CHAPTER XXIII
ANOTHER NIGHT SCARE
Will Williams, the strange, new boy, whom Jack had last seen atWashington Hall, now so far away, rushed forward.
"Jack Ranger!" he gasped, as if he could not believe it.
"That's who I am," responded our hero. "But, Bill, what has happened?You look as if you were suffering."
"I am suffering," was the answer. "I'm almost starved!"
"Starved!" exclaimed Nat. "Wobble-sided watermelons! And our camp justfilled with good things! Come on, Bill. We'll feed you up."
The two chums clasped Will successively by the hand. Then Jack asked:
"How did you get away out here? The last I heard of you was when Ireceived a letter and a telegram from your guardian, asking me to sendyou home if I saw you."
"You--you're not going to--are you?" faltered Will.
"Am I?" Jack clasped his arm about the shrinking form of the unfortunatelad. "Well, I guess not! I'd like to have that guardian of yours here,for about five minutes!"
"Petrified pancakes! So would I!" exclaimed Nat. "I'd send him overwhere that bad-smelling spring is to spend the night. But, Bill, youhaven't told us how you got here."
"I hardly know myself," was the answer. "I did run away, just as Mr.Gabel told you, Jack. I couldn't stand his mean ways any longer. Herefused to let me go camping with you, and said I would have to go towork, while school was closed for repairs, to make up the money he saidI stole. I decided I would come out West and try to find my uncle. He'sout here somewhere, but where I haven't been able to learn. I had a fewdollars saved up, that I had earned, and I came as far as they wouldbring me. Then I worked my way on from Chicago by jumping freights andby doing odd jobs whenever I got the chance. I heard, in a roundaboutway, that my uncle was either in the southern part of Montana, or thenorthern part of Wyoming, and so I came on. I've been traveling aroundnow for two weeks, trying to find him, and I've been living like atramp, but I can't seem to locate him. I met some men who said they knewhim, but they acted so mysterious that I could get no information fromthem. They didn't seem to want to tell me where he was. So I decided tokeep on until I found him. I've been tramping all day, and when I heardyou talking I thought maybe you were a party of hunters who would helpme."
"And so we will," burst out Jack. "Come along to camp with us, Bill, andwe'll fix you up. It's a shame, the way your guardian treats you. Andyour uncle can't be much better."
"Oh, he used to be kind to me," said the unfortunate lad, "but I don'tbelieve he knows how things have gone with me. If I could find him Ithink he would take care of me."
"Well, maybe we can help find him for you," said Nat.
Little time was lost in getting back to the temporary camp, and thereWill, who was weak and faint from hunger, was given a light meal. Thenthe whole party went on to the main camp, Will riding behind Jack, forthe latter's horse would carry double.
"My, but you certainly are doing this up in style," remarked the raggedlad as he saw the fine tents and noted how comfortably Jack and hischums lived, in spite of the fact that they were far from civilization.His arrival created quite a sensation.
"Oh, when Jack Ranger does a thing, it's done good and proper," saidBony. "It's the first outing out of the gun club, and he wants to makea record, I guess."
"I want you all to have a good time, that's all I want," was Jack'sreply.
Some better clothes were found for Will, and after a good meal some ofthe hopelessness faded from his face. He told of his wanderings in themountains, and how he had worked his way from camp to camp, and fromstage station to stage station.
"But you're done tramping around now," said Jack.
"Have you--have you got room for me here?" faltered Will.
"Have we? Well, I guess!" was Jack's hearty answer. "You can stay hereas long as you like, or until you find your uncle. You've accepted myinvitation to come camping, after all, and I guess your guardian wouldbe surprised if he could see you now."
"I guess he would," remarked Will with a smile.
There was plenty of room in the big sleeping tent, and a bed was made upfor the wanderer. It was the first good night's rest he had had innearly a week, he said.
As they had plenty of fresh meat in camp they did not go hunting forseveral days, but Jack and his chums could not remain inactive, so theyall, including Will, went on short jaunts about the camp. A gun wasprovided for the newcomer, and he proved that he was a good shot, atleast on jack-rabbits, which abounded in that region.
About a week after Will had joined his former chums they went on anall-day hunt. The luck fell to Bony and Sam this trip, for each of themkilled a fine mountain ram, the horns of which were equal in size to theone slain by Jack.
Nat killed a small deer, and Will was delighted when he also brought onedown.
"Plenty much game," observed Long Gun. "No need hunt right 'way 'gin."
"I guess Long Gun is getting tired," observed Jack. "Well, of course wedon't want to kill just for the sake of killing, so I think we will takea few days off."
The weather continued fine, being clear, and not too cold, while therewas no deep snow to hamper the movements of the members of the gun club,though there were several light flurries. The lads went out on shorttrips, Will riding the horse assigned to Budge, for the latter was not avery enthusiastic sportsman, and would rather remain in camp, stretchedon his back, chewing gum, than go after deer or mountain sheep.
"Well," remarked Jack one night, about a week after the last hunt, "Ithink we'll go out again to-morrow and try to fill up the cupboardagain. Supplies of fresh meat are running low."
"Good idea," commented Nat. "Maybe you can get another ram with horns tomatch your first pair."
Jack was successful in this venture, for after a long day's jaunt he gota fine shot, just at sunset, bowling over a large ram. They took thehead and horns back to camp, leaving the carcass to be brought in thenext morning, having first taken the precaution, however, of tying thechoicest portions high in a tree, out of the reach of marauding animals.
As they were all gathered about the camp fire that night, discussing theevents of the day, Jack suddenly held up his hand to insure silence.
"Hark!" he exclaimed. "There's that queer sound again."
In the air over their heads was the rushing of great wings, while therewas a throbbing as if some mighty beast was passing over the camp.
"Wow!" cried Long Gun, and he made a dive for the tent.
"That's it!" said Nat softly. "I wonder if we shall ever solve themystery?"
The boys looked at each other in alarm. Will sprang to his feet.
"That sound!" he cried. "I heard it one night when I was camping in thewoods."
"Where?" asked Jack.
"About ten miles from here. It's the same noise."
"We must solve this mystery!" exclaimed Jack. "I believe it must be----"
But he did not finish the sentence, for from the air above them soundedthe call of a voice:
"To the left! To the left!" was the cry. "There's the camp fire we sawbefore."
They all sprang to their feet and looked up into the dark sky. Surelythat was some vast shape hovering over them! And then the throbbing andthe rush of wings died away.