CHAPTER XIII
THE MYSTERY OF THE PINE WOODS
"What in the dickens can it all mean?" exclaimed Ethan Allen.
"I'm all up in the air about it," admitted Lub, helplessly.
"I heard several shots from guns!" declared X-Ray Tyson, positivelyenough.
"Yes, we all did," affirmed Phil; "and there was a howl in the bargainthat sounded to me like that of a dog."
"Whew! I bet you one of their animals has gone _mad_, and had to beshot!" burst out Lub, in still further excitement.
"What, at this season of the year?" cried X-Ray; "I thought curs onlywent mad in the heat of summer, and that was why they called a part ofAugust the dog days."
"That isn't a fact, is it, Phil?" appealed Lub.
"They used to think so," came the reply, "but of late it's been learnedthat the heat has little if anything to do with a dog going mad. Becausethey always run with their tongues hanging out people had an idea theheat affected them. On the contrary the very sight of water causes a maddog to go into spasms. It's just a terrible disease, and in cities issaid to be more frequent in winter than in summer."
"The racket has died out now," remarked X-Ray, partly to change thesubject, and hide the little confusion he felt at displaying hisignorance in his little dispute with Lub.
"And I guess the dog has been killed," Ethan went on to remark; "but ittook a whole lot of gunning to do the job, seemed like. They must havebeen pretty badly rattled, those New York City sportsmen who are up hereto run the country about as they see fit."
"I'd like to have seen the affair," observed X-Ray Tyson, meditatively,as if he might be trying to draw a mental picture of what must have beenan exciting episode; for a mad dog in camp is likely to createconsiderable of a wild stampede.
"Excuse me from that sort of fun," Lub protested; "I'm too fond of dogsto want to watch one running around, frothing at the mouth, and havingto be executed."
"Shot down like a dog, you mean," interposed Ethan; "and I wouldn't bemuch surprised if that old saying originated in a mad dog scare."
All seemed quiet and serene once more over in the direction of the othercamp. Whatever the cause of all that shooting and shouting may havebeen, it had become a thing of the past, apparently.
"Well, it isn't any of our funeral," X-Ray remarked, with a queer shrugof his shoulders; "and so I guess we'd better forget all about it."
Lub noticed that Phil did not seem to agree with the last speaker. Hehad a serious expression on his face that told of some idea forming inhis brain.
"Perhaps it wasn't a mad dog scare after all," Phil suggested.
"But what else could it have been?" asked Ethan.
"Those sort of sportsmen always fetch lots of liquor along with theminto the woods," asserted Phil; "and it might be one of them had a fitof _delirium tremens_, so that he even tried to shoot up the camp, andhad to be restrained."
"Well, now, there might be something in that," admitted X-Ray, noddinghis head reflectively. "And p'raps right now they've got a badly woundedman over there, with no doctor inside of a hundred miles."
"I was thinking of that," ventured Phil; and something in his tone andmanner caused Ethan to instantly leap to a conclusion.
"Were you figuring on going over that way, Phil?" he demanded, "andoffering to help that tough crowd if they needed any assistance, youknowing so much about looking after gunshot hurts that we oftenthreatened to call you Doctor Bradley?"
"Yes, I was considering doing that," Phil said, smiling, "though theremight be no necessity for our entering the camp, if we seemed to find itall serene."
"I take note of the fact," continued Ethan, "that you use the pluralpronoun 'we,' Phil, which would indicate that you meant to have one ofus go along. I'd like to speak for that privilege, if it's all the sameto you."
"Shucks! you beat me out in saying that, hang the luck, Ethan," grumbledX-Ray Tyson, who was not often caught napping, and therefore feltadditionally sore in connection with this instance.
"Yes, if we think it a wise thing to do, you might as well help me out,Ethan," Phil told him; at which the Allen boy grinned happily, and couldnot keep from casting a side look full of triumph toward X-Ray.
"I don't see that it could do any harm," Lub advanced in his ponderousway, "if you scouted in that direction. You wouldn't have to brush in onthem unless you saw signs that they were all mixed up, and in need ofthe right kind of help. And like as not you'd easily enough be able tofind out what all the row was about, so as to tell us stay-at-homes."
"Come on, let's go, Phil?"
Somehow the idea seemed to appeal more and more to Ethan as he thoughtit over. The other camp was only a couple of miles, more or less, away,and on their snow-shoes they could make it in what the boys would call"double-quick" order.
Phil looked up at the sky. It was only a part of his customary caution,and not that he really expected there would be any signs of trouble inthat quarter.
"All right, then, Ethan; get your gun and your snow-shoes. We'll takethat scout and see if we can find out anything worth while."
"I hope both of you keep your eyes smartly about you while you'repassing along through the woods," urged Lub. "A mad dog is a terriblething to run across; and for all we know the beast might have got away."
"Ten to one, Phil," sang out Ethan, with a carefree laugh, "poor oldtimid Lub here will spend every minute of the time we're away sitting ona log by the fire with his gun on his lap, and ready to whack away atany suspicious four-legged beast that shows up."
"Well, can you blame me?" demanded the stout boy; "I read about a fellowwho was bitten by a mad dog, and it's haunted me ever since. I guess I'drather be taken prisoner by hostile Indians, and burned at the stake,than bitten by a dog suffering with the rabies."
He stepped over and securing his gun found a comfortable spot on the lognear the fire. Here he drew the small waif close to his left side, andlooked as though he meant to stay there in that one position as long astwo of the guardians of the shack were absent on their risky errand.
Phil only loitered a couple of minutes to snatch up his camera. Therecould be no telling when he might run across a chance to make use ofthis. It is like a gun in that respect, for you often see the mostmarvelous pictures when you have unfortunately left the camera at home.
They started off with the best wishes of those left behind.
"Course you've thought to put your little medicine-case in your pocket,Phil?" sang out Lub; "it came in mighty handy down on the Coast, when wefound that young bayman doubled up with pain, after eating some cannedstuff that gave him a little touch of ptomaine poisoning; yes I can seeit bulging out on the left side of your coat. Well, so-long; and hurryback, because the night isn't so far away, and supper will be cooking,you know."
The two boys made a bee-line for the other camp. Both of them rememberedits location, from having taken note of the column of smoke so often.Ethan was doing better work with his snow-shoes right along now, forthere is nothing that serves one so well in this respect as practice.
They had covered the first mile with ease.
"Must be all of half way there, Phil?" suggested Ethan.
"Yes."
"And do we keep straight on as we're going now, or make a little detourso as to come on the camp from the other side?" continued Ethan.
Phil smiled.
"I see you're up to all the little dodges of the profession, Ethan," hechuckled, "and are bound to make an A Number One tracker yet. Yes, wemight as well begin to circle some from here on, always keeping in mindthe point we're aiming to reach."
"No trouble at all about locating the camp, Phil, as long as theycontinue to burn that half-green wood."
"It does send up a pile of black smoke for a fact," admitted Phil,looking in the direction his chum was pointing; "and we'll keep an eyeon it as we go."
Of course as they made progress through the bush the boys did notneglect to observe everything around them. Lub's solemn warning may noth
ave made much of an impression on their minds, but habit proved strong,with Phil at least, and it was his custom to be on the alert.
"We're getting in close now," whispered Ethan; "I thought I heard acough, then."
"That's right, and I can see the fire beyond that thick bunch of pines,"was what the other replied, in the same low tone.
Still advancing cautiously they gradually reached a spot where they wereable to look in on the rival camp. The fire was burning, but thingsseemed to be rather quiet. At least the two scouts failed to discoverany furious rushing to and fro that would indicate excitement and alarm.
"Looks peaceful enough, Phil, doesn't it?" whispered Ethan, in rather adisappointed fashion, that would indicate he had felt hopeful theservices of his chum might be needed, and that they could thus heapcoals of fire on the head of the boastful and vindictive Mr. JamesBodman, millionaire sportsman.
"There's one of the guides near the fire," remarked Phil.
"Yes, and he seems to be rather upset over something," pursued Ethan;"notice how he keeps on looking to the right and to the left. See himstart to hold up his hands then, will you? What in the wide world canhave been going on over here?"
"Seems like a mystery," admitted Phil, still staring at the vicinity ofthe camp fire where only that one guide was visible.
"Where d'ye suppose the others all are?" ventured Ethan, keeping hisvoice down to the lowest possible pitch, although there did not seem tobe any reason for such caution.
"I suppose in those two shacks we see," came the hesitating answer; andthen the other heard Phil give a little gasp.
"You've discovered something; what is it?" Ethan asked, eagerly.
"They did shoot a dog, it seems, Ethan!"
"How do you know?" continued the other, craning his neck to look.
"You can see it lying there over by the woodpile," Phil told him.
"Great Caesar! so it is, and with his feet up in the air. It's a deaddog, Phil; no fooling about that."
"Yes, and has been shot, but who did it we don't know yet, Ethan."
"Whew! I wonder if he bit that ugly red-faced sportsman you told usabout, Phil? I don't wish my worst enemy to meet with such a fate, itwould seem as if it might be a judgment on that bully and railroadwrecker if he did get a good scare."
"Queer where the rest of the party are?" continued Phil; "let's creepalong this way a bit. We may get to a place where we can glimpse them."
"There may have been another dog that got away, and the rest are huntingfor him in the bush right now?" suggested Ethan; but the suppositioncould not have struck Phil very strongly for he made no comment.
They made their way along as silently as they could. The soughing of thewind through the tops of the pines and the larches and the firs deadenedany little scratching sound their snow-shoes may have made as they movedonward.
It was while they were making this change of base that suddenly withoutthe slightest warning Phil laid his hand on the arm of his companion,and at the same time drew him down behind some bushes.
When the startled Ethan turned his eyes upon Phil he saw that the otherhad a finger pressed upon his lips. This indicated additional caution.It also meant that silence was desirable for some reason or other, whichof course Ethan could not immediately fathom.
Then he saw Phil gradually raise his head. He was looking carefully overthe tops of the bushes at something. Ethan, quivering with suspense,could hardly restrain his natural impulse to follow suit; andfortunately for his peace of mind Phil just then made a gesture with hishand as though inviting him to join him.
As Ethan did so he saw his chum extend his hand with a pointed finger.Looking on a line with this latter digit he made a discovery.
Something was moving near by. In place of a giant tree that hadsuccumbed to the tempest many years previously, there had grown up abunch of suckers, and some five of these offshoots had become quitegood-sized trunks. They were arranged very much like the fingers andthumb of a partly-closed hand, so that there was a cup which the fiveprotecting trunks surrounded.
It was just a natural hiding place, and apparently some one was eventhen occupying the cup; for as Ethan looked he saw a head projected, andheld there for a dozen seconds, to be withdrawn, and then almostimmediately come into view again.
Whoever the party might be he evidently had his whole attention taken upwith watching the camp, as though it might hold something that had animportant bearing on his condition of happiness and peace of mind.
"He's spying on the camp, Phil!" whispered Ethan, in the other's ear.
"Looks like it," murmured Phil.
"Can it be your fire-eater of a Baylay, then?" was the next thing Ethansuggested.
"Hardly," replied Phil. "This man is _afraid_; his every action tellsthat he's been in a big panic lately, and hasn't recovered."
"Go on, Phil?" urged the other, eager to know what next his chum wouldsay.
"I think I know who he must be, Ethan."
"Good. Tell me then, Phil."
"Now watch again when he pokes out and take notice of what sort of athing he's got on his head."
"There he comes once more, and he certainly does act like a man who'safraid. But what's this I see? Makes me think of the _chef_ in a hotel;for he's wearing a white cap without a peak!"
"Well, that's just what he is, the _chef_ these railroad magnates havefetched up with them to give them the best of meals while in camp,"whispered Phil.
"But whatever can he be doing hiding that way, and acting as if he wasin mortal fear of his life? If you've got an idea please tell me, Phil."