IN THE MOUNTAINS AT LAST
The boys and even the dog put in a thoroughly uncomfortable night.
It thundered and lightened for two hours, and for the larger
portion of the time the downpour was so heavy that it was impossible
for the V-shaped trench behind the tent to carry it off. Consequently,
some of the water rushed directly across the flooring of the shelter,
wetting the brushwood cut for sleeping purposes. To keep their
shoes and socks dry, the young hunters went barefooted. Once the
wind cut loose a corner of the tent, and, despite the rain, Shep
and Snap had to go out and cut longer pegs with which to fasten
the ropes. They had on rubber coats, but still got a good deal of
water in their faces and down their necks.
It was impossible to light a camp fire, and so they had to eat a
cold supper of such things as chanced to be handy. They could
not lie down, and had to sit on little stacks of the damp brushwood,
with their bare feet in the water and mud.
"Say, this is dead loads of fun!" was Whopper's sarcastic comment.
"Just as funny as doing an example in algebra or writing a composition
on the decay of the Roman Empire!"
"Are you dying to-----" began Giant, when a vigorous pinch on the arm
from Whopper stopped him. "Wow! Let up!"
"Then you let up."
"I will."
By midnight the worst of the storm was over, but it still rained
steadily, and this kept up until almost daybreak. But then the wind
shifted and the clouds scattered rapidly. Utterly worn out, the boys
leaned against the tent poles and caught such "cat naps" as they could.
When the young hunters finally emerged from the tent a surprise
awaited them. Tommy was ahead of them, and the circus boy had cut
such dry wood as he could find and started a big blaze. More than
this, he had put on a kettle of water to boil.
"Good for you, Tommy!" cried the doctor's son. "We'll soon have a
hot cup of coffee to cheer us, and we can dry out the tent and our
clothing while we get breakfast."
"That's about the worst night I can remember," said Whopper. "My!
how it did pour at first! I thought sure we'd be washed down into
some hillside torrent and into the lake."
They placed all the damp things close to the fire to dry, and put
on their socks and shoes. Then Giant and Whopper, assisted by
Tommy, prepared a rather elaborate breakfast of fish and venison
steaks.
"We deserve a square meal," said Giant. "It will put new vigor into
us." And his words proved true. By the time they had finished the
repast they were ready to joke over the discomforts through which
they had passed.
"But one storm is enough," said Snap. "I trust it stays clear
after this."
The woods were so wet it was decided not to travel through them
until after dinner. The sun came out strongly, and in the clear sky
thus presented the boys managed to get several pleasing photographs.
One was of Tommy and his dog sitting on a rock, and this was so good
that, when shown later, it was very much admired. They also took
a photograph of Giant and Whopper with the strings of fish.
Late that afternoon found them at the foot of the Windy Mountains.
Here they discovered a well-defined trail and also a signboard,
telling them the game preserve in which Dr. Reed was interested
was just beyond."
"Now we haven't much farther to go," said the doctor's son. "My
father said we'd find a good camping spot less than a mile from here."
"I'm glad of it," answered Giant. "This load on my back isn't as
light as it might be."
Pushing on, they soon came to where another signboard had been
located; but the board had been knocked off with a stone or a
hammer and was missing.
"Some hunter's meanness," was Snap's comment.
"A fellow who would destroy a signboard ought to be locked up,"
was Whopper's comment. "It's about on a par with starting a forest
fire."
They trudged on, and presently came to where somebody had had
a camp fire. Here were some empty tins and some well-picked bones.
Giant kicked over one of the empty tins.
"Hello! I know who was here!" he cried. "Ham Spink and his crowd."
"How do you know?" demanded the doctor's son.
"Because I know they had some of this brand of canned goods with
'em---saw it among their supplies. It's different from the kind we
have, or what you can get in the regular stores. The Spinks have
their goods sent by freight from the city."
"Giant must be right," said Snap. "And look here, will you?"
As he spoke Snap pulled from the dead embers of the fire a half-burned
bit of wood. It was part of a signboard.
"Humph! the signboard that was missing below here," muttered Shep.
"Ham and his crowd were too lazy to cut firewood, so they used
the board. If that isn't the height of laziness and meanness!"
"It's against the law to destroy signboards," said Whopper. "That
crowd ought to be brought to book for this."
"If you said anything they'd say we did it," responded Snap. "Ham
would do anything to keep out of trouble and get us into a muss."
"That camp fire was built after the storm," said the doctor's son.
"That proves the Spink crowd can't be far from here."
"If they are near us we want to be on our guard," observed Giant.
"They'd like no better fun than to steal our things. They haven't
forgotten what happened on the lakes this summer and last winter."
The boy hunters were bound for a spot mentioned to them by Dr.
Reed and Jed Sanborn. It was a small "dent" in the mountain side,
where were located a fine spring of cool water with a rocky brook
beyond. Some distance farther was a cut in the mountain with a
tiny lake, surrounded by cedars and called Cedar Lake.
It was nightfall when they reached the "dent" and the spring. All
were thirsty, and the sparkling water was very refreshing.
"Father says that some day he'll organize a company to bottle this
water," said Shep. "He is sure it will command a large sale in the
big cities---it is so clear and pure."
"It couldn't be better," answered Snap. He looked around him. "And
what an ideal spot for our camp!"
It assuredly was ideal in every respect. They could see for miles
to the east, south and west, over hill after hill, covered with
green trees and brushwood, with ribbons of water between, and here
and there a lake. Using the field-glasses they could make out the
church steeple of Fairview and some other buildings. Between the
hills they could see various farms, with the cattle grazing in the
pastures, or standing in groups in the barnyards. All was as silent
and as calm as one could wish.
"What a place for a castle, like those of old!" murmured Snap as his
eyes roamed over the scene. "Just think of this in the light of the
full moon."
"Snap is getting romantic," came from Whopper. "Come on down to the
earth, sonny, and help pitch the tent, or you'll have to sleep out
in that moonlight to-night and run the risk of getting moonstruck."
And this remark brought forth a laugh, in which even Snap joined.
As tired as they were, the five boys cut the necessary poles and
hoisted the tent. As this was to be a permanent camp for some
weeks they erected the shelter with care, and around it dug a deep
trench, with another trench to carry rain down the mountain side,
so that none might run over the flooring as it had during the
thunderstorm. Then they spent considerable time in cutting down
some heavy cedar boughs for bedding. Snap, Whopper and Tommy
did this latter work, and while it was going on Shep and Giant
got together some flat stones and built something of a fireplace
and a stove, not far from the tent's entrance. Then they cut
firewood and soon had a generous blaze started and put the kettle
on to boil.
"And are we going to stay here for a while, and just hunt and fish
and---and rest?" asked the boy from the circus.
"Yes," answered Shep. "Don't you like it?"
"Like it! I think it's the---the best ever! Couldn't be better!"
was the hearty reply.
"I think it will make you fat and strong, Tommy, and that's what you
need."
"And another thing," answered the boy. "Those circus people can't
find me out here."
"It's not likely."
Everybody was glad that a permanent camp had been reached at last,
and that night all slept "like rocks," to use Giant's way of
expressing it. They left Wags on guard, but this was unnecessary,
for nothing came to disturb them.
The next day was spent in perfecting the camp and in taking care of
what remained of the fish and of the venison. The skins were nailed
up in the sun to dry. The boys were sorry they could not keep all
of the meat, but this was impossible, as they had no ice and no
means of smoking or pickling it.
"Here comes somebody!" cried Whopper, while they sat around waiting
for supper, which Snap and Tommy were preparing. Two boys were
approaching, and as they came closer the young hunters recognized
Ham Spink and his close crony, Carl Dudder.