Storm Bound Part 5

"The worst is yet to come," croaked George.

"Smells pretty fine to me," said Lil Artha, sniffing the air, which was charged just then with a delightful aroma of coffee.

"I only wish all of you were as lucky as me," Toby broke in with, showing that he could not tear his mind away from contemplating his present. "Think how slick we'd go skimming along over the big drifts on our snow-shoes, and not caring five cents whether school kept or not."

"Mebbe we would, and again mebbe we'd be sorry," George told him.

"Things ain't always just what they seem. Lots of times you think you're going to have a nice swell drink, and swich! the gla.s.s drops, and is broken into bits."

"Well, we've got aluminum drinking cups, so there's no danger of that thing happening to us," practical Lil Artha a.s.sured him, for he never bothered his head about evil omens, and all such nonsense.

Toby, who had been bending over the fire, happened to look around presently. Perhaps it was his intention to add some brilliant remark to what he had already said in connection with snow-shoes; but if this were so the thought was driven completely out of his head by something else.

"Oh! my stars! would you see that?" he almost shrieked.

Startled by his exclamation, and half believing that he must have discovered at least a hungry lynx about to spring into the camp, the others whirled around and then they in turn stared as though hardly able to believe their eyes.

A splendid stag had come bounding along through the deep snowdrifts, unaware of the fact that human enemies were so near by, since the wind carried the scent of their presence, as well as the smoke from the fire, in another direction. He had apparently just discovered them at the instant they all looked, for with a flirt of his antlered head he was making off, jumping gracefully through the deep snow, and doubtless picking his way, even though dreadfully alarmed.

Elmer had started to look for his Marlin, but realizing the hopelessness of getting a shot he desisted, and watched the splendid animal vanish from view.

CHAPTER V

WANDERING THROUGH THE DRIFTS

IT was a chagrined and sadly disappointed lot of scouts who turned and looked at each other after the last had been seen of the fleeing buck.

"What a splendid set of antlers he had!" Lil Artha exclaimed.

"To think of how close we came to having a supply of fresh meat!"

groaned Toby, shaking his head dismally, as he put a hand on the pit of his stomach, just as if he wished to call their attention to its depressed appearance.

"Was it really a deer?" asked George. "Now, you needn't all turn on me so savagely, like you think I'm away off my base. I've known hungry people to imagine they saw things. Ain't it always the thirsty traveler who sees the mirage on the desert, and thinks he can hear the gurgle of the running water as he looks at the river boiling among the rocks?

Course it is; and so I say again, was it really a deer, or did we just _think_ we saw one?"

Knowing the folly of trying to convince George when he chose to question even his own eyes, the others made no attempt to swing him around to their way of thinking.

"That goes to show us the meaning of our motto 'Be Prepared,'" Lil Artha continued. "Now, if either Elmer or me had happened to have a gun in our hands how easy it would have been to bowl that fine buck over. And then think what it would mean to all of us. Wow! after this I'm meaning to stick even closer to my gun than a brother."

"We always shut the door after the horse has been stolen," said Elmer, "but even in our misfortune you can see the silver lining to the cloud if you look."

"Then for goodness' sake, Elmer, point it out, so George can get that sour frown off his face. He don't believe what he sees, and yet he's grieving worse than any of us because we didn't get that venison when we had the chance."

"If there's one deer up here in this forest there must be others," Elmer told them. "You may have noticed that he went off in about the same direction we expect to head in when we start. We may see him again, and if that luck comes our way we'll try and be ready next time."

Ten minutes later and chancing to look out over the snow Elmer saw a moving object that gave him a start, until on looking a second time he made it out to be only George, who was prowling around, looking for any signs the deer may have left as he broke through the deep snow drifts.

Evidently George must have been convinced, for when he came in later there was a satisfied expression on his face; and noticing Elmer observing him the doubter nodded his head, and simply said:

"It was a deer all right; I saw his tracks out there!"

They had been sitting by the fire eating their frugal lunch for something like five minutes when the sun suddenly looked down at them, dazzling their eyes with his bright beams glinting from all that snow.

Of course the four boys immediately broke out into a shout, they were so glad to see the cheerful face of the sun again. The meal was finished in record time; but then perhaps that was not to be wondered at, for the supply had run far short of the demand; and Lil Artha, after polishing his pannikin until he could almost see his face in the same, jocosely remarked:

"The sample was pretty fine; now bring on the dinner!"

They were so eager to get moving that they did not allow their state of hunger to give them much concern. The rude shelter was taken down, though they had some trouble with the rubber ponchos, as they seemed to be frozen stiff under the acc.u.mulated snow, which from time to time had thawed in the heat of the fire, only to congeal again later on.

In the end, however, everything was packed as before, and having secured their blankets over their shoulders again, the scouts were ready to make a start. Toby had made his threat good, and had his wonderful snowshoes on. He struck out bravely enough, and at first seemed to be able to easily outstrip his companions. This caused him to feel an unnatural exultation, for he began calling back at them, and derisively telling them to "hurry up," that they were "too slow a bunch for him," and all that sort of nonsense.

Then suddenly this tirade ceased.

"Wonder what's happened to him now?" Lil Artha remarked, turning a grinning face toward Elmer, who simply replied:

"Wait and see, and be ready to laugh, though it's never a laughing matter to the fellow with the snowshoes!"

As Elmer had expected would be the case they presently discovered something floundering in the snow, which upon closer inspection proved to be Toby's feet. He had lost his balance while negotiating a big drift, and in spite of the a.s.sistance afforded by the long staff he carried, had taken a plunge, so that when they arrived his feet were where his head should be.

Elmer knew how to go about it in order to right the novice. Toby was no longer bubbling over with enthusiasm as he once more started off. He was learning that even innocent looking snow-shoes may have traps concealed about them for the unwary; and afterward he conducted his advance with much more caution.

In spite of this, however, the others had to rescue him regularly about once every fifteen minutes, until finally even Toby was ready to call the experiment off for the time being.

"I'll get there yet, see if I don't," he a.s.sured the others, as they gathered around to watch him take the big c.u.mbersome things off his feet, and sling them over his back. "Uncle Caleb'll teach me how to use 'em; and besides, Elmer, didn't you say this was mighty poor snow for a learner to start out with? Gimme time, and I'll master the trick yet, see if I don't."

Elmer did not doubt in the least but what he would, because this sort of talk showed the determined spirit that always gets there in the end, no matter how many difficulties may be encountered by the way.

They found it hard traveling through all that acc.u.mulated snow, even though the pilot of the expedition made it a point to pick out the easiest course, avoiding most of the drifts, though keeping on the course he had laid out in the beginning.

As they went they used their eyes to the best advantage, hoping to discover something in the shape of game, little they cared whether it might be a covey of partridges, a rabbit that was out of its burrow at the wrong time, a deer, or even so small a thing as a gray squirrel.

As the afternoon began to wear on, and their progress was becoming slower all the while, on account of weariness, and the difficulty of pushing through the snow, their hopes took a downward turn with the drop of the sun toward the horizon.

Everywhere lay that unending white blanket. The breeze had stopped, and it seemed as though a deathly silence lay upon all the region roundabout them, now and then disturbed when some rotten limb broke under the weight of snow, and crashed to the ground; for in the beginning, before it became so cold, the falling flakes had clung tenaciously wherever they dropped, and thus the trees were in places bending double with their burden.

Still not the slightest sign did any of the boys discover of human presence. If only they could have caught the ringing echo of a woodman's ax, or hear the h.e.l.lo of a hunter returning to camp with game on his back, what a thrill must have pa.s.sed through their whole bodies; but to have that terrible silence around them was discouraging, to say the least.

All of them were staggering more or less by now. It was the absence of hope as much as the fact of their being tired that caused this. Could they have glimpsed smoke curling upward a mile ahead, to tell them of succor, doubtless even George, who was more worn out than any of the others, would have started on a mad rush to reach the coveted camp where comfort and plenty awaited them.

But that was not fated to be just then. The scouts had by accident found themselves entangled in a network of difficulties, and there were still other experiences awaiting them before they could expect to reach the end of their adventure.

All of them seemed to be holding up as well as could be expected. George could forget his weakness when he chose, and show that he had the right sort of stuff in him, just as Elmer had known all along. He did not complain even as much as Toby did; though perhaps that worthy was soured by his keen disappointment in connection with his wonderful snow-shoes, which after all had only been a delusion, a snare, and a burden up to date.

They knew that this sort of thing could not keep up a great while longer, for the sun would soon be ready to set in the west, and they must think to prepare for another dismal night in the endless snow forest.

Somehow no one mentioned anything about the prospect ahead now. They dreaded it more than ever, because the conditions were gradually getting harder all the while. When a parcel of well grown boys, with the healthy appet.i.tes of their kind, are reduced to cutting their rations down to one-half, they do not face the future with anything approaching enthusiasm.