CHAPTER XIV
A WAKEFUL NIGHT
It required considerable climbing, as well as taking chances, for theboys to cross over to where the dead bighorn lay on the green plateauwhich had long been the dining table of the flock, and where theyundoubtedly felt they were safe from all the ordinary enemies of theirkind. But in reckoning thus, they knew not of the long range of themodern rifle, nor the terrible expanding power of the up-to-datesoftnosed bullet, that mushrooms to three times its original size uponstriking even the flesh of an animal.
When both of the lads had successfully landed on the plateau it wasbeginning to grow a little dusk. The sun had long since vanished behindthe great rocky ridge that stood out above them against the sky.
"We'll have to put in a night up here, all right," commented Felix, asthey arrived at the side of the dead sheep, over which Tom bent eagerly.
"Well, since we prepared for that same thing, it won't be so hard onus," replied the Western boy; "and I'm not any disappointed in my gameeither. I don't believe it's a year old even, and I'm only sorry wehaven't some way to make a fire up here; for a slice or two off thischap would go great. Come over this way, and let's see; I've got a dimidea I saw a few stunted trees hanging to the face of the rock, wherethere were gaps, and some earth had blown in from time to time. If itturns out that way, count on a supper worth while; and that'll go betterthan just cold biscuits and jerked venison."
They had hardly rounded the shoulder of rock mentioned by Tom, than hegave vent to a shout of delight.
"There they are, just as I thought;" he remarked; "and now to see whatwe can do about picking up enough fine wood to make a fire. Every scrapwill count. Look in the crevices, and every which way, for brokenbranches, twigs, and anything that will burn. We've just got to havesupper, and that's all there is to it, with such bully game on hand!"
Presently Tom found a way to reach the stunted trees himself, and herehe came upon a regular bonanza in the way of partly dead branches, whichhe kicked off in any way possible, until the boy below declared they hadmore than enough fuel to cook two suppers.
By the time they had selected the nook where a fire would be bestsheltered from the night wind at that elevated spot, the darkness hadbegun to creep around them.
Below lay a black gulf, for they could no longer see the trees, oranything else that in the daytime marked the peaceful valley where theyhad their dugout home.
"We're lucky to have all this wood," remarked Felix, "because, unless Imiss my guess, it's going to be pretty snappy cold up here tonight, andwe've got no blankets along."
"Yes, I thought it would come in handy," returned Tom, who was alreadybusily engaged cutting up the sheep, so as to have something to eat assoon as possible, because the climb, and the cold air of the mountain,had made both of the boys fairly ravenous. "And that's why I kept onsending down more, after you said three times we had enough. A fire eatsup a heap of stuff, when you have to keep it going all night in the openair."
It was not long before Felix had the blaze going, and he declared thatit certainly made things look a thousand per cent better. It was adreary place, so far up the side of the mountains; and without thatcheery blaze the night must have proven one they would never rememberwith any degree of pleasure.
After all, the mutton did taste pretty fine. Even Tom, who being the sonof a cattle raiser, knew what prime beef meant, said it was very good,and well worth all the trouble they had taken to get it.
"But how about those horns?" asked Felix, who could not wholly get hismind off the subject that seemed to concern him, even more than thesupper did; though for that matter he ate his share, and seemed to enjoyit. "Do you think we can get down to where my fine old granddaddy buckfell?"
"We must, sooner or later, and that's all there is to it," replied Tom."What d'ye suppose we carried that rope along for if not to use it? Makeyour mind easy, you'll have those horns, chances are ten to one."
"Unless some wild animal carries the body away in the night," remarkedFelix.
"No danger of that, my boy," laughed the other. "Fact is, the only beastthat is able to do such a thing around here, would be a grizzly; and ifhe does, why, we'll just follow him to his lair, and tackle him. Thenyou'll have a chance to get back the bighorn head-piece, and knock overyour grizzly, at the same time."
Felix had to smile at this.
"You know how to comfort a fellow all right, Tom," he remarked. "Thatwould be sort of climbing up on our reverses, and making them pay aprofit, wouldn't it? But I'll just try to forget all about the hornsnow, and enjoy the good things we have right here--heat and grub inplenty."
They did pass a pleasant evening; and later on, when both of them feltlike lying down on the rocks to try and get some sleep, the fire wasarranged so that it might keep going for some hours. Tom expected to beup a number of times before dawn could be expected, and promised to takecare that the blaze did not go entirely out at any hour.
Although Tom did not mention anything about it to his chum, he was a bitanxious concerning the state of the weather. That was the one thing thathad made him hesitate when thinking about pleasing Felix by a climb upto the place where the coveted bighorns might be found.
What if a howling storm should swoop down upon them, while they wereaway from the cabin and up here in this elevated eyrie? He knew abouthow fierce a blizzard could rage, once it took a notion to come out ofthe faraway Alaska country. And should such a thing come to pass, theboys would be in for an experience before which all others must paleinto insignificance.
With the bitter cold, there would be snow filling the air, perhaps witha fierce wind; so that for several days they would not dare attempt todescend into their blessed valley. Could they manage to keep fromfreezing there, in that exposed position, where a change of the windwould find them out, and prevent any possibility of keeping a firegoing, even though they secured fuel to last out, an almost impossiblefeat.
And that was the main reason why Tom hardly slept at all during thatnight. He allowed his chum to get all the rest he could; nor did he envyFelix when, up and down almost every hour, he counted the minutes untilthey might see the first peep of dawn away off there in the eastern sky.
It had clouded up, which was one reason why Tom worried, for he thoughthe detected symptoms of a storm in the air.
But as even the longest night must come to an end, so finally Tom washeartened when he believed he could detect a little change off towardthe east, which gradually grew better, until he was sure dawn meant togreet them.
So he caused the fire to pick up, and by the time daylight arousedFelix, breakfast was all ready for their attention. The fact of thematter was, Tom was bent on getting out of that as quickly as possible,even though they had to leave the task of recovering those massive hornsuntil another day. He had a pretty fair idea with regard to where theymight have fallen; and it would not be necessary to climb near so highup the side of the mountain. And, too, it could be done on a clear,promising day.
Felix was disappointed when he heard about the change of plans; butbeing a sensible fellow he quickly agreed with his chum that their firstconsideration must concern their safety. He, too, had been secretlyfearing lest they find themselves trapped up in that high altitude bythe coming of foul weather; and so he agreed to let the matter ofsecuring his trophy go until later on.
"Tell you what," remarked Tom, as they prepared to depart the same waythey had come, for that seemed the only means by which a human beingcould leave the elevated plateau, not being able to jump, like thebighorn sheep; "tell you what, we can swing around a little, after weget down from here, and if it happens that we get sight of your sheep,we'll make a try for it."
"That's good of you, Tom," replied the other, warmly; "but remember,we're not going to take any extra hazard, just to save those horns. I'dlike to have them, all right, but a fellow's life is worth much morethan a trophy."
A few flakes of snow drifted down as they started to leave, and Tom eyedthe heavens criti
cally.
"You never can tell about this snow business," he declared. "Seems likeI know when it's going to give us rain, nearly every time; but thisother fools me. But if we can get down to that next level I'll like it.Plenty more protection there; and some chance of getting wood too. Comealong, and be mighty careful, Felix."
There were one or two places where it looked so risky that Tom insistedin fastening the rope to Felix. Then one of them would go at a time,while the other braced himself for a shock, which luckily never came;afterwards the leading one would take his turn at standing still, whilethe other came on.
All the while those tantalizing flakes drifted slowly down, just asthough intent on keeping the young bighorn hunters' nerves on edge.
An hour later, and Tom expressed himself as delighted, because they hadmanaged to reach the lower level. Now, even though the storm did descendupon them, he believed they would have a chance to keep on down into thevalley; for the most dangerous rocky heights had been left behind.
Felix had not noticed how his chum was heading, and hence was surprisedto hear Tom suddenly call out:
"Here it is, all right; been no grizzly around, you see, Felix!"
"My old buck, and with not a notch taken out of his grand curved horns!"cried the other, as he saw what his chum was pointing at, just ahead.
Tom set to work to get the trophies. He could not make the fine job ofit such as he always liked to carry out; because the flakes seemed to begetting more numerous now, and evidently the storm was becoming tired ofholding back, just to accommodate them.
"I can fix 'em up in apple-pie shape after we get home," he remarked;and Felix had no difficulty in forgiving him; because just then hebelieved that it would be a good thing to be quartered once again underthe roof of the dugout, where he could find a peaceful bed, after anight on the hard, unyielding rocks.
It was, of course, no child's play, clambering down all sorts ofslippery places, burdened, as the boys were, with the meat of the youngbig-horn, and the heavy head piece of the patriarch of the flock; butsave for a few minor accidents that did not amount to anything beyondsome scratches, they managed to finally reach the valley.
By that time, however, it was snowing heavily, and the wind seemed to berising; for while the mountains were entirely concealed from their view,they could hear it beginning to whistle around the ledges and cliffsthat had marked their line of descent.
And when, later, the boys staggered up to the dugout, it was with asense of deepest satisfaction; now let the storm howl, since they wereassured of shelter, food and warmth.