darling little rabbit,--Tally suddenly held up a hand for silence.
Instantly everything was quiet. Then they heard distinctly the
plaintive cry of a distressed animal.
"Dat deer call. Him 'fraid an' need help. Shall us go?" explained
Tally.
"Oh, yes, Tally, by all means!" exclaimed Mrs. Vernon.
So they pushed a way through the thick screen of pines until they came
to a clearing where the trees had been burned down. The sun shone into
the place, clearly showing the scene of a forest tragedy which was
about to be enacted there.
The two guides made way for the scouts to crowd up beside them, and
there they saw a well-grown deer in the center of the tiny park. It
was still young and inexperienced, as was shown by the way it backed
around and voiced its horror and fear.
"What is it afraid of, Tally?" questioned the Captain, because her
unaccustomed eyes saw nothing to fear.
"See on limb dere--where deer must go if she like to get out?"
whispered Tally, pointing to one end of the clearing where a giant
pine spread its branches far over the place.
Along the lowest bough crouched a panther, ready to leap. Its green
eyes gleamed with hungry desire for the choice breakfast so near, and
its sinuous tail whipped gracefully back and forth against the tree.
But its gaze wavered from the deer to something at the other end of
the clearing. What could be restraining this ferocious beast, whose
claws, as they dug sharp nails into the wood of the tree, appeared
ready to rip open the tender flesh of its prey?
Two sides of the clearing were made impassable for the deer by the
close growth of aspens, interlocked like a brush-fence. At one end of
the clearing the panther kept guard, but what was the cause of the
starting eyes of the deer as it gazed at the nearer end--the end where
the scouts stood?
"Ah, Omney--see?" breathed Tally, softly, as he pointed.
Then they saw a grey-brown animal about the size of Scrub, with a
stubby tail. Its body was thick and short, and its head was round. It
had gleaming eyes, green-slitted like a cat's. Its ears were
sharp-pointed and stood erect. The mouth was partly open, with the
tongue showing its red edge between the fanglike teeth. Its rusty
color merged so perfectly with the bushes that it was small wonder the
scouts had not seen it immediately.
Its expression, the crouching pose, its tense muscles--all denoted its
eagerness to taste the blood of the deer, but there was the panther to
reckon with first! Now the girls realized the danger of the young
deer. How could the poor thing hope to escape from a panther and a
lynx?
When the lynx sensed the human beings, she snarled viciously, but
showed no fear. Her entire attention was given to the movements of the
panther. But the fact that her natural enemies, human beings, stood so
close to her, made her act sooner than she might have done.
Tally whispered the situation in a breath. "Pant'er no jump, fear lynx
get him an' en get deer. Lynx 'fraid to jump firs' 'cause pant'er den
jump on bof an' eat 'em."
Then Omney whispered, "Tally shoot pant'er, an' me shoot lynx--same
time. When I say fire--den shoot!"
So the two guides slowly lifted their rifles and aimed. But the lynx
had crept closer to the deer, which in turn sent a swift look of
apprehension back at the beast that was now preparing to spring the
moment the lynx leaped. The deer lifted its muzzle high and bleated
forth a wailing cry, and at the same moment two rifles sounded.
The instant before they rang out, the lynx had jumped right at the
throat of the deer, and the instant after the panther had leaped also.
The bullet sped faster than the lynx could spring, and the latter fell
with a heavy thud to roll over in the buffalo grass at the forefeet of
the deer.
Omney's shot at the panther, however, struck its right shoulder
instead of a fatal spot. When the lynx rolled under the nose of the
panic-stricken deer, the poor creature jumped over against the wall of
aspens, and this leap spared its life. For the panther, instead of
ripping open its throat as it planned to do, clawed a tear in its side
and then rolled over on the grass. Instantly, the wild beast was up
and about to spring again, when a shot from Tally's gun ended its
preying.
The frightened deer had seen the animal rise to spring again, but her
eyes were so blinded with the pain and fury of the gash in her side,
that she leaped high and brought both hoofs down upon her dead
antagonist. Again and again she lifted her stiffened forelegs and
drove her sharp hoofs into the spine of the dead panther. Finally,
however, the deer realized that her enemy was dead, and swiftly she
wheeled and fled from the clearing through the opening opposite the
scouts.
As she disappeared, the girls relaxed the nervous tension that had
held them absolutely motionless during the battle. Now they sighed,
and Mrs. Vernon sat down where she had stood. Betty began crying
softly, and said, "The poor deer! I hope its side will heal."
"Sure! Him go roll in mud of shallow spring and it heal," Tally
assured her.
The lynx and panther were found to be splendid specimens of their
individual kinds, and the scouts had the satisfaction of knowing that
this big game had not been shot for mere sport. But, having saved the
deer's life by shooting the two wild beasts, the pelts naturally
became trophies for the scouts to send home.
"They're awfully big brutes, girls. We'll never be able to carry them
both back to camp to-day," said Mrs. Vernon.
"Skin 'em--onny take back pelts," said Omney.
"We want to have them stuffed, Hominy, so we need the heads and feet,
too," said Julie.
Tally looked at Omney and spoke in his native language. Then he turned
to the scouts and interpreted what he said.
"I say, Omney skin animals wid head an' feet on--us go on an' help
Omney on way back. Him done skin den."
As no new adventure befell them that day, they retraced their steps
and stopped for Omney and the pelts. That night the story was told to
the three men, and it lost none of its coloring by having five scouts
tell it, turn and turn about.
Scrub did not return to camp that night, and Mr. Lewis told Omney to
start immediately after breakfast in the morning and see if any
untoward accident had happened to the dog. Tally and the scouts would
not remain behind, for they were very fond of the pet and worried lest
he had been killed by a wild beast.
They chose the trail they had seen Scrub take the two previous days,
and after climbing the mountain for a time, Tally and Omney argued
over following a faint trail through a jungle. Tally pointed to a
paw-track in the soft earth, but Omney declared it was not a dog's
track.
Yet Tally won his way, and started into the dense thicket. He had not
gone more than a few yards before he exclaimed jubilantly and pointed
to a wisp of Scrub's hair that had been caught on a briar. Then Omney
meekly admitted that Tally must be right in his intuitions.
After following the faint trail for a short time, Julie called out,
"I'm sure I heard a dog bark just now."
"Let's shout. Maybe Scrub's lost and is calling to us," explained
Betty, anxiously.
"Lost! Now Betty, you don't know that dog if you say he could be
lost," retorted Joan.
They all distinctly heard a shrill bark, now, and Tally said, "Sound
like him got wild animal trapped, an' wan' us help."
Finally they were near enough to hear Scrub bark and yelp in reply to
the plaintive whining of some other animal. Then Tally advised the
girls, "You no call Scrub when you come up. Dog look to see you, an'
animal jump on him. No say anyting, but wait an' let Tally shoot."
This was hard sense, and the scouts agreed to obey. Just then they
reached a spot where the forest trees were not so closely grown. Tally
held his rifle ready to shoot if necessary, to spare the dog's life,
but when he came out of the fringe of pines that circled the small
clearing where the dog barked, he stood amazed.
The scouts deplored the fact that the camera had been left at camp, as
usual, for here was a most unique picture. Scrub stood stiffly, the
hair along his spine standing upright from excitement. His stub tail
vibrated so swiftly that one could not see it move--it seemed a blur of
action. His front legs were braced, and he was yelping and barking at
two little bear cubs.
They appeared as distressed and confused as the dog. One, the larger
of the two, glared at Scrub with ferocious mien and at intervals, when
the dog stopped barking for time to breathe, it would charge
threateningly, but never got near enough to grapple with the dog.
The smaller cub circled whiningly about a huddled mass that lay under
a great pine log. It would sniff about the heap and then sit upon its
little haunches and cry quiveringly. It was this wail the scouts had
heard in the distance.
At times Scrub would run over to the trail whence he found his friends
approaching, then the little male-cub would join his sister at the
black heap, and both would whine pitifully to the mother that was
insensible to their cry. The moment Scrub was aware of any movement on
the part of his opponent, he would tear back to engage his enemy in
another wrangle of sounds.
"Um! No wonder Scrub no come home las' night!" laughed Tally.
"Maybe that's why he was so excited the night before--he wanted to tell
us," ventured Joan.
"Yes, but I'm surprised that he remained, when he found we would not
follow him," added Julie.
"He may have feared we might move camp and he would be left behind,"
suggested Mrs. Vernon.
"I go see why mudder don' help cubs," said Tally. So he started across
the clearing, followed by the girls.
"Um! See--big log fall from tree jus' when bear go un'ner," said the
Indian, pointing up at the split bough that had been severed by
lightning, with its heavy end left dangling for a time. It had fallen
and struck the black mother-bear just as she was passing under, and it
must have instantly killed her.
"The poor little babies!" sighed Betty.
"Can't we catch them and train them?" asked Julie, eagerly.
"Dem die sure in woods--or beastes eat 'em," said Tally.
"Dear me, we mustn't have that!" cried Mrs. Vernon.
"If we could only tame them and send them to the Zoo in New York--what
a fine thing that would be for the Girl Scouts' Organization. It would
be quite an honor," exclaimed Ruth.
During the unfamiliar sound and sight of the scouts, the cubs blinked
fearfully at them. What new calamity was now at hand--and mother lying
there so still and helpless?
Scrub was ordered away from the bears and made to mind, while Tally
planned how to catch the cubs.
"I use rope an' lasso bof," said he.
"We'll surround the cubs, Tally, and Scrub can keep guard so they
won't run away, while you catch them," planned Julie.
It was an easy task to catch the little girl-cub and tie her to a tree
near the mother bear. But it was another matter to catch the boy-cub.
Tally threw the lasso, but it merely struck the rump of the little
fellow as he turned to investigate what his sister, who had been given
a chunk of cake by one of the scouts, was eating.
The cub resented the slap from the rope, and snapped at it. But Tally
dragged the lasso back, coaxing the bear-cub much nearer. When the
rope was caught up to coil again, the frightened little fellow raced
back to the tree where his sister sat. He was so cunning in his
awkward gait that the scouts laughed heartily.
This time the rope caught him truly, and he rolled over with a jerk.
He clawed and snapped and yelped at the bonds that kept him from
running away; and when Tally took in the rope, the cub snapped
viciously at him. Then the guide had to throw his coat over the cub's
head and fall upon it to wrap him in the folds.
But the forepaws were free, so the cub used them well, trying to tear
the garment away from his head. So strong was the little fellow that
Tally had his hands full to finally tie him about the neck. In this
fight the cub earned his name of "Snap."
When both cubs were securely tied to the tree, Tally went over to
examine the old mother-bear. The scouts followed and stood looking
down upon the huge body sprawled under the heavy log.
"Her dead at once. Her not hear babies cry--or nuddin'," explained
Tally, trying to lift the log from her back.
Several of the scouts assisted and soon the tree bough was rolled
away, Scrub managing to get in every one's way during the procedure.
"Her dead mos' two day--babies no get milk to eat," said Tally, after
examining the teats and body of the bear.
"Mebbe we coax home wid eats," suggested he, as he glanced from mother
to cubs and back again.
"Tally, I brought some candy in my pocket," said Anne, instantly
producing the sweets.
"Bear like sugar. Us lead cubs easy wid dis."
"Tally, how can we keep this dead bear so we can have her skin, too,"
now asked Julie, anxiously.
"Oh, if we could only ship home such a magnificent bear pelt, wouldn't
we be proud!" sighed Joan.
"Kin skin and bury 'um now. Come back mornin' an' carry to camp. Got
han' full wid two cub to-day," grinned the Indian.
"Oh, if you boys would skin it and save it for us!" sighed several
eager scouts.
So the guides sharpened their great knives that they always carried in
their belts, and began work on the dead bear. The girls would have
fainted at such a sight a year before, but now they stood by without a
quiver and watched the Indians skin the animal.
The pelt was soon stripped from the carcass, and the former was buried
deep under the log, while the latter was left for the wolves, or other
animals. While Tally finished this work the scouts gathered berries to
feed to the starved cubs. The latter were so famished that they
eagerly ate everything given them.
All the way home the scouts took turns in holding bits of candy in
front of the cubs' noses, to make them run for it. At some of these
"home-runs" the cubs got the best of it, and the scouts had to drop
the candy and jump aside, or be clawed in the bears' eagerness to get
the sweets. At such times Scrub barked and jumped at the harnessed
cubs, and they in turn would fight back, so there ensued a wild scene
of battle until Tally got the upper hand again.
Once the cubs were in camp and caged they became tame and friendly
with every one,--even Scrub failed to draw a snarl from Snap now. The
smaller of the two bears was named Yap, as she was forever wanting
something to eat and yapped when she could not get it.
In a few days' time they were freed from the homemade cage and
tethered to a tree during the daytime. They furnished great amusement
for the scouts; and Scrub was peeved because every one showed so much
attention to these horrid little brutes, while _he_ would permit
petting without a snap if his friends were so inclined.
The campers had been on this site for almost two weeks before the men
mentioned that they were ready to move along. The cubs were quite tame
now, and ran about camp, playing with every one who would play with
them. They were fine and plump, and the scouts gave much time to the
currying of their soft silky coats and to teaching them tricks.
"What do you scouts intend doing with Snap and Yap when we start on
the trail again?" asked Mr. Gilroy.
"Where do you plan to go from here, Gilly?" asked Julie.
"Why, Lewis is going back now that he has secured the special
specimens he came to the glaciers for," returned Mr. Gilroy; "but we
are to go along to Flat Top, where I hope to spend some time at
Tyndall, you know."
"You told me, Gill, that you wanted to visit Mills' Moraine and hunt
for glacial deposits there," ventured Mr. Lewis.
"So I did, but it is simply impossible for me to lead the scouts such
a dance, and now that they have two bears to dance along with them, I
shall have to forego Mills'," laughed Mr. Gilroy, longingly.
"Is Mr. Lewis going right back to Denver, did you say?" asked Julie.
"Yes, he has a public lecture to give at the Auditorium, so he cannot
go on with us," explained Mr. Vernon.
"Then listen to my idea, and tell me what you think of it--everybody,"
exclaimed Julie, eagerly.
"Why can't Mr. Lewis take back our pelts and the cubs, and express
them home for us?"
The very audacity of the suggestion made every one laugh at first, but
after much talking it seemed not so impossible.
"Then Gilly and Uncle can go through their wonderful heaps of glacial
debris, while Tally guides us along the trail to the Flat Top. We will
meet again at the foot of Tyndall Glacier," said Julie.
So out of all the talking and planning this was the result: Frolic was
selected as being the best-behaved of the two mules; the double crate
was harnessed to her back, and in each crate a little cub was secured.
The pelts of the bear, the panther, and the lynx were strapped across
her back, and she was ready to start back to Long's Peak village, with
Mr. Lewis and Omney. There the bears would be crated anew, and shipped
to the Zoo at Central Park, New York City, while the pelts were to be
expressed to Mrs. Vernon's home to await the scouts' return.
Mr. Lewis was then to send Frolic back with Omney, who was to trail
with the party and help Tally in various ways, while his master
finished his lecture tour in Colorado.
The morning of their departure, the cubs were scrubbed, combed, and
fed to repletion by the scouts, then secured in the crates. They were
oblivious of the tears shed by the scouts over their soft little
bodies, for they were curled up and fast asleep after such a hearty
breakfast.
When Mr. Lewis and Omney rode down the trail, the scouts wept
forlornly while the little party was in sight, but once a bend in the
pathway was turned, Scrub came in for his full share of love and
petting again.
"If we could only have kept the cubs with us!" sighed Joan.
"Thank heavens we have Scrub left as a hostage for Frolic," sighed
Ruth, hugging the dog, who _now_ ignored every fond attention.
"As it was impossible to 'travel light' with two bears, isn't it much
better the way we arranged it, girls?" asked Mrs. Vernon.
And they had to admit that such was the case.
CHAPTER NINE
A THRILLING CANOE TRIP
With one pack mule less, Jolt had more to carry but he seemed not to
mind it. He was made up of that temperament like few humans, that as
long as he had plenty to eat and a place to sleep, it mattered not how
hard he had to work at other times.
The day following Mr. Lewis's departure with Omney and the cubs, the
scouts broke camp and moved along the trail to pitch a camp nearer
Battle Mountain. From this spot Mr. Gilroy and Mr. Vernon could daily
rove about, hunting for the precious bits of rock and debris that
meant so much to the geologist. Here the party planned to await the
return of Omney and the mule, Frolic.
The new camp near Battle Mountain was much like the old one, with the
exception of its being nearer the trail instead of way back in the
woods. Thus it happened that the second day of camping, a party of
tourists stopped to ask which trail would lead them to a certain
stream where they were to meet a party of canoeists.
Tally explained how they could reach the place, and after they had
gone, Joan sighed, "I wish we could canoe for a change!"
"It wouldn't be much like the infant trips we took last summer," said
Ruth.
"I should say not! In the Rockies there'd be rapids, then a whirlpool,
and then over a waterfall--to extinction!" laughed Julie.
"All the same, others take these trips safely,--why shouldn't
experienced scouts?" added Anne.
"Just because we never thought of it, with all our other excitement,"
answered Ruth.
"Now that we have thought of it, let's ask Verny why there are no
places where one can hire a canoe," suggested Julie.
The girls laughed at such an idea, but the thought of what a wonderful
experience it would be to canoe on these streams, clung to their
minds, and so the Captain heard about it.
"Even if you had canoes, there are no navigable streams," said she.
"Those folks who stopped to ask Tally the way to Flat Top base were to
meet friends who canoed all the way from somewhere," said Joan.
"Yes, they told us they were to meet the party there and all were
going to cross the Divide on horses, then come back and canoe home,"
added Judith.
"It seems too bad that all those fine canoes must remain idle while
those folks are riding over the Divide," sighed Julie.
Mrs. Vernon purposely ignored the sigh and the insinuation, then did
her best to change the subject to one more practical. But the Fates
were against her this time.
The following morning, two of the men who had previously stopped to
inquire the right trail to take, returned to ask Tally if he knew of
any one who would sell them, or hire out, a number of
mountain-climbing horses. Now that the canoeing party had arrived,
there were no extra horses for them to ride.
"How many horses will you need?" asked Julie, quickly scheming.
"There are eight people in the party, and they will want one or two
extra horses for the luggage," replied the man.
"There are nine horses and one mule in _our_ outfit," hinted Julie,
her eyes gleaming as she glanced at the Captain.
"But your mounts will do us no good," laughed the man.
"Oh, they might, if you could persuade us to swap for a time," said
Julie, daringly.
"Julie, what _do you_ mean?" demanded Mrs. Vernon, angrily.
"Why, one likes to be brotherly, you know, Verny, and in the wilds,
far from other people, we ought to do a good turn to strangers. Here
is a party with a number of canoes but no horses, and here are we with
horses but no canoes--see my point?" she said.
"Even though you are the Scout Leader, Julie, I do not see how you can
even suggest such a step. The Captain refuses to listen to any
argument along those lines," said Mrs. Vernon sternly.
"We scouts like to canoe, and we will be here at camp for several
weeks, so a little side trip like the one offered now would be most
delightful," responded Julie, who understood that the Captain's
objections arose mostly from dread of the scouts taking the trip on
unknown streams.
"Several weeks! Why, we are only camping here for a few days,"
retorted Mrs. Vernon. "Besides I have no idea of exchanging safe
methods of travel, for what is known to be a great risk."
"Verny, Gilly told Uncle last night that he had enough material on
hand in these moraines to keep him busy for a year, if he wanted to do
the thing properly. But even as it was, he proposed spending several
weeks between here and Tyndall Glacier," said Joan, to corroborate
Julie's statement.
"Well, what of that? Would you advise me to loan the horses Gilly gave
security for, to a party of strangers we never saw in our lives?"
Before any one could answer, Mr. Gilroy hurried back to camp. "I've
forgotten my magnifying glasses, girls. Don't stop me for anything,
now," said he.
He ran into his tent and was out again in a moment, but one of the men
who came to ask about horses, recognized him in that moment.
"Why, it is Mr. Gilroy, who has a place in the Adirondacks!" exclaimed
he, coming forward.
"Well of all people! You're the last I looked for in the Rockies,
Kenmore!" laughed Mr. Gilroy, shaking hands with his friend from the
East.
"Funny how we should happen to meet like this," said Mr. Kenmore, then
he introduced his companion. Mr. Gilroy, in turn, introduced the two
men to Mrs. Vernon and the girls.
When Mr. Kenmore told his story, and why he had stopped at the camp,
Julie hastily interpolated and repeated what she had said about a fair
exchange of horses and canoes. But no one spoke of the Captain's
fears.
"Say, Ken, that plan might work out all right," declared Mr. Gilroy.
"How long shall you folks want to use the horses?"
"Why, as to that--we can go as far as your time permits, and return
when you say."
"Well, I'll tell you! I've got to be about these diggings for another
ten days or two weeks at least, and if the scouts want to take a
little canoe trip during that time, I think it will be fine! What do
you say, Captain?" and Mr. Gilroy turned to Mrs. Vernon.
"You seem to have settled everything before you asked my opinion. Yet
there would be no scouts in the Rockies if I were not responsible for
each one of them on this trip!"
"Why, Captain! I imagined you were as eager for this trip as the girls
seem to be!" exclaimed Mr. Gilroy, aghast.
"Eager--what for? Losing half the scouts in a whirlpool because of a
silly notion of Juliet's?" The very mention of Julie's full name
sobered every one considerably, for they realized that the Captain was
very serious in her objecting to this new risk.