CHAPTER II.
INTO THE WILDERNESS.
Brick struggled back to his senses amid strange surroundings. He waslying on a soft bearskin in a small, picturesquely-furnished room. Awood fire blazed in one corner, and a lamp swung from the ceiling.
Three of the walls of the apartment were of hard, polished clay,ornamented with groups of guns, fishing rods and paddles. The fourth wasof heavy timber, and contained a door and a shuttered window. Deer andbear robes covered the floor. Here rested two canvas canoes, and therelay a light cedar skiff.
Two lads stood by the fire. One, about eighteen, was tall and well knit,with dark hair and a swarthy, honest face. The other was shorter andthicker, and possibly a year younger.
"Hullo!" exclaimed Brick, as he pulled himself to a sitting position.
The strangers hastened to his side.
"How do you feel?" asked the elder lad. "I was just going for a doctor."
"I'll be all right pretty soon," replied Brick. "I've got a thumpingheadache, though."
"And no wonder, with a bruise like that over your eye. Do you rememberwhat happened?"
"Yes," answered Brick, "up to a certain point. But how did I get here?"
"We heard the racket, and ran out with our guns and a lantern. We saw aman jump from a boat down near the water. We chased him a shortdistance, and he fired at us twice. We found you lying on the bottomwith an ugly bruise on your forehead, and between us we got you uphere."
"You certainly saved my life," declared Brick, gratefully, "and yousaved something else, too. This is what the ruffian was after. Youscared him off before he could find it."
He unbuttoned his jacket, and drew out the pocketbook. Then, in a fewwords, he related the whole adventure to his new friends.
"I'm lucky to escape with a bruise and the loss of my overcoat," heconcluded. "It would have been ten times worse but for you fellows."
"Here is your coat," said the younger lad. "We stumbled over it when wewere chasing the rascal. Were there any valuables in it?"
"Only a couple of letters from my father," replied Brick, as he wentthrough the pockets of the garment. "By Jove! they're gone, though. Thethief will find he's made a valuable haul."
Brick spoke in jest. He little dreamed what use would be made of thestolen letters, or what a harvest of trouble he was destined to reapfrom their loss.
"I'm feeling considerably better now," he added. "I'm glad of it, forI'll have to be moving soon. It's getting late, and---- Hullo!something just struck me. I believe you're the very chaps I'm lookingfor. This is a queer go."
The lads exchanged puzzled glances. Possibly they thought that the blowhad deranged Brick's mind.
"I'll bet anything your names are Jerry Brenton and Hamp Foster, andthis is the dug-out in the bluff," resumed Brick. "Am I right?"
The boys nodded in open-mouthed wonder.
"I'm Jerry Brenton," admitted the elder.
"And Hamp Foster is my name," added his companion, "but I never saw youbefore."
"Of course you didn't," declared Brick. "Do you fellows remember TomFordham, the chap from New York that spent a vacation here two summersago, and had such jolly times with both of you?"
A light broke on the boys.
"We remember Tom," they exclaimed, with enthusiasm.
"And did you ever hear him talk of his best chum, Brick Larkins?"
"Often," replied Hamp. "But you ain't----"
"Yes, I am, too. I'm Brick Larkins, and I'm awfully glad to meet youfellows. The way I come to be here is this: Tom and I entered ColumbiaCollege last fall, and a couple of weeks ago I got into a scrape andwas dropped for a term. I wasn't going to spend the time on a lot ofmusty books, so I concluded I'd come up to Maine, and go deer hunting.My folks are in Europe, and a lawyer down in New York is my guardian asfar as money matters go. I'm my own master in other ways, and I've gotcash enough to see me through for a while. I understand from Tom thatthe father of one of you chaps is a guide. I want him to take me intothe woods for a few weeks. I'm willing to pay his price, whatever itis."
"I'm the one," replied Jerry, soberly; "but my father is laid up withrheumatism, and won't be able to make any trips this winter."
"I'm awfully sorry," said Brick. "Perhaps I can get another guide. Lookhere, are you fellows in any trouble? You both look pretty downhearted,if you'll pardon me for saying so."
The boys were reluctant to speak, but Brick finally compelled them toadmit that they were in serious trouble, and that they had come to thedug-out that evening to have a quiet talk over the matter.
Two months before Hamp's father had been drowned by the foundering ofhis lumber barge in a storm. What little money he left was soon spent,and now Hamp had just been thrown out of employment by the closing ofthe mills in which he worked. Unless he speedily found a new place, hismother and sister would be in actual want.
Jerry was confronted by an equally dismal prospect. He could get no workto do, and money was sorely needed for his sick father. His mother hadformerly earned a little by sewing, but her time was now required forthe invalid.
Brick pondered the situation for a little while. He could see that theboys were proud, and that it would never do to offer money. At last hehit upon a bright idea.
"Look here," he said, "I'll bet you fellows know as much about the woodsas regular guides. Tom always said so, anyway. How is it?"
"Hamp and I have been out with my father a good deal," replied Jerry,modestly. "We've been to Moosehead Lake and Chesumcook."
"And we're pretty fair shots," added Hamp. "We've been in at the deathof more than one bear or deer. If it wasn't for our being so young wemight get employment as guides. We were talking about that thisevening."
"I wouldn't want better guides," declared Brick. "If you fellows willtake me into the woods I'll pay each of you fifteen dollars a week, andstand all expenses. Before we start I'll pay in advance for threeweeks."
He opened his pocketbook and showed the contents.
"I can easily afford it," he added. "I have nearly five hundreddollars."
The boys were dazzled by this munificent offer. It brought tears totheir eyes to think of the relief that money would bring to theafflicted ones at home.
"You're awfully kind," said Jerry, in a tremulous voice. "I'll gladly goif my father will let me. And I'm sure he will."
"I know my mother won't object," added Hamp.
"Then it's as good as settled," declared Brick. "I can hardly wait tillwe're off. I've been wanting to see the Maine wilderness for years."
"Know much about guns or hunting?" asked Jerry.
"Mighty little," Brick candidly admitted. "I never shot anything biggerthan a blackbird in my life. Game don't run loose in New York."
"We'll show you sport enough," promised Hamp. "Just wait till we strikethe deer."
The three lads fell to chatting with the freedom of old friends, andBrick quite forgot his aching head.
During the next few days all arrangements were made, and Brick providedhimself and companions with a lavish outfit.
Brick had reported his adventure to the police, but without success. Mr.Pendergast had doubtless left the town.
The ground was covered with snow to the depth of half a foot on thecrisp December afternoon when the young hunters landed at Katahdin IronWorks--the terminus of the Bangor and Katahdin Iron Works Railroad.
They were now more than one hundred and fifty miles from the coast, andvery nearly in the center of Maine.
On the following morning they hired a sledge and driver, and weretransported thirty miles northward--to the end of a rugged lumber trail.The next day they pushed ahead on foot, trailing two hand sleds, towhich were strapped their provisions, guns, and various neededsupplies.
By sundown they reached one of the eastern arms of Moosehead Lake, andbuilt a-temporary lean-to among the rocks and trees. They were now inthe actual wilderness, miles and miles from civilization.
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