CHAPTER XII
SCOUTS IN CLOVER
"THERE used to be a time," Uncle Caleb went on to remark, as he liftedthe heavy wildcat, and started toward the door of his cabin, "when I wasconsidered quite a sportsman. I took every opportunity I could to be inthe woods and on the water, shooting deer, quail, partridge, snipe,ducks, geese, brant and all such things, for my fancy seemed to run morein the line of small game than grizzly bears or lions, tigers, elephantsand the like. But years ago I began to notice a change gradually takingplace in my feelings. I suppose many men find the same thing workingwhen they grow older, and the fires of youth are spent. I began todislike taking life of any sort, and recently I have allowed many a finechance to make a bag slip by, because I would sooner snap off a picture,and live on canned goods supplied from the store."
Of course none of the boys could fully understand this sentiment. Theyviewed it from the standpoint of youth, and would never know anydifferent until they too grew old, and their hunting instincts becamemellowed.
At the same time they could respect such humane motives, and understandsomething of the peculiar fascination that taking pictures of wildanimals in their native haunts was apt to entail.
"Now to see what a mess the creature may have made of my little cabinhome," Uncle Caleb went on to say, as he flung open the door andentered, leaving the body of the late trespasser outside to be attendedto later.
The scouts crowded in after him, and looked eagerly around. They foundthat the cabin in the snow forest was quite a neat affair. Evidently theoccupant had gone to considerable trouble and expense to make itcomfortable. As he expected to spend most of his time here under thisroof, Uncle Caleb believed in having things to suit him, even to alittle bathroom off the back, which in summer was supplied with runningwater from a spring on higher ground, and fed through a sunken pipe, nowdisconnected on account of the freezing temperature that would havespeedily burst it.
There were a couple of bunks built into the walls on either side of thebig fireplace, which latter came out several feet into the room. Besidesthis there was a cot that was also a settee in the daytime, a largetable, several comfortable seats that were along the type of the Morrischair Elmer had in his den at home, and various cases of books,curiosities and such things.
Upon the floor were a number of real imported small rugs that UncleCaleb must have brought from the Orient himself. The boys thought themrather odd, though at the same time pretty; but they were later onstaggered when they learned the history of each little carpet, and whata vast sum Uncle Caleb had paid for them in his role of collector.
Taken in all, the interior of that cabin was about as far fromresembling the average hunter's home as anything could be. ImmediatelyLil Artha quit calling it the "shack," because forever afterwards withthat cheery interior it would appeal more to him in the garb of aminiature palace.
Uncle Caleb was a rich bachelor, and he liked to be comfortable.Besides, he was a man of science, and a student, rather than a hunter;so they concluded that he was quite right in making his little home lookso pleasant.
Just then, however, things were in something of an upset condition. Thehungry cat in prowling around and searching for something to eat hadupset a number of articles, broken a pet dish of the cabin's owner;while there on the table was the partly gnawed strip of bacon at whichthe animal had been busily at work when interrupted by their arrival onthe scene.
"I can save the better part of it," said the easy-going Uncle Caleb,"and besides, there is plenty more in the locker, for I lay in mywinter's stock long before the first real snow comes, so as not to bebothered later on by trips to the town where I trade, which is manymiles away from here."
When later on he showed them his "strong room" where his stores werekept George in particular was noticed to lick his lips with a satisfiedsmile on his face as if telling himself that there need be no fear ofhunger so long as they stayed with Uncle Caleb.
"Choose your bunks, boys," they were speedily told, "and toss yourblankets in the ones you select. It seems that you figured prettyclosely, because if there had been another scout in the party we'd havehad to get busy building a new bed. As it is, there is one apiece allaround."
"But how about you, Uncle?" asked Toby, solicitously; "we don't want topush you out of your regular bed. Let me sleep on that cot."
"No, I prefer to take it," the owner of the cabin replied; "in fact, asa rule I have slept on the cot winters, because I can pull it up infront of the fire on nights that are particularly bitter."
"You must get some howlers up here, sir, I should think," suggestedElmer.
"Along in January we often have a terrible storm or blizzard, when it'sutterly unsafe to venture outside the door, because one can never seeten feet away. Men have been found frozen to death close to their owncabins, which they did not dream were so close by when they gave up indespair. The storm that just visited us was pretty severe, but not to becompared with some I have seen."
"George, take your pick of bunks," said Elmer.
Perhaps he allowed George to have the first say because of the other'snotorious habit of grumbling; the wise scout master did not want to givehim any chance to complain that he had not been treated fairly andsquarely.
Now George was not so greedy but that he could feel ashamed. He seemedto scent the true reason why Elmer was so kind, for a flush came overhis face, and he actually shook his head in a decided negative.
"That isn't just fair to the rest, Elmer, and I won't have it," he said,with a show of spirit. "The bunks are all built alike, but one may bebetter than the others, 'specially of a cold night. Now I tell you howwe'll fix that up fine and dandy; I'll mark them by numbers up to four;then I'll write that many on pieces of paper and we'll put them in ahat. Each one draws one out, and in that way gets his bunk without anyfavoritism being shown. What d'ye say to that, Elmer?"
"Just as you like, George; and I want to tell you I admire theindependent spirit you display when you refuse to be favored above therest. That's the right way to show what you're made of. It speaks wellfor the regard you have toward others."
While Elmer was saying this George drew out a lead pencil stub and madea figure on the front of each bunk, running from one to four. Then hedid the little numbering on as many small squares of paper torn from hisnotebook. These latter he threw into a hat and held it so no one couldlook in, though a hand might be inserted through the small opening.
"Elmer, you draw first!" George went on to say, as he held the hat outto each one of the others in turn.
So the scout master accommodated him, and found that he had hit upon oneof the lower bunks. Toby got the upper, and Lil Artha drew the otherelevated bed; so that after all George was given the pick of the lot. Noone could ever begrudge him his good luck, now that he had shown such afair spirit.
"It hit me about right," admitted Lil Artha, as he stood up alongsidethe wall, and flung his blanket inside the second upper bunk, "becauseNature always intended that I should nest high, when She gave me thispair of stilts. Lucky you made the bunks over six feet long, UncleCaleb, or I'd never have been able to turn over without drawing my kneesup to my chin. It gives me a pain whenever I think that I may go onstretching out for nearly four years yet. My folks think of cutting thedoors higher in our house. They get tired of seeing me duck my headevery time I come into a room."
A fire was soon built up in the open space under the chimney flue whichthe cunning wildcat had used as a means for entering and leaving thecabin. At the time there happened to be little heat among the ashes, forthe owner was averse to leaving a fire when he went away for hours, lesthe return only to find a blackened heap where his cabin with its manyprecious treasures had stood.
It was like a picnic to cook when there were so many conveniences, andLil Artha, who insisted on helping George, called attention to theexcellent iron frame which was intended to be placed over the fire, andserve to hold such cooking vessels as were needed in the preparation ofthe meal.
Besides this there was a portable oven which made splendid biscuits andbread, as the boys learned later on, when Uncle Caleb showed them how helived while keeping bachelor's hall alone in that wilderness, days,weeks and months at a time. He had a small barrel of flour in hisstoreroom, with such a collection of canned goods and dried as well assmoked meats, that George declared it looked like a young grocery storeto him; and privately admitted that he would not care very much if theyhad been booked to stay the balance of the winter with Uncle Caleb,instead of just a few days. He could see all manner of "good times" inthat delightful storeroom collection.
They had a light lunch, as the old scientist usually preferred to eathis one heavy meal in the evening, after his thinking was done for theday.
"Make yourselves quite at home, boys," he told them, with a sinceritythat even skeptical George could not question; "everything I have is atyour disposal. You will find hosts of things to interest you among mycollection of curios, and the myriads of pictures I have taken the lastseven years. Some of them have been honored by being published in ageographic magazine, and excited considerable interest among a certainclass of scientists. I'm ready to answer every question you can ask, andit will give me the greatest pleasure imaginable to be of service toyou. All I seek in return is full confidence; you must tell me all aboutwhat scouts do, and learn, and aim to accomplish; also what adventuresyou may have encountered in carrying out these organization principles."
During the rest of that never-to-be-forgotten afternoon the boysmanifested no desire to wander through the white forest, but stayedindoors looking at the many interesting things owned by Uncle Caleb,many of which he had picked up in various quarters and corners of theworld, for he had been a famous traveler in his day.
They almost talked themselves hoarse, asking questions, and explainingall about what duties and obligations a boy takes upon his shoulderswhen he subscribes to the scout promise, and assumes theresponsibilities accompanying such a service.
Uncle Caleb had about everything that money could purchase in connectionwith his photographic fad; and among other things a daylight tank fordeveloping the films.
As he was very anxious to find out whether the snapshots taken of thewildcat on the cabin chimney would turn out to be worth anything, heproceeded to develope the films that afternoon.
When he held them up after washing, and let the boys see the result theywere loud in their declarations that he had really done himself proud.
There was the one with the big cat crouching on the chimney-top, andgiving all the detail that could be desired. The other was not quite soclear, but it seemed that he must have aimed the camera just right, andpressed the button while the leaping animal was in midair, justcrumpling up under the two charges of shot received from separatequarters. This last was a thrilling picture, and ought to make a fineprint.
"They'll be a splendid addition to my collection," Uncle Caleb told theboys, as he surveyed his prizes with kindling eyes; "I've got a goodmany strange pictures but I expect these will top the list. I'll print acopy for each one of you to carry home when you go, because in a measurethat is your cat, as well as mine."
Taken in all, they would never be apt to forget that same afternoon.Their genial host seemed to be so delighted to have such a wideawakepack of boys up there with him, that he could not do too much for them.Many were the yarns he spun connected with his nomadic life underdifferent suns; and since settling down to this peculiar state ofexistence he had known a multitude of adventures, both great and small.
"Right now," he told them, as the afternoon light began to fade with thedrawing near of the time for sunset, "you might say I am a marked man;not that it gives me any great amount of concern, because I hardlybelieve that Zack Arnold will ever get his courage up to the stickingpoint, and attempt to carry out the wild threats he made against me."
"I remember hearing a man speaking that name on the train when we werenearing your station, Uncle!" exclaimed Toby; "he talked as though thefellow might be a sort of woods guide, though a tough rascal feared byevery one, even the game wardens, who were afraid to try and arrest himfor shooting game out of season."
"All of which is about as true as it can be," was the reply. "Six monthsago I had the misfortune to run foul of this same Zack. He was even thenhalf under the influence of liquor, and very abusive. I could have stoodit for myself, but when the big brute raised his hand, and knocked downa half-grown girl who had chanced to stumble, and fall against him, inthe store, it was too much for my blood."
"You gave him what he deserved, didn't you, Uncle?" demanded theexultant Toby.
"Well, I knocked him down three times in succession, for he had come atme with a knife the second and third times. After that he lay there, andwas counted out. Now I was never proud of having upset a brawling bullylike that when half-seas over, but it had to be done to pay him forstriking that poor child. I heard afterwards that he was furious at me,and vowed he would get even, if he had to come all the way up here towhere I held out, and settle his debt."
The boys exchanged looks.
"But he might take a sudden notion to visit you, when feeling in aparticularly ugly mood, Uncle," Toby remarked, soberly, "and no onewould ever know who had set your cabin on fire, and perhaps burned youin the same."
"Well, I thought of that and for a time never went outside these wallswithout carrying a gun along; but months have passed, and he does notshow up, which I take it means he is too big a coward to risk his earstrying to do me an ill turn. And of late I've neglected any of thoseprecautions. When first I saw my fox trap had been tampered with, andthat valuable prize taken, I thought of what Zack Arnold had sworn, andwas sure it must be his work. But let's forget about such an unpleasantsubject, and have a little music for a change."
It seemed that among his many other accomplishments Uncle Caleb wassomething of a musician; that is, he loved music, and could play verywell on a banjo, as well as on a guitar. The boys had found this out,through Toby, and looked forward to having good times listening to theirgenial host during evenings, as they sat before a crackling fire, andcared not for the weather without.
It was getting pretty sharp again, as George announced after coming inwith an armful of wood; but little they cared, with such comfortablequarters, and plenty to eat in the family cupboard.
As if to dismiss an unpleasant subject from his mind Uncle Caleb startedin to amuse his young guests with various popular selections, most ofwhich the scouts knew as well as they did their own names. From these hepresently drifted to older airs from the operas, and sentimentalserenades that afforded the boys considerable pleasure. In the end heplayed a few such favorites as "Home, Sweet Home," with so much effectthat he had one or two of them secretly winking rapidly in order to keepthe tears from filling their eyes.
"Come, we've had enough of this for the present," said the player,suddenly, on catching sight of Toby blowing his nose with greatvehemence, "and as it's getting dark outside, suppose we start ourpreparations for supper. I've got a few wrinkles I'd like to show you,although I rather expect some of you boys will turn out such good cooksthat you'll make my little efforts look primitive."
All the same they did not. Uncle Caleb excelled in nearly everything heundertook, from science, music, and photographing wild animals in theirnative haunts, all the way down to cookery--perhaps George and Toby andLil Arthur might object to using that word, and on their own account say"_up_ to cookery."
At any rate he certainly gave the scouts a supper they would not soonforget; and they admitted in private afterwards that they must look totheir laurels if they did not want to be considered "back numbers."Uncle Caleb had done his own cooking for a good many years, and being ofan investigating turn of mind, had not been content to go along beatenpaths, like most bachelors left to their own devices, but had studiedcook-books, and made a success of many fine recipes.
After the meal was over, and things cleaned up, they gathered before theburning logs, and looked forward to an
enjoyable evening. Every one wasto have a part in entertaining the company, with story or song, as thecase might be; and Elmer had a long list of questions which he wantedanswers for, mostly pertaining to the habits of the little woods andswamps animals in which Uncle Caleb had become so vitally interested.
Before they could get fully settled down, however, there was a shufflingsound heard at the door, and then came a hesitating sort of knock fromwithout.
Storm-Bound; or, A Vacation Among the Snow Drifts Page 14