The Banner Boy Scouts Snowbound Part 13

"We were told that it stood close to the mouth of the creek which we have to ascend some miles," remarked Jack. "And this man is the one we think to leave our boats in charge of while away in the woods."

"I only hope then that he'll be a reliable keeper," observed Tom, seriously, "for it would nearly break my heart if anything happened to the _Speedaway_ now. I've only tried her out a few times, but she gives promise of beating anything ever built in this section of the country. I don't believe I could duplicate her lines again if I tried."

"Don't borrow trouble," Jack told him. "We'll dismantle the boats all we can before we leave them, and the chances are ten to one we'll find them O.K. when we come out of the woods two weeks from now. But here we are at the place, and the boys who mean to return home will have to say good-bye."

CHAPTER XIV

THE RING OF STEEL RUNNERS

As the little flotilla of ice yachts drew up close to the sh.o.r.e, the sound of boyish laughter must have been heard, for a man was seen approaching. He came from the direction of the cabin which they had sighted among the trees, and from the mud and stone chimney of which smoke was ascending straight into the air--a promise of continued good weather.

The boys were climbing up the bank when he reached them. So far as they could see he appeared to be a rough but genial man, and Paul believed they could easily trust him to take care of the boats while away.

"I suppose you are Abe Turner, spoken of by Mr. Garrity?" was the way Paul addressed the man, holding out his hand in friendly greeting.

The other's face relaxed into a smile. Evidently he liked this manly looking young chap immediately, as most people did, for Paul had a peculiarly winning way about him.

"That's my name, and I reckon now you must be Paul," said the other.

"Why, how did you know that?" demanded Bobolink, in surprise.

"Oh! I had a letter from Mr. Thomas Garrity telling me all about you boys, and ordering me to do anything you might want. You see he owns all the country around here, an' I'm holding the fort until spring, when there's going to be some big timber cutting done. We expect to get it to market down the Radway."

The scouts exchanged pleased looks.

"Bully for Mr. Thomas Garrity!" shouted Tom Betts, "he's all to the good, if his conversion to liking boys did come late in life. He's bound to make up for all the lost time now. Three cheers, fellows, for our good friend!"

They were given with a rousing will, and the echoes must have alarmed some of the shy denizens of the snow forest, for a fox was seen to scurry across an open spot, and a bevy of crows in some not far distant oak trees started to caw and call.

"All we want you to do for us, Abe," explained Paul, "is to take good care of our five iceboats, which we will have to leave with you."

"And we might as well tell you in the beginning," added Bobolink, "that several tough chaps from our town have come up here to spend some time, just from learning of our plans."

"Yes," went on Tom Betts, the anxious one, "and nothing would tickle that Hank Lawson and his gang so much as to be able to sneak some of our boats away, or, failing that, to smash them into kindling wood with an axe."

Abe nodded his s.h.a.ggy head and smiled.

"I've heard some things about Hank Lawson," he observed. "But take it from me that if he comes around my shanty trying any of his tricks he'll get a lesson he'll never forget. I'll see to it that your boats are kept safe. I've two dogs off hunting in the woods just now, but I'll fasten 'em nigh where you store the boats. I'm sorry for the boy who gets within the grip of Towser's teeth, yes, or Clinch's either."

That was good news to Tom, who smiled as though finally satisfied that there was really nothing to be feared.

"Sorry to say we'll have to be leaving you, boys," announced Wallace just then, as he started to go the rounds with a mournful face, shaking hands with each lucky scout whom he envied so much.

"Hope you have the time of your lives," called out another of those who were debarred from enjoying the outing.

These boys started away, looking back from time to time as they crossed wide Lake Tokala. Finally, with a last parting salute, they darted into the mouth of the ca.n.a.l and were lost to view.

There was an immediate bustle, for time was flitting, and much remained to be done. The five owners of the iceboats proceeded to dismantle them, which was not a tedious proceeding. The masts were unstepped and hidden in a place by themselves. The sails were taken into the cabin of Abe, where they would be safe.

Meanwhile, the other boys had been engaged in making up the various packs which from now on must be shouldered by each member of the expedition. Experience in such things allowed them to accomplish more in a given time than novices would have been able to do.

"Everything seems to be ready, Paul," announced Jack after a while, as they gathered around, each boy striving to fix his individual pack upon his back, and getting some other fellow to adjust the straps.

Bobolink seemed to have half again as much as any of the others, though this was really all his own doing. Besides his usual share of the luggage he had pots and pans and skillets sticking out in all directions, so that he presented the appearance of a traveling tinker.

"It's a great pity, Bobolink," said Tom Betts, with a grin, as he surveyed his comrade after helping the other load up, "that you were born about seventy-five years too late."

"Tell me why," urged the other.

"Think what a peddler you would have made! You'd have been a howling success hawking your goods around the country."

Of course they had all adjusted their skates before taking up their packs; for bending down would really have been next to a physical impossibility after those weighty burdens had been a.s.sumed.

"Hope you have a right good time, boys," said Abe Turner in parting.

"And don't any of you worry about these boats. When you come back this way you'll find everything slick and neat here."

"Good for you, Abe," cried Tom Betts. "And make up your mind to it the Banner Boy Scouts never forget their friends. You're on the list, Abe.

Good-bye!"

They were off at last, and it was high time, for the short December day was already getting well along toward its close. Night would come almost before they knew it, though they had no reason to expect anything like darkness, with that moon now much more than half full up there in the heavens.

Some of the boys had noticed the mouth of this creek when camping on Cedar Island the previous summer. They had been so much occupied with fishing, taking flashlight pictures of little wild animals in their native haunts, and in solving certain mysteries that came their way that none of them had had time to explore the stream.

On this account then it would prove to be a new bit of country for them, and this fact rather pleased most of the boys, as they dearly loved to prowl around in a section they had never visited before.

Strung out in a straggling procession they skated along. The creek was about as crooked as anything could well be, a fact that influenced Bobolink to shout out:

"In the absence of a better name, fellows, I hereby christen this waterway Snake Creek; any objections?"

"It deserves the name, all right," commented Spider s.e.xton, "for I never saw such a wiggly stream in all my born days."

"Seems as if we had already come all of five miles, and nary a sign of a cabin ahead yet that I can see," observed Phil Towns, presently, for Phil was really beginning to feel pretty well used up, not being quite so st.u.r.dy as some others among the ten scouts.

"That's the joke," laughed Paul; "and it's on me I guess more than any one else. I thought of nearly a thousand things, seems to me, but forgot to ask any one just how far it was up to the cabin from the lake by way of this scrambling creek."

"Why, I'm sure Mr. Garrity said something like six miles!" exclaimed Jack.

"Yes, but that may have meant as the crow flies, straightaway,"

returned the scout-master.

"At the worst then, Paul," Bobolink ventured to say, "we can camp, and spend a night in the open under the hemlocks. Veteran scouts have no need to be afraid to tackle such a little game as that, with plenty of grub and blankets along."

"Hear! hear!" said Phil Towns. "And as the sun has set already I for one wouldn't care how soon you decided to do that stunt."