CHAPTER XII
FACING NEW OBSTACLES
"Leave the Ridge?" cried the boys in chorus.
"Leave these mountains? Is that what you mean?" demanded theProfessor indignantly.
"I reckon that's it."
"Why so? Why should we leave here until we have finished ourjourney?" interjected Tad, eyeing the man keenly.
"Because I say so. I'm not talking to you."
"But I am talking to you, sir. I am one of the interested parties,you see, and I want to know."
"I'm from Missouri, also," spoke up Ned, stepping forward.
"I'm one of the leading citizens of that state, too. I'm not a voter,but I can make just as much noise as any voter in the state when itcomes to the cheering," declared the fat boy, pushing his way intothe semicircle about the visitor, who was seated on a rock with hisrifle over his knees.
"Maybe you fellows think this is a joke. Anybody'd think so from theway you act," snapped the officer.
"Far from it," replied the Professor sharply.
"Well, you've got to git, that's all, and right smart at that."
"How do we know you are an officer?" demanded Butler.
"Because I say so."
"That's no proof," declared Ned boldly.
"Your authority--what is your authority?" urged the Professor.
"I reckon this is authority enough," declared the man, tapping hisrifle significantly.
"We've got some of the same kind, several of them in fact," answeredTad, with a good-natured laugh. "When it comes to that I think youwill find our authority fully as convincing as yours."
For the moment matters looked serious. The man's face turned red.He shifted his weapon a little and glared at the young man who hadreally uttered a challenge.
"Whether or not you are an officer I do not know," went on theProfessor. "However, I have a right to know why you make thissingular request."
"No request about it. I told you to mosey."
"But why?"
"You're on government property."
"Well, what of it?"
"You've been shooting on government property?"
"I deny it," thundered Professor Zepplin, slapping his thigh with theflat of his hand.
"We may have been shooting, but not at game," explained Tad."Professor, are we on a government reservation?"
"I was not aware of the fact," was the reply, made in a halfsarcastic tone. "I'll look at the map. Go and bring it, Tad."
"Stay where you are!" commanded the officer.
"My, but he's touchy, isn't he?" wondered the fat boy. "Guess we'llhave to serve him the same way we did Chops last night, rope and siton him."
"What is your name?" asked Professor Zepplin, regarding the manshrewdly.
"Never you mind about my name. Uncle Sam is a good enough name."
"Depending upon who wears it," scoffed Ned Rector.
"See here, I don't want to hear any more of your talk, not from anyof you. You're an impudent lot of youngsters, though you're oldenough to know better."
"You will kindly direct your conversation to me, my man," broke inthe Professor. "I am in charge of this party and wholly responsiblefor anything they may do. In the first place, I deny that any of ushas shot any game on the Ridge. In the second place, I know of nolaw that will prevent our passing over a government preserve, thoughthere are preserves where firearms are not permitted."
"This is one of them," interrupted the man.
"Where do the preserves end and where do they begin?" demanded Tadshrewdly.
The mountaineer hesitated. For the moment he appeared confused.Then he made answer.
"I reckon a few miles this side of Hunt's Corners and on to the otherside of old Smoky Bald."
"Nonsense!" exploded Butler. "I don't believe it."
"Quiet, Tad," rebuked the Professor.
"Say, you Mister Man, we don't talk business on Sunday," spoke upStacy. "Come around tomorrow morning and we'll talk to you duringbusiness hours and give you all the talk you want, with a littlesomething else it you are looking for trouble. I guess you'reanother of those bad men from Smoky Creek, and the further up you getthe worse they are."
The face of the officer turned white with anger.
"I agree with the young man," nodded the Professor. "You may callhere tomorrow morning, stranger. We shall be here until nine o'clock,after which we shall no doubt be on our way toward Smoky Bald,provided we do not change our minds. By that time we shall be in aposition to talk more intelligently with you and perhaps you on yourpart will be able to converse more courteously. Good-day."
The Professor uttered the words with more than his usual firmness.Always firm and decisive in his manner of speaking, the presentutterance was calculated to impress him to whom it was directed.
The supposed officer started, shifted his gun, then rose angrily.
"I haven't got time to argue here all day--"
"Nor have we," replied Professor Zepplin evenly.
"I reckon my boss will have something to say when I report how youused a government officer."
"If you could show us any good reason why we should be ejected weshould be glad to comply with your command. As it is I do notbelieve you have the least right in the world to order us from theRidge. If such a right existed, you wouldn't have to order us off.We should go without being told," said Professor Zepplin.
"If ye don't keep shet I'll arrest the whole pack and parcel of ye."
"I should esteem it a favor if you would," retorted the Professorbelligerently. The boys wanted to cheer Professor Zepplin, but theydid not think that would tend to soothe the spirits of their visitor.
"I'll give ye till tomorrow morning to get off the range," declaredthe man. "If you're here it will be the worse for you. I reckon Ihaven't got anything more to say."
"I am glad of it. You have said quite enough already," snortedProfessor Zepplin.
Without another word the stranger got up and strode away. Tad stoodirresolute for a moment, then he skulked away on the trail of theirlate visitor.
"Tad, Tad!" called the Professor. "Where are you going?"
"I'll be back in a minute. I'm just going over here a piece. Don'tworry. I may learn something," answered the boy, trotting back sothat the stranger might not hear what he was saying.
"I reckon I'll go with you," announced Ned.
But Tad merely shook his head, and disappeared around the corner of arock. The lad came upon their visitor much sooner than he hadexpected. In fact, the Pony Rider Boy had a narrow escape from beingdiscovered. Had he not thrown himself flat on the ground, themountaineer surely would have seen him, for at the moment ofdiscovering the man the fellow was turning to look back.
Tad was screened by a clump of bushes, through which he was peering.The late visitor started on; then, when he considered it safe to doso, Tad followed. A short distance from the camp the visitor paused,giving a low whistle. Another man rose and came forward to meet him,much to the lad's amazement.
"Good gracious, the woods appear to be full of these fellows. Iwonder what it means?"
Tad's question was not to be answered at that moment. After holdinga brief conversation the two men walked away together. Butler sawthem mount their ponies that had been secreted in among the trees andride away.
"A precious pair of rascals," decided the Pony Rider Boy, hurryingback to camp.
"Well, you came back with a whole skin, did you?" grinned Ned.
"Did you discover anything, Tad?" questioned the Professor.
"Yes, sir, I did, though I don't see that the knowledge I gained isgoing to be of any great use to us."
"What is it?"
"There are two men. The man who was here met another fellow in theclearing over yonder. They talked together a little and then rodeaway. It's my opinion that something is going on in these mountainsand that it might be a good idea for us to keep a weather eye open."
"What did I tell you?" demande
d Stacy.
"About what?" questioned Tad, turning to his companion.
"About the blind men and the one-eyed horse, and the black cat andthe three-legged rat," answered the fat boy triumphantly. "I knewsomething was going to happen. Chops knew it, too. Those gnomesweren't roosting on the rocks for nothing. I guess I know somethingabout gnomes. Look out for the black cat. He's a trouble-maker."
"We have important matters to discuss," interrupted Professor Zepplin."Be good enough to cease your nonsense, Stacy."
"Nonsense? Nonsense? Well, I like that. Here I give you warning oftrouble and you call it nonsense. I'd like to see any weather bureauhit off the weather as closely as I hit off trouble."
"You cause more than you hit off," answered Tad. "Professor, what doyou make of this?"
"Nothing. I don't know what to think of it."
"Nor do I, but as I said before, it seems to me that, if that fellowreally is an officer, he must be crazy. Oh, I forgot, we were goingto look at the map."
"To be sure. You will find it in my dufflebag."
Walter ran to the bag, returning with the map, which theystraightened out on a rock, placing four small stones on the cornersto keep the map open.
"There is the southern line of the government preserves," said Tad,pointing.
"About where are we now?" asked Rector.
"I should say about here," answered Butler, laying a finger on a darkspot on the map.
"Here is Smoky Bald, here is the pass in which we are encamped, andyonder is the rise of ground over which we came on our way fromHunt's Corners. According to my reckoning, we must be a goodtwenty-five or thirty miles to the south of the government line. Iguess we've got our friend now."
"He's a scoundrel!" cried the Professor.
"He is. He must be," declared Tad. "But, what have the men in mind?"
"That remains to be seen," replied the Professor. "Perhaps theironly object is to get rid of us, and perhaps--"
"Perhaps they are planning some crooked business," finished Butler."What have you decided to do, Professor?"
"What do you boys wish to do?"
"We don't want to be turned back if we can help it. So long as weare convinced that the fellow is a fraud, I say let's go right alongregardless of him and his crooked business," urged Tad.
"Are you all agreed on this, boys?" demanded the Professor.
"We are," cried the Pony Rider Boys.
"Then the matter is definitely settled. We move tomorrow morning,the same as usual, and if our friend sees fit to interfere with us wewill show him that we are well able to take care of ourselves, thatwe are not tenderfeet," declared the Professor belligerently.