CHAPTER VI. FORCED TO THINK FOR HIMSELF.
"What time d'ye suppose it is, Thad?"
Step Hen asked the question. Perhaps he was a little tired himself, forthe four scouts had been constantly on the go since early morning, and itwas now getting well on into the afternoon.
They had kept on the zigzag trail left by Bumpus. As a rule it had beenvery easy following, and afforded all of them considerable enjoyment,because Bumpus knew nothing at all concerning the art of hiding a trail,and would have had no object in doing so, even had he been educated alongthis line.
But there were times when it happened that the formation of the groundinterfered to some extent with their making progress, since even Allanand Thad had considerable to learn about reading signs.
"Oh! about four o'clock," replied Thad, and instead of consulting hislittle nickel watch when saying this, he cast a quick glance upward towhere a glimpse of the sun could be obtained through an opening in thetops of the exceedingly tall trees.
Thus the habit of observation is encouraged in a scout. He learns todepend less upon the devices of civilization, and more on such naturalresources as the primitive folks enjoyed.
"Let's see how close you came to it," remarked Giraffe, as he took outthe cheap but effective dollar watch the patrol leader carried. "Well,now, what d'ye think of that for hittin' the bull's eye plumb in thecenter."
He held the watch up to show that the hands pointed exactly to four. Thadlaughed.
"Perhaps I couldn't hit it as close as that in a dozen times," headmitted. "But it's always easy to get pretty near the hour, day ornight, if you only fall into the habit of noticing where the sun, moon orstars should be. There isn't a time in the night, if the sky happens tobe clear, but what I can tell you the hour within ten minutes anyhow."
"Have we gained any on Bumpus?" asked Giraffe.
At this question the scoutmaster shook his head.
"I'm sorry to say we don't seem to gain any," he remarked. "Where wepicked up some at times, we lost again when the trail got faint."
"Huh! looks like an endless task, then," grunted Step Hen. "Bumpus keepstramping along, every day, and when night comes we're just the samedistance behind. Seems to me we'll just never get him at that rate."
"Oh!" replied Thad, not at all dismayed, "we'll just keep at it, youknow. Lots of things are apt to happen to help us. Bumpus will tire outsoon. Then he may get discouraged, and just make up his mind to stay incamp till we come."
"Which would be a mighty sensible thing for him to do," declared StepHen.
"But that wouldn't fetch him his bear," chuckled Giraffe, "and that's theone thing worth living for with Bumpus right now."
"Mebbe he's got over the fever," suggested Step Hen. "P'raps a reactionhas set in by now."
"Let's hope so, anyhow," remarked Allan.
"And so Bumpus was about here yesterday at four P. M.," said Giraffe,"Don't I wonder where he is now."
"And what he's doing," added Step Hen. "One thing sure, he hadn't runacross that bear of his up to this point."
"Which I take it was a lucky thing for Bumpus," Giraffe went on.
"Come on, fellows," Thad went on to say, "we've still got the trail infront of us, and it seems to lead across that boggy stretch ahead. Here'swhere he walked along the edge. Then for some reason or other he startedto cross over."
"Which I take it was a fool play for Bumpus," grunted Giraffe. "Chancesare a fellow of his heft would get stuck in the mud and mired."
"Mebbe he thought he saw his bear on the other side," suggested Step Hen.
Thad had plunged in, regardless of the mud. Where Bumpus went it seemedto be their duty to follow.
"Whew! wouldn't this give Smithy a heartache though?" remarked Giraffe,when the mud came half way to their knees, and seemed so sticky that itwas only through some exertion that they lifted each foot.
"But, much as he'd hate to do it," Thad observed, proudly, "Smithy wouldfollow wherever his leader went. He's learned the rules by which all truescouts are governed, and obedience is one of them. What is it, Allan?" hewent on, as the other uttered an exclamation of dismay.
"Hold up, don't go a step further!" called out the other.
"What's the matter?" demanded Step Hen, getting his gun ready, andcasting a glance up at the branches of the trees as though he halfexpected to see a sleek gray panther crouched in a fork, ready to pouncedown upon them.
"Look at the dry mud splattered on the trunk of that tree;" continuedAllan, pointing.
And after they had looked, the four scouts exchanged horrified glances.
"It's a sink hole!" exclaimed Giraffe, turning pale.
"And poor old Bumpus was caught in the mud. He splashed around like astranded porpoise, and that threw the stuff up on that tree trunk," StepHen went on to say.
"Oh! it can't be as bad as that, can it, Thad?" asked Giraffe in atremulous tone, as his eyes remained glued on the treacherous surface ofthe bog about the place where Bumpus had been caught and held as in avise.
Was it possible their poor comrade could have sunk out of sight underthat smooth deceptive surface? The thought was too terrible.
All at once Thad uttered a cry, and the others noticed that it seemed tohave a little ring of joy about it, rather than gloom.
"Hold my gun and my haversack, fellows," said the patrol leader.
To the surprise of the others he started to climb a tree that had lowlimbs some of them not more than eight feet above the surface of the bog.
"What in the dickens is he up to?" exclaimed Step Hen.
"Watch, and you'll see," Allan went on to say.
"Do you know, Allan?" demanded Giraffe.
"I can give a guess, but I don't want to spoil it all by telling," theother replied. "Both of you stand right where you are, and don't move afoot ahead, or you may get in the same trouble Bumpus did, and withouthis means of crawling out of the hole."
At these mysterious words Giraffe and Step Hen exchanged looks ofamazement. They could not for the life of them imagine Bumpus capable ofdoing anything that would be beyond them.
"There, Thad's managed to get to a place just above where Bumpus musthave been stuck," Allan went on.
"He's actually laughing!" exclaimed Step Hen.
"What's struck you as funny, Thad?" called out Giraffe, unable to holdin.
"Well, as sure as you live, boys, he did it," replied the scoutmaster.
"Did what?" demanded both Step Hen and Giraffe in concert.
"Got out of the muck bed."
"But how could he, Thad? That limb must a been two feet above his headwhen he stood there knee deep or more, in the mud. Tell us how?" pleadedStep Hen.
"Here are the plain marks," Thad went on, "where the bark of the tree wasbruised, as it had a right to be with such a heavy weight as Bumpus."
"Marks!" repeated Giraffe. "Good gracious! hurry up and tell us. Marks ofwhat, Thad?"
"The rope!" replied the other, still laughing.
"Rope! Bumpus used his blessed old rope to drag himself out of the mudsink! Well, well, well, if that don't beat the Dutch," Giraffe cried out.
"It reflects great credit on Bumpus," said the scoutmaster, warmly. "Hemust have quickly made up his mind that he could only sink deeper in bykeeping up his floundering. Then that nice limb above his head caught hiseye, and he remembered about the rope."
"Bully for Bumpus," cried Giraffe.
"I'm proud to call him my comrade," added Step Hen, warmly.
"It must have taxed him a whole lot to drag himself up," said Thad,"because he's so heavy, you know."
"A case of 'root hog, or die,' I take it," Step Hen remarked; "and whenhe had to face the music Bumpus proved real game. You're sure he made it,are you, Thad?"
"Heaps of evidence to that effect," replied the other. "Rope's gone, inthe first place. Then here's dried mud a plenty, showing that our pardwas in this tree. I can even see which way he went, by the mark
s he left;and he was determined enough to cross the slough, for he kept right on."
"Suppose you follow him in the trees, Thad," sang out Allan, "while wehunt a better place to cross over without getting mired. We'll join youlater. Give a call when you've landed, and got his trail again."
"Fine," commended the patrol leader. "I'll get busy here then."
He began climbing along the limb, and succeeded in safely passing intothe adjoining tree, just as Bumpus must have done. How the clumsy fat boyhad succeeded in carrying out these capers puzzled the agile Thad, for attimes it tried even his agility to make progress.
But Thad was delighted to know that Bumpus, upon being thrown on his ownresources, could make good.
Before a great while his loud call announced to the others, who had justsucceeded in finding a safe ford across the water and mud, that Thad wasonce more on the ground, and ready to take up the trail.
The little party started on again.
Both Giraffe and Step Hen were filled with secret admiration for thestout comrade whom they had always been in the habit of rather lookingdown on as a good-natured fellow, but rather incapable.
"Don't for the life of me see how he ever done it," Giraffe would say.
"Beats everything, and after this we ain't got any business to look onBumpus as a big baby. He got out of that hole just fine," Step Hen wouldadd.
Half an hour later, Allan came to a sudden halt.
"Ashes of a fire!" he remarked, pointing to his feet.
"Then here's where Bumpus must a spent last night?" suggested Step Hen,looking curiously about.
"Wonder what he had to eat?" remarked Giraffe.
"Oh! plenty of grub," Thad said, laughingly. "Look, here's the rind froma slice of our ham. Davy said he'd cut some off."
"Think of the nerve of him," declared Step Hen. "But I just can see thisrough experience is goin' to be the makin' of Bumpus."
"Reminds me of the story of the bull pup," remarked Thad, laughing. "Youknow, the boy had brought home a young bulldog, and the old man, toencourage the pup, had gone down on his hands and knees to bark at him,when the dog grabbed him by the nose and held on like fun. And while theold man was trying to break away, the boy was sicking the dog on, all thetime shouting: 'Stand it, dad, stand it as long as you can, because it'sgoing to be the making of the pup!'"
Allen had been bending over the fire while all this talk was going on. Henow looked up to remark:
"Guess he stuck several potatoes in his bag, too, before he started out,"and he held up a couple of blackened skins, showing that the interior hadbeen gauged out after the potatoes had been baked in the hot ashes.
"Good for Bumpus, he's learning to take care of himself fast," criedThad.
"That isn't all," remarked Allan, smiling.
"What next?" asked Thad.
"Bumpus shows he's bound to be something of a hunter yet," declaredAllan, "and what he learned up in Maine has been in his mind ever since."
"Do you mean about leaving fires burning when breaking camp, and thedanger of the wind carrying the hot ashes among the dead leaves?" thescoutmaster went on to say, for he had eyes of his own, and had beenwatching Allan's actions even while talking with the others.
"That's just what I do mean," the other continued. "In the first placeBumpus knew enough to make his camp close to running water, so he couldget a drink whenever he wanted it."
"I see he did," Thad went on to say, glancing toward the gurgling littlestream that ran not twenty feet away.
"And when he left here this morning," continued Allan, "he made sure tocarry water from the creek and sprinkle the fire till it was dead. Look,you can see for yourself that it's been wet down."
"Hurray for Bumpus!" exclaimed Giraffe.
"I can see him passing the examination for a first-class scout some ofthese fine days," added Step Hen. "Who'd ever think it of him?"
They pushed on once more, after Allan had even shown them the very stickon one end of which Bumpus had thrust his slice of smoked ham, and cookedit, after a fashion. Step Hen put it up to his nose, and vouched for theaccuracy of Allan's assertion.
But all the boys were a little tired, and when it grew too dark under thetrees to see the trail of the lost tenderfoot they eagerly welcomedThad's suggestion that they rest up for the night.
So Giraffe was instructed to build a cooking fire at a certain place. Ithappened to be in a little natural basin, and here the four boys atetheir supper, over which they talked earnestly, but there was nohilarity.
Later on while the others were partly done with their meal, Allan leftthe circle and said he would take a little stroll. He went up the rise,as though desirous of seeing what lay beyond.
The moon was about three-quarters full, and hung in the eastern sky; butunder the big trees it was almost dark.
Shortly afterward Allan came hurrying back, declaring that he haddiscovered what looked to be a lone camp-fire, at some distance away inthe woods.
"Perhaps it's Bumpus," suggested Step Hen, eagerly, jumping up, althoughstill hungry.
"Then he didn't go far on the second day, or else he's been traveling ina circle and got back near where he started out from," said Giraffe.
"Let's head over that way," Step Hen went on to say.
"And surprise him, eh? That's the ticket, boys," Giraffe continued.
"That fire is a good long ways off," warned Allan.
"Don't care if it is."
"It looked like a star at first, and must be on rising ground, where thetrees are more open," the discoverer continued.
"Lead us to it. We want to surprise Bumpus," both the others declared.
"How about it, Thad?" Allan asked.
"It's the only thing we can do," replied the scoutmaster. "If it provesto be Bumpus, we hadn't ought to take any chances of losing him again inthe morning. If you're all of the same mind, let's be off."
So the fire was carefully extinguished, and Allan led his comrades to thetop of the little rise. Here he pointed out the object he said was acampfire, although Giraffe and Step Hen believed they would have taken itfor a star low down near the horizon, had they noticed it at all.
After their bearings had been carefully taken, in order that they mighthead in a direct line for the fire, they started forth.
By degrees the seeming star grew into a light of the first magnitude, andfinally even the two less experienced scouts were ready to affirm that itmust be a camp-fire.
They kept on going.
"We'll sure give old Bumpus the biggest surprise of his life," chuckledStep Hen, as they drew nearer the place.
Of course they made some noise pushing along through the almost darkwoods, but then Bumpus would not be apt to hear that. Perhaps the poortired fellow was already fast asleep alongside the fire.
A few minutes later, and the boys were very close to the blaze. Giraffethrust up his head above the bushes, which he was better fitted by Naturefor doing than any of his comrades.
"Don't see a sign of him about, fellers," he whispered, ducking downagain.
Thereupon the others also raised their heads to look. There was the fire,burning cheerfully, and showing that it must have had recent care. Butnot a single sign of a human being was to be seen.
It was very strange.
"Mebbe he heard us coming, and thought it was a bear," suggested StepHen.
"And in that case I guess Bumpus would take to a tree," Giraffe added.
"Perhaps we ought to step out right away, and let him know," came fromAllan.
"I should say, yes," Giraffe went on, "I know for one I'd hate to bepeppered with the loads he carries in that Marlin scatter gun of his.Hello! there, Bumpus, hold your fire. It's your chums come to look youup."
The four scouts had arisen to their feet, and were just about to push outfrom behind the fringe of bushes, in order to show themselves to Bumpus,when they were electrified to hear a voice, gruff and surly, andcertainly not that of their jolly companion, call loudly:
&nb
sp; "Jest hold up yer hands, you fellers, for we've sure got ye kivered!"
The Boy Scouts Through the Big Timber; Or, The Search for the Lost Tenderfoot Page 6