UP TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP
Dave and Roger walked up the stream a distance of several hundred yards.
They continued to call Phil's name, but as before, no answer came back.
"I must confess, Roger, I don't like the looks of things," said Dave,
gravely. "If Phil was all right, he'd surely answer us."
"I think so myself, Dave--unless he was only fooling us."
"I don't think he'd do that, under the circumstances. He'd know we would
be greatly worried."
On walked the two chums, until they reached a point where the mountain
stream came tumbling over some great rocks. Here they found Phil's
fishing rod and also the string of fish he had caught.
"Gracious, Dave! Supposing some wild animal has carried him off!"
ejaculated the senator's son.
Dave did not reply, for he knew not what to say. He advanced to the top
of the rocks and peered over on the other side.
"There he is!" he shouted. "Phil! Phil! Are you hurt?" he called.
Only a faint moan came back, and scrambling up the rocks beside Dave,
Roger saw the trouble. Phil had slipped from the rocks into the mountain
torrent. In going down his legs had caught in an opening below, and
there he was held, in water up to his knees, while the water from some
rocks above was pouring in a steady stream over his left shoulder.
"Can't you get up, Phil?" asked Dave.
"Hel--help!" was the only answer, delivered in such a low tone that the
boys on the rocks could scarcely hear it.
"He can't aid himself, that is sure," murmured Dave. "Roger, we have got
to get him out of that--before that water pouring over his shoulder
carries him down!"
Both boys looked around anxiously. Phil was all of fifteen feet below
them and there seemed to be no way of reaching the locality short of
jumping, and neither wanted to risk doing that.
"If we only had a rope," said Roger.
"We might double up a fishing line," mused Dave. Then his face
brightened. "I have it--the pole!"
He ran back and speedily brought up Phil's pole, and around it he wound
the line, to strengthen it and hold the joints together. Then he leaned
down.
"Phil, can you take hold?" he questioned.
The youth below raised his hands feebly. But his strength was apparently
gone, and he could do little to save himself.
"Hold the pole, Dave, I'll go down!" cried Roger. "But don't let me
slip!"
While Dave braced himself on the rocks as best he could and gripped the
pole and line, the senator's son went over the rocks and down, hand over
hand. This was easy, and in a minute he stood beside Phil in the water.
The torrent from above poured over his back, but to this he paid no
attention. He saw that Phil was on the point of fainting, and if he sank
down he would surely be drowned.
Letting go his hold on the fishing pole, Roger felt down in the water,
and then discovered that Phil's feet were crossed and held by a rock
that was balanced on another rock. In coming down, Phil's weight had
caused the space between the two rocks to widen, then the opening had
partly closed, holding the feet as if in the jaws of some big animal.
It was no easy matter for Roger to shift the upper rock, and once he
slipped and went flat on his back in the water with a loud splash.
"Be careful!" warned Dave from above. "Maybe I had better come down and
help you," he added.
"No, I--I'm all ri--right!" spluttered the senator's son, freeing his
mouth of water.
At last one of the rocks was moved and Phil staggered forward in the
water. But he was too weak to help himself and had to lean on Roger.
"You can't pull us up!" shouted the senator's son. "We'll wade down the
stream a bit."
Supporting the shipowner's son, Roger commenced to move down the
mountain torrent. He had to pick his way with care, for the bottom was
rocky and treacherous. Dave followed along the rocks above, until a spot
was gained where he could leap down. Then he and the senator's son
picked up Phil between them and carried him out, and up to a patch of
grass, where they set the sufferer down in the sunlight.
"We'll take off his shoes and see how his feet and ankles look," said
Dave, and this was done. They found the feet and ankles slightly swollen
and discolored, but not seriously injured.
"Phil, supposing Roger and I carry you back to camp?" suggested Dave.
"We can make an armchair and do it easily enough."
"If it isn't too much trouble I'd be glad to have you do it," answered
the boy who had slipped over the rocks. "I can't walk yet."
The chums had often carried each other "armchair fashion" while at
school, and soon Dave and Roger started off with Phil between them, and
carrying the fishing pole and fish. On the way they rested several times
and also gathered up their own outfits and catches.
Arriving at the camp, the fire was stirred up, and the lads hung up the
most of their clothing to dry, while they took a good rubbing-down.
Phil's feet and ankles were bathed in hot water and then soaked in some
liniment Mrs. Endicott had made them bring along in case of accident.
The injured lad was content to rest on a bed of cedar boughs, but
declared that he would be as well as ever in the morning.
"But I am mighty glad you came when you did," he said, with deep
feeling. "I could not have held up much longer--with that stream of
water rushing down over my shoulder. I yelled and yelled, until I
couldn't yell any longer."
"That must have been before we started to look for you," returned Dave.
"After this you want to be careful how you climb around. Some of the
rocks are loose and very treacherous."
Dave and Roger prepared a fine supper of broiled fish, and to this meal
even Phil did full justice. As there was nothing else to do, the boys
took their time eating. They had almost finished when they heard a shout
from a distance.
"What's that?" cried Roger, and instinctively he leaped up and moved for
his gun.
"It's Todd!" answered Dave. "Hello, Todd!" he yelled. "This way!"
The others joined in the cry, which was answered from a distance, and
presently the cowboy appeared on his horse and leading Dave's animal.
"I reckon I'm just in time for a fish supper!" he cried, with a broad
smile on his face. "Well, I'm hungry enough, with such a stiff ride.
What's the matter with your feet?" he questioned, gazing at Phil's
bandages.
The boys told the story of the trouble up the stream, and then related
how they had shot the cougar, and exhibited the body of the slain beast.
In the meantime they broiled some more fish, and made an extra pot of
coffee and some flapjacks for the newcomer.
"Well! well! well!" cried Sid Todd, after a look at the dead cougar. "I
reckon you youngsters know how to take care of yourselves. A mountain
lion! Why, don't you know, most o' the cowboys would run a mile if they
see that beast a-lookin' at' em? Such shootin' is great!"
"Well, we don't want to meet any more of them," answered Dave.
"No, the rest of them can keep their distance," added Phil.
"Did you get the deer home all right?" questioned Roger.
"Oh, yes, and the folks were a good deal surprised and pleased. The
girls are going to have one of the deer stuffed and mounted, for the
Wadsworth home. They said it would please Mr. Wadsworth and
Professor--let me see--I reckon it's Professor Pans."
"No, Professor Potts," said Dave.
"Well, I knew it had something to do with cookin'-things," answered the
cowboy. "Mr. Endicott told me to be careful and tell you not to shoot
everything there was in the mountains, as he wanted to come out later
for a shot or two."
"I guess there will be enough left after we get through," said Dave,
with a smile.
The cowboy had had a hard ride and he was willing enough to eat his
supper in peace. Then he smoked a pipe of tobacco and turned in. He said
the boys could keep a guard if they wished, but he scarcely deemed it
necessary.
"Won't another mountain lion, or anything else, come around in a year,"
said he. "That jest happened that way, that's all." And after some talk
among themselves the chums concluded to turn in, all hands, and let the
camp and the horses take care of themselves.
The night passed quietly and all slept until the sun was well up in the
heavens. Then, while the boys prepared breakfast and Phil attended to
his bruised feet--which felt much better--Sid Todd told of some
happenings at the ranch.
"The girls went out for a horseback ride, along with Mrs. Endicott,"
said he, "and, coming back, they met Link Merwell. They said he acted so
disagreeable that they were afraid of him. Mrs. Endicott was very angry,
and I think the boss will speak to Mr. Merwell about it."
"Link ought to be hammered good and hard!" cried Roger.
"The boss wishes the Merwells would sell out. But Mr. Merwell doesn't
seem to want to budge. The girls were so afraid of Link they said they
wouldn't go out again unless Mr. Endicott was along," continued the
cowboy.
"If he molests the girls, he'll have another account to settle with me!"
cried Dave.
"And me!" came promptly from his chums.
"He wanted to know where you fellows were, and said he was going out
hunting himself."
"He needn't come near us," cried the senator's son. "We don't want him."
"Oh, he won't come near us--unless to make trouble, you may be sure of
that," answered Dave.
The cowboy had left word at Star Ranch that the young hunters might
remain out longer than originally intended, so the chums did not worry
about getting back. All rested during the morning, and after dinner
started on the trail up into the mountains.
"How is it, Phil?" asked Dave, on the way.
"Oh, I can ride very well," was the reply. "But I am rather glad I
haven't much walking to do. But I think I'll be O.K. by to-morrow."
Sid Todd had been right about the climbing to be done during the last
stage of the journey, and often the boys, as they looked ahead at the
rocks before them, wondered how they were going to make progress. But
the cowboy knew the trail, and up they went, the scenery every moment
growing wilder and more impressive.
"This is an ideal spot for wild animals," said Dave. "I should think
hunting would be very good."
Once they stopped to let the horses rest. They were out on a cliff and
at a distance Sid Todd pointed out two nests perched up on the top of
rocky crags. The nests were several feet in diameter.
"What are they?" questioned Dave.
"Eagles' nests," was the answer. "There are two of the eagles now," and
the cowboy pointed out the big birds, floating lazily around between two
distant mountain tops.
"A fellow would have difficulty in getting to those nests," was Phil's
comment.
"Eagles usually build where nobody can git at 'em," returned Todd.
"I shouldn't care to shoot an eagle," said Dave. "Somehow, I'd feel a
good deal as if I had shot at our flag."
"I think I'd feel that way, too," answered the senator's son.
"The eagle and Old Glory seem to be linked together," added Phil. "But I
wouldn't mind catching a young eagle and taming him."
"You'd have your hands full doing it," said Sid Todd. "I know a cowboy
who once caught an eagle, but the bird scratched him terribly and nearly
took off one of his ears."
On they went again, until, an hour later, they gained the top of the
mountain. Here they found a stiff breeze blowing, and it was much cooler
than below.
"I see some game!" cried Dave, and pointed to a slope on the other side
of the mountain. Two deer were in view.
Scarcely had Dave spoken when a shot rang out and one of the deer jumped
as if hit. The other ran off and disappeared in the bushes. Then, slowly
and painfully, the second deer limped away. A second shot rent the air,
but the wounded animal was not touched, and a second later it followed
its mate to cover.