_The Doctor's Plans_
The little company had only a mile, or a trifle more, to go before
reaching their final destination. But it was literally "up hill work."
Often it was worse even than that, involving the climbing of cliffs and
difficult struggles to force the mules through rocky and tangled
woodlands.
It was nearly ten o'clock therefore when they at last came to a halt in
a body of thick-growing timber, and after a careful inspection of the
situation, decided to pitch their permanent camp there.
There were many points to be considered in locating themselves. They
must have water of course and there was a spring here under the cliff
that rose at the back of the plateau. It needed some digging out to form
a basin, but an hour's or two hours' work by two of the party would
accomplish that. They must be near the cliff on the other side over
which their ties and timbers were to be sent into the slide that was to
carry them to the valley below, and this spot seemed the best of all
for the purpose. Finally the timber, consisting chiefly of vigorous
young oaks, hickories and chestnuts, but having many giant trees
besides, was here especially dense in its growth, and ready to their
hands and axes.
"There's a steep reach of mountain looming up just behind us," said the
Doctor, "and when the snows come it may give us some trouble in the way
of avalanches, floods and the like, but on the whole I think this is the
best spot we could select."
So the pack mules were relieved of their loads, and turned loose. It was
certain that the sagacious animals would slowly retrace the road over
which they had come and return to their master in the valley below. At
any rate the master of them was confident of that and his agreement with
the boys had been that the mules should simply be turned loose when
their task was done.
"Now let's all get together," said Jack Ridsdale when the mules
disappeared over the edge of the last troublesome ascent. "Let's all get
together and lay out our work."
"That's right," said the Doctor. "We must first of all provide for
immediate needs, and next for a permanent camp. Now first, what are our
immediate needs?"
"Water, fire, and a temporary shelter," promptly answered little Tom the
readiest thinker as well as the most experienced woodsman in the whole
company.
"Well we'll set two fellows at work digging out a large basin for that
spring," said Jack. "That will give us an adequate water supply for all
winter. You Tom, and Ed Parmly, are detailed to that work. Now as to
shelter. Of course we've got to build a permanent winter quarters. But
that will take several days--perhaps a week, and in the meantime we're
likely to have snows or rains and we must have some sort of temporary
abode. We must build that to-day. How shall it be done?"
"Easy enough," answered Harry Ridsdale. "We can set up some poles just
under the cliff back there and make a shed open in front and covered
with bushes so arranged as to shed the rain. Of course the place
wouldn't be a good one for permanent quarters, but in November there are
no avalanches or anything else of that sort, and so a temporary shed
there will answer our purpose for the present."
"But how are we going to keep it warm?" asked Ed.
"By building a big fire in front of it," answered Harry.
"But suppose the wind should blow hard from the north and blow all the
smoke into our shed?" said Ed.
"Well, let it," answered Harry. "The smoke will rise, especially in a
high wind, and our bush roof will certainly be porous enough to let it
through."
After a little further discussion it was decided to adopt Harry's plan,
and by the time that Tom and Ed had completed the work of digging out a
water reservoir, the rest of the party had constructed a temporary
shelter under the cliff, quite sufficient for their immediate needs. By
this time hunger--that always recurring condition--had seized upon them
and they prepared a rather late dinner of squirrels that had been shot
by one and another of the party on the journey. They were tired, too,
and the need of rest was imperative. So they decided to do no more work
that day, but to devote its remaining hours to the task of planning
their winter quarters.
First of all they selected a location for their winter house which the
Doctor thought the avalanches and the floods from the mountains would
not seriously inconvenience. The ground on which they were camping was a
sort of plateau, with a cliff rising behind and with the steep mountain
side falling away into the fathomless depths in front. The plateau
embraced several acres of land, and it was fairly level; but the spot
selected for winter quarters was a little knoll which rose above the
general level very near the top of the steep front.
By the time that all this had been accomplished night fell, and there
was supper to get. After supper Jack said:
"Now we've laid out our camp, but we haven't named it yet. With the
enmity of the moonshiners already aroused, it's a venture--our staying
here I mean--but we're going to make the venture. So I propose that we
call this camp of ours 'Camp Danger,' or 'Camp Risk' or camp something
else of the sort."
"Why not call it 'Camp Venture?'" asked Harry.
"Good! 'Camp Venture' it is," answered Ed Parmly and the Doctor in
unison. "Let it be 'Camp Venture'" and, added the Doctor, "if we are up
to our business we'll show our friends that 'Camp Venture' did not
venture more than its members were able to carry out. I'll tell you
what, boys, I'm going to keep a diary setting forth all our adventures,
and when the thing is over and done for, I'm going to write a book about
it."
"Then we'll all be heroes of romance," said Jack. "Who'll be the villain
of the piece?"
"Not at all," answered the Doctor. "I shall use fictitious names for all
of you and even for myself, so that nobody shall ever know who we are or
who it was that lived and experienced and perhaps suffered in 'Camp
Venture.' I'm not going to spoil you superb fellows by making public
personages of you before your time. But I'm going to write a book about
your doings and sayings, which will perhaps interest some other boys and
help them to meet duty as it ought to be met."
This story is the book that the Doctor wrote.