THE ENEMY MAKES A RAID
"You think we had better stop and see if we can catch any more fish
before we go ashore?" asked Rand, when the Dart had gone.
"Why," asked Jack, "there's enough, ain't there?"
"There was," allowed Rand, "but it is a good deal later now."
"I think we had better go on," said Jack laughingly. "There is a
good place I can see. That strip of beach over there is a natural
landing place."
"And a green spot back of it that would make a dandy place for a
camp," added Pepper.
"I wish we could come up here and camp," said Jack. "Wouldn't it
be fine?"
"I s-s-say!" cried Pepper.
"Well, s-say it," said Donald.
"Let's organize a patrol and come up here and camp out."
"You hit the bullseye that time, Pepper," cried Jack enthusiastically.
"'Twould no be a bad idea," admitted Don.
"Ah done reckon dat am a fac', for shuah," drawled Rand in the
negro dialect, of which he was master.
"We will get Colonel Snow to start us," added Jack.
"Agreed!" cried the others.
"And we will see him just as soon as we go back."
"And start the thing right away."
Talking enthusiastically over their plans, the boys pulled the boat
in to the shore.
"See that curious-looking house up there," broke in Don. "I didn't
know there was anybody living up here."
"House! Where?" asked Rand.
"There, among the trees. It is covered with bark so you would hardly
notice it."
"Oh, yes, looks like a big tree," said Jack. "Must be a hermit."
"But I thought hermits always lived in caves," demurred Pepper.
"Well, here is one that doesn't," replied Jack.
"Let's go and see him," suggested Rand.
"I don't think we had better," doubted Pepper. "If he's a hermit
he doesn't want visitors, and maybe he is an outlaw."
"An outlaw," laughed Jack. "What have you been reading lately?"
"Why, there ain't 'no sich things,' at least around here," added
Rand.
"Well," persisted Pepper, "there's no use rushing into things you
don't know anything about, and besides we want something to eat
first."
"Pepper wants to make sure of his dinner, whatever happens," said
Rand.
"Somebody else thinks the same way, too, from the smoke up there."
"Smoke, where?" asked Donald.
"Up there on the top of the mountain," replied Rand. "See that haze
floating away."
"I thought that was a cloud," said Jack. "I wonder what it means?"
"That some hunters are making a fire to cook with," volunteered
Donald.
"Of course that is it," agreed Rand. "You can always depend upon
old Solomon to knock the romance out of anything."
"Well, I don't know," continued Jack. "It looks queer to me."
"Oh, everything looks queer to you," argued Donald. "You are always
seeing mysteries."
"Yes," retorted Jack, "and you can't see them until they come up
to you and hit you over the head. I've got more than half a notion
to go there and see what it is. Any of you want to go?"
"Not I," replied Rand. "It's a good two miles up there, if it is
one, and my curiosity isn't strong enough to carry me that far."
"Nor I," added Donald. "I can find all the trouble I want without
going to the top of the mountain hunting for more."
"Trouble," said Jack. "Now, who said anything about trouble?"
By this time they had reached the shore and, jumping out of the
boat, dragged it up on the beach.
"Now," called Rand, when they had landed, "who wants to be cook?
Don't all speak at once."
"I'll do it," volunteered Jack, "but--"
"Say no more," interjected Rand, "we couldn't do worse and Don is
almost as bad. I reckon, Pepper, it must be you or I."
"If we don't want to starve," agreed the boy.
"If you and Jack will clean the fish and Don will bring the water
and wash the dishes I'll do the cooking," went on Rand. "Is that
fair?"
"That's fair, all right," agreed the others.
"All right, then," ordered Rand, "get busy."
While Jack and Pepper were getting the fish ready, Rand brought
the stove from the boat, set it up and had it burning, and the pan
hot by the time Pepper came with the first installment of fish.
"Gee! that smells good," called Jack a little later when the frying
fish, under Rand's skillful manipulation, began to send forth savory
odors. "You can sure cook, Rand."
"Ah done reckon dat am a fac', foh shuah," said Rand.
"Hurry up, Rand," broke in Pepper. "I can't wait much longer."
"All ready, sah," called Rand. "Dem fishes am prognosticated to ah
turn."
Something passing on the river attracted attention, and the boys
all walked a few paces toward the water.
At this instant, as their backs were turned, a boy ran swiftly
from a nearby clump of bushes, snatched the pan from the stove,
overturning the latter as he did so, and silently dashed back into
the woods.
It was done so quickly and adroitly that Pepper, who was the first
to catch sight of him, had scarcely time to shout:
"There goes Monkey Rae, and he has got our fish."
"What is it?" asked Rand in bewilderment.
"Monkey Rae," cried Pepper; "he's stolen our fish! Come on, boys.
After him!"
"Well, of all things!" exclaimed Rand, "that takes the cake."
"I t-t-think it takes t-t-the fish," amended Pepper, as he dashed
away.
The boys set out at once in pursuit of the thief, but he had too
long a start, and perhaps, some knowledge of the locality, and
after a vain hunt they straggled back to the boat without having
found any trace of him.
"Well, that's the meanest thing yet," grumbled Pepper, looking at
the overturned stove. "The oil has all run out and we can't cook any
more," he went on, with so gloomy an expression that, in spite of
their anger against Monkey Rae, the others could not help laughing.