CHAPTER VII.
WHAT HAPPENED THERE.
"You're not going to get out, are you, Don?" asked Bert, and as hewas not more than four or five rods away, every word he uttered wasdistinctly heard by the two listeners in the cane.
"I want to stretch my legs a little," was Don's reply. "Come on, andlet's explore the island. You know it used to be a famous bear's den,don't you?"
"I should think I ought to know it, having heard father tell thestory of the animal's capture a dozen times or more. He must havebeen a monster: he was so large and heavy that it was all a span ofmules could do to drag him from the shore of the lake, where he wastaken out of the boat, up to the house."
"And didn't he make things lively before he was killed, though?" saidDon. "He destroyed nine dogs and wounded two men. I'd like to takepart in a hunt like that."
"Well, I wouldn't. It looks gloomy in the cane, doesn't it? Whatwould we do if we should find a bear in there?"
"I don't know," answered Don, with a laugh. "Our guns are loaded withsmall shot, and they would hardly penetrate a bear's thick skin. Ifhe should come at us, I'd be a goner, sure, for I am so stiff Icouldn't run to save my life. But I don't think we'll find----Halloo!Bert, just look here!"
A chorus of exclamations followed, and Godfrey and Dan looked at eachother and scowled fiercely.
"That's my canoe," said Don, and they heard the oars rattle as hestepped into it.
"There's no doubt about that," said Bert, in surprised and delightedtones; "but how came it here?"
"That's the question. The fellow who stole it took it up the bayouand then turned it loose, having no further use for it, or else itgot away from him and drifted down here."
"Who knows but the thief brought it here himself, and that he is onthe island now, hidden in the cane?" said Bert, lowering his voice,but still speaking quite loud enough to make himself heard by Godfreyand Dan.
"I hardly think that can be possible," replied Don. "You see the bowof the canoe was caught on this root; and that makes me think it wasbrought down by the current and lodged here."
Godfrey and Dan looked at each other again. They had taken no painsto secure the boat when they left it, and the current had moved itfrom its place on the bank and was carrying it toward the lake, whenit caught on the root where it was discovered by its lawful owner.
"I am glad to get it again," said Don, "for I don't know what weshould have done without it. It is just the thing to chase crippledducks with. If I could see the man who stole it, I'd give him a pieceof my mind, I tell you."
After that there was a pause in the conversation and the rattling ofa chain told Godfrey and Dan that the canoe was being fastened to thestern of the boat in which the brothers had come up the bayou. Thenthere was more conversation in a subdued tone of voice, and presentlya commotion in the cane indicated that Don and Bert were workingtheir way slowly toward the camp. Dan began to tremble and turnwhite, and his father looked as though he would have been glad to runif he had only known where to go.
"Halloo!" exclaimed Bert, suddenly, "here we are. Come this way, Don.I've found a path."
"A path!" repeated his brother. "What should make a path through thiscane?"
"I don't know, I am sure. What's this? Can you tell a bear track whenyou see it?"
"Of course I can," answered Don, and the listeners heard him pushinghis way through the cane toward the path in which his brother stood."But I don't call this a bear track," he added, after a moment'spause, during which he was closely examining the footprint hisbrother pointed out to him. "A barefooted man or boy has been alonghere, and that track was made not more than ten minutes ago. And,Bert," he continued, in a lower tone, "you were right about that boatafter all. Come on, now, and if the thief is here we'll have a lookat him."
"Pap," whispered Dan, hurriedly, "they're comin' sure's you'relivin'. Le's slip around to the other side of the island, easy like,and steal their boats afore they know what is goin' on."
"We couldn't do it," replied his father, in the same cautiouswhisper. "They'd be sure to see us. I'll fix 'em when they come nighenough. I'd like to shoot 'em both, to pay 'em for findin' my hidin'place."
"Don't do that, pap," said Dan, in great alarm. "Here they come,an'---- Laws a massy? What's that?"
As Dan uttered these words, a deep, hoarse, growl, so suddenly andfiercely uttered, that it almost made his hair stand on end, soundedclose at his side. Don and Bert heard it, and they were as badlyfrightened as Dan was.
"What was that, Don?" asked Bert, in an excited whisper. "You heardit, didn't you?"
"I should think so," was Don's reply, and the words were followed bythe clicking of the locks of his gun.
After that came a long pause. Don and Bert waited for the warninggrowl to be repeated, and stooping down, tried to peer through thecane in front of them, in the hope of obtaining a view of the animal,which had been disturbed by their approach, while Dan, crouching lowin his place of concealment, looked first at his father and thenglanced timidly about, as if in momentary expectation of seeingsomething frightful. He could hardly bring himself to believe thatthe noise, which so greatly terrified him, had been made by hisfather, but such was the fact.
If there was a person in the world, Godfrey did not want to meet faceto face, that person was Don Gordon; and when he first became awarethat the boy was close at hand, and that he was about to explore theisland, he was greatly alarmed and utterly at a loss how to avoidhim. If Don saw him there, of course he would tell of it, and thatwould set the officers of the law on his track (no evidence thatcould be produced was strong enough to convince Godfrey, that he hadnothing to fear from the officers of the law) and compel him to lookfor a new hiding-place. The conversation he overheard between thebrothers, regarding the capture of the bear, which had so long heldpossession of the island, brought a bright idea into his mind, and heacted upon it at the right time, too. It was the only thing thatsaved him from discovery. Don was not afraid of a man, and if he hadknown that Godfrey was hidden in the cane a few feet in advance ofhim, he would have walked straight up to him, and accused him ofstealing his boat; but he had no desire to face a wild animal aloneand unaided, and he was in no condition to do it, either. We sayalone and unaided, because Bert would have been of no assistance tohim. Bert was a famous shot with his double-barrel, and no boy in thesettlement could show more game, after a day spent among thewaterfowl, than he could; but he was too timid and excitable to be ofany use to one placed in a situation of danger. Even the sight of adeer dashing through the woods, or the whirr of a flock of quails asthey unexpectedly arose from the bushes at his feet, would set him toshaking so violently that he could not shoot.
"What do you suppose it was, Don?" asked Bert, and Godfrey did notfail to notice that his voice trembled when he spoke. "Was it a wildcat or a panther?"
"O, no," replied Don. "One of those animals wouldn't warn us. He'd bedown on us before we knew he was about. I wish I had my rifle and thefree use of my legs. I'd never leave the island until I had one goodpop at him."
A slight rustling in the cane told the listeners that Don was againadvancing slowly along the path. Dan was afraid that he had made uphis mind to risk a shot with his double-barrel, and so was Godfrey,who uttered another growl, louder and fiercer than the first, andrattled the cane with his hands. That was too much even for Don'scourage; and Bert was frightened almost out of his senses.
"Look out, Don! Look out!" he exclaimed. "He is coming!"
"Let him come," replied Don, retreating backward along the path.
"Run! run!" entreated Bert.
"That's quite impossible. I'm doing the best I can now. If he showshimself I'll fill his head full of number six shot."
Godfrey continued to growl and rattle the cane at intervals, butthere was no need of it, for Don was quite as anxious to reach hisboat and leave the island as Godfrey and Dan were to have him do so.He retreated along the path with all the speed he could command,holding himself ready to make as des
perate a fight as he could ifcircumstances should render it necessary, and presently a rattling ofoars and a splashing in the water told the listeners that he and hisbrother were pushing off and making their way down the bayou. Inorder to satisfy himself on this point, Godfrey crawled over the pileof cane, behind which he had been concealed and moved quickly, butnoiselessly along the path, closely followed by Dan. On reaching theedge of the cane they looked down the stream and saw the brotherstwenty rods away in their boat, Bert tugging at the oars as if hislife depended on his exertions. The danger of discovery was over forthe present, but how were Dan and his father to leave the island nowwithout swimming? Don had taken his canoe away with him.
"If I could have my way with them two fellers they'd never troublenobody else," exclaimed Godfrey, shaking his fist at the departingboat. "Whar be I goin' to hide now, I'd like to know?"
"Stay here," replied Dan, "an' if they come back to pester you, growl'em off 'n the island like you done this time."
"An' git a bullet into me fur my pains?" returned his father. "No,sar. Don'll be up here agin in the mornin', sartin, an' he'll havehis rifle with him, too; but I won't be here to stand afore it, kaseI've seed him shoot too ofter. He kin jest beat the hind sights off'nyou, any day in the week."
"Whoop!" cried Dan, jumping up and knocking his heels together.
"I don't see what bring them two oneasy chaps up here, nohow," saidGodfrey, taking no notice of the boy's threatening attitude. "I neverknowed them or anybody else to come up the bayou in a small boatafore, 'ceptin' when that bar was killed here. That was an amazin'smart trick of mine, Dannie. Howsomever, we hain't got no more timeto talk. I'm goin' to give you five dollars, Dannie, an' I want youto go to the landin' an' spend it fur me. Get me a pair ofshoes--number 'levens, you know--an' two pair stockin's, an' spendthe heft of the rest fur tobacker. Then when it comes dark, I wantyou to get that canoe agin, an' bring it up here with the things youbuy at the store."
"How am I goin' to git the canoe?"
"Take it an' welcome, like I did."
Dan shrugged his shoulders, and his father, believing from theexpression on his face that he was about to refuse to undertake thetask, made haste to add:--
"An' when you come, Dannie, I'll tell you how we're goin' to work itto git them hundred and fifty dollars that Dave's goin' to 'arn bytrappin' them birds fur that feller up North. I have a right to it,kase I'm his pap: an' when I get it, I'll give you half--that is, ifyou do right by me while I'm hidin' here. I'll give you half thatbar'l, too, when we find it. Then you kin have your circus hoss an'all your other nice things, can't you?" added Godfrey, playfullypoking his son in the ribs.
Dan's face relaxed a little, but his father's affected enthusiasm wasnot as contagious now as it was when the subject of the buriedtreasure was first brought up for discussion. Godfrey had nointention of renewing his efforts to find the barrel--he could nothave been hired to go into that potato-patch after what had happenedthere--but it was well enough, he thought, to hold it up to Dan as aninducement. Besides, if he could get the boy interested in the matteragain, and induce him to prosecute the search, and Dan should, by anyaccident, stumble upon the barrel, so much the better for himself.The great desire of his life would be attained. He would be rich, andthat, too, without work.
"Why can't you steal the canoe yourself?" asked Dan.
"Kase I've got to pack up an' get ready to leave here; that's why.It'll take me from now till the time you come back to get all mytraps together."
Dan hurriedly made a mental inventory of the valuables his fatherpossessed and which he had seen in the camp, and the result showedone rifle, one powder-horn and one bullet-pouch. All Godfrey hadbesides he carried on his back. It certainly would not take him threeor four hours to gather these few articles together.
"Pap's mighty 'feared that he'll do something he can make somebodyelse do fur him," thought the boy. "But he needn't think he's goin'to get me into a furse. I ain't agoin' to steal no canoe fur nobody."
"An' since it's you," added Godfrey, seeing that Dan did not readilyfall in with his plans, "I'll give you a dollar of my hard-'arnedmoney for doin' the job."
"Wal, now that sounds like business," exclaimed Dan, brightening up."Whar's the money, an' how am I goin' to get off'n the island?"
"The money's safe, and I'll bring it to you in a minute," repliedGodfrey. "You stay here till I come back. As fur gettin' acrosst thebayou, that's easy done. Thar's plenty of drift wood at the upper endof the island, an' you kin get on a log an' pole yourself over. Whenyou get home, Dannie, make friends with Dave the fust thing you do,an' tell him you was only foolin' when you said you was goin' aginhim. Help him every way you kin, an' when he gits the money we'llshow our hands."
So saying, Godfrey walked down the path out of sight. After a fewminutes' absence, he came back and handed Dan the money of which hehad spoken, a five-dollar bill to be expended for himself at thestore, and a one-dollar bill to pay Dan for stealing the canoe. WhenDan had put them both carefully away in his pocket, he went back tothe camp after his rifle, and then followed his father through thecane toward the upper end of the island. They found an abundance ofdrift wood there, and from it selected two small logs of nearly thesame size and length. By fastening these together with green withes,a raft was made, which was sufficiently buoyant to carry Dan insafety to the main land. When it was completed, the boy swung hisrifle over his shoulder by a piece of stout twine he happened to havein his pocket, and taking the pole his father handed him, pushed offinto the stream.
Poling the raft was harder work than rowing the canoe, and Dan'sprogress was necessarily slow; but he accomplished the journey atlast, and after waving his hand to his father, disappeared in thebushes. He took a straight course for the landing and after a littlemore than an hour's rapid walking, found himself in Silas Jones'sstore. He was greatly surprised at something he saw when he gotthere, and so bewildered by it that he forgot all about the money hehad in his pocket, and the stockings, shoes and tobacco of which hisfather stood so much in need. There was David making the mostextravagant purchases, and there was Silas bowing and smiling andacting as politely to him as he ever did to his richest customers. IfDan was astonished at this, he was still more astonished, when Davidthrew down a ten-dollar bill and the grocer pushed it back to himwith the remark, that his credit was good for six months. Dan couldnot imagine how David had managed to obtain possession of so muchmoney, and when he found out, as he did when he and his brother wereon their way home, he straightway went to work to think up some planby which he might get it into his own hands. This problem and abright idea, which suddenly suggested itself to him, occupied hismind during the walk; and shortly after parting from his brother atGeneral Gordon's barn, Dan hit upon a second idea, which made hisusually gloomy face brighten wonderfully while he thought about it.
Dan's first duty was to rectify his mistake of the morning, and makehis brother understand that he had repented of the determination hehad made to work against him, and that he was going to do all hecould to assist him. He tried to do this, as we know, but did notsucceed, for to his great surprise and sorrow David announced that hewas not going to waste any more time in building traps for Dan tobreak up, and this led the latter to believe that nothing more was tobe done toward catching the quails. He walked slowly around thecabin, after a short interview with his brother, and the first thinghe saw on which to vent his rage was Don's pointer, which camefrisking out of his kennel and wagging his tail by way of greeting,only to be sent yelping back again by a vicious kick from Dan's foot.
"I'm jest a hundred an' fifty dollars outen pocket an' so is pap,"soliloquized Dan, almost ready to cry with vexation when he thoughtof the magnificent prize which had slipped through his fingers. "Ahundred an' fifty dollars! My circus hoss an' fine gun an' straw hatan' shiny boots is all up a holler stump, dog-gone my buttons, an'that thar's jest what's the matter of me. An' what makes it wusseris, I lost 'em by bein' a fule," added Dan, stamping his bare feetfur
iously upon the ground.
Just then a lively, cheerful whistle sounded from the inside of thecabin where David was busy arranging his purchases. Things weretaking a turn for the better with him now, and he whistled for thesame reason that a bird sings--because he was happy.
"If I could only think up some way to make that thar mean Dave feelas bad as I do, how quick I'd jump at it! I wish pap was here. He'dtell me how. He's as jolly as a mud-turtle on a dry log on a sunshinyday, Dave is, while I---- Whoop!" yelled Dan, jumping up and strikinghis heels together in his rage. "Howsomever, I'll have them tendollars afore I take a wink of sleep this blessed night----"
Here Dan stopped and looked steadily at the pointer for a fewminutes. Then he slapped his knee with his open hand, thrust botharms up to the elbows in his pockets and walked up and down the yard,smiling and shaking his head as if he were thinking about somethingthat afforded him the greatest satisfaction.