Boy Scouts on the Great Divide; Or, The Ending of the Trail
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Boy Scouts on the Great Divide;
or, The Ending of the Trail
By Archibald Lee Fletcher
Chicago
M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY
Copyright 1913
MADE IN U.S.A.
CONTENTS
I--A BOY SCOUT
II--THE RUNAWAY
III--THE CASE IS STATED
IV--A CHASE IN THE NIGHT
V--A DETECTIVE AND A ROBBER
VI--THE CALL OF THE BEAVER
VII--ARRESTED AS SPIES
VIII--A MIDNIGHT BEAR HUNT
IX--LYNCHING IS THREATENED
X--ONE DANGER TO ANOTHER
XI--A WYOMING HOLD-UP
XII--AN INTERRUPTED WIG-WAG
XIII--TOMMY GOES AFTER BEAR STEAK
XIV--A PAIR OF PRISONERS
XV--AN UNDERGROUND CHANNEL
XVI--CULLEN LOSES HIS STAR
XVII--A MEETING UNDER GROUND
XVIII--THE FINDING OF WAGNER
XIX--SHERIFF PETE'S WINK
XX--DETECTIVES IN TROUBLE
XXI--CONCLUSION
Boy Scouts on the Great Divide;
or, The Ending of the Trail
CHAPTER I
A BOY SCOUT CAMP
On a sunny September afternoon two shelter tents stood in a mountainvalley, on the south bank of a creek which, miles and miles below,becomes the Sweetwater river.
Above the flap of each tent lifted a yellow pennant, in the center ofwhich a blue beaver stood in an alert and listening attitude, his flattail outstretched.
A campfire blazed in front of the two tents, and some distance away fourbronchos fed noisily on the sweet grass of the valley. Tinned provisionsand cooking utensils were scattered here and there in front of theblaze, and four boys wearing the khaki uniform of the Boy Scouts ofAmerica were busily engaged in preparing supper.
Those who have read the previous volumes of this series will require nointroduction to Will Smith, George Benton, Charley (Sandy) Green, orTommy Gregory. As will be remembered, they were all members of theBeaver Patrol, Chicago. Will Smith had recently been advanced to theimportant position of Scoutmaster, and George Benton had been elected tothe position left vacant by the advancement of his chum, that of PatrolLeader. Besides carrying the badges of their offices and their patrol,the boys all wore medals showing that they had qualified in the Stalker,Ambulance, Seaman and Pioneer grades.
After rather striking adventures on Lake Superior and in the FloridaEverglades the boys had been persuaded by Mr. Horton, a well-knowncriminal lawyer of Chicago, to undertake a mission in the interest of aclient in whom he had become greatly interested. The lads had alreadyarranged a vacation trip to the Great Divide, and it necessitated only aslight change in their program in order to make the investigationdesired by the attorney, who had shown himself their friend on more thanone occasion. In fact, the Superior trip had been taken at his expense.
Mr. Horton had presented the request which had changed the lads'vacation plans on the night before they left Chicago, and so no detailswhatever of the case had been given them. They had been asked to proceedto the city of Green River, in the state of Wyoming, and there secureburros, provisions and tents and travel to the valley lying south andwest of Altantic peak.
The noted attorney had informed them on the morning of their departurethat, in case further instructions did not reach them by wire beforethey came to Green River, a messenger would follow them into themountains with full details, and also a history of the case in whichthey were to be employed. On this sunny afternoon they were awaiting thearrival of the messenger, no information having been received bytelegraph.
The tents had been set up on the previous evening, and the boys did notthink it possible that the messenger could be more than twenty-fourhours behind them. While they waited for the supper to cook they watchedthe country off to the south anxiously.
"Last call for supper!" cried Sandy, spreading a great white cloth onthe fragrant grass of the valley. "We can eat out-doors in this countrywithout any danger of people butting in to see what we've got forsupper."
"You say it well!" said Will, "but you can't prove it! For instance," headded, pointing to the south, "there's some one coming right now to seewhat we've got for supper!"
The figure pointed out was that of a tall and slender man who wasclimbing the slope to the southeast. He carried a long rifle over hisshoulder and a cartridge belt was conspicuously displayed about hiswaist.
While the boys arranged their food on the table cloth, the manapproached warily. When he came into the valley in which the camp wassituated he turned away to the right as if about to circle the tents andthe fire. Tommy stood up with a great slice of bread in one hand and acup of coffee in the other and waved both at the stranger.
"Come on in!" he shouted. "The eating's fine!"
At this invitation the stranger came forward to the fire and stood for amoment without speaking, gazing at the boys with eyes strained to theirutmost in an effort to make them look piercing.
"Thank you very much for the invitation!" replied the stranger, "I'vehad a long walk today and I'm both hungry and tired! My name isKatz--Joseph J. Katz, and I'm in business in a small way in Denver."
"I bought a burro at Green River," Katz went on, "but lost him twentymiles to the south. He got his foot in a prairie dog's hole or somethingof that kind and broke his leg so I had to shoot him."
"And you've been walking ever since?"
"Indeed I have!" was the reply. "And I'm afraid I'll have to ask you toextend your hospitality until morning. I have a friend who will be alongsometime tomorrow with a couple of light tents and a couple of burroloads of provisions."
"Then you're going to camp in the mountains, I take it?"
"Yes," was the reply. "We're going farther in and take a rest and lookfor a good sheep valley while we do so."
"You're welcome to remain here until your friend comes in!" answeredWill. "We have plenty of provisions."
"Then you are thinking of remaining in the mountains for some time?"asked the stranger. "In that case we may meet often."
"I hope so," replied Will. "We are boys from Detroit having a littlevacation from the hills and it will be all the pleasanter if we havecongenial company. But sit down and eat. You must be hungry."
Kata fell to with an appetite and Tommy saw that his plate wasreplenished as soon as it was emptied. While he was eating Sandy andWill arose from the cloth, excused themselves and passed into one of thetents, where Sandy stood regarding his companion with accusing eyes.
"Say," the boy asked, "are you getting to be such a liar that you justcan't tell the truth?"
"What's the matter now?" demanded Will.
"Why did you tell that fellow we were from Detroit?"
"Because he lied to me!" was the rather indignant reply.
Sandy grinned and looked the question he did not ask.
"He told me he was from Denver," Will went on, "and Tommy says he's aChicago detective. The kid says he saw a detective badge under thefellow's lapel. And I guess Tommy knows a detective badge," the boycontinued with a wink. "I should think he would after the fun he's hadwith Chicago detectives, and the times he's been chased by them."
"You don't suppose he's come on here to pinch one of us, do you?" askedSandy. "If he has, we'll pitch him into the stream that takes thelongest road to Cape Horn."
"Of course not!" answered Will. "For all I know he may be the messengersent by Mr. Horton."
"I don't know," answered Will. "He may be the messenger and he may notbe. If he is a messenger, he's a fool, because he ought to know withoutfurther investigation that we're the boys he set out to find. If heisn't a messenger, he's a charter member of the Ananias club or Tommy'svery much mistaken."
"I don't believe he's a messenger," Sandy answered and the two went outto the fire together.
"I have heard a great many stories of robbery and murder in thiscountry," the boys heard Katz saying to Tommy, "but up to this time Ihave seen no unlawful acts committed."
"Oh, but they have a stage hold-up or some scrape of that kind everyweek or two!" replied Tommy with a wink at Will. "We remained over atGreen River a couple of days and heard a good many stories about highwayrobbery. There is said to be gold in these mountains," the boycontinued, "and there is also said to be a band of brigands who lie inwait for treasure hunters."
Katz appeared deeply interested in what the boy was saying. In fact heseemed rather excited, too, and the boys noticed that he reached out onehand to stroke the gun, which lay near his side, as he listened.
Sandy nudged George in the side and whispered:
"I'll bet Tommy's got him scared half to death!"
"I guess that's what the kid's telling him these stories for!" Georgeventured. "He's always up to tricks like that."
While the boys worked about the camp preparing beds for the night andclearing away the remains of the supper Tommy remained close to the sideof the trench, asking of his experiences on the way in and telling manyexciting stories of highwaymen, the most of which had origin in his ownbrain.
"Tommy'll have that fellow so scared that he can't sleep!" Sandywhispered to George.
"Then the fellow shouldn't get scared so easy!"
"I consider it very fortunate for you boys," they heard Katz sayingafter a time, "that I came along just as I did. If this country is asthoroughly infested with robbers and murderers as you seem to think itis, I may be of service to you before morning."
"Sure!" agreed Tommy. "We may have a battle with outlaws almost any timenow! We're glad you're here to protect us!"
"Of course, one man can't fight a whole regiment," Katz went on ratherboastfully, "but I'll do what I can to protect you in case the camp isattacked."
"I know you will!" answered Tommy with a sly wink at Sandy. "I knew youwere a brave man as soon as I saw you!"
During the evening the boys taking the lead made by Tommy told numerousstories of train-robberies and murders in the mountains as they sataround the campfire. Katz listened attentively to them all and more thanonce the lads saw him involuntarily reach a hand back to his pistolpocket. On such occasions they nudged each other joyfully.
"I wish something would happen tonight," Tommy whispered to Will as theyprepared for bed. "I'd just like to see how this Katz would act underfire. I've a good mind to make something happen!"
"You'd better cut that out!" replied Will. "The messenger we are waitingfor may be here at any time now and we may have to move camp at anytime. So we want to rest while we can."
"All right!" Tommy answered reluctantly. "I'm just as anxious to get agood night's sleep as you are."
"Who's going to stay awake?" asked Sandy stepping up to where the boyswere talking.
"I don't think it's necessary for anyone to stay awake," cried Will.
"I don't believe we ought to all sleep at once!" Sandy observed. "Notwith this stranger in the camp, anyway," he added.
"Aw, the stranger's all right!" Tommy exclaimed. "He's a bum Chicagodetective out after some fugitive from justice and he thinks its foxy tolie about his occupation and his residence. Don't you think I know theearmarks of a Chicago detective?" he added.
"You ought to, considering the number of times you've been mixed up withthem," laughed Sandy. "You certainly ought to know all about Chicagodetectives."
"What makes you go certain this man is a Chicago detective?" asked Will."I haven't seen anything that looks like Chicago about him!"
"Why," answered Tommy, "he's mentioned Harrison street and Desplainesstreet and Chicago avenue half a dozen times when talking about thepolice department of Denver! And he's been telling about police boats onthe lake and on the North and South branches and giving himself awaygenerally. Of course, he doesn't know we're from Chicago and so hedoesn't think it necessary to be careful in his speech."
"All right, time will tell!" exclaimed Sandy.
It was arranged that Will, Tommy and George were to sleep together inone of the tents until midnight while Tommy stood watch, and from thattime on, the other boys were to watch two hours apiece. Katz was to havethe second tent all to himself.
For sometime after the lads and Katz went to their tents, Tommy sat bythe fire listening to coyotes and grey wolves howling off in themountains. Occasionally a coyote came within a few paces of the fire andset up a howl which must have been heard in the dreams of the sleepers.
Along near midnight the boy heard, very indistinctly, shouts to the westof the ridge which lay to the south of the valley. Still more faintly,return shouts were heard. The men, whoever they were, seemed to beadvancing toward the camp. While the boy listened a volley of shots camefrom the west, followed by hoarse shouts and imprecations.
It now became plain that two horsemen were speeding toward the valleyand that the shots which were being fired were directed at them. Therewas no moon as yet although there would be one later on, and littlecould be seen of the horsemen who were doubtless seeking refuge in thecanons farther to the north, but the heavy breathing of the horses andthe creaking of the saddles could be distinctly heard.
"I just went to the tent to wake Katz!" Tommy chuckled, "and saw himsneaking away making flat-footed for the hills!"