CHAPTER V.
THE FACE IN THE TREES.
The night passed without alarm. In the morning the cold was more intensethan ever, and the sky was still overcast with sullen-looking clouds.
During the forenoon the boys put a few extra touches to the cabin, andgathered enough fuel to last for several days. After dinner Brick andHamp chopped holes through the ice, and caught a number of fatpickerel. Jerry took his gun, and trudged into the woods. He returnedwith a brace of spruce partridges.
Toward evening the wind shifted to the east, and it grew even colder.The boys put an extra layer of boughs on the cabin floor, and got alltheir blankets out. The only comfortable part was around the fire.
Just before supper a bird flew out of the forest and over the camp. Italighted in some bushes near the verge of the jutting headland. Jerrysnatched his gun, and hurried after it across the ice.
When he reached the spot he saw something that drove the bird entirelyfrom his mind. Nearly a mile down the lake two black specks werevisible. They were moving slowly toward the western shore.
Jerry summoned his companions by a cautious shout.
"Bring your field-glasses, Brick," he added.
When the boys arrived, Jerry pointed out the far-away objects. Brickhad the glasses--a long-range pair purchased at Bangor. Each took a turnat them.
"Hullo, those things are only men," said Brick, in a tone of relief. "Iwas afraid they were wild animals."
"They are odd-looking chaps for this neighborhood," replied Jerry. "Theyain't dressed like trappers or hunters. They have guns, though, andthere's a hand-sled trailing behind them."
"I wish we could make out their faces," said Hamp. "They've come acrossthe lake, just as we did."
"Perhaps they are following us," suggested Brick, uneasily.
"Hardly," replied Jerry. "Where are they now, Hamp?"
"Just climbing the bank. Now they've disappeared in the woods."
And Hamp lowered the glasses, and restored them to Brick.
After some futile discussion of the mystery, the boys went back to camp.It was natural that they should feel a little curious and alarmed.Ruffianly characters are often encountered in the Maine wilderness.
When supper was over the boys cheered up. They washed the dishes, andthen built a roaring fire of great logs directly in front of the cabin.With blankets wrapped about their shoulders they sat beside the flames.
All at once Hamp sprang in excitement to his feet. He pointed toward thelower side of the ravine.
"Look!" he cried. "Oh! it's gone now. I saw a face peeping from behindthe trees."
"What did the fellow look like?" demanded Jerry.
"I don't know," was the reply. "He was only there for a couple ofseconds. He had savage, black eyes, and no mustache or beard. The fireshone right on him."
"Well, we've got to investigate this thing," declared Jerry. "Come on,fellows."
They delayed enough to get their guns and to light a lantern. Then theyboldly climbed the bank of the ravine, and poked about among the trees.
But not a trace of the intruder could be found. There were no footprintson the few bare patches of snow.
"Are you sure you weren't mistaken?" asked Jerry.
"Not a bit of it," replied Hamp, indignantly. "I saw the face as plainlyas I see yours now."
The boys listened in silence for a moment, and then they made anothershort search. In all directions were dense thickets of undergrowth.Through this a man on snowshoes might easily have fled without leaving atrail.
"We may as well go back," said Jerry. "We can't find the spy, whoever hewas."
For the next half-hour nothing else was talked about. Hamp was positivethat he had seen the face, and his companions believed him. All wereuneasy and scared. They knew that had the stranger been an honest manhe would have shown himself. His spying actions and hasty flight seemedto indicate some evil design.
"We'll have to be on the watch, that's all," said Hamp. "The fellow wasprobably looking for a chance to steal something."
"I don't believe he'll come back," replied Brick. "He knows by this timethat we're not to be trifled with."
About nine o'clock Jerry slipped away on the pretext of getting a drink.He took an ax with him, but instead of pausing to chop the ice he wenton to the headland.
Here he quickly climbed a tall pine tree. From its top he could lookdown the lake and over the surrounding forest. But all was dark andsilent. Nowhere was the gleam of a campfire visible.
He concluded that the strangers had pushed on into the wilderness, andwere no longer in the vicinity. With a relieved mind he descended fromthe tree and started back. He was now really thirsty, so he stopped toget a drink.
There were pretty deep shadows around him, for the timbered sides of theravine kept the glow of the campfire shut in from the ice. He found aspot that had been chopped open at supper time, and was since frozenover to the thickness of several inches. He stooped down, ax in hand.
Just as he dealt the first stroke a low, mewling cry caused him to lookup. Out on the lake, and less than twenty feet distant, crouched a long,grayish beast. With stealthy steps it came nearer and nearer, whippingits thin tail over the snow.
Jerry uttered one terrific screech that echoed far and wide through theforest. He flung the ax madly toward the creature, and, without pausingto look behind, dashed for camp at his top speed. The beast wasactually in pursuit, but it stopped at a distance of thirty feet, anduttered a yowl of disappointment.
Brick and Hamp had armed themselves, having heard Jerry's first yell ofterror. Hamp lifted his rifle, and fired at random. He missed, ofcourse, but the flash and the report scared the savage creature away.
It was a full minute before Jerry could talk intelligibly.
"It would have scared the bravest man alive to be jumped on sosuddenly," he declared. "I was kneeling on the ice, and the brute nearlyhad me. Cracky! I thought I was a goner."
"What was it?" asked Hamp. "A catamount?"
"Yes; the biggest one I ever saw. You can bet he's hungry, and savage,too."
"Do you think it's the same animal that was after us night before last?"asked Brick.
"I reckon so," Jerry admitted, reluctantly. "It must have come acrossthe ice. There's just one thing about it, fellows. If we expect to haveany peace we've got to kill the creature."
"That's easier said than done," replied Hamp. "I wish I had takencareful aim when I had the chance. Now the measly varmint will lurkaround here all night, and keep us from sleeping."
"We'll do our best to put him to sleep with a bullet," declared Jerry."Keep a stiff upper lip, Brick. We've got long odds on our side."
"I'm not afraid," Brick protested, stoutly. "I can kill a catamount aseasy as a deer if I get the chance."
It was the chance that was wanting, however. Evidently, the beast hadno intention of being killed. He was hungry enough to hang onto theforlorn chance of a I meal, but not once did he show himself, though theboys I lay behind the fire for an hour, watching with cocked and Iloaded rifles.
"The cunning fellow is lurking close by, you may be sure," saidJerry. "If we watch long enough we'll catch him in the act of snatchingthe deer."
"It's no fun to sit here in the cold," replied Hamp, as he tossed alog on the fire. "How snug it looks inside the cabin. Confound thatcatamount!"
"You fellows turn in if you want to," suggested Jerry. "I'll keep guardfor a couple of hours."
"No; I'll stick it out with you," replied Hamp.
"And so will I," added Brick.
Half an hour slipped away in silence. The drowsiness of the boysincreased. They felt strongly tempted to go to bed, and leave thecatamount in possession of the camp.
Suddenly they were startled to hear the dull report of a gun far back inthe woods. Another shot followed, and then another.
"Something wrong," exclaimed Hamp. "Those men must be camping within amile or two of us."
r /> "That's where the racket comes from," admitted Jerry. "I can't accountfor it, though."
His lips framed the word murder, but he did not utter it.
"I hear something else," declared Brick; "a sort of a roaring noise. Itsounds like the wind among the trees."
All listened intently.
"There's no wind," said Jerry, in a puzzled tone, "unless there's ahurricane coming from the west. I know now what it means. It's thehowling of wolves, fellows."
No one spoke. The assertion was too plain for denial. Nearer and louderrose the weird, moaning sounds. Howl answered howl. The ravenousscavengers of the forest were out on a night hunt for food.
"Yes, it is wolves," muttered Hamp. "We ought never to have crossed thelake. The bitter weather has driven the pack down from Canada. Thosebrutes we saw yesterday were part of it."
"Now they're headed this way," declared Jerry. "They must have attackedthe camp of those two men, and been driven off. That's what the shootingmeant."
"Can't we climb trees?" Brick asked.
"If we do the catamount will likely climb after us," replied Jerry."Keep cool, fellows. A wolf is a born coward, and hates powder. We'llgive the pack a good dose of lead if they molest us. Have your riflesready."
The boys hurriedly built up the fire with great logs. Then, after ashort discussion, they retreated to the cabin.
"This is the safest place," said Hamp, as he barricaded the entrancewith one of the sleds. "Tear a hole in that lower wall, Jerry. About asbig as your head."
As soon as the opening was made the boys crowded before it. It faced thedirection from which the wolves seemed to be approaching, and commandeda view of the buck's dangling carcass.
Closer on the frosty air rang the dismal howling of the wolves. Theycould be heard scurrying through the undergrowth. The boys waited,nervously fingering their rifles.
Suddenly a great, tawny beast sprang into full view from behind a rock.It was the hungry catamount. With a bound it fastened teeth and claws inthe haunch of venison. It pulled it to the ground, and then dragged itlightly to the top of the bluff.