CHAPTER XXII
AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER
Jack glanced at Nat. The lad was pale, and Jack himself began to feelthe effect of the poisonous gas. But he made up his mind he would notgive in.
"Brace up, Nat!" he cried. "We must get Budge out of here. Maybe he'sonly fainted. Brace up! It will only take us a minute, and then we'llget where there is better air."
"I will," said Nat faintly.
He stood up, and by a strong effort fought off the feeling of faintness.Then he and Jack reached down and took hold of Budge, lifting him by hishead and feet. His gun was strapped over his shoulder.
"There's what did the mischief," said Jack, and he nodded toward aspring, about five feet in diameter, near which Budge had been sittingwhen he had been overcome.
The poor lad's body was limp, and it was hard to carry him, but Nat andJack strained and staggered along. As they went on, the effect of thedeadly gas became less, and soon they could breathe better.
"Do you--do you think he's dead?" faltered Nat.
"I hope not," answered Jack, but his voice was serious. "It depends onhow long he has breathed that gas. I heard Tanker Ike say he once saw agrizzly bear killed by it, so it must be pretty powerful."
"Have we got to carry him back to camp?"
"No, we'll take him out of the reach of the vapor, and then one of uscan run back and get the medicine chest. I'll try some strong ammonia onhim. That may revive him--if he isn't dead."
A little later they staggered with the limp body of Budge out on a clearplace, where the fumes of the gas could not be noticed.
"I'll wait here with him until you run to camp," said Jack, and whenNat, who had recovered from his faintness, had started off, Jack chafedBudge's hands, and running to the river filled his cap with cold water,which he dashed into the face of the unconscious lad.
This treatment was effective in a measure, for Budge opened his eyes.Then he exclaimed:
"Don't--don't drown me!"
"Budge! Budge!" cried Jack. "Do you feel better?"
But the lad's eyes closed again, and Jack feared that it was but amomentary reviving. He chafed the lad's hands again, and tried to forcesome cold water from the river between his set teeth.
Then Nat came running back, bearing a medicine box, which Mr. Ranger hadinsisted that Jack take with him. Long Gun, Sam and Bony followed.
Jack took out a bottle of ammonia, and held it beneath the nose ofBudge. The powerful liquid fumes made Budge gasp, and he struggled tosit up.
"Hi! quit!" he called. "Don't burn me!" For the ammonia stung him.
"Oh, he isn't dead!" cried Nat, much relieved.
"Pretty soon be all right," said Long Gun, who had been told what hadhappened. "Plenty much fresh air make um well."
And he seemed to be right, for presently Budge sat up, opened his eyes,and began feeling in his pockets.
"What do you want?" asked Jack.
"Where'smygum?" was what Budge wanted to know, and his companionslaughed.
"I guess you're all right when you can chew gum," spoke Jack. "But whatmade you go over by that sulphur spring?"
"I was shooting jack-rabbits," explained Budge, "and I thought thatwould be a good place. I didn't like the smell, but pretty soon I fellasleep, and then----"
"Yes, and then if Jack and Nat hadn't come along you'd be sleeping yet,"added Sam.
"'Sright," admitted Budge.
They helped him back to camp, and he was soon feeling better, but heregistered a firm resolve not to go too near the deadly gas springagain. Hunting was over for the day, and they were all soon gatheredabout the camp fire, telling their various experiences.
It was the middle of the night when Jack, who was rather restless, wasawakened suddenly. At first he thought some one had called him, but ashe raised up and looked over at his sleeping companions he realized thatnone of them were awake.
"I wonder what that noise was?" he asked himself.
Just then he heard, in the air above the tent, that same sighing,throbbing sound that had so startled them on a previous occasion. It waslike the passage of some immense body through the air.
Jack, who was partly dressed, hurried to the flap of the tent. He peeredupward into the blackness of the night.
Was it fancy, or did he see some great, mysterious shape moving over thecamp? He could not tell, but the throbbing, swishing noise becamefainter.
"I wonder what that is?" thought Jack as he went back to bed. In themorning he did not tell his chums nor Long Gun of the affair, fearingto frighten them.
They prepared for a big hunt the next day. There was a light fall ofsnow, which the Indian guide said would serve to enable them to trackthe game. They were out early in the morning on their horses, and weregone all day, keeping together. Jack shot a big buck, and Bony, to hisgreat delight, brought down a fine mountain sheep, while the others hadto be content with jack-rabbits.
Budge had entirely recovered from the effects of the deadly gas, but hesaid he felt too nervous to do any shooting, so he and Long Gun, who,despite his name, was a poor shot, simply trailed along in the rear.
"I'd like to get another pair of big horns for my room," said Jacktoward the close of the day. "What do you think, Long Gun, have we timeto go a little farther and try for a big ram?"
"Hu! Mebby," answered the Indian. "Plenty sheep been here," and hepointed to where the animals had scraped away the snow to get at thegrass and shrubs beneath.
Jack and Nat started off, while the others made a temporary camp andwarmed some tea. They were to stay there until Jack and Nat returned,which the lads promised to do within an hour if they saw no signs ofsheep.
They tramped on, having left their horses in the temporary camp, Jackeagerly watching for a sign of a big pair of horns.
"I guess I'm not going to find them this time," he said as he mounted apinnacle of rock and looked about him. "It looks like a good place,too," he added.
"Hark, something's coming," said Nat in a whisper.
There was a crackling in the bushes to Jack's right. He turned in thatdirection, his rifle in readiness. Something was moving there. Was it amountain sheep?
He raised his gun. A dark object could be seen to be moving behind thescreen of bushes, and the snow on them was shaken off.
Suddenly there stepped into view, not a mountain sheep, but the figureof a lad, all in tatters.
For an instant Jack and Nat stared at the youth. He had appeared sounexpectedly that they did not know what to say. On his part, the ladstood there silent, as if he did not know what to do.
Then Jack threw down his rifle and sprang forward, at the same timecrying out:
"Bill! It's Bill Williams! Well, how in the world did you ever gethere?"