CHAPTER VIII
THE STORM
"Gee, I could eat bear meat raw," exclaimed Fly. "Fur and all."
"Well, get busy, put on this grub," ordered Jerry.
Hawke made himself one of the boys, put on the wooden plates, helpedclean the fish, and broiled two of them.
The Indian had made a good fire of twigs which he had gathered, and hadburied some of the fish underneath in the sand, to bake, throwingpotatoes into the fire to roast.
"Look, fellows, mother put in a homemade cake," announced Jerry, settinga tempting chocolate-covered cake on the papers which served as a tablecloth.
"Doughnuts and pickles," announced Fly, filling some wooden plates.
"Wow, chili sauce--hot--for baked fish."
"Con carni for anybody that wants it--I don't," put in Herb.
"Bread," "Sandwiches," "Olives," and so on each boy announced gayly ashis contribution to the feast, and, when they finally sat down in acircle, they proved their keen appetites by the way things disappeared.
There was not much conversation during the meal. They were all toohungry to talk.
"What's the use of hunting any more, fellows?" said Dunk, at last, whenthere was some show of abatement on the part of the diners. "We can't domuch better'n a grizzly."
"What if we should get a deer," encouraged Tender Gray. "I saw someprints around here."
"Suppose you know as much about deer prints as bear prints," teasedHerb, remembering Tender's mistake.
"I guess those were our pony's prints," said Fly, helping Herb along.
There was a general laugh, which Tender took in good part. "Well, Iain't been a scout very long," he apologized.
"We're hunting for a thunder bird, too, you must remember," remindedDunk. "Wish't some of you could read tracks in the air."
"Let's look around and see which way we're goin' this afternoon,"suggested Jerry, producing his spyglass.
"There's pretty thick timber in that direction," said Carl, as Jerrypointed east.
All the boys had a turn at the glass. "That's a funny looking rock upthere," said Fred, looking westward. "Looks like a cliff dwelling."
"You've got cliff dwellin's on the brain," remarked Fly. "That's nothin'but a rock."
"You look and see. If that ain't windows in there I'm a fish." Fredhanded Fly the spyglass.
"Well, it does look kind of queer," admitted Fly. "You look, Hawke."
"Looks to me like a tower," announced the aviator, when he had studiedthe spot for some time.
"Like a square tower with windows!" prompted Fred, glad to have hissuspicions confirmed.
"I guess that's one of these lookout towers," said Carl, when heinspected it. "Pretty high up, though."
"Let's go up that way," suggested Herb. "Might as well as any other.Looks easier to climb, too."
"I'd like to get a picture of it to take home too," said Fred, whereuponJerry grabbed his hat, and gave him a tussle for it.
"Don't you want one of the windows for a souvenir," joked theSoutherner. "Gee, I wish I'd gone into the souvenir business before youcame. I'd gotten rich off of you."
It was finally decided, however, to follow the direction Fred hadchosen, principally because it seemed to be less thickly timbered.
It was a problem what to do with the pony. He would stand withouttethering, but he might be bothered by wild animals.
Carl, however, soon solved the problem by clearing the ground forseveral feet around him, and then, gathering twigs and sticks, piledthem around the pony in a wide circle. He then set fire to them, and,after they had a good start, smothered the flames carefully so theyemitted a thin line of smoke.
"I think that'll keep most animals away," he said, as they started forthe climb.
"It wouldn't take us long to get up there if we had our aeroplane," saidFly. "Would it, Hawke?"
"It won't be many moons before we have it now," responded the aviator."I've ordered all the supplies, and I telegraphed to New York thismorning so they'd make an extra special rush on that bamboo."
"How many will it carry?" asked Jerry. "Can we all go?"
"I'm figuring on using a special patent of my own," said Hawke. "I havea certain device which I have worked out which will so equalize thebalance that I believe I can carry six in safety. Ordinarily, three isabout the limit."
"Gee, I'm glad of that," put in Herb. "I'd like to have all the fellowson."
"You'll all have plenty of it, turn about," said Hawke. "Besides, I'mnot saying anything, but I believe, when I get to work on the thing, Ican fix it so we can take more. But I don't want to hold out any falsehopes."
"Do you think we can build it in two weeks?" asked Jerry. "That seemspretty good for amateurs."
"Not for such energetic young fellows as you," responded Hawke, smiling."And there's enough of us, if we all work hard."
"I'll work hard, all right--we all will," exclaimed Tender Gray.
"You bet," chimed in Dunk.
They had come to a rather difficult climbing place, and had to depend agood deal on their sticks as boosters. By catching hold of shrubs andpushing one another, they finally gained the top of a rather high point,with almost perpendicular ascent.
They found themselves almost on the edge of a cataract, which they hadheard roaring for some time. The foaming water was rushing down in greatcascades, sending up white spray as fine as steam.
"Let's see that thing now," said Fred, borrowing Jerry's glass.
"If that's a rock I'll eat it," he added.
Hawke also made another examination, and said as before that it lookedlike a cliff dwelling or tower.
"It's quite a ways up there yet," he said. "We'd better get a move onus."
They entered a heavy growth of timber shortly, and Carl was obliged tocome and take the lead. It was beginning to get cold, and all the boyshad put on their coats.
"It's most three, ain't it?" asked Jerry, who had not brought his watch.
Hawke took out his timepiece and said, "Just three." Then he added: "Doyou think we can make this to-day?"
"We can tell better when we get out of these woods," answered Carl. "Ithink you'll be quite near it then."
In a short while they reached the outskirts of the timber growth, and,as Carl had predicted, found themselves very near the spot they hadaimed for. They could see it plainly now, a sort of square dwelling ortower, the base of it thickly covered with various green shrubs andvines. But they were hopelessly separated from it by a deep and wideravine, down which rushed a great torrent of roaring water.
"Guess we can't get at that," said Herb after they had stood for sometime silent on the bank of this cataract. "Let's go back--unless Fredwants to take a picture."
"It's gettin' kind of dark for that," said Fred. At this remark theothers suddenly noticed that the sun had disappeared behind a cloud andthe sky looked black.
"Say," exclaimed Fly, "that looks like a pretty ugly cloud over there."
"What if there should be a bully storm?" exclaimed Jerry, eager for theexcitement.
"Gee, I was in a mountain storm once," recounted Herb, "and it wasgreat. There was a couple of tenderfeet with us, and they was scared todeath. Yuh scared, Windy?"
"Naw," replied Fred scornfully. "Anyhow, looks as though the sun hasjust gone behind a cloud and will soon be out again."
"Kind o' cold," complained Fly, buttoning his coat. "Say, I wonder--" hestopped, for there was an ominous rumble among the darkening cloudswhich were hurriedly crowding together like a dark-clad army maneuveringfor a sudden attack.
"That's old man Thor," said Dunk, who was something of a poet at times,and had read more extensively than the average boy of his age. "He'sgettin' ready to hit us between the eyes. Ain't you awful afraid,Tender?"
Just then a blinding streak of fire cut its zigzag way through the blacksky, lighting up every peak and crevice, followed by a sharp crack thatbroadened into a deafening roar and made the boys jump with surprise.
"We're in for it,
all right," said Herb laughing. "My, this is going tobe terrible, Windy," he added with mock solemnity.
They stood not far from the cavernous ravine, where, almost beneaththem, they could hear the water tearing over the rocks. Soon a swift,strong wind rushed out of the forest behind them, the trees bending andswaying helplessly before the mighty torrent of air.
"There goes my hat," cried Jerry, as his sombrero was swept from hishead.
"No use going after that," laughed Hawke, for the hat was speedily blownover the precipice and whirled down into the ravine. The other boysquickly pulled their headgear down more securely.
"That old tower looks like a picture," exclaimed Dunk, as a bolt oflightning lit up the ancient structure and painted its somber walls witha vivid light more brilliant than sunshine.
"Why don't you take a picture of it, Windy?" asked Tender.
"Fine idea," exclaimed the Clevelander, adjusting his camera. "I neverhad a chance to take a flashlight like this."
Almost as he spoke there was a report like that of a huge gun, and anaccompanying line of fire.
"Did you see that, fellows?" exclaimed Fred, when the noise had dieddown.
"What?" came in a chorus from the boys.
"Didn't you see it?" Fred repeated.
"What yuh talkin' about?" asked Herb, a little impatiently.
"Was you looking?"
"Come across, Windy," exclaimed Fly. "What are you driving at anyhow?"
Before the Clevelander had time to reply to this question, they werestartled by a most peculiar shriek which pierced the air, and seemed tocut to the very marrow of their bones.
It came only once, but left the party hushed and silent.
"Must be an eagle," said Carl finally, "though it's the fiercest I everheard."
"What was it you saw, Fred," asked Hawke.
"Well, when that light came, and I snapped the picture, I thought I sawsomething big and black floating around over there by that old tower."
"I didn't see nothing and I was lookin'!" deprecated Tender, doubtfully.
"Did you see it, Hawke?" persisted the young photographer.
"I blinked my eyes when the lightning flashed," replied the aviator.
"Well, I tell you I saw something." Fred spoke with conviction. "And itlooked like a bird."
"Maybe it was--the one that yelled," said Dunk.
"The Thunder Bird, maybe," shouted Carl.
"Gee!" said several of the boys at once.
"I'll bet we're near his shrine," continued Fred excitedly, "and he'sraising this storm."
"Aw, come off, you're dreamin'," discouraged Tender, though halfconvinced.
"I didn't see nothin' either," added Jerry, unwilling to admit that hewas a little scared at the supernatural aspect things were taking.
"Maybe the picture will show," said Hawke.
Bang--a cannon seemed to be hurling great balls against an iron wallwith a shock that reverberated in all directions. The tumult became socontinuous as to make conversation impossible, and the frequent flashesof light gave the timber the appearance of being on fire. The boys stoodsilent, rather enjoying the spectacle, though they were shivering withcold.
After a while the clouds spent their gathered energy and the rain fellin great torrents. Very soon the boys were drenched to the skin, butthere seemed no escape. To go into the timber was dangerous, andblocking them in front was the yawning chasm.
"If we could only get at that old cliff dwellin'," suggested Fly, "wemight find cover."
"We'll have to wait until we get our airship, to do that," laughedHawke.
"There's a big rock down here," said Carl, returning from a shortexcursion which he had made along the side of the cascade, looking forshelter. "I think we can crowd under it till this is over."
The others hastily followed him, and were soon shielded from the rainunder a huge, projecting boulder situated almost perilously on a smallerrock.
There they waited for some time, and about five o'clock the storm abatedas quickly as it had arisen.
"Wonder where our pony is by this time!" speculated Fred.
"No telling," answered the Indian boy. "I'm afraid he's gotten scaredand run away."
"With the grizzly!" Tender's tone was regretful.
They started back in the gray light of the obscured sun. Hawke hurriedthem, having an older person's concern for their welfare, and fearingthey might suffer some bad results from wet clothing and cold.
Boy Scouts of the Air in Indian Land Page 8