CHAPTER XII.
EARL HAS AN ADVENTURE.
As Randy had explained, Earl had stopped on the trail to fix his boot.In crossing the mountain stream he had shipped a lot of water, and hesat down on a rock and held up his foot, to allow the water to run outon the ground.
Unfortunately for the youth he had rested on a rock which was by nomeans secure on the bank of the stream, and now, as he leaned to oneside, the rock slipped from its resting-place, and down went poor Earlinto the water head first. As luck would have it, he struck in someloose sand, otherwise he would have been seriously injured. Even as itwas he was stunned for the moment, and before he could turn he hadgulped down a great deal of water. He was nearly blinded by some finesand getting into his eyes and began to flounder around as though in themidst of an ocean instead of a watercourse less than fifty feet wide andfive feet deep.
It took several minutes for him to save himself by reaching a large rockin the centre of the stream. Collecting his scattered senses, hecleared his eyes as best he could and took a view of his situation.
The rock was six feet in diameter and two feet above the top of thewater. On either side flowed the stream at a rate which he knew would bequite sufficient to take him off his feet should he attempt to ford toshore. What was to be done in this emergency he did not at first know.The others had gone on ahead, and although he called to them, no oneheard his cry.
Had he had his gun he would have fired it, had the weapon been incondition. But less than quarter of an hour before he had passed thefowling-piece over to Captain Zoss, the captain having asked to inspectit. He must help himself, or go without assistance.
Standing on the rock, he saw that escape to either side was out of thequestion, and escape up the stream was also cut off. Below, however,were a series of rocks running off to shore, and after some hesitationhe dropped into the stream and allowed himself to be carried down tothese rocks.
Five minutes of struggling in the current found him safe on the oppositeshore to that upon which the lower portion of the trail to Chilkoot Passlay. The question now was, how to get back to the other side of theriver.
"I'll walk along on this side until I get a chance to cross over," hesaid, half aloud, and then the loneliness of his situation dawned uponhim. He struck out without delay, determined to catch up with theothers of the party as quickly as possible.
For the first quarter of a mile Earl did very well, but soon he noted tohis dismay that the stream was widening, and that, consequently, he wasgetting further and further away from the other side. He had been makinghis way along a cliff lined with short firs. Now the cliff came to anabrupt end, and beyond he beheld nothing but a mass of jagged rocks anda jungle of brush, to pass through which would be next to impossible.
"Stumped now!" he muttered to himself, and his face fell as he surveyedhis situation. The stream at this point was all of one hundred and fiftyfeet wide, and the trail opposite was not close to the water's edge, butwound in behind the rocks and fir trees.
"I've got to get over to that trail, that's certain!" he went on, aftera disagreeable pause. "Here goes to try the water again," and withextreme care he began the descent of the cliff, which was some twentyfeet high. The bottom was reached in safety, and he found himselfstanding in water and sand half up to his knees.
Because of the widening of the stream at this point the current was notso strong, and he began to wade in deeper and deeper, until one-quarterof the width had been passed and he found himself up to his waist. Heshivered with the cold and felt like going back, but a few steps morebrought him to a sand-bar, where the water scarcely touched his knees.Overjoyed at this, he attempted to follow up the bar, soon reaching andpassing the middle of the river. He was wading on more confidently thanever, when of a sudden the bar came to an end, and down he plunged intoa pool over his head.
The one thing to do now was to swim, and Earl struck out boldly for theshore, still thirty feet away. The weight of his heavy clothing wasagainst him, and the current carried him on and on down the stream andtoward a mass of jagged rocks fearful to behold. Had he been of a lessrugged temperament the cold water might have given him both a chill anda cramp.
Five minutes of fearful anxiety passed, and Earl was almost exhausted,when, putting his foot down, he struck bottom at a depth of four feet.This encouraged him, and he renewed his effort to reach the bank beyond.Yet another pool had to be crossed, and when finally he did pull himselfout of the stream and safe up on a sloping rock he was too exhausted todo aught but lie down on his side and pant for breath.
It was here that Randy and his uncle found him, just as he was making aneffort to gain his feet and continue his search for them. They wereoverjoyed to learn that he had not suffered serious injury. They calledto Captain Zoss and Dr. Barwaithe, who were close by, and soon all weretogether again.
Captain Zoss had an extra shirt in his pack, and this Earl borrowed,along with a dry coat belonging to his uncle. Both articles of wearingapparel were too large for him, but he gladly exchanged them, for thetime being, for his wet ones; and then the delayed journey toward SheepCamp was continued.
When the resting-place for the night was gained, it was found that allof the Indians had come in over an hour before and had sought out acomfortable camp for them under a large overhanging rock. A number ofothers had also arrived, and over a dozen tents had been pitched inaddition to those already there. According to lot, it was Randy's turnto get a meal ready, and he set to work without delay, starting aroaring fire of pine branches and logs, that Earl might warm and dryhimself. Dr. Barwaithe had brought with him a newly patented sheet-ironcamp stove, and on this a pot of water was soon boiling, to be used inmaking coffee, while Randy also offered them fried potatoes and adeliciously cooked fish one of the Indians brought in.
Outside of the doctor, who was not used to walking over such roughground, no one felt any ill effects of the day's journey, although allwere glad to turn in at the earliest possible moment. The doctor hadworn a slight blister on his heel, and, in order to prevent this givinghim serious concern later, he put some salve on it and bound it upbefore retiring.
Ere they crawled into the tent, both boys took a look at the great,white mountains, which loomed up before them. Here was the entrance toChilkoot Pass, and there, almost lost among the clouds, was the dreadedsummit, with mountains still higher on either side of it. Randy drewcloser to Earl as he surveyed the awe-inspiring scene.
"Earl, we've got an everlasting hard climb before us," he whispered. "Doyou think we'll make it?"
"We must make it, Randy," was the low and earnest reply. "It won't do toshow the white feather now. Uncle would never forgive us."
"Some parts of it look like crawling up the side of a house," and Randyshuddered. "If a fellow should fall, he'd break his neck sure."
"I guess you're right, Randy; although it may not be so bad when one isright on top of it. There is a sort of a trail, you know, although it'snot much. I heard Salmon Head tell Uncle he hoped it would be coldto-morrow night, and that we should start for the Pass about four orfive o'clock in the afternoon. I wonder what he meant by that."
"I heard Captain Zoss speaking of it. They start toward evening so as topass the deepest snows on the summit about midnight when a crust formsto walk on, for at this season of the year the deep snows are too softto be trusted when the sun is shining."
"And what happens to a fellow, I wonder, if he breaks through thesnow?"
"I don't know, I'm sure--I guess he goes to kingdom come," and Randyshuddered again. "We'll know all about it by this time to-morrow night."And then both boys retired, to dream of perilous climbs over thesnow-clad mountains and fearful falls into gigantic crevasses, untilboth awoke in a fright and covered with cold perspiration.
It was not until late that anybody was stirring the next day. It wasEarl's turn to get breakfast, and he told them if they would wait hewould treat them to freshly baked beans and hot bread; and all waited.While Earl was at work, with Randy
helping him, two of the Indian boyscame up, and their efforts at making themselves understood werelaughable. Finally Randy made out that they wanted an old silkneckerchief he possessed, and he gave it to Tomablink, the older youth,who was as proud of the article as if it had been worth a small fortune.
Under the advice of Foster Portney, all took it easy in camp that day,in order to reserve their strength for the struggle to come. Even theIndians seemed to grow a bit uneasy concerning what was before them;for, although they had climbed over the Pass a number of times, theywell knew what a rough and highly dangerous proceeding each new trip waslikely to be. On this terrible Pass more than one Indian and white manhad been lost, never to be heard of again.
At last, at exactly four o'clock in the afternoon, Salmon Headannounced his readiness to start. As chief of the Indian party, he hadlooked to it that each carrier's pack was properly adjusted, and now hegave several directions to the whites to the effect that they shouldkeep together as much as possible and always in sight of his own people.
"Don't think there be an easy this way or that," he said in brokenEnglish. "Indian know best way in the end--you follow him day and night,or you lost. Stick foot deep down when climb, and no let go with hands."
His manner was so earnest, all promised to remember his words. Then thecrowd of whites and Indians was gathered together, the tents were struckand packed; and the terrifying journey over the dreadful Chilkoot Passwas begun.