CHAPTER IX
ADRIFT IN THE SNOW FOREST
Felix did not have much time to settle this question, for immediatelythe hounds swerved upon the trail, they must have caught sight of him,for there came an even more savage and vengeful tone to their baying;and leaving the scent, they plunged helter-skelter straight toward thestanding figure of the young hunter. Perhaps the pack of meat at hisfeet aroused their instincts for food; Felix never knew.
One look would be sufficient to tell what they meant to do. To Felix itbecame patent that, since running would not avail him in the least, hemust either climb up a tree in a big hurry, or else defend himself;unless he meant to allow those savage beasts to drag him down, andmangle him shockingly, before their owners could reach the scene.
The prospect was not to his liking, but he had made up his mind as towhat his course should be; so he threw up his gun, with the fullintention of settling one, or all of the dogs, unless somethingintervened.
He heard a loud shout as he did so, from some little distance away; butit was impossible to tell whether the call was intended as a warning tohim not to fire on the ferocious pack; or an endeavor to recall thehounds; but no matter, it was a wasted effort, since Felix could nothold back his fire, his very life being in peril.
Remembering the serious consequences that had followed his hasty shot atthe big buck, Felix was a little more careful when pressing the triggerof his repeating rifle. In return he had the satisfaction of seeing theleading hound roll over immediately after he fired.
Calmly the boy threw out the empty cartridge, and sent another into thefiring chamber. Had he been a volunteer upon parade, and firing at aninanimate target, he could not have gone through the manoeuvre with moreprecision and exactness. Consequently, the gun, being made by the mostskillful workmen, did its duty faithfully, as it always will whenproperly handled; and in about two winks of an eye Felix stood there,ready to repeat his performance, in case the necessity awaited.
Neither of the other two dogs had taken the least warning from the fatethat had overtaken their companion. If anything, they tried to increasetheir speed in chasing toward the boy who stood there as though defyingthem to come on, though of course this was hardly the thought animatingthe actions of Felix.
"All right; you will have it, then!" he muttered, as his eye glancedalong the matted barrel; and then his forefinger ever so slightlytouched the willing trigger, at which there was a second sharp report.
Dog Number Two proceeded to whirl around, leaping up in the air, and inmany ways showing he had received a dose that was likely to put himforever out of the running.
Felix put him immediately away from his mind. There was one more, andall the danger now centered in that remaining beast. By this time theleaping dog was fearfully close to him, and coming with unabated speedthat proved him a stayer, after such a long chase.
He presented a really terrifying aspect, with the foam dribbling fromhis open jaws; the hair on his short neck standing on end like bristles;and his eyes seeming to be bloodshot through the heat and excitement ofthe long pursuit.
Still, Felix did not seem to be rattled even a little bit, a fact thatcaused him to feel considerable wonder, as well as satisfaction, lateron, when reviewing all the circumstances connected with the momentousoccasion.
He had his gun up to his shoulder with pretty much the confidence of aveteran Nimrod, meeting the charge of an old rogue elephant, or awounded tiger, in the East Indian jungles. When the dog was not morethan twenty feet away, he pressed the trigger.
His confidence was well placed, it seemed, for his ball must haveentered the brain of the third and last hound; which whirled half wayaround, to fall in a heap; staggered to his feet, took several totteringsteps forward, still strong in his overmastering impulse, even in death,and then once more dropped, never to rise again.
The lad had hardly dared hope to meet with such remarkable success insuch an adventure, yet there were the three hounds lying on theground--Felix had doubtless saved the poor hunted buck from destruction;but at what cost to himself?
Loud curses could be heard, drawing rapidly closer; and it was evidentthat the owners of the pack would presently burst upon the scene, filledwith fury at the fate of their hounds.
Most young fellows might have deemed discretion the better part ofvalor, and abandoning the meat, made themselves scarce as soon aspossible; taking to their heels, with but one thought in view, and thatto leave the immediate neighborhood as speedily as possible.
That might have been the wisest plan, too, considering all things; butsomehow Felix Edmondson was too proud to give in to this impulse. He wasstill flushed with the success of his battle; and also with indignationtoward those who would resort to such unsportsmanlike methods forsecuring game.
Besides, would he not have been torn to pieces by the fierce animals,only for his ability to handle that faithful rifle?
So Felix simply took a look at his gun, to make sure that it was readyfor use, slipping in several more cartridges where they would give agood account of themselves, and awaited the coming of the fuming ownersof the defunct pack.
They proved to be two in number, and at sight of them Felix realizedthat his worst fears were about to be realized, in that he was face toface with a pair of the most notorious characters in the wholeregion--the descriptions tallied exactly, even to the single eye of AbeCozzins; and the flaming red beard of Perley Kline.
In times past these men had served as guides, and possibly skillful onestoo, because they were born woodsmen; but the love of liquor had dulledtheir sense of honesty, and after a time they began to gain a reputationfor being light fingered, valuables disappearing mysteriously from campswhere they had charge. By degrees, then, they lost all chance forsecuring regular employment, since gentlemen coming from the East forbig game shooting, liked to feel that they could depend fully on theguide, in whose hands they entrusted their fortunes, even their lives,at times.
Consequently Cozzins and Kline, being unemployed most of the time, beganto hunt game illegally within the confines of Yellowstone Park; which,coming to the attention of the authorities, always keen to punishanything of this sort, the men were really being looked for, far andwide, and in a measure found themselves in the place of the hunted.
It was this unwholesome looking couple who now strode angrily up toyoung Edmondson, with fury blazing in their eyes.
Felix held his rifle in such a manner that, had they shown a dispositionto attack him, he could have defended himself, and treated them to adose of the same medicine he had handed out to their dogs.
"Hold hard, there!" he remarked, sharply; "you've come close enough. Nowsay what you want from there!"
The two rough men, while evidently astonished to find themselves spokento in this strain, understanding that the young fellow who could standthere and deliberately knock over three savage hounds in succession wasnot one to be easily daunted, pulled up, and divided their scowlingglances between the hunter and the dead dogs, for the last animal hadceased to make a movement by now.
"Say, what d'ye mean ashootin' our dawgs thataways?" spluttered thefellow who had only one eye, though that was now glaring with afierceness equal to half a dozen ordinary optics; he also punctuated hiswords with a variety of forcible exclamations, which there is nonecessity for repeating, though doubtless Abe Cozzins imagined theyadded vim and picturesqueness to his query, and might help awe the boy.
"I was minding my own business when they started to attack me, withmurder in their eyes. If I hadn't shot I'd have been torn to pieces.Everybody has a right to defend himself. If I hadn't happened to have arepeating rifle of the best make to fall back on, and knew how to useit, there'd have been murder done; and you'd have to stand the blame.I'm sorry, now, I had to kill the poor brutes, for they hardly knew whatthey were doing. I reckon the whole blame lies with their owners."
Bold words these, from a young fellow not yet fully grown, and addressedto two of the wildest, most reckless spirits in all
Wyoming; perhapsthose men could not remember having been taken so to task for many aday; and in surprise they exchanged dubious glances, and then lookedhastily and uneasily around, as though half expecting that Felix must bebacked up by half a dozen comrades.
Seeing no signs of such an enemy, however, they became themselves again,though far too tricky to throw off the mask wholly, while that lad stoodby his gun, and seemed ready to try conclusions with them.
Felix should have known that they were just as furious as ever under thesurface; but then he was not experienced in such matters, and judgedother people more or less by his own feelings.
He saw them talking together in low tones; after which they allowedtheir dark faces to take on a more affable look, as they once moreturned toward him.
"Say, younker," commenced Abe Cozzins, in a whining voice, "we ain't gotno grudge aginst yuh for what yuh done. Them dawgs was some valuable tuhus, sure, but if so be they pestered yuh, thar was on'y one thing yuhcould do; an' we reckons yuh done thet good an' hard. The pesky crittersbroke away from us, an' we was atryin' tuh git holt o' 'em agin, whenthis hyar thing happened. They's no reason we should hold hard feelin'saginst yuh fur defendin' yerself aginst 'em; anybody'd a done the same.But it comes mighty hard on two pore guides outen a job; fur yuh see, wewas atakin' of them dawgs tuh Colonel Walpole over at ther reservation,who'd promised tuh buy 'em off us, tuh run down fellows as gits too gayashootin' up the game in ther Park."
Abe put on a piteous face while telling this hastily constructed yarn;and altogether he did succeed in disarming the suspicions of Felix, eventhough the boy might still consider that the two men were hardcharacters. Felix felt sorry at once.
"If that's so I don't mind chipping in, and giving you something to helpout. Perhaps it wasn't your fault, then, that the dogs were loose; andI've heard of Colonel Walpole, too. Here's ten dollars on account; andif you choose to leave me an address, I might send you another bill whenI get back home."
Felix spoke from the depths of a frank and honest heart. He felt that hehad unwittingly been the cause of depriving these men of something theydoubtless valued highly; and so far as he could within reason makeamends, Felix was willing to settle the claim, unjust though it mightbe.
The two men exchanged looks, and actually grinned, as though withpleasure; after which Cozzins advanced with extended hand, at the sametime talking volubly, evidently with the intention of taking the boy offhis guard, though Felix did not suspect such a thing.
"Say, that's purty white in yuh, stranger. 'Taint many fellers as'd dosech a nice job as thet, arter the dawgs'd broke loose on 'em. Me an' mypal is much obliged, and yuh bet we'll never furgit sech kindness.'Taint often we sees a tenner these hard times. Now, if so be we kin doanything in return, why--take thet, ye young cub!" and of a sudden,catching Felix off his guard, he struck him a vicious blow in the face,and at the same instant snatched the rifle out of his hands.
The boy staggered back, and would have fallen, only for the support of atree. For half a dozen seconds he stood there, staring at the brutalruffian, now laughing, and examining the captured repeating rifle; whilethe blood trickled down his cheek, where the heavy and hard knuckles ofthe man had bruised and broken the skin.
Then, as if realizing the dastardly and cowardly nature of the attackupon him, even while he was in the act of generously compensating themfor having killed their dogs, Felix became wild with anger. Uttering ascream he started to leap at Cozzins, reckless as to the consequences,and only desirous of returning that foul blow.
The man swung the rifle up so as to cover the advancing lad; though itmay be deemed doubtful whether he would have fired under anyprovocation, since they were already two against one; and then there wasalways a possibility that the boy might be connected with those grimguardians of the Park, whose advent on the scene Abe and his comradedreaded more than they would be willing to confess.
Perley Kline, however, sprang in between, throwing aside the barrel ofthe gun, and giving Felix a push that sent him headlong to the grimground, his head striking with such force that for a brief time heactually lost all consciousness of what was going on.
He felt hands searching his person, and knew that the rascals wereactually turning to downright robbery in their extremity; though truthto tell, possibly this was not the first time they had had their handsin the pockets of others who happened to be asleep.
Then they seemed to consult in low tones, after which each of them gavethe lad a contemptuous kick, as if to vent their spleen further, inorder to cancel the debt they thought he owed them on account of theslaughter of their trained dogs.
As Felix lay there in a half conscious condition, smarting from hiswounds, he realized that they had gone off, after stripping him ofeverything of value he possessed, and even taking the pack of venison hehad "toted" over such a weary distance, up to that time.
Felix, still full of grit, attempted to follow them, after staggering tohis feet; but really he found himself so weak from his injuries that hishead began to fairly swim, and he had to drop down on a friendly logbefore going twenty paces.
He heard a derisive laugh that made him groan with disgust over hisinability to do anything; then the sound of footsteps grew fainter, andhe knew that he had been left alone in the heart of the wilderness, withno weapon for self defense, or to be used in an effort to procure themeans of continued existence, in case he could not find the camp.
This, however, sank into insignificance beside the ignominy of thosekicks; and his proud young soul writhed under the memory of the insult;while he mentally registered a vow to make those two ruffians pay dearlyfor the experience, sooner or later, as the chance arose.
By slow degrees he began to get back his strength, and could thinkseriously concerning his next step. At first he burned with the desireto try and follow after those scoundrels, and in some way manage torecover all they had taken from him; but second thought convinced himthat such a task was far beyond his capacity in his present helplesscondition; even supposing he could follow successfully, which wasextremely doubtful, how could he hold two armed men up, and make themdisgorge?
No, it would surely be better for him to conserve his powers in everyway possible, and try to effect a junction with his chum; when theycould talk it over, and decide what ought to be done in order to turnthe tables on Cozzins and Kline.
The fact that he was now without food seemed to give Felix more causefor concern than anything else. The thieves had confiscated the contentsof the little knapsack he had carried with him, or rather ditty bag; allhe found of any value was a lone match that seemed to have escaped thehasty search of the men; and in his eyes this assumed an importance allout of proportion to its size.
Felix believed that if only he could follow his back trail, and reachthe tree where his desperate encounter with the wounded buck had takenplace, he would find plenty of meat to last him many days; and with thatlast precious match he could start a fire that he would not allow to goout; so that here he might camp until such time as Tom came hunting forhim.
This, then, was the sensible programme that finally took possession ofthe boy; although it was with considerable disappointment he gave up allidea of following after the two men, seeking revenge because of theircowardly conduct.
Every time Felix put a hand up to his bruised cheek he gritted histeeth, and in imagination saw the rogues brought to account through hisinstrumentality; and it was surprising how much satisfaction such apleasing prospect gave him.
Quitting the vicinity of the three dead dogs that had been left wherethey lay by their late masters, he started to follow his back trail,with all the skill he was capable of calling to his assistance.
This was, of course, something he had never dreamed of doing half anhour previously; but all the same, he was glad to see he had somehowmanaged to leave such a plain series of tracks, burdened with the meatpack as he had been, that there promised to be little trouble infollowing the trail, if only the snow held off.
That began to worry him now; what if a bitterly cold storm should breakwhile he was wandering about in the wilderness, with only a single matchbetween himself and freezing to death?
The idea proved so very unpleasant that it urged him to make better timein following his back trail; and yet when he remembered how long he hadbeen walking since starting forth after breakfast; and that it must takehim at least the same length of time to again cover the ground, Felixbegan to fear he was in for the worst experience of all.
However, the lad was full of grit, and could not be made to easily liedown when trouble threatened; he would meet it face to face.
When almost an hour had passed, and he reckoned that he was possiblyhalf way back to the tree that had been a haven of refuge to him in thatfight with the wounded buck, he took heart of grace, and hope began torise stronger in his breast; but only for a brief space of time.
Then he took notice of the fact that the lazy flakes were beginning todescend more thickly and it began to look as though the air would soonbe filled with the feathered harbingers of coming winter, until he couldnot see ten feet away.
The remembrance of that single match gave him a strange sense ofcomfort, small item that it might be reckoned. What did cause him tofret, though, was the possibility of the ground soon being so coveredwith the snow that he could no longer find his own late trail, and mustgive over the hope of reaching supplies under the big tree.
Five minutes later and he realized that this condition really faced him,since he was now utterly unable to discern the faintest trace of hisfootprints; while around him stretched the vast woods, each quarterlooking the same in the rapidly descending snow.
He had taken his bearings after a fashion, and continued to stumblealong for a little while, in the hope that he might by good luck runacross the tree in which he had fastened the antlered head of the buck.
Finally Felix realized the hopelessness of his hunt, and determined tomake a camp, where he could hold out the best way possible against coldand hunger. Imagine his utter dismay when he discovered that in somestrange manner his little ditty bag, containing that one precious match,must have been detached by some officious branch, when he was making hisway along. At least, it had utterly disappeared, and he was now facing acondition rendered doubly bad on account of the increasing cold whichdeemed to come with the snow.
Rocky Mountain Boys; Or, Camping in the Big Game Country Page 9