CHAPTER XI
TO THE RESCUE!
As Bob had surmised from the sounds that reached him, Alf had not beenlong in striking luck. Shortly after leaving the camp he bagged firstone chicken and then another, and in a short time was lucky enough tobring down a fine jack-rabbit. Then he hastened back to camp, andarrived there just as he heard the sound of Bob's gun in the fardistance.
"I guess I've done the better of the two," he said merrily, as hedisplayed the result of his half-hour's hunt. "That's the first shotthat I've heard from Bob."
"There's no telling. Maybe your friend has shot an elephant!" remarkedMackintosh. "Here, Haggis! Tak' these birds and the beastie from theladdie, and dress them for the spit. There's a fine roasting fire, andwe'll be having dinner all ready by the time Maister Bob gets back. I'mthinking that he's come off second best the day."
"Not much praise to me. If there's nothing to shoot, a fellow can't getmuch of a bag, can he?" remarked Alf generously. He was ready enough tolaugh at his friend in a good-humoured way. It was quite another matter,however, for any other person to cast the slightest sneer at his chum."I was lucky in finding sport right at hand. But when it comes toshooting--a quick aim on the wing or on the run--I can't hold a candleto Arnold. Hark! Did you hear that? He has brought down two, to balancewith my three."
"Young boys give long trail," remarked the half-breed, who was pushingwooden skewers through the birds, preparatory to balancing them onwooden Y's before the fire.
"Too long," grunted the Scotsman. "We can't afford to waste time. I wasmeaning to start off again soon after dinner."
But by the time the birds were ready for eating, and the inevitablecoffee was hot in the billy-tin, there were no signs of the boy'sreturn.
Mackintosh was plainly annoyed.
"I dinna like that sort o' going-on," he grumbled. "Time is time, andif a body doesn't keep to time, there's no knowing what deeficulties mayarise."
But Alf knew his friend better than Mackintosh did. He knew that theexcitement of the chase might result in a little lateness, for no one isperfect in matters of punctuality (or anything else, for that matter)under unusual circumstances. And the lad's anxiety had been graduallyincreasing as the delay had been prolonged, though he said nothingconcerning his feelings until the man offered the remark that ratherdispleased him.
"I don't think it's quite fair to judge a fellow until we know all thereasons," he said with keen resentment. "Bob is not the chap to forgetother people. There's not a bit of selfishness about him."
"Yet I'm thinking that the silly laddie _has_ forgotten this time,though, mind you, I'm no' saying that he's o' a selfish make," returnedMackintosh a little more gently, seeing how his previous words had hurtAlf. "I ken fine that boys will be boys----"
"And Bob is--Bob--one of the best fellows that ever lived. Listen!What's that?"
The boy had suddenly started and bent forward with intent listening,for his quick ear had caught the sound of two shots fired in rapidsuccession. They were very distant sounds, but still, far away as theywere, the clear Western air enabled them to reach distinctly across thedistance.
"That's Bob's gun! I know its voice!" the lad exclaimed; and hardly werethe words uttered before two more shots were heard--equally distant yetequally clear.
"That's queer----" began Mackintosh thoughtfully, when Alf interruptedhim by springing up from the ground where he had been sitting, andexclaiming in troubled excitement--
"Queer? It means that Bob is in danger. See! There it is again!"
Two more shots were heard, followed in a short time by another double.
By this time Mackintosh was thoroughly roused. His backwoods experiencetold him what a chum's sympathy had already gathered, that no freak ofsporting opportunities would cause these shots to be fired at suchregular intervals. They could mean nothing else but a signal ofdistress.
"Come, Haggis!" he said in steady tones that showed how ready he wasfor any emergency. "Leave those birds, and set your best foot forward.There's tracking to be done, and that right quickly."
Picking up his rifle and bidding Alf take his gun, Mackintosh at oncemade a move towards that part of the bush where Bob had last been seen.Haggis and the dog Bannock quickly followed, and the former moved withall the quiet swiftness of a native who was used to meeting theunexpected emergencies of life without being in any degree flustered.That life had many times been in danger, and its safety had only beenattained by being in a constant state of readiness.
By instinctive acknowledgment of the presence of a superior craftsman,the two white men yielded the place of leader to Haggis, who quicklydiscovered the tracks that Bob's progress had left behind. The imprintof a rabbit's foot would not have escaped notice from such eyes as thoseof the half-breed, who had been trained in all forest lore from hisbabyhood. Hence it was mere child's play for him to pick up the track oftop-boots, as well as the traces that had been made by the displacementof grasses and thorns.
Meantime the distant shots were continued at intervals, until Holdencounted twenty in all.
Poor boy! It was little to be wondered at that he urged Haggis to presson with greater speed, for now he was certain that his chum must be in aterrible fix, out from which there was no self-help. He would hardlywaste cartridges so recklessly were he not in some dire extremity.
"For goodness' sake, hurry!" the boy exclaimed, for even the rapidwalking in Indian file was all too slow for the patience of one who waspressing to the rescue of his friend.
But the half-breed did not change the pace.
"We step enough quick for bush-track," he said, without turning. "We no'wish lose track. On prairie we go quick--run; but in bush slow."
"The Haggis is right," completed Mackintosh, whose position was third inthe procession. "It's no' good to be too quick. We might lose the trail,and that would mean a vexatious delay to find it again."
Alf was forced to acknowledge the truth of the reasoning, though it wasa hard task for him to curb the desire to make a mad dash forward andtake his chance of keeping in the right track.
Then the half-breed stopped for a few moments and bent low to examinethe ground and the surrounding scrub.
"What is it?" questioned Holden. "Have you lost it?"
Haggis shrugged his shoulders.
"Lost? No. Haggis no' lose track. But he find others--deer. White boyshoot deer, but no kill. Deer jump--run--white boy followquick--there--there!"
As he spoke the half-breed rapidly pointed at the various signs that hehad interpreted. They were plain enough to the native eye, and in alesser degree to the sight of the Scotsman. But Alf's inexperience couldonly distinguish an occasional displacement of the undergrowth, thoughhe was well content to rely on the opinions of those who were moreversed than he in woodcraft.
Again the rescuers hastened onwards, with Bannock bringing up the rear,and when at last they came to a part of the bush where the trees weresomewhat fewer, Haggis suddenly stopped and pointed straight in front ofhim, exclaiming the one sound--
"Ha!"
Holden was at the native's side in an instant.
"What is it? Where? What do you see?" he exclaimed.
"In middle of grass--see!"
Alf looked, but all that he saw was a head and shoulders that apparentlyrested on the grass without any lower limbs. The poor lad was indeed inthe depth of extremity, and he was almost faint with exhaustion.
"Bob!" cried Holden in an agony of distress, and darted for theclearing.
But he had barely crossed a couple of yards before a pair of stronghands gripped him and kept him from moving.
"No! No! You dare not--" said Mackintosh; but the lad struggledfrantically to free himself from the powerful grip.
"Let me go! Let me go! Can't you see that Bob is lying hurt?" he criedfrantically.
But the hands did not relax their grasp.
"Wait, laddie," said the man's kindly voice. "Wait, or we'll be havingtwo lives to account for. Yon's a muskeg--a living bo
g. It's death tothem that sets a careless foot on yon green grass."
Instantly Alf's struggles ceased, and for the moment he was limp in thearms that supported him. The horror of learning of his friend's plightstruck him dumb and suspended the power to move.
"Come, come, laddie. You mustn't give in. Your friend's life depends onyour strength."
Mackintosh was a man of the world, whose experience enabled him to be agood judge of character. And he well knew the sort of counsel that wouldinevitably stir all that was best in the boy and lend strength to hispluck. He judged rightly, for immediately Alf straightened himself withset lips, steady eyes, and controlled nerves.
"Forgive me," he said quietly. "But it knocked me over to think ofBob--out there."
"I'm no' blaming you, laddie. But you'll need all your strength now, forI think that your friend is past helping himself--or nearly." ThenMackintosh faced the muskeg, and called loudly.
"Hullo! Bob! Can you hear me?"
Very slowly the eyelids were seen to open, the head moved slightly.
"Can you hold out for a bit longer? Can you get a coat under your armsif I send it to you?" were the next questions.
The boy did not answer at once. He seemed dazed, and the man repeatedhis questions.
Then came the answer, spoken weakly and with an apparent great effort.
"I'll try. But--come--quickly----" And the eyes half closed again.
"That's right. Hold on for a wee bit, and we'll have you oot o' thatmess in a jiffy!"
Without pausing to explain his intentions, Mackintosh then quicklystripped off his leather hunting-jacket, emptied the pockets of all thatcould weight it, and called Bannock to his side.
"See, Bannock," he said, "I'm going to tie a sleeve to your collar--likethis. Now you must go over there. Do you see? Right over there wheresomeone needs your help."
He pointed towards Bob as he spoke, and the intelligent collie lookedstraight in the direction indicated. He had often had game pointed outto him in the same way, so quickly understood what was wanted of him.
"Off you go!" his master then commanded. "Off you go--quick--quick!"
The dog needed no second bidding. He sprang forward at once towards thehapless boy, dragging the coat with him.
"Bannock's coming!" shouted Mackintosh. "When he's there, grip the coatand lean on it. He'll no' move when I bid him stay."
"All right," came the faint reply.
The ground that was so treacherous to the heavy boots of the incautioushunter could play no similar tricks with the light tread of the collie,and in a few seconds he had reached the goal.
"Lie down!" the great voice rang out, and the animal immediatelycrouched close to the boy, who had just strength enough left to lay holdof the jacket in such a way that it formed a slight support of atemporary nature, to check further sinking for the time.
But how to draw the boy from the slough? That was the next problem.
Alf turned questioningly to the Scotsman.
"Get to work and break off as many branches as you can," was the replyto the look. "Haggis, you've got your tomahawk? Well, cut down a lot o'these straight poplars. I'll give a hand to the laddie."
It was not long before the sharp axe had laid prone a number of youngpoplars and partly lopped them, while Mackintosh and Alf had torn down anumber of maple and other leafy branches that would lie fairly flat.These were gathered to the edge of the muskeg.
"You're no' feared to take a bit o' risk for your friend's sake?" theman then asked, turning a look of confidence to the boy.
"Afraid?" echoed Alf contemptuously. "Tell me what to do, and--well, I'dgive my life for Bob!"
"That's as it should be," returned Mackintosh approvingly. "'Greaterlove hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for hisfriend.' I would offer to do this myself, only I'm a great heavy gowk,and Haggis is no' much better. But you're light as a feather comparedwith us. Now we'll put two o' these poles like the sides o' a ladder;then some o' the branches cross-ways. And you'll go out and buildfarther as we hand them to you. Can you do this?"
"Of course," replied Alf firmly.
"And don't hurry. Work sure and steady. The turf will stand the weightwith only you on it. And when you reach Bob, you'll spread the branchesall round. The rest I leave to you."
To Alf it seemed hours before even the first section of the ladder wascompleted, but he did his best to control his impatience, knowing wellthe value of Mackintosh's advice; and at last came the moment of joywhen he was ready for the second poles to project from the ends of thefirst ones, and a fresh supply of branches. But it was a tediousundertaking at the best, made doubly so by anxiety to reach the end; foreach time the supply of building material was exhausted he had to creepback for more, as the men dared not trust their weight far from the edgeof the muskeg.
All this time Bob was watching the work as a starving man feasts hiseyes upon the nearness of food and drink.
Now and then Alf spoke encouraging words, but he did not relax hisenergies, nor did the sufferer make answer except once, when he stirredhimself to say pluckily--
"It's--all--right, Alf. I can--hold out--for--some time----"
Yet when the younger lad once glanced ahead of him, the cold sweat brokeout over his body, for he saw that his chum had sunk yet farther, andthat the weight was dragging down the dog as well.
"I'm coming, Bob! I'll be very soon now!" the lad forced himself to callcheerily.
And, oh! the joy of that moment when at last the bridge was completed,and Alf could bend down to grip his exhausted chum beneath the arms!
"Be careful!" called Mackintosh. "Don't jerk. Pull steady!"
Inch by inch Alf felt the mud release its hold upon its prey, as hestrained every ounce of strength to drag his friend from the clammygrip. It was a tremendous effort, for the boy was slight, and the holdof the muskeg added weight to Bob's by no means slender bulk. But atlast Arnold's arms were clear, and in time he was dragged so far that hecould rest his breast upon the structure.
Then Alf paused for breath. But he did not delay long. He set his teethand once more resumed his task. Then he made the woods ring with atriumphant "Eureka!" for Bob lay safe upon the bridge!
Bannock barked for joy also, and struggled up to scamper back to hismaster.
"Just in the nick of time! You've saved my life!" muttered Bobgratefully, when he recovered a little of his strength after a shortrest.
Alf's reply was characteristic.
"You'll take a deal of washing, old man, before you're fit for decentsociety again!"
The warmth of the sun soon restored some of the old energy to thechilled body, and after a time Bob recovered sufficiently to crawl tosafety in the wake of his rescuer.
And when solid land was regained poor old Mackintosh was fairly cryingwith joy.
"Lads, lads! but God's been kind to us this day!" he was saying, whilethe tears ran down his manly, weather-beaten cheeks. Then he made alllaugh by suddenly starting with a look of horror in his face as heexclaimed--
"Ma conscience! But the birds will be burnt to cinders by this time!"
The Fiery Totem Page 11