PLENTY OF TROUBLE
Felix found it a more difficult task, getting that hook fastened in the
trigger guard of the rifle, than ever he had dreamed could be possible.
A dozen times he thought he had accomplished the feat, only to have the
cord twirl, and the tricky hook double upon itself; so that his "bite"
turned out to be a mere "nibble," altogether unsatisfactory in results.
But Felix would never give over, and kept at his task with a grim
determination that was, in fact, born of desperation; since he could
think of no other way whereby a cold night in that tree might be
avoided.
Finally success came to crown his efforts, and he actually felt the
"pull" of the rifle's weight, when he tightened the cord.
The suspicious buck, attracted by the movement of the ascending rifle,
started to advance in that direction, as if bent upon investigating this
new feature of the game; so that Felix, in sudden fear lest his little
trick might be spoiled just when it promised a golden success, had to
make a quick ascension.
When his angry four-footed foe made a vicious leap forward and upward,
as if bent upon sending the swinging gun a dozen yards away, the boy's
heart seemed to be almost in his mouth with the suspense; but as the old
saying has it, "a miss is as good as a mile," and the buck failed to
strike the object of his sudden new animosity, though coming perilously
near it.
When his eager fingers clutched the precious Marlin, Felix felt like
giving vent to a shout of joy. He knew now that the game lay safely in
his hands; and had the old buck been as wise as he was savage, he would
have lost not a second in trotting away from that dangerous vicinity;
but unaware of his new peril he only started a new series of furious
jumps in the air, in the futile endeavor to strike the dangling legs of
his tantalizing human foe.
At another time Felix might have allowed himself to feel a little
compunction about taking the life of such a valiant old fellow; but his
sides still ached from the rough experience he had passed through, and
it was absolutely necessary that he clear the way to his descent from
that tree.
So he quietly waited until he had a chance to get in a death shot, and
glancing along the matted top of his rifle barrel, he pulled the
trigger.
Then the report sounded, the gallant buck went over in a heap; there was
no wild leap into the air as so frequently happens when a deer receives
its fatal hurt; but the buck just seemed to crumple up, and drop
dejectedly in his tracks, as if to prove that he had kept up the fight
to the bitter end.
Then Felix came down from the tree that he had never climbed; which
queer feat few people could duplicate, in even a varied experience.
He already knew that, as night was now at hand, he would have to make
camp there in the wilderness; so that at least it was some consolation
to know that he need not starve, with all that fresh meat ready at his
hand; since he had in the buck, tough eating though he might prove,
sufficient food for any length of time.
Felix immediately set about making ready for the night, after bleeding
the dead deer--fuel was hastily gathered, and a rude temporary shelter
erected, after the way he had seen it done by Adirondack guides, and
called a "lean-to." This was fashioned out of boughs that he found
handy, and which would at least keep off most of the cold, penetrating
north wind, as well as snow, should this last fall during the night.
In front of this shelter he built his fire; and once its cheery presence
came to bolster up his courage, Felix felt no anxiety concerning his
experience.
In the words of the immortal wandering Indian, he could say when
rescued: "Injun no lost--wigwam lost--Injun _here_!" for he felt that it
would prove an easy task on the morrow to take the back trail, loaded
with the spoils of the chase, and by noon no doubt, bring up close to
the camp under the big tree.
Proudly he severed the head of the buck, with those grand antlers which
would some fine day hang in his den at home. This he managed to hang
from the limb of the tree, hoping thus to preserve it from any animal
that might be attracted to the spot by the scent of fresh blood.
Afterwards he meant to come with Tom, and manage in some fashion to
"tote" that head back to camp, where with the aid of the Western boy he
would no doubt be able to preserve it for mounting.
After that he began to cut away some of the choice portions of the meat,
and when the job was completed, he hung the balance that he cared to
keep from the limb of the tree, encased in the hide of the old buck.
Felix was feeling pretty hungry by now. Soon several generous slices of
meat had been secured upon the points of splinters of wood the other
ends of which he thrust into the ground, and inclined at such an angle
that presently the venison began to sizzle under the influence of the
red coals, and at last send out a very appetizing odor, calculated to
make the hungry boy even more ravenous.
The meat proved pretty tough, partly on account of the age of the
animal; and also because of its not having been allowed to hang a
certain length of time, as is always preferable in climates where the
game will not easily spoil. When, however, a fellow has the real woods
appetite, these minor things are ignored; and Felix munched away for
half an hour in perfect content, until in the end he realized that he
had had enough.
After that there was nothing to be done but get ready to spend the night
as comfortably as the circumstances allowed; indeed, after thinking it
over, and what a lucky escape he had had from staying in that tree all
night, hungry and cold, the boy felt that he had nothing to complain
about.
He had taken pains to gather an ample supply of firewood, and also made
sure that the magazine of his gun was fully charged; so that when he got
good and ready, he felt quite safe to lie down and sleep; knowing that
in all probability he was sure to be up and down many times during that
night, since camping entirely alone was in the line of a new experience
for Felix.
Nothing of any note occurred during the hours he spent there under his
temporary shelter of an arbor; although he fancied that several times
when he awoke, and got up to put more fuel on the fire, a sly bobcat
must be prowling around, eager to steal some of the meat but deterred by
the blaze; the presence of a human being possibly had also something to
do with its lack of courage; for when day came nothing was missing.
Breakfast, which was an exact repetition of supper, being disposed of,
Felix began to figure on what course he should take in order to make a
bee-line for the camp. He consulted his little compass, and sent several
glances around him at the big mountains, that strangely enough seemed to
encompass him about much more than he had dreamed possible, and gave him
a puzzle to solve.
So he decided upon his course, although with a lingering doubt that he
might once more be about to enjoy an old experience in his career--that
of losing himself.
Half an hour later, with a pack upon his back containing all he could
carry of the choice portions of the gallant buck, Felix started forth.
He cast one backward look, filled with regret, at the antlered head of
his prize, still secured to the limb of the tree; at least he hoped to
return at some time in the near future and secure those horns for a
trophy, even though it were not possible to preserve the head entire.
Felix walked for half an hour, trying to keep as near to the course he
had laid out as seemed possible. Really it was not such an easy
proposition as he had at first calculated. Why was it he had so poor a
sense of direction, he could not say? But he felt sure, that unless he
improved very much in this respect, he could never hope to make a good
woodsman like Tom was, for instance.
Somehow, by this time, the boy began to lose a little of his former
confidence. Things did not seem at all familiar, and he began to feel
sure that he could not have come this way.
Once more he consulted his compass, and tried to figure out which
direction stood for home. He laughed at himself for feeling so
uncertain. What a silly sensation this must be to a proud boy, to
realize that he is actually all at sea in the woods, and cannot say for
a certainty which way he ought to go.
Felix laid out a new course, and made a fresh start. He was not at all
discouraged as yet, and only looked on the thing in the light of a joke;
just as he had his sailing through the air, to hang to the limb of the
tree, after the buck had given him a rise in the world.
Once he heard a shot ahead. This caused him to wonder whether it could
be Tom, or some one else; and he soon decided that if his chum were
anywhere near by he would be more apt to give the well known signal of
three shots in order to let the wanderer know of his presence; when
Felix would be expected to answer in kind.
Tom had warned him several times to keep an eye out for certain vicious
characters, said to be in hiding away up in this part of Wyoming--men who
had once been honest guides, but drifted into bad ways; and having been
known to kill game in the Yellowstone Park reservation, were being
sought after by the authorities, who meant to make an example of them to
deter others from doing likewise.
He had understood that such men might not be averse to robbing and
abusing a young chap who happened to cross their path; and so Felix,
with this troublesome thought struggling in his brain, walked on in
silence, looking cautiously to the right and to the left, as if he
feared that he might suddenly run upon some kind of danger.
Was that a groan he heard; or did some wild animal give vent to a sound?
It seemed to come from the bushes over to his left; and as he stood
stock-still, and listened, he once more heard the strange and doleful
sound, which seemed to be half way between a groan and a grunt.
Immediately Felix lowered his burden softly to the ground, and clutching
his rifle in readiness for instant use, he walked slowly in that
direction, scanning every foot as he thus advanced.
Then he discovered a slight movement, as the sound again came to his
ears; and realized that some one was sitting upon the ground, holding
fast to his arm, as if in great distress and pain. The sight of red
blood trickling between the bronzed fingers of the party told Felix that
he had come upon the scene just in time to be very useful along his
chosen line. Undoubtedly the dark-faced stranger had been badly injured
by the accidental discharge of his own gun; which would account for the
single shot Felix had heard.
Without question the man was an Indian, perhaps a halfbreed; though he
dressed pretty much as did any white man who spent much of his time in
the wilderness; wearing corduroy trousers; and a blue flannel shirt,
covered by a faded heavy jacket; while a greasy slouch hat lay upon the
ground, where it had evidently fallen at the time he hurriedly dropped
his gun.
Felix hastened forward to reach the side of the suffering man, whose
raven black locks he now saw were being touched with the frost of years.
The prospect of a job along his favorite line caused the lad to quicken
his steps; for all the professional instincts of his nature were
aroused.
The Indian seemed to maintain the usual stoicism of his race; though the
pain and the weakness at times caused him to shut his teeth hard, in the
effort to stifle the groan that tried to well forth.
Any one could easily see that in this quarter at least the boy was quite
at home, even though there might be a few things connected with
woodcraft wherein he could blunder.
He immediately took hold, examined the ugly gunshot wound that was
bleeding so freely, in the fleshy part of the left arm, made a rude but
effective tourniquet by twisting a stout stick in his handkerchief,
which he had carefully knotted, so that the protuberance rested exactly
on the artery; and in this fashion stopped the cut from bleeding.
Then he bound it up as best he could, showing considerable skill in so
doing.
The old Indian did not utter a single word while all this was going on.
He had shown considerable disappointment upon first seeing that the
newcomer was only a mere lad; but presently his black eyes began to
glitter with satisfaction, when he saw the business-like way in which
Felix took hold of his job, and the astonishingly clever way in which he
accomplished that which the other had in vain tried to do by working the
wrong way.
"There, my friend," said Felix, as he finished his job, "I guess you'll
hold out now, until you get home. Listen, and I'll tell you just what
must be done after that," and then he proceeded to explain in simple
language what should follow his "first aid to the injured work;" to all
of which the other listened gravely, with an occasional nod of his head,
to indicate that he understood.
"How far away do you live?" asked the young hunter, finally, wondering
whether he had not better volunteer to accompany the wounded man home;
though he understood that an Indian's pride would be terribly hurt by
such a happening.
For the first time the other spoke, and he proved to have an excellent
command of English, quite surprising the boy. It told that he was
accustomed to associating with the whites, and that in all probability
he had served as guide to many a party of bighorn hunters from the East,
as Felix suspected.
"Not far away--can get to cabin all right now. Charley Crow never forget
this. Never before pull gun through bushes by muzzle--much fool this
time, serve right if head 'stead of arm get bullet. Worst of all is
shame of telling my people, who will say Charley Crow getting too old go
on hunt any more; better stay home and dry venison. But I go now on back
trail; no need any that you come 'long. Tell me name of Little Doctor,
so I may let my people know what friend they have. Some day mabbe my
turn--you wait. Now shake hands, and say goodbye. Charley Crow him get to
cabin all right, you never be 'fraid."
So Felix gladly told him who he was, and how, with a chum, he had come
to spend some weeks hunting, and doing a little trapping, in the
foot-hills of the Rockies. In speaking of Tom Tucker he happened to
mention the name of Old Sol; and immediately the brown face of the old
halfbreed lighted up.
"Known Old Sol right well. Here one year, we come this way, and always
good friend Charley Crow. Much glad meet him Tom. Some day mabbe drop in
see same. If need help, come to cabin under shadow of yonder peak, and
my boys they glad do you good turn, because me, Charley Crow, still head
of house! Goodbye!"
He drew himself up proudly, regardless of the pain his wound must be
causing him; and the lad could see that despite his evident age, the
well-known halfbreed was as straight as any pine that ever grew in the
Northland.
Then he stalked away, leaving Felix to look after himself, and wonder if
Fate had any further adventures in store for him during his little
outing.
He did not doubt in the least but that so vigorous a man could easily
reach the home cabin which, in company with his family, he must be
occupying for a winter's campaign among the fur-bearing animals that
frequented the district. At the same time it did begin to look as though
there might be a storm in prospect, as the heavens had clouded over, and
an occasional snow-flake drifted down lazily, as though they might be
reckoned ambassadors sent to herald the coming of the first real snow
fall of the season.
So Felix once more lifted his pack to his back, and again started in the
direction he believed the camp to be. When it was too late he bitterly
regretted that he had not also swallowed his pride, and asked Charley
Crow the right trail that would take him to the cabin of Old Sol. He had
no positive sense of certainty as to whether his course were the right
one; and for all he knew, with the mountains apparently turned around in
his mind, he might even now be heading in the wrong direction.
The lad presently began to realize that his load was beginning to tell,
for he had really attempted to carry off too much of the venison in the
desire to stock the camp for some time to come. Twice he found it
convenient to halt, and rest up a bit; when he once more took up the
tramp with a shade of reluctance, and half a notion to divide the
spoils.
It was while he was resting the second time that he caught a strange
sound that gave him quite a thrill. The baying could only proceed from a
pack of hounds chasing a fleeing deer!
Felix was troubled a little, and for a very good reason. In talking
about those lawless guides who had been expelled from Yellowstone Park
by the Government authorities, Tom Tucker had incidentally informed him
that one of their favorite tricks was to keep several deer dogs, with
which they were accustomed to having regular old fashioned chases, such
as used to be frequent in the Adirondacks in his native State before the
anti-hounding law was passed and enforced, making it a crime to use dogs
for such a purpose.
He hoped that the chase would lead away from him, as he certainly did
not want to make the acquaintance of these rough men, against whom Tom
Tucker had warned him more than a few times.
Listening carefully as the snapping and baying sounded constantly
louder, Felix presently concluded that the animals were certainly
heading his way, and approaching rapidly. He gritted his teeth with a
grim determination to defend himself if beset by the hound pack; and
picked up his rifle from the ground, where he had laid it when resting.
At least he was not kept long in suspense. Inside of three minutes he
discovered something moving rapidly through the bushes, and almost
immediately saw that it was a noble buck, with its tongue lolling from
its mouth, and giving other evidences of having been chased hither and
thither for hours by the hounds, that doubtless had been educated, just
like a rabbit dog Felix owned, to bring the tired animal back to where
the hunters waited.
Somehow the sight of that tortured buck gave Felix a wave of disgust. He
seemed to feel an immediate hope that it would escape from the game
butchers who used so unfair a mode for securing their quarry. Yes,
Felix, in the heat of his anger, even went so far as to mentally express
a hope that one of the owners of the pack--who must be near by, because
he had plainly heard a shout, as of exultation over the possible ending
of the chase--would fall into the clutches of the keepers of the great
Government game reservation, said to be on the lookout for them as
transgressors of the law.
To his astonishment the pursued buck suddenly changed its course a
little, and headed almost directly toward the spot where Felix was
standing, watching the affair with considerable interest. It actually
seemed to the excited boy as though the despairing deer had turned
toward him, in a last frantic hope that he might be merciful, and
stretch out a hand to give the help that was elsewhere denied; though in
all probability the deer never noticed his motionless figure standing
there, as it sprang past, and vanished in the thick scrub beyond.
The pack of hounds was now in full sight, racing eagerly along, yapping,
and giving tongue after the manner of their kind when they are close on
the fleeing quarry. They looked about as fierce and ugly as so many
wolves might have been, since the old instinct had been aroused in them
by the chase. For the time being they had gone back once more to the
state of the primal beast in pursuit of the prey so necessary to
continued existence, as a survival of the fittest. Felix shuddered as he
saw their foam-flecked mouths, from which the red tongues lolled.
There were just three of the dogs, all told, and Felix drew back the
hammer of his Marlin, not liking the looks of the aroused beasts, and
suspecting that in their present condition they might not hesitate to
attack a boy, under the impression that as the trail led almost directly
toward him, he must have spirited away their intended prey, which they
had chased so long.
In that event there was just one thing Felix could do, which was to
defend himself against the pack, no matter at what cost.