Ted heard the slackers leave the sleeping-loft early the next morning,
but he did not stir. He knew that he ought to keep quiet, and, after
reluctantly resigning himself to the necessity, he turned slightly on
his bed of Spanish moss and fell asleep again. When he awoke he was
alone in the loft. A few minutes later July appeared with his breakfast,
telling him that all the slackers had "done gone" and that Hubert was
"frolicin' wid Billy."
"Mr. Buck Hardy say you mus' stay in dat bed all day," the negro
informed him, adding: "Mr. Hardy sho is hurted in his mind. He don't say
a word hardly. When I woke up late in de night las' night I seen him
standin' out dere by de fire thinkin'. I reckon he studyin' 'bout dat
waw an' all you tole him."
Buck's reported disturbance of mind was Ted's only comfort during the
long, tiresome day, for he felt confident that he knew the cause and
was hopeful of the issue. Hubert, Billy and July visited him several
times during the day, and at dinner time Buck Hardy, Al Peters and Bud
Jones all spent a few minutes at his bedside, doing their best to cheer
him up; but the boy spent some lonely hours and the consciousness of his
and Hubert's captivity oppressed him as at no time during the previous
days of activity and diversion. What was to be the end of it? Did their
disappearance cause alarm at Judge Ridgway's farm? Had his uncle
returned from Washington, and, if so, what did he think, and what would
he do?
It was very hard to lie quiet and just think, think, think. But the next
day Ted was glad he had done so, for he found that the complete rest,
aided perhaps by the salve made of bear's marrow, had had a wonderfully
healing effect. He could stand on his injured foot without pain and was
able to walk with a limp. The two succeeding days, spent very quietly
about the camp, were much less hard to endure, and on the fourth day he
was almost himself again.
Meanwhile there had been talk with the slackers at meal times and about
the camp fire at night, but the boy found little opportunity to speak
of the war. If he introduced the subject the conversation was promptly
diverted into other channels. Ted noticed with discouragement that even
Buck Hardy seemed to wish to hear no more. And so, fearing that after
all he would be able to accomplish nothing, the boy found his thoughts
turning toward plans of escape from captivity as soon as he felt assured
of his ability to stand the strain of hard travel.
On the fourth morning both boys gladly accepted an invitation from Buck
to make a trip with him in his boat. The big slacker announced at
breakfast that he expected to visit Honey Island and, as their last
harvest of honey was now exhausted, he would keep an eye open for a bee
tree. The island to which they were going had received its name, it
appeared, in consequence of several discoveries of bee trees there.
July was ordered to prepare a lunch and the three were soon ready to
start. Sweet Jackson observed their preparations narrowly and before
they got off he called two young men known as Zack James and Jim Carter,
aside and urged them to accompany or follow the party.
"I'm a-scared Buck aims to turn them boys loose," he said. "That
biggity little chap worries him a-carryin' on and exhortin' about the
war the way he does--I kin see it--and I wouldn't be surprised if he
wants to git shed o' them boys. I'd like to git shed of 'em myself, but
it won't do--it ain't safe. You fellows better go 'long to Honey Island
and keep yer eye on them boys."
The precaution was one in which they were equally interested, and the
two young men readily agreed to go. As he was poling his bateau off from
the shore, Buck was surprised to see them coming down the path, each
with a gun in one hand and a bucket in the other.
"We aimed to go over that way this mornin', too," Zack James called out.
"Mebby we'd better keep together, Buck, till you find a bee tree, so we
kin holp you cut it down and gether the honey."
"All right," said Buck, after a keen, appraising look at the two men.
It was soon evident to all, however, that the "cock of the walk" was
displeased. During the long hard pull of more than two and a half hours
over the boat-road winding through flooded swamp and forest he did not
once speak to James or Carter, although the distance between the boats
was rarely greater than a hundred yards and often not more than a few
feet. But he spoke now and then to the boys, pointing out objects likely
to interest them, usually at moments when their trail-followers were out
of earshot.
"Honey Island ain't as big as ours," he told them once, casually adding:
"On t'other side from where we'll land there's a good trail that leads
out of the swamp. It's wet and boggy in places, but you don't need a
boat. I reckon I could git out of the swamp in half a day by that
trail."
Ted wondered how long it would take him and Hubert to reach the outer
world by the same path. They could not attempt it to-day, of course,
even if they found opportunity, because his injured ankle was not yet in
shape to stand hard travel, and he supposed that this probably accounted
for Buck's willingness to mention its existence. He decided that it
would be wise to locate it, if possible, as part of the preparation for
future attempted escape.
"Hubert," called out Zack James when the island was reached, "pick up
that piece o' rope in yer boat and fetch it along; we'll need it,
mebby."
The boats had run aground several yards from dry land, and all hands
were now wading out, Hubert being the last to step into the water,
carrying the desired coil of rope.
"I believe I kin go right to one," said Buck, as soon as they had
struggled through the dense "hammock" and gained the higher level of the
island. "When I was huntin' h-yer week before last I saw lots and cords
of bees, and I watched which way they was flyin'. If I'd 'a had time, I
could 'a spotted one right then."
No one was surprised, therefore, when little more than an hour later a
bee tree was found. Pausing under a tall pine, the big slacker turned to
his followers and pointed to an almost continuous stream of bees, a dark
line against the bright sky, issuing from an unseen hole in the trunk of
the tree a few inches below the lowest branch, but more than fifty feet
from the ground.
It was now midday, and before attacking the tree, the party sat down on
the wiregrass and ate the lunch which July had prepared. Then James and
Carter rose and vigorously plied their axes on opposite sides of the
tree. Scarcely had the chips begun to fly when Buck turned to Ted and
said:
"If you boys want to, you kin take your guns and run around for a little
hunt while we're cuttin' the tree and getherin' the honey."
"I've seen one bee tree cut already, and I believe I would rather walk
around," said Ted.
He turned to go as he spoke and promptly disappeared beyond a blackjack
thicket, followed closely by Hubert, who still carried the coil of rope
over his arm.
"This looks like as good a chance to get away as we may ever have," said
Ted as soon as they were out of earshot.
"Yes, if we can hurry up and find that half-day trail," Hubert eagerly
agreed. "Do you think your ankle can stand a rush?"
"No--that's the trouble," answered Ted. "Besides it would be much better
to have July with us, and I believe he'll go when the time comes. Let's
find the trail, though, so that we won't have to lose any time if we get
off by boat and make for this island."
The watchful James had not failed to note the departure of the boys and
he at once began to show signs of fatigue, drawing his breath very hard,
putting in his strokes more slowly, and finally pausing altogether, with
an exclamation indicating that his exhaustion was complete.
"Tired out a'ready?" asked Buck contemptuously; and, taking the axe,
which was willingly resigned to him, he began to swing it with great
vigor.
This was precisely what James desired, and he lost no time in quietly
withdrawing to a point whence he darted into the bushes on the track of
the boys. Half an hour later, as Ted and Hubert hurried forward, leaping
over logs and forcing their way through crowding underbrush, the former
happened to look in the direction whence they had come and distinctly
saw a man leap behind a tree.
"It's no use, Hubert," he said, pausing. "We can't even find the trail
this trip. Zack James is following us; I saw him jump behind a tree."
"Then Jim Carter is with him, and they'll stop us before we go far,"
declared Hubert.
"Maybe it's just as well," said Ted philosophically. "We know about
where the trail is, and I was running great risk of spraining my ankle
again."
They sat down, panting on a log, agreeing to go forward more slowly a
half mile further, and then return to the bee tree, just as if their
trip had been a hunt and nothing more.
They then rose and moved on, picking their way more cautiously. A few
minutes later Ted halted and signed to Hubert to be quiet, as a crow
suddenly cawed and flew out of a tree two or three hundred yards in
their front.
"That crow saw something, I'll bet," he whispered, and when what
appeared to be fresh bear tracks were discovered, he added triumphantly:
"I told you so."
The tracks soon led them into what was doubtless the path of an
aforetime tornado, the ground being crowded with uprooted trees, which
had been thrown across each other at every angle and lay "heaped in
confusion dire." Here the trail was lost, but the boys still cautiously
advanced.
At the end of another hundred yards, standing on an elevated log and
looking forward, Ted became greatly excited at the discovery, not twenty
feet away, of a small open space covered with a deep drift of pine
needles, in the center of which were two round depressions or beds, some
fifteen inches deep and not less than four feet in diameter. In one of
these were two young bears, apparently asleep while their mother was
away feeding.
Signing to Hubert to be very quiet but to come quickly, Ted waited until
his cousin stood beside him on the log and had seen what neither was
likely to have the opportunity of seeing again. For, indeed, as the
slackers afterward declared, it was a "find" as remarkable as
unexpected.
"Don't shoot 'em," whispered Hubert. "Let's catch one of 'em alive and
take it to Billy. We can tie it with this piece of rope."
"We can try," assented Ted, adding: "I wouldn't shoot the cute little
things."
Cautiously they stole down the log and stepped upon the soft carpet of
pine needles. A twig snapped under Hubert's foot, whereupon one of the
little bears lifted its head and looked around. Instantly cub number one
got upon its feet with a snort and bolted into the bushes, but before
number two had followed Ted was upon him.
Letting his gun fall, the boy plunged forward, alighting astride of the
cub's back and grasping its ears with his hands. Uttering a peculiar
sound, partaking both of an angry snarl and a terrified whimper, the
vigorous little beast tried to jump; but Ted successfully held it down,
although the frantic creature tore up the bed of pine needles with its
powerful claws and struggled furiously to get at its captor.
Hubert made a slip-knot, as he was directed, and passed the rope around
the animal's neck. Then Ted rose, letting the cub go as he seized firm
hold of the other end of the rope.
"We'd better look out for the old one now," he said warningly.
Released, the little bear ran away with great speed, dragging the boy
after it along a path which fortunately led out into the more open pine
woods and in the direction of the bee tree. Snatching up Ted's gun,
Hubert followed, looking about apprehensively for "the old one."
As long as the cub ran in the right direction, no effort was made to
check it; but before a great while it turned off abruptly to the right,
and then Ted had to exert all his strength to drag it after him. Perhaps
even his best efforts would have been unavailing, had not Hubert, who
covered their retreat, carrying both guns, frightened the little bear
from behind with a frequent shove of his foot.
Within a few minutes Buck Hardy became aware of the absence of Zack
James and suspected its cause, but went on cutting into the bee tree
without a word. When James reappeared three-quarters of an hour later
his trivial excuses were accepted without comment. By this time the pine
had been felled, the hollow was located, and now, protected from the
angry bees by the smoke from burning rags, the three men proceeded to
cut into the tree and secure the stores of honey, a job that was about
complete when Ted and Hubert appeared.
James had followed the boys far enough to become convinced that they
were not running away and were really in pursuit of game; but his
surprise was as great as that of the other men when the two young
hunters came noisily into view, dragging the little bear after them.
"Well, this beats it all!" exclaimed Buck Hardy, dropping a bucket of
honey and going to meet them.
As the boys hastily told their story in outline, Zack James walked up,
smiling, and congratulated them.
"I saw you following us," Ted said to him, with a keen glance. "If you
had stayed, you could have helped us bring in the cub."
"Who, me? I was jus' lookin' out for another bee tree," was the man's
answer, but he dropped his eyes before Buck's haughty stare. "Let's
hurry to the boats before the old one comes," urged Ted. "It would be a
pity to have to kill the mother after taking the baby--and we don't need
the meat."
"But some of us would like to have another bear skin," remarked Jim
Carter.
"All right, kid," said Buck, taking no notice of Carter's suggestion.
"We're through, and we'll go."
And go they did, carrying the honey and forcing the captive cub along as
fast as they could. James and Carter followed reluctantly, looking back
and listening as they came; but at the landing place Buck stood aside
and waited for them to get afloat first and take the lead on the return
trip. Still more reluctantly they did this, not wishing a quarrel with
the "cock of the walk."
The two disappointed men were out of sight around a bend of the
boat-road, and Buck and the boys were following with their prize when
they heard a crash in the brush on shore and saw a full-grown bear come
rapidly along the path, its nose seemingly bent to the scent. Buck
started and gripped his gun, the hunter's instinct strongly astir within
him.
"Oh, please don't shoot," whispered Ted. "These bears are not dangerous
unless attacked; they don't have to be killed on sight like panthers. It
would be such a waste."
"All right, kid; it's your bear," assented Buck, and sent the boat
gliding round the bend before it was seen by the heavy creature hurrying
on their trail.