A CLIMB IN THE DARK.
"THAT'S where you had ought to have had our gun, Bob," remarked Giraffe,
as the other paused for a moment, to recover his breath before going on
with his exacting recital.
"I was about of that opinion myself, suh," the other continued; "and I
reckon that if such had been the case, there would have been one less
mastiff in the world right now. But after all, it's well I didn't take
the weapon. Things would have gone different from what they did; and I
have no fault to find, suh, not a bit."
"But what did you do; don't tell us you beat a big dog runnin'?"
demanded Bumpus, incredulously.
"I am not so foolish as to want you to believe that sort of stuff,
suh," replied the Southern boy, stiffly. "I doubt very much if there is
a man living, even the winner of the great world Marathon, who could
have outrun that hound. Fortunately I didn't have to depend on my heels
altogether, to escape being bitten by his fangs. There chanced to be
another way out of the hole."
"Say, I guess _she_ had a hand in it!" suggested Giraffe.
"Go up to the head, suh," remarked Bob, with a smile; "because that is
just what did come about. Old Reuben, he must have managed to catch
sight of some one, even if he wasn't nigh enough to tell that I was
dressed in the uniform of a scout. He up and sicked the dog on me; and I
reckon it wouldn't have mattered one bit to that cold-blooded old man if
the ugly beast had torn me badly."
"And was you arunnin' like fun all the while?" asked Step Hen.
"I believe I was making pretty fast time, suh, considerin' that the
bushes in the garden interfered with my sprinting. But that dog would
have caught up with me befo' I ever could have climbed the high fence,
only for a thing that happened. First thing I knew I heard Bertha
calling at the top of her little voice to the mastiff. And I reckon now
that Ajax, he must have been more used to mindin' the crook of her
little finger than he was the orders of Old Reuben. Fo', believe me,
suh, he just gave over chasin' after me, and went, and began to fawnin'
on her hand."
"Great stuff!" declared Bumpus. "Say, I c'n just think I see that Old
Rube prancin' around there, orderin' Ajex on to grab you, an' gettin'
madder'n madder when the wise dog just utterly declined to obey. I
always heard that the sun c'd force a feller to take his coat off, when
the wind made a dead fizzle out of the job. Kindness goes further with
some animals than fear does."
"Hear! hear! words of wisdom dropping like pearls of great price from
the lips of our comrade, Bumpus!" cried Giraffe.
"But they're true, every word, all right," affirmed the stout scout,
firmly.
"I kept on running for two reasons," Bob went on to explain. "In the
first place, I didn't know but what the dog might be forced to alter his
ways, and start out after me. Then again, p'raps that man with Old
Reuben might be coming, licketty-split after me; and I want you to
believe I didn't mean to be caught, with that valuable paper in my
pocket at that."
"So you made pretty warm time of it over here, eh?" remarked Davy Jones,
who had remained quiet for some time, being deeply impressed by this
story which the other was giving them.
"I never let up for two minutes at a time all the way across," admitted
Bob, in a satisfied tone. "Of course I had a few tumbles, but I reckon
there was none of 'em serious; leastways I didn't get bruised, or tear
my clothes. And now that I've got my breath back again, it's time we
thought of starting out; because there's heaps mo' that's got to be done
before we c'n call a rest."
"Yes, a great deal," admitted Thad, who, however, was well pleased with
the outcome thus far; "and after you've lain here about ten minutes or
so, Bob, we'll see whether you feel able to take that other climb. If
you don't why, Allan here could go in your place."
"And do just as well, I have no doubt, suh," added Bob; "but thank you,
I shall surely be able to take my part in that climb. If you gave the
word right now you'd see me spring to my feet, and start; because
there's every reason in the world to spur me on. Who wouldn't make an
extra effort for that?"
The hour had grown late, since they had waited much beyond the appointed
time for the return of the messenger who had gone to meet Bertha. But
Thad knew they still had an abundance of time to get to the place
arranged with Polly, before midnight, which had been the hour set for
their meeting.
"Now, if you feel refreshed, we'll make a start, Bob," remarked the
scoutmaster, after a bit.
The other was on his feet instantly, and he gave not the slightest sign
of weariness at that.
"Let me have just one more cup of that fine water," he remarked, "and
then I'm in fine fettle for business. If this second job only turns out
as handsome as that other, this'll sure be the happiest night ever. But
I hope that Reuben does not lay his hand on my cousin for what has
happened this night. If he does, he'll suffer for it, as sure as my
name's Bob Quail."
"You don't really think he'd go as far as to strike her, do you?" asked
Thad, to whom the very idea seemed abhorrent.
"I don't just know how far a man of his stripe would go if made very
furious, suh. To tell you the truth, I didn't want to run at all; but
Bertha insisted on my doing the same. She said nothing was going to
happen to injure her; and that if I was caught, with that paper in my
possession, she never would have the least chance to get away. And that
was all that made me run, believe me, suh."
Thad took his shotgun along with him; and noticing the queer look
Giraffe gave him, he condescended to explain.
"Don't believe for a minute that I expect to make use of this on some
moonshiner," he said, earnestly, yet with a trace of a smile lurking
about the corners of his mouth. "The mission of Boy Scouts is more to
bind up, than to give wounds; though they are allowed to do this other
in extreme cases, where some person's life may be in danger. But you
remember, we ran across a nasty bobcat up yonder once before; and if so
be she happens to be laying for us, I'd like to be prepared for trouble.
A scout should never go around with a chip on his shoulder looking for
trouble; but if it finds him out, why, he's just _got_ to defend
himself. That's the way I look at it; and most others do too. Come on,
Bob, if you're ready."
When the two boys quitted camp Bob was walking as sprucely as ever. If
he still felt the effects of his long run he knew how to conceal the
fact in the finest way--Giraffe, Bumpus, Step Hen, Smithy, and Davy
Jones believed they had ever seen. Only Allan, being experienced in such
things, could see that Bob was laboring under a heavy strain, and had
his teeth tightly clenched; though the body might be weak, it was an
indomitable spirit that urged him on.
Between them the two boys had noted things when coming down the mountain
that afternoon, and in this way picked out the course they expected to
take on that same night. It was rough enough, especially when they had
to do their climbing in the dark; since carrying a lighted lantern would
be foolhardy in the extreme.
Bob's impatience took him in the lead most of the time. Thad cautioned
his impetuous companion in low whispers several times; and yet, knowing
what the motive was that drew Bob along in such feverish haste, he
could hardly blame him. At the same time he knew the danger of making a
false step when they happened to be close to the brink of some steep
descent, down which a roll meant instant death, or at least broken
bones.
As they climbed upwards they would pause every little while to get a new
supply of energy, as well as recover their breath. And at such times
both boys eagerly scanned the black gulf that lay below them.
It had not taken their keen eyes long to discover several lights that
seemed to move in eccentric circles and other movements. Nor was either
of them at a loss to understand what this implied.
"The moonshiner videttes are having another talk," Bob remarked, as they
sat and watched several lights carrying on in this weird fashion.
"Seems like it," said Thad, thoughtfully.
"I wonder now, what is being carried along the lines? It'd be a great
stunt, Thad, if we could read the signs, and listen to the talk,
wouldn't it? P'raps now we'd learn something to our advantage," the
Southern lad went on, longingly.
"Well, as we haven't got the code book," laughed the scoutmaster, "that
would be a pretty hard job, I take it."
"But still," Bob continued, with a shade of entreaty in his voice that
was hard to resist, "I take it that you could give a guess that would
come pretty nigh the truth, if you cared to try, Thad."
"Well, I don't know about that," replied the other scout; and then
adding, as he realized that Bob was grieved: "I'm willing enough to make
a try, if you think it would pay. Let's see, first of all, where these
fellows are located who are doing all this communicating."
"There's one on the side of the mountain over yonder," declared Bob;
"then that's a second fellow across the valley; you can see his lantern
or torch dipping every which way; now he's stopped, as if he'd been
asking more questions. And Thad, seems to me, the one that's doing the
heft of the jabbering is located down yonder. Like as not the
information's coming from him."
"That's across the valley, Bob?" remarked Thad.
"You're correct, suh; somewhere neah the place from which I was chased
away not more than two hours back. That's where the cabins lie."
"And that's where Nate and the other mountain man took Cliff Dorie,"
continued the scoutmaster. "Now, you can put things together yourself,
if only you think, Bob. Don't you see that Nate is probably telling
these other fellows all about what happened to Cliff. And I certainly do
hope he doesn't forget to give us our due in the matter, for it would go
a great way toward making these rough men our friends. You know only too
well what that would mean, Bob. Friends with Phin Dady just now might be
the means of giving you back your father."
Bob sighed heavily as he started on again, urged by a desire to come
upon Polly as soon as possible, and learn the truth, no matter whether
the news proved a disappointment, or not.
But in his haste he forgot the caution Thad was trying always to instill
in his mind; for stumbling presently, he found himself toppling over an
unknown abyss that lay in the darkness, so that its extent could not be
seen.
Thad had kept very close to his heels, and was prepared for something
like this, so that he acted from impulse, there being not a second to
give to thinking.