Out with Gun and Camera Part 43

"I'm glad we caught sight of him as we did," said Whopper. "Now those fellows know we were not guilty of the rough-housing."

"It certainly was rough," was Giant's comment. "Three-quarters of their things are ruined."

"Perhaps they can hold the circus proprietor responsible," said the doctor's son.

They moved forward for nearly a quarter of a mile, and were on the point of giving up the search and returning to camp when Giant caught sight of a small, cave-like opening on the mountain side.

"Let's look in there," he said. "See, there is a vest on the ground in front of it!"

"Be careful---the chimpanzee may be dangerous!" warned Snap.

They hurried forward, with eyes and ears on the alert. Giant looked into the opening.

"No monkey here," he announced. "But he has been here. Look!"

And much to Snap's delight he held up the missing camera. Then he ran into the cave and came forth with Shep's watch, and a number of trinkets taken from the Spink camp.

"He must have come here after he left the old cabin," said Snap.

"See, there is some food. He must have gotten that last night, when he raided Spink's place."

They took with them all the things to be found, and then made another search for the chimpanzee. But they could not locate the marauding creature, and so turned their steps toward their camp.

"Well, we've got a few of those others fellows' things for them,"

said Whopper. "We can return them after dinner."

"The camera is O.K.," said Snap, after an examination.

"And so is the watch," came from the doctor's son.

"And to think it was only a chimpanzee, after all!" cried Giant.

"'Only' is good!" exclaimed Shep. "He's had enough for anybody, I'm thinking!"

As they came closer to their camp they heard Tommy talking in a loud voice to somebody. Wags was barking gaily.

"Now you sit still and behave yourself," the circus boy was saying.

"Then you'll get a fine lump of sugar."

"Talking to the dog, I suppose," said Whopper. "He thinks Wags-----No, he isn't, either. Well, I never! If this doesn't beat anything I ever saw!"

All came into the clearing and gazed in amazement at the sight presented. Chained to a tree was Abe, the chimpanzee, smiling and chattering, and in front of him were Tommy and the dog, the former with some sugar in his hand.

"Hullo!" cried Snap. "Did you catch him?"

"I certainly did!" answered the circus boy. "But I had the time of my life doing it. He ran up a tree, and he wouldn't come down until I offered him a handful of those nuts I found yesterday. They were too much of a temptation, and while I fed him nuts with one hand I took the kettle chain and tied him up as you see."

"Good for you!" said Whopper. "He must have known you, or I guess he would have run away."

"Yes, he started to run away, but I whistled like his keeper used to whistle, and that made him sit still."

"You want to make sure of that chain," said the doctor's son. "I see he has Snap's belt on," he added with a grin.

"I'll tie him with a rope," answered Tommy, and later the chimpanzee was firmly secured, so that escape was out of the question. As the young hunters fed him well, he seemed quite content.

"Tommy, this is an important capture for you," said Shep. "It's money in your pocket. The circus proprietor has offered five hundred dollars reward for the capture of this chimpanzee."

"Five hundred dollars!" gasped the little fellow. "But they won't pay it to me!" he added, as his face fell.

"We'll make them pay---if they want the animal," answered Snap.

"But I don't want them to see me," insisted Tommy.

"See here, Tommy, you leave this matter to us," said the doctor's son. "I don't think they can compel you to go with the circus.

We'll take you to Fairview, and you can remain with us until we hear from your sister."

"All right; but if they take me I'll run away again," answered the boy.

A little later the Spink crowd came into camp and were astonished to learn of the capture of the chimpanzee. They were glad to get back the things that had been found, but declared that so many other articles had been ruined they would have to give up their outing.

"Let's be generous to them," whispered Shep to his chums. "I don't think we want to stay after the circus people come for the lion and the chimpanzee." And after some talking the young hunters offered the Spink crowd part of their food supplies and a few other things. This surprised Ham, Carl and the rest. They accepted the offer on the spot, and a better feeling prevailed between the boys than had for many months.

"It's very nice of you to do this," said d.i.c.k Bush. "I shan't forget it."

"I'm sorry I accused you of ruining the camp," came from Ham.

"So am I," added Carl. "But---well, you know how it was."

"We'll let bygones be bygones," said the doctor's son. "It's better to be friends than enemies."

"I---I suppose so," said Ham humbly, and then he and his cronies took their departure.

The young hunters watched out for the reappearance of Jed Sanborn, Snap and Shep going to Firefly Lake for that purpose. Two days later they saw the old hunter coming to the sh.o.r.e with a big flat-bottomed boat, containing four men. The men were from the circus and said they had come for the captured lion.

"We want to make sure of that reward," said the doctor's son.

"All right, young man, turn the lion over to us and the money is yours," said one of the men. "But we'll want a receipt from all the boys who captured the beast."

"You'll get that," said Snap. "You offered a reward for the chimpanzee, too, didn't you?"

"Certainly; five hundred dollars."

"Well, we've got him, too."

"You have? How did you do it?" asked the man, and very briefly Snap related the tale, but did not give Tommy's name.

"That boy is in luck, for the half thousand is his," said the circus man. "Glad you got Abe," he added. "He is a great drawing-card and worth a dozen lions to us."

A visit was made to the lion pit, and after a good deal of trouble the lion was brought to the surface of the ground and chained and muzzled. One of the men knew the beast well and had little trouble in walking the lion to the lake sh.o.r.e, where he was chained to a tree, and left in charge of one of the party.