CHAPTER XIX--THE WILDCAT
Bert Bobbsey started off bravely enough from the cabin of Mrs. Bimby togo for help for the old woman, so that food might be taken to her barecupboard.
"And I'll have daddy bring a sled or something so Nan can ride home tocamp on it," thought Bert, as he trudged along through the snow. "It'shard walking. I wish I had a pair of snowshoes."
He had started away from the lonely cabin, as I told you two chaptersback. With him he took a little package of lunch, not very much, for hefelt sure he would soon reach Cedar Camp by following the line of thebrook, nor was there much to be got from Mrs. Bimby's bare cupboard.Even though much snow had fallen, Bert hoped the bed of the brook couldbe made out once he came to it. It lay some distance from the cabin, hethought.
The Bobbsey twin boy turned, after trudging a little way from the cabin,and waved his hand at Mrs. Bimby and Nan, who stood near a windowwatching him.
"Your brother is a brave little chap," said Mrs. Bimby. "I do hope hefinds help and brings it back to us."
"I hope so, too; 'specially something for you to eat," said Nan.
"Oh, well, we've a little of the rabbit left yet," said the old woman."But my tea is 'most gone, and I need it strong on account of my nerves.If it wasn't for my rheumatiz I'd put on my things and go with Bert. I'dtake you along, though I fear it's going to snow more."
"I hope it doesn't before Bert gets back to camp," Nan said. "Ishouldn't want him lost all alone."
"Nor I, dearie," crooned Mrs. Bimby. "But he's a brave lad, and I trusthe gets along all right. Though it has been a bad storm--a bad storm!"she muttered.
She put more wood on the fire, for, though the wind had gone down alittle and the snow was not falling so rapidly, it was still cold. Butthe blazing wood threw out a grateful heat, and Nan and Mrs. Bimby satabout the stove, waiting for the help Bert was to send.
Bert felt a little lonely as he plunged into the woods and lost sight ofthe cabin. Though it was daylight, and the woods were not dark becauseof the white snow, still Bert felt a little lonesome. He wished Nan hadcome with him.
"But I guess a girl couldn't get along," he said to himself, as heplunged through drift after drift. Indeed it was hard work for Bert,sturdy as he was, to wade along, especially as he had on no boots, nothaving expected a storm when he and Nan started after chestnuts.
"Now let me see," said Bert Bobbsey, talking to himself half aloud, tomake his trip seem less lonesome. "The first thing I want to do is tofind the brook. I can follow that back to camp, I'm pretty sure. Butit's a good way from here, I guess."
He remembered having seen the brook just before he and Nan reached thefirst chestnut grove, where they found the squirrels and chipmunks hadtaken most of the supply, making the children go farther on. And thenthe Bobbsey twins had rather lost sight of the stream of water.
Bert knew it might be almost hidden from sight under overhanging banksof snow, but he knew if he could come upon the water course it would bethe surest thing to follow to get back to camp. So as he trudged along,into and out of drifts, he looked eagerly about for a sign of the brook,which, as it went on, widened and ran into the mill pond near CedarCamp.
Bert was all by himself in the snowy woods. The cabin, where his sisterand Mrs. Bimby waited for him to bring help, was lost to sight amid thetrees. For the first time since leaving Cedar Camp Bert began to feellonesome and afraid.
It was so still and quiet in the woods! Not a sound! No birds flutteredthrough the trees or called aloud. The birds that had not flown southwere, doubtless, keeping under shelter until they dared venture out tolook for food, which some of them would never find.
"There isn't even a crow!" said Bert aloud, and his voice, in that whitestillness, almost startled him by its loudness.
He reached the top of a little hill, where there was not quite so muchsnow, the wind having blown it off, and there Bert stopped for a moment,looking about. It was a lonesome and dreary scene that lay before him.Not a house in sight, only a stretch of snow and trees, and the windhowled mournfully through the bare, leafless branches.
"Well, there's no use standing here," murmured Bert to himself. "I'vegot to travel on and bring help to Nan and the old lady. I'm glad Nanhas some shelter, anyhow. And I s'pose mother will be worrying about us.But we couldn't help it. Nobody would guess a storm would come up soquickly."
Throwing back his shoulders as he had seen men do when they had somehard task before them, Bert started off again. Through the snow hetrudged, tossing the white flakes aside with his small but sturdy legs.
All at once, on the white expanse in front of him, Bert saw a movement.At first he thought it was just some loose snow, blown about by thewind, which came in fitful gusts. But as he looked a second time he sawthat it was not the wind.
"It's some animal!" exclaimed the boy, speaking aloud, for he wantedcompany, and, like the men of the desert or wilderness, he fellnaturally into the habit of talking to himself. "It's some animal."
Having said this Bert came to a stop, for he knew there might be manysorts of animals in the woods.
"I wonder what it is," he whispered. Somehow or other a whisper seemedmore the sort of voice to use in that lonesome place.
A moment later he saw a patch of brown, and then two big ears appearedto be thrust out of a hole in the snow.
"It's a rabbit--a bunny!" cried Bert, and he did not whisper this time.
As he shouted Bert sprang forward through the snow and toward the brownrabbit that had so unexpectedly appeared. Whether it was the boy's shoutor his quick movement, or both, was not certain, but the rabbit wasfrightened and dashed away over the snow, sometimes sinking down almostout of sight, and again, by some means, keeping on the surface of thesnow, which was packed harder in some places than in others.
"If I can only get you!" gasped Bert, for his speed through the snow wasmaking him pant and his breath come short. "I'll get you and take youback to Nan and Mrs. Bimby! They won't have enough to eat unless I do,maybe, for it may take me a long while to get back to camp."
Bert had no weapon--he could not even pick up a stone, for they were allcovered from sight by the mass of white. But the boy had an idea that hecould catch the rabbit alive.
Bert was not a cruel boy, and under other circumstances he never wouldhave dreamed of trying to hurt or catch a bunny. But now he felt thatthe lives of his sister and Mrs. Bimby might depend on this game.
"I'll get you! I'll run you down!" muttered Bert.
Now a rabbit is a very fast-moving animal. Out West there is a kindcalled jackrabbits, and they can go faster than the average dog. Only agreyhound or other long-legged dog can beat a jackrabbit running. Butthough this bunny was not a jackrabbit, being the common wild rabbit ofthe woods and fields, still it could go faster than could Bert--and inthe snow at that.
Every now and again Bert would get so near the bunny that he felt surethat the next moment he would be able to get hold of the long ears. Butevery time the rabbit would give a desperate jump and get beyond theboy's reach.
"Whew!" exclaimed Bert, as he was forced to stop, because his legs wereso tired and because his breath was so short. "I don't wonder huntershave to use guns! They never could get much game just by chasing afterit. It wouldn't be any use to set a trap, for I haven't time and Ihaven't anything to bait it with. Besides, I guess you're so smart you'dnever be caught in it."
As Bert came to a stop on top of another little hill where the snow waspartly blown away, the rabbit also halted. It looked back at the boy.Probably the bunny was as tired as was Bert.
"If I only had something to throw at you!" murmured the boy. "I can'tfind any stones, but I can take a stick."
There were trees near at hand, and from the low branches of one of theseBert broke off a number of pieces of dead wood. They cracked like pistolshots, and, turning around to look at the rabbit, Bert saw it scootingaway over the snow. Probably the little furry creature thought somehunter was shooting at it.
"Well,
I guess I'll have to give up," said the boy, half aloud. "I'llonly get lost chasing after you. As it is, I guess I've come 'most amile out of my way."
He threw the sticks he had broken off, but he did not come anywhere nearhitting the brown bunny.
"Oh, well, you're safe! I won't chase you any farther," said Bert. "AndI wouldn't have chased you now, and scared you 'most to death, if thefolks back in the shack weren't so low on food. Maybe I can findsomething else."
Bert floundered about in the snow, following his tracks back before theyshould be filled and so hidden from sight. He was about half way to theplace where he had surprised the rabbit when he heard a chattering in atree over his head.
"A squirrel!" exclaimed the boy. "And a grey one, too, or I miss myguess."
He kept very still, listening. Again, above the noise of the storm washeard the sharp, squealing chatter of a squirrel, and, looking up overhis head, Bert saw the animal. It was a large, grey squirrel, with atail almost as big as its whole body.
The squirrel sat up on a limb and looked down at the boy. It may havebeen angry or frightened, and it seemed to be scolding Bert as itchattered at him. Grey squirrels are not such excited scolders as thelittle red chaps are, but this one did very well.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll go back into your nest and staythere," Bert said. "I can't get you, and you ought to know it, for Ihaven't a gun and I never could throw up a stick and knock you down.You'd be good eating if I could," Bert went on, for he had often heardhis father tell of broiled squirrels.
Bert could see a hole in the tree half way up the trunk, and he guessedthat here the squirrel had his winter nest. It would be well lined withdried leaves, soft grass, and perhaps some cotton from the milkweedpods. Thus the squirrels keep warm, wrapping their big bushy tails aboutthem.
"Well, I guess I'll say good-bye to you," went on Bert, as he turnedaside from the squirrel in the tree and resumed his trudging through thesnow. The weather was cold, and Bert was cold likewise. Also he wastired. His legs ached and his shoulders pained him, for walking throughthe snow is not easy work, as you who have tried it know.
However, he knew that he must keep bravely on, and so, after turningonce or twice, making sure he could not see the cabin, he went alongfaster.
It was because of his speed that an accident happened to Bert whichmight have been a very serious one. He was traveling with his head helddown, to keep the falling snow out of his face, when he suddenly felthimself falling.
Down, down he went, as though he had stepped into some big hole, or offsome high cliff. He gave a cry of alarm, and threw out both hands tograsp something to save himself, but there was nothing to grasp. Down,down went poor Bert!
It was a good thing there was so much snow on the ground. The piles anddrifts of white flakes were like so many heaps of feathers, and Bert wasthankful when at last, after sliding, slipping, falling and tumbling, hecame to a stop, half buried in a deep drift. He was somewhat shaken up,and he had dropped his package of lunch, but at first he did not thinkhe was much hurt until he tried to move his left leg.
Then such a pain shot through the boy that he had to cry aloud. He shuthis eyes and leaned back against the pile of snow into which he hadfallen. The first flash of pain passed, and he began to feel a littlebetter. But a terrible thought came to him.
"What if my leg is broken?" said Bert, half aloud. "I can't walk, Ican't go for help, and I'll have to stay here. Daddy or nobody will knowwhere to find me--not even Nan or Mrs. Bimby! Oh, this is terrible!"
But he knew he must be brave, for he had to help not only himself buthis sister and the old woman in the cabin. Clenching his teeth to keepback the cry of pain which he felt would come when he moved his legagain, Bert shifted it a little to one side. The spasm of pain came, butnot so bad as at first.
"Maybe it's only broken a little," thought the boy. "And I can crawl, ifI can't walk." He had read of hunters and trappers who, with a broken orbadly cut leg, had crawled miles over the snow to get help. Bert wantedto be as brave as these heroes.
But when he moved his leg for the third time and found the pain notquite so bad, he began to take heart. He brushed away the snow from bothlegs and looked at them. They appeared to be all right, but the left onefelt a little queer. And it was not until he had managed to pull himselfup, by means of a stunted bush showing through the snow, that Bert knewhis leg was not broken.
It was strained a little, and it hurt some when he bore his weight onit, but he found that he could at least walk, if he could not run, andhe was thankful for this. He looked up toward the place from where hehad fallen, and saw that, without knowing it, he had stepped over theedge of a steep hill. The snow had hidden the edge from Bert, and he hadplunged right over it.
"Where's my lunch?" he asked aloud, and then he saw the package, whichhad fallen to one side of the place where he had plunged into the drift.Bert picked it up, and then, thankful that his accident was no worse, hewent on again.
"I guess maybe the brook is here," he said, for he noticed that he wasdown in a valley, and he knew that water always sought low levels. "I'llwalk along here," said Bert.
He was so frightened, thinking of what might have happened if he hadbeen crippled and unable to walk, that he did not feel hungry, though itwas some time since breakfast. On he trudged through the snow, lookingfor signs of the brook, which he hoped would lead him to Cedar Camp.
It was while he was passing through a clump of woods that Bert receivedanother fright--one that caused him to run on as fast as he could, inspite of his aching leg.
He had gone half way through the clump of trees, and he was wondering ifhe would ever come to the brook, when suddenly he heard a noise in aclump of bushes. The noise sounded louder than usual, because it was allso still and quiet near him.
Before Bert could guess what caused the sound, he saw, pushing its waythrough the underbrush, a tawny animal, with black spots underneath andwith little tufts of hair on its ears. At once Bert knew what thiswas--a wildcat, or lynx!
For a moment Bert was so frightened that he just stood still, looking atthe wildcat. And then, as the animal gave a sort of snarl and growl, theboy turned with a yell of fright and ran off through the snow as fast ashe could go!
The Bobbsey Twins at Cedar Camp Page 20