Girl Scouts in the Rockies Part 11

The scouts got into the saddles, and Mr. Vernon followed suit. Tally and Mr. Gilroy were strapping the last leather around Frolic's packs.

It was necessary to pull it in another hole to keep the pack from slipping under the beast's belly, but while Tally was so pulling it, Frolic gave a grunt. Another yank at the straps, and another louder grunt from Frolic made Betty interfere.

"I just know you are hurting poor Frolic dreadfully! She'll have a bad stomachache from those straps that are cutting her in half!"

Every one laughed at Betty's concern, but it drew attention to the work going on; and so, in watching Frolic being strapped up, every one forgot about Jolt. The old rascal saw his opportunity to escape to the delectable grazing ground from which he had been ruthlessly la.s.soed a short time before. So he wheeled and started for the trail.

But he forgot to make allowances for the projecting packs, and in pa.s.sing between two tall pines with but a foot's s.p.a.ce between the trunks, the crates became firmly wedged. So fast was he held, in fact, that Tally grinned when Julie yelled, "Jolt's running away again!"

Tally rea.s.sured her, "Jolt no run now--him rest awhile."

When Frolic had been made ready to start, the men went after Jolt. The aluminum cooking-ware had been hung, the last thing, upon the sides of the packs, and now the dishes were dented almost out of shape because they were the "b.u.mpers" that came between the packs and the treetrunks. It took some time to dislodge the mule and his packs from between the trees, as it was necessary to protect the cooking utensils as much as possible.

This delicate operation was just being completed, when a cry from the scouts drew all attention back to Frolic again.

The tautly-drawn ropes caused Frolic an unpleasant sensation after the days of freedom from harness, so when she was left quite alone, she decided that rolling might ease matters. She lay down and rolled and kicked her heels high in the air, then she rolled again. She kept it up until the scouts knew that every bottle and box in their duffel-bags must be powdered into other necessities.

Tally rushed over and gave Frolic a vicious kick that instantly stopped her rolling, and caused her to lift inquiring eyes to those about her. Strange to say, Betty offered no protest when Tally kicked the mule again, to make her get upon her feet.

"There, now!" exclaimed Julie. "See that you maintain an upright behavior, you shiftless woman!"

The others laughed, for all were gay because the signal had been given to start along the trail. All went well after that, while the mules trotted closely after the horses, and the riders congratulated themselves that henceforth their troubles with the two mules were over. But they were to be undeceived further on.

They were descending a long rough hill when Jolt, who was the last beast but one in the line, heard a strange sound coming from his packs. Tally heard and recognized the metallic banging of some pans that had become loosened when the packs were wedged between the tree trunks at the top of the mountain. But Jolt was not as wise as Tally, and the more he shook himself, and sidled against the trees, the louder came that queer jangle. Then he managed to pa.s.s between two trees in order to brush off the objectionable thing, but that made the jangling still worse. So he became desperate.

About this time, Tally rode over to the place where Jolt was trying to crush the noisy thing from his pack, and attempted to use a lash to make the beast stop his stubbornness. But the tip end of the whip was all that caught the mule, and he suddenly jumped. That made all the other utensils shake loose and rattle. This was too much for the annoyed animal, and he started to gallop down the trail.

Warning shouts from Tally made the riders in front get out of the way; the guide then threw his la.s.so. But it caught upon a k.n.o.b that had become loose and was projecting from the crate. Jolt flew onward, but the large object that had been roped, fell upon the ground with a dull thud.

To every one's shocked surprise, the la.s.soed article proved to be the only bag of flour they had at that time. The cotton container burst open with the fall, and flour dusted softly out upon the surrounding scenery.

"We can scoop most of it up and sift it," suggested Joan.

"But what is there to put it in?" demanded Julie.

"It's so precious--we mustn't lose an ounce of it," added the Captain.

"We'll each have to take one of our large clean handkerchiefs, and fill as much in them as they will hold. The ends can be tied together, and each will have to carry her own package," suggested Anne, who was worried lest a good meal be forfeited.

"That's the only way, I guess," agreed Mrs. Vernon; so each one filled a handkerchief, and the rest of the flour was then pinned in the bag and carefully placed in Mr. Gilroy's charge.

When the riders were on the trail again, there was no sight of Jolt anywhere. Where he had gone with the camp outfit was a question. But Tally worried not. He said laconically:

"Jolt wait nex' uphill."

When the scouts reached the bottom of the descent, they found a swiftly-running shallow stream crossing the trail. And in this, with both packs submerged, but with head safely held above the cooling water, Jolt was stretched out.

"There he would stay, I suppose, until he was sure the queer life that made the jangle on his back, was snuffed out," said Mr. Gilroy, chuckling at the mule's "horse-sense."

That day when they stopped to cook dinner, Tally was most careful to leave the pack-frames on the backs of the mules, as that would prevent fresh arguments when the time came to resume the trip.

Fish abounded everywhere,--in the streams, in the lakes, or in the wayside rivulets,--so that there was never a lack of such food. Nor did it need expert anglers to catch the fish. It seemed to the scouts that the poor things were only waiting eagerly to be caught.

Having selected the camp site, Tally suddenly stooped and examined some recently made tracks. "Bear ben here," said he.

"Oh, a real live bear?" cried Joan.

"Did you think a dead one made those tracks?" retorted Ruth.

"I wish we could see him," said Julie, and this wish was seconded by all the other girls.

"If you want a close acquaintance with him, just follow that track.

Doubtless he is sitting behind a treetrunk this very minute, planning what to do with you after he has embraced you fondly," said Mrs.

Vernon.

"If they follow bear tracks like they followed the calf's hoofprints, they'll sure find something at the end of the trail," teased Mr.

Gilroy.

All that morning the sun had remained under a heavy pall of clouds, but noon brought forth its hot shining rays, and the long-reaching fingers seeming to edge the grey clouds with molten gold. During the afternoon the sun had shone fitfully, but towards evening it set in a gorgeous bath of color, the stormbanks that were piled up about it, adding a barbaric touch to the scene.

Flaunting streaks of gold and crimson shot here and there from back of the clouds; and these in turn seemed to reach out in a confused riot of dazzling purple, amber and copper-edged mountains that rose in majesty overhead.

All this wondrous coloring faded rapidly, however, and in a short time the somber gray of the clouds again predominated. Then a chill spread over everything.

"Him rain sure!" remarked Tally, holding a palm to the wind.

"When?" asked Mr. Gilroy.

"Mebbe bed-time--mebbe after night."

"Then we'd better prepare for it beforehand," suggested Mr. Vernon.

"Collect plenty of wood and spread the rubber sheets over it," said Mr. Gilroy. "We'll see that the tent ropes are well fastened to-night so the wind won't carry away any canvas."

Tally was right. Rain began to fall about nine o'clock. At first it came gently and un.o.btrusively, but soon it was driven in sheets by high winds. It was well the guide had rolled great pine stumps to the fire, to keep the necessary fuel dry through the night. Although the scouts, rolled in their rubber covers, were unconscious of the elements that raged about and over them, Tally sat up feeding the fire that kept an area about the sleepers dry all night.

Now and then the demoniacal gale would root up a mighty pine, and with a s-s-split and a cr-r-r-rash it would thud down, breaking through all the younger timber. At such sounds, the girls would murmur sleepily, "Did you see any old trees near camp?"

Invariably the reply would be, "No--only little ones."

Then all would sleep again, relieved at such an a.s.surance.

The camp presented a sorry appearance in the gray dawn. Everything was soaked, and the horses looked washed out. Even Jolt looked moister than when he rose out of the stream at the base of the mountain.

Later the sun glanced through dripping foliage and sent its warming beams into the stiffened joints of the campers. And when Tally had called them all to a good hot breakfast, life took on a more cheerful hue.

The tourists seldom followed the beaten trail that ran to Flat Top Mountain or to the Glaciers, because Mr. Gilroy secured better results in finding rock formations and glacial debris in going by the old Indian trails. And Tally knew these trails as well as the surveyor knows his line-maps.

Not long after the scouts had resumed their ride along one of the unfrequented trails, the party reached a mountaintop. The Leader turned her head and craned her neck in order to see what the object was that stood clearly outlined from a crag that hung over a dangerous gulch.