TEDDY’S WOODCRAFT HELPS
Impulsive Dolph was for making the venture without delay.
Fortunately Teddy had long since learned the value of caution and how
to apply the same in the ordinary affairs of life.
He saw that Big Gabe, for instance, was in a particularly irritable
frame of mind, suspicious and exacting. To cross his will while he
held that many-shot Marlin in his hands would mean serious trouble all
around.
If they could hold in until this cross-grained giant was asleep and
snoring, their chances for success would be much improved.
That was the burden of the advice Teddy whispered in the ear of his
friend; and Dolph, while impulsive, being also amenable to reason,
agreed with him that it was best. Accordingly, they lay down upon the
ground to rest; for taken in all it had been a pretty strenuous day and
night to both of them, and they were beginning to realize that they
were feeling tired.
Dolph, as he lay there, ran over in his mind the succession of stirring
events that had been passing before his eyes of late.
Doubtless he would never forget the strange scene that demonstrated the
power of music; nor yet that which followed, and had to do with the
influence of fear and ignorant superstition, acting on the hearts and
minds of rough men.
So Dolph lay there, and pondered in the half-dreamy way a boy may do
when he is very tired; until before he realized it he was asleep.
A hand shaking him aroused Dolph. Before he could utter a sound the
voice of his chum whispered in his ear.
“Sh! Don’t make any noise. You’ve been asleep more than an hour, and
it’s time we were moving. Sit up, and take notice!”
Dolph did so.
It all came rushing back to him in a flash, and without waste of time
he turned his eyes in the direction of the camp upon the creek bank.
The fire had been allowed to burn low, but was still in evidence.
With his first glance Dolph could see several figures lying around,
which would seem to indicate that Big Gabe and the rest, overcome by
weariness, even as he, Dolph, had been, had thrown themselves on the
ground, and, to all appearances at least, were sound asleep.
It looked as though the time might be favorable for the successful
carrying out of the plan of the young scouts.
Teddy had not been asleep one single minute.
On the contrary, while his friend lay there reviving his flagging
energies, Teddy had remained constantly on guard, and figuring out just
how they should presently proceed, in order to effect the rescue of
Amos, and the recovery of that gun.
He first of all whispered in Dolph’s ear the ideas that had been
hatched during this period of fruitful guardianship. The other realized
that every point seemed to have been covered most beautifully, so that
if such a thing as failure did come, it must be laid to some other
cause than lack of preparation.
Luck often enters such a game—just at the most critical moment one of
the men might suddenly sit up, as campers sometimes will, disturbed by
a bad dream or a belief that the fire needs looking after; and thus
discovery be brought about.
All these things had to be taken into consideration; and while
provision might not be made against them, some way of meeting the
emergency could be arranged.
Teddy left no possible loophole uncovered, in making his arrangements;
and by the time he had finished telling the other the many details,
Dolph realized just how busy his chum’s mind must have been at the time
he himself slept.
So Teddy led the way, crawling down into the depression made through
erosion, as the creek wound its way toward the lake.
Between the bank and the water, as a rule, there was plenty of surface
to allow of a safe passage, though occasionally the boys might find it
necessary to wet their feet; but such a trifle as this did not worry
either of them; they were too much in earnest.
Again was Dolph forced to admire the clever tactics of his guide and
mentor, as he moved noiselessly along, passing over yard after yard
of territory without giving the slightest indication of his presence.
Surely one could learn much by contact with so smart a woodsman,
and that was really one of the Cincinnati boy’s best qualities—his
willingness to be shown.
Occasionally Teddy would stop and hold out his hand to restrain the one
who was tagging along at his heels. Dolph was reminded of the familiar
gesture used by city drivers and chauffeurs, when about to turn aside.
At such times Teddy would raise himself up, and peeping over the edge
of the creek bank, take a cautious observation, that covered the
adjacent camp and territory.
Apparently on each of these several occasions he found things
satisfactory, since their forward progress would be immediately resumed
after every halt. It seemed to Dolph that presently they would have
reached a stage in the game where perhaps a different system of tactics
must be employed.
Between the fire itself and the edge of the bank of the creek extended
a space about thirty feet in width. While creeping across this, Teddy,
on his way to cut Amos free—for before now the boys had learned that
their chum was tied hand and foot—would have the sparse shelter of
only a few small scattered bushes.
Teddy did not mean that his chum should make this last gap of the
venture; but it had been arranged that Dolph crouch just under the rim
of the bank, his eyes fastened upon the two men; and in case one of
them aroused at a critical time, it was to be his duty to pop up like
a “jack in the box,” cover them with his gun, and threaten to shoot
unless they remained submissive.
Dolph had really keyed himself up to the point where he was ready to
proceed to extreme measures, if pushed; he entertained a pretty poor
opinion of both these scheming rascals, and believed they would be
getting only their just desserts if necessity compelled him to “pepper”
them with the contents of his scatter gun, at thirty yards distance.
But then, that was going pretty far ahead, and Dolph was ardently
hoping for a bloodless victory, with both Amos rescued, and the Marlin
gun recovered.
“When Teddy had taken one of his observations for the third time, he
seemed ready to call a halt. It was evident that they must have arrived
at the point nearest the camp fire of the fugitives—that seemed rather
a queer name to apply to these hardy rovers of the pine woods; but
since they had really fled in alarm from the ‘supposed-to-be haunted’
cabin, it might be very appropriate after all.”
Without saying a word, and only through touch, Teddy indicated just
where the other was to stand. At this point a convenient little “dip”
allowed of a sweeping survey of the camp, and Dolph would be in prime
condition to carry out that threatening part of the game, if it became
essential, which he sincerely hoped might not be the case.
He could thrust his gun over the top of the creek bank, and cover the
sleepers; at the same time have his foot upon a friendly knob of stone
that projected from the soil, allowing a sudden upheaval, should he
feel it necessary to show himself.
All these arrangements were speedily settled; indeed, they did not take
more than a minute or so of time.
Then Teddy was ready to pull himself up over the edge, get down flat on
the ground and wriggle along one way or another, like a creeping cat
perhaps, in the direction of the spot where they could plainly see the
stocky form of their chum, Amos, stretched out.
Dolph, having settled himself in his appointed position, made ready to
watch the advance of his friend.
He could feel his heart beating almost with the rapidity of a trip
hammer; and even feared that its wild pulsation might awaken the
sleepers; but on second thought Dolph realized the absurdity of such an
event, and from that time on became much more calm. His hands indeed,
were perfectly steady, as they pushed the gun up, and rested it on the
soil, in the desired position for immediate use.
Teddy was tightening his belt, and making sure that everything about
him was in apple pie condition for the little venture. After he had
once salied forth, there would be no time to give any thought to these
matters.
Then he squeezed Dolph’s hand once more, perhaps forgetting that he had
already performed this operation two other times already. But then it
was a time of such tremendous importance, that after all Teddy could
be excused. Perhaps he was excited but if so, he managed to hide the
fact pretty well. Why, Dolph thought the other as cool as any icicle
that ever hung down from the woodshed gutter after a thaw in February.
Doubtless he compared Teddy’s manner with his own when deciding this
fact. And that tumultuous heart made him only too conscious of his own
shortcomings.
Then Teddy climbed silently out of the sunken creek channel, and
started, low down on his chest, in the direction of the fire.
He had not made more than two hunches than Dolph noticed something.
Why, Teddy had abruptly stopped. More than that, he was flattening
himself out upon the ground as if the one object of his life just at
that particular moment was to make himself seem as small as possible.
Now Dolph knew what this must signify. He hastily turned his troubled
gaze in the direction of the smouldering camp fire and the sleepers,
for only in that quarter could there possibly be any chance of
interruption.
Had one of the men chosen to get up and stretch himself at this most
inopportune moment? If so, then Teddy’s mission must of necessity be
postponed.
What Dolph saw almost took his breath away, it was so entirely
different from anything he had expected; and immediately his feeling of
alarm and dismay gave way to one bordering on expectancy.
Someone was slowly and cautiously getting up near the half-dead fire;
but it was neither of the rough men. On the contrary, he could see the
slight figure of the girl, Sallie; and from the manner in which she
peered at the recumbent figures of her father and Big Gabe, it was
evident that she did not wish either of them to know of her action.
There was evidently about to be put upon the boards, a feature of the
game that neither of the boys had counted upon entering. No wonder then
Dolph held his breath, while Teddy raised his head much as a tortoise
might protrude his from its shell, as their eyes remained glued upon
the camp of the game poachers.