XXVI
THE WOLF PACK
Jack, chancing to awaken several hours afterwards sat up to rearrangehis blanket. The fire was burning fairly well, so that he could easilysee objects within a certain range.
A slight movement drew his attention toward the spot where Dr. Hamiltonhad rolled himself up in the blanket assigned to his use; and Jack couldsee him sitting there, with his head bowed down as though, unable tosleep, he was indulging in sombre thoughts.
Somehow Jack had been drawn toward the strange man, whom he feltconfident must have some deep reason for coming to this outpost ofcivilization, and burying both himself and his rare talents under anassumed identity.
"He's certainly got something gnawing at his heart, by the way he acts,"Jack told himself, as he snuggled down again within the folds of hiscovers. "And somehow I just can't seem to believe he's a bad man--hisface, so sad, and yet sympathetic, belies that. Still, the secret is hisown, and none of my business."
So he put it out of his mind, and was soon fast asleep once more. Whennext he awoke it must have been several hours later, as he could tell byglancing up at the star-studded heavens; for Jack had studied theplanetary system, and could tell how the night was passing fairly wellby the time of the setting of the various celestial orbs.
The fire was burning brightly, showing that either Perk or Red must havebeen keeping tabs on its care, having recently replenished the fuelsupply.
"Pretty soft, I'd call it," chuckled Jack, again dropping back to catcha "few more winks" of sleep before the coming of dawn; "but say, what'sthe use of having a chum who calls himself an old woods guide along, tolook after you, if he doesn't give you all the service he's supposed tosupply for his wages? We'll have many a good laugh over this delightfularrangement in other days and nights."
Three of the horses were lying down, the fourth trying to find a fewmore stray wisps of green stuff by reaching out to the extent of histethering rope. All seemed well with the world, and Jack judged it thepart of wisdom to fight off dull cares until the time really arrived foraction.
Then for the third time he opened his eyes and began to stretch hislimbs, by that time feeling a bit cramped from his lying in a certainposition so long.
"Must be getting daylight," he told himself, noting how he could seeobjects at some little distance beyond the smouldering campfire; but asit was not the proper caper for a supposed young millionaire sportsmanto be the first on stirring in camp, Jack concluded to just lie thereand do a little calculating, having in mind the stirring drama they werelikely to run into ere another day had come to an end.
"Huh! now, what in thunder does all that distant racket mean?"
Of course that was Perk muttering to himself, and turning his head Jackcould see the other rising to a sitting position, with his head set onone side, as though he were straining his hearing.
This caused Jack to suddenly realize for the first time that it was notonly the gurgling of the nearby running brook he had beenhearing--somewhere within half a mile other sounds were rising, and evengradually drawing closer right along--yapping, for all the world likedogs chasing a rabbit, or a sly fox caught out with dawn coloring thesky.
Jack hastened to sit up.
"Yes, what can it be, do you think, Perk?" he asked, quietly.
"Awake are you, ol' hoss?" the other went on to say though withoutturning his head. "Sounds like wolves, or I'd say kiotes only I happento know they ain't any sech animals 'way up here--leastways I never didrun across sech all the time I rode 'round this section o' country."
"A pack of timber wolves, you mean, buddy--the big, gray chaps that canpull down a deer as easy as a mountain lion would do the job?"
"Them's the kind like enough, Jack," affirmed the other.
"The chase is on then, it seems, Perk; what d'ye reckon they're after?"
"Some sorter game they're meanin' to make a breakfast off'n--mebbe a cowmoose, or else it might be a caribou, partner," Perk went on to say, asif mildly interested. "Huh! wouldn't mind havin' a juicy caribou steakmyself for breakfast, on'y it'd be breakin' the game laws to shoot secha critter out o' season. Say, they must be headin' this way, Jack, ol'pard!"
"Either that, or else there's a change of wind," agreed the other; "forthe racket grows louder right along."
Perk reached out and laid his hand on the ever faithful machine-gun,which it seemed he had carefully placed alongside on settling down forthe night.
"I guess now I'll get up, an' toddle out by that openin' in the timber,"Jack heard him saying; "mebbe we might have the good luck to look-in onthe gay scrap, if the beggars bring their quarry to bay close by here.Anyhow it's plumb mornin', an' plenty to do."
Jack could not have told had he been asked why he should copy Perk'sexample, possessing himself of the Winchester repeater, and evenfollowing his comrade in the direction of the open glade, toward whichthe suggestive sounds appeared to be heading.
There, too, was Red Lowden starting to "climb out" of his swathingblanket, apparently recognizing the fact that there might be somethinginteresting on the carpet worth witnessing. All this movement must havearoused the doctor, for Jack noticed a movement in his quarter, asthough the exodus from the camp were about to be made unanimous.
Jack and Perk dropped down on the edge of the opening.
"That's in our favor," the latter was whispering--"the wind, what littlethere happens to be ablowin' is comin' right in our face, so the peskybeasts ain't agoin' to scent us right away. I kinder guess they's socrazy worked up over gitin' a breakfast they ain't so cunnin' as usual.Wow! they're sure closin' in on the dick, that's flat--I c'n notice achange in the yelpin' that tells the story. Steady now, ol' hoss, forhere they come aswoopin'!"
Jack crouched low, with staring eyes--there was something that borderedon the thrilling about this dramatic panorama of the wilderness which afreak of good fortune was bringing under their observation--he even felthis heart beating as fast as a throbbing rivetting machine, such as heremembered once hearing at work on a skyscraper in the building in NewYork City--in fact, Jack rather fancied this was as close an approach tothe real "buck ague" as he had ever experienced, for while "some hunter"he did not claim to be a veteran in the chase.
Suddenly some large object broke out from the scrub on the other side ofthe open glade--it was a bull caribou, all right, and extremely winded,the chase having evidently been a long and thrilling one. Gone was muchof the spring to its gait, usually as swift as the wind--the pertinacityof its four-footed pursuers had completely worn the caribou out, and allthat was left was for him to turn on the pack, and battle until theydragged him down by the weight of numbers, backed by ferocious hunger.There in the centre the gallant old fellow whirled around and stood atbay, just as Jack had seen in a celebrated engraving. One sweep of hishalf-developed antlers and a daring wolf was flung ruthlessly aside, tocome back limping, but as eager as ever.
It was a spectacle Jack would not have missed for anything; and yet allhis sympathies were for the poor stag, so sorely beset by those ravenousfoes. Again and again did he strike out and scatter his enemies; but hiscondition this early in the season was not as hardened as would havebeen the case along toward late in the Fall months, so that his blowsfailed to cripple those he sent flying right and left.
Perk was on one knee, and with his machine-gun lifted halfway to hisshoulder, as though the inclination to mix in the scrimmage had begun togrip him too powerfully to be long resisted.
The crisis came with lightning-like rapidity, and it turned out justabout as Jack had anticipated would be the case. One of the half-dozenwolves made a bold leap just when the caribou, having sent anotherflying, was caught off his guard. He landed on the stag's quarter, andfastened his teeth in his flank. That served to disconcert the doomedanimal, so that a second of his persecutors was enabled to fasten on hisneck, and weight him down. That hastened the inevitable end to the woodstragedy. There was no longer he
ard the yelps of the triumphantwolves--only a terrible snapping sound, and a mad scrambling, as thegallant caribou stag kept up the unequal fight, evidently determined toresist "to the last ditch."
Perk had reached the end of his rope; he could no longer resist thetemptation to throw his glove into the arena, and take up the cause ofthe weaker one of the contenders.
Jack heard the sudden crash of the machine-gun close to his ear. One ofthe maddened wolves fell at the report, to get up no more. A second bitthe dust almost immediately afterwards, for Perk had only to swing hisgun in a small section of a half-circle to spray the carnivora insuccession.
Panic gripped those still remaining--possibly for the first time theywhiffed the scent of human foes; so, too, they may have known what thatcrash of firearms, those spitting flashes of flame signified. Waitingnot upon the order of their going they abandoned all hopes of a wellearned meal, and made off like so many streaks.
Perk ceased firing--he also gave a little whoop, as if triumph filledhis veins with exaltation that must find some sort of vent. "Hotziggetty dig! jest see the cowardly critter lope out o' here, will you,partner?" was the burden of his shout, as the remainder of the lupinepack disappeared among the tree-trunks well beyond; "but what a dangedshame the poor caribou's so bad hurt he jest can't move off--there, bythe great horn spoon if he ain't laid down on the job; I kinder guess Ihit in a little bit too late to help him any."
As they approached the wretched victim of wolfish hunger and ferocityattempted to get on his legs again; but seemed too weak to do more thanlift himself halfway, when he once more fell back.
"Better we put him out of his misery, Perk," Jack, suggested, knowingfull well that the animal was doomed, no matter what they did; for ifleft to himself the wolf pack--what was left of it at any rate--wasbound to return, and finish their slaughter.
"You do it, brother," begged Perk, "somehow I don't seem able to jest upan' knock him on the head. Your rifle's a heap better for that job."
"It will be a mercy, since he's done for, no matter how we look at it,"the other went on to say; "so, game law or not, I've just got to do it."
With the speedy crack of his thirty-thirty sporting rifle the caribougave one expiring kick, and then lay there limp and lifeless.
Jack surveyed his victim, and shook his head as though he took nopleasure whatever in the act of mercy.
"Since necessity forced us into this game, Perk, there's no reason whyyou shouldn't have your caribou steak for breakfast; though I've got anidea it may give your grinders some job, from toughness. Go to it,brother; if you pronounce it eatable I may try a small portion myself,though I'm not building up any high hopes as to enjoying it."
Since it was daylight, and they were all aroused, they concluded therewas no sense of "making two bites of a cherry." Accordingly Perk coaxedRed to build up a good cooking-fire, while he proceeded to cut someslices from the intact flank of the fallen stag.
At any rate it had an appetizing flavor while cooking, that caused Redto look expectant. Jack took a small portion on his pannikin, andstarted to masticate it in sections; but just the same he failed toclear off his plate, which would indicate that he hardly approved ofthat kind of venison.
From the fact that Perk did not see fit to select any more of the meatto carry along when they pulled out, one of three things must haveaffected him--either he did not anticipate having another chance to makeuse of a cooking fire in the near future; felt a bit worried as to whatwould happen if a game-warden, roving far afield, should happen alongwhile he put in time at his culinary labors; or else even he had foundthe venison too tough for mastication--possibly a bit of all threereasons influenced him in abandoning the remainder of the carcass tothose hungry brutes, undoubtedly still hovering in ambush not far away.
Then Jack called out "boots and saddles," with the whole four mountingtheir waiting steeds, and galloping along the trail.
The Sky Pilot's Great Chase; Or, Jack Ralston's Dead Stick Landing Page 26