THE STORY IN THE DEAD FIRE
It was an hour past daylight on the following morning when Tad, who had
got up early, shouldered his rifle and stalked out of camp, returned.
The other boys were just out of their beds, heading for a spring to
"wash their eyes open."
Tad did not show himself to them at once. There was no real reason for
his caution, save that he was a woodsman and therefore always cautious
as to the moves he made. Anvik caught sight of him instantly, and Tad
beckoned. The guide did not appear to have observed the signal, but
taking up his hatchet as if going out for wood, he strode from the camp
also, and Butler seeing that the guide was coming, turned and walked
briskly away from the camp.
The freckle-faced boy led for a short quarter of a mile straight over
the plateau, a thickly wooded, rugged plain. Then he halted, waiting for
the guide to come up. Tad pointed to a heap of ashes, the remains of a
campfire.
"Huh!" grunted the Indian.
"Someone has been here before us," nodded Tad. "And not so very long
ago, I should say. What do you make of it, Anvik?"
"You see um?"
Butler nodded.
"What you see?"
"A dead campfire."
"Huh. Heap much. What else you see?"
"I see a few things, Anvik. Of course I can't see as much as you do, but
I should say this camp was not more than a day old. This fire was
blazing yesterday. The ashes aren't the right color for a very old one."
"One sun," grunted the Indian.
"It looks to me as if there had been two men here. Am I right?"
"Heap good. Two men. Leave, big hurry. Him go that way. Stay here two
hour. Wonder why big hurry?"
"Perhaps they wanted to get somewhere, some place for which they had set
out in a hurry. They had two ponies and pretty heavy packs."
Anvik nodded.
"White boy much wise. Him see almost like Indian. My father him shaman.
Him teach Anvik see many thing. White boy him see almost as much as
Anvik."
"Where do you think they are going?"
"Not know."
"Perhaps they are miners prospecting for a claim."
Anvik shook his head.
"Too much big hurry. No prospect. Mebby go get claim. Mebby see um
again."
"I hope we do. It would be pleasant to have some company in this wild
place. They went in that direction when they broke camp. Is that the way
we go?" asked Tad.
"We follow um trail."
"Then let's go back and get ready to move."
The pair strode back without another word, the Indian's admiration for
the freckle-faced boy having increased greatly since Tad had beckoned
him from the camp.
Shortly after noon as they were casting about for a favorable place in
which to make their mid-day halt, Ned Rector, who was riding to the
right of the others, uttered a shout.
"What is it?" cried Tad.
"There has been a campfire here."
"How did you find it?" wondered Tad.
"My pony walked through it and kicked up the ashes. Who do you suppose
it could have been?"
"I am sure I don't know. See anything about the remains of the fire that
tells you anything?"
"No. What is there to see, Tad?"
"It takes a woodsman to see things," declared Stacy Brown, getting from
his saddle and gravely strolling to the heap of ashes, into which he
thrust one hand.
"Well?" grinned Tad.
"Ashes warm. Haven't been away from here very long."
"Great!" cried the boys.
"You are a wonder," nodded Butler approvingly. "But you all missed the
other one."
"The other what?" demanded Ned.
"The other campfire. There was another right near where we camped last
night. In that case the ashes were cold. The travelers haven't made as
much progress to-day as I should have thought they would, and it looks
to me as though they thought they were moving rather too rapidly and had
slowed down a little. What do you say, Anvik?"
"Huh!" grunted the Indian, which Tad interpreted as meaning that he was
right.
The Professor was much interested in the discovery, and asked Tad and
Anvik many questions about the earlier discovery. Still, there was not
much to be learned. A stranger in this wild place was something to
attract the attention and cause speculation and discussion, so during
the rest hour they talked of little else. Tad thought they would come up
with the two strangers, but the guide shook his head.
"Him go north. Anvik go northwest. No see."
"We shall see by to-morrow. I have an idea that we are going to catch up
with our friends before we get across the mountains," averred Tad
confidently.
"Lunch is ready," announced the Professor.
"And speaking of food, I'm a little hungry myself," said Tad with a
laugh. "I really am glad there is no one in our outfit with a delicate
appetite. Walt, do you remember what a dainty picker you were when we
first went out together?"
"Yes. I have changed since then, haven't I?"
"I should say you have. From a delicate little chap you've gotten to be
a regular whopper."
"Yes, I reckon we've all grown some," agreed Chunky. "But if this kind
of going continues we'll all shrink away to nothing."
"You will be able to lift a house after you have finished this journey,"
laughed Tad.
"I don't want to lift a house. I've got all I can do to lift myself."
Soon after, the party started on, to meet with a surprise ere they had
gone far on their journey.