THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS
"How long do we stay in this camp, fellows?" asked Bluff.
"A few days only," replied Frank, with a mysterious smile.
"Look here, you've got something you're keeping from us," said Jerry
boldly.
"That's what I was thinking. So out with it, Frank. No secrets, please."
Will assumed a mock threatening appearance, holding the big spoon up as
though it were a baton, for they were washing up the supper things at
the time.
"Well, I suppose I'll have to, boys, seeing that I couldn't expect to
keep the secret much longer. Listen, then, and you shall hear. Have any
of you ever hunted through these mountains to any extent?" asked Frank.
"I've been up here once or twice, but it's mostly new to me," said
Jerry.
"Well, I studied a chart of the place, which, by the way, is in my
ditty bag at this minute. Please hand it over to me, Bluff. Now, here
you are."
He opened it up, and the others eagerly bent over, all dish-washing
operations being temporarily suspended in the common interest.
"Here's the road we came by, and about this spot is where our present
camp is located. Just two miles beyond lies Lake Surprise, which they
tell me is a beautiful little body of water," went on Frank, pointing
with his lead pencil on the map.
"Yes, I've heard about it, too. They say it springs upon you as you turn
a bend of the old logging road, and no one ever fails to gasp with
surprise at the beautiful sight. Hence the name. Well, go on, Frank,"
observed Will.
"Three days from now we will be encamped on the shore of that same lake,
if all goes well, and by that night there will be an arrival that must
astonish you. No use trying to guess, for you couldn't in a year. It
will be Adolphus, with the team, and what do you think he will be toting
up there?"
"More grub," answered Bluff promptly.
A shake of the head in the negative followed.
"Not the girls?" suggested Jerry eagerly, and with a sly blush.
"Well, much as I would like to see them, that is not the true answer. It
struck me that since the time the Indians used to paddle around that
little gem of a lake there had never been a canoe floating on its
waters, and my father proposed that he send up our boats, so that we
could have a glorious week to wind up with."
"Hurrah!"
"A glorious thought on your part, Frank."
"Won't it be fun, though! And the fishing must be fine, since no one
ever comes up here much." This from Jerry, who always had an eye out for
the sport.
"So make the most of this camp while we are here. It's a pretty good one
for its kind, with those rocks heaped up as a back-rest, and the trees
stretching far away all around. All it lacks is water in front to make
it perfect."
"Right you are, Frank. And those same rocks look pretty wild, too. I
noticed a big crack right back of our fire, there. Perhaps at some time
in the dim past a bear or other wild beast may have had its den in
there," said Will.
"Cracky! That is so! And by the same token, I mean to explore the place
in the morning. Who knows what a fellow might find in a hole like that?"
"Better go slow, Jerry. Remember that this place up here has been
getting a bad name. You might run across the ghost of Oak Ridge in the
course of your poking around into such holes," laughed Frank.
"H'm! That wouldn't please me a little bit. If we have to come on that
specter thing, I'd rather it was when we were all in a bunch," replied
the one addressed.
"Yes, in union there is strength. But don't forget, all of you, that one
of the main objects in our selecting the Sunset Mountains for our
present vacation trip was the hope of discovering the truth about that
same ghost. Hello! I declare if here isn't another visitor!"
All of them jumped as Frank uttered these last words. Poor Jed gave a
piteous little whimper, as though his fears had not wholly subsided by
any means.
Some one was seen striding boldly toward the campfire, coming from the
direction of the road. Immediately Jerry gave utterance to an
exclamation.
"Why, as sure as I live, I believe it's Andy!" he said.
"That's who it is--Andy Lasher," echoed Will.
"Now what do you suppose that fellow wants here?" muttered Bluff, who
was not so thoroughly convinced of the reform of Andy as some of his
chums.
The advancing form drew rapidly near.
"Hello, Andy!" said Jerry, holding out his hand.
Jerry had saved the life of the town bully the previous fall, when
during a storm a great tree had fallen and pinned him to the ground.
Ever since Andy had tried to show his gratitude toward his benefactor.
At the same time he would not make friends to any extent with the other
three boys.
"Howdy, Jerry," said the newcomer gruffly, as he accepted the offered
hand.
He seemed to be carrying an old grip, as though he might be on his way
across the mountains to the bustling manufacturing town of Chester,
where there were always chances for obtaining a job.
"Won't you sit down, Andy? We're long done supper, but if you're hungry
we can stir up something."
Jerry always said "we," as though he wished to impress it upon the
other's mind that the balance of his crowd were with him in all he said
and did.
"Ain't got time, Jerry. Got some business that's takin' me across here
to-night. I knowed you fellers was a-campin' round here, an' I wanted
to tell you something I thought you orter know. Pet Peters and his crowd
is up here, and they mean to make you trouble some way or other. That's
all. I'll be goin' on, now, Jerry."
Andy was plainly nervous. He had always been a bold spirit, so that it
could hardly be the presence of the other boys that affected him. Frank
wondered what ailed him, but of course he would not ask.
"Then you won't stop over night with us, Andy?" asked Jerry.
"Mighty kind of you to say that, but I can't, not this time. I'm in a
big hurry, you see. Saw Pet and the boys hatching up something and
thought I'd just drop in while goin' past, to put you wise. So-long,
Jerry."
Andy completely ignored the others. Not that they cared in the least,
for of old there had been war to the knife between this big fellow and
the members of the Rod, Gun and Camera Club. They could not easily
forget how vindictive he had ever been in his pursuit of the four chums.
He wheeled, and walked away, leaving the campers staring after him. So
he presently vanished from their vision, heading back toward the "tote"
road.
"Well," said Will, with a little laugh, "what d'ye think of that?"
"I say it's good of him to go to the trouble to warn us. He didn't know
that we had any idea those fellows were up here, and he came in good
faith, meaning to save us from being caught napping," said Jerry
stoutly.
"Oh, that's all right, Jerry. I admit that Andy is trying to walk the
straight path, and that all his success, so far, is due to you. But what
do you think he is doing up here?" demanded Bluff.
"I don't know; and, more than that, I don't believe it's any of my
business," returned Jerry promptly and significantly.
"Meaning that it isn't any of mine, either. Granted, for the sake of
argument, but all the same I can't help wondering."
"Yes, that's the lawyer of it, always wanting to know. Perhaps he just
felt like taking a walk," jeered Jerry.
"More than likely he's on his way across the Sunset Mountains to
Chester, looking for a job. I understand from the map that there's a
good road all the way over," said Frank, always ready to soothe the two
belligerents.
"Well, in that case, I hope he gets a good one. You mark my words,
fellows, that Andy Lasher is going to come out all right yet," declared
Jerry.
"It seemed to me he didn't like to see us up here," remarked Will.
"Well, now, that was my idea, too, though I don't know why he should
feel that way about it. These mountains are free to all. A few trappers
spend their winters up here, Jesse Wilcox among them, sometimes, but I
guess our camping for two weeks isn't going to interfere with anybody's
enjoyment," laughed Frank.
"Except the ghost's," remarked Bluff soberly, at which all laughed.
They were seated about in various attitudes a short time later. Will, as
usual, busied himself with his camera, which he was never weary of
handling. Bluff had started to oil his precious repeating gun for the
third time since leaving town, just as if he expected the dampness to
play havoc with its shooting powers. Frank was writing something in his
diary, for he made it a practice to keep a log of each outing, which had
proved a great pleasure to all the members of the club during the long
winter evenings, when they were snow-bound at home.
Jerry was talking in a low tone with the fugitive bound boy, on the
other side of the fire, and drawing out some little facts in connection
with his life that seemed to interest him intensely.
It looked like a wonderfully peaceful scene. The fire blazed cheerily,
sending up tongues of flame. At times the night air wafted the smoke
back into the crevice among the rocks close at hand, which the boys had
noticed, and intended to explore in the morning.
Suddenly, without a breath of warning, all this was changed as if by the
wand of a magician. There was a horrible roar, that thrilled the
campers, and a great black body came wallowing out from the crevice in
the rocks, plunging headlong into the fire, which was scattered hither
and thither by the furious attack.
"A bear!" shouted Frank, as he rolled over out of the way.