CHAPTER XV
A COOK STAMPEDE
"Why, it isn't a deer at all!" cried Will.
"Looks like that boy on the train, what's his name--Teddy!" exclaimedthe sharp-eyed Bluff. A minute later he saw that his guess was a goodone, as the bearers of the litter set it down before the cabin door.
"Whatever has happened to him; Jerry, I hope you didn't mistake himfor a deer, and shoot him in the leg?" Bluff burst out, for he hadalready discovered that the boy's left limb was bound up in some rudefashion.
At that Jerry hardly knew whether to look indignant, or laugh.
"Well, I hope I can tell a deer better than to take a boy for one," heremarked, "though I know lots of people are shot every year in thewoods all over the country, just because hunters will dress in brownkhaki or corduroy. But it happens that poor Teddy got his leg into abear trap, you see."
Of course that aroused the curiosity of the two stay-at-homes morethan ever.
"Tell us about it, won't you?" they pleaded.
"Hold on a bit, till we get Teddy settled in that rustic chair by thefire. He's nearly frozen, I want you to know," Jerry announced.Between them they carried the injured boy indoors.
"I hope I'll be able to stand on both my feet in a day or two," Teddysaid, as though he hated to put them to such trouble. "But it's mightynice the way you're treating me; and after Bill showed himself sonasty mean."
It was Frank's intention to go at the wound again with warm water, andthen use some lotion he always carried for just such purposes. A cutmade by the jaws of that rusty old trap might bring on bloodpoisoning, unless it were taken in hand properly, and thoroughlycleansed.
Jerry was capable of doing all the talking necessary, while Frank setto work at his task.
"We ran on Teddy by accident," the former explained. "First thing weknew we were listening to somebody calling for help. We followed itup, and came on him. The old trap was set by a fur farmer that's got aplace four miles from here--and for one I'm real glad it is that far,because it's skunks he raises."
"Huh! that's interesting!" commented Bluff.
"You'd think it was highly interesting, if ever you meandered thatway," Jerry assured him. "Well, we took Teddy to the farm, where hewas heading at the time, having cleared out from his uncle's camp, yousee."
Jerry touched his cheek just under the right eye, and in that waycalled the attention of Will and Bluff to the discolored mark theother boy was carrying. They both nodded their heads, as thoughunderstanding what he meant.
"How did it come that you thought best not to leave him there?" askedWill.
"Nobody home," Jerry chirped; "house shut up, and old man skipped totown. Teddy said he hinted about going down to have some sort of anoperation performed. Don't blame him for seizing the first chance hegot to clear out. You would too, if you ever visited there."
"And does Frank mean to keep Teddy here with us?" asked Bluff, in alow tone, so the wounded boy might not catch what he was saying.
"Don't just know what we'll have to do about it," Jerry replied,looking as though he felt of considerable importance, since he hadshared in the adventure. "A whole lot depends on how he feelsto-morrow. You see, he's lit out from Nackerson's camp, and don't wantto go back; but he may have to yet, and stand the racket the best waypossible."
All of them felt sorry for Teddy. At the same time that did not meanto take him in with them, and have what Bluff said would be a "fifthwheel to the wagon, when just four were needed to make it complete."
If it came down to a necessity doubtless every one of the outdoorchums would have voted to make room for the boy. That mark under hiseye told what a brute Nackerson must be. If once Teddy could getsafely back home, he would never be tempted to start out into thewoods to serve as a cook for a party of sportsmen.
There was plenty of time to get the partridges ready and a fire madein the hole dug in the ground, as on that former occasion. The memoryof that delightful treat seemed to haunt all the boys, so that theyyearned for a second.
Of course during the afternoon the boys were in and out a great deal.Teddy always seized the chance to have a few friendly words withwhoever came near him. He evinced the liveliest interest in all theywere doing, and pleased Will by asking many questions concerning hismethod of taking night pictures with his flashlight.
"If I only get better soon, and you don't chase me back to that campagain," Teddy said, with a sigh, "I'd like nothing better than to doyour cooking right along. And then maybe some night you'd let me gowith you into the woods where you set your picture trap. I'd be onlytoo glad to help you any way I might."
That set Will to thinking. He tried to picture the discomforts whichthe poor fellow must have been up against, forced to obey theslightest whim of such a bad-tempered man as Bill Nackerson. If thelatter would sink so low as to strike the boy he might do even worse.
"I guess it's up to us to house Teddy the rest of the time we'rehere," Will said to Bluff, as they worked at getting more firewoodclose to the cabin so as to always have a fair supply handy, in case asnowstorm settled in.
Bluff frowned, and shook his head dubiously. Evidently he too had beenthinking about that same subject; and somehow it failed to appeal asstrongly to him as to the more tender-hearted Will.
It was past the middle of the afternoon when this talk occurred. Frankand Jerry were busy elsewhere.
"I don't know about that," Bluff remarked. "In the first place we'vegot just four bunks, which is one apiece. While I was willing to givemine up to Mr. Darrel, I'd seriously object to being turned out by aboy, and Nackerson's boy at that."
"No need of that," Will rejoined; "if he stayed he'd be only too gladto sleep on that floor cot you had. Besides, he says he's a good cook,and would take that job on his shoulders. You know some of ussometimes hate to have to work at getting the grub ready."
"Y-yes, I guess we do, Will," admitted Bluff, who could remember lotsof occasions when he served only through a sense of duty, and notbecause he was fond of getting meals.
"Then besides," continued Will, seeing that his argument was beginningto tell, as Bluff showed signs of cooling down, "what if we made himgo back to Nackerson, and anything happened to him, we wouldn't everbe able to forgive ourselves."
"He certainly is in a bad box," muttered Bluff.
"Put yourself in his place, if you can, Bluff; and see how you'd feelabout it, that's all," continued Will. "But then, I ought to know youtoo well to think you'd send a chap adrift, when we could give him ashelter and three square meals a day just as easy as say so."
"Let Frank decide it," Bluff said at last in desperation. "Whatever hesettles on the rest of us'll agree to stand for. Frank knows best whatto do and there will be no kick coming, whatever he says."
Will went away satisfied that Teddy would stay. Bluff was generallythe obstreperous one, and if he could be induced to shift allresponsibility on to Frank's shoulders, there was little more to say.
It may have been half an hour after this talk that the boys heard ashout off in the woods in the direction of Lumber Run Camp.
"Wonder what's going to strike us now?" remarked Jerry, who had beencleaning his gun and had just reloaded its magazine. At the time hewas sitting by the fire, but so warm did it feel inside the cabin thatthey had left the door part way open.
Bluff was already reaching for his gun. There was a look on his facethat could hardly be called one of alarm; at the same time it seemedto speak of excitement.
"Perhaps that crowd is coming over again to bulldoze us," hesuggested.
"Oh! I hope not," said Will, at the same time thinking it his duty tolook for his gun, which he had not fired since arriving in the BigWoods.
"Come outdoors, fellows!" they heard Frank say; for at the time ithappened he was busying himself at something in the open, and had hisgun handy.
All of them came together not far from the door. This time there wasno lack of firearms in evidence. They had taken warning from thatother occasion when caugh
t in an almost helpless condition by theNackerson crowd.
"Two men coming this way," announced Frank presently.
"That must mean Bill, and one of his pals," muttered Bluff, as hebegan to fumble with his pump-gun, so as to make sure it was inworking order. "How had we better string out to receive 'em, Frank? Itwon't do to keep in a bunch here. Hadn't I better slip along, and beready to come up on their right flank?"
"Better hold your horses a while, Bluff," advised Frank, with a laugh,"because after all it isn't the Nackerson crowd."
"But who else can they be?" the other demanded.
"Of course I don't know for sure," Frank informed him; "but it strikesme one of the men looks like the cook they had at Lumber Run Camp."
"Gee, whiz! but there seems to be an awful lot of cooks broken looselately," Bluff complained, having in mind what Will had suggested withreference to Teddy. "It must be catching, like the measles, thisrunning away from the stew-pans and flapjack fixings. But let 'em comeon; we can stand for nearly anything."
The two men came up and Frank saw there was nothing to be feared fromthat source. The idea had already flashed through his mind thatpossibly Mr. Darrel may have sent a message by them; he hoped thelumberman was not ill, or anything like that.
"I'm on my way out with the cook," one of the men explained. "You seehis wife has sent word to him to come home right away. I expect tofetch another mess cook along back with me, to stay the winter out.And seein' as we expected to come by not far from your place here, theboss he says, says he: 'Just drop in, and hand the boys thiscommunication from me.' Reckon it 'splains itself, boys. So we'll begoin', because the cook is fair wild to get home. Twins is an event inhis fambly that ain't never happened before."
The two men hurried away even while Frank was opening the paper thathad been placed in his hand.
"Read it out loud, please, Frank, so the whole of us can get a grip onwhat he's written to you," suggested Jerry.
"Listen, then," said Frank, who had shown signs of some littleexcitement. "'This is to inform you, dear boys, that last night asneaking incendiary tried to burn us out at Lumber Run Camp. Thedamage didn't amount to much; but I'm offering a hundred dollarsreward for information that will convict the miserable wretch whostarted that fire. A word to the wise is sufficient. _SamuelDarrel_.'"