CHAPTER XXII--FOUND AT LAST
Bert Bobbsey was really frightened and alarmed, caught as he was in thestorm on the big rock, with a wildcat sniffing around at the bottom. Hecould not even see well enough to throw snowballs at the creature, and,even if he could have driven it away, he felt that it would not be safefor him to come down off the big stone.
"He can't get me while I'm up here, I don't believe," said Bert tohimself. "But I can't stay here very long, or I'll be snowed under. Whatshall I do?"
Indeed he was in what he said afterward was a "regular pickle." And thenBert thought of calling for help. He wondered why he had not done thatbefore.
Standing up on the high rock Bert sent his voice shouting out into thestorm.
"Help! Help! Help!" he shouted.
Bert did not know just whom he expected to help him. He did not know howfar he was from Mrs. Bimby's cabin, nor how far he was away from CedarCamp. All he knew was that he was in trouble and needed help. The onlyway was to shout as loudly as he could.
At his first call the wildcat at the foot of the rock snarled, growled,and tried to leap up. But the sides were too steep and smooth. Bertcould catch glimpses of the animal when the snow came down a little lessheavily now and again, making a sort of opening in the white curtain.
"Help! Help! Help!" cried Bert again and again.
Curiously enough it was Flossie and Freddie, who in the blizzard hadwandered near to the rock, who heard Bert's cry. Through the storm thevoice came to them, though of course they did not know it was theirbrother calling.
"Hark!" exclaimed Freddie, who, with his sister, had been flounderingabout in the drifts, the small Bobbsey twins trying to find their formertracks in the snow so they could work their way back. But the flakes hadfallen into their footprints, and had been blown over them so deeplythat the prints were blotted out.
"Do you hear that?" asked Freddie of Flossie.
"Yes," she answered, as the voice came to her ears. "It's somebodysaying he'll help us."
That is what she thought it was--someone wanting to help her andFreddie, not someone in need of help.
Again came the call, and it sounded so close that the two small Bobbseytwins knew which way to go to reach it.
"We're coming! We're coming!" shouted Freddie. "Come on, Rover! I guessthat's daddy coming to help us! We're coming!"
With a bark the dog bounded through the storm after the two children,and you can imagine how surprised Bert Bobbsey on the rock was when heheard shouts in answer to his own. He did not know, of course, thatFreddie and Flossie were anywhere near him. He thought it was his fatherand some of the men from Cedar Camp.
A little later the small Bobbsey twins came within sight of the bigrock. They could not see Bert on it on account of the blinding snow. ButRover caught the smell of the wildcat, and with a savage bark he sprangto drive the creature away.
"Good old Rover! Good dog!" cried Bert, as the snow stopped for a momentand he caught sight of the dog that he knew. "Sic him, Rover!"
And Rover rushed at the wildcat with such fierceness that the beastscuttled back to its den under the half-fallen tree. And then Bertlooked and saw Flossie and Freddie.
At the same time the small Bobbsey twins looked up and caught a glimpseof their brother on the rock.
"Oh, Bert!" cried Freddie, "did you come out to look for us? We'relost!"
"So am I, I guess," Bert answered, as he jumped down, landing in a bankof soft snow and beginning to pet Rover. "Where in the world did youchildren come from?"
"We came out after daddy and Mr. Jim and Mr. Case," Freddie went on."They're going to take some things to Mrs. Bimby."
"Mrs. Bimby!" cried Bert "Why, I left her and Nan this morning. Theyhaven't got hardly anything left to eat. But where is the camp?"
"Don't you know?" asked Freddie. "We don't know. We're lost."
"That's bad," said Bert, looking at the swirling snow all about. "Andthe wildcat ate my lunch."
"We've a little left," Flossie said. "Did you save any chestnuts, Bert?"
"I brought some, but I ate 'em. But Nan's got some, back at Mrs. Bimby'scabin, if we can find it. You say daddy started out after us?"
"Yes, to find you and Nan and take something to Mrs. Bimby," explainedFreddie. "Her husband was at our camp. He got lost in the snow, and hesaid his wife didn't have anything in the cupboard."
"She didn't--not very much," Bert said. "I shot a rabbit, but I guessthat's all eaten now. But say, you two oughtn't to be out here alone!"
"We're not alone now," Flossie said. "We got you with us!"
"Well, I'm glad you met me," Bert said. "And I'm glad Rover drove thatwildcat away. I scared one with snowballs, but I couldn't hit this onevery well. Now we'd better try to get back to camp. I guess there'sgoing to be another storm."
"Will it snow a whole lot and cover us all up?" asked Flossie,anxiously.
The poor little girl had had quite enough of snow, cold wind, blizzards,and bad weather of all sorts.
"Oh, I guess maybe it won't snow so very hard," answered Bert. He didnot want to confess to Flossie and Freddie that he was a bit frightened.
"Maybe Rover could show us which way to go to find Cedar Camp,"suggested Freddie. "Dogs are smart, and Rover is a good dog."
"He was nice to us when we sat under the pine tree," went on Flossie."And he ran out and brought in pine cones and he shook himself and madesnow fly all over me."
"You didn't try to eat pine cones, did you?" asked Bert.
"Oh, no," Flossie answered. "We just threw them for Rover to play with.But I'm too tired to play now. I want to go to bed."
"Oh, Flossie, you don't want to go to bed now, do you?" asked Bert."Why, if you were to lie down in the snow you'd freeze."
"I don't want to go to sleep in the snow," Flossie said, and she wasbeginning to whine a little. No wonder, for it had been a hard day forher and Freddie.
"No, I don't want to sleep in the snow," the little girl said. "I wantmy own little bunk at the camp."
"Well, we'll be there pretty soon," Bert said, as kindly as he could.
"Carry me!" begged Flossie, when she had stumbled on a little farther,walking between her two brothers.
"All right. I guess I can carry you," said Bert, but he was worryingabout his leg a little. It was not so bad when he bore his own weight onit. But could he carry Flossie?
However, he was not going to give up without trying, and so, when theycame to a little sheltered place, where the snow was not quite so deep,Bert stooped down.
"I'll take you pickaback, Flossie," he said.
"Oh, I like that!" laughed his sister, as she climbed up on herbrother's back.
Bert was not sure whether or not he was going to like it, but he saidnothing. He had to shut his teeth tight to keep from crying out withpain as he straightened up with Flossie on his back, for her weight,small as she was, put too much weight on his injured leg. Flossie wasquite "chunky" for her size, as Dinah was wont to say.
"Hold steady now, Flossie," directed Bert, as he straightened up. "Putyour arms around my neck."
"I guess I know how to ride piggy-back!" laughed Flossie. She was not sotired now, when something like this happened to change her thoughts.
Bert staggered along through the snow with his sister on his back.Though he did not want to say so, his leg hurt him very much. But hetried not to limp, though Freddie at last noticed it, and asked:
"Have you got a stone in your shoe, Bert?"
"Oh, no, I--I just sprained it a little," Bert answered in a low voice,so Flossie would not hear. For of course if she had known it hurt herbrother to carry her she would not ask him to. But just then Flossie wasreaching up to take hold of a branch of a tree as Bert passed beneathit. And, catching hold of it, Flossie, with a merry laugh, showeredherself and Bert with snow that clung to the branch.
"Don't, Flossie, dear!" Bert had to say. "There's snow enough withoutpulling down any more. And we'll get plenty if the clouds spill moreflakes."<
br />
"Do you think it will storm some more?" Freddie wanted to know.
Bert did not answer right away. He was thinking what he could do aboutFlossie. If she could not walk then she must be carried, but he feltthat he could not hold her on his back much longer, his leg was painingtoo much.
Just then the sight of Rover, the big, strong dog, floundering about inthe snow, gave Bert an idea. Rover did not seem to care how much breathor strength he wasted, for he ran everywhere, barking and trying to digthings out from under the drifts.
"Oh, Flossie! wouldn't you like to ride on Rover's back?" asked poor,tired Bert.
"Oh, that will be lovely!" cried the little girl.
"Here, Rover!" cried Freddie.
The dog came leaping through the snow, very likely hoping to have somesticks thrown that he might race after them. But he did not seemsurprised when Flossie was placed on his back and held there by Freddieon one side and Bert on the other.
"Now I'm having a ride on a make-believe elephant!" laughed Flossie.Rover could not run with the little girl on his back, and I must say hebehaved very nicely, carrying her along through the drifts. Her legshung "dangling down-o," but that did not matter.
"I guess I'm rested now," said Flossie, after a bit. "I'm cold, and itwill make me warmer to walk. I'll walk and hold your hand, Bert."
If Rover was glad to have the load taken from his back he did not sayso, but by the way he raced on ahead when Flossie got off I think hewas.
"I guess there's more snow coming," suddenly cried Bert.
There was, the flakes coming down almost as thick and fast as when theblizzard first swirled about Cedar Camp. Bert took the hands of Flossieand Freddie and led them on through the storm. It was hard work, and thesmaller children were crying with the cold and from fear at the comingdarkness when Rover suddenly barked.
"Hark!" cried Bert. "I guess someone is coming!"
"Maybe it's daddy!" half sobbed Flossie.
Shouts were coming through the storm--the shouts of men. Rover barkedlouder and rushed forward. Bert held to the hands of his brother andsister and peered anxiously through the falling flakes and thefast-gathering darkness.
Suddenly a man rushed forward, and, a moment later, had Flossie andFreddie in his arms, hugging and kissing them. Then he clasped Bertaround the shoulders.
"Daddy! Daddy!" cried Flossie and Freddie together. "You found us,didn't you?"
"Yes. But I didn't know you were away from camp," said Mr. Bobbsey, forit was he. "Where's Nan?" he asked Bert quickly, while Rover leapedabout his master, Mr. Case, and Old Jim.
"She's at Mrs. Bimby's cabin," Bert answered.
"My wife!" exclaimed Old Jim. "Is she--is she all right?"
"She was when I came away this morning to get help," said Bert. "I shota rabbit for her and Nan. It was good, too. But I guess she'll need foodnow."
"We have a lot for her," said Tom Case. "Rover, you rascal!" he went on,patting his dog, "I wondered where you ran away to, but it's a goodthing you found the children."
"And he drove away the wildcat," Bert announced.
It was a happy, joyful party in spite of the storm, which was gettingworse. Mr. Bobbsey and the two men with him had gotten off the road thatled to Old Jim's cabin, and it was because of that fact that they hadfound the lost children.
"What had we better do?" asked Mr. Bobbsey, when it was learned thatBert, Freddie and Flossie had really suffered no harm from being lost."Should we go back to Cedar Camp or to your cabin, Mr. Bimby?"
"The cabin is nearer," said Tom Case. "If you folks go there, with Jimto guide you, I'll back track to Cedar Camp and fetch a sled. You canride the Bobbsey twins home in that."
"Yes, we'd better go to my cabin," said Old Jim. "We can make room foryou, and we'll take the food with us."
So this plan was decided on, Tom Case and Rover going to Cedar Camp forthe sled, while Mr. Bobbsey, Mr. Bimby and the three children trudgedback to Mrs. Bimby's cabin.
You can imagine how glad Nan and the old woman were to see not only Bertbut the others.
"Oh, I was afraid when it began to storm again," said Nan, as she huggedFlossie and Freddie. "But I never dreamed you two would be out in it."
"Nor I," said their father.
"You ought to see the bear skin we found!" exclaimed Freddie, to changethe subject. "It's going to be for Mrs. Bimby, to keep her warm."
"Bless their hearts!" murmured Old Jim's wife. "I can keep warm allright, but it's hard to get food in a storm."
However, there was plenty of that now, and they all soon gathered aboutthe table and had a hot meal. The second storm was not as bad as thefirst had been, and later that evening up came a big sled, filled withstraw and drawn by powerful horses, and in it was Mrs. Bobbsey and someof the men from Cedar Camp.
After a joyful reunion, in piled the Bobbsey twins with their father andmother, and good-byes were called to the Bimby family, who now had foodenough to last through many storms.
There was not much trouble getting to Cedar Camp, though the road was soblocked with snow that once the sled almost upset. But before midnightthe Bobbsey twins were back in the cabin, all safe together once again.
"We've had a lot of adventures since we came here," said Bert, as theysat about the cozy fire.
"Too many," remarked his mother. "I don't know when I've been soworried, and it was worse after Flossie and Freddie went away."
"We won't run away again," promised the small twins.
"Did you find your Christmas trees, Daddy?" asked Nan.
"No, not yet," he replied. "I guess they're lost, and we'll have to cutmore."
But the next day, when the storm ceased and the sun shone, a man came tocamp with word about the missing trees. The railroad cars on which theywere loaded had been switched off on a wrong track and had been held ata distant station awaiting someone to claim them. This Mr. Bobbsey did,and soon the shipment of Christmas trees was on its way to Lakeport.
"And as long as they are found there is no excuse for staying in CedarCamp any longer," said Mr. Bobbsey.
But the children like it so that they prevailed on their father andmother to remain a few days longer. And then the Bobbsey twins had manygood times, playing in the woods and about the sawmill. For there came athaw after the big storms, and most of the snow melted. Bert and Nan gotmore chestnuts, too.
"But I hope we'll have some snow for Christmas," said Nan.
"So we can make a snow fort!" added Freddie.
"And a snowman and knock his hat off!" laughed Flossie.
"I should think you'd had enough snow," remarked their mother.
But the Bobbsey twins seldom had enough of anything when there was funand excitement going, and you may be sure this was not the last of theiradventures. But now let us say good-bye.
THE END