CHAPTER XXVI. "TENDERFOOT? WELL, HARDLY, AFTER THIS."
"Wow! bully for Bumpus!" cried out Giraffe.
"Hold 'em tight, old chum; we're here to see you through, all right!"shouted Step Hen.
Of course there was no use of trying to hide any longer. Thad and Allanknew this, and that the time had come for them to back Bumpus up, theminute they saw him open hostilities in that astonishing way.
All of them were on their feet, now, and hurrying toward the fire. Hankand Pierre, being desperate men, might have even thought it worth whileto put up some sort of resistance; but they had their talons drawn when,upon investigating the condition of their guns, they found that, sureenough, these were empty.
While the two men lay there at their ease, never dreaming that the fatscout would have the nerve to do anything but whimper, and shiver at thesound of their harsh orders, Bumpus, laying out this wonderfully cleverlittle surprise, had amused himself by working the mechanism of theirguns, and extracting the last cartridge. And it was the heavy rumble ofHank's deep bass voice that had helped operations along, by deadening the"click" of the cautiously moved mechanical devises belonging to therepeating rifles.
"Drop those guns, you two, and be quick about it!"
Thad gave this order, because he knew that each of the men would be aptto have a belt of extra cartridges buckled about their waists, or slungover their shoulder. And to an experienced hunter, it is only a questionof seconds, really, when he can shove a single charge into the firingchamber of his empty gun.
Of course Hank and Pierre hated most dreadfully to obey this order; butthere was no use talking; the scouts had the upper hand, and if they knewwhat was good for them they must do as they were told.
In the first place there was Bumpus, excitedly covering first one andthen the other; and how were they to make sure but that he might, even byaccident, have a cramp in his finger, while looking along thedouble-barreled Marlin?
Then, as if that were not enough, four other guns were bearing upon them,as the new arrivals advanced in a line.
"It's too big odds, younkers, an' we gives in;" but Hank used a good manymore words than this to express his disgust, only the rest were not atall necessary.
He threw his gun down angrily on the ground; Pierre was just asenergetic, and both men fairly glared at their boyish captors.
"Step Hen, lay down your gun, and secure those of the enemy," orderedThad.
With a wide grin decorating his freckled face, Step Hen proceeded tocarry out the injunction of the patrol leader. And one could easily seethat the boy took the keenest delight in thus having a hand in disarmingthe enemy.
"Now," continued Thad, "search Hank for a knife, and take it away. Gethis cartridge belt too; and when you've done that, give Pierre a whirl.We'll just stand around, and be ready to plunk them chock full of lead ifthey try to resist."
But the men were utterly disheartened. They seemed to realize that theywere up against a tough proposition. Everything was going wrong; and thephilosophy of your timber cruiser under such conditions is to appearindifferent and reckless. Perhaps they try to act very much on the sameprinciple as an Indian would, upon being put to the torture.
After fully disarming the men Thad saw to it that both of them were tiedup. Hank growled fearfully, but the half-breed seemed to take the wholeaffair somewhat in the light of a good joke. This seemed all the morestrange because nearly all half-breeds, Thad had been told, were surly bynature.
When this duty had been well performed, Thad joined the others about thefire. Bumpus had had his hand shaken again and again until his whole armbegan to feel the result.
"The bulliest feller in the whole bunch, barring none!" Step Hen haddeclared.
"He's on the way to being made a first-class scout, that's right,"Giraffe solemnly remarked, all his petty jealousy gone, now that he againhad hold of Bumpus' fat hand, and found himself looking into the laughingeyes.
"All along he's acquitted himself splendidly," said Thad, warmly.
"And none of us ever dreamed you had it in you, Bumpus." Allan chimed in.
It was indeed a proud hour for Bumpus. Forgotten were all his trials andanxieties. He would easily have been willing to undertake the wholeprogramme again could he be sure of such a joyous outcome--yes, even tobeing hectored, browbeaten, insulted, and kicked about like a dog, byHank and Pierre.
Long they sat there, talking of the many things that must of course beexceedingly interesting when looked back upon as past performances.Bumpus was asked strings of questions until finally he threw up hishands, to announce that the well was pumped dry.
Then they set about making ready to pass the remainder of the nightthere. When another day came they could decide what to do with Hank andhis companion, who were hardly the kind of men to set free, with arms ontheir person, and hatred in their hearts.
Of course Thad and Allan made up their minds that they must, betweenthem, stand guard until morning came.
They dared not take any chances when dealing with such desperate men aswere the two trapped timber cruisers. And when they saw that a vidette,armed with a ready gun, was to keep the fire going all the while, as wellas watch them, doubtless the men decided not to try and escape, but takethings as easy as possible.
There was no trouble.
Morning came, and found them up and doing; for Thad was most anxious toreturn to the camp near the foot of the rapids. After so many days hefelt sure the three boys left at the camp would be dreadfully worriedconcerning the absent ones, and especially Bumpus; because, of coursethey still considered him as a poor, ignorant tenderfoot scout,blundering along after a fashion, and hardly knowing enough to come inout of the wet, when it rained.
Ah! yes, there were a number of tremendous surprises in store for Daveand Bob and Smithy, when the full story of Bumpus' achievements was toldby the glowing camp-fire; and mostly at that by those who had followedhis trail through the big timber, reading the signs as they appeared, andobserving the remarkable progress the fat member of the Silver Fox Patrolmade, once he started thinking for himself.
They had enough venison left for one good meal all around, including thetwo timber cruisers. Thad was worried about these men. He did not knowwhat to do with them, truth to tell.
If he sent them away with weapons and ammunition; there was always achance that sometime later the fellows might again run across them, andgive trouble.
On the other hand, it seemed rather cruel to turn them loose in thewilderness, so far away from civilization, and without arms, by means ofwhich they might obtain food, or defend themselves in case of trouble.
Upon putting it up to Hank and Pierre themselves, the men, quite downcastnow, declared that they were done "cruising" in that section, and meantto get out of it just as fast as their legs could carry them.
"Let us off this time, younker," Hank pleaded. "We got our lesson rubbedin good an' hard, I reckons. I'm even willin' to have Fatty here kick meas many times as I did him; though I do say as how he paid it all up whenhe played that fine trick on us."
It was not surprising, therefore, that the gratified Bumpus, in thegoodness of his heart, asked Thad to forgive the two men.
"I'll tell you what we'll do," Thad decided. "Leave their guns here, andtake the men to the camp with us. Then, if we decide to turn them loose,they'll have to come half a day's journey back to get the guns."
And so it was decided to arrange matters.