CHAPTER V
WANDERING THROUGH THE DRIFTS
IT was a chagrined and sadly disappointed lot of scouts who turned andlooked at each other after the last had been seen of the fleeing buck.
"What a splendid set of antlers he had!" Lil Artha exclaimed.
"To think of how close we came to having a supply of fresh meat!"groaned Toby, shaking his head dismally, as he put a hand on the pit ofhis stomach, just as if he wished to call their attention to itsdepressed appearance.
"Was it really a deer?" asked George. "Now, you needn't all turn on meso savagely, like you think I'm away off my base. I've known hungrypeople to imagine they saw things. Ain't it always the thirsty travelerwho sees the mirage on the desert, and thinks he can hear the gurgle ofthe running water as he looks at the river boiling among the rocks?Course it is; and so I say again, was it really a deer, or did we just_think_ we saw one?"
Knowing the folly of trying to convince George when he chose to questioneven his own eyes, the others made no attempt to swing him around totheir way of thinking.
"That goes to show us the meaning of our motto 'Be Prepared,'" Lil Arthacontinued. "Now, if either Elmer or me had happened to have a gun in ourhands how easy it would have been to bowl that fine buck over. And thenthink what it would mean to all of us. Wow! after this I'm meaning tostick even closer to my gun than a brother."
"We always shut the door after the horse has been stolen," said Elmer,"but even in our misfortune you can see the silver lining to the cloudif you look."
"Then for goodness' sake, Elmer, point it out, so George can get thatsour frown off his face. He don't believe what he sees, and yet he'sgrieving worse than any of us because we didn't get that venison when wehad the chance."
"If there's one deer up here in this forest there must be others," Elmertold them. "You may have noticed that he went off in about the samedirection we expect to head in when we start. We may see him again, andif that luck comes our way we'll try and be ready next time."
Ten minutes later and chancing to look out over the snow Elmer saw amoving object that gave him a start, until on looking a second time hemade it out to be only George, who was prowling around, looking for anysigns the deer may have left as he broke through the deep snow drifts.
Evidently George must have been convinced, for when he came in laterthere was a satisfied expression on his face; and noticing Elmerobserving him the doubter nodded his head, and simply said:
"It was a deer all right; I saw his tracks out there!"
They had been sitting by the fire eating their frugal lunch forsomething like five minutes when the sun suddenly looked down at them,dazzling their eyes with his bright beams glinting from all that snow.
Of course the four boys immediately broke out into a shout, they were soglad to see the cheerful face of the sun again. The meal was finished inrecord time; but then perhaps that was not to be wondered at, for thesupply had run far short of the demand; and Lil Artha, after polishinghis pannikin until he could almost see his face in the same, jocoselyremarked:
"The sample was pretty fine; now bring on the dinner!"
They were so eager to get moving that they did not allow their state ofhunger to give them much concern. The rude shelter was taken down,though they had some trouble with the rubber ponchos, as they seemed tobe frozen stiff under the accumulated snow, which from time to time hadthawed in the heat of the fire, only to congeal again later on.
In the end, however, everything was packed as before, and having securedtheir blankets over their shoulders again, the scouts were ready to makea start. Toby had made his threat good, and had his wonderful snowshoeson. He struck out bravely enough, and at first seemed to be able toeasily outstrip his companions. This caused him to feel an unnaturalexultation, for he began calling back at them, and derisively tellingthem to "hurry up," that they were "too slow a bunch for him," and allthat sort of nonsense.
Then suddenly this tirade ceased.
"Wonder what's happened to him now?" Lil Artha remarked, turning agrinning face toward Elmer, who simply replied:
"Wait and see, and be ready to laugh, though it's never a laughingmatter to the fellow with the snowshoes!"
As Elmer had expected would be the case they presently discoveredsomething floundering in the snow, which upon closer inspection provedto be Toby's feet. He had lost his balance while negotiating a bigdrift, and in spite of the assistance afforded by the long staff hecarried, had taken a plunge, so that when they arrived his feet werewhere his head should be.
Elmer knew how to go about it in order to right the novice. Toby was nolonger bubbling over with enthusiasm as he once more started off. He waslearning that even innocent looking snow-shoes may have traps concealedabout them for the unwary; and afterward he conducted his advance withmuch more caution.
In spite of this, however, the others had to rescue him regularly aboutonce every fifteen minutes, until finally even Toby was ready to callthe experiment off for the time being.
"I'll get there yet, see if I don't," he assured the others, as theygathered around to watch him take the big cumbersome things off hisfeet, and sling them over his back. "Uncle Caleb'll teach me how to use'em; and besides, Elmer, didn't you say this was mighty poor snow for alearner to start out with? Gimme time, and I'll master the trick yet,see if I don't."
Elmer did not doubt in the least but what he would, because this sort oftalk showed the determined spirit that always gets there in the end, nomatter how many difficulties may be encountered by the way.
They found it hard traveling through all that accumulated snow, eventhough the pilot of the expedition made it a point to pick out theeasiest course, avoiding most of the drifts, though keeping on thecourse he had laid out in the beginning.
As they went they used their eyes to the best advantage, hoping todiscover something in the shape of game, little they cared whether itmight be a covey of partridges, a rabbit that was out of its burrow atthe wrong time, a deer, or even so small a thing as a gray squirrel.
As the afternoon began to wear on, and their progress was becomingslower all the while, on account of weariness, and the difficulty ofpushing through the snow, their hopes took a downward turn with the dropof the sun toward the horizon.
Everywhere lay that unending white blanket. The breeze had stopped, andit seemed as though a deathly silence lay upon all the region roundaboutthem, now and then disturbed when some rotten limb broke under theweight of snow, and crashed to the ground; for in the beginning, beforeit became so cold, the falling flakes had clung tenaciously whereverthey dropped, and thus the trees were in places bending double withtheir burden.
Still not the slightest sign did any of the boys discover of humanpresence. If only they could have caught the ringing echo of a woodman'sax, or hear the hello of a hunter returning to camp with game on hisback, what a thrill must have passed through their whole bodies; but tohave that terrible silence around them was discouraging, to say theleast.
All of them were staggering more or less by now. It was the absence ofhope as much as the fact of their being tired that caused this. Couldthey have glimpsed smoke curling upward a mile ahead, to tell them ofsuccor, doubtless even George, who was more worn out than any of theothers, would have started on a mad rush to reach the coveted camp wherecomfort and plenty awaited them.
But that was not fated to be just then. The scouts had by accident foundthemselves entangled in a network of difficulties, and there were stillother experiences awaiting them before they could expect to reach theend of their adventure.
All of them seemed to be holding up as well as could be expected. Georgecould forget his weakness when he chose, and show that he had the rightsort of stuff in him, just as Elmer had known all along. He did notcomplain even as much as Toby did; though perhaps that worthy was souredby his keen disappointment in connection with his wonderful snow-shoes,which after all had only been a delusion, a snare, and a burden up todate.
They knew that this sort
of thing could not keep up a great whilelonger, for the sun would soon be ready to set in the west, and theymust think to prepare for another dismal night in the endless snowforest.
Somehow no one mentioned anything about the prospect ahead now. Theydreaded it more than ever, because the conditions were gradually gettingharder all the while. When a parcel of well grown boys, with the healthyappetites of their kind, are reduced to cutting their rations down toone-half, they do not face the future with anything approachingenthusiasm.
Their manner of march was about like this: Elmer went in front, breakinga way, as it might be described, and his was the eye that had to pickthe course, avoiding all the difficult drifts as much as possible,though heading into the near-northwest as arranged at the time they laidtheir plans.
Immediately after him came Toby, puffing like a porpoise at times, beingshort of breath; and occasionally floundering about when he lost hisfooting or made a miscalculation.
On his heels George plodded along, looking this way and that, ever readyto call to Elmer did he but discover a moving, dun-colored object thatmight turn out to be the deer they had missed.
Lil Artha brought up the rear, though with those long waders of his itmust have been an easy task for him to have taken the lead, since theyseemed particularly adapted for carrying their owner through floods ofsnow or water. Lil Artha kept his gun ready at all times. If game thathad been made to hide because of the coming of Elmer attempted to slinkaway later on, the tall scout was on hand, ready to take advantage ofthe first opportunity.
So far nothing had rewarded their vigilance, much to their keendisappointment. That there was game to be found in the forest they didnot question; but after such a heavy fall of snow it wisely remained inden or hollow tree, waiting for a change in the weather before venturingforth. Hunger would eventually compel most of the animals that did nothibernate like the bear to issue forth and seek their accustomed food;but they could abstain for days, and meanwhile what was to become of thefour scouts?
As they moved along the stillness was disturbed by the noisy cawing of aflock of crows that seemed to be disputing some matter. Often had theboys watched the queer actions of crows when holding what Toby called a"cawcus," as though trying one of their number that had been caughtdoing something unfair, according to crow laws; but never had theyanticipated they would begin to observe the noisy black fellows withhungry eyes.
"If it comes to the worst, crow mightn't go so _very_ bad," suggestedLil Artha.
"Well, we haven't got to that point yet, remember!" hastily criedGeorge. "I'm willing to stand for nearly anything, but eating crow istoo, too much. What d'ye take us for, Lil Artha; think we're a bunch ofdefeated politicians, do you, that have to pay an election wager? Nocrow for me until I'm at the last gasp. Get out, you black rascals;" andhe waved his arms in order to make them fly before Lil Artha couldconclude to fire his gun.