CHAPTER XXIII
ICHABOD GETS A BIG SURPRISE
It was about daybreak on the following morning when the sleepyIchabod stumbled from his bed and wobbled out into the open, rubbinghis eyes. He gathered the dry stuff for the campfire, which had goneout, and proceeded to make a smudge which got into his eyes, causinghim further distress.
The colored man had fussed about his duties for a full half hour,when taking a pail he started for the river to fetch water which hewould boil for the use of the outfit. Reaching the point where theprisoner had been tied to the tree Ichabod halted, rubbing his eyesand scratching his head. He was confident that something was wrong,but in his sleepy condition he was not quite sure for the moment whatthat something was. The sight of the rope lying at the foot of thetree jogged his memory into sudden activity.
Ichabod uttered a yell. Bill Lilly was outside his tent in atwinkling, followed quickly by the other members of the party, TadButler being the last to leave his tent. Tad appeared to be in nogreat haste.
"What is it, Icha?" shouted Lilly.
"Him--him done gwine away."
"Eh, what?"
"De 'Gator done gwine away, sah."
"Not the prisoner? You don't mean he has escaped?"
"Ya-a-a-a."
The guide covered the ground to the tree in long strides. He haltedsuddenly upon observing the rope lying where it had been thrown. Anugly expression spread slowly over Bill Lilly's face.
"Has his horse been taken?"
"Yes, the horse is gone too," answered Ned Rector.
"Get ready! We must run him down," shouted Billy.
"What is the use? Why not let him go? He has had his lesson,"answered Tad.
"I am of the same opinion," agreed Professor Zepplin. "We did notcome down here to chase criminals, but rather to follow the gametrails. We have been in the canebrake for some time, and all we havegot has been a small doe. My boys want a bear-hunt, Mr. Lilly, not amanhunt."
Billy reflected, tugging at his moustache. In a measure hisreputation was at stake. His party simply must get a bear, or hisreputation would suffer.
"You shall have a bear," he answered almost savagely.
Tad grinned, well pleased with the decision. As yet no suspicionattached to him. In good time Butler would tell them about it, butthere need be no hurry to stir up trouble. The boy smiled to himself.He was happy in his little secret. He felt that Pete had beenpunished enough, and was sure that they would not be bothered by himagain. Pete had had too great a scare to warrant him in annoying themfurther.
Lilly had grabbed some cold food, and, taking his hound leader withhim, started out on horseback, telling the others that he was goingout to see if he could locate a trail. He said he would be backbefore noon. Instead of being away most of the morning the guide wasback in an hour.
"I've located a fresh trail," he announced. "It isn't more than anhour old at best. It's a she-bear and a fine one. We'll get thisone or know the reason why. I have done the best I could. You knowI can't make 'bear sign' if it isn't there. We frequently have towait for weeks for a good trail. We are lucky in finding this one,for it might have been a young bear, and no great sport."
The boys were all excitement on the instant. They began makinghurried preparations for the chase, which all felt was going toresult in something worth while.
"Master Tad, I want you to ride back towards Turtle Bayou. You knowthe way. I think she is heading that way. About a mile before youreach the bayou you will find a ridge of cane leading off to thenorthwest. It is what is known as the Big Cane Ridge. This she-bearhas come over from the southern ridge, and, unless I am much mistaken,she is heading for the Big Ridge. She will stop some time thisforenoon for food and rest, and if you take the short cut you oughtto get to the ridge ahead of her."
"Do I go alone?"
"Yes, you will make better time. We don't want to lose this one.Once she gets on the Big Ridge we shan't get her at all. Now hustleyourself. Lay your course by the compass two points north ofnorthwest and hold it. That will land you at the exact spot I wantyou to reach. You will have to use your bush-knife all the way.It's a new trail and a hard one, but you will eat it up."
Tad hastily stowed food in the pockets of his saddle, then looked tohis weapons, his rope and his other equipment.
"Don't take any chances in case you should come up with the old she,but shoot and shoot to kill."
"And be sure that you don't get lost," added the Professor.
"I shall leave a trail that can be followed, even if I do lose myway," answered Tad, leaping into his saddle. Swinging his hand inparting salute to his companions he rode away, putting his mount toits best loping run.
Thirty minutes later the rest of the party with the hounds were alsoriding away to pick up the trail. The dogs were tugging at theirleashes before they reached the trail.
"They've got the scent already," cried Lilly. "Now look out for achase. It is going to be a hard run and a fast ride, but you boysare good for it."
"You bet we are!" shouted the Pony Rider Boys.
"I hope we, instead of Tad Butler, get the bear. He has had enoughfun," complained Ned Rector.
"We stand the best chance," answered Lilly. "She will lie down torest, and during that hour we shall get up to her."
The hounds were released soon after that. They were off with yelpsof joy, tearing along the trail with the horses of the Pony Ridersclose behind them.
"This is a real joy ride," howled the fat boy, his face alreadyflecked with blood, his clothing torn, from contact with brush andlow-hanging limbs, for he was riding close up behind the guide.
"No, Tad is having that," corrected Ned. "He hasn't anything to holdhim back, either. He can go as fast as he wishes without having toconsider anyone else."
By this time the voices of the dogs were to be heard faintly in thedistance. A short time later they were too far away to be heard atall.
In the meantime Tad Butler was hewing his way through the cypressswamp, through occasional thin ridges of cane, over rough ground,keeping his muscular little mount down to work every second of thetime.
Tad did not have much time to think about anything save the work inhand. He did not know that he was rapidly converging on the trail ofthe she-bear.
About two o'clock in the afternoon the lad first heard the yelping ofthe hounds. They seemed to be approaching him obliquely, which infact they were.
Tad pulled up sharply and listened. After a short time he rodeabout, getting the lay of the land, trying to decide in his own mindjust what course the bear would take and where his best vantage pointwould be for getting a shot at her. There was no sound of theapproach of the Pony Riders. He knew that they had been distancedperhaps by some miles, and that what was done here Tad Butler wouldbe obliged to do on his own account. He now saw the wisdom of BillyLilly's plan. Billy, too, had given Tad the better end of the chase,which, as Tad believed, had been done with fore-thought. For thisButler was thankful. He wanted to get a bear.
The lad showed his excitement only in his eyes. Otherwise he wascool and deliberate in all his actions.
Suddenly the yelping of the hounds changed. They were sounding a newnote. The yelping had given place to deep baying sounds.
"They've got her!" cried the boy, digging the rowels of his spursinto the sides of his mount. The little animal leaped forward andfairly tore through the brush, with the boy urging her on to renewedefforts regardless of the peril to his own person. Butler knew thatbaying well. He had heard it before, the first time in the RockyMountains, and he knew that there was an animal at bay. He wascareful to make as little noise as possible. All at once he burstout into an open space where a strange sight met his gaze.
A huge she-bear was lying on the ground, flat on her back, her pawsin the air, as a bear at bay frequently does. She was surrounded bya circle of baying dogs, each trying for an opening to get in avicious bite.
Ta
d halted in amazement. He at first thought the beast had beenwounded. He saw, however, that she was resting, taking her ease,with her paws in the air, regardless of the savage hounds snapping ather haunches.
"Well, of all the cool nerve I ever heard!" exclaimed the boy.
Now and then a hound, more venturesome than the rest, would dive infor a bite, whereupon, quick as a flash, a heavy paw would swing onthe animal, sending it tumbling away yelping with pain. Sointerested was the Pony Rider Boy that it did not occur to him toshoot. He did not know whether or not Mrs. Bruin had seen or scentedhim. Then, again, it was not any too safe to try a shot at her withthe hounds leaping in and out, dodging here and there. When she gotup he would get a better sight and a safer shot.
Tad waited several minutes, the bear still taking her ease. Sheappeared absolutely without fear of the dogs that were nagging her.
"I'm going to stir her up," declared Tad with sudden resolution. Hethrew his rifle to his shoulder and sat his horse waiting a favorableopportunity to let drive at the old she-bear.
A faint puff of smoke, a detonating crash, woke the forest echoes.Tad's pony, startled, leaped into the air and to one side. The PonyRider boy, caught wholly off his guard, disappeared from the saddlein a twinkling, landing on the ground.
The boy toppled over and lay still. He was too dazed for the momentto pull himself together.
In the meantime things were taking place before him. The beast hadsuddenly lunged to her feet, uttering growls of rage, her little eyesfixed on the cause of her distress, on the prostrate boy, a bulletfrom whose rifle had shattered the bone of her left shoulder.
Suddenly she lunged toward him, pausing to snap and bite at thehounds that were trying to throw themselves upon her, but whom shewarded off with paw, her jaws wide open and dripping.
The big she-bear was ambling toward Tad Butler at great speed.