PREPARING FOR AN ASCENT
Monsieur Jean Puvis Filbert was a Frenchman of wealth, a distinguished
member of the Alpine Club, an enthusiastic mountain-climber, and had for
an especial hobby the making of botanical collections from high
altitudes. He was now on a leisurely tour around the world, and had
recently arrived in Tacoma on one of the Northern Pacific steamships
from Japan. This was his first visit to America, and he was filled with
enthusiasm by the superb mountain scenery that greeted him on all sides
as his ship steamed through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and up the
glorious waterways of Puget Sound. He gazed longingly at the
snow-crowned Olympics, and went into ecstasies over a distant view of
Mount Baker, the most northerly peak of the Cascade range. When grand
old Rainier, loftiest of all, appeared on the southeastern horizon,
lifting its hoary head more than 14,000 feet above the level of the
intervening plain, he became silent with adoration, and determined that
his first achievement in America should be to gain that glorious summit.
As his knowledge of English was very limited, our mountain-climber began
his preparations for this arduous undertaking by engaging an
interpreter. The only one whom he could find was a Canadian, who spoke
French nearly as badly as he did English, and whom his employer was
quickly obliged to discharge for drunkenness and utter incompetence.
Then it seemed as though the expedition on which M. Filbert had set his
heart must be given up, and he was in despair. At this critical moment
Alaric Todd appeared on the scene seeking employment, though never
dreaming that it would come to him through his knowledge of French, and
was received literally with open arms.
Of course he was engaged at once, and was able to secure a situation for
Bonny Brooks as well, though the precise nature of the young sailor's
duties were not defined. Thus Bonny was allowed to regard himself as
also holding the rank of interpreter, whose services would be invaluable
in the event of an encounter with Indians, who, for all he knew, might
contest every foot of their way up the great mountain.
To this young man the climbing of a mountain seemed a very foolish and
profitless undertaking, for, as he said, "The only thing we can do when
we get up there is to turn around and come down again. But you mustn't
think, Rick, that I'm trying to back out. No, siree. Just so long as I
am paid to climb I'll climb, even if it comes to shinning up the North
Pole and interpreting the Constitution to the polar bears."
M. Filbert wished the boys to spend the night with him at the hotel, but
Alaric was still so sore over his morning's experience that he begged to
be excused. So when they were left to themselves they carried their
recently acquired belongings down to the railway-station, and persuaded
the agent to allow them to sleep in that corner of the baggage-room
devoted to their employer's collection of chattels. Here they put on
their new suits, and then, feeling once more intensely respectable, and
well content with their own appearance, each invited the other to dine
with him. Had they not two whole dollars between them, and was not that
enough to make them independent of the world?
They procured a bountiful dinner in the restaurant where Alaric had
breakfasted, and with it ate up one of their dollars. The place was so
associated in their minds with the fine young fellow to whom they owed
all their present good fortune that they thought and talked much of him
during the meal. Recalling what he had said concerning his father
reminded Alaric of his own parent, and caused him to wonder if he were
yet aware that his younger son was not travelling around the world with
the Sonntaggs as he had planned.
"If the dear old dad has heard of my disappearance," reflected the boy,
"he must be a good deal worried, for he has no idea of how well I can
take care of myself. I believe I would write to him if I only knew his
address. He said to send all letters to the bank; but I can't do that,
because John, who must have heard from the Sonntaggs by this time, would
be certain to recognize the handwriting and open it. I know what,
though. I'll write to Cousin Esther, and ask her to tell dad all about
me. She is sure to see him on his way home, for he always visits Uncle
Dale's when he is in Boston."
So after supper, Alaric, who was beginning to have a lively appreciation
of the value of money, as well as of fathers, cautiously invested four
cents in a sheet of paper, an envelope, and a stamp, all of which he was
able to procure from the proprietor of the restaurant. The boy smiled,
as he carefully pocketed his one cent of change, to think on what a
different scale he would have made a similar purchase less than a month
before. Then he would have ordered a box of note-paper, another of
envelopes, and a whole sheet of stamps. As for the change, why, there
wouldn't have been any, for he would simply have said, "Charge it,
please," and it would have been charged to his father's account.
When Bonny saw that Alaric was about to write a letter, he decided to
write one to his aunt Nancy at the same time. "For," said he, "she
probably imagines that I am in China by now, and would never think of
sending word to me here in case she got any news of father." So Bonny
also invested four cents in stationery; and the restaurant man
good-naturedly allowing them to use a table, besides loaning them pens
and a bottle of ink, they sat down to compose their respective epistles.
When Alaric's letter was finished it read as follows:
"DEAR COUSIN ESTHER,--I have taken your advice and run
away--that is, I have done what amounts to the same thing, for
I just sat still and let the other folks run away. By this time
I expect they are in China, while I am here in the very place
you said you would be if you were a boy. I wish you were one so
you could be here with me now, for I think you would make a
first-class boy. I am learning to be one as fast as I can, a
real truly boy, I mean, and not a make-believe. I have already
learned how to smuggle, and catch a baseball, besides a little
batting, and to swim, sail a boat, paddle a canoe, talk some
Siwash, and have had a good deal of experience besides.
"Now I am an interpreter and engaged in the mountain-climbing
business. We start to-morrow.
"I have a partner who is a splendid chap, about my age, and
named Bonny Brooks. I know you would like him, for he is such a
regular boy, and knows just how to do things.
"When you see my dear dad, please give him my warmest love, and
tell him I think more of him now than I ever did. Please make
him understand that it was the Sonntaggs who ran away, and not
I. Tell him that when I am through experimenting with my heart,
and have become a genuine boy like Bonny, I am coming back to
him, to learn how to be a man--that is, I will if I can afford
to pay my way to San Francisco. But you have no idea how much
money it takes to travel, especially when you have to earn it
yourself, and so far I haven't earned any. Still I have not
starved--that is, not very often--so far, and am in hopes of
having plenty to eat from this time on. Now I must say
good-bye because we are going to sleep in the station to-night,
and it closes early.
"Ever your loving cousin,
"RICK."
"P.S.--The principal reason I let the Sonntaggs go was because
they called me 'Allie.' Please tell this to dad."
Bonny's letter was not so long as Alaric's, but it described the
situation with equal vagueness. He wrote:
"DEAR AUNT NANCY,--I am not in China, as you may suppose,
having quit the sea after rising to be first mate. Have also
been a smuggler, but am not any more. Am now engaged by the
French as interpreter, and so far like the business very well.
Have also gone into the climbing trade. We are to do our first
mountain to-morrow. Have for a chum one of the cleverest chaps
you ever saw. He can talk most any language except Chinook, and
is a daisy ball-catcher. His name is Rick Dale, and I am trying
hard to be just like him. If you have any news from father,
please let me know. You can send a letter in care of Mr. P.
Bear, Hotel Tacoma, which is our headquarters.
"Ever your loving nephew,
"B. BROOKS, Interpreter."
Both these letters were sent to Massachusetts, Alaric's being addressed
to Boston, and Bonny's to Sandport. After they were posted, and our lads
were on their way back to the railway station, they began for the first
time to realize how very tired and sleepy they were. They were so
utterly weary that as they snuggled down in their corner of the
baggage-room, on a bed made of M. Filbert's tents and blankets, Alaric
remarked:
"This is what I call solid comfort."
"Yes," replied Bonny, "we certainly have struck a big streak of luck. Do
you remember how we were feeling about this time last night?"
"No," answered Alaric, "I can't remember. It's too long ago.
Good-night." And in another minute both boys were fast asleep.
They had taken "through tickets," as Bonny would have said, and slept so
soundly that they hardly stirred until the agent flung open the
baggage-room door at six o'clock the following morning, and caused them
to spring from their blankets in a hurry by shouting, "All aboard!" A
dash of cold water from the hydrant outside drove all traces of sleep
from their eyes, and so filled them with its fresh vigor that they raced
all the way up-town to the restaurant. Here, although their appetites
were keen as ever, they managed to satisfy them with a ninety-cent
breakfast, "and left the place with money still in their pockets," as
Alaric expressed it.
"That's so," responded Bonny. "We've just one cent apiece. Let's toss up
to see who will have them both."
"No," said Alaric, "for that would be gambling; and I promised my mother
long ago at Monte Carlo never to gamble. She said more fortunes were
lost and fewer won in that way than by any other."
"But one cent isn't a fortune," objected Bonny.
"Why not? A man's fortune is all that he has, and if you have but one
cent, then that is your fortune."
"I guess you are right, Rick Dale," laughed Bonny. "I hate gambling as
much as you do; but it never seemed to me before that tossing pennies
was gambling. I expect it is, though, so I'll just keep my fortune in my
pocket, and not risk it on any such foolishness."
As the lads hastened back to the station, where they were to meet their
employer, the glorious mountain that was now the goal of their ambition
reared its mighty crest, radiant with sunlight, directly before them.
So wonderfully clear was the atmosphere that it did not seem ten miles
away, and Bonny, shaking a fist at it, cried, cheerfully: "Never you
mind, old fellow, we'll soon have you under foot."