CHAPTER IV.
THE TORCH TALK.
Every one of the scouts was on his feet by this time, even fat Bumpusmanaging to struggle erect with the rest. And strange to say, thesupper that was just about to be dished out was for the time beingutterly swallowed up in this new and thrilling excitement.
They trooped after Thad and Giraffe, the latter still hanging on tohis blazing torch. Toby was left alone by the fire; but after makingsure that the supper was in no danger of burning up, the cool,level-headed guide followed his charges over to the spot where Giraffehad happened to be standing, when he noticed the odd signals from upon the face of the cliff.
"Where is it right now, Giraffe?" demanded Davy Jones.
"Nothin' doin'!" added Step Hen, in disgust. "Now what d'ye think ofthat? The feller had his own eyes blinded by whirling his old blazearound so much, that he just _thought_ he glimpsed another light upthere. Say, p'raps Thad hit the thing on the head when he mentioned astar. Like as not now, Giraffe, he just saw one peepin' over the topof the mountains at him, and thought it winked. Well, this takes thecake; and all that fine supper gettin' cold while we're gaping outhere. It's a burnin' shame, that's what it is. Me for the fire again."
"Wait!" said Thad, in that tone of authority that always found readyrespect from the scouts under him; it was the scoutmaster, and nottheir chum, who spoke, whenever Thad used that very stern voice.
"Give you my word for it, Thad, I saw it again and again," Giraffewent on, as if he felt that his veracity as a scout was hanging in thebalance.
"Point out the exact place," said Thad, promptly.
"I can do it all right, and don't you forget it, Step Hen," declaredthe tall scout, eagerly; and accordingly, raising his torch, he heldit stationary at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees.
"Right there she was, Thad; and if you look close now, p'raps you c'nsee a sorter glow like," he went on, again showing excitement.
"I believe I do," replied Thad. "Here, give me that torch of yours,Giraffe."
"What are you goin' to do, Thad?" asked the other, even while hecomplied with the request, which was in the shape of a command.
"Try and see if I can get a raise again."
As Thad said this he started to wave the torch in several ways. Now helifted it and lowered it rapidly; then it went out at an angle; andfollowed with several circles, or possibly a diagonal dash.
And Giraffe saw that he was spelling out the word:
"Hello!"
Eagerly they waited to see the result.
As the last letter was formed, and the wind-up sign made to indicatethe message had been completed, to the astonishment of most of theboys there was a sudden response. Away up on the face of what seemedto be a high cliff a light appeared, and began to cut strange figuresand lines in the air, as an arm swung it to and fro. And Thad, as hestarted to read the letters, realized that whoever it might be tryingto get in communication with those in the valley, he certainly knewhis Morse code all right; indeed a regular telegrapher and wigwagartist belonging to the Signal Corps of the United States Army couldhardly have shown more proficiency in the business.
Regularly then, without a hitch, the fiery finger outlined against thedark background spelled out the significant word:
"Help!"
Thad read each letter aloud, for the benefit of those among the scoutswho, not being so well along in the work, might have some difficultyin following those wizard flashes to and fro, up and down, and around.
"Just like I said, ain't it, Thad?" breathed Giraffe, as if he feltthat his reputation, assailed by Step Hen, had been fully vindicated;but the scoutmaster did not bother answering his question, since hehad his mind wholly bent upon solving the mystery of the mountains.
Again he started making erratic movements with the torch he gripped inhis right hand; and the staring Giraffe read what the patrol leaderwas saying to the unknown party perched aloft.
"What is the matter?"
Then the light appeared again, and it seemed as though the other mightpurposely be keeping it concealed between messages; and back came thestartling answer, which Thad spelled aloud as it was sent:
"In trouble--come up--help me!"
"Great governor! what d'ye suppose ails him?" exclaimed Giraffe,seldom being able to keep a still tongue in his head, especially whenexcited very much; and just then he was quivering all over withnervous eagerness to solve the mystery.
"Somebody bring me another stick from the fire," said Thad; "this oneis getting burnt out. Giraffe, you go, because you'll know what kind Iwant better than any of the others."
Giraffe might have felt like rebelling, because he hated the worstkind to lose a single word of that mighty interesting exchange ofsignals; but Thad, as usual, had been wise enough to coat the orderwith a little subtle flattery that served as oil to lubricate matters.Since none of the other scouts could be trusted to select the rightkind of torch necessary for signaling purposes, why, of course Giraffemust sacrifice all other personal desires, for the common good. And sohe walked toward the fire, though most of the time that long neck ofhis kept "rubbering" backward, so as to give him something of a chanceto see what came next on the programme.
"Who are you?" Thad waved upward, each letter being clear anddistinct; for the scout leader knew the folly of running them into oneanother, and confusing the receiving end of the battery.
"Aleck Rawson!"
When Thad had spelled this out, various exclamations arose from theboys.
"Rawson--why, that was the name of the man who found the silver mineup in this country, wasn't it, Toby?" cried Davy Jones, voicing thethought that had flashed into the mind of every boy just then.
"It sure was," replied the guide.
"Can this be him, then; has he been a prisoner all these years?"gasped Smithy; at which there was a scornful laugh from the others.
"His name wa'n't Aleck; near as I kin remember 'twas Jerry," said Toby.
"P'raps, suh, he had a son?" suggested Bob White.
"Just what I was going to remark," added Allan, eagerly.
The intelligence that had come to them in that last reply had createda sensation among the scouts. Indeed, even Thad was so astonished thatfor the moment he could not find words in which to continue theinteresting conversation by fire.
Then his torch expired.
"Hurry Giraffe, and fetch me that other light!" he called; but therewas hardly any need of saying this, because the party in question wasalready advancing by kangaroo-like leaps, covering ground in a mannersimply miraculous.
"What was that last he said?" he demanded, and Step Hen made haste toanswer, partly because he wanted to stagger the tall scout; and thenperhaps he realized that Giraffe would really give them no peaceuntil he was told:
"Said his name was Aleck Rawson--remember what Toby told us about theman who found the mine long years ago! Well, this might happen to behis boy, we think."
"Keep still! Thad's going to talk some more!" grumbled Bumpus.
Again did the fire signaling go on; and the new torch selected by theexpert Giraffe proved even better that the one that had burned out.Letter by letter did Thad send a long message, and Allan spelled itout as it progressed; so that by the time it was completed every oneknew just what had been flashed upward toward the unseen receivingparty above.
"Can we get up to where you are?"
Now the fiery finger in the darkness began to write an answer; everyletter was plainly carried out, so that not in a signal instance didThad "trip up" as he read it aloud.
"Yes, but come quick--bring rope--might fall any minute!"
"I bet you he's hanging on to a little narrow shelf of rock!" declaredBumpus.
"But if he is, how in the dickens could he get the fire to signalwith; that's what bothers me?" muttered Giraffe.
"Where are you?" signaled the scoutmaster, promptly, thinking to getall the information possible while the chance remained.
"On a ledge part way down the cliff," an
swered the one who had saidhis was Aleck Rawson.
"How did you get there?" went on Thad.
"Lowered here, and left to die like a dog," came the stunning answer.
"Did you ever hear the equal of that?" cried out Bumpus. "Now whatsort of people could ever be guilty of such a horrible thing as that,I'd like to know?"
"Oh!" remarked the guide, "they's a heap of bad men around these parts,I tell ye; but I got a notion I kin see through a board that's got aknot-hole in it. Ask him who put him there, Mr. Scout Master, please?"
Thad would have done this, even though Toby had not spoken; indeed, hewas even then about to start putting the question.
"Who put you there?"
"Colonel Knocker did--will you come and get me?"
"The old villain!" gasped Bumpus. "He ought to be tarred and featheredfor such a wicked piece of work. What d'ye suppose he did it for? Iwonder now, if this same Aleck Rawson could know anything about thesecret of that hidden mine; and Cracker-jack John just wants totorture him till he tells?"
"That sounds like it, Bumpus; you're good at guessing things, afterall," remarked Step Hen.
"Keep still, back there; Thad's sending another message!" warnedGiraffe.
And in his steady way, the scoutmaster went on to flash back thereassuring words:
"Yes, we will come to you. Hold on! It may take us some time. Startright away!"
"Thank you!" came from above, and then the light that had movedbackward and forward, up and down, and around in eccentric circles,vanished, as though with that last word the torch, if that was what itwas, had been exhausted.
But at least it had served long enough to bear a startling message tothe boys of the Silver Fox Patrol, camping there in the valley of thegreat Rockies.
"Now what?" exclaimed the impatient Giraffe.
Somehow, not one of them gave the waiting supper a single thought justthen; for this new and exciting diversion had made them utterly forgetsuch a thing as being hungry.
"I want several of you to go along with me," said Thad; "Toby for one,because of his strong arms, in case we have to do any lifting; alsoGiraffe; and Allan, perhap you'd like to be in the party also?"
"I certainly would," declared the Maine boy instantly; "if you think Ican be spared from the camp."
"Oh!" said Thad, "they'll get on all right here, because every fellowwill be put on his honor not to stray away from the fire while we'regone. Bumpus, please let me have that rope you carry with you. It'sproved valuable several times already, and may come in all right again."
Bumpus had a very queer idea, in that he persisted in carrying a thin,braided rope wrapped around his body. It was of the sash cord species,slender, but extra strong. Bumpus had seen the great need of a ropeonce or twice, and made up his mind that he would never be withoutone, when abroad in the woods or wilderness. And it had proven usefulto him too; in fact, but for its possession Bumpus might not have beenthere, so blithe and happy, at that very moment. Having unfortunatelybecome mired in a slimy mudhole when lost in the big timber, he wasslowly sinking on account of his desperate efforts to get out, when hehappened to notice the convenient limb of a tree just a couple of feetover his head; and remembering his rope, he had thrown it, doubled,over the same; and by making a tremendous spurt, managed to drag hisfeet out of the sucking mud, climbing to safety.
And of course after that nothing could ever induce the fat scout tothink of abandoning that precious rope.
So he started to unwind it now; and as if this might be a signal forsome of the boys to assist, they seized hold of Bumpus, pulling at therope, until they had him whirling around in a dizzy fashion,protesting all the while, but without any avail. Finally the rope waswholly unwound, and Bumpus found himself sitting there on the ground,with the stars waving in all sorts of queer circles over his head, forhe felt as "rocky" as though he had been indulging in strong drink.
"But be _aw_ful careful of that rope, won't you, Thad?" he managed tocall out, as the scoutmaster started to coil it up for carrying.
"I certainly will, Bumpus," replied the other; "and thank you for theloan of it. Come on, those who are going with me; take your gunsalong, even if we don't find any use for them. And say, you fellows incamp, save our share of supper for us, remember!"