CHAPTER XXII
PROFESSOR ZEPPLIN'S MYSTERIOUS FOE
Though Tad Butler had received an ugly wound where the sharp claw ofthe dying cougar had raked him from his right shoulder almost down tothe waist line, his youthful vitality enabled him to throw off theshock of it in a very short time.
Making sure that the beast was dead, Lige rushed to the boy's side,and turning him over, made a hasty examination of his wounds.
Tad was unconscious.
"Is--is he dead?" breathed Walter, peering down into the pale faceof his friend.
"No. He's alive, but he's had a mighty close call," answered Lige in arelieved tone, and each of the boys muttered a prayer of thankfulness.
"Bring me some water at once," commanded the guide.
Ned rushed away, returning in a few moments with his sombrerofilled. In his excitement he dropped the hat in attempting to pass itto the guide, deluging the unconscious Tad with the cold water. Tadgasped and coughed, a liberal supply of the water having gone downhist throat.
"Clumsy!" growled Lige. "Get some more, but don't let go till I gethold of the hat this time."
By the time Ned had returned with the second hatful, Tad Butler wasregaining consciousness, and in a few moments they had him sitting up.
The guide washed the boy's wound, and, laying on a covering of leaves,which he secured with adhesive plaster, allowed him to stand up.
"Well, young man, how do you feel?" he asked, with a grin.
"I feel sore. Did he bite me?"
"Luckily for you, he didn't. If you are going in for hand-to-handmix-ups I'm afraid we shall have to leave off hunting. Old andexperienced hunters have done what you did, but I must say it's thefirst time I ever heard of a boy even attempting it."
"Are the dogs dead?" asked Tad solicitously.
"No. But, like you, they're pretty sore. You saved Ginger's life, andI guess he knows it. You can see how he keeps crawling up to you, thoughhe can hardly drag his body along."
"Good Ginger," soothed Tad, patting the wounded beast, which the houndacknowledged by a feeble wag of its tail.
"Now, if you boys are satisfied, I propose that we start back in themorning," advised Lige. "It will take us well into the second day toreach camp, and we may pick up some game on the way back. I'll skinthe cat to-night after supper, so we can take the hide back with us. Iguess you'll all agree that it belongs to Tad Butler?" smiled Lige.
"Well, I should say it does," returned Ned earnestly. "But he'swelcome to it. If that's the way they get cougar skins, I'll roamthrough life without one, and be perfectly contented with my lot."
"Not many fellows would risk their lives for a dog," added Walter,with glowing eyes.
While the boys had been having such exciting times, Professor Zepplinalso had been enjoying the delights of the mountains, as well asexperiencing some of their more unpleasant features.
The lure of the yellow metal had gotten into the Professor's veins,immediately he had proved to his own satisfaction that that which Tadhad discovered was real gold. The German could scarcely restrain hisanxiety until the final return of Ben Tackers with the reply to themessage he had sent on to Denver.
Ben had made the trip to Eagle Pass again on the third day, returningsome time in the night, so that the Professor did not see him untilthe following day.
In the meantime, Professor Zepplin had not been idle. He had madefrequent trips to the vicinity of the cave, bringing away with himeach time a bagful of the ore, which he had detached with his hammerand chisel, all of which he had submitted to the blow-pipe, acidtests, and, in most instances, with the same result that had followedhis first attempt.
The Professor's enthusiasm now was almost too great for hisself-restraint. There could be no doubt of the correctness of hisconclusions. There must be a rich vein of ore running through therocks, terminating, he believed, in the cave itself.
Finally, urged on by this same enthusiasm, Professor Zepplin venturedin as far as the first chamber one afternoon, and what he found thereraised his hopes to the highest pitch.
"I must be careful. I must be cautious. No one must know of mydiscovery just yet," he breathed, glancing apprehensively about, as heemerged from the cave on hands and knees.
Yet, as he came out, the Professor failed to observe two pairs of eyesthat were watching his every movement from the rocks above theentrance to the cave.
Believing himself entirely alone, the Professor spread the ore he hadjust gathered on the ground before him, taking up each piece ofmineral, fondling it and gazing upon it with glowing eyes.
"Gold! Bright yellow gold! A fortune, indeed!"
With a deep sigh of satisfaction, he gathered up the specimens,replacing them in his bag with great care. He drew the mouth of thebag shut, tying it securely.
So thoroughly absorbed was he with his great discovery, that he wasall unconscious of the fact that a man had been creeping up to himfrom the rear while he had been thus engaged.
In one hand the fellow carried a stout stick, the free hand beingemployed to aid him in his cat-like creeping movements.
"I wonder if anyoue suspects," mused the scientist, sitting with afar-away look in his eyes. "Well, we shall see. We shall----"
The words died on the Professor's lips, as the tough stick, which hadbeen raised above him, was brought down with a resounding whack,squarely on the top of his uncovered head.
Sudden darkness overwhelmed Professor Zepplin. He sank down with amoan, into utter oblivion.
When finally his heavy eyelids had struggled apart, night hadfallen. At first, he could not imagine where he was nor what hadhappened. Shooting pains throbbed through his head and down into hisarms and body.
The Professor uttered a suppressed moan, closed his eyes and lay back,vainly groping about in his disordered mind for a solution of themystery.
Step by step he went back over the occurrences of the afternoon, whichgradually became clearer, until at last he reached the point where hehad finished his examination of the specimens of ore, in front of thecave entrance.
"And that's where I am now," decided Professor Zepplin, sittingup. "But, what happened then? I have it. Something hit me."
His hand instinctively went to his injured head. Then, with tremblingfingers he began searching for the bag of minerals.
It was nowhere to be found. The Professor marveled at this for someminutes.
Like a blow, the answer came to him.
"Robbed!" he exclaimed.
Struggling to his feet, the German staggered down the rocks toward thecamp, calling for Jose with the full strength of his voice. TheProfessor having been assisted to his tent and a lotion prepared forhis aching head, Jose was hurried off to the cabin of Ben Tackers withan urgent demand for his presence.
When Ben responded, and had listened to the full account of ProfessorZepplin's mishap, he sat grave and thoughtful.
"Bad lot," he growled. "Ab Durkin's one of the most lawless critterson the Park Range; and I've got all I'm goin' to stand from him. Thesheriff will settle him when he gits here----"
"I don't care anything about the sheriff. The coward shall suffer forthis, if he is the one who attacked me. I'll drive him out myself, ifyou won't help me. I'll----"
"I'm with you all right, pardner."
"Then, come. I'm ready now," urged the Professor rising.
"What you going to do?" "I am going back there to take possession ofthat claim. That's what I am going to do. And it will be worse for theman who tries to stop me," declared Professor Zepplin, taking arevolver from his kit, and examining it to see that all the chamberswere loaded. "I'd like to see this man, Ab, attempt to interfere withmy rights--I mean, interfere again."
Yet, had he known what was in store for him, the Professor might havehesitated before taking the step that he had determined upon.