TOM FINDS SOMETHING.
"Oh, Aleck, he is gone!" shouted the man who was the first to come
within sight of the cabin. "The lock-string is out, and he's cut stick
and gone, with that bag safe upon him; dog-gone the luck!"
"Push open the door," said Aleck. "Mebbe he is there."
The man placed the muzzle of his rifle against the door and thrust it so
far open that his companion, who stood with cocked piece close at his
side, would have had no difficulty in getting a shot at Tom if he had
been on the inside. It was plain that they were afraid of the
consequences, for as the door swung open they both drew back out of
sight. If he knew anything of the prairie at all, it wasn't so certain
that he was going to give up that bag after what he had seen of it.
"Hey, there!" shouted Aleck. "We know you have got it; you might as well
come out and give up that thing I dropped in here a while ago. By gum,
he haint in there!"
A little more peeping and looking (you will remember that the inside of
the cabin was as dark as a pocket) resulted in the astounding discovery
that there was nobody there. In fact, Tom lay about ten feet from
them,--the bushes were so thick that he did not think it safe to retreat
any farther,--and from his hiding-place he could distinctly hear
everything that passed. He would have been glad to retreat farther, but
the bushes made such a noise that he was afraid to try it.
[Illustration: TOM IN HIDING.]
"He's gone," said Aleck, hauling a stool out from the cabin and throwing
himself upon it. "Now, what am I to do?"
"Perhaps you didn't drop it in there," said his companion. "You
travelled a good ways----"
"Yes, I did," said Aleck, whose rage was fearful to behold. "I felt of
it when I was coming through the bushes, and I am as certain as I want
to be that I felt the bag, and nothing else."
"And do you suppose he found it and went to examine it?" said the other
man, who hadn't done much of the talking. "If I thought that was the
case--you have got us in a pretty box!"
"I don't suppose nothing else. And just think, it is in Elam's hands.
Dog-gone the luck! I'd like to shoot myself."
"Aha!" thought Tom. "Now, go on and tell us what it is that's in Elam's
hands. It's the nugget, and I'll bet my life on it."
"I never did have much faith in it, anyhow," said Aleck's companion,
who, holding his rifle in the hollow of his arm, kicked a few chips out
of his way; "but you seemed so eager for it that you had to go and shoot
a man in order to get it. It's nothing more than I expected."
"I believe I can work my way up there alone," said Aleck.
"With all them gullies coming down? You're crazy. But you don't want to
sit here a great while. Elam will have it; that feller's gone to find
him----"
"If I thought Elam would have it, I'd lay around on purpose to shoot
him," said Aleck, rising from his stool and kicking it out of his way.
"He aint no more than anybody else, Elam aint."
"Well, if you are going to stay here, you can stay alone. I'll go back
and take my bundle of skins to the fort, and raise some money on them.
Then I'll light out, and you won't catch me around where Elam is again."
"By gum! I'll go, too," said Aleck. "But I'll bet you that Elam will
sleep cold to-night."
"By George! he is going to burn the house," said Tom, drawing a long
breath. "Well, I have done what I could, and as soon as they go away
I'll go in and save what I can from the wreck."
The very first words that Aleck uttered after he had set fire to the
cabin seemed to put a stop to this resolution. He made a great show of
setting the shanty a-going, entering into it and kicking the burning
brands about and piling stools and other things upon them, and when he
came out and closed the door behind him, he was well satisfied with his
work.
"There, dog-gone you!" sputtered Aleck, shouldering his rifle. "If you
don't burn, I'll give up. Now, we'll just wait and see if some of 'em
don't come back here to save things. You'll wait that long, won't you?"
"I won't, if you are going to raise a hand against Elam. I tell you it
aint safe for anybody to touch him. You have had more pulls at him than
anybody I know, and you have always said the same."
"And right here in these mountains, too," said Aleck. "I guess she will
burn well enough without us, so we had better go on."
It may have been the fire that operated on Aleck's superstition in this
way, for Tom listened and could hear them going headlong along the path.
He did not think it quite safe to venture near the burning cabin until
he had seen what had become of the robbers, so he left his rifle where
it had fallen and, with his revolver for company, pursued the men toward
the natural prairie. He did not feel the least fear of meeting the
robbers in the evergreens, for his ears had informed him of their
passage through them; so when he stopped behind one of the trees and
took a survey of the ground before him, he was delighted to discover
them far away, and going along as if all the demons in the woods were
behind them. His next business was to go back and save what he could.
The fire was already burning brightly, but, knowing where everything
was, he succeeded in saving Elam's saddle and bridle, all the
provisions, his clothing, and a few of the skins which served him for a
bed. Then he sat down, drew his hands across his heated face, and waited
as patiently as he could for the rest to burn up. As Elam had occupied
the cabin for three or four winters, it burned like so much tinder. The
principal thing that occupied his attention now was what he had heard
the men say regarding Elam.
"Elam has been shot at three or four times right here in these
mountains," soliloquized Tom. "He didn't say a word to me about that,
and I reckon it was something he did not want to speak of. Now, I will
leave the things right here and go and find Elam."
This would have been a task beyond him had he not seen the way Elam went
the day before. He went up the prairie to gather in his traps, and of
course all he had out must have been up that way, too. He didn't know
anything about the theory of setting traps for wolves, but Elam
understood it, and he was sure he was going the right way to find him.
At any rate, he wouldn't go far out of sight of the smoke of the burning
cabin, and with that resolution he cast his eye over the wreck to see if
there was anything else that he could save, and struck into the path.
"I'll leave my revolver there where it is," said Tom. "There can't be
more than one set of thieves around here at once. And I've got what has
ruined that fellow. If I haven't got the secret of Elam's nugget here in
my pocket, I'll give up. I'll go with you now, Elam. I'll face a dozen
Red Ghosts for the sake of getting my hands on this pile of gold. It
isn't a ghost, anyway. It is a camel, and I don't see how in the name of
sense any of his tribe managed to get stranded out here. I'll shoot at
it as quick as I did before."
Filled with such thoughts as these Tom reached the edge of the
evergreens, but there was no sign of the robbers in sight. Elam's horse
was there, and he seemed to think there was something wrong by sight and
smell of the smoke, for he tossed his head and snorted, and when he saw
Tom approaching took to his heels. Tom was glad of that, for Elam
thought a good deal of that horse; he would come up at night, and Elam
would go out to give him a piece of bread and speak friendly words to
him. He had hardly left the horse behind before he saw Elam approaching.
He had a few skins thrown over his shoulder, but he was going at a rapid
rate, as if he knew there was something amiss. Discovering Tom, he threw
off his skins, laid down his rifle, and seated himself on a rock to
rest.
"Burned out?" said he cheerfully, when Tom came within speaking
distance.
"Yes," said Tom. "How did you know it?"
"Oh, I saw it back there in the mountains. How did it catch?"
Tom had by this time come up. He seated himself beside Elam and drew the
little bag from his pocket. He was in hopes that Elam would recognize
the bag, but all he did was to look at it and wait for Tom to go on.
"I've had visitors since you left this morning," said Tom. "Two men with
ragged and torn clothing came there and got into the cabin before I knew
it, and when they got in, they made a haul of your two bundles of skins
you had tied up."
"Hallo!" exclaimed Elam. "Seven hundred dollars gone to the bugs. Tell
me how it happened."
To Tom's astonishment Elam did not seem at all surprised at the robbery,
but when it came to the discovery of the bag and the description of the
man who had lost it, Elam sprang to his feet with a wild war-whoop. Tom
began to see that there was a good deal in Elam, but it wanted danger to
bring it out.
"I know that fellow," said he, reseating himself after his paroxysm of
rage had subsided.
"You ought to," responded Tom. "He has had three or four shots at you
right here in the mountains."
"I know it, and that's my bag you have got there," replied Elam. "Go on
and tell me the rest."
Tom was more astonished than Elam was to find that the bag belonged to
him, and it was some little time before he could get his wits to work
again; but when he did, he gave a full description of the burning of the
cabin, and told of the direction the men had gone when they got through.
Elam said they had gone to the fort, and the only way to head them off
was to get there in advance of them. They intended to raise some money
on those skins, and after that go to the mountains; but he was certain
if he could see the commandant or the sutler he would knock their
expedition into a cocked hat. He dropped these remarks as Tom went
along, so that by the time he got through he knew pretty nearly what
Elam was going to do. He was more surprised when he got through than
Elam was.
"You seem to look upon this robbery as something that ought to have
happened," said Tom. "I tell you that if I had worked as long as you
have, and had seven hundred dollars' worth, I would be mad."
"Young man, if you had been out here as long as I have, and been in my
circumstances, you would have learned to look upon these things as a
matter of course," answered Elam. "This is the fourth time I have been
robbed, and I never go to the mountains without expecting it."
"But you never told me about that man shooting at you so many times,"
answered Tom.
"Well, he did; and once he came so close to me that he laid me on the
ground," said Elam, baring his brawny chest and showing Tom the ragged
mark of a bullet there.
"By George!" exclaimed Tom.
"That was the time he stole that bag you have there," continued Elam.
"He looked at me and thought me to be dead, and so made no bones about
taking it. But he got fooled for once in his life. He thought I had a
map there telling him where to look for the nugget."
"Did you have a map of any kind with you?"
"Nary a map," said Elam, with a laugh.
"Well, there's one here now, and I should like to have you look at it.
The loss of that map made Aleck think he was ruined."
Elam became all attention now, and watched Tom as he took out the piece
of buckskin and carefully unfolded it. Finally he took out the paper and
handed it to Elam, taking pains to smooth it out as he did so.
"He said he had to shoot a man in order to get it," said Tom.
"What man was it?"
"I don't know. He didn't describe him."
Elam had been fooled so many times in regard to that nugget that he took
the paper with a smile, but he had scarcely glanced at it before a look
of intense earnestness took the place of the smile. He laid down his
rifle, rested his hands upon his knees, and studied the paper long and
earnestly.
"Do you make anything out of it?" asked Tom.
"It's the very thing I want," declared Elam. "I have waited and looked
for a thing like this, and have never found it. The nugget is
mine--mine, and, Tom, I will give you half if you will stand by me till
I handle it."
"It's a bargain," replied Tom, and to show how very much in earnest he
was he offered to shake hands with Elam; but he resolved that he would
never do it again. All the years of waiting Elam had infused into that
grip; Tom didn't say anything, but it was all he could do to stand it.
"There is only one thing I can't see into," said he, when he had
recovered his power of speech, "and that is where that line begins. You
don't know where in the world it is."
"Do you see all these little dots here at the beginning of the line?
Well, those are springs. There's a dozen springs break out inside of
half an acre, and there's only one place in the country where you can
find them."
"How far is it from here?"
"It is forty miles in a straight line."
"Then what were those men doing here?"
"I give it up."
"And here's some money, too, with the thing," said Tom, undoing the
piece of buckskin that contained it. "There's forty dollars here."
"I am sure I don't know what brought them in here, unless they came
after somebody that had the map. I'd like mighty well to find him, but I
can't stop now to hunt him up. I must have the nugget in the first
place."
"Well, you had better keep this map," said Tom, as Elam got up and threw
the skins over his shoulder and picked up his rifle.
"No, you keep it until I come back. I've got to face a couple of rough
men, and there's no knowing what may happen to me. If I shouldn't come
back, find Uncle Ezra Norton and give it to him. He will go with you and
help you hunt it up."
"What have you got to face those rough men for?" said Tom anxiously.
"Those men who were here were afraid of their lives."
"Yes; but you take them out in the mountains and see if they are afraid
of their lives. They would shoot you as quickly as they would look at
you. One of them has more to answer for than he will care to. Uncle Ezra
Norton. Don't forget him. Now, I am going to leave you here while I go
on to the fort. I shall be gone three days. You can stand it that long,
can't you?"
"I can stand it for a week if you will keep those fellows from trading
off those wolf-skins for provisions," said Tom. "I hope you'll catch
them right there among our soldiers, and make them give up the skins.
They've got a heap of cheek to take those skins to the fort."
"The people out here have cheek enough for anything," said Elam, with a
frown. "This Aleck you speak of took some money off that dead man, and
yet I'll bet you he would go right to the fort and spend it."
Elam became all activity, and it was all Tom could do to keep pace with
him as he walked along carrying the skins to the site of the cabin. It
was a "site," sure enough, for the fire had made rapid headway, and now
there was nothing but the smouldering remains to be seen. Elam looked at
the smoking ruins and then at the numerous articles Tom had saved, and
then said:
"If I had known as much on the day I built this cabin as I do now, I
could have enjoyed myself better here than the ones who burned it. You
have saved your boots, haven't you? Well, the things that went up are
comparatively of little value. Now, if you will punch together some of
the coals and get me a big dinner, I'll be off. There's a blizzard
coming up, and as they generally come from the south-west, I would
advise you to put up a lean-to with its back that way," said Elam,
motioning with his hand.
"I would really enjoy a blizzard, but not if you are going to be out in
it," replied Tom, who, for some reason or other, could not bear that
anything should happen to Elam. "I have never seen one in my life."
For an hour or two the boys were busy, Elam in catching and saddling his
horse and doing up his blankets to be carried with him, and Tom employed
with his cooking, and all the while the former was going on with some
instructions which were destined to make things easier for Tom. He
didn't want to neglect that lean-to, he said, for in less than three
days there would be a blizzard that would make him open his eyes. If he
didn't come back in three days, all Tom would have to do would be to
take that map to Uncle Ezra Norton (anybody at the fort would show him
where he lived), and he would know what to do under the circumstances.
Having said this much, Elam wrapped what was left of his dinner in his
blankets, so as to carry it with him, shook Tom warmly by the hand (he
did not put as much vim into it as he did before), mounted his horse,
and rode down the path out of sight. When he thought a sufficient length
of time had passed, Tom wandered down to the edge of the evergreens and
looked out. There was Elam on his horse, skurrying along; not going
fast, for he had nearly a hundred miles to ride, but taking it easy, as
though he could stand it. Elam didn't know it, but he was to travel
twenty miles at as fast a gait as he had ever ridden it before.
"There goes my luck again," said Tom, as he turned about and returned
through the evergreens. "If anything should happen to him, I don't know
what I should do. I feel drawn toward the fellow. I will pay attention
to what he told me, and in order to put it out of the power of those men
to carry off this map and money I will just chuck the bag in here, where
I know it is safe."
The place where Tom hid the bag was in a hollow tree. He pushed it in,
put some leaves and brush over it, and turned away, satisfied, to begin
work on his lean-to. He could not see any signs of the approaching
blizzard, but Elam could, and he worked hard. That day he had the frame
up, and the next day it was all done and the things carried under it.
"There," said Tom, with a smile of satisfaction. "We are all ready for
what comes. Now, if Elam was only here, I'd be content. One more day, or
at least I will give him two, and then he will have to show up."
The third day passed without bringing any signs of the missing boy, but
Tom paid little attention to it. On the fourth he began making trips to
the edge of the evergreens, and then he saw that the sun was hazy and
that it began to look stormy. It grew worse on the fifth day, and Tom
really began to be alarmed. Toward evening a horseman suddenly made his
appearance on the edge of the prairie, walking slowly along, as if his
nag was tired almost to death. But it was Elam, for after he had made
many steps he discovered Tom, and pulled off his hat and waved it to
him.
"Something has gone wrong," muttered Tom, vigorously returning the
salute. "Why don't he whip up? If I was as close to home as he is, I
would go faster than that."
Tom waited in the margin of the woods for him to come up, and when he
drew nearer saw that his face was pale, and that he carried his arm in a
sling, as if he had been wounded. When Tom saw that, he began to grow
pale, too.
"Oh, it's all over," said Elam. "Look there."
"What! Is your horse wounded, too?"
"Yes, and was hardly able to move when I rode him into the fort. Say,
you told me that soldiers always wanted to see the fair thing done,
didn't you? They're a mean set. But I got the start of them. Do you know
what became of those two men who were here? Well, the Cheyennes have got
them."
"The Cheyennes!" exclaimed Tom.
Elam looked at him and nodded, and got off his horse with difficulty.
Tom looked at the long ragged streak in his neck, and did not wonder
that he was glad to be rid of his rider.