The Outdoor Chums in the Forest; Or, Laying the Ghost of Oak Ridge

by Quincy Allen

  CHAPTER VII

  THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS

  "How long do we stay in this camp, fellows?" asked Bluff.

  "A few days only," replied Frank, with a mysterious smile.

  "Look here, you've got something you're keeping from us," said Jerryboldly.

  "That's what I was thinking. So out with it, Frank. No secrets, please."

  Will assumed a mock threatening appearance, holding the big spoon up asthough it were a baton, for they were washing up the supper things atthe time.

  "Well, I suppose I'll have to, boys, seeing that I couldn't expect tokeep the secret much longer. Listen, then, and you shall hear. Have anyof you ever hunted through these mountains to any extent?" asked Frank.

  "I've been up here once or twice, but it's mostly new to me," saidJerry.

  "Well, I studied a chart of the place, which, by the way, is in myditty bag at this minute. Please hand it over to me, Bluff. Now, hereyou are."

  He opened it up, and the others eagerly bent over, all dish-washingoperations being temporarily suspended in the common interest.

  "Here's the road we came by, and about this spot is where our presentcamp is located. Just two miles beyond lies Lake Surprise, which theytell me is a beautiful little body of water," went on Frank, pointingwith his lead pencil on the map.

  "Yes, I've heard about it, too. They say it springs upon you as you turna bend of the old logging road, and no one ever fails to gasp withsurprise at the beautiful sight. Hence the name. Well, go on, Frank,"observed Will.

  "Three days from now we will be encamped on the shore of that same lake,if all goes well, and by that night there will be an arrival that mustastonish you. No use trying to guess, for you couldn't in a year. Itwill be Adolphus, with the team, and what do you think he will be totingup there?"

  "More grub," answered Bluff promptly.

  A shake of the head in the negative followed.

  "Not the girls?" suggested Jerry eagerly, and with a sly blush.

  "Well, much as I would like to see them, that is not the true answer. Itstruck me that since the time the Indians used to paddle around thatlittle gem of a lake there had never been a canoe floating on itswaters, and my father proposed that he send up our boats, so that wecould have a glorious week to wind up with."

  "Hurrah!"

  "A glorious thought on your part, Frank."

  "Won't it be fun, though! And the fishing must be fine, since no oneever comes up here much." This from Jerry, who always had an eye out forthe sport.

  "So make the most of this camp while we are here. It's a pretty good onefor its kind, with those rocks heaped up as a back-rest, and the treesstretching far away all around. All it lacks is water in front to makeit perfect."

  "Right you are, Frank. And those same rocks look pretty wild, too. Inoticed a big crack right back of our fire, there. Perhaps at some timein the dim past a bear or other wild beast may have had its den inthere," said Will.

  "Cracky! That is so! And by the same token, I mean to explore the placein the morning. Who knows what a fellow might find in a hole like that?"

  "Better go slow, Jerry. Remember that this place up here has beengetting a bad name. You might run across the ghost of Oak Ridge in thecourse of your poking around into such holes," laughed Frank.

  "H'm! That wouldn't please me a little bit. If we have to come on thatspecter thing, I'd rather it was when we were all in a bunch," repliedthe one addressed.

  "Yes, in union there is strength. But don't forget, all of you, that oneof the main objects in our selecting the Sunset Mountains for ourpresent vacation trip was the hope of discovering the truth about thatsame ghost. Hello! I declare if here isn't another visitor!"

  All of them jumped as Frank uttered these last words. Poor Jed gave apiteous little whimper, as though his fears had not wholly subsided byany means.

  Some one was seen striding boldly toward the campfire, coming from thedirection of the road. Immediately Jerry gave utterance to anexclamation.

  "Why, as sure as I live, I believe it's Andy!" he said.

  "That's who it is--Andy Lasher," echoed Will.

  "Now what do you suppose that fellow wants here?" muttered Bluff, whowas not so thoroughly convinced of the reform of Andy as some of hischums.

  The advancing form drew rapidly near.

  "Hello, Andy!" said Jerry, holding out his hand.

  Jerry had saved the life of the town bully the previous fall, whenduring a storm a great tree had fallen and pinned him to the ground.Ever since Andy had tried to show his gratitude toward his benefactor.At the same time he would not make friends to any extent with the otherthree boys.

  "Howdy, Jerry," said the newcomer gruffly, as he accepted the offeredhand.

  He seemed to be carrying an old grip, as though he might be on his wayacross the mountains to the bustling manufacturing town of Chester,where there were always chances for obtaining a job.

  "Won't you sit down, Andy? We're long done supper, but if you're hungrywe can stir up something."

  Jerry always said "we," as though he wished to impress it upon theother's mind that the balance of his crowd were with him in all he saidand did.

  "Ain't got time, Jerry. Got some business that's takin' me across hereto-night. I knowed you fellers was a-campin' round here, an' I wantedto tell you something I thought you orter know. Pet Peters and his crowdis up here, and they mean to make you trouble some way or other. That'sall. I'll be goin' on, now, Jerry."

  Andy was plainly nervous. He had always been a bold spirit, so that itcould hardly be the presence of the other boys that affected him. Frankwondered what ailed him, but of course he would not ask.

  "Then you won't stop over night with us, Andy?" asked Jerry.

  "Mighty kind of you to say that, but I can't, not this time. I'm in abig hurry, you see. Saw Pet and the boys hatching up something andthought I'd just drop in while goin' past, to put you wise. So-long,Jerry."

  Andy completely ignored the others. Not that they cared in the least,for of old there had been war to the knife between this big fellow andthe members of the Rod, Gun and Camera Club. They could not easilyforget how vindictive he had ever been in his pursuit of the four chums.

  He wheeled, and walked away, leaving the campers staring after him. Sohe presently vanished from their vision, heading back toward the "tote"road.

  "Well," said Will, with a little laugh, "what d'ye think of that?"

  "I say it's good of him to go to the trouble to warn us. He didn't knowthat we had any idea those fellows were up here, and he came in goodfaith, meaning to save us from being caught napping," said Jerrystoutly.

  "Oh, that's all right, Jerry. I admit that Andy is trying to walk thestraight path, and that all his success, so far, is due to you. But whatdo you think he is doing up here?" demanded Bluff.

  "I don't know; and, more than that, I don't believe it's any of mybusiness," returned Jerry promptly and significantly.

  "Meaning that it isn't any of mine, either. Granted, for the sake ofargument, but all the same I can't help wondering."

  "Yes, that's the lawyer of it, always wanting to know. Perhaps he justfelt like taking a walk," jeered Jerry.

  "More than likely he's on his way across the Sunset Mountains toChester, looking for a job. I understand from the map that there's agood road all the way over," said Frank, always ready to soothe the twobelligerents.

  "Well, in that case, I hope he gets a good one. You mark my words,fellows, that Andy Lasher is going to come out all right yet," declaredJerry.

  "It seemed to me he didn't like to see us up here," remarked Will.

  "Well, now, that was my idea, too, though I don't know why he shouldfeel that way about it. These mountains are free to all. A few trappersspend their winters up here, Jesse Wilcox among them, sometimes, but Iguess our camping for two weeks isn't going to interfere with anybody'senjoyment," laughed Frank.

  "Except the ghost's," remarked Bluff soberly, at which all laughed.

  They
were seated about in various attitudes a short time later. Will, asusual, busied himself with his camera, which he was never weary ofhandling. Bluff had started to oil his precious repeating gun for thethird time since leaving town, just as if he expected the dampness toplay havoc with its shooting powers. Frank was writing something in hisdiary, for he made it a practice to keep a log of each outing, which hadproved a great pleasure to all the members of the club during the longwinter evenings, when they were snow-bound at home.

  Jerry was talking in a low tone with the fugitive bound boy, on theother side of the fire, and drawing out some little facts in connectionwith his life that seemed to interest him intensely.

  It looked like a wonderfully peaceful scene. The fire blazed cheerily,sending up tongues of flame. At times the night air wafted the smokeback into the crevice among the rocks close at hand, which the boys hadnoticed, and intended to explore in the morning.

  Suddenly, without a breath of warning, all this was changed as if by thewand of a magician. There was a horrible roar, that thrilled thecampers, and a great black body came wallowing out from the crevice inthe rocks, plunging headlong into the fire, which was scattered hitherand thither by the furious attack.

  "A bear!" shouted Frank, as he rolled over out of the way.