CHAPTER IV
HELD UP
Once more, as though unwilling to admit that it was conquered, the trainbacked up and then made a forward dash. But the result was the same. Thesnorting monster seemed to give up the struggle, and stood puffing andwheezing, with the steam hissing and great volumes of smoke rising fromthe stack.
"We're blocked," cried Bobby.
"It must be that we've got to the gulch," observed Fred.
"A pretty kettle of fish," grumbled Pee Wee.
"We're up against it for fair, I guess," admitted Mouser. "But let's getout and see how bad the trouble is."
The boys joined the procession of passengers going down the aisle andjumped off the steps of the car into a pile of snow beside the trackthat came up to their knees. Pee Wee, who as usual was last, lost hisbalance as he sprang, and went head over heels into a drift. Hislaughing comrades helped him to his feet.
"Wallowing like a porpoise," grinned Fred.
"You went into that snow as if you liked it," chuckled Bobby.
"Lots of sympathy from you boobs," grumbled Pee Wee, as he brushed thesnow from his face and hair.
"Lots of that in the dictionary," sang out Mouser. "But come ahead,fellows, and see what's doing."
The others waded after Mouser until they stood abreast of thelocomotive.
It was a scene of wintry desolation that lay stretched before theireyes. As far as they could see, they could make out little but the whiteblanket of snow, above which the trees tossed their black and leaflessbranches. Paths and fences were blotted out, and except for the thincolumn of smoke that rose from a farmhouse half a mile away, they mighthave been in an uninhabited world of white.
"Looks like Snowtop, sure enough," muttered Mouser, as he looked around.
The conductor and the engineer, together with the trainmen, had gatheredin a little group near the engine, and the boys edged closer in order tohear what they were saying.
"It's no use," the grizzled old engineer was remarking. "The jig's up asfar as Seventy-three is concerned. I tried to get the old girl to buckthe drifts, but she couldn't do it."
The boys thought it was no wonder that Seventy-three had gone on strike,as they noted that her cowcatcher was buried while the drift rose higherthan her stack.
"It's too bad," rejoined the conductor, shaking his head in a perplexedfashion. "I've been worrying about the gulch ever since it came on tosnow so hard. It wouldn't have mattered so much if it hadn't been forthe wind. That's slacked up some now, but the damage is done already."
"What are you going to do, boss?" asked one of the trainmen.
"You'll have to go back to the last station and wire up to the Junctionfor them to send the snow-plough down and clear the track," respondedthe conductor. "Get a hustle on now and ask them to send it along in ahurry."
The trainman started back at as fast a pace as the snow permitted, andthe engineer climbed back into his cab to get out of the wind whilewaiting for help. The conductor started back for the smoking car, and ashe went past, Bobby ventured to speak to him.
"How long do you think we'll have to wait here?" he inquired.
"No telling, sonny," the conductor answered. "Perhaps a couple of hours,maybe longer. It all depends on how soon they can get that snow-ploughdown to us."
He passed on and Mouser gave a low whistle.
"Scubbity-_yow_!" cried Fred, giving vent to his favorite exclamation."Two long hours in this neck of the woods!"
"And nothing to eat in sight," groaned Pee Wee.
"I wish I'd let Meena put up that lunch for us this morning," said Bobbyregretfully. "My mother wanted me to bring one along, but I was in ahurry and counted on getting something to eat at the railroad lunchstation."
"What are we going to do?" moaned Pee Wee.
"Fill up on snowballs," suggested Mouser heartlessly.
Pee Wee glared at him.
"I'm almost as bad as Pee Wee," said Fred. "I feel as empty as though Ihadn't had anything to eat for a week. I could eat the bark off a tree."
"I tell you what, fellows," suggested Bobby, who was usually the leaderwhen it came to action; "what do you say to going over to that farmhouseand trying to buy something to eat? I don't think they'd let us go awayhungry."
They followed the direction of his pointing finger, and new hope sprangup in them.
"But it's an awful long way off," objected Pee Wee, whose fear ofexertion was only second to his love of eating.
"Have you got another stone bruise on your foot?" asked Mousersarcastically.
This was a standing joke among the boys. Whenever Pee Wee hung back froma walk or a run, he usually put forth the excuse of a stone bruise thatmade him lame for the time.
"No, I haven't any stone bruise," Pee Wee rapped back at him, "but howdo you know I didn't bark my shins when I had that tumble a few minutesago?"
He put on a pained look which might have deceived those who did not knowhim so well. But the steady stare of his comrades was too much for himto stand without wilting, and he had to join rather sheepishly in thelaugh that followed.
"You stay here then, Pee Wee, while we go over and get something toeat," suggested Fred. "We'll ask the farmer to bring you over somethingon a gold tray. He'll be glad to do it."
"Oh, cut it out," grinned Pee Wee. "Go ahead and I'll follow."
"Foxy boy, isn't he?" chuckled Fred. "He wants us to break out the pathso that it will be easier for him."
"I'd rather have Pee Wee go ahead," remarked Mouser. "He'd be betterthan any snow plough."
With chaff and laughter they started out, Bobby leading the way and therest following in single file. They had pulled their caps down overtheir ears and buttoned their coats tightly about their necks. Luckilyfor them the wind had moderated, although the snow still kept falling,but more lightly than before.
They did not do much talking, for they needed all their breath to maketheir way through the drifts. As they had no path to guide them, theymade straight across the fields, bumping every now and then into a fencethat they had to climb. They were pretty well winded and panting hardwhen at last they reached the fence that bounded the spacious dooryardin front of the farmhouse.
A big black dog came bounding down to the gate barking ferociously. Theboys took comfort from the fact that the fence was high and that the dogwas too big and heavy to leap over it.
"He's glad to see us--I don't think," said Fred.
"Seems to have a sweet disposition," muttered Pee Wee.
"Let Mouser get to talking to him," suggested Bobby. "He'll tame himdown in no time."
Mouser, somewhat flattered, stepped forward. He had gained his nicknamebecause he had a number of mice which he had taught to do all sorts ofclever tricks. His fondness extended to all animals, and he had theremarkable power over them with which some people are gifted. No matterhow savage or frightened they might be, they seemed to yield to hischarm.
It did not fail him now. He muttered some words soothingly to the dog,whose barking grew feebler. Soon it stopped altogether, and in anotherminute or two the brute was wagging his tail and poking his muzzlethrough the rails of the fence for Mouser to pat him.
It was almost uncanny, and the boys held their breath as they watchedthe transformation.
"It's all right now," said Mouser, lifting the latch of the gate. "Comealong, fellows."
"Gee whiz!" exclaimed Bobby. "How do you do it?"
"You ought to be with a circus," said Fred in undisguised admiration."You'd make a dandy lion tamer."
Mouser was elated at the tribute, but accepted it modestly enough, andled the way up to the house, the dog prancing along with them in themost friendly manner.
As they reached the door and were about to knock, it was opened, and amotherly looking woman appeared on the threshold. There was anexpression of anxiety on her face.
"Down, Tiger, down," she cried. Then as she saw the evident pleasure ofthe brute in t
he boys' company, her worried expression changed to one ofsurprise.
"Mercy on us!" she exclaimed. "I was afraid the dog would eat you up.He's awfully savage, but we keep him on account of there being so manytramps around. I was upstairs when I heard him barking, and I hurrieddown as fast as I could, for I was sure he'd bite you if you came insidethe gate."
"Oh, Tiger's a good friend of mine, aren't you, Tiger?" laughed Mouser,as he stooped to caress the dog.
Tiger licked his hand.
"Well, I never saw anything like it," said their hostess. "I just can'tunderstand it. But here I am keeping you standing outside when you mustbe half perished with the cold," she went on with quick sympathy. "Comeright inside and get warm before you say another word."
She led the way into a bright, cheerful sitting room, where there was abig wood fire blazing on the hearth. She bustled around and saw thatthey were comfortably seated before the fire. Then Bobby explained theirerrand.
"I suppose we're sort of tramps ourselves," he said with the winningsmile that always gained for him instant liking. "But we were on thetrain and it got stalled over there in the gulch on account of the snow.We hadn't brought any lunch with us and we thought we'd come over hereand see if we could buy something to eat."
"You poor starved boys!" she exclaimed with as ready a sympathy asthough she had been the mother of them all. "Of course you can have allyou want to eat. It's too early for dinner yet, as Mr. Wilson--that's myhusband--went to town this morning and will be a little late in gettingback. But I'll get up something for you right away. You just sit hereand get warmed through and I'll have it on the table in a jiffy."
"Don't go to too much trouble," put in Bobby. "Anything will do."
She was off at once, and they heard the cheerful clatter of pans anddishes in the adjoining kitchen.
The boys stretched out luxuriously before the fire and looked at eachother in silent ecstasy.
"Talk about luck," murmured Mouser.
"All we want to eat," repeated Pee Wee.
"She didn't know you when she said that," chaffed Fred. "I don't believethere's enough in the house to fill that contract."
"Pee Wee will have to go some to get ahead of me," chimed in Bobby.
A savory odor was soon wafted in from the kitchen. Pee Wee sat boltupright and sniffed.
"Say, fellows! do you smell that?" he asked. "If I'm dreaming, don'twake me up."
"It's no dream," Mouser assured him. "It's something a good sight morereal than that."
Before long the door opened to reveal the smiling face of Mrs. Wilson.
"All ready, boys," she announced cheerily. "Come right along."