THE WOLF PACK.
"What can we do, Ned?" asked Jack.
Jimmy was not the only one now who had seized hold of his gun, for the
other three scouts could be seen gripping their rifles. Only poor Amos
was without his rifle, though he carried a revolver, cowboy fashion,
attached to his belt.
"It's out of the question for us to get away," replied the scout
master; "because we only have three poor burros, and they'd be
overtaken before they'd gone a mile."
"Yes," added Jimmy, "and don't forget there's four of us, Ned, darlint."
"Amos could skip out if he feels like it, because his pony has fleet
heels, and might outrun the wolf pack?" Jack suggested.
"But all the same Amos is agoin' to hang around, and take pot luck with
the rest of the bunch," remarked the kid puncher, quietly.
"But how about the animals," asked Harry, nervously; "do we leave them
to be pulled down by the savage beasts of prey? All of us could shinny
up some of these trees, but burros can't climb."
"Huh, I've seen the time when I thought they could do everything but
fly," grunted Jimmy; "and I wasn't so sure about that, either."
"We might bring them in close and stand guard over the poor things,"
Ned went on to say.
At that they hurried to where the four animals were tethered. Already
something seemed to have told the burros and the calico pony that
danger hovered in that breeze, for they were beginning to show signs of
excitement, and it was not such an easy job after all to lead them in
close to the dying camp fire.
Hastily they were firmly secured.
"Will the ropes hold if they get to cutting up?" Harry asked, after he
had tied his as many as five different times, to make sure there would
be no slipping of the knot.
"They are all good and practically new," Ned informed him, "and I think
there's no doubt about their holding. Now to get ourselves fixed. Pick
your tree, everybody, but let it be where you can keep watch over the
animals, so as to knock over every wolf that makes a jump for them."
They caught on to the idea Ned had in mind. This was to occupy, say as
many as three trees that chanced to grow in a triangle around the fire
and the spot where the burros and pony had been fastened.
The bright moon would give them all needed opportunity to see any
movement on the part of the assailants, and woe to the daring wolf that
ventured to cross the dead line.
Ned waited to see which trees the others would pick out before choosing
his own place of refuge. He did this because he thought it good policy
to have their forces scattered, as by that means they could guard the
camp more surely.
As they went on with these preparations, looking to the repulse of
invading hosts of sleek gray-coated beasts of prey, they could hear the
fiendish chorus of wolfish howls drawing steadily nearer all the while.
There may have been a lingering doubt in the mind of Jack or Harry
concerning the accuracy of that guess on the part of Amos, but it was
gone by this time. Those constantly increasing howls had convinced them
beyond all question.
Jimmy had picked out his tree easily enough. Indeed, it was a habit of
his these times to settle in his mind just what tree would make the
best harbor of refuge in case of a sudden necessity. This he always did
as soon as a camp had been decided upon. Jimmy was wont to say with
considerable pride that he was only following out the customary scout
law "be prepared," which might cover the case, as it does many others.
He seemed to have little trouble about climbing into this tree, first
pushing up his Marlin gun, and then the beloved Navajo blanket with its
bright colors; for Jimmy did not mean to leave his personal possessions
to the mercy of the thievish pack that had broken bounds and was wildly
hunting for food.
He climbed after the rest, and it happened that no one else had picked
on that particular tree for their refuge, so that Jimmy was going to
have it all to himself.
The lower limbs grew rather close to the ground, Jimmy now realized;
and he began to wonder whether he had after all been wise in choosing
such a tree. Would he be in any danger from the sharp teeth and claws
of the wolves when they came rushing up? Jimmy did not believe that
wolves could climb trees; but all the same he did not feel altogether
easy about it. Still, when he found himself clutching his trusty gun
new confidence seemed to be born in his soul.
"Let 'em come if they want to," he said aloud, between his set teeth.
"If they will have it, I guess I'll be able to take care of the lot.
Every bullet ought to count for a victim; and, mebbe, now I'll be able
to see if the bully gun can't send the lead through a couple at one
time. It's passed through a six-inch tree, and that's goin' some, let
me tell you. My stars! but don't they yap to beat the band. And say,
they can't be more'n a mile away right now, I should think."
The thought was enough to make his blood leap through his veins with
renewed excitement. In imagination, Jimmy already began to picture
himself blazing away as fast as he could work the mechanism of his
modern firearm; and, of course, bowling over a fresh victim with every
discharge.
"Jimmy!"
That was Harry calling.
"Hello, there!" replied the one addressed.
"Did you think to grab up the grub and take it up with you?" continued
Harry.
"Oh! thunder!"
Jimmy was all broken up by this sudden intelligence. The others had
apparently expected him to look out for the food supply, because Jimmy
was always ready to take this burden on his shoulders.
And now, alas, what had seemed to be everyone's duty had proved to be
no one's; their precious supply of food was left unguarded at the foot
of that central tree, close to which the burros and pony had been
hitched.
Could he reach it, and get back before the advance gray runner arrived
on the scene, bringing his appetite with him and, likewise, his teeth
well sharpened for business?
Jimmy came to a conclusion almost instantly, and having a convenient
crotch in which he could leave his gun and blanket, he dropped down
from his perch.
"Hey! get back there!" shouted Jack; "don't you hear the pack coming
along? They'll get you, Jimmy! Climb up again!"
But Jimmy, undismayed, was already making a bolt for the spot where he
could see the pack he knew contained pretty much all the food they had
left. He had to face one of two evils; and to Jimmy's mind, it was far
worse to run the chances of being starved to death than to accept the
risk of the wolves coming up before he could climb into his tree of
refuge again.
Jimmy knew what it was to suffer the pangs of hunger; and as he had
never yet been bitten by wolves, he decided according to his light.
There was surely need of haste, as he knew while bending over the
package which he meant to save. The clamor of wolfish tongues was very
close at hand, and with what seemed to be a full dozen joining in the
yelping orgy it certainly went to make up a fiendish noise.
He could hear the rush of jumping forms through the underbrush as
though those eager animals had already scented what they considered
their prey, and were straining every nerve in the endeavor to beat each
other to the spot.
Jimmy in turning after securing the bundle had the misfortune to catch
his left foot in a projecting root and fall headlong. He felt a thrill
of horror, under the impression that his foot might be gripped fast in
the upturned root, and that he would be held in this position until the
bounding beasts had reached him, no matter how the other boys poured in
a hot fire.
But it was not so bad as that, and when he started to scramble to his
feet again, Jimmy found that he could move all right.
He could have made much faster time had he obeyed the order which Ned
called out to him, to abandon the packet and make for his tree haven
with all speed. But there was that old spirit of obstinacy urging Jimmy
to hold what he had, to the bitter end. What would he think of himself
in times to come if he remembered that he had tamely submitted to
conditions that were not of his own making and abandoned the entire
visible food supply for himself and friends to those savage
half-famished creatures?
On gaining his feet Jimmy again headed for his tree, gripping the
bundle with both arms. That was a sight the other boys would not soon
forget; but Ned was not very much surprised, for he knew the nature of
his assistant, and had on other occasions witnessed just such specimens
of his grit.
"Drop it, Jimmy!" shrieked Harry, afraid that something terrible was
about to follow this action on the part of the other scout, because the
rush of the coming wolves had increased to a pitch that was next door
to terrible.
"Don't do it, Jimmy; we'll hedge you in, all right! Bully boy, Jimmy!"
Jack was calling out, for Jack, being much more of a fighter than
Harry, could better appreciate the daring feat Jimmy was carrying to a
successful end.
Ned did not venture to say anything. He knew the weakness of Jimmy, and
how easily he could be "rattled" when others were shouting conflicting
appeals to him. And so Ned contented himself with sitting there,
holding his gun ready for work and keeping a close watch, so as to
discover the very first sign of the leading wolf of the coming pack.
Jimmy was now at his tree, but the next thing was to get the package of
food safely lodged up among the limbs, where they formed crotches at
the junction with the main trunk.
He tossed it upwards, but was compelled to stretch out his hands and
catch it again, pretty much as an eager football player might smother
the pigskin oval in his arms on occasion. That wasted just so many
seconds, but although he heard the rushing sound coming steadily toward
him, Jimmy was game to the core, and would not allow himself to think
of giving up his part in the play.
A second time did he give the packet a toss, and this effort had more
steam back of it, for the object of his attention went considerably
higher. It must have struck a limb, for it rebounded back, and once
again landed at the feet of Jimmy.
He saw a flitting figure shoot across a little open spot where the
moon's rays fell upon the ground; and Jimmy knew full well that this
must be the leading wolf, heading straight toward him, through the
instinct that draws carniverous animals directly to their intended prey.
Nevertheless, he bent down and deliberately took the package of food in
his possession once more, meaning to give a third trial, possibly under
the belief that two good attempts deserve another.
This time luck did follow his effort. The packet managed to lodge
somewhere among the branches, for certainly it failed to fall back
again. And so Jimmy felt that having vindicated his reputation for
courage, it was now up to him to look out for himself.
So he commenced to climb. Jimmy had never been one of the best climbers
in the troop; for there were quite a number who could, as he would have
said, "cut circles all around" him in the tree-tops. But this was a
case where he was encouraged to exert himself to the utmost. There was
something worth while at stake, for should those famished creatures
ever reach him, he might expect them to make short work of their task.
Jimmy under other conditions would doubtless have climbed that tree
more gracefully, but he could certainly not have done it in less time
than on that present occasion. Speed was everything to him just then,
and he was willing to sacrifice agility, grace and make-believe
coolness to the one object of avoiding too close acquaintance with the
cruel fangs, which he knew must already be snapping and grinding in
anticipation of a feast.
Once he slipped and came very near falling back to the ground. He felt
a cold chill pass through his whole frame at the bare horror of the
thing; then his grip held its own, and he managed to give one more
desperate heave that landed him up in the first crotch.
Even there he was not safe. It was too near the ground, and one of
those agile jumpers might easily spring that high, with half an effort.
So Jimmy, without even waiting to catch a fresh breath, put the spurs
in and made another heave.
He had an indistinct view of some object flashing toward his tree, more
like a streak of light than a living creature. It must be that leading
wolf, crazy to be the first to seize upon the prey they had scented
from afar.
Jimmy might have shouted at the beast, in hopes of sending him back in
alarm; but, in the first place, he did not have much breath left with
which to engineer such a programme. Then again he was not given half a
show. Not that the wolf sprang up, and took hold of his shins, that
being the part of Jimmy's anatomy extending further down the tree than
any other. Oh! no, such a catastrophe did not happen at all, because
there was no chance that it could with such vigilant guardians near at
hand.
Ned had, meanwhile, sung out something to his other two chums. This was
in the nature of the "I've got it!" of the fielder, when a high fly
comes his way; for he wants to warn his neighbors in due time, so that
they may not interfere with his play and make a mess of it all.
When Jimmy heard the sharp report of that rifle so close at hand, his
heart felt glad within him; for he guessed who had pulled the trigger,
and his faith in Ned's marksmanship was very great.
"How's that, Mr. Umpire?" he managed to call, shrilly; and Jack,
apparently entering into the spirit of the thing, was heard to bawl
lustily back, as though the appeal had been directed to him personally:
"Out at first!"
"Next batter up!" yipped little Amos; which was enough to tell the
scouts that the great National game was no mystery to this diminutive
cow-puncher, with the face and body of a child, but the head of a grown
person.
Then the fun suddenly became fast and furious.