CHAPTER VIII
HAL'S DISCOVERY
Meanwhile, what had become of Hal Kenyon?
He had had a most remarkable adventure, and connected with it was anequally remarkable discovery.
During the search for the missing bag of specimens Hal and Frank Bowlerworked in adjoining divisions of the territory that was being covered.As they finished the search on their divisions they met at the lowerwaterfall. They gazed a short while into the tumbling water and thenmoved down stream until they could hear each other's voices.
"I don't believe we'll find the bag," were Frank's first words. "I don'tbelieve anybody'll ever find it. I bet it's in the deep part o' theriver where you couldn't wade."
"Maybe it's on the other side," suggested Hal. "There's quite a littlepiece of ground over there along the river bank. It's pretty steep, butwe could walk on it if we're careful."
"Let's go over there and hunt," Frank proposed.
"All right. Come on."
They continued on down the river to a wide shallow stony place, andthere took off their shoes and waded over. Arrived on the opposite side,they put on their shoes again, and as they were doing this Hal said:
"It'll be getting dark before long and we don't want to have to walkalong this steep place when we can't see plain. Let's go up to the otherend, at the fall, and work down this way."
"All right," agreed Frank.
So they picked their way over stones and through bushes and patches ofstunted fir trees, sometimes finding it necessary to hold onto a bush ora rock in order to keep from slipping or losing their balance andplunging into the river. But they reached the cataract and then haltedagain to look around them.
There was little more than standing-room for them at this point. Thisstanding-room, however, was level and comfortable. It was close to thefall, which proved even more magnificent from this side than from theother. The rocks were piled high and wonderfully poised, and the waterfell from a lofty height and roared thunderously on the rocky bed in thedeep basin below.
Both of the boys had a great desire to talk as they gazed on the beautyof this scenery, but the noise of the falls drowned out their voices. Sothey had to content themselves with gazing and pointing their fingersand nodding their heads eagerly. As they stood there they made a new andinteresting discovery that caused them to forget their purpose incrossing the river.
At the near edge of the cataract the downpour of water was extremelythin, so that the boys could look behind. Hal's notice was first to beattracted to this peculiarity. Soon he was standing as close to the fallas he could get with safety and was gazing wonderingly into a cavernousspace beyond.
Observing his attitude, Frank stepped near and looked over his shoulder.Then Hal put his lips close to his companion's ear and shouted:
"Bad, there's a cave back there!"
Frank nodded understandingly, and Hal continued in the same manner asbefore:
"Do you see that thing on the floor of the cave? It looks like a leatherbag. Maybe it's the one we're looking for."
"It can't be," Frank shouted in Hal's ear. "How would it get there?"
Kenyon pointed to a huge projecting rock just over their heads.
"It might have struck that and glanced off through the water," hereplied.
Hal was now convinced that they had discovered the object of theirsearch. His first impulse was to run back and inform Dr. Byrd, but aboyish ambition made him hesitate, and that hesitation was perhaps to beblamed for much of the trouble that followed. As he lingered, thisthought came to him:
"Wouldn't it be glorious if we could get behind the waterfall, explorethe cave, and come out and report our double discovery to the owner ofLakefarm and all the boys?" The idea was so tempting that he was unableto give it up. The ledge behind the fall was about nine feet from theedge of the flat rocky precipice on which they stood. Now, if he onlyhad a plank nine or ten feet long, he could easily bridge the chasm andwalk through the thin spray of water right into this wonderful cave.
Instinctively he looked about him for something that would serve as abridge, and what was his astonishment to discover the very article hewas wishing for. Projecting from a thicket near by was the end of apiece of lumber. He went over and pulled and found it loose. It was aplank twelve inches wide and ten feet long.
"My!" was his exclamation, drowned by the waterfall. "We're not thefirst to find this place. Somebody else is using that cave for somethingand he's had this plank here to cross over on."
This certainly seemed to be the natural and only logical explanation ofthe presence of the heavy piece of lumber in the bushes. At least itwould serve the desired purpose, and Hal prepared to thrust it acrossthe chasm so that an end would rest on each ledge of rock.
Frank understood quickly what his companion had in mind and stood readyto help him. The plank was heavy, but Hal was strong, and with awell-calculated effort he placed it in position and kept his balance.
"Now you hold this end while I cross over," he screamed into Frank'sear. "But don't you try to come over."
Frank nodded eagerly. He had no intention of obeying, but said nothing.He got down on his knees and placed his hands on the plank. There reallywas no need of this, but it was a natural request for Hal to make, as hewould feel safer with a pair of hands steadying the unanchored bridge.
It was now dusk in the canyon and rapidly growing dark. Probably this isone reason why the doings of these two boys were not observed by any ofthe other members of the searching company. However, the view of most ofthem was shut off by the high bluffs and rocks near the waterfall andthe rest were at a considerable distance away or in hollows ordepressions or beyond growths of timber.
Hal stepped onto the plank and moved out over the chasm toward the thinspray and the cave beyond. Meanwhile Frank's brain was working rapidly.He was thinking of the glory that Hal was winning and he was losing. Whyshould they not share the glory alike? As soon as his companion reachedthe cave he also would cross on the plank, walk right through theroaring waterfall and maybe carry back the coveted treasure in his ownhands.
"Oh, wouldn't that be great!" he exclaimed exultingly. "How the otherkids'd look at me. And if any of 'em got too fresh, I'd just clout 'emon the jaw."
Frank actually executed the vicious swing of "clouting" some youngsteras he spoke. The result was thrilling, but not what the youthfulterrorizer would have wished. He was half kneeling, half sitting in anawkward and cramping position, and as he swung his fist on an imaginaryjaw, he lost his balance, and his feet slipped from under him.
One heel struck the plank violently, and over it tipped, then with aswing, slipped under the waterfall and was shot down into the chasm. AndBad almost went with it, but he caught himself at the edge of theprecipice. For a moment he lay there and looked over. Then he rememberedHal. He was gone. He must have followed the plank into the whirling poolbelow.
In an ague of horror he crawled back a few yards and staggered to hisfeet; then with one terrified look behind him, he started on a wild runalong the steep shore, sobbing hysterically as he ran:
"Oh, my! Oh, my! I've killed Hal! I've killed Hal! Oh, what will I do?What will I do? I'll be hung, I know!"
He arrived at the place where they had crossed and dropped down andpulled off his shoes and stockings. As he was thus occupied he continuedhis fearful forebodings:
"Pepper said some of us bad boys'd end on the gallows, and I know hemeant me. He could look right through me. I always felt it. He's thefirst one to call me 'Bad,' and then the kids did.
"Yes, I know I'll be hung if--no, I won't either. Nobody saw us. I won'ttell. I'll keep it to myself, and nobody'll ever find out."
He crossed back to the other side and in the dusk saw the boys gatheringa few hundred feet away. Mr. Porter had called them a few minutes beforewith a whistle blast, but Frank had not heard it.
Still resolved to guard his terrible secret, Frank hastened to join theother Sc
outs. Fortunately it was now almost dark and none of them couldsee his face plainly, or they would have noticed how pale he was. As arule he was talkative, but now he did not speak at all, except to givethe shortest possible answers when addressed. One or two of the boys,observing his unusual manner, asked him what was the matter and he madeno reply.
All the way back to the school he walked by himself, lagging a littlebehind much of the time, as if tired, in order that he might not beforced to talk. He was afraid to talk. It was all he could do to keepfrom crying.
By the time they reached the school he had lost his nerve and decidedthat he must tell somebody all about it. He could not bear to keep thesecret any longer. But no suitable opportunity offered itself to speakto the doctor or Mr. Frankland. He might have taken one of the boysaside and told his story to him, but Frank could not remember one of hisschoolmates whom he had not threatened to "clean up" or "clout in thejaw" at one time or another. Even Bun his brother, whom he hadthreatened with a "paste on the blinker" only the day before, mightcensure him and tell him he ought to be hanged or be sent to jail.
So Frank did not tell his story when his strongest impulse to sob it outpossessed him. He went with the rest of the boys into the wash room andthen into the dining room and ate his supper in silence. His face wasnot so pale now, but his peculiar manner was observed by several.However, it was thought that he was dejected, as were many others, overthe fate of Hal Kenyon, and nobody embarrassed him with questions.
After supper the boys were sent off to bed. Mr. Frankland and Mr. Porterusually had charge of this "good night" watch and slept in thedormitory, but on this occasion Mrs. Byrd and the matronly cooksuperintended affairs. Once or twice Frank almost yielded to an impulseto confide in the doctor's wife, but his general dislike for both girlsand women held him back.
Frank and Byron slept together. Dr. Byrd had not spared his money inconstructing the buildings of this mountain school, and for every twoboys there was a separate room, neatly and comfortably fitted.
They were all outside rooms, with a window for each, all on the firstfloor, so that it would be easy for the boys to escape in case of fire.
Byron was tired and could hardly keep his eyes open until he got intobed. He was so tired that he hardly noticed the unusual silence of hisbrother; or if he did, he attributed it to the same cause that made himsleepy. As for Frank, he never was more wide awake and had no idea ofsleeping. He sat down on a chair and began to undress slowly, but therewas a reason in his slowness. He was watching Bun constantly out of thecorner of his eye and his nervousness was greatly relieved when he sawhis brother fall into bed and to sleep almost instantly.
Then Frank stopped undressing and sat quietly for a few minutes watchingthe boy in bed. Soon the latter's heavy breathing announced that he wasfast asleep, and the young watcher drew on his trousers again. He workedrapidly now, drawing on his stockings and shoes, and putting on his coatand hat. Then he moved toward the window, which was open in accordancewith the health ideas of Dr. Byrd.
With another hasty glance at his slumbering brother, Frank put both legsover the window sill and dropped to the ground, a distance of only a fewfeet. Then, like a flash, he straightened up and ran over the lawntoward the road.
The moon was shining and the boy concealed his flight as much aspossible by keeping under a row of balsam poplars along the east edge ofthe campus. After leaving the shadow of these, he found it necessary tobreak into the open, and he ran down the road toward the river with allhis speed.
It was a wild-looking figure that raced along the trail toward MummyCanyon that night. Half a mile from the school a small animal shot outfrom a clump of junipers and darted across his path just behind him.Believing it to be a wildcat, he doubled his speed, too much frightenedto think of stopping, although his hat was whiffed off by the wind.
His hair was rather long and it was blown in disorder. Like a scaryhorse he shied at every large rock, dark hollow, or ghost-like stuntedspruce or fir.
Up hill and down he ran, through ravine and along the precipice of ahollow known as "Baby Gorge." Colorado nights are cool, even in thesummer, and he did not become overheated. A few times he was forced tostop and walk for want of breath, but as soon as he recovered, on hewent at the best speed he could make. He was a sturdy youngster andstood the test.
At last he reached Flathead Pass and hastened through, over a ledge ofrock along the bank of the river. Another quarter of a mile, and he wasable to see the lights of the lanterns of the hunters for the lost boy.On he ran, and as he neared the party ahead, he realized tremblinglythat they were near the fatal waterfall. Now he began to wonder what heshould do. He had had no plan in mind when he started out; all he couldsay to himself was that he must be present and watch the search. He didnot intend to reveal himself, but wanted to be near when the body of Halwas taken out of the water.
Frank approached as near to the men by the waterfall as he thought safe.He stopped behind a clump of bushes and peered around to watchproceedings. Presently the doctor and his companions moved away from thecataract and stopped within a few feet of the bushes, and there the boyheard their excited discussion regarding the cries that seemed to issuefrom the falling water. Then he saw them cut a club for each and advanceagain toward the place of mystery.
The watching boy was intensely thrilled by what he had heard.
The suggestion that possibly the screams were those of a panther or alynx added a new element of fear to the situation. But as he heard thestrange sound repeated again and again, he dismissed all thought of awild animal.
"It's Hal's ghost, I know; it can't be anything else," he chattered; andwithout knowing why, he left his place of concealment and started towardthe waterfall. A dozen paces from the men he stopped, fearful ofannouncing his presence, yet half hoping he would be discovered. Justthen Dr. Byrd turned and saw him.