difficult to prove
anything against either Sam Turner, Ward Hammond or Bob Thornton, and
the effort would necessarily involve Nell Thornton, whom they naturally
wished to protect, and not injure.
Bob Thornton had not been seen, and it was reasonable to suppose that,
Turner's attempt having failed he was keeping himself out of sight, and
would continue to do so until the supposed revenue officers had
disappeared from the neighborhood.
The starting point of the climb was a glade at the foot of Bald
Mountain, and the goal a flat rock beyond the mountain's outthrust
shoulder, both the shoulder and the rock being well-known landmarks.
A score of men from the summer cottages in the village were at the
starting point when Merriwell's party arrived, and two had been sent on
some time before to station themselves at the rock, that the time
occupied in the ascent and the victors in the contest might be
accurately determined.
"Hammond's fellows don't seem to be here," declared Rattleton, stabbing
his alpinstock in the ground, and looking about.
"I don't doubt they will come all right," Merriwell hastened to say.
"Meebe dey ain' got ober shoutin' 'bout dat swim yit!" observed Toots, a
smile of pleasurable recollection lighting his ebony face.
"Here they come, just the same," announced Bart Hodge. "They've got
sand, and that's something to praise them for. It's my opinion, too,
that they'll give us a hard climb, for most of them are familiar with
these mountains and hardened to such work."
Ward Hammond was diplomatic enough on his arrival to try to conceal the
intense hatred he felt for Frank Merriwell. He recognized that Craig
Carter had made a sad mess of it by striking at Frank with the oar. Even
Hammond's friends had denounced this as a criminal and cowardly piece of
work.
As for Craig, he held himself aloof from the joking and conversation,
and was not without a fear that Merriwell would seek to punish him yet
for his contemptible conduct.
But Merriwell's victory in the swimming match had been so complete that
he chose to pass the matter by without comment, instead of dealing blow
for blow.
The starter looked at his watch.
"The party, or any member of either party, that reaches the rock first
is to be counted winner. The object is to reach the rock in the shortest
possible time."
Browning glanced up at the mountain, and groaned, as Merriwell grouped
his party, and the boys broke into a hearty laugh.
"It is now nine o'clock," said the starter, when all were ready. "You
ought to do it in two hours, or less. I won't attempt to give you any
advice. You know what's before you. Go!"
Ward Hammond led off at a sharp run, swinging his alpinstock and taking
the path that led toward the right, while Sep Colson, who had been
chosen to lead the Lake Lily Club, because of his greater familiarity
with the ground to be covered, swung into the path that wound around the
mountain on the left.
"It's a little farther," he said, "but the traveling is easier, and
we'll make better time."
Frank Merriwell crowded close to Colson's heels, and others fell in
behind him, with Hans Dunnerwust bringing up the rear.
"Yes, this is what I call fun!" grunted Browning, as a bowlder slipped
under him and he half fell.
"Be afther takin' a little more quoinin' to roise yer spairts," advised
Barney Mulloy, with a grin.
When more than half a mile had been passed over, and they were jogging
down a declivity at a lively pace, Colson stopped so suddenly that
Merriwell fairly tumbled over him.
"What is it?" Frank questioned.
"Look there! There's Nell Thornton waving to us."
"She wants to speak to us," said Rattleton, looking in the direction
indicated by Colson's pointing finger.
Bruce straightened up and forgot to grumble, when he saw the slim form
of the girl descending the rocks.
She was letting herself down a precipitous bluff, clinging to the vines
and bushes.
"She can get over places I shouldn't care to try," declared Bruce, with
an admiration that was akin to enthusiasm. "I wonder what she wants?"
"We shall find out very soon now," said Merriwell. "It won't take her
long to reach us."
Dropping to the level ground, Nell came shyly toward the party, with
evident embarrassment.
"Do you uns want ter beat them thar other fellows bad?" she asked.
"The worst kind," declared Rattleton.
"Thar's a way it kin be done," she said, with kindling glance, "ef so be
ez you uns air good climbers. Thar's a path which the mounting men
foller when they air in a hurry, sech o' them ez knows 'bout it. I kin
show it ter ye, though ef dad knowed I done it he'd jes' nacherly kill
me!"
"You may show it to us with perfect safety," promised Merriwell.
She gave a quick glance toward Browning, as if for confirmation of the
promise.
Browning flushed.
"As Mr. Merriwell says, the secret will be perfectly safe with us, Miss
Thornton," touching his cap. "You may rely on it!"
"I kinder sorter wanted you uns ter beat 'em," she confessed, "an' it'll
pleasure me ter help you ter do it. You uns'll hev ter shin up that thar
bluff somehow er 'nuther ter git a start."
She pointed to the precipice down which she had swung, and Browning gave
an inward groan.
"Heavens!" he inaudibly grumbled. "She must want to see me killed. Those
vines will come down like cotton strings when I put my weight on them."
Merriwell nodded, and the girl led the way to the bluff.
"Take holt o' that thar saplin' an' that'll holp you ter reach the
cedar. Then grab them vines an' git along ez best ye kin. Them vines'll
bear a good heft, an' ye needn't be skeered uv 'em."
Having said this, with pointing finger, she stepped aside. Frank
Merriwell grasped the slim hickory and drew himself up to the scrubby
cedar that here thrust its roots into a crack in the ledge.
He was followed by Colson and Rattleton. Then came Bart Hodge and Jack
Diamond.
The climb was not so difficult as it looked. Some of the smaller vines
broke under the weight of Browning, and of Ephraim Gallup, but in a
comparatively short time all were at the top of the bluff.
The girl swung herself up after them, and pointed to a dim path leading
through a thicket of laurel straight toward the frowning cap of the
mountain.
"Thar's yer way!" she whispered. "I see ye've got a rope fer ther bad
places. Two or three uv 'em'll maybe hump ye, but I'm sure you uns, by
holpin' each other, kin make it. An' it'll save ye nigh about half the
distance."
"Thank you," said Frank, as she turned away. "You have placed us under
great obligations."
This time Merriwell took the lead, plunging into the laurel, for the
route was an unknown one to all. He hurried forward as rapidly as the
ground would admit.
A number of hogs of the razorback variety leaped up in front of him and
scurried out of sight.
"Look out that you don't get bitten," shouted Rattleton, with a laugh.
"Those are wild hogs, you must understand, and you'd better not crowd
them."
The hogs looked fierce enough to justify Rattleton's assertion.
"A boar hunt in these hills wouldn't be bad," said Hodge. "One of those
fellows had tusks like razors."
They soon found abundant use for the rope, of which Nell Thornton had
spoken, and for the stout alpinstocks they had provided as well. The way
was rough and steep, and they quickly came to a series of benches, where
the rope was found invaluable.
"This is what I call tough," grunted Browning, mopping his heated face
at the end of one of these climbs.
"Cyant hab no chillins, an' fevah, dough, Mistah Browning, when you
sweat dat way," laughed Toots. "Dis clamb is gwan ter cure yeh."
"Or kill me!" Bruce growled.
"I wonder how these other fellows are getting on?" said Hodge.
"I don't doubt they're going faster than we are," answered Merriwell.
"But I'm depending on the judgment of that girl, and you know that we
have the best of authority for believing that the race is not always to
the swift."
"Or the battle to the strong!" chimed in Diamond, completing the
quotation.
"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Rattleton.
"Mr. Rattleton, what are you grinning about now?" queried Hodge.
"I was just thinking that if the battle were always to the strong, what
a fight a polecat would put up!" answered Rattleton, with another shout.
"I believe, by chaowder, they air the strongest things on earth,"
declared the boy from Vermont, with a smile. "I tried to poke one out of
dad's old barn once, an' I thought it would lift the roof, b'gosh!"
Higher and higher the dim path led, zigzagging at times, crossing
perilous crevices, which they were forced to leap, dipping into narrow
gorges, through which ran icy streams of water from hidden springs.
"I tell you we're nearing the top!" cried Rattleton, with a burst of
enthusiasm.
Merriwell looked at his watch.
"We've already been an hour on the way," he declared. "That starter
thought the climb could be made in two hours. We may have to cross that
rocky shoulder yet."
"No, we shall not have to cross it," said Hodge. "I caught a view of the
path from that other slope a while ago, and it swings under the point
instead of over it."
"Hello! I don't know about this!" cried Merriwell, coming to a full stop
at another bend.
The path ended at the foot of a flat rock that rose upward like the
wall.
"We've got to get up there somehow," asserted Diamond. "The path will be
found again at the top."
Browning stepped forward.
"There's only one way, fellows. I understand now just what Nell meant
when she said we'd have to help each other. Climb up on my shoulders
here, Gallup. You're the longest and can reach that notch with your
hands. Perhaps Hans had better go next."
"By gum! he ain't here!" snorted Gallup, staring around.
"He must have got tired and stopped," said Merriwell. "We can't wait for
him. We may lose the race if we do. And it will punish him right, when
he comes to this place and finds he can't get up."
"We'll come back and lower the rope for him," said Browning, putting
himself in position against the wall of rock. "As Merriwell says, we
haven't any time to lose."
Gallup glanced quizzically upward, then gave his hand to Merriwell, and
was assisted to Browning's broad shoulders.
"No fooling," grunted Browning. "If I've got to play the strong man in
this game of high and lofty tumbling, I want you fellows to get a move
on you. Gallup alone feels as if he weighs a ton."
Barney climbed to Gallup's shoulders, and Merriwell came next, carrying
the rope.
Standing on Barney's shoulders, he was able to grasp the branches of a
tree that hung down at that point, and scrambled quickly on to the top
of the bluff.
"Yes, the path is up here," he shouted back, letting down an end of the
rope. "Put that loop around your waist, Diamond, and I'll pull as you
climb. You'll find it will be a good deal easier."
"You'd better hurry on without me," advised Browning, when all were at
the top but himself. "You'll lose valuable time trying to get me up
there, and it's not necessary."
"We'll have you up in just a moment," promised Merriwell. "Take a seat
in that loop. You won't need to do much, only keep yourself from
scratching scales off the rock. There's enough of us up here to lift
you, and the rope is strong. Bring up the alpinstocks that were dropped,
too. We may need them again."
"Well, if I must, I must!" grumbled Browning, who would not have been
sorry if they had gone on without him. "Haul away. And remember that my
life isn't insured."
It was no easy task to lift him to the top, but it was accomplished
without mishap.
"No Hans in sight yet," said Merriwell.
Rattleton, who was running up the path, was heard to give a whoop.
"Fellows, we're right there!" he announced, hastening back to bear the
glad tidings. "I took a peep through the bushes, and the rock isn't a
hundred yards away. I saw the men who were sent up here standing by it,
and there wasn't another soul in sight."
Merriwell looked at his watch again.
"An hour and twenty minutes since we started. Lead on, Rattleton. If
you've seen the rock, you may act as guide. We're after you."
Rattleton dived into the bushes again with a whoop, closely followed by
Merriwell, who saw in a few moments that Harry was right.
The goal was just before them, with only the timekeepers there, and they
had won the race!