Afloat on the Flood

by John C. Hutcheson

  CHAPTER XIV

  UNWELCOME GUESTS

  After Steve had been gone for some little time those who had been leftin the camp under the forest trees prepared to spend the night as bestthe conditions allowed.

  Fortunately there were enough of the blankets and covers to go around,so that each one would have some protection against the chill of thenight. Max had been wise enough to look out for this when skirmishingaround in that abandoned cabin belonging to Mrs. Jacobus.

  "Will we have to keep any sort of watch, d'ye think, Max?" Bandy-legsasked, after the girls had crawled beneath the rustic shelter, and amidmore or less laughter made themselves fairly comfortable.

  Max smiled.

  "Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean any of us will have to stayawake," he went on to say, which remark caused the other to lookpuzzled until he saw Max nod his head over toward the spot where theferocious bulldog calmly reposed, with his square head lying betweenhis two forepaws.

  "Oh! I see now what you mean," Bandy-legs announced; "and that's whereyour head was level, Max, though for that matter it always is. Surehe'll be the best sentinel agoing. But then there isn't one chance ina thousand we'll be bothered with visitors, unless of the hungry dogkind."

  "That's so," agreed Max, "but you never can tell; and while the roadsare all more or less flooded, and even the railroad blocked, tramps areapt to bob up in places where they've never been known before. We'llbe keeping our fire going all night, you know, and that would be asignal to any one passing."

  The four boys fixed themselves so that they really surrounded theshelter; constructed of boards and branches, in which the girls weresnugly settled down. Max had told Mazie they meant to do this, for hefelt that the fact would add more or less to the peace of mind of thosewhom they were protecting.

  "Better get settled, you fellows," Max told the others, "and after thatI'll attend to the fire so it'll keep burning a long time. Shack,what's that rag around your finger for? I hope now you didn't getbitten by one of the dogs when we had our row, because that might turnout to be a bad job."

  "Oh! shucks, that ain't nawthin' much," Shack replied, with scorn; "Ion'y knocked me fin against a tree when I was smackin' that setter awhack. He ducked too quick for me, yuh see, an' I lost him, worseluck; but second time I gives him a poke that made him howl like fits."

  It apparently pleased Shack considerably to have Max notice that he hadhis finger bound up in part of a much soiled handkerchief. And by noweven Bandy-legs seemed to have accepted the other as a companion inarms, whom the fortunes of war had thrown into their society.

  Max took a look around before finally lying down. He saw that cloudsstill obscured the sky, but at least it was not raining, and thereseemed a fair chance that the anticipated renewal of the storm wouldnot materialize.

  There must have been thousands of anxious eyes besides those of MaxHastings surveying that overcast sky on this particular night, becauseso much depended on whether the sun shone on the morrow, or anotherdripping day were ushered in, to add to the floods, and increase thediscomfort and money loss.

  He knew that the girls must all be dreadfully worried because messagescould not be sent to their respective homes, so as to notify theirloved ones of their safety; but it could not be helped. When morningcame they would do everything in their power to get in touch withcivilization, and if the wires were in working order perhaps they mightbe able to let their people know how wonderfully they had come out ofthe turmoil and peril.

  When Max told the others there was always a possibility that the lightof their fire would draw attention to the camp, he hardly dreamed howtrue his words would prove; yet such was the case.

  He had managed to get to sleep himself, having found a fairlycomfortable position where he could lie wrapped in his blanket, whenthe growling of the tied bulldog aroused him. As he sat up he saw thatBose was on his bowed feet, and continuing to growl savagely.

  "Keep quiet there, you ugly sinner!" grumbled a voice close to Max, andwhich he recognized as belonging to Bandy-legs; "ain't you meanin' tolet a feller have any sleep at all to-night? Whatever do you want togrowl that way? Wait till breakfast time and you'll get another feed."

  "There's somebody coming!" said Max, quietly, "and the dog has sensedthem."

  "Gee whiz! then he's an all right sentry after all, ain't he?"exclaimed Bandy-legs, immediately sitting up.

  Toby had also been aroused, as was also Shack; and the four boys gainedtheir feet at almost the same time.

  "Wonder who it is?" Bandy-legs was speculating, even as he leaned overso as to pick up his war club.

  "B-b-bet you it's Steve c-c-coming back!" ventured Toby, and he voicedwhat was in the mind of Max just then.

  "There's two on 'em!" declared Shack Beggs joining in with the talk;"yuh c'n see 'em over there aheadin' this way!"

  Max was glad that he had not thought to return the little weaponentrusted to his care by Mrs. Jacobus. He allowed his hand to passback to the rear pocket in which it reposed, and the very feel of thesteel seemed to give him a sense of security.

  All of them could easily see the advancing figures now. The closerthey came to the circle of firelight the stronger did the convictionsof Max become that the campers were in for another unpleasantexperience.

  First it had been half-starved dogs hunting in a pack, having gone backto the primeval habits of their wolfish ancestors; and now it looked asthough they were about to suffer from an invasion of tramps.

  The two men who came boldly forward certainly had a hobo look. Theirclothes were tattered and torn, as though they might only be fit forscarecrows in the newly planted corn field; while their faces wereunkempt with beards of a week's growth; which helped to make them lookuglier than might otherwise have been the case.

  "Whew! they look hungry enough to eat us out of house and home,"Bandy-legs was muttering, as he saw the pair pushing forward; andseemingly sniffing the air after the manner of those who have notbroken their fast for many hours.

  If Max could feel sorry for a dog that needed food he certainly wouldnot think of allowing human beings to go without refreshments as longas they had enough and to spare. So that already his mind was made upnot to refuse should the tramps put in a pitiful plea for assistance.

  Of course their coming would make it necessary for the boys to give upthoughts of finding any further rest; because it would hardly be wiseto allow the camp to remain unguarded with such tough looking customersaround.

  The men were scrutinizing the campers closely as they came up. Max sawone of them turn to the other and say something; just what it was hedid not know; but he rather fancied it might have been along the orderof calling his attention to the fact that they had only "kids" to dealwith.

  "Hello! boys!" the foremost of the men called out as he strode into thecircle of light; "seen your fire when we was makin' our way throughthese here old woods, and allowed that p'raps we might get a bite toeat if we came over. Hain't had nawthin' since mornin', and we're nighfamished, that's straight goods; ain't it, Bill?"

  "I'm that near gone I could chaw on a dog biscuit and like it!"grumbled the shorter man.

  "This flood's knocked honest laborers out of their jobs right along,boys," the taller hobo continued, unable to repress a slight grin as hespoke, for he must have been pretty positive that he had not deceivedthe young fellows by such an absurd suggestion; "and we're trying togit acrost country so's to find work in another quarry. If now yousecould only let us have a snack it'd be doin' a real kindness, and we'dthank you straight; wouldn't we, Bill?"

  "Sure thing, Pepper, we would; got to have somethin', or we'll cave in;and like enough you wouldn't want our spooks to come back and ha'nt yeallers, kids. So here's hopin' ye'll give us a hand-out without moreparleyin'."

  Max did not fancy the manner of the two men. It smacked of a demandrather than a request for assistance; as though they would not take nofor an answer, but might be expected to make trouble if refused.

/>   While something within him rebelled against being compelled to accede,at the same time Max was ready to make allowances. He fancied thatwhen men were really very hungry they might be excused for showing anirritable disposition. On that account then he repressed his desire tospeak sharply.

  "You've struck a party of flood sufferers, and we're not overly wellsupplied with grub," Max went on to say; "but I guess we can spare yousomething to keep the wolf from the door. Just sit down there, andwe'll cook you a little supper, though you might call it breakfast,because it must be long after midnight."

  The men exchanged low words, and then sat down. Max noticed that theyseemed to choose their places as with some motive in view, and he didnot like it at all. He even saw them glance toward the shelter shack,as if wondering what might be inside, for the girls were awake, and lowwhispering could be heard within.

  The food had been taken from the shack and hung from the limb of atree, where it would be safe from any prowling animal; so that Max didnot have to disturb the inmates of the rude shelter when he wished tocut some more of the ham, and get the coffee in the pot.

  It was a strange experience, this cooking a supper at such an hour ofthe night for a pair of ugly-looking trampish customers; but Max was sothankful over the wonderful run of good luck that had followed himselfand chums that he felt willing to put himself to considerable troublein order to assist any other sufferer. In times like that it wasreally a duty they owed to the community to stretch out a helping handto every one who professed to be in need.

  Bandy-legs, Toby and Shack Beggs wanted to assist as best they could,but probably their main object was to keep moving, and in this way findchances for the exchange of a few sentences half under their breath,when it happened that their heads came close together.

  "Look like tough nuts to me!" Bandy-legs told Max the first opportunityhe had, as he poked the fire and induced it to burn more brightly.

  "That's right," replied Max, in the same cautious manner; "so keep youreyes about you all the while; and be ready to swing your club if itturns out to be necessary."

  "Bet you I will, Max!" muttered the other; "I wonder now if they've gotany gun between 'em? Gosh! if we ain't meetin' up with a trail ofhappenings these days and nights! I say, Max?"

  "What is it, Bandy-legs?"

  "Hope now you ain't never give that jolly little automatic back to thelady?" continued Bandy-legs, eagerly.

  "I've still got it handy, make your mind easy on that score," was whatthe other told him, and Bandy-legs evidently breathed considerablyeasier on that account.

  "Keep shy of 'em when you go to hand over the grub, Max; 'cause Iwouldn't put it past that crowd to try and grab you. They justunderstand that you're the boss of this camp, and if they could onlyget their hands on you it'd be easy to make the rest of us kowtow to'em."

  "You've got a knife in your pocket, haven't you?" asked Max, as heleaned over to give the fryingpan another little shove, as thoughwishing to hurry matters along, because the two intruders were hungrilywatching the preparation of the midnight meal, and looking as thoughthey could hardly wait for the call.

  "Yes, I always carry one, you know, Max."

  "Pretty good edge, has it?" pursued the other.

  "Sharp as a razor, right now," was Bandy-legs' assurance.

  "All right, then," Max told him; "keep staying close to where the dog'stied, and if you hear me shout out to you, draw your knife blade acrossthe rope when he's drawn it taut. I've got an idea he'll look on allof us as friends, and make for one of the men like a flash!"

  "Fine! I'll do it, see if I don't!"

  "Well, get away now, and take up your station," cautioned Max. "Keepwatching how they act, but don't give it away that you're looking tooclose. That's all!"

  Upon that Bandy-legs moved off. Presently he had passed over to whereBose was tied to the tree. The bulldog had ceased to strain at hisleash. He lay again with his massive square head resting on hisforepaws, a favorite attitude with him; and his bulging eyes seemed tobe fixed on the two newcomers. Evidently he did not trust the raggedtramps, but as his protectors seemed to be granting them the privilegesof the camp, far be it from him to interfere; all the same he was goingto watch them closely.

  Max was becoming more and more disturbed. From the manner of the menhe felt positive that they would refuse to quietly quit the camp afterthey had been duly fed. That would mean they must be told to go away,and such an order coming from mere boys would be apt to arouse theirevil natures so that trouble must ensue.

  While he was finishing the cooking of the ham, with the coffee boilingmerrily near by on a stone that lay close to the fire, Shack came upwith some more fuel. As there was really no need for additional woodMax understood that the other wished to get close enough to him to saysomething; so he managed things in a way calculated to bring this about.

  Sure enough Shack quickly lowered his head as he pushed a stick intothe fire, and Max heard his whisper, which naturally gave him somethingof a thrill.

  "Jailbirds, I sure reckons they be!" was what Shack said.

  "What makes you think so?" asked Max.

  "Both got on ole cloes took from scarecrows in the medders; and then ifyuh looks right sharp at the left wrist o' ther short coon yuh kin seehe's awearin' a steel bracelet. Been handcuffed tuh a sheriff, likely,an' broke away. They'll like as not try tuh run the camp arter theygits filled up. Yuh wanter keep shy o' lettin' 'em git hold o' yuh,Max. They'll be a reg'lar mixup hereabouts if they tries that same on."

  And this information from Shack, who must know what he was talkingabout, was enough to make Max draw his breath uneasily.