CHAPTER VIII
PLENTY OF TROUBLE
Felix found it a more difficult task, getting that hook fastened in thetrigger guard of the rifle, than ever he had dreamed could be possible.A dozen times he thought he had accomplished the feat, only to have thecord twirl, and the tricky hook double upon itself; so that his "bite"turned out to be a mere "nibble," altogether unsatisfactory in results.
But Felix would never give over, and kept at his task with a grimdetermination that was, in fact, born of desperation; since he couldthink of no other way whereby a cold night in that tree might beavoided.
Finally success came to crown his efforts, and he actually felt the"pull" of the rifle's weight, when he tightened the cord.
The suspicious buck, attracted by the movement of the ascending rifle,started to advance in that direction, as if bent upon investigating thisnew feature of the game; so that Felix, in sudden fear lest his littletrick might be spoiled just when it promised a golden success, had tomake a quick ascension.
When his angry four-footed foe made a vicious leap forward and upward,as if bent upon sending the swinging gun a dozen yards away, the boy'sheart seemed to be almost in his mouth with the suspense; but as the oldsaying has it, "a miss is as good as a mile," and the buck failed tostrike the object of his sudden new animosity, though coming perilouslynear it.
When his eager fingers clutched the precious Marlin, Felix felt likegiving vent to a shout of joy. He knew now that the game lay safely inhis hands; and had the old buck been as wise as he was savage, he wouldhave lost not a second in trotting away from that dangerous vicinity;but unaware of his new peril he only started a new series of furiousjumps in the air, in the futile endeavor to strike the dangling legs ofhis tantalizing human foe.
At another time Felix might have allowed himself to feel a littlecompunction about taking the life of such a valiant old fellow; but hissides still ached from the rough experience he had passed through, andit was absolutely necessary that he clear the way to his descent fromthat tree.
So he quietly waited until he had a chance to get in a death shot, andglancing along the matted top of his rifle barrel, he pulled thetrigger.
Then the report sounded, the gallant buck went over in a heap; there wasno wild leap into the air as so frequently happens when a deer receivesits fatal hurt; but the buck just seemed to crumple up, and dropdejectedly in his tracks, as if to prove that he had kept up the fightto the bitter end.
Then Felix came down from the tree that he had never climbed; whichqueer feat few people could duplicate, in even a varied experience.
He already knew that, as night was now at hand, he would have to makecamp there in the wilderness; so that at least it was some consolationto know that he need not starve, with all that fresh meat ready at hishand; since he had in the buck, tough eating though he might prove,sufficient food for any length of time.
Felix immediately set about making ready for the night, after bleedingthe dead deer--fuel was hastily gathered, and a rude temporary sheltererected, after the way he had seen it done by Adirondack guides, andcalled a "lean-to." This was fashioned out of boughs that he foundhandy, and which would at least keep off most of the cold, penetratingnorth wind, as well as snow, should this last fall during the night.
In front of this shelter he built his fire; and once its cheery presencecame to bolster up his courage, Felix felt no anxiety concerning hisexperience.
In the words of the immortal wandering Indian, he could say whenrescued: "Injun no lost--wigwam lost--Injun _here_!" for he felt that itwould prove an easy task on the morrow to take the back trail, loadedwith the spoils of the chase, and by noon no doubt, bring up close tothe camp under the big tree.
Proudly he severed the head of the buck, with those grand antlers whichwould some fine day hang in his den at home. This he managed to hangfrom the limb of the tree, hoping thus to preserve it from any animalthat might be attracted to the spot by the scent of fresh blood.Afterwards he meant to come with Tom, and manage in some fashion to"tote" that head back to camp, where with the aid of the Western boy hewould no doubt be able to preserve it for mounting.
After that he began to cut away some of the choice portions of the meat,and when the job was completed, he hung the balance that he cared tokeep from the limb of the tree, encased in the hide of the old buck.
Felix was feeling pretty hungry by now. Soon several generous slices ofmeat had been secured upon the points of splinters of wood the otherends of which he thrust into the ground, and inclined at such an anglethat presently the venison began to sizzle under the influence of thered coals, and at last send out a very appetizing odor, calculated tomake the hungry boy even more ravenous.
The meat proved pretty tough, partly on account of the age of theanimal; and also because of its not having been allowed to hang acertain length of time, as is always preferable in climates where thegame will not easily spoil. When, however, a fellow has the real woodsappetite, these minor things are ignored; and Felix munched away forhalf an hour in perfect content, until in the end he realized that hehad had enough.
After that there was nothing to be done but get ready to spend the nightas comfortably as the circumstances allowed; indeed, after thinking itover, and what a lucky escape he had had from staying in that tree allnight, hungry and cold, the boy felt that he had nothing to complainabout.
He had taken pains to gather an ample supply of firewood, and also madesure that the magazine of his gun was fully charged; so that when he gotgood and ready, he felt quite safe to lie down and sleep; knowing thatin all probability he was sure to be up and down many times during thatnight, since camping entirely alone was in the line of a new experiencefor Felix.
Nothing of any note occurred during the hours he spent there under histemporary shelter of an arbor; although he fancied that several timeswhen he awoke, and got up to put more fuel on the fire, a sly bobcatmust be prowling around, eager to steal some of the meat but deterred bythe blaze; the presence of a human being possibly had also something todo with its lack of courage; for when day came nothing was missing.
Breakfast, which was an exact repetition of supper, being disposed of,Felix began to figure on what course he should take in order to make abee-line for the camp. He consulted his little compass, and sent severalglances around him at the big mountains, that strangely enough seemed toencompass him about much more than he had dreamed possible, and gave hima puzzle to solve.
So he decided upon his course, although with a lingering doubt that hemight once more be about to enjoy an old experience in his career--thatof losing himself.
Half an hour later, with a pack upon his back containing all he couldcarry of the choice portions of the gallant buck, Felix started forth.He cast one backward look, filled with regret, at the antlered head ofhis prize, still secured to the limb of the tree; at least he hoped toreturn at some time in the near future and secure those horns for atrophy, even though it were not possible to preserve the head entire.
Felix walked for half an hour, trying to keep as near to the course hehad laid out as seemed possible. Really it was not such an easyproposition as he had at first calculated. Why was it he had so poor asense of direction, he could not say? But he felt sure, that unless heimproved very much in this respect, he could never hope to make a goodwoodsman like Tom was, for instance.
Somehow, by this time, the boy began to lose a little of his formerconfidence. Things did not seem at all familiar, and he began to feelsure that he could not have come this way.
Once more he consulted his compass, and tried to figure out whichdirection stood for home. He laughed at himself for feeling souncertain. What a silly sensation this must be to a proud boy, torealize that he is actually all at sea in the woods, and cannot say fora certainty which way he ought to go.
Felix laid out a new course, and made a fresh start. He was not at alldiscouraged as yet, and only looked on the thing in the light of a joke;just as he had his sailing through the air, to hang to
the limb of thetree, after the buck had given him a rise in the world.
Once he heard a shot ahead. This caused him to wonder whether it couldbe Tom, or some one else; and he soon decided that if his chum wereanywhere near by he would be more apt to give the well known signal ofthree shots in order to let the wanderer know of his presence; whenFelix would be expected to answer in kind.
Tom had warned him several times to keep an eye out for certain viciouscharacters, said to be in hiding away up in this part of Wyoming--men whohad once been honest guides, but drifted into bad ways; and having beenknown to kill game in the Yellowstone Park reservation, were beingsought after by the authorities, who meant to make an example of them todeter others from doing likewise.
He had understood that such men might not be averse to robbing andabusing a young chap who happened to cross their path; and so Felix,with this troublesome thought struggling in his brain, walked on insilence, looking cautiously to the right and to the left, as if hefeared that he might suddenly run upon some kind of danger.
Was that a groan he heard; or did some wild animal give vent to a sound?
It seemed to come from the bushes over to his left; and as he stoodstock-still, and listened, he once more heard the strange and dolefulsound, which seemed to be half way between a groan and a grunt.
Immediately Felix lowered his burden softly to the ground, and clutchinghis rifle in readiness for instant use, he walked slowly in thatdirection, scanning every foot as he thus advanced.
Then he discovered a slight movement, as the sound again came to hisears; and realized that some one was sitting upon the ground, holdingfast to his arm, as if in great distress and pain. The sight of redblood trickling between the bronzed fingers of the party told Felix thathe had come upon the scene just in time to be very useful along hischosen line. Undoubtedly the dark-faced stranger had been badly injuredby the accidental discharge of his own gun; which would account for thesingle shot Felix had heard.
Without question the man was an Indian, perhaps a halfbreed; though hedressed pretty much as did any white man who spent much of his time inthe wilderness; wearing corduroy trousers; and a blue flannel shirt,covered by a faded heavy jacket; while a greasy slouch hat lay upon theground, where it had evidently fallen at the time he hurriedly droppedhis gun.
Felix hastened forward to reach the side of the suffering man, whoseraven black locks he now saw were being touched with the frost of years.The prospect of a job along his favorite line caused the lad to quickenhis steps; for all the professional instincts of his nature werearoused.
The Indian seemed to maintain the usual stoicism of his race; though thepain and the weakness at times caused him to shut his teeth hard, in theeffort to stifle the groan that tried to well forth.
Any one could easily see that in this quarter at least the boy was quiteat home, even though there might be a few things connected withwoodcraft wherein he could blunder.
He immediately took hold, examined the ugly gunshot wound that wasbleeding so freely, in the fleshy part of the left arm, made a rude buteffective tourniquet by twisting a stout stick in his handkerchief,which he had carefully knotted, so that the protuberance rested exactlyon the artery; and in this fashion stopped the cut from bleeding.
Then he bound it up as best he could, showing considerable skill in sodoing.
The old Indian did not utter a single word while all this was going on.He had shown considerable disappointment upon first seeing that thenewcomer was only a mere lad; but presently his black eyes began toglitter with satisfaction, when he saw the business-like way in whichFelix took hold of his job, and the astonishingly clever way in which heaccomplished that which the other had in vain tried to do by working thewrong way.
"There, my friend," said Felix, as he finished his job, "I guess you'llhold out now, until you get home. Listen, and I'll tell you just whatmust be done after that," and then he proceeded to explain in simplelanguage what should follow his "first aid to the injured work;" to allof which the other listened gravely, with an occasional nod of his head,to indicate that he understood.
"How far away do you live?" asked the young hunter, finally, wonderingwhether he had not better volunteer to accompany the wounded man home;though he understood that an Indian's pride would be terribly hurt bysuch a happening.
For the first time the other spoke, and he proved to have an excellentcommand of English, quite surprising the boy. It told that he wasaccustomed to associating with the whites, and that in all probabilityhe had served as guide to many a party of bighorn hunters from the East,as Felix suspected.
"Not far away--can get to cabin all right now. Charley Crow never forgetthis. Never before pull gun through bushes by muzzle--much fool thistime, serve right if head 'stead of arm get bullet. Worst of all isshame of telling my people, who will say Charley Crow getting too old goon hunt any more; better stay home and dry venison. But I go now on backtrail; no need any that you come 'long. Tell me name of Little Doctor,so I may let my people know what friend they have. Some day mabbe myturn--you wait. Now shake hands, and say goodbye. Charley Crow him get tocabin all right, you never be 'fraid."
So Felix gladly told him who he was, and how, with a chum, he had cometo spend some weeks hunting, and doing a little trapping, in thefoot-hills of the Rockies. In speaking of Tom Tucker he happened tomention the name of Old Sol; and immediately the brown face of the oldhalfbreed lighted up.
"Known Old Sol right well. Here one year, we come this way, and alwaysgood friend Charley Crow. Much glad meet him Tom. Some day mabbe drop insee same. If need help, come to cabin under shadow of yonder peak, andmy boys they glad do you good turn, because me, Charley Crow, still headof house! Goodbye!"
He drew himself up proudly, regardless of the pain his wound must becausing him; and the lad could see that despite his evident age, thewell-known halfbreed was as straight as any pine that ever grew in theNorthland.
Then he stalked away, leaving Felix to look after himself, and wonder ifFate had any further adventures in store for him during his littleouting.
He did not doubt in the least but that so vigorous a man could easilyreach the home cabin which, in company with his family, he must beoccupying for a winter's campaign among the fur-bearing animals thatfrequented the district. At the same time it did begin to look as thoughthere might be a storm in prospect, as the heavens had clouded over, andan occasional snow-flake drifted down lazily, as though they might bereckoned ambassadors sent to herald the coming of the first real snowfall of the season.
So Felix once more lifted his pack to his back, and again started in thedirection he believed the camp to be. When it was too late he bitterlyregretted that he had not also swallowed his pride, and asked CharleyCrow the right trail that would take him to the cabin of Old Sol. He hadno positive sense of certainty as to whether his course were the rightone; and for all he knew, with the mountains apparently turned around inhis mind, he might even now be heading in the wrong direction.
The lad presently began to realize that his load was beginning to tell,for he had really attempted to carry off too much of the venison in thedesire to stock the camp for some time to come. Twice he found itconvenient to halt, and rest up a bit; when he once more took up thetramp with a shade of reluctance, and half a notion to divide thespoils.
It was while he was resting the second time that he caught a strangesound that gave him quite a thrill. The baying could only proceed from apack of hounds chasing a fleeing deer!
Felix was troubled a little, and for a very good reason. In talkingabout those lawless guides who had been expelled from Yellowstone Parkby the Government authorities, Tom Tucker had incidentally informed himthat one of their favorite tricks was to keep several deer dogs, withwhich they were accustomed to having regular old fashioned chases, suchas used to be frequent in the Adirondacks in his native State before theanti-hounding law was passed and enforced, making it a crime to use dogsfor such a purpose.
He hoped that the chase would lead
away from him, as he certainly didnot want to make the acquaintance of these rough men, against whom TomTucker had warned him more than a few times.
Listening carefully as the snapping and baying sounded constantlylouder, Felix presently concluded that the animals were certainlyheading his way, and approaching rapidly. He gritted his teeth with agrim determination to defend himself if beset by the hound pack; andpicked up his rifle from the ground, where he had laid it when resting.
At least he was not kept long in suspense. Inside of three minutes hediscovered something moving rapidly through the bushes, and almostimmediately saw that it was a noble buck, with its tongue lolling fromits mouth, and giving other evidences of having been chased hither andthither for hours by the hounds, that doubtless had been educated, justlike a rabbit dog Felix owned, to bring the tired animal back to wherethe hunters waited.
Somehow the sight of that tortured buck gave Felix a wave of disgust. Heseemed to feel an immediate hope that it would escape from the gamebutchers who used so unfair a mode for securing their quarry. Yes,Felix, in the heat of his anger, even went so far as to mentally expressa hope that one of the owners of the pack--who must be near by, becausehe had plainly heard a shout, as of exultation over the possible endingof the chase--would fall into the clutches of the keepers of the greatGovernment game reservation, said to be on the lookout for them astransgressors of the law.
To his astonishment the pursued buck suddenly changed its course alittle, and headed almost directly toward the spot where Felix wasstanding, watching the affair with considerable interest. It actuallyseemed to the excited boy as though the despairing deer had turnedtoward him, in a last frantic hope that he might be merciful, andstretch out a hand to give the help that was elsewhere denied; though inall probability the deer never noticed his motionless figure standingthere, as it sprang past, and vanished in the thick scrub beyond.
The pack of hounds was now in full sight, racing eagerly along, yapping,and giving tongue after the manner of their kind when they are close onthe fleeing quarry. They looked about as fierce and ugly as so manywolves might have been, since the old instinct had been aroused in themby the chase. For the time being they had gone back once more to thestate of the primal beast in pursuit of the prey so necessary tocontinued existence, as a survival of the fittest. Felix shuddered as hesaw their foam-flecked mouths, from which the red tongues lolled.
There were just three of the dogs, all told, and Felix drew back thehammer of his Marlin, not liking the looks of the aroused beasts, andsuspecting that in their present condition they might not hesitate toattack a boy, under the impression that as the trail led almost directlytoward him, he must have spirited away their intended prey, which theyhad chased so long.
In that event there was just one thing Felix could do, which was todefend himself against the pack, no matter at what cost.
Rocky Mountain Boys; Or, Camping in the Big Game Country Page 8