CHAPTER VI
FIGHTING BOB CATS
It was certainly a dismal and dreary outlook, and it did not helpmatters much to run the launch under the wide overhanging boughs ofseveral trees growing at the edge of the lake. They were in somethingof a cove, so the view was shut off on three sides.
"I wish we had brought along some extra blankets," said Sam. "If itis raw now what will it be by midnight?"
"Hadn't we better build a little campfire?" questioned Fred. "It willmake it ever so much more pleasant."
"I do not advise a fire," answered Harold Bird. "If those rascalsshould see it, they'd come here to investigate, and then try to slipaway from us in the darkness."
"You are right," put in Dick. "We must keep dark until we have locatedthem,--otherwise the game will be up."
To protect themselves still more from the mist and cold, they broughtout four rubber blankets of good size. These were laced into one bigsheet and raised over the launch like an awning. Then all huddledbeneath, to make themselves as comfortable as possible.
"Don't you think somebody ought to remain on guard?" asked Tom. "Wedon't want those fellows to carry us off and us not know it!"
"Da can't vos carry me off dot vay," said Hans, who could never seethe funny side of a remark. "I vould kick, I tole you!"
"As there are seven of us, why not have everybody stand guard forjust an hour?" suggested Sam. "If we turn in at ten that will carryus through to five in the morning--when we ought to continue our hunt."
"Providing the mist will let us," smiled Harold Bird. "But I thinkyour plan a good one," he added.
Lots were drawn and Fred went on guard first, to be followed by Hansand Tom. At ten o'clock all of the crowd but Fred turned in, to getas much sleep as possible.
"I tole you vot." remarked Hans, as he tried to make his head feeleasy on one of the seats. "Dis ton't vos so goot like mine ped atPutnam Hall!"
"Not by a good deal!" answered Songbird. "Dear old Putnam Hall! Afterall the pleasures we have had, I shall be glad to get back to thatinstitution again."
The Rover boys had been through so much excitement during their livesthey did not think the present situation unusual and so all went tosleep without an effort. Harold Bird remained awake nearly an hour,thinking of the new friends he had made and of the strange fate ofhis father. The young Southerner was of a somewhat retiring disposition,and it astonished even himself when he realized how he had openedhis heart to the Rovers and their chums.
"I feel as if I had known them for years, instead of hours," he toldhimself. "There is a certain attractiveness about Sam, Tom, and DickI cannot understand. Yet I do not wonder that they have a host offriends who are willing to do almost anything for them."
When Tom went on guard he was still sleepy and he did a large amountof yawning before he could get himself wide-awake. He sat up in thebow of the launch, the others resting on the cushions on the sidesand stern. All was as silent as a tomb, and the mist was now so thickthat he could not see a distance of six yards in any direction.
"Ugh! what a disagreeable night!" he muttered, as he gave a shiver."I'd give as much as a toothpick and a bottle of hair-oil if it wasmorning and the sun was shining."
A quarter of an hour went by--to Tom it seemed ten times as long asthat--and then of a sudden the lad heard a movement at the bottom ofthe launch. The dog Harold Bird had brought along arose, stretchedhimself, and listened intently.
"What is it, Dandy?" asked Tom, patting the animal on the head. "Whatdo you hear?"
For reply the dog continued to listen. Then the hair on his backbegan to rise and he set up a short, sharp bark.
"He certainly hears something," reasoned Tom. "Can any of those menbe in this vicinity?"
The bow of the launch was close to a sprawling tree branch, and tolook beyond the rubber covering, Tom crawled forward and stepped onthe branch. The dog followed to the extreme bow of the boat and gaveanother short, sharp bark.
"He hears something, that is certain," mused the boy. "But what itcan be, is a puzzle to me."
Tom tried to pierce the darkness and mist, but it was impossible. Hestrained his ears, but all he could hear was the occasional droppingof water from one leaf to another over his head.
"Maybe I had better arouse the others," he murmured, for the barkingof the dog had apparently not disturbed them. "I am sure the dogwouldn't bark unless there was a reason for it; would you, Dandy?"
Tom looked at the animal and saw the dog had his nose pointed up inthe tree next to that which the launch was under. He peered in thedirection and gave a start.
Was he mistaken, or had he caught the glare of a pair of shining eyesfastened upon him? Tom was naturally a brave boy, yet a strange shivertook possession of him. The dog now bristled furiously and gave twosharp barks in quick succession.
"Hullo, what's up?" came from Dick, who was awakened.
"I believe there is some wild animal up yonder tree, spotting us,"answered Tom. "I think I just caught a glimpse of its eyes."
This announcement caused Dick to rouse up, and taking his pistol hecrawled to the bow of the launch and joined his brother on the treelimb. Just then the dog started to bark furiously.
"There he is!" cried Tom, and raised the pistol he had in his pocket.There could be no mistake about those glaring eyes, and taking hastyaim, he fired.
The report of the firearm had not yet died away when there came thewild and unmistakable screech of a wounded bob cat--a wildcat wellknown in certain portions of our southern states. At the same timethe dog began to bark furiously, and everybody on board the launchwas aroused.
"What's the matter?"
"Who fired that shot?"
"Vos dose rascals here to fight mit us alretty?"
"It's a bob cat!" cried Dick. "Tom just fired at it!"
"Look out, it's coming down!" yelled Tom, and that instant the bobcat, unable to support itself longer on the tree limb, fell with asnarl on the rubber covering of the launch, carrying it down uponthose underneath.
The next few minutes things happened so rapidly that it is almostimpossible to describe them. The bob cat rolled over and over, clawingat the rubber cloth and ripping it to shreds. The boys tried to getanother shot, but did not dare to fire for fear of hitting each other.But the dog leaped in and caught the bob cat by the back of the neck,and an instant later cat and canine went whirling over the side ofthe boat into the waters of the lake.
"They are overboard!" cried Sam.
"Make a light, somebody!" yelled Songbird. "It isn't safe in the dark."
The acetylene gas lamp of the launch was ready for use, and strikinga match Harold Bird lit it. The sharp rays were turned on the water,and there dog and bob cat could be seen whirling around in a madstruggle for supremacy.
Bang! went Dick's pistol. He had taken quick but accurate aim, andthe bob cat was hit in the side. It went under with a yelp, lettinggo of the dog as it did so. Dandy gave a final nip and then turnedand swam back to the launch and was helped aboard by his master.
"Wonder if the bob cat is dead?" asked Fred, in a voice that he triedin vain to steady.
"Hasn't come up again," came laconically from Songbird. He had takenthe lamp from Harold Bird and was sending the rays over the surfaceof the lake in several directions.
They watched for several minutes and then made out the dead form ofthe bob cat floating among the bushes on the opposite side of thelittle cove.
"Done for--and I am glad of it," murmured Tom, and he wiped the coldperspiration from his forehead.
"I don't know if we are out of the woods or not," said the owner ofthe launch. "Where there is one bob cat there are often more."
"In that case I think we had better move the boat away from theshore," answered Dick. "It may not be as comfortable as under thetrees but it will be safer."
At that moment the gas lamp began to flicker and die down.
"Here, give the lamp to me," said the launch owner, and taking thelamp he shook it and trie
d to turn more water on the carbide. Butthe water would not run for some reason and a few seconds later thelight went out.
In the darkness the boys started to untie the launch. As they didthis they heard a movement in the tree directly over their heads andthen came the cry of a bob cat calling its mate.
"There's another!" yelled Sam. "Say, we had better get out as fastas we can!"
The gasoline launch was just shoved away from the tree limb when thebob cat above made a leap and landed on the bow of the craft! Itglared a moment at the boys, its two eyes shining like balls of fire,and then started to make a leap.
Bang! crack! bang! went three pistols in rapid succession, and asthe reports died away the bob cat fell in a heap on the bottom ofthe launch, snarling viciously. Then Dandy, still exhausted from hisfight in the water, leaped on the beast and held it down while Tomfinished it with a bullet in the ear.
"Is it dead?" asked Songbird, after a painful silence.
"I guess so. Light a match, somebody."
Several matches were lit and then an old oil lantern which chancedto be on board. The bob cat was indeed dead and near it lay the dog,with a deep scratch in its foreshoulder.
"Noble Dandy, you did what you could," said Harold Bird, affectionately.
Very gingerly Tom and Dick picked up the carcass of the bob cat andthrew it overboard. By this time the launch had drifted a good fiftyfeet from shore, and there they anchored.
"Keep that lantern lit," said Fred. "I can't stand the darkness aftersuch doings!"
"If those thieves are around they must have heard the shots," saidSam. "So a light won't make much difference."
"I am going to examine the gas lamp," said the young Southerner, anddid so. A bit of dirt had gotten into the feed pipe of the lamp, andwhen this was cleaned out with a thin wire the light worked as wellas ever.
It was some time after the excitement before any of the crowd couldget to sleep again. Then Hans got a nightmare and yelled "Bop cats!fire! murder!" and other things as loudly as he could, and that putfurther rest out of the question, and all waited anxiously for thecoming of morning.