BACK TO CAMP.
The hill which the boys proposed to pass around was about a quarter of a
mile in length and but slightly less in breadth--much greater than
either of them suspected when they set out. It rose like a peak to the
height of several hundred feet, as if it were an offshoot from the main
ridge of hills, left to flourish by itself.
Howard walked slowly along, after glancing back at his cousin until the
intervening wood concealed him from view, when he gave a short, sharp
whistle, which was immediately answered. Then, appreciating the
necessity of haste, he quickened his footsteps.
As he advanced the hills assumed proportions of which he had not
dreamed, and that raised in his mind strong doubts as to the wisdom of
separating from his companion. He would not have done it had not the
latter urged him so. Misgivings now arose in the mind of the boy. He
looked upon his duty as that of restraining and tempering Elwood's
impulsiveness. He had done so several times to his manifest advantage;
but on this day, as Howard looked back, it really appeared as if he had
bidden good-by to his senses. Their separation from Tim was almost
criminal in its foolishness, and yet he had scarcely raised an
objection; and now, was not the last proceeding still more imprudent? As
it stood, the three members of the little party who should never have
been out of each other's sight, were now a good distance from each
other, and that, too, when in a hostile country.
From these rather sad reflections Howard was roused by the faint,
echoing whistle of Elwood.
"He is all right," thought he, feeling much relieved, as he placed his
fingers to his mouth and returned the whistle. "We are both now passing
around the hill, so that we cannot get further apart, and can keep
within call all the time."
Admonished by the lateness of the hour, Howard almost ran. He grew
somewhat impatient at the unexpected extent of the hill; but finally he
passed beyond the southern point, and as he stood and listened, he heard
the murmur of the river--proof that it was close at hand.
"Now," thought he, "if Elwood will only hurry, we have a good chance of
finding Tim before he gives us up for lost."
The boy could not see that anything at all was gained by their course in
passing around the ridge. Neither of them, were in sight of the river,
and would have to advance still further before they could form any idea
of their whereabouts. He was resolved to do this in company with his
cousin, so that precisely the same thing would have been accomplished
had they remained together.
Howard having hurried a great deal, thought it likely that he was some
distance in advance of his cousin. He stood some minutes listening for
his signals, and then began walking toward the northern end of the hill
that he might meet him as he came around. He observed as he advanced
that they increased in rocky ruggedness, and could see that it was quite
a feat to pass through them.
Going some distance he paused again, and listened intently, but nothing
beside the deep murmur of the woods reached his ear.
"What can it mean?" he finally asked himself, as a vague alarm crept
over him. "We must be much closer together than we were before, and I
haven't heard him whistle for the last half-hour."
He began to doubt whether it was best to proceed further or not. It
might serve only to mislead in case Elwood was searching for him. Still
hearing nothing to indicate the location of his friend, he made the
signal himself--a long, screeching whistle, that rang out in the solemn
stillness with a penetrating clearness that sent the chills over him
from head to foot.
"He must hear that if he is within a mile," was his reflection, as he
leaned his head forward and listened for the first approach of the
answering sound.
Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes passed away, but nothing was heard, and the
poor boy looked around in sore alarm.
"Can it be that Elwood is jesting?" he asked himself. "He would not do
so if he knew what I am suffering."
Howard was now in great distress. He could not decide what to do. If he
advanced he could feel no assurance of meeting his friend, while a
retreat was equally hopeless.
Where was Elwood? Had he wandered off among the hills, tempted by the
wild scenery, and had he lost his way? Was he searching for his cousin?
Or had he been found by Indians?
The last inquiry had been rising in Howard's mind for a half-hour, but
he had resolutely forced it down again, until he could keep it away no
longer. He could find no other reason to account for the silence, and
failure to answer his call. The whistle which he had given must have
spread miles in every direction--so far that Elwood could not have got
beyond its range had the course of both been precisely opposite. No; it
must----
But, hark! A faint, tremulous whistle comes to his ear. It is far away
and sounds among the hills behind, as though it had labored up from some
cave or chasm miles distant. Howard held his breath, and as he
anticipated, it came again so faintly and distantly that had he been
walking he could not have heard it.
On both occasions it sounded behind him among the hills, though its
tremulous faintness made it appear as though it came from far up in the
air, or down deep in some of the gorges of the hills--so uncertain was
the exact point of its starting.
Poor Howard was now in a dilemma. Whether to attempt to follow up the
signal or to go on to the river and search out Tim O'Rooney and the
Newfoundland was a question which was difficult to decide. But his
eagerness to find his cousin led him on into the hills, until he had
penetrated quite a distance. He then paused and listened for the signal,
but none was ever to come to his ears again.
Howard repeated the whistle over and over, and finally fired his gun;
but both were equally fruitless. He waited where he was until dark, when
with a sad heart he withdrew and resumed his tramp toward the river.
Gloomy indeed were his meditations, as he reflected on the occurrences
of the day, and there was scarcely anything he would not do, if by any
means he could recall _his_ part since he landed upon the main shore.
In the course of half an hour he reached the river, and looked intently
out into the semi-darkness to see whether he could recognize anything
familiar; but so far as he was able to see, all was strange, from which
he concluded that he had struck at a point lower down than where Tim had
been left.
He therefore began making his way south, that is, toward the source of
the river, after halting and listening for some sound that might tell
something either of Tim or Elwood. Suddenly a threatening growl startled
him, and then came the welcome bark of Terror, and the next moment the
dog was frolicking around him and showing his delight in the most
extravagant manner.