CHAPTER XXIV.
TO BEARD THE TIGER IN HIS DEN.
"Sure you can go, Jim; and what's more, I'd like to take the tramp withyou, if it's agreeable to you!"
Jim Hasty, the guide, swallowed something in his throat, when he heardThad say these words, for he was plainly much affected.
He had come in a hesitating way to ask as a favor that, since the scoutswere now settled for a few days in camp on the lake shore, could he bespared to make the run through the pine forests to where the wellremembered cabin of Old Cale Martin stood, from which he had carriedLittle Lina away, after her father had positively refused to even hearof their marriage.
"It's mighty kind o' yeou tew say thet, an' I feel it, I swan," hefinally stammered, as he managed to thrust out his brown hand, and takethat of the boy which had been so impulsively offered to him.
"Why," Thad went on, heartily, "you know, Jim, I'm as much interested inthis matter between you and Cale Martin as can be. And I'm just bound tosee you through. I heard what one of those men told you about Cale goingoff to his cabin, so's to try and keep away from temptation, while JimHasty was around the neighborhood. He'd sworn to pin your ears to atree, and feared that he'd up and do it, if he had the chance. Somethingbetter inside Old Cale was a tuggin' away at his hard old heart; andJim; you and I know what it is."
The short guide nodded his head violently, while his eyes glittered.
"Pore ole dad, he wants tew see his leetle gal ther wust kind, an' it'sjest his consarned pride as keeps him frum knucklin' right down, an'ownin' he war wrong. Thet's what I sez in ther fust place. I jest knowedhe dassen't raise a hand tew hurt me, as he threatened, 'cause Linakeers fur even ther leetle finger o' my hand; an' she war ther apple o'his eye. An' shore I feels as it's agoin' tew be awl right, ef so be Ikin on'y git a few words wid ther ole man, face tew face."
"And you shall, if I can help you out, Jim," declared the boy, withemphasis. "Perhaps some day, I might even see the Little Lina that allthis fuss has been about. I'd sure like to, the worst kind. But aboutwhen do you think we'd better hike out across country for the Martincabin, Jim?"
"I'd like tew start inside o' an hour," returned the other, quickly, ashis eye instinctively turned upwards toward the heavens, with the ideaof gauging what the weather might have in store for the State of Maineduring the next twenty-four hours.
"I see, you're afraid of a heavy snowfall, that would make the going andcoming a hard job; is that it, Jim?"
"It shore is, Thad," replied the guide, promptly. "Yew see, it's longpast due. The woods is as dry as tinder, and we need a big fall o' snower rain ther wust kind. D'ye think we mout git away by thet time?"
"I don't see why not," answered the young scoutmaster "I'm feeling inapple pie condition this morning, myself; and you're just wild to makethe venture. So we'll call it a go in an hour, Jim. By that timebreakfast will be done with, and the boys have their plans arranged forthe day. Eli will take charge with Allan; and there ought to be notrouble. Both Bumpus and Giraffe are too tired after what they wentthrough with the day before yesterday, to want to wander; the gamewarden is well on his way with his two prisoners; and everything looksjust fixed to carry out your little plan."
"It does thet," returned the other, eagerly. "Seems like things happenedjest tew suit me. I calls it 'Little Lina luck,' fur they nigh allersturn thetaways when I'm tryin' tew please her. I worried a heap overthem tew critters, Si Kedge an' Ed Harkness; thinkin' thet w'ile I moutconvince dad, they was apt tew give me a lot o' trouble. An' see haowthey was kerried off tew jail tew clar ther field fur me! Oh! sumpin'tells me hit's goin' tew be awl rite yit."
"Is there anything we ought to take along with us besides our guns, andsome grub, enough for several meals, because we won't have any time forhunting?" asked Thad.
"Nawthin' as I knows on; I'm makin' sure to kerry ther life preserver,"and as he said these mysterious words, Jim pressed his hand against hisbreast, where in an inner pocket _something_ undoubtedly snuggledunseen; but somehow Thad never once dreamed that the guide could referto a pocket flask, because he happened to know Jim did not drink.
However, Thad did not bother about trying to fathom Jim's little secret.He fancied that it would all be made plain shortly; certainly when theyhappened upon the stern old man who was day after day cheating himselfout of happiness, by refusing to let bygones be bygones, and acceptthings as they were.
Of course the balance of the Silver Fox Patrol showed great interestwhen they heard what was the plan. Thad could read a trace ofdisappointment on more faces than one when he announced that he meant togo alone with Jim. A larger detachment would do more harm than good,since Old Cale might be angry at having his solitude invaded by a partythat Jim was piloting through the piney woods. And besides, Allan wasneeded to take charge of the camp while the leader was away, Step Henhad had his outing in the company of Thad, himself; Bumpus and Giraffewere fairly saturated with adventure, and still feeling the effects oftheir experience; while Davy was needed in camp, and complaining of alame foot besides.
So within the hour that had been set for the start, Thad and Jim leftcamp, with many hearty wishes for their success.
"Be sure and tell us all about it when you get back!" called Bumpus; forsome of the boys scented a little romance back of Jim's queer actions,and knew more or less about his relations with the giant father of hislittle wife.
"And look sharp for forest fires, because, seems to me I smelled smokein the air a little while ago!" were the last words from Allan, who,being a Maine boy, knew what such a thing meant.
Thad glanced sharply at Jim.
"Do you imagine we'll stack up against anything like that, Jim?" heasked.
"Thet's hard tew say," replied the guide. "At this time o' year, an'with ther woods as dry as they be, anything is possible, I'd say. Idon't smell smoke right naow, but then ther wind mout a changed senseAllan sez he did."
"Well, I hardly know whether I want to run up against a real woods'fire, or not," Thad declared. "Of course, I've always wanted to see whatone looked like, because I've heard so much about them; we're on a newtest now, for the Silver Fox Patrol; being assistant fire wardens of thestate of Maine; and as such none of us should wish a fire to occur. SoI'll just forget all about it. If one happens to come along, I guessthere's no harm in my looking at it."
Jim laughed at this quaint philosophy.
"I jest reckons naow, yeou'll be doin' a heap more'n jest lookin' athit," he took occasion to remark, with a sage shake of his head.
Thad laughed outright.
"I can guess what you mean, Jim," he remarked. "You think that aboutthat time the fire will take to chasing after me, and I'll have all Iwant to do in skipping out. Well, let's forget all about that, now, andtalk of something else. For one thing, this is a splendid crisp fallmorning. I saw pretty good ice on the edge of the lake. And say, I'dlike to be up here a month or two from now. I warrant you there's somemighty fine skating on that sheet of water."
"Thet they be, sumtimes," replied the other, with a nod. "I've seen hitjest as slick as a big pane o' glass fur miles an' miles. With ther windablowin' great guns I've jest opened my coat, an' been blown like athistle-down from one end tew t'other, in less time than yew cud think.My dad, which is long gone, onct had an adventure with a pack o' wolveson thet same smooth ice, I kin remember him tellin' 'bout."
"I'd like to hear it, Jim," said the scout, eagerly.
"Wall, I'm a pore hand at tellin' a story," the guide admitted. "Seemslike he war askatin' home, arter killin' a deer, an' hed sum o' thermeat on his back, when ther wolves took arter him. They chased him rightfast, and ther on'y way dad he cud 'scape ther fangs war by making asharp turn every time they gut too clost. Yer see ther critters cudn'tswerve fast enuff, an'd slide a long ways on ther ice 'cause it war sosmooth. An' in that way he kept goin' till he gut nigh home; when sum o'ther neighbors, they kim out, an' knocked spots outen ther wolves."
"Whew! I can just imagine it," declared Tha
d, "and I wager, now, it musthave been some exciting while it lasted."
Chatting in this way they tramped on through the pine woods, heading ina direct line for the distant cabin of Cale Martin, whose wife had longsince been dead, so that with Little Lina also gone, the old woodsmanhad lived alone for more than a year, always nursing his grievanceagainst Jim Hasty.
When noon came, and they stopped a little while to refresh themselveswith some of the food carried along in Thad's haversack, Jim announcedthat they must be more than half way to their destination.
Thad looked into the face of the guide frequently, wondering if Jim'sheart was beginning to fail him the closer he drew to the implacablegiant who had uttered such ferocious threats against his new son-in-law;but the only thing he did notice was a smile of supreme confidencewhenever Jim happened to put up his hand to touch the breast of hiscoat, about the place where an inner pocket would be. And from this Thadunderstood that the other had the fullest confidence that the message hewas bearing to Lina's father, the olive branch he meant to extend to OldCale, was sure to work as she had intended it should.
It was about an hour and more, possibly two, after the noon halt, thatThad saw Jim come to a stop, and start to sniff the air suspiciously.
"What it it, Jim?" he asked, though he could give a pretty good guesseven before the woods' pilot uttered a word.
"I smells smoke, sure enuff, naow," replied Jim.
"Then the wind's changed, hasn't it?" inquired Thad, bristling up, as avision of more or less excitement to vary the monotony of this ratherdreary tramp through the piney forest flashed before his mind.
"It sure hes, Thad; and I kinder guess afore a great while yeou might behavin' thet wish o' yeourn kim true; 'cause ther's a fire sumwhar notfar away right naow; which, with ther change o' wind, is liable tewsweep daown on us like a whirlwind. Mebbe so be yeou mout see more'nyeou bargained fur, Thad!"