CHAPTER VIII
A PERIL THAT LAY IN WAIT
IT was an hour and more after the surveying party had trooped forth,bearing their paraphernalia for a good afternoon's work, when Elmerhappened to remember something. He was himself getting ready to takeanother tramp, though in a different direction than his morning strolltook him.
"Seems to me, George," he remarked, casually, "I've heard you say youliked honey pretty well?"
George stopped fretting over what he was doing, and licked his lips atthe mere mention of the word "honey."
"Finest stuff that ever was made; that is, when you get the realarticle, and none of that sugar-water imitation some bee-keepers put onthe market nowadays, which tastes as insipid as mucilage. Yum! yum!makes my mouth water when I think of all the good times I used to havewhen we kept bees. But father had the misfortune to upset a hive, andgot so badly stung that he bundled the lot off at a bargain price to anold farmer. But what makes you speak of it now, Elmer? Just totantalize me, because that was one of the things I had Rufus put on hislist and he forgot to get, worse luck."
"Oh! I only wanted to say that perhaps we may find a chance while we'reup here to lay in a store of luscious honey, if we have half-way goodluck, George."
"Does that farmer keep bees, and do you mean some of us can take a runback to his place to buy a bucket of comb?" asked George, eagerly.
"Better than that," chuckled Elmer. "I've noticed a great many wild beesworking in the flowers, and I think I can track them to their woodshive. Once we find where they hold out, it won't be hard to chop thetree down, and take our fill of the newest stores."
"A splendid idea, Elmer, I give you my word if it isn't!" cried theother, looking greatly pleased. "It certainly takes you to think up finethings. And when you start to follow the honey-makers home, please letme go along. I've always wanted to see how that dodge is worked."
"We'll all be on deck," the scout-master assured him; "for aboveeverything else I want the tenderfoot squad to learn a practical lessonon how easy it is for an experienced woodsman to find his bread andbutter and sweets by using his brains instead of hard cash. But we'lllay our plans tonight while we sit around the fire."
"Off for another tramp now, are you, Elmer?" George continued, as he sawthe other pick up his handy stick again.
"Well, yes; I don't like to waste such a glorious day; and there'sreally nothing for me to do around camp, since you've taken the run ofthings in your hands."
"Going off to see that wonderful child fiddler again. I suppose, Elmer?"
"You guessed wrong that time, George, because I've laid out to followafter our civil engineering party, and see how Rufus is getting on withhis work. He certainly is in love with it; and his father will be unwiseif he doesn't encourage the boy in every way possible. I tell you, ahost of fellows have made failures of their lives because their parentsinsisted on their taking up some profession they hated."
"Just so, Elmer," chirped George, "a case of round pegs in square holes,so to speak. And when I get to the point of choosing what I want to beas a man, I hope my folks won't force me to go contrary to my liking."
Knowing George's stubborn qualities, Elmer could easily guess that theRobbins tribe would have a pretty hard task of it bending _him_ to theirwill. However, he did not say this, not wishing to either offend Georgeor arouse his argumentative powers, but started forth on his tramp.
"'Course you'll just keep an eye on their trail, won't you, Elmer?" thecamp-guardian called out after him.
"It would be silly to try any other way, George," he was told.
So Elmer went on. The tracks left by the three surveyors could hardlyhave been overlooked, even by the veriest greenhorn at trailing, forthey had none of them made the least attempt to hide their footprints.So Elmer had an easy task of it, and indeed could employ his extra timein observing many things around him.
He saw the mother rabbit start out of the bunch of grass where doubtlessher offspring lay hidden, and with halting steps act as though badlyinjured. Elmer laughed, and clapped his hands as though in keenappreciation for her cleverness.
"The same old trick birds and small animals always play when they wantto lure a trespasser away from their nest," he told himself; "byendangering themselves in the desire to save their young. She coaxes meto rush after her, so as to wean me away from her brood. If I startedshe'd go off a little farther, and then stop once more to coax me onagain. I've seen a hen partridge do the same thing, fluttering along theground as if with a broken wing. Now just for fun let's see if I'm notright."
He had carefully noted the exact spot where the mother rabbit firstappeared, and stepping over that way parted the tall grass. Instantlythere was a hurried scurrying, as a number of small but nimblehalf-grown rabbits darted this way and that, as if greatly frightened.
"Don't kill yourselves trying to escape, little bunnies," said Elmer,greatly amused; "because I wouldn't harm a single hair of your prettybodies. But I tell you the thousand-and-one lessons that a fellow canlearn from Nature's big book ought to be enough to make every boy wantto become a scout, and take up the study of outdoor life. There'ssomething fresh and new every day one lives."
By then the devoted mother rabbit had vanished, doubtless filled withconsternation over the dispersal of her brood, which she would have tocall together in some fashion of her own. So Elmer walked on, observingmany other interesting things as he proceeded, for his eyes were ever onthe alert when he went into the woods and cruised on the waters.
He guessed that he must be gradually drawing up on his three chums, foroccasionally he caught the sound of a halloo, as though there might bean exchange of signals between Rufus and his stakeman, who went on aheadto assist him. Lil Artha probably prowled along near by, seeing thingsfor himself, and with not a great deal of interest in the prosaicoperations of the surveyors.
Suddenly Elmer heard loud excited voices. He believed be caught thevoice of Lil Artha saying, "Steady, Rufus, don't move on yourlife--steady, boy!"
Then came a loud report. Elmer knew that it was the discharge of thelanky scout's gun. He was already plunging forward as fast as he couldgo when this sound came to his startled ears. The others were close by,for he could now hear their excited voices.
A minute later, and Elmer, still on the full run, burst through athicket, and discovered the three boys. Lil Artha had his gun halfraised to his shoulder, as if doubtful whether the newcomer would proveto be a friend or an enemy; and with true scout preparedness not meaningto be taken off his guard. But on sighting Elmer, of course he loweredhis weapon.
Rufus was standing there, looking as "white as a ghost," and tremblingas if he had the ague. Alec grasped his small ax, and seemed quite readyto use the same. Something twisted and squirmed upon the ground, and asElmer looked, his horrified gaze made out an enormous rattlesnake thatseemed to have part of its head shot away. The chilling sound of itsrattles was what Elmer had thought to be the "chill" of a buzzing locustupon some neighboring tree.
In another moment Elmer was alongside Rufus.
"Don't tell me the thing struck you, Rufus?" he ejaculated, himself palewith apprehension.
"It's all right, Elmer," said Lil Artha, soothingly. "Nobody hurt theleast mite, I give you my word. But if Rufus hadn't had the good senseto stand still when I called out, I really believe the critter wouldhave struck at him. And it was close enough to make a hit, too."
"I don't deserve any credit, fellows, indeed I don't!" said Rufus,truthfully. "I was so scared that I seemed frozen stiff. Why, I couldn'thave moved hand or foot for all the money in the world. Guess that'swhat they mean when they say a rattler charms people."
"It may be so," Lil Artha went on to say, "but I've known one to getbirds to flutter within reach, just as if there was something magical inthe whirr of that buzz rattle at the end of its tail. After all, I guessit was lucky that I _did_ conclude to fetch my gun along this afternoon.The boys were laughing at me in the morning for lugging it when I didn'tm
ean to fire a shot at any game. But say, a measly rattler hasn't anyclose season; he's a fit object for business, summer or fall."
"You made a cracking fine shot, Lil Artha," commented Elmer, afterstepping closer to observe the result of the other's quick aim.
"Oh! middling, middling, partner," chuckled the tall scout, modestly; "Ioughtn't to be proud of it; but then I own up I was some rattled forfear Rufus would move, and make the snake shoot forward with that poisedflat head of his. But I stopped his fun all right, which ought to beenough for me."
"But how d'ye suppose I missed the fearsome de-il?" asked Alec,wonderingly.
"Oh! I happened to step aside while getting my bearings for that lastsight," explained the trembling Rufus, "and must have drawn too nearwhere the viper was coiled up for defense. First thing I knew washearing what I took to be the whirr of a locust. Then I looked down andsaw it! After that I seemed to turn to ice. I heard Lil Artha coming,and afterwards he said something. When he fired I nearly fell over,thinking I had been shot. Oh! I'll never forget my sensations; and afterthis I'm going to keep on the lookout all the time for snakes."
"It pays to be on the watch," assented Elmer. "The fellow who keeps hiseyes about him in the woods is doubly armed. We must drag it back withus, and show George. He said he didn't believe there was any truth inthat farmer's story about rattlesnakes up here. We'll have to show him."
"But, Elmer, supposing it had given me a crack, would I have had to die?Is there any remedy for a rattlesnake's poison?" asked Rufus.
"Oh! we'd have pulled you through all right, depend on it, Rufus," saidLil Artha, taking it upon himself to answer the question. "I'd havesucked the wound in the first place, making sure that I had no scratchor abrasion about my mouth so that I couldn't be infected by the poisonthat I ejected. Then Elmer here, who is a pretty good surgeon when itcomes right down to brass tacks, would have cut into the wound, andafterwards, when it had bled freely, he'd apply some stuff he alwayscarries with him to neutralize the poison. Some people give whiskey, andperhaps it does help; but science and medicine have found a betterremedy."
"Then why are there so many fatal cases of snake bites?" asked Rufus,determined to find out all he could on the subject.
"Well, most of them are neglected too long," Elmer told him. "The personwho has been struck may be alone at the time; or if he has companions,they become panic-stricken, and only think of hurrying the poor chap tothe nearest doctor as fast as they can. That's nearly always the worstthing they could do, for in the time it takes, the deadly poison has hada chance to circulate through the blood, and all the doctors goingcouldn't save the patient."
"That's where first aid to the injured comes in with the scouts," saidLil Artha, proudly. "All boys who wear the khaki are instructed how toact in order to save human life by prompt measures, whether it is incase of near-drowning, snake bite, injury by cutting an artery with anax, swallowing some poisonous toadstool in place of deliciousmushrooms, and a dozen other things too numerous to mention. You'lllearn all about it in good time, Rufus."
"I mean to, Lil Artha, depend on it," the other assured him earnestly."I give you my solemn word here and now that I'll begin right away. Inever want to be taken unawares again, so that I feel as helpless as akitten. I'm going to be aimed and equipped with the book of knowledge. Ican see that it pays compound interest for all your time and trouble."
"Now I'm delighted to hear you say that, Rufus," Lil Artha told him;"and I promise to instruct you at the first opportunity; Alec, too, ifhe is so minded."
"I am verra curious aboot it, and ye can count on me being a listenerwhenever ye begin the lessons. Aye! it would hae been peetiful if Rufushad been struck. I'd hae sucked his wound with ye, Lil Artha, or doneanything else ye asked."
Rufus laid a hand on the Scotch boy's shoulder fondly.
"I'm sure you would, Sandy," he went on to say, for sometimes he usedthat name in speaking to his comrade, though always with affection. "Butafter that fright I guess I'm done working for today. Let's go back tocamp."
No one raised any objections, so they prepared to return. Lil Arthamanaged to fasten a strong cord to the tail of the rattlesnake, whichAlec said he would drag after him. The long-legged scout had alreadyshown the two tenderfeet the cruel looking curved fangs in the partlyshattered head, as well as the sickly, green-hued poison that could bepressed from the sack by using a stick on a certain part of the saidhead. They had been greatly impressed, and likewise shocked to realizewhat a narrow escape both of them had had from near-death.
All the way back the talk was of the hidden perils that lie in wait forunsuspecting passersby in the woods. This ranged from wildcats torattlesnakes and adders and scorpions. Lil Artha seemed to be a "walkingencyclopedia" of knowledge along these lines; part of this he had pickedup through personal experience, and the rest came through extensivereading, or hearing others tell about it. A scout may find scores ofways for learning useful things, if only he cares to bother about doingit.
Later on they approached the camp.
George, who had managed to get through with his numerous odd jobs andwas resting, seemed surprised, to have them come back so soon.
"Huh! guess you got tired of the job quicker'n you expected, Rufus!" hecalled out lazily from his seat on the soft moss under a tree. "All workand no play makes Jack a dull boy, they say. But what in the dickens isthat you're dragging along after you, Alec? Great Scott! a rattler!"
George scrambled to his feet, filled with excitement. His eyes stared atthe four-foot reptile, which still showed signs of life; and Lil Arthahad assured Alec its tail would continue to jerk until sundown, eventhough its head be cut clean off.
"I hope it didn't strike any of you fellows?" George went on to add witha vein of fright in his voice.
The story was quickly told, and the convinced George had to measure thereptile with his tape line, finding it only an inch or two short of fourfeet.
"As big a rattler as I ever saw," Elmer told them. "They have them fivefeet long down in Florida, I understand, those diamond-back fellows; butas I haven't been there I can't say anything about it. For a Northernsnake this one is certainly a whopper."
"Lil Artha has promised to get the rattle for me," remarked Alec. "Rufushad the first choice, but man, he said he'd never sleep easy nichts ifhe had it hangin' on the wall of his room at home, thinking about hisnarrow escape. But it's a verra curious thing to me, and I don't care abawbee about the sound. It wasn't _my_ ox that was gored, ye ken."
George was acting now in something of a mysterious manner. Elmer noticedthis and was looking at the camp-keeper out of the tail of his eye, asthough trying to guess what was in the wind. He felt certain thatGeorge had a secret of some kind or other, which he was holding back,just for the satisfaction it gave him.
Lil Artha was an observing chap, as we happen to know; and before longhe too noticed the same thing. This, however, was after he had seenElmer observing George closely, with a line across his forehead thattold of a puzzled mind.
The tall scout was not the one to bother himself about trying to solve athing when there was a short cut to the answer. He believed that thebest way to get at the meat in a cocoanut was to smash the shell.
"Here, what's brewing with you, George?" he suddenly demanded, facingthe other.
George grinned, and then hastened to say:
"What makes you ask that, Lil Artha?"
"Because I know right well you've got something of a surprise up yoursleeve, and you're aching to spring it on us. What have you been doingsince we left camp? Now don't you squirm, and try to keep us in thedark. Own up, George, and tell us."
So George, seeing there was no escape, apparently, determined to let the"cat out of the bag."