CHAPTER XVIII
AN INVITATION TO COME OUT
"About time those boys were showing up, eh, Bluff?"
"There they come now, Mr. Mabie, and--Jerusalem!"
"What ails you now?" asked the stockman, coming out of the tent.
"They've got an old Indian in tow, as sure as you live!" cried Bluff.
"Where is he? I've just been wanting to get an Indian picture the worstway. Show him to me, please!" And Will came crawling hastily forth, ofcourse clutching his beloved camera in his hand.
"H'm! I guess I know that old buck. It's Running Elk, the chief of theCrees. Something must have happened out of the usual order," said theranchman.
When he learned what Frank had to say Mr. Mabie proved himself just sucha man as the others had believed him to be. He advanced to the Indian,who was standing there in stoical silence, with his blanket thrown overhis shoulder, and held out his hand.
"I'm glad to meet you again, Running Elk, and sorry to hear about yourtrouble. But it will soon be all right. I'll see to it that theauthorities learn about Pierre, and they'll get him before long. In themeantime, I'm going to give you a letter to my foreman. You take yourlittle party to the ranch, and they'll see to it that you have plenty toeat until I come back home," he said.
The chief shook his head sadly.
"Bad! bad! Young braves no think when kill runaway steers. Never morecan happen after this. Send skins to pay when get um. Glad get meat forsquaw and pappoose."
That was the extent of his remarks.
"I guess Injuns ain't got much of a supply of words," remarked Willaside to Bluff.
"But he means all right. I like the old chap's looks. Come along, Frank,and tell us all about it. You look like you've been in a fight. Say! thereds didn't tackle you, did they?" exclaimed Bluff.
"One did; a little chap about hip-high. Ho was out trying to snare ajack-rabbit, when he found me. I'd taken a header down over a root, andwas lying in a state where I didn't care whether school kept or not. Heled me to their camp, and Jerry found me there later. That's all of itin a nutshell. Now I'm going to have Mr. Mabie wrap up my hand and takea look at my head, for it still rings."
After an examination, the ranchman declared that there was nothingserious the matter.
"It may take a few days for that lump to subside, and these cuts toheal, but you came out of it better than an old fellow like me couldhave done," he said, and Frank felt relieved.
"What are you going to do with Running Elk?" he asked.
"Send him back to his people with some food. Then he will carry thisletter to my foreman, who will look after the party until we get back.After that I'll see to it that Pierre is taken care of and the chiefrecalled to his own."
"I knew you would. I told the old fellow that, but he was sore afraidthat you could never forgive what his young braves had done a year ortwo ago."
The old Cree chief soon departed, with a grin on his face, and his armsfull of bundles. He might have been proud, but there were hungry mouthsto feed, and for their sakes he must forget that he should die soonerthan beg favors.
Frank felt rather stiff and sore on the following day. He was satisfiedto hang about camp, and let his chums do the hunting, for once.
Jerry could not be restrained, for his sporting blood demanded that hekeep going all the while. Will was just as eager to do his style ofshooting, and even wandered down the river to get a view of the Creeteepee before the family of Running Elk broke camp.
Bluff took a notion to try fishing, and with considerable success. Laterin the day Frank also wet a line, and between them they managed tosecure a decent mess of fat trout for the whole party.
When Jerry came in he reported that he had had a shot at an elk, butfailed to stop his flight. He also declared that he had seen what hebelieved to be a wolf skulking through the timber.
"Oh, I don't doubt it," said the old stockman, when Frank lookedquestioningly at him. "The pesky critters like to hang around here,looking for a nice calf that happens to stray away from its mammy'sside. Winter and summer, it's all the same to them, so long as we don'tget after the pack too hot. Never lose a chance to knock over a wolf, myboy."
"I never mean to," said Jerry, holding up a piece of gray fur.
"That's wolf, all right; and look here, what did you do to him?"demanded Mr. Mabie.
"I was very kind to the scamp, and hung him up in a tree, where the restof his tribe couldn't get at him to tear his hide to pieces. You see, Ihad a notion that I'd like to have that skin for a rug, and that lateron, perhaps, one of the boys might go out with me and remove it muchbetter than I could," grinned Jerry.
"Thank you, my lad. I feel that you've done me a favor. Every wolf thatgoes across the Great Divide means more calves to grow up; and you shallhave your rug, I pledge you my word."
Mr. Mabie shook the hand of the successful wolf hunter with emphasis,showing that he felt deeply on the subject.
Just as he expected, Frank was still rather sore on the following day.He let the others do the hunting that morning, Will tagging behind thebunch with his ready camera.
They came in at noon, having covered some new ground, and brought thebest part of an elk with them. Mr. Mabie laughed, and wished it mighthave been an antelope instead. He was not partial to elk meat, which wasperhaps natural in a stockman, who could kill young beef whenever thespirit moved.
"How about that bear den, Reddy?" asked Jerry, as they lounged about thecamp in the early afternoon.
"Any time you say the word. I was only waitin' till Frank felt himselfagain," was the other's reply.
"Oh, don't let my condition keep you from that little entertainment.Besides, I feel much better now. Perhaps a little excitement might putme in just the right kind of trim," declared that individual promptly.
"Hear! hear!" exclaimed Bluff, making a pretense of clapping his hands.
"Talk to me about your dyed-in-the-wool sportsman! Frank, here, couldgive any fellow points," declared Jerry.
"I understand the principle he works on. It's the same as what they callhomoepathy, that 'like cures like.' I've seen a man, when struck by arattler, chase the reptile, kill him, and apply his crushed body to thewound, in the belief that one poison would counteract the other," saidthe stockman.
"Did it succeed?" asked Jerry, eager for information along these lines.
"Well," said Mr. Mabie, "the poor chap died, I'm sorry to say. Inanother case, the fellow insisted on filling himself up with whiskey. Helived through it, too, which proved the rule, though I believe there arebetter things to save a man than liquor. But Frank has the right idea.The excitement of the chase will cause him to forget, and take some ofthe stiffness out of his joints."
"Then we go this afternoon?" queried Reddy anxiously.
"Whenever you're ready," answered Frank.
They set out within half an hour. Of course, the whole four chumsinsisted on being in the party. Besides, there were the guide, Mr. Mabieand Billy. Each of the cowboys carried his rope, for of late it hadseemed as though a lariat might be a very necessary accompaniment tothese side hunts.
They headed in a quarter where, as yet, none of the boys had been. Thisled them directly into the thickets that lay at the base of the mountainbarrier, stretching away up against the blue heavens.
None of the chums had forgotten the fierce appearance of the grizzlythat had fallen before the rifle which Jerry wielded so cleverly.
"Remember, lads," said Mr. Mabie, as they trailed along through rockygulches, "every Mountain Charlie isn't going to keel over as easily asthe one Jerry got. He was lucky to send his lead to a vital point. I'veseen veteran hunters shoot a bear a dozen times, and then have to finishhim with a knife."
"I've always read that they can stand a tremendous amount of shootingwithout caving under," admitted Frank.
"And it isn't considered at all disgraceful, when stirring such aterrible monster out of his den, for the hunters to post themselves intrees near by. While at first b
lush such a procedure might seem silly orcowardly to you, take an old hunter's advice, and give the rascal nomore chance than you can help. Even then I've known him to shake afellow out of a small tree, and only for the assistance of the others hemust have killed the youngster."
"A grizzly can't climb a tree, then, sir?" questioned Will uneasily.
"Not ordinarily. He might manage to swarm up if the trunk was inclinedabout forty-five degrees. Select straight ones, and of some size; thenyou're safe."
"Thank you, Mr. Mabie. I'll follow your advice. You see, I'm only thephotographer of the club, and they could hardly afford to lose me,"remarked Will, thinking some sort of an apology might be necessary forhis seeming timidity.
But the others did not laugh. They knew their chum too well for that. Hehad proven more than once that when it came to a pinch he could conquerhis natural weakness, and show the right spirit of bravery, especiallyif it were one of his comrades who was in peril.
"Well," remarked Reddy a short time later, "we're close to the placenow."
"I imagined as much," said Mr. Mabie, with a significant look around.
"You mean that this is an ideal spot for a grizzly to have his den?"asked Jerry.
"Fine. Look at the tumbled-down rocks, making many a cave that affordsshelter from the elements, winter and summer. Then, of course, the oldrascal has a nice short cut through some canyon to the open country. Heuses that when he feels sharp set for veal. Oh, yes, I've no doubt he'sbeen the cause of many a calf disappearing from the herd," said thestockman between his teeth.
"I don't wonder, then, you are so keen at wanting to get rid of all suchneighbors as grizzlies, panthers and wolves. They make an expensiveboarding-house," laughed Bluff.
"They take their toll right along. This region would be a paradise fora stockman only for that. The grass is heavy, and while the winters aresevere, we know how to carry our stock over; but we can never calculateour profits, because of the losses on account of hungry wild beasts."
"Then I'm glad we came here to get our taste of big-game shooting, forit will not only be fun for us, but a benefit to civilization," remarkedBluff, who, being in training to succeed his lawyer father, often likedto indulge in imposing sentences.
"Now look over yonder to where that cleft yawns," said Reddy at thisjuncture.
"I see it; and is that the den?" asked Jerry.
"Sure as you live. You fellows be choosing your trees, and let me take apeek."
"He isn't going in, I hope!" exclaimed Will as the cowboy moved away.
"Well, hardly. Reddy doesn't want to commit suicide just yet. He's onlygoing to make sure the old chap is at home, then he'll make preparationsto smoke him out."
As Mr. Mabie said, Reddy was soon back, and from his actions it waspositive the bear was at home. He began collecting dry wood and allmanner of material calculated to make a big smoke. The boys knewsomething about such a scheme themselves, and were deeply interested.
Mr. Mabie insisted that each one seek an asylum in the branches of atree that commanded the black cleft. Presently, Reddy had his pile ofwood and brush ready, and he put a match to it, after which he beat ahasty retreat, climbing into the tree with Frank.
"Listen!" he said presently.
Frank could hear a sound like sneezing. This was followed by ascrambling noise that arose above the crackling of the fire. Then came aterrific roar, succeeded by a sudden scattering of the brands, and theenraged grizzly rushed into the open!