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

by Quincy Allen

  CHAPTER XX

  A MORNING WITH THE BLACK BASS

  "Where did you get this, Jerry?" asked Frank after he had read it.

  "It was fastened to the trunk of a tree over there--that big oak."

  "Now that you mention it, I can remember seeing something white thereearly last night. I thought it was only one of your jokes, and declinedto investigate," was the comment of Frank.

  "That's a point worth knowing. It proves beyond the shadow of a doubtthat it was pinned there before we retired, or shortly after, at anyrate," remarked Bluff.

  "Talk to me about your Sherlock Holmes and his deductions! Did he everdo any better than that pard of mine? It's the lawyer blood showingearly in life, just as Will here, when he can forget his old photographyfor a minute, is itching to bind up somebody's wounds, simply becausehis father used to be a doctor, and he has inherited a bit of hisskill."

  "Who do you think put it there?" Frank continued.

  "Why, that blooming old ghost, to be sure," was Jerry's prompt reply.

  "Looks like a schoolboy's writing," suggested Will sagaciously.

  "Perhaps it is," said Frank, looking at Jerry and nodding.

  "But you said before you thought that Peters crowd had gone back totown!"

  "And I still think so; but you forget that there was another boy up inthis region lately, Will."

  "You mean Andy Lasher?" exclaimed the one addressed, quickly.

  "Yes; and both Jerry and myself have a pretty good idea that he isresponsible for this warning to get out."

  "But why should Andy want us to leave? He didn't say a word about it theother day, when we saw him. Look here! I've nursed a notion for sometime that you two fellows had something between you the rest of usdidn't share. Do you think it fair to treat your own true chums thatway?" demanded Bluff.

  Frank laughed.

  "To tell the truth, I don't, Bluff. I've been feeling badly about it forsome time, and was determined to take the rest of you into ourconfidence," he said.

  "All right. What better time than while we are eating breakfast, forthere's old Adolphus ready to bang the frying-pan as a summons?"declared Will.

  Both Bluff and Will showed more or less eagerness to hear what was inthe wind, as they began to eat. Frank took pity on them, and with sundryhelps from Jerry managed to tell the whole story.

  "This seems to just about 'cap the climax,' as they say," remarkedBluff, after he had learned all the facts known to the others.

  "Never listened to a more entrancing tale in all my life. Frank, you'resure a born story-teller," declared Will.

  "And so the sheriff is hunting that escaped convict, and you believe hemust be the father of poor Andy? Say! I feel sorry for him now. Neverdid before, you understand; but a fellow with his dad in prison has gota load on his shoulders. As Jerry says, that may account for some of hisbadness," Bluff went on.

  "What are we going to do if the sheriff pops in on us?" questionedJerry.

  "Perhaps he'll want us to lend him a hand in rounding up his game,"said Frank, just to ascertain the feelings of his chums on the subject.

  "Not for me, he won't!" was the emphatic protest of Bluff.

  "I'm up here for a quiet outing, and don't calculate to join with asheriff's posse to hunt down a wretched escaped convict," avowed Will.

  Whereupon Jerry solemnly shook each of them by the hand.

  "Thank you, fellows. But I ought to have known that you'd say just that.Pards of mine wouldn't look at the matter any other way. If this runawayfrom the penitentiary happened to be a bloodthirsty wretch, now, itmight be different; but he was sent up purely on circumstantialevidence, and has always declared that he was innocent. Thank you again,both of you," he said with feeling.

  "Then it is agreed that while we don't expect to throw any obstacles inthe way of our good friend, Mr. Dodd, the sheriff, who is only doing hisduty by the State, none of us will raise a hand to assist him--is thatyour sentiment, boys?" asked Frank, who wanted to have the importantmatter settled one way or the other.

  "It is, unanimously. Perhaps later on we may learn just why ThaddeusLasher wants to keep people away from this region while he lingershere. That is a mystery just at present, it seems, and we can only amuseourselves guessing at it."

  "Jerry speaks our mind, eh, Will?" said Bluff.

  "Every time. And now what are we going to do to-day to amuse ourselves?"

  "I'm anxious to try and see if there are bass in this lake," said Frank.

  "I've been told there are whopping big fellows, so you'd better becareful how you cast and strike, or you may break your fine tackle,"remarked Will.

  "If you don't mind, pard, I'm going with you in the big Injun canoe,"observed Jerry, whose sporting blood was always ready for new conquestswith gun and rod.

  "Will and myself will take a shy at that snake den, and see if we canburn the pesky things out. Somehow, I don't just like having such closeneighbors, eh, Will?"

  "You bet we will; and perhaps I'll have a chance to snap them off a fewtimes. They gave me a scare all right, yesterday, and I'm wanting toeven up the score. Come on, then, Bluff. Get an old pair of gloves forhandling the dead brush; some of it has thorns, as I found out to mycost."

  So the party divided up.

  Frank and Jerry pushed off soon afterward, and paddled up the lake. Itwas just the sport that appealed to the hearts of these two lovers ofnature, and as the silvery drops fell from the ends of their paddles thesoft "swish" was sweetest music in their ears.

  Selecting a point which, to their practiced eyes, promised the bestresults, they started in. Jerry took the paddle first, while Frank casthis flies alluringly on the water, close to the shore, and drew themtoward the boat. A soft morning air just rippled the dark water and madethe conditions ideal for such sport, as the boys declared again andagain.

  Hardly had Frank made half a dozen splendid casts than his wrist wassuddenly turned with a quick jerk that snapped the hook of the Red Ibisfly fast in the jaw of an adventurous bass, eager for a daintybreakfast.

  "Good!" was the only comment of Jerry, who knew the value of silencewhen upon a fishing trip, since the water carries all sounds so readily.

  Frank played his prize back and forth with a practiced hand. He seemedas cool as the oldest veteran fisherman could have been. Even when thebig fellow, that must have weighed all of two pounds, flashed out of thewater by several feet, turning over in the air in a graceful arch, withthe intention of breaking the hook or line, Frank only lowered thebending tip of his rod a trifle, so as to give the fish a slack lineand thwart his design.

  For several minutes the exciting battle went on. The wily bass tried allthe various tricks handed down from generations of ancestors, but he wasmatched now against one likely to prove his master. In the end, Jerryscooped him up with the landing-net, and held up the glistening beauty.

  FOR SEVERAL MINUTES THE EXCITING BATTLE WENT ON.]

  "Hand me that bit of hard wood, please, Frank. I always make it a pointto kill my fish when I land him, to put the poor thing out of agony," hesaid.

  "And you do quite right, old fellow. I only wish there were moresportsmen like you. More power to your elbow, say I. Shall I paddle abit, now, and give you a chance to straighten out your casting-arm?"observed Frank.

  "Just as you say. The sight of such a dandy bass excites the blood of anenthusiastic fisherman, you know."

  It took Jerry but little longer to hook the mate to Frank's catch. Asfortune would have it, however, after he had played him for a minute ortwo there was a suspicious slackening of the line.

  "He's off," remarked Frank, grieved.

  "My own fault. I should have tested that leader better. See where it'sbroken! All the rest seems sound but that one spot," grunted Jerry,annoyed at his lack of caution, though he should have known that inspite of their experience the best of sportsmen, being human, will makeblunders at times.

  He soon had a new leader, with its cast of three flies, trailing in thewater to
soften the snells. At the end he carried the Red Ibis, thennext came a fly called the Professor, and last of all the Montreal. Thiswas Jerry's ideal cast, for any sort of day, the light flies showing updespite lowering skies, and the dark Montreal counting when the sunshone.

  Hardly had he made a new throw when he struck game, and the fight was ononce more. This time Jerry knew no accident would mar his fun.

  "Talk to me about your preserves! What could equal the fight of atwo-pound black bass in this ice-cold water up here in the mountains?Say, Frank, this pays for the whole trip," he said in a low but exultanttone, as he saw his chum take the landing-net, and with a skilful scoopgather in the partly exhausted fish, glistening among the knotted cordslike silver.

  "It certainly looks as though we would have a fine fish dinner to-day.Already we have enough to go around, Jerry."

  "Hardly. I feel equal to one whole fish myself, for I bet they tastejust prime, taken out of this clear water, with so much rocky shorearound the lake. From one end to the other I don't see a sign of marshor reeds that would indicate mud. It's the prettiest little lake I everfished over. If it only happened to be nearer town, now, so we could getto it oftener," remarked Frank.

  "Yes, and that would mean every Tom, Dick and Harry would fish, so thesport must soon be ruined."

  "You're right in that. Are you paddling now?"

  And so they went on for an hour or two. The sport kept up pretty well,for each of them caught some half-dozen fine bass, though the last fourwere returned to the water because they already had much more than theycould possibly use at one meal.

  "Better get them fresh when we want them," advised Frank.

  Finally they stopped fishing, and paddled to camp, where the restadmired their prizes, and Adolphus eagerly set to work cleaning the samefor dinner. The others had succeeded in throwing quite a lot of brushinto the snake hole, but were not quite ready to set fire to it.

  Dinner was just ready, and the boys, seating themselves, inanticipation of a big treat, when Bluff exclaimed:

  "Somebody coming, yonder, boys! Two of 'em!"

  "It's Sheriff Dodd and one of his deputies. I felt sure we'd seesomething of him before the day was over. Remember what we agreed,fellows," said Frank cautiously, as he watched the tall officer drawingnear.

  As Sheriff Dodd passed under the tree where the "Notice" had been postedthey saw him stop and examine the ground, as though interested. Then hecame on.

  "Hello, boys! Glad to see you having such a bully time. I reckon you'vefound the bass, all right, judging from the smell," he greeted themwith.

  "Plenty for you and your friend, Mr. Dodd. Adolphus told us about yourbeing up here, and I kind of looked to see you pop in; so we had enoughdinner cooked to give you a share. Sit down here, both of you," remarkedFrank, making room.

  "That's nice of you, boys, and I sure appreciate it. Of course we will.Sit down, Bill, right here, and make yourself at home. But, look here,boys, have you missed anything last night?" went on the sheriff,seriously.

  "Missed anything? Why, no, not that we've noticed. What makes you askthat, Mr. Dodd?" questioned Frank.

  "Oh, because I see you've had a thief pretty nigh you. I saw the printof his shoe in the soil over there under that tree. It was made by a_prison_ shoe, and I ought to know the brand, all right," said thesheriff.

  Frank and Jerry exchanged glances. What Mr. Dodd had said only addedstrength to the theory they had formed regarding the relations betweenAndy Lasher and the escaped convict.