GOOD-BYE TO THE ROCKIES--BOUND FOR HOME.
"This is Aleck Rawson, Sheriff McNulty," said Thad, some little time
later, when, in answer to his signal, two figures came promptly into
camp.
The officer greeted the boy warmly, and what he said caused Aleck's
cheeks to burn red with delight, as well as his eyes to sparkle, as he
turned them, filled with gratitude upon Thad; for it seemed to him the
scoutmaster must be little short of a magician, since he could even
change enemies into warm friends.
Why, even Uncle Artemus, as if he knew enough to get in out of the wet
when it rained, came up, and wanted to congratulate the boy for having
won out, and found the mine his father had first set eyes on; but
Aleck had too many bitter feelings in connection with the artful
lawyer, and coolly turned his back on him.
Arrangements were soon made whereby the sheriff would go with Thad and
Aleck that very day to see the mine, and be a witness to the act
whereby the son of the first discoverer laid claim to the valuable
property. Then he said he would accompany Aleck to the city where the
legal part of the business must be completed.
He also declared he knew the very capitalist, a man who was the
essence of honor, and whom he would like to interest in the matter; so
Aleck expressed a wish to meet him, that some arrangements might be
quickly placed before his mother. His one thought seemed to be to get
the glorious news to that waiting little woman as soon as possible.
She had suffered enough, he declared; and please Heaven this would be
the end, so far as money could bring relief.
On the following morning, then, the sheriff left, with Aleck and the
guide keeping him company, and old Uncle Artemus "tagging on;" anxious
now to get back to Denver, and take up his legal business, since his
hopes of ever having a share in the newly-discovered silver mine were
crushed, wrecked by his own malicious actions toward his brother's
family. Had he done what was right in the premises, instead of
greedily wanting to grab the whole, as Aleck put it, Uncle Artemus
might have been the very capitalist needed to develop the mine; but no
one had any faith in him any longer.
Of course Thad took his scouts, and made a permanent camp there, about
where the three prospectors had started to settle down late on that
night, when the boys were coming out of the fissure in the rock. How
the others did laugh, again and again, when they heard all about the
fright given to Kracker and his companions, by the growls which Thad
and Aleck managed to emit.
Of course the big-horn hunters had come in before that other day was
much more than half done, and Smithy was proudly carrying the horns
that had belonged to _his_ quarry. He hardly seemed like the same
Smithy they had known so long. Why, he was a transformed boy in many
things, and even failed to brush off the dust some one pointed out to
him on his khaki garments. And when Smithy reached a point that he
could ignore such things, there must surely be a great transformation
taking place in his make-up.
He was brim-full of questions now, eager to learn the thousand-and-one
wrinkles of woodcraft, and expressing his determination to accomplish
wonderful things before many months had passed.
And Thad knew that Smithy would prove a sad disappointment to all
those thirty-seven old maid aunts and cousins who had spoiled him in
the past; for he had suddenly discovered that he had the red blood of
his father running in his veins; and the lure of all outdoors was
beginning to take hold of him. Never again would that boy be satisfied
to sit at the feet of an old lady, and learn how to make fancy-work;
oh! no, after this, the baseball and football fields would claim a
goodly share of his attention; for Smithy was bent on making himself
_manly_, a credit to the father whose name he bore, and who he knew
had once dearly loved to hunt, and fish, and spend his vacations in
the woods, close to Nature, as do all men who are worthy of the name.
Before the time limit which Thad and his chums had set for their stay
in the haunts of the Rockies had fully expired, Aleck and the sheriff,
accompanied by Toby Smathers, and several gentlemen who looked like
financiers, came back. They had no sooner examined the mine than
arrangements were immediately made for forming a company to open it.
There was even talk about running a railroad spur up the valley from
the nearest connection, so that the rich ore might be taken to a
smelter, and stamping mills; though possibly it would be decided as an
easier proposition to bring these things to the mine.
And so, one fine day, the Silver Fox Patrol of Cranford Troop of Boy
Scouts said good-bye to Aleck and several others who had become their
friends since arriving in that region, where the massive Rockies
reared their snow-capped heads toward the blue skies, far outreaching
the clouds at times.
Toby Smathers was to go back with them as far as the nearest town on
the railroad; and then he expected to return to the mine, having been
offered a splendid position by the company. Aleck meant to go down and
see his mother and sisters presently, when he could keep away no
longer; and pour into their laps some of the first proceeds from the
now newly-discovered, but long-hidden silver mine.
And later on Thad had long letters from the Western boy, in which he
fully described the happiness that now reigned in his home; and again
and again did that good little mother send her warmest regards to the
brave lads who had been so instrumental in gaining this great fortune
for the Rawsons, and to whom she must ever feel gratitude of the
deepest kind on account of having her son spared to her.
Of course we shall expect at some future time to once more make the
acquaintance of Thad Brewster and his jolly lot of chums belonging to
the Silver Fox Patrol. With the advent of the new patrol, and other
lads still clamoring for admittance into the troop, Cranford was apt
soon to take a front rank, as a town where the boys were organized for
good. And when so many enterprising lads as Allan, Step Hen, Giraffe,
Bumpus, Bob White, Smithy, Davey Jones, and last, but far from least,
the efficient assistant scoutmaster himself, Thad Brewster, continue
to get together at every available opportunity, winter and summer,
bent on having a royal good time, it may be set down as certain that
lots of remarkable things are just bound to happen, that would make
splendid reading.
But for the present we will have to let Bumpus take his bugle in hand,
and in his customary clever way sound "taps," lights out.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Note:
Page 1 Added comma after "Timber" in "Through the Big Timber".
Page 4 Corrected spelling of "suggesed" to "suggested" in "of their
attire suggesed".
Page 13 Added closing quotation after "precipice!" in "over the edge
of the precipice!".
Page 17 Corrected spelling of "narnow" to "narrow" in "so many
dangerous narnow paths".
Page 48 Added opening quotation before "but" in "over; but it wouldn't
surprise me".
Page 49 Corrected spelling of "ony" to "any" in "if ony one did have".
Page 53 Corrected spelling of "seemd" to "seemed" in "for it seemd a
monstrous".
Page 63 Moved opening quotation from end of "explain" to beginning
of "One" in "Aleck went on to explain. One of the men knew".
Page 77 Corrected spelling of "an" to "and" in "a while longer, an
canvassed".
Page 93 Corrected spelling of "returnd" to "returned" in "they
returnd once more".
Page 104 Corrected spelling of "Dont" to "Don't" in "Dont move,
Aleck".
Page 122 Added opening quotation to beginning of "this sure takes
the cake".
Page 136 Corrected spelling of "unusal" to "unusual" in "nothing so
very unusal".
Page 153 Added opening quotation to beginning of "so, p'raps we kin
get".
Page 178 Corrected spelling of "intelligennt" to "intelligent" in
"thanks to the intelligennt manner".
Page 185 Removed extraneous quotation after "Smathers," in "Toby
Smathers, the forest ranger".
Page 189 Added opening quotation to beginning of "I could 'most
imagine".
Page 194 Correct spelling of "belligerantly" to "belligerently" in
"asserted Giraffe, belligerantly".
Page 251 Corrected spelling of "litle" to "little" in "scoutmaster
must be litle short".
Page 255 Removed extraneous "Bob" in "Bumpus, Bob Bob White".