TURNING THE TABLES
The discovery that he had now no possible means for fighting the cold,
that was sure to increase as the day wore on and night approached, gave
Felix a rude shock.
He faced a situation that might prove very serious indeed; and it was
little wonder that he instituted an eager search of all his pockets, in
the faint hope that he might in some way manage to find just one
fugitive match that had escaped the spoilers, and in the end prove, his
salvation.
Only keen disappointment rewarded his efforts; and after going three
times over every pocket, he was forced to give it up with a grunt of
disgust.
All thought of trying to find the tree in which the venison hung now
passed from his mind; and he devoted his efforts to searching for some
friendly hollow, where he could make a shelter in some rude fashion
against the night that would come after a while, for it must by now be
about the middle of the short day.
What would he not have been willing to pay for a little box of safety
matches, that sell for a penny in town? But he might as well wish for
the moon; as one was as easy to secure as the other, just then.
So he pushed on, staggering through the increasing snow fall. When he
was indifferent to such a thing, he had noted several splendid places
where he might have found decent shelter, and built up a refuge against
the storm; but now that the need had arisen, Fate seemed to take an
especial delight in baffling him, for, look as he would, he did not come
across anything that appealed to his fancy.
Rendered desperate at length, when he found his strength giving out on
account of his unusual exertions during the two days, and the rough
treatment he had received both from the wounded buck and the angry
desperadoes, Felix finally made up his mind that he could wait no longer
for what he wanted, but must make a virtue of necessity, and take what
offered.
So, coming across a tree that had fallen during some violent wind storm,
he saw that when the roots had been torn up quite a large patch of earth
had come along with them. The hollow back of this barrier would prove a
very good refuge against the storm, for it happened to face in the best
possible way.
Here in this hole, then, he must burrow, doing the best he knew how to
hide from the wind that blew the snow with such violence. Felix set
about carrying out this idea without further loss of time.
Of course it was but an apology of a den after all; though much better
than remaining out where the cold wind had a sweep at him. Here he
settled down to pass the balance of that dreary afternoon, which he
remembered must be followed by a night he was not soon apt to forget.
Bitter regrets swept over him from time to time, as he lay there huddled
in a heap. Never again would he be caught so easily by soft words, when
he ought to know these were only a mask to hide treacherous work.
And then, after taking himself to task in this manner, most severely,
Felix would recollect that even an experienced woodsman may make a
mistake occasionally. Look at old Charley Crow, for instance, a man born
and brought up in the wilderness, and accustomed to handling a gun from
childhood; yet had he not been incautious enough to draw his rifle
toward him, _muzzle first_, through some bushes, with the result that
the weapon had been discharged, sending the bullet through the arm of
the old halfbreed?
Yes, some others besides greenhorns in the woods, make mistakes
occasionally.
Slowly that afternoon dragged on, and then came night, which Felix knew
was apt to be the longest and most disagreeable of all his life, thus
far.
Little sleep came to the lost lad.
In fact, he hardly dared lose himself, for fear lest he actually freeze
to death; for although the temperature did not actually fall very low at
any time, to his excited imagination this humble little storm was in the
nature of such a blizzard as those which Tom had told him visited the
Far Northwest every Winter, carrying death to many cattle that were
caught without shelter.
Every hour at least, Felix would crawl out of his shelter, to ascertain
what the signs of promise might be with regard to the weather; and on
such occasions he thought it the part of wisdom to exercise his limbs
energetically; so as to keep his blood in circulation; and hence, upon
creeping into his hole again, very like a fox, as he would grimly remark
to himself, he was hardly in a condition to settle down.
He could not tell what time it was for several reasons; in the first
place he had no watch, for the ruffians had carried off his little
dollar nickel contraption in conjunction with all his other effects; and
even had this not been the case, without a match, how could he have seen
the face in order to note the position of the hands?
A woodsman would have known of several ways by means of which to tell
about the time of night; but Felix was hardly up to such tricks,
especially on a stormy night like this, when neither moon nor stars were
visible.
But one thing cheered him after a while; and this was the fact that the
snow had ceased to fall when about three inches lay on the ground. Then,
after all, things might not be quite so bad as he had begun to picture
them, and he would not be snowed-in, destitute of food, and all means
for securing warmth; why, there might even be a chance for finding the
camp on the following day, if only he could keep his wits about him, and
figure correctly as to his present position, so as to locate the
direction where the cabin lay.
When Felix had crawled out of his poor shelter for the seventh time, as
he figured it, he began to look hopefully toward the quarter where
according to his calculations the east must surely lie. Nor was he
deceived, for he discovered to his great joy a very faint but positive
sign that the sky was brightening, and this told that dawn must be near.
As soon as it was fairly light, he left his shelter, which after his
boyish fashion he had named Camp Shiver, and struck out in what he
believed to be the proper direction.
It was not very encouraging, however, starting on a long tramp hungry
and cold; but Felix still had plenty of grit, and shutting his teeth
hard, resolved to let nothing dismay him.
Two hours later, and he found himself obliged to confess that his
knowledge of woodcraft seemed at fault, when brought face to face with
the difficulties to be encountered in a snow forest. He was really
hopelessly bewildered, and could not give the slightest guess as to
whether he should head north, south, east or west, in order to reach
camp. The mountains loomed upon two sides, now, as though he had
wandered somehow into a sort of pocket.
He tried shouting now and then, though it seemed next to foolish to hope
that any one could hear him, unless indeed it might prove to be the
rough men with whom he had had his recent unhappy experience; so
presently he stopped that.
The cold no longer brought anxiety, for his exertions kept him from
feeling this; but he was mighty hungry, and had visions of all the
glorious dishes he and Tom had ever eaten in company in the past;
somehow they seemed to arise before him, and make him groan with the
empty feeling within.
About this time Felix chanced to notice that he was almost under the
shadow of a peculiar peak, which he remembered noticing before; and all
at once it dawned on him that this was the very mountain Charley Crow
had pointed to, when he declared that his cabin nestled at its base; and
that if the Little Doctor chose to drop in there at any time, he would
receive a royal Indian welcome.
The very idea filled Felix with unutterable joy. Oh! if only he could
run across that Indian cabin now, how readily would he throw aside all
his pride, and accept whatever food they could give him; perhaps even
securing a guide in addition who would take him back to the camp.
And so, filled with a new ambition, he pushed ahead, his hopes revived
once more. Through the branches of the trees, to which none of the snow
had clung on account of the wind accompanying the storm, he could catch
glimpses of the spur that extended out from the main mountain chain; and
such progress did he make that in about an hour he fancied he smelled
smoke in the air.
After that it was not a difficult thing to follow the direction in which
this came to him on the wind; until in the end he gave a shout, upon
discovering a rude log cabin nestling under an over-hanging shelf of
rock.
It must certainly be the temporary home of Charley Crow and his family;
and with renewed hopes Felix started forward on a half run, so eager was
he to make sure that his eyes had not deceived him.
Now he could see human beings moving about, and a couple of yellow
mongrel curs started out with loud barks to meet him; but somehow he did
not feel that they were dangerous, like those savage hounds that had
been running the deer; and while only grasping a stout cudgel in his
hand, Felix continued to advance.
A couple of young Indians hurried after the dogs, calling roughly to
them to behave; and Felix knew that he had found friends. He lost no
time in explaining that he was nearly famished; whereat the two
exchanged glances, and ranging alongside, took him by the arms, and
assisted him to the cabin; for somehow, such was the effect of the
change from despair to great joy, that a singular weakness seemed to
grip the lad.
He spoke the name of Charley Crow, and as if understanding what he
wished to convey, they led him into the comfortable cabin, where the boy
found himself face to face with the old halfbreed whom he had so gladly
assisted in the woods.
Charley Crow had his wounded arm done up in bandages, and was sitting in
a rudely made but comfortable chair. At sight of Felix a broad smile of
welcome came upon the bronzed face of the old guide.
He held out his well hand, and greeted Felix warmly; indeed, there need
be not the least fear but that every wish of the lost hunter would
hardly be expressed before it was sure to be granted, if it lay in the
power of these people.
Upon learning that food was the first thing he wanted, Charley Crow
spoke to his sons, and to his wife, who seemed to be a full blooded
Shoshone squaw. Eager to do something to show their gratitude toward the
Little Doctor, of whom they had heard so much since the home coming of
the wounded man, the two well-grown sons darted from the cabin,
doubtless to get food from a _cache_ in the open, where meat would keep
fresh all winter, once it was frozen.
Felix soon related what dire misfortune had befallen him some time after
parting from the old guide; and the anger of Charley Crow was aroused
toward the pair of precious scoundrels who had dared to do this thing.
"They pass night not half mile away from here," he declared, "for my son
Jo, he see same when he come in from his line of traps. He speak with
these men, not wishing to make foes out of same; but when they ask him
to stay at their fire, Jo, he no stop, for he know how they bad case. I
promise you, my friend, all be return to you before this day it pass.
But listen, that not all. Revenge you shall have for such kicks they
give you. Not two mile away I know where is a camp of men from Park, who
hunt for these Abe and Kline, I understand. When I learn about them I
say to my sons, this is not business for us; let Mr. Harbison and his
men find them. Now it is my affair. Make mind easy, for all will be
well."
Felix was delighted with this assurance, for he disliked the idea of
having to pass the remainder of his vacation in the region of the
Rockies without that fine repeating rifle, which he looked to obtain him
other trophies of the chase, in the shape of a grizzly bear; and
possibly a bighorn, strange acrobat of the mountain ledges.
He was speedily placed before a bountiful breakfast, though since he had
eaten nothing since that last meal under the big tree where the buck had
fallen, he was at a loss to know what name to give his repast.
Mrs. Crow, it seemed, had learned how to cook after the white woman's
way, for everything tasted just splendid to the boy, and after he had
finished he declared he felt like a new fellow.
When about this time he saw the two sons of Charley Crow enter the cabin
for a last conference before starting out, he begged to be allowed to
accompany them.
Old Charley looked dubious at first, and then noting the eager flush on
his face, and apparently sympathizing with the feeling that prompted
Felix to wish to see with his own eyes the discomfiture of the two
rascals who had robbed and mistreated him, he finally nodded his head in
the affirmative.
So, armed with the rather antiquated rifle of the old man, and fortified
by his late good meal, Felix felt like a different person from the
forlorn lad who had hovered in the hollow beneath the upturned roots of
the fallen tree, and counted the long minutes of the preceding night, as
they crept past.
They speedily passed over the two miles separating the Indian cabin from
the place where Charley Crow had known the Government officers, who were
out looking for offenders against the laws, to have their temporary
camp. Luckily they found Mr. Harbison, who was in charge of the
expedition, and both his deputies there.
Felix soon told his story, and was pleased to see the decided interest
the others showed in his recital. They had long been trying to get on
the trail of the two men, against whom they had warrants for several
lawless acts.
A dozen or two questions followed, and the answers of Felix managed to
put the officers in complete possession of the facts; especially after
they heard what one of the sons of Charley Crow had to tell.
Speedily the party set out to find the spot where the two thieves had
spent the night, according to the story of the young Indian.
Of course it could hardly be expected that Abe and his partner would be
found still there, since they may have been heading for some distant
point at the time, possibly intending to sell the fine repeating rifle
that had come into their hands, and which they could claim they found in
the woods; but with three inches of new snow covering the ground, there
should be little trouble in following their trail.
It turned out just so; and upon making a close examination it was
decided by the wardens, as well as the Indians, that the men had been
gone just an hour; it appearing that they were in no hurry, since they
had plenty of venison, thanks to Felix.
This was but a small start, and could be easily overcome, especially
since those in the advance had not the slightest warning to the effect
that they were being pursued, and hence would not be apt to make any
especial effort looking to speed.
If Felix began to feel his limbs grow weary he would not have admitted
the fact for worlds; but shut his teeth hard, and conjured up the scene
he soon expected to feast his eyes upon, with those two ruffians who had
kicked an almost senseless boy, in custody, perhaps their hands in
irons; since he had noticed Mr. Harbison drop a couple of pair of wrist
irons in the pocket of his coat ere starting out.
It was a pleasing picture, and with every twinge he felt from his wounds
Felix kept saying to himself that it was a long lane that had no
turning; and that he was perfectly justified in wanting to have the
brutes caught.
They pushed on steadily, six in all, and every one armed. From time to
time Mr. Harbison informed Felix they were steadily overtaking the
fugitives, and that in all probability they would be apt to come upon
them while they were taking a bite around noon.
Often, in time to come, would the boy recall the picture, and once again
see each eager face of Indian and white man, as they pushed along
through the aisles of that snow forest, bent upon the mission of
justice.
He felt a constant sense of exhilaration, knowing that with every
passing minute they must really be shortening the distance separating
them from those whom they sought. And as he pushed on, filled with much
of his old time determination, Felix kept a bright lookout ahead,
endeavoring to discover the first sign of smoke in the air, or moving
figures, that could only be those of the two bad men they sought.
So the time went by until, from the position of the sun, Felix knew that
it could not be far from the noon hour. And at any moment now he hoped
and expected to hear the welcome announcement that they had overtaken
the men they followed.