"Watch my back, Frank. Keep low behind that nearest tree and let 'em
have it. They're in that long grass."
As he spoke Art, worming his way rapidly forward to a position behind
the trunk of one of the spruces, began firing rapidly.
Frank, in the opposite direction, fired several shots into the long
grass. He had an uncanny feeling, for he could see no forms at which to
fire, and the preliminary volley poured into the camp was not repeated,
so he had no index as to the enemy positions.
Jack, Bob and Farnum, rolled over, awakened by the shots, but Frank
called fiercely: "Keep down."
Realizing something of the situation, the three grabbed their rifles,
laying by their sides, and, keeping down, prepared to fire as soon as
they could see something at which to aim.
Mr. Hampton stirred in his tent a moment later. He had been sleeping
hard, and had not awakened instantly as had the others. Moreover, a dull
ache gripped his head, preventing him from thinking clearly and from
comprehending instantly what was occurring. He lay a moment, wondering
what had awakened him. All was still outside, for Frank and Art had
ceased firing to await some sign from the unseen enemy. Mr. Hampton
decided to peer out and investigate what had disturbed him. He crawled
from his dog tent and stood up.
At his appearance, a ragged volley burst once more from the long grass
surrounding the tiny grove, for his figure stood forth clearly and made
an excellent target. Spinning about, Mr. Hampton fell heavily to the
ground.
A wild yell of triumph went up at this indication that the leader had
been hit. Jack leaped up regardless of consequences and ran to his
father, dragging him into the tent, while bullets whipped around him.
Bob ran to his assistance. To the hidden enemy it must have seemed as if
their opponents were demoralized. At any rate, they grew more
courageous, and started a rush.
From three sides, it came, the figures of the oncoming men only
partially seen as they crouched low and darted through the grass. But
the long stems waving above them marked their paths, and there were
three still on watch who would have to be dealt with.
Frank, Art and Farnum marked where the waving grass indicated the enemy.
Each guarded a side of the little grove. On the fourth side lay the
stream.
"Wait'll they're close, fellows, then give it to 'em," cautioned Farnum.
"Ready. Let's go."
The three repeating rifles spoke as one, and from the long grass came
howls and shrieks of pain and terror. What followed was brief but
lively. Each of the three pumped his rifle as fast as possible, and the
bullets poured into the grass almost as fast as if sprayed from the
throat of a machine gun. The return fire was heavy but high, whipping
through the branches of the spruce trees overhead.
Reinforcements added to the strength of the defenders, for Bob darted
out of the tent, crouched over, and flung himself beside Frank,
beginning to shoot even as he talked.
"Mr. Hampton escaped by a miracle," he said. "Bullet creased his head
and stunted him. He'll be all right."
The rush was broken. Whoever was in the grass, feared to advance farther
in the face of that fire. The long grass ceased to wave, indicating the
attackers had come to a halt. But they did not retreat. The menace was
still there.
"Anybody hit?" Farnum called out.
"Not me," said Art.
"Nor me," answered Frank.
"Thank our lucky stars for that," answered Farnum.
They all lay in a semi-circle, facing different directions, but close
enough to each other to make communication in ordinary tones possible.
Relieved to discover that all were untouched, despite the bullets that
had rained on the camp, Farnum next inquired anxiously after Mr.
Hampton, and Bob answered he had been only stunned.
"I reckon these fellows are Lupo and his gang," Farnum remarked. "But he
must have had more men than we expected, or he wouldn't be attacking us
like this."
"What'll we do?" growled Art. "Looks like they got us penned in."
"Oh, but we stopped their rush," protested Frank.
"Yes," said Art, "but they ain't beatin' it as I can see. An' when we
want to up an' leave camp, what's goin' to happen?"
Frank was about to reply, when Bob who was beside him, pointed with his
rifle toward the gap between the two hills, from the top of one of which
they earlier had seen the reindeer herd in the next valley.
"Look there, Frank," he exclaimed excitedly. "What do you make of that?"
"Where? I don't----Oh, yes; now I see. Something moving."
"Sure is something moving," Bob said.
Already the short twilight was beginning to lighten, as the sun after
its dip to the edge of the northern horizon now swung higher.
"Bob."
"What?"
"I believe that's the reindeer herd."
"From that valley over the hill? The reindeer we saw when we were up
there on the hill top?"
"Yes, sir."
"But how in the world?"
"Why, I noticed that the other valley swung around between those two
little hills. The reindeer are just grazing along, hunting new pasture.
And, say, Bob!"
"Well, what now?"
"I've got a bully idea."
Abruptly, Frank wormed his way around to face Art on his right, who was
keeping watch against surprise on his side of the little clump of trees
sheltering them.
"Art," said he, "look over there, between those two little hills. Are
those reindeer? The reindeer we saw from the hilltop?"
"Reckon so," said Art, after a critical inspection.
"Well, Art, can reindeer be stampeded? Like cattle, I mean."
"Reckon so. Why?"
"Well, I'm going to try it," Frank declared in a determined tone. Still
prone, he began to wriggle out of his clothes, and pulling up his legs,
to unlace his boots and kick them off.
"Are you crazy, Frank?" Bob demanded, puzzled, while Art and Farnum took
their eyes from the coverts ahead to look at Frank in astonishment.
"Crazy? No more than usual," Frank replied, as he completed disrobing,
and now lay naked under the spreading branches of the spruce. "But I'm
going to slip into the water and float down to that hill, then get in
behind the reindeer and stampede them. You see what'll happen then,
don't you?"
Bob stared at his companion, wide-eyed. Dawning comprehension crept into
his eyes, and he began to smile. Then he chuckled.
"You little hound," he said, employing a pet expression among the boys,
denoting admiration.
"But, say, what's the idea?" demanded Art sharply, from his position
several yards away.
Frank had started wriggling forward, and waited until he was close to
Art and Farnum before replying. Then he repeated his assertion that he
intended floating downstream until behind the slow-moving herd of
reindeer, when he would land and attempt to stampede them.
"You see how it is," he said. "You yourselves admit that we're in a
tight place. Lupo's forces have cover in that long grass, and can wait
us out. Here among the trees there is no grass to hide us. The minute we
get up and start to move around, we expose ourselves. Therefore, the
best thing to do, is to drive them out of their cover, isn't it?"
"Sure," said Art. "But how you going to do it with----"
He was about to ask how Frank intended to drive their enemies from cover
by stampeding the reindeer, but Frank grinned at him, and he paused.
Dawning comprehension came into his eyes, too.
"That's it," Frank said. "I see you get my idea."
He turned his gaze toward Farnum, farthest from the center, but who had
overheard the conversation.
"You see, Mr. Farnum," he said, "when the reindeer come dashing down,
Lupo's men will have to run for it to get out of the way. A stampeding
herd isn't anything to monkey with, I expect. Then you'll have your
chance. But the reindeer won't dash in among these few close-set trees,
so you'll be safe. No, sir; as I figure it, they'll just head right on
past here and try to get through the hills beyond."
Farnum's glance approved.
"A fine idea," he said, but then he added in a tone of doubt: "I don't
know as I ought to let you go, though. Mr. Hampton wouldn't like it,
maybe, putting yourself into danger like that."
"Oh, nonsense," said Frank. "I can slip unseen into the water. And I can
swim like a seal. Ask Bob."
And at once, to prevent any interruption of his plans, he resumed
worming his way to the bank of the river.
The river ran at this point between six-foot banks, and the clump of
trees in which camp was situated stood so close to the water that the
roots of several projected through the soil of the land. Frank had
little difficulty in getting down to the water, and felt sure that he
accomplished the feat unseen by the enemy. He let himself into the
stream, which was of sufficient depth right up to the bank to enable him
to float downstream under the protection of the high bank, without the
necessity of wading out to get to deeper water.
"For God's sake, be careful, boy," whispered Farnum, as Frank
disappeared.
Frank was naked, and unarmed except for a long knife. He had not figured
out how he would set about stampeding the reindeer. He was leaving that
to chance. What concerned him now was to get to a position behind the
herd without discovery. He stuck close inshore, floating, his eyes
roving along the edge of the bluff above him for signs of the enemy.
None was to be seen. After all, he thought, it was hardly likely that
any of the enemy lay in hiding here, as none of the shots fired at them
had come from so close to the river. On the contrary, the enemy lay
inland, showing they had come upon the camp from the landward side.
Becoming bolder, therefore, he turned over and struck out, swimming
strongly, the long knife in a sheath at his belt. He felt for it several
times, to reassure himself it was there and had not fallen out.
Frank was a strong swimmer. Indeed, this was the one athletic sport at
which he excelled both Bob and Jack, although they, too, were excellent
swimmers. It did not take him long, therefore, aided by the current, to
come abreast of the trees clothing the first of the two hills between
which the reindeer had entered their valley. The hill sloped abruptly
down to the water, and Frank had marked from camp how trees clothed it
entirely, even dipping into the stream. When he had passed, as he
believed, beyond a point at which there was any possibility of his being
seen, he seized a branch of a willow tree and pulled himself ashore.
Then, after climbing a short distance up the hill, he began working his
way around it through the trees. Presently he was on the hillside facing
the valley where were his friends in the distant clump of trees, and the
enemy hidden in the long grass. The reindeer had not moved far. They
were only a short distance from him, and Frank hurried forward at the
best pace he could command.