by Quincy Allen
CHAPTER IX
FRANK HAS HIS TURN
"Oh, humbug! There are other knives," remarked Frank cheerily.
"Not like that one," said Bluff dismally.
"No doubt Mr. Mabie will lend you a good one while you're here."
"Yes, he's awfully kind, but it wouldn't be that knife," groaned thebereaved Bluff.
"When do you remember seeing it last?" demanded Frank, as a suspiciondarted into his brain that was connected with Jerry.
On one of their former camping trips Jerry had professed to entertain adecided antipathy toward a repeating shotgun of modern make that Bluffhad bought. He declared that it was a shame for one who called himself asportsman to handle so destructive a weapon. When a chance came, he hidthe gun in a box that held some of their superfluous things. Later, upontrying to find it, in order to give it back, he learned that it wasmissing, and Bluff had to go without his gun until the hunt was nearlyover, when it was discovered in the woods, where the thief had droppedit.
Frank wondered if Jerry was concerned in the mysterious vanishing of thewonderful hunting-knife. He had laughed at its tremendous proportionsand ornate handle. Still, it did not seem reasonable to believe thatJerry would be guilty of a second trick along those same lines.
"I was trying to remember. You know we were showing our things to thegirls?"
"Yes, I believe we were," smiled Frank; for he could still see Bluffflourishing his precious knife, sheath and all, for the entertainment ofNellie.
"Well, I can't remember for the life of me seeing it again after that.You know we packed in a big hurry in the morning. I may have laid itaside, intending that it would go in on top, and then overlooked it.Such a fool play, too, when that was the prize of the whole collection!"groaned Bluff.
"And you've looked over the whole outfit here, have you?" Frankcontinued, surveying the piled-up mess of stuff.
"Yes; three separate times. Oh, there's no getting around it, I've madea goose of myself, and you know how I wanted to use that trusty bladeso much. Of course, I won't think of moping in my tent. I'll borrow aknife, and perhaps it will do me good service; but nothing can ever takethe place of that beautiful piece of steel."
"Well, let's get these things in something like order before the boyscome in. Sort out what belongs to you, and chuck the balance of yourextra clothes in your own bag, for I see that you've had most of themout"
"Yes. I even wondered if I could have stuck that knife in among my othershirts and underclothes, but it isn't there. I'll have to stand it, butyou fellows will never know what a loss this is to me. Coming all thisdistance, too, just to get a chance to use it on an elk, or somethingworth while."
Frank thought that if Bluff had his way his mates would at least neverhave a chance to forget about his great loss, for he was apt to remindthem of it every little while.
Will now came bustling in, anxious to ascertain if his little developingoutfit came through safely, together with his packages of hypo and othernecessities.
It was decided to put in that day around the ranch seeing how Mr. Mabieran his business. Then on the following morning a party of themintended to set out for a camp in the mountains, where game wouldlikely be found.
"We'll occupy three camps I have in view. From the first we can go tothe second by taking several bullboats that will be waiting for us, andshooting the rapids in the river. That would be an experience you boysmight enjoy," remarked the stockman as they rode around the valley toget a comprehensive grasp upon the way in which this enterprisingsettler carried on a big cattle ranch.
Reddy seemed to have been picked out by the owner to keep with them.Frank was glad of this, for somehow he had come to entertain a fancy forthe smiling young cowboy.
"Rapids, did you say?" exclaimed Jerry, his face lighting up withrapture. "Why, that would tickle us from the ground up. I've alwayswanted to run through some little Niagara. Frank, here, has done it upin Maine, so he tells us. I hope what you have will beat his experienceall hollow."
"Well, they are some rapids, I understand," replied the other, smiling.
"And if I could only be on the shore, to see you shoot down, it wouldafford me the greatest pleasure in the world. Not that I don't want togo through, too, but my first duty is toward securing all thesewonderful events in an imperishable way by taking a picture. Somescoffers may doubt a story, but pictures never lie."
"That shows your innocence, Will," remarked Jerry. "Why, I've seenfellows standing beside the fish they caught, which I knew myself to beonly ten inches long, and yet the cunning photographer had arranged itso that it looked all of two feet."
"I'm surprised that you, with all your experience, shouldn't know that,"said Frank, pretending to frown.
"You mistook my meaning, that's all. What I intended to say was that_my_ pictures would never lie," affirmed Will sturdily.
"Hear! hear! Somebody rub him on the back, please! But joking aside,Will, I'm ready to back you up on that score. The only fault I find withyou is your ambition to take a fellow in every pickle he happens to dropinto," and Jerry made a wry face as he remembered a number of scenes inwhich he had figured, that were wont to excite his chums to uproariouslaughter at such times as they looked at the faithful reproductions intheir album at the clubhouse.
In this pleasant way the day passed, and evening found them eager tocomplete their preparations for the morrow. Mr. Mabie answered everyquestion fired at him by the anxious young sportsmen, especially Bluff,who wanted to know everything connected with the game they expected tohunt.
"He's trying to forget his great disappointment," said Frank as he andJerry watched the other plying Mr. Mabie with these queries; for Bluffwas the son of a lawyer, and would never take things for granted.
"What's that?" asked Jerry, for no one had been told about the loss thathad come to Bluff.
"Can't find that knife of his anywhere, it seems, and believes he musthave left it behind. He was looking mighty blue when I found him in theroom, with all our stuff tumbled, pell-mell, out of the trunk."
Frank eyed his chum as he spoke. Jerry turned a little red.
"Not guilty, Frank! I give you my word I never touched the measly oldknife. I'm sorry for him, too, for he seemed so bent on doing greatstunts with it. I'll take a look myself," he said hastily, and yetmeeting his chum's gaze in such a straightforward fashion that Franknever doubted his word for an instant.
"No use doing that. He rooted the whole outfit over. The knife is gone,and that's sure! I've been thinking some about it."
"And had a bright idea, I warrant. What's your solution of themystery?"
"Why, you see, Jerry, I can clearly recollect Nellie's startled lookwhen Bluff showed her that terribly large knife. She's afraid of suchthings. I'm sure she must have worried some about it, and I wasthinking--"
"What?"
"That perhaps she may have considered it prudent to hide it away so thathe couldn't find it again. I believe she would in my case, anyhow. Itwould be just like Nellie."
"Oh, well, it doesn't matter much, only Bluff is such a fellow to hangon a thing he'll never give us any peace about it. Have you asked Will?"said Jerry.
"No. I will, though; but I don't think he would bother his head about adozen knives. If it were a camera, now, or a rapid-action rectilinearlens, you could depend on him to take notice."
Frank was as good as his word. Will denied having touched the article inquestion, and said he was sorry to hear Bluff would be deprived of apleasure.
And so for the time being the mystery remained such, with Bluffoccasionally digging into that trunk in a vain search, and alwayssighing mournfully because he failed to bring the lost treasure tolight.
The boys bunked in one big room. It was very much like a picnic forthem, and would often bring back pleasant memories whenever they lookedat the rather clever view Will managed to get of the interior, with hischums and himself lolling there.
In the morning there was pretty much of a bustle around the ranch h
ouse.
"Ready, boys?" called Mr. Mabie, as he appeared with his gun strappedacross his back, as the easiest way of carrying it.
A chorus of affirmatives greeted his question.
"Then mount, and we'll be off. They've gone on ahead last night with thetents and foodstuff, so that we'll find things in pretty much shipshapewhen we get on the ground."
"Say, they do things right out in this big country, eh?" said Bluff toFrank as the two of them galloped off in company.
The morning was fair and the air sharp enough to be bracing.
"Never saw anything to equal the atmosphere here," remarked Frank astheir host came alongside. "There seems to be a tonic in it that even wedo not have up in Maine or the Adirondacks. It makes you feel likeshouting all the time."
"Everybody says the same when they first come. Presently you will growaccustomed to its invigorating tone, and quiet down. It is caused by thedry air. We are a long way from the Atlantic, and these mighty mountainsto the west act as a buffer to the moisture-laden air from the Pacific."
Crossing the valley, they were soon penetrating among the foothills atthe base of the great uplifts, the tops of which bore eternal snow.
Wilder grew the scenery as they penetrated deeper into the wilderness.Frank and his chums were almost awed by the grandeur of theirsurroundings. At the same time, Jerry kept an eager eye on the watch forsigns of game. The sportsman spirit was strong in his nature, andgenerally forged to the front.
It was Frank, however, who first chanced to spy something that excitedhis attention.
"What is that moving up yonder, Mr. Mabie? There! Look! I declare if itdidn't jump straight across from that high rock to the other! Is that aRocky Mountain sheep, sir?" he asked.
"Just what it is, my lad; and if you feel inclined, there is a chancefor you to get a shot at it," came the quick reply.
"I would like it, first rate," declared Frank, immediately changing hisrifle from his back to his hands.
"All right, then. Listen, and I'll tell you how it may be done. We'llrest our horses right here, for the last climb over this rough ridge tothe bank of the swift river lying between. You drop down here and makeyour way along until you can get a chance to shoot. It will be a longshot, remember, so make allowances; and the wind is with you, notagainst you."
"I'll try my best, sir," said Frank, slipping off his horse.
"Be very careful as you crawl along, for a slip might cost you yourlife," were the last words he heard the stockman say as he began todescend the little declivity in order to make his way along its base, soas to remain concealed from the quarry.
Frank was careful as well as quick in his movements. Again and again hepeeped out to see what the mountain sheep was doing. So far as he couldlearn, the animal seemed to be centering its attention on the caravanthat had halted. Three times it moved its position, and once he was justin time to see it make a most dazzling leap, which he hoped Will mighthave caught with his quick-action lens.
Finally, having gained a place where he had a fine view of the animalstanding there across the gorge, Frank sank down so as to get a goodaim. Not quite satisfied, he crawled forward a little further, and thenproceeded to put his fortune to the test.
Never had he calculated more exactly just how he should aim in order tobring the success he craved. When he pressed the trigger he was thrilledto see the mountain sheep give a wild spring into the air and then fallover the edge of the platform. This time its spring lacked the buoyancyof life, and Frank knew that his bullet had reached its billet.
But he had no time to exult, for as he moved he felt the ground slippingfrom under him, and realized that nothing could interpose to prevent hisfalling into the deep gorge!