diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/52810-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/52810-0.txt | 6488 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 6488 deletions
diff --git a/old/52810-0.txt b/old/52810-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d61ccf8..0000000 --- a/old/52810-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6488 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Border Boys in the Canadian Rockies, by -Fremont B. Deering - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Border Boys in the Canadian Rockies - -Author: Fremont B. Deering - -Release Date: August 15, 2016 [EBook #52810] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BORDER BOYS *** - - - - -Produced by Giovanni Fini, Roger Frank and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Books project.) - - - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: - -—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected. - - -[Illustration: He glanced down the rifle barrel and then as his finger -pressed the trigger the report roared. - - (_Page 219_) (_The Border Boys In the Canadian Rockies_)] - - - - - THE BORDER BOYS - IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES - - By FREMONT B. DEERING - - AUTHOR OF - - “The Border Boys on the Trail,” “The Border Boys - Along the Frontier,” “The Border Boys with the - Mexican Rangers,” “The Border Boys with the - Texas Rangers,” “The Border Boys Along - the St. Lawrence.” - -[Illustration] - - A. L. BURT COMPANY - - Publishers New York - - Printed in U. S. A. - - - - - Copyright, 1913 - BY - HURST & COMPANY - - - MADE IN U. S. A. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. THE BOY FROM NOWHERE 5 - - II. THE TORRENT 16 - - III. IN PERIL OF HIS LIFE 25 - - IV. JIMMIE’S PLUCK 35 - - V. THE START FOR THE ROCKIES 45 - - VI. ALONG THE TRAIL 55 - - VII. TREED BY A LYNX 63 - - VIII. A WALKING PINCUSHION 72 - - IX. A MOUNTAIN MYSTERY 81 - - X. THE PONIES VANISH 96 - - XI. RALPH’S VOLCANO 103 - - XII. JUST IN TIME 114 - - XIII. BOYS AND A GRIZZLY 124 - - XIV. A CAVERN OF MYSTERY 132 - - XV. THE HUT IN THE WOODS 140 - - XVI. “UNDERGROUND!” 149 - - XVII. A DESPERATE CHANCE 156 - - XVIII. FACING GRIM DEATH 171 - - XIX. A STORM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES 180 - - XX. PRISONERS! 192 - - XXI. INDIANS 200 - - XXII. AN ENCOUNTER WITH “BLOODS” 210 - - XXIII. FIGHTING MOUNTAIN LIONS 219 - - XXIV. “BITTER CREEK JONES” 229 - - XXV. THE OUTLAW RANCH 243 - - XXVI. CARTHEW OF “THE MOUNTED” 254 - - XXVII. THE TROOPER’S STORY 268 - - XXVIII. AFTER MOUNTAIN GOATS 275 - - XXIX. JIMMIE FINDS A FATHER 287 - - XXX. THE MYSTERY SOLVED 300 - - - - - The Border Boys in the - Canadian Rockies - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE BOY FROM NOWHERE. - - -“Hold on there a minute! Don’t you think you’re being unnecessarily -rough with that boy?” - -“Naw, I don’t. And if I am, it ain’t none of your business that I can -see.” - -“Perhaps I mean to make it so.” - -“Aw run along and play, kid. Don’t bother me.” - -The brakeman glared angrily at the tall, well-built lad who had -accosted him. In so doing, he for an instant ceased belaboring a -dust-covered, cowering lad in pitifully ragged clothing whom, a moment -before, he had been cuffing about the head without mercy. - -“Take that, you young tramp!” he had hurled out savagely, as each blow -fell on the quivering form. - -The boy receiving this unmerciful punishment had been discovered riding -the blind-baggage on the long, dust-covered train of Canadian Pacific -coaches that had just come to a stop. - -Of course the boy had been summarily ejected, and the brakeman was -now engaged in what he would have termed “dusting the young rascal’s -jacket.” - -It was a pitiful sight, though, to see the slender, emaciated lad, -whose rags hardly covered his thin body, and who could not have -been much above sixteen, cowering under the punishment of the burly -trainman. The brakeman was not of necessity a brute. But in his eyes -the lad was “a miserable tramp,” and only getting his just dues. To -more humane eyes, though, the scene appeared in a different light. - -Some of the passengers, gazing from the windows, had ventured to cry, -“Shame,” but that was all that had come of it till Ralph Stetson, who -had been standing with a group of his friends at the other end of -the platform of the Pine Pass station, in the heart of the Canadian -Rockies, happened to see what was going forward. Without a word he -had hastened from them and come to the rescue. Ralph was a boy whose -blood always was on fire at the sight of cruelty and oppression, -and it appeared to him that the brakeman was being unnecessarily -rough. Besides, there was something in the big, appealing eyes of -the sufferer, and his ragged, ill-clad form, that aroused all his -sympathies. So it came about that he had tried to check the punishment -with the words quoted at the beginning of this chapter. - -Now he stood facing the brakeman who appeared quite willing for a -minute to drop the lad he was maltreating and turn on the newcomer. -Perhaps, though, there was something in Ralph’s eye that held him back. -Old “King-pin” Stetson’s son looked thoroughly business-like in his -broad-brimmed woolen hat, corduroy jacket and trousers, stout hunting -boots and flannel shirt, with a handkerchief loosely knotted about the -neck. Evidently he had come prepared to rough it in the wild country in -the midst of which the train had come to a halt. - -His life and experiences in the strenuous country along the Mexican -border had toughened Ralph’s muscles and bronzed his features, and he -looked well equipped physically to carry out the confidence expressed -in his cool, clear eyes. - -“Who are you, anyhow?” the brakeman hurled at him, growing more -aggressive as he saw some of his mates running toward him from the head -of the long train where the two big Mogul locomotives were thundering -impatiently. - -“Never mind that for now. Drop that boy and I’ll pay his fare to -wherever he wants to go.” - -“Well, you are a softy! Pay a tramp’s fare? Let me tell you, -mister----” - -“Say, going to hold this train all day?” demanded the conductor -bustling up. “What’s all this?” - -“This kid got on the train in the night some place. Bin ridin’ the -blind baggage. I was giving him ‘what for’ when this other kid butts -in,” explained the brakeman. - -“I said I was willing to pay this boy’s fare rather than see him -abused,” struck in Ralph, flushing slightly. - -“Well, that’s fair and square,” said the conductor, “so long as he pays -his fare, that’s all I care. But I ain’t goin’ to hold my train. Where -d’ye want to go, boy?” - -“This is Pine Pass, ain’t it?” demanded the ride stealer, whom the -brakeman had now released. - -“This is the Pass,--yes. Come, hurry up.” - -“Then I’ve come all the fur I’m goin’.” - -As if to signify that his interest was over, the conductor waved his -hand to the engineers peering from their cabs ahead. The brakemen -scampered for their cars. The locomotives puffed and snorted and the -long train began to move. As the conductor swung on he called back -sarcastically: - -“Sorry we couldn’t wait while you fixed it up. Wish you joy of your -bargain.” - -In another instant the train was swinging around into a long cut -between deep, rocky walls. In yet another instant it was gone, and -Ralph Stetson, with a rather puzzled expression on his good-looking -face, stood confronting the scarecrow-like object he had rescued from -the brakeman. In the tenement-house district of any large city the -pitiful figure might not have looked out of place. - -But here, in the Canadian Rockies, with a boiling, leaping torrent -racing under a slender trestle, great scraps of rocks and pine and -balsam-clad mountains towering above, and in the distance the mighty -peaks of the Selkirks looming against the clean-swept blue, the -spectacle that this waif of the big towns presented seemed almost -ludicrous in its contrast. Ralph felt it so at least, for he smiled a -little as he looked at the disreputable figure before him and asked: - -“What are you doing at Pine Pass?” - -The question was certainly a natural one. Besides the tiny station, -no human habitation was in sight. Above it, threatening to crush it -seemingly, towered a precipice of dark colored rock. Beyond this rose -mighty pines, cliffs, waterfalls and, finally, climbing fields of snow. -Everywhere peaks and summits loomed with a solitary eagle wheeling far -above. In the air was the thunderous voice of the torrent as it tumbled -along under the spidery trestle beyond the station, and the sweet, -clean fragrance of the pines. - -“What’m I doin’ at Pine Pass?” The ragged youth repeated the question. -“I-I’m sorry, mister, but I can’t tell yer.” He paused, and a strange, -wistful look came into his eyes as he gazed at the distant peaks, “I -thought some time I’d get up among them mountains; but there’s a heap -more of ’em than I calculated on.” - -“How did you get here? Where did you come from?” pursued Ralph. - -“Frum Noo York.” And then, answering the unspoken question, he -continued, “You kin call me Jimmie, and ef you want ter know how I got -yere, I jes’ beat it.” - -“Beat it, eh? Tramped it, you mean?” - -“Yep. Stole rides when I could. Walked when I couldn’t. Bin two munts -er more, I reckin. Steamboats, freights, blin’ baggage, anyting.” - -“And what did you think you’d do when you got here?” - -“Work till I got some coin togedder. But it don’t look much as if there -was any jobs fer a kid aroun’ here, does it?” - -“It does not. What can you do?” - -“Anyting; that’s on the level.” - -“Hum; you wait here a minute, Jimmie. I don’t quite understand what -brought you here, and if you don’t want to tell me I won’t ask you. But -you wait here a minute and I’ll see what I can do.” - -“Say, you will? Kin you put me to woik? Say, you’re all right, you are, -mister. I’ll bet you’d have put that braky away in a couple of punches, -big as he wuz.” - -And the boy gazed admiringly after Ralph’s athletic form as the latter -hastened toward the group at the end of the platform. They were -standing beside what appeared to be a small mountain of baggage and -they had just noticed his absence. - -“Well, what under the sun----?” began Harry Ware, whose full name, H. -D. Ware, was, of course, shortened at Stone fell College to Hardware. - -“Simpering serpents, Ralph,” broke in Percy Simmons, who, equally, -of course, was known to his boyish chums as Persimmons, “grinning -gargoyles, we knew this was to be a collecting trip, but you appear to -have started by acquiring a scarecrow!” - -“Hold on a minute, boys,” cried Ralph, half laughingly, for Persimmons’ -odd way of talking and explosive exclamations made everyone who knew -him smile. “Hold on; listen to what happened.” - -The eldest member of the group, a tall and angular, but withal -good-natured and kindly looking man with a pair of shell-rimmed -spectacles perched across his bony nose, now struck in. - -“Yes, boys; let us hear what Ralph has been up to now. I declare, since -our experience along the Border I’m prepared for anything.” - -“Even what may befall us in the Canadian Rockies, eh, Professor -Wintergreen?” asked Ralph. “Well, that lad yonder, if I’m not much -mistaken, is our future deputy cook, bottlewasher, and midshipmate.” - -They all stared at him. Persimmons was the first to recover his voice. - -“Giggling gophers,” he gasped, “as if Hardware hadn’t brought -along enough patent dingbats without your adding a live one to the -collection!” - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE TORRENT. - - -Vacation time had rolled around once more at Stonefell College, which -accounts for our finding Professor Wintergreen, Ralph Stetson, and -the latter’s chums at this isolated spot in the heart of the Canadian -Rockies. Readers of former volumes of this series will at once recall -the eccentric professor and his young companion Ralph. Harry Ware and -Percy Simmons, however, we have not met before. Jack Merrill and Walt -Phelps, the two young ranchmen who shared Ralph’s adventure on the -Mexican border, could not be with him on the present vacation, both -boys being required at their western homes. - -So it had come about that when Professor Wintergreen received a -commission to hunt specimens in the Canadian Rockies, Ralph jumped at -the chance to accompany him. His father, the railroad magnate, and -Ralph’s mother had planned a trip to Europe, but the boy, being given -the choice of the Rocky Mountain expedition or the trip across the -Atlantic, had, with his characteristic love of adventure, chosen the -former without hesitation. His mother grieved rather over this, but his -father approved. “King-pin Stetson,” as Wall Street knew the dignified -railroad magnate, approved of boys roughing it. He had seen how much -good Ralph’s western experiences had done the boy. His shoulders had -broadened, his muscles hardened, and his eyes grown brighter during -his strenuous times along the border. Not less noteworthy had been -his mental broadening. From an indolent attitude toward studies, a -condition caused, perhaps, by his former rather delicate health, -Ralph’s appetite for learning had become as robust as the rest of him. - -There is no space here to detail all that had happened during Ralph’s -vacation on the Mexican border. But briefly, as told in “The Border -Boys on the Trail,” it included the exciting experiences attendant upon -the capture of his chums and himself by a border bandit, and their -sharing many perils and adventures on both sides of the frontier. In -the second volume, called “The Border Boys Across the Frontier,” the -boys discovered the Haunted Mesa, and stumbled by the merest accident -upon a subterranean river. The finding of this latter plunged them into -a series of accidents and thrilling adventures, exciting beyond their -wildest dreams. It is no laughing matter to be captured and suspected -as spies by Mexican revolutionists, as the boys found out. But they -managed to stop the smuggling of arms across the Border, as readers of -that volume know. - -“The Border Boys with the Mexican Rangers” showed how courage and -skill may be more than a match for villainy and duplicity. With the -“Rurales” the boys lived a life brimming to the full with the sort of -experiences they had grown to love. The finding of a hidden mine, too, -enriched them all and gave each lad an independent bank account of no -mean dimension. The following book, which was entitled “The Border Boys -with the Texas Rangers,” found the three lads sharing the perils and -hardships of the body that has done so much to keep law and order in a -much vexed region. Brave, resourceful, and skillful, as their former -experiences had trained them to be, the boys found full scope for all -their faculties with the Rangers. A band of cattle thieves made trouble -for them, and Jack Merrill’s climb out of the Hidden Valley furnished -the most thrilling experience of his life. - -Dearly would Ralph have loved to share with his former companions the -exciting times which he was sure lay ahead of him in the Canadian -Rockies. But it was not to be, and so, when young Ware and Percy -Simmons both begged to be “let off” from Bar Harbor and Newport, -Professor Wintergreen had, on their parents’ request, decided to allow -them to come along. The professor’s interests in the Canadian Rockies -were purely scientific. His duty was to collect specimens of minerals, -and also of animal life, for one of the best known scientific bodies in -the east. Ralph, with his knowledge of hunting and woodcraft, was to be -relied upon as a valuable aide. Young Ware and Percy Simmons were more -or less Tenderfeet, though both had been camping before. - -When Ralph had finished relating Jimmie’s story to the others, the -professor said: - -“I’ll talk to the lad myself. If he proves all that he appears to be -from your description, Ralph, we might manage to use him. A boy willing -to make himself useful around camp might come in handy.” - -So the professor stalked off on his long legs to interview Jimmie, who -viewed his approach with awe, while the boys stood in a chattering -group about the pile of baggage. It was to be remarked that most of it -bore the initials H. D. Ware, of which more anon. - -“Wonder what’s become of that guide and the ponies?” spoke up Ralph, -while the Professor interrogated the awe-struck Jimmie. - -“Don’t know,” responded Hardware, gazing at a dusty track that wound -itself up the cliff back of the station for a few yards, and was then -lost around a scrap of rock that glittered with “fool’s-gold.” “Ought -to be here by now, though.” - -“Fiddling fish,” struck in Persimmons at this moment, “there ought to -be trout in that stream below there, boys. I’m going down to have a -look.” - -“All right. We’ll wait for you and give you a hail when the ponies show -up. Look out you don’t fall in, though. Those rocks look slippery where -the water has dashed over them,” warned Ralph. - -“I’m all right,” responded Persimmons airily, and he set out, -clambering down the rocky path leading to the brink of the foaming, -brown torrent that roared through Pine Pass. - -Shortly afterward, the Professor came back with his arm on Jimmie’s -shoulder. The man of science, childlike in some things and absorbed -in study for the most part, was yet a fairly accurate reader of human -nature. - -“I’ve been talking to Jimmie, boys,” he said, as he approached, “and -he’ll do. He’s been officially engaged as general assistant to our -guide with the Wintergreen expedition.” - -“Good for you, Jimmie,” smiled Ralph, “and so now your troubles are at -an end for a time, anyhow.” - -The eyes of the waif filled with tears. - -“I dunno jes how ter thank you, boss,” he said, addressing all of them, -“but I kin promise you that I’ll make good.” - -“Sure of that,” said the Professor kindly, “but I can’t make out why -you won’t tell us what brought you to such an out-of-the-way, not to -say remote, part of the world as this.” - -“I’d tell yer if I could; honest I would, boss,” spoke Jimmie; -“but--but I can’t jes’ yet. Some time maybe----” - -The lad broke off, and once more his wistful eyes sought the distant -peaks. - -“Is them the Selkirks over yonder?” he asked presently. - -“Yes; those far peaks are,” said the Professor, also gazing toward the -giant ranges in the distance whose crests glimmered with the cold gleam -of never-melting snow, “those are the Selkirks.” - -“Goin’ that way?” asked Jimmie, his eyes still riveted on the far-flung -ranges. - -“Yes; we hope to penetrate as far as that. Why?” - -“Oh, nuttin’. I hoped you was, that’s all.” - -A smile played over Ralph’s lips. He was about to ask Jimmie some -bantering question about what he, the New York waif, expected to find -in the distant mountains, but at that instant there came a piercing cry. - -“Help! Guzzling grasshoppers! H-e-l-p!” - -“Gracious! It’s Persimmons!” cried Ralph, an alarmed look coming over -his countenance. Well did he know his friend’s capacity for getting -into trouble. - -“Run, boys, run! He must be in a serious predicament!” cried the -Professor, as the cry came once more. - -At top speed they ran toward the end of the platform and the rocky path -leading to the thundering mountain torrent. - -“If he’s fallen in that creek, he’s a goner!” shouted the station -agent, rushing out of the depot. “The falls are right below, and he’ll -be swept into them!” - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -IN PERIL OF HIS LIFE. - - -Just how they clambered down that rocky, slippery track none of the -party was ever able to recall in after life. But, burned deep on each -boy’s mind for as long as he should live was the picture they saw as -they came in full view of the swirling, madly dashing torrent. Above a -foam-flecked eddy, beyond which the main current boiled and seethed, -towered the black, spider-like outlines of the trestle. On the other -shore was a rocky steep covered with big pines and balsams. - -Between the two, his white, frightened face showing above the current -as he clung with might and main to a log, was Persimmons. This log, -evidently the trunk of a tree which had fallen from its foothold beside -the path on the depot side of the torrent, reached out some twenty -feet above the devil’s caldron of the stream. The roots and the main -part of the trunk rested on the shore. That portion that projected over -the water was nothing more than a slender pole. The freshets of spring -had swept it clean of branch or limb. It was as bare as a flag-staff. - -Under it the green water rushed frantically on toward a fall that lay -beyond the trestle. The voice of the cataract was plainly audible in -their ears, although in the extremity of their fear for Persimmons -they gave it no heed. It was almost at the end of this frail support -that the boy was clinging. Only his head and shoulders were above the -water, which dragged malignantly at him, trying to tear loose his hold. -It was plain at once that flesh and blood could not stand the strain -long. If they did not act to save him, and that quickly, Percy Simmons -was doomed speedily to be swept from his hold and hurtled to the falls -and--but they did not dare dwell upon that thought. - -How the boy could have got where he was, was for the present a mystery. -But there he was, almost at the end of the slender tree trunk, which -whipped under the strain of his weight. - -“Can you hold on?” shouted Ralph, using the first words that came into -his head. - -They saw Persimmons’ lips move, but could not hear his reply. - -“Don’t make him speak; he needs every ounce of breath he has,” said -the professor, whose face was ashen white under his tan. The boys were -hardly less pale. They looked about them despairingly. - -“We must find a rope and get it out to him,” cried Harry Ware. - -“But how? Nobody could maintain a foothold on that log,” declared Ralph. - -“We might drift it down to him,” suggested the station agent; “get on -the bank further up and allow the current to carry down a loop that he -could grab.” - -“That’s a good idea,” cried the professor, hailing any solution of -their quandary with joy, “have you got a rope?” - -“Yes, in the shack above. I’ll get it in a jiffy.” - -Before he had finished speaking, the man was off, racing up the rocky -path as fast as his legs could carry him. - -“Hold on, Perce!” cried Ralph encouragingly, waving his hand. “We’ll -get you out of that in no time.” - -They saw poor Persimmons’ lips try to frame a pitiful smile, but the -next instant a wave of foam dashed over him. After what seemed an agony -of waiting, but which was in reality only a few minutes, the agent -reappeared with several yards of light but strong rope. - -“Now we shan’t be long,” he said encouragingly, as he rapidly formed a -loop in it. - -No sooner was this done, than Ralph seized the rope and tried to throw -it over Persimmons’ head like a lasso. He had learned to throw a rope -like a cowboy on the Border, but this time either the feat was beyond -his skill, or he was too unnerved to do it properly. At any rate, at -each attempt the throw fell short, and the current whirled the lifeline -out of their comrade’s reach. - -Fortunately, Persimmons had managed, by this time, to brace his feet -against an out-cropping rock, and so give his overstrained arms some -relief. But it was obvious that, even with this aid, he could not hold -on much longer. - -Nothing remained but to try the plan that the agent had suggested, -namely, to carry the rope up the bank a little and try to drift it down -stream. With a prayer on his lips, Ralph made the first cast. The rope -fell on the water in what appeared to be just the spot for the current -to carry it down to the boy they were trying to rescue. - -But their joy was short lived. Having carried the loop a short way, a -viciously swirling eddy caught it and sucked it under the surface. It -became entangled in a rock, and they had much ado to get it back ashore -at all. - -A sigh that was almost a groan broke from Ralph as he saw the futility -of his cast. It looked like the last chance to save the boy whose life -depended on their reaching him quickly. It was out of the question to -get out on the slender, swaying end of the trunk to which young Simmons -was clinging. Not one of them but was too heavy to risk it. And, in the -event of the trunk snapping, they knew only too well what would ensue. -A brief struggle, and their comrade would be swept to the falls, from -which he could not possibly emerge alive. - -“We must save him!” panted Ralph, “but how--how?” - -“The only way is to get the rope to him,” said the professor. - -“And we can’t accomplish that unless--I think I can do it, professor,” -broke off Ralph suddenly. - -“What do you mean to do?” - -“To straddle that log and get the rope out to him in that way.” - -“Nonsense, it would not bear your weight even if you could balance on -it.” - -But Ralph begged so hard to be allowed to put his plan into execution -that the professor was at last forced to give way and consent to his -trying the perilous feat. - -“But come back the instant you are convinced you are in danger,” he -commanded; “remember, I am in charge of you boys.” - -Ralph eagerly gave the required bond. Fastening the rope to his waist, -he straddled the narrow trunk and gingerly began working himself -forward toward his imperiled chum. - -He got along all right till he was in a position where his feet began -to be clawed at by the hurrying waters below. He swayed, recovered -himself by a desperate effort, and then once more began his snail-like -progress. The sight of Persimmons’ blue lips and white cheeks, for in -that land the waters are almost as cold in midsummer as in the depth of -winter, gave him fresh determination to continue his hazardous mission. - -But even the most determined will cannot always overcome material -obstacles. A chunk of driftwood was swept against Ralph’s feet. He was -almost overbalanced by the force of the blow. The watchers on shore saw -him strive wildly for an instant to recover his equilibrium, and then -a cry of alarm broke from their lips as they saw the boy suddenly lose -his balance completely and topple off the trunk into the stream. - -“The rope! Haul on the rope!” shouted the professor, as Ralph vanished, -to reappear an instant later fighting for his life in the relentless -torrent. - -Well it was for the boy then, that he had tied the rope to his waist. -Had he not done so, the moment might have been his last, for even -the strongest swimmer that ever breasted water would have been but a -helpless infant in that titanic current. - -They all laid hold of the rope and pulled with every ounce of muscle -their combined forces could command. But, even then, so strongly did -the swiftly dashing stream suck at its victim that it was all they -could do to get him ashore. Blue and shivering from cold, however, -Ralph finally found footing and scrambled up the bank. Then, and not -till then--such had been the strain--did they recollect Persimmons. - -For an instant they hardly dared to look up. They feared that the end -of the long log might prove to be tenantless. But, to their unspeakable -relief, Persimmons still was clinging there. But even as they gave a -shout of joy at the sight of him, another thought rushed in. Of what -avail was it that the boy was there, when there appeared no possible -way of getting him out of his predicament? - -Were they to stand there helplessly and see him swept to his death -before their very eyes? Was there nothing they could do? No untried way -of getting that precious rope to him? - -It appeared that the answer to these questions must be in the negative. - -“Great heaven!” burst from the professor’s pale lips, and his voice -sounded harsh and rough as if his throat was as dry as ashes. “Can’t we -do anything? Can none of you suggest a way?” - -“I tink I can get dat rope out dere, if you’ll gimme a chanct, boss,” -piped a voice at his elbow. - -They all looked around. It was Jimmie, whom, in the stress of the -last minutes, they had forgotten as completely as if he had never -existed. But now here he was, repeating, with calm assurance, but no -braggadocio, his offer: - -“I tink I can get it to him, if you’ll gimme a chanct.” - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -JIMMIE’S PLUCK. - - -“_You_ can get that rope to him?” - -The professor’s voice held a note of amazement and possibly one of -unconscious incredulity, for Jimmie colored under his gaze. - -“Sure I can.” He spoke rapidly, for it was no time to waste words. “I -used ter be wid a circus for a time, see. I learned ter do a balancin’ -act wid a troupe. I’ll jes’ take dat long stick dere fer a balancin’ -pole, and I’ll snake him out fer youse, er--er I’ll go up de flume -meself.” - -Strange as it may appear, there was something in the manner of the -waif that instilled a new confidence into their hearts. Under other -circumstances they might not have felt it, but now, with Persimmons’ -life in such danger, they were in the mood of drowning men who grasp -at straws. - -Jimmie was such a straw, and his self-confident manner formed to a not -small degree the basis of their trust in his ability to carry out what -he said he could accomplish. Carefully the rope was transferred from -the dripping, half-frozen Ralph to Jimmie’s waist. This done, the lad -carefully balanced a longish branch he had picked up, and appeared to -find it suitable for use as a balancing pole; for, after one or two -trials, he stepped out on the log and began such a “rope walking” act -as has seldom if ever been witnessed. - -Before starting, he had kicked off his ragged, broken boots,--stockings -or socks he had none,--and was now barefooted. The rough bark of the -tree trunk afforded a certain stability of footing, but they held -their breath as they watched the waif’s slender, pitifully thin figure -painfully making its way on that narrow bridge above the swirling, -leaping waves of the torrent. - -Once he hesitated and swayed, and a gasp went up from the watchers on -the bank. Involuntarily they took a tighter grip on the rope. But it -was only the green rush of waters under his feet that had momentarily -caused Jimmie’s head to swim. - -He swiftly recovered himself and, forcing his eyes to remain riveted -on a definite object, he forged steadily ahead. Now he was only five -feet from where Persimmons, with a sub-conscious strength, was hanging -on to his precarious hold, now but four feet intervened, then three, -two,--one! How the slender trunk swayed! It appeared impossible that -anything human could keep its footing upon it. - -But at last the young acrobat reached a point beyond which he dared not -go. Holding his balancing pole with one hand, he undid the rope from -his waist with the other. Bending, very slowly, very cautiously, he -formed a loop and dropped it over Persimmons’ head. The numbed boy had -just strength enough to work it under his armpits. - -Then his strength gave out completely. He would have been swirled -away had not Jimmie taken the precaution to pass the rope around the -opposite side of the tree trunk to that on which the current was -pulling. But Persimmons was safe. The rope held him firm. He took a -brief interval for a breath, and then managed to work his way along the -trunk while the others hauled. - -As for Jimmie, he crouched low for a time, using his balancing pole -with wonderful adroitness. Then, walking backward along that swaying, -treacherous trunk, he reached shore just as they dragged young Simmons -out. It was in the nick of time, too, for he could not have lasted much -longer. As it was, when they laid him on the bank he collapsed utterly. - -“Jimmie, if you ever were an acrobat, and there’s no room to doubt -that, you must have been a marvel!” cried Ralph throwing his arms -about the boy’s neck, while the professor and Hardware congratulated -him hardly less enthusiastically, and the agent danced a jig. - -“Gee!” exclaimed Jimmie, when he released himself, “if you tink I was a -wonder, ask Sig. Montinelli, who trained me. I was so good dat he used -to beat the life out uv me. Dat’s de reason I ran away frum de show and -came up here,--dat and annudder reason.” - -There was no time just then to ask him what he meant, for they were -all immediately busied in chafing poor Persimmons’ body and bringing -life back to him. The agent had rushed off up the rocky path for hot -coffee, for he had been preparing his breakfast when the train came -in. What with this stimulant and a brisk rub-down, Persimmons soon -recovered and was able to sit up and thank his rescuer, which he did -characteristically and warmly, despite the latter’s embarrassment and -frequent interruptions of “It wasn’t nawthing.” - -“Howling handsprings!” exclaimed Persimmons to Ralph, as the latter -helped him up the rocky path, “and to think that I classed that kid in -with Hardware’s dingbats! But that’s what he is, too,” he added with a -sort of an inspiration; “Hardware’s got his bags and boxes full of fool -fishing dingbats and cooking dingbats and chopping dingbats, but this -one of yours, Ralph, is the greatest ever, he’s a life-saving dingbat. -What can I give him?” - -“Not money, if you take my advice,” said Ralph dryly. “While you were -down and out there the professor offered him some, and his eyes blazed -and he turned quite pale as he refused it. ‘I’ve joined this expedition -to be generally useful, and that was only one of my jobs, see,’ was -what he said.” - -“Waltzing wombats! I hope he never has to be useful in just that way -again,” breathed Persimmons fervently, as they reached the top of the -trail. - -“I hope not. But how did you ever come to get in such a fix?” - -Persimmons explained that he had been looking at some wonderful trout -disporting themselves in a pool some distance above where the tree -trunk stretched out over the waters of the torrent. In some way his -foot had slipped, and before he knew what had happened he was whirled -out into midstream. - -Hurried along, brushed by out-cropping rocks and bits of drift timber, -he had caught at the first thing that offered, which happened to be the -trunk that so providentially stretched out above the torrent. - -“Bounding beetles! but it was a close shave, I tell you,” he concluded -fervently. “I don’t think I could have held on a minute longer when -Jimmie got that rope to me; but when I felt it, new strength seemed to -come to me and I could help you fellows drag me ashore.” - -For a consideration, the agent drew on his stores, and they made a -hearty breakfast after this adventure. Jimmie, of course, was the hero -of the occasion, although no one could have accused him of seeking -honors. The boy looked actually embarrassed as they each, in turn and -in chorus, told him over and over what they thought of his plucky act. - -They were still eating when there came a clatter of hoofs on the cliff -above. - -“Something comin’ down the trail,” observed the agent; “shouldn’t -wonder if that’s your man now.” - -“I hope so, indeed,” said the professor, “this delay is most annoying.” - -Emerging from the depot they saw a strange cavalcade coming down the -dusty trail. In advance, on a wiry buckskin cayuse, rode a figure that -might have stepped out of a book. His saddle was of the gaily rigged -ranger’s type. But it was the person who sat in it with an easy grace -that was more striking to the eye than any of his caparisons. - -He was of medium height, it appeared, but of so powerful a build that -his breadth of chest and massive loins seemed better fitted for a -giant. His hair and beard were curly and as yellow as corn silk, his -face fiery red by constant exposure to sun and wind and snow, while -his eyes, deep-set in wrinkles, were as blue as the Canadian sky above -them. His clothes were of the frontiersman’s type, and on his massive -head was a colorless sombrero, badly crushed, with several holes cut in -its crown. - -Behind him came, in single file, four wiry looking little cayuses, -saddled and bridled ready for their riders. These were followed by -three pack animals of rather sorry appearance, but, as the party was to -learn later, of proved ability on the trail. - -“You Professor Summered?” he hailed, in a deep, hearty voice, as he -saw the professor and the boys standing in a group outside the little -depot, eying him with deep interest and attention. - -“Wintergreen, sir! Wintergreen!” exclaimed the professor rather testily. - -“Oh, ho! ho! Beg your pardon. I’m Mountain Jim Bothwell, at your -service. Sorry to be late, but the trail up above is none too good.” - -He struck his pony with his spurs, and the whole procession broke into -an ambling trot coming down the trail in a cloud of yellow dust toward -the waiting group of travelers. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE START FOR THE ROCKIES. - - -“Great Blue Bells of Scotland!” - -Mountain Jim Bothwell uttered the exclamation as he gazed at the -immense pile of baggage labeled H. D. Ware. - -“Say, who _is_ H. D. Ware, anyhow? He goin’ to start a hotel -hereabouts? When’s the wagons comin’ for all this truck?” - -“That’s my camping equipment,” struck in “H. D. Ware,” looking rather -red and uncomfortable under the appraising blue eye of Mountain Jim. - -“Young feller,” spoke Jim solemnly, “you’d need an ocean liner to -transport all that duffle. We ain’t goin’ to sea; we’re goin’ inter the -mountains. What you got in there, anyhow?” - -“Dingbats,” said Ralph quietly, a mischievous smile playing about his -mouth. - -“Dingbats? Great Bells of Scotland, what’s them?” - -“The things that the sporting goods catalogues say no camper should be -without,” exclaimed Ralph; “we told him, but it wasn’t any good.” - -“Well, my mother said I was to have every comfort,” said poor Hardware, -crimsoning under the guide’s amused scrutiny. “When we were camping in -Maine----” - -“When you were camping in Maine, I don’t doubt you had a cook----” - -Hardware nodded. He had to admit that, like most wealthy New Yorkers, -his parents’ ideas of “a camp” had been a sort of independent summer -hotel under canvas. - -“Well, young fellow, let me tell you something. From what the professor -here wrote me, you young fellers came up here to rough it. I’m goin’ -to see that you do. The cooking will mostly be done by you and your -chums; your elders will--will eat it, and that’ll be sufficient -punishment for them.” - -“But--but I’ve just engaged a lad to aid with the cooking and help out -generally,” struck in the professor. - -“That’s all right,” responded Mountain Jim airily, eying Jimmie, whose -clothes, since they had been dried by the agent’s cook stove, looked -worse than before, “that kid seems all right, and he can take his turn -with the others. In the mountains it’s share and share alike, you know, -and no favors. That’s the rule up this way.” - -The boys looked rather dismayed. Already the standards of the city -were being swept aside. Evidently this mountaineer looked upon all men -and boys as being alike, provided they did their share of the work set -before them. - -Ralph, alone, whose wild life on the Border had already done for him -what the Rockies were to perform for his companions, viewed the guide -with approval. He knew that out in the wilderness, be it mountain or -plain, certain false standards of caste and station count for nothing. -As Coyote Pete had been wont to say in those old days along the Border, -“It ain’t the hide that counts, it’s the man underneath it.” - -“First thing to do is to sort out some of this truck and see what you -do need and what you don’t,” decided Mountain Jim presently. “Most -times it’s the things that you think you kain’t get along without that -you kin, and the things you think you kin that you kain’t.” - -“That’s right,” agreed Ralph heartily. “Daniel Boone, on his first -journey into Kentucky, managed to worry along on pinole and salt, and -relied for everything else on his old rifle and flint and steel.” - -“Never heard of the gentleman,” said Mountain Jim, “but he must uv been -a good woodsman. Now let’s get to work and sort out this truck.” - -Ruthlessly the travelers’ kits were torn open, and it was amazing, when -Mountain Jim got through, what a huge pile of things that he declared -unnecessary were heaped upon the depot platform. As for poor Hardware’s -“dingbats,” a new kind of compass and a hunting knife that met with -Jim’s approval, alone remained. - -“All this stuff can stay here till you get ready to come back,” said -Jim; “the station agent will look after it and see that it is put in -the freight shed.” - -But it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Out of the rejected -“Dingbats” a fine hunting suit, axe, knife and compass were found for -Jimmie, who, indeed, stood sadly in need of them. When the boy had -retired to the station agent’s room and dressed himself in his new -garments, the change in him was so remarkable, when he reappeared, as -to be nothing less than striking. In the place of the ragged looking -Bowery boy, they saw a well set-up lad in natty hunting outfit. A -trifle emaciated he was, to be sure, but “We’ll soon fill him out with -hard work and good grub,” declared Mountain Jim, who had been told -the boy’s story, and who had warmly praised his heroism in rescuing -Persimmons. - -The latter had also changed his wet garments and was in his usual -bubbling spirits when they were ready, in Ralph’s phrase, to “hit the -trail.” This was not till nearly noon, however, for the rejection of -the superfluous “Dingbats,” of which even Ralph and the professor were -found to have a few, had occupied much time. Then, after hearty adieus -to the station agent, who had incidentally been the recipient of a -generous gratuity from the professor, they mounted their ponies and, -with Mountain Jim in the lead, started on their long journey into the -wilds. Jimmy, whose circus experience had taught him how to ride, was -mounted on one of the pack animals, for, such had been Mountain Jim’s -ruthless rejection of “Dingbats,” only a tithe of the expected “pack” -remained. - -Up the trail they mounted at an easy pace under the big pines that -shook out honey-sweet odors as the little cavalcade passed beneath -them. At the summit of the rocky cliff that towered above the depot, -the trail plunged abruptly into a dense, black tunnel of tamarack, pine -and Douglas firs. - -As the horses’ hoofs rang clear on the rocky trail and echoed among the -columnular trunks that shot up on every side like the pillars of some -vast cathedral roof, Mountain Jim broke into dolorous song: - - “Hokey pokey winky wang; - Linkum, lankum muscodang; - The Injuns swore that th-e-y would h-a-n-g - Them that couldn’t keep w-a-r-m!” - -Over and over he sang it, while the shod hoofs clattered out a metallic -accompaniment to the droning air. - -“Can we ride ahead a bit?” asked Ralph after a while, for the monotony -of keeping pace with the pack animals and the constant repetition of -Mountain Jim’s song began to grow wearisome. - -“Sure; go ahead. You can’t get lost. The trail runs straight ahead. The -only way to get off it is to fall off,” said Jim cheerfully, drawing -out and filling with black tobacco a villainous-looking old pipe. - -“Don’t get into any trouble,” warned the professor, who had been -provided with a quiet horse, and who was intent, as he rode along, on a -volume dealing with the geological formation of the Canadian Rockies. - -“We’ll be careful! So long! Come on, boys,” shouted back Ralph, as he -struck his heels into his pony. - -Off they clattered up the trail, the rocks ringing with their excited -voices till the sound died away in the distance. Jimmie alone remained -behind. He felt that his duty as general assistant demanded it. When -the last echo of the ponies’ hoofs had died out, Mountain Jim turned to -the professor with a profound wink. - -“I can see where we have our hands full this trip, professor,” he -remarked, as they ambled easily along. - -The professor looked up from his book and sighed. - -“Really, I wonder my hair is not snow white,” he said mildly. “But -surely that is a fine specimen of Aethusa Cijnapium I see yonder!” - -“Oh, that,” said Mountain Jim, gazing at the feathery plant indicated, -which grew in great profusion at the trail side, “that’s ‘fool’s -parsley.’” - -“O-h-h!” said the professor. - -He might have said more, but at that instant from the trail ahead, -came a series of shouts and yells that made it appear as if a troop -of rampant Indians was on the war-path. The sharp crack of a rifle -sounded, followed by silence. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -ALONG THE TRAIL. - - -When they left the main body of the party behind, Ralph, Harry Ware, -and young Simmons had kicked their ponies into a brisk “lope,” which -speedily carried them some distance ahead. As they rode along, they -gazed admiringly about them at the beauties of the rugged trail. The -rough way soon left the tunnel-like formation of spruce and tamarack, -and emerged on a muskeg, or patch of swampy ground, where rank, green -reeds and flowers of gorgeous red, yellow and blue grew in the wetter -places. - -As they cantered into the midst of this pretty bit of scenery, a -striped animal sprang from behind a patch of brush with a snort, and -dashed off into the timber on the hillside beyond. - -With a whoop and yell the boys, headed by Ralph, were after it. - -“A wild cat!” shouted Ralph. “After him, boys!” - -Their lively little ponies appeared quite to enter into the spirit of -the chase. At any rate, they needed no urging, but darted off as nimbly -as mountain goats among the trees. The gray and reddish form of the -wild cat was speedily lost sight of; but Ralph, who had slipped his -rifle from its holster, still kept on under the shadows of the forest, -followed by the others. - -Suddenly he thought he saw an elusive form slipping among the timbers -ahead of him. Flinging the reins of his pony over the creature’s head, -in Western fashion, he dismounted. Hardware and Persimmons followed his -example. The eyes of all three boys were shining with the excitement of -this, their first adventure in the Canadian wilds. - -“Cantering cayuses, boys, but we’ll have a fine skin to take home -before we’ve been on the trail ten minutes!” exclaimed Persimmons under -his breath, as they crept along behind Ralph. - -“Don’t count your skins before you get ’em,” was Hardware’s advice. - -At this moment there was a sudden commotion among the ponies. They -snorted and sniffed as if in terror of something, and Ralph rightly -guessed that they had just scented the wild cat. - -“You fellows go back and quiet ’em; I’ll keep on,” he said. - -Dearly as his two companions would have liked to continue on the trail -of the wild cat, there was nothing for them to do but to obey; for if -the ponies stampeded they knew that Mountain Jim would have something -to say that might not sound pleasant. - -“Be careful now, Ralph,” warned Hardware, as their comrade kept on -alone. “Wild cats are pretty ugly customers sometimes.” - -But Ralph did not reply. With a grim look on his face and with his -rifle clutched tightly, he slipped from trunk to trunk, his feet hardly -making any noise on the soft woodland carpet of pine needles. - -Suddenly, from a patch of brush right ahead of him, came a sort of -yelping cry, not unlike that of a dog in pain or excitement. - -“What on earth is up now?” he wondered to himself, coming to a halt and -searching the scene in front of him with eager eyes. - -Then came sounds of a furious commotion. The brush was agitated and -there were noises as if two animals were in mortal combat in front of -him. But still he could see nothing. All at once came distinctly the -crunching of bones. - -“It’s that wild cat and she’s made a kill of some sort, a rabbit -probably,” mused Ralph. “Well, I’ll catch her red-handed and revenge -poor Molly Cottontail.” - -He cautiously tiptoed forward, making as little noise as possible. -He was well aware that a cornered wild cat can make a formidable -opponent, and he did not mean to risk wounding the animal slightly and -infuriating it. He was raising his rifle with a view to having it ready -the instant he should sight the savage wood’s creature, when he stepped -on a dead branch. - -It emitted a sharp crack, almost like a pistol shot, and Ralph bit his -lip with vexation. - -“That cat’s going to run now, taking its prey along, and I’ll not get -within a mile of it,” was his thought. - -But no such thing happened. Instead, from the bushes, there came an -angry, snarling growl as the crunching of bones abruptly ceased. -Ralph’s heart began to beat a little quicker. It appeared that the cat, -far from fleeing, was going to show fight. But Ralph, after his first -surprise, did not worry: He knew his automatic would be more than a -match for the wild cat if it came down to a fight. - -With this thought in his mind he pressed boldly forward, parting the -bushes as he went. He had not advanced more than a few yards when he -came upon a curious sight. A lithe, tawny creature of reddish color, -with oddly tufted ears, was crouched over the dead and torn body of a -rabbit. It had been savagely rending the smaller animal, and as Ralph -took all this in he realized, too, another fact. It was no wild cat -that he had disturbed, but another and a far more formidable animal. - -“Great juniper! A Canadian lynx, and a whumper, too!” gasped the boy to -himself as he gazed at the creature which was almost as large as a good -sized dog. - -For a moment the realization that he was face to face with an animal -that some hunters have described as being more formidable than a -mountain lion, made Ralph pause, while his heart thumped in lively -fashion. The great yellow eyes of the lynx, whose tufted ears lay flat -against its head, regarded him with blazing hatred. Its teeth were -bared under its reddened fangs, and Ralph saw that it was ready to -spring at him. It was only waiting to measure its distance accurately. - -“I’ll give her all I’ve got in the gun,” thought Ralph, bringing the -weapon to bear; “my only chance is to finish her quick.” - -His finger pressed the trigger, but, to his amazement, no report -followed. - -“Great guns! The mechanism has stuck and I’ve not got an instant to -fuss with it,” was the thought that flashed through his mind as the -rifle failed to go off. - -He had no time for more. With a growl and snarl the tawny body was -launched into the air, as if propelled toward him by chilled steel -springs. Ralph gave a hasty, almost involuntary step backward. His foot -caught in an out-cropping root and the next instant he measured his -length on the ground. - -As he fell he was conscious of a flash passing before his face and -caught a glimpse of two yellow eyes blazing with deadly hate and anger. -The next instant there was a crash in the brush just beyond where he -lay, and the boy realized that his fall had been the luckiest thing in -the world for him. The lynx had overleaped him; but he knew that the -respite would not last the fraction of a minute. He was in as great -peril as before unless he acted and that quickly. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -TREED BY A LYNX. - - -There was but one thing to do and Ralph did it. In the molecule of time -granted to him, he got on his feet. At the same time he uttered a yell -which had the intended effect of checking the second onslaught of the -lynx for an instant. - -Of that instant Ralph took good advantage. He bounded at full speed -toward the nearest tree which looked as if it might sustain his weight. -Luckily, there was one not far off--a dead cedar. He managed to reach -it just ahead of the lynx and began scrambling into the low growing -branches. The rifle that had failed him in that critical moment, he -abandoned as useless; anyhow he could not have climbed, encumbered with -the heavy weapon. - -“If I ever get out of this I’ll stick to the old-fashioned repeater,” -was his thought as he flung the weapon full at the head of the lynx, -missing her, in his agitation, by a good foot. - -Under the circumstances, Ralph had done what he thought best in making -for the tree. In reality, though, had he had time for reflection, he -would better have taken his chances in a race toward his companions, -for of course a lynx can climb as well as any wild cat. In fact, Ralph -had hardly gained a second’s security before the creature flung herself -furiously against the foot of the tree and began climbing after the boy. - -“She’s coming after me, sure as fate!” gasped Ralph desperately. -“Gracious, look at those claws! I’ve got to stop her in some way; but -I’d like to know how.” - -By this time he had clambered some distance up the tree, an easy task, -for the branches grew fairly thick, and as the tree was dead there were -no leafy boughs to encumber his progress. But unfortunately, this made -it equally easy for his assailant to pursue him. Ralph saw that unless -he did something decisive pretty quickly, he would be driven to the -upper part of the tree where it would be unsafe for his weight. - -Just above him, at this juncture, he spied a fairly heavy branch which, -it seemed, he might break off easily. Reaching above him, the boy gave -it a stout tug, and found that he had at least a good, thick club in -his possession. - -The lynx was just below him. Ralph raised his luckily found weapon and -brought it down with a resounding crack on her skull. - -With a howl of rage the creature dropped; but caught on a lower branch -and clinging there, glared up at him more menacingly than before. Far -from injuring her as the boy had hoped, the blow had only served to -infuriate the creature. - -Suddenly, as if determined to bring the contest to a speedy -termination, the lynx began climbing again. Once more Ralph raised his -club and as the animal came within striking distance he brought it -down again with all his force. - -“I hope I crack your ugly head,” he muttered vindictively as he struck. - -But by bad luck, Ralph’s hopes were doomed to be blasted. He had struck -a good, hard blow and one that sent the lynx, snarling and spitting, -scurrying down the tree. But with such good will had he delivered the -blow that his club had broken in two. The best part of it went crashing -to the ground, leaving him with only a stump in his hand. - -“If she comes back at me now, I’m done for,” thought Ralph, as he -looked downward. - -But for the moment it appeared that the creature had no such intention. -Perhaps the two blows had stunned and confused her. At any rate she -lay on one of the lower boughs seemingly stupefied. As Ralph gingerly -prepared to descend, however, hoping to pass by the brute, she gave a -snarl and slipped with cat-like agility to the ground. There, at the -foot of the tree she lay, gazing upward with malicious eyes. Evidently -she had given up her first method of attack, but meant to lie there -like a sentinel and let Ralph make the next move. - -“Gracious!” thought the boy as he saw this, “I am in a fine pickle. I -can’t fire any shots to attract the attention of the bunch and I guess -shouting won’t do much good. They may come to look for me, but they -won’t know in what direction to search.” - -Nevertheless, Ralph inhaled a good, deep breath and shouted with all -his lung power. But no result was manifest, except that the lynx -growled and snarled and lashed its stumpy tail angrily. Once it set up -a dreary howl and the unpleasant thought occurred to Ralph that the -creature might be calling its mate. - -“If two of them come at me--” he thought; but he didn’t dwell on that -thought. - -Instead, he cut himself another club and then sitting back, -thought the situation over with all his might. As if in search of -an inspiration he began rummaging his pockets. How he wished he -had brought his revolver along, or even the ammonia “squirt-gun” -that he carried occasionally when traveling as a protection against -ugly-natured dogs. All at once, in an inside pocket, his hand -encountered a small bottle. Ralph almost uttered a cry of joy. A -sudden flash of inspiration had come to him. In the bottle was some -concentrated ammonia. He had filled his “squirt-gun” that morning -before placing it in the pack, and in the hurry of leaving the train at -Pine Pass had shoved the bottle into his pocket. - -“It’s an awfully long chance,” he thought as he drew out the bottle, -“but, by Jove, I’ll try it. Desperate situations call for desperate -remedies, and this is sure a tough predicament that I’m in.” - -His movements had attracted the attention of the lynx, and it reared -up on its hind legs and began clambering toward him once more. With -trembling fingers Ralph drew the cork of the bottle, and a pungent odor -filled the air. The reek of the ardent drug made the boy’s eyes water; -but he was glad the stuff was so strong. It suited his purpose all the -better. - -What he had to do now was nerve-racking in the extreme. He did not dare -to try to put his plan into execution till the lynx got closer to him, -and to sit still and watch the ugly brute clambering toward him was -enough to upset the stoutest nature. Ralph waited till the animal was -on a branch directly below him and was glaring up at him as if making -up its mind for the final onslaught. - -Then suddenly he cried out: - -“Take that, you brute!” - -With a swift, sure aim he doused the contents of the ammonia bottle -full in the face of the lynx. The effect was immediate and startling. -With a scream of rage and pain the blinded animal dropped, clawing and -scratching through the dead limbs, to the ground. Landing on all fours -she began clawing up the earth in a frenzy of pain. The sharp, pungent -ammonia was eating into her eyes like a red-hot flame. - -Suddenly, above the yelps and howls of the maddened creature, there -came another sound, a hail off in the woods. - -“Ralph! oh, Ralph!” - -“Here I am, fellows! This way! Come on quick!” shouted Ralph at the top -of his voice. - -Then as they grew closer, still shouting, he added a word of caution: - -“Have your guns ready! I’m treed by a lynx!” - -Through the trees the two boys burst into view. At the same instant the -lynx dashed madly off toward the trail. As she dashed along she pawed -her tingling eyes, trying in vain to rid them of the smarting fluid -that Ralph’s lucky throw had filled them with. - -Ralph slid to the ground and picking up his faithless rifle joined -his chums in a wild chase after the animal. Yelling like Comanches -they dashed after, making the uproar that had alarmed and startled the -professor and Mountain Jim and their young companion. But it was not -till they reached the trail, beyond the now tethered horses, that they -came within shooting distance of it. Then Persimmons raised his rifle -and fired. - -As the shot echoed across the muskeg the lynx bounded into the air, -turned a somersault, and just as the rest of the party rode up, lay -twitching in death with Persimmons bending proudly over it. - -“Larruping lynxes,” he was shouting, “I guess we’ve got at least one -skin to take home!” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -A WALKING PINCUSHION. - - -Ralph’s story was soon told, with the accompaniment of a running fire -of sarcasms from Mountain Jim concerning automatic rifles and all -connected with them. An examination of Ralph’s weapon showed that a -cartridge from the magazine had become jammed just at the critical -instant that he faced the lynx. - -“There ain’t nuthin’ better than this old Winchester of mine,” declared -Mountain Jim, taking his well-oiled and polished, albeit ancient model -rifle from its holster and patting it lovingly. “I’ve carried it -through the Rockies for fifteen years and it’s never failed me yet.” - -Nevertheless, the boys did not condemn their automatics on that -account. In fact, Ralph blamed his own ignorance of the action of his -new weapon more for its failure to work than any fault lying with the -rifle itself. - -With a few quick strokes of his knife and a tug at the hide, Mountain -Jim had the lynx skinned with almost incredible rapidity. Salt was -sprinkled liberally on the skin, and it was rolled up and tied behind -Persimmons’ saddle, to be carefully scraped of all fat and skin later -on. - -It was sunset when they left the well-traveled trail, along which, -however, they had encountered no human being but a wandering packer -on his way to an extension of the Canadian Pacific Railroad with -provisions and blasting powder, borne by his sure-footed animals. - -In the brief twilight they pushed on till they reached a spot that -appeared favorable for a camp. A spring gushed from a wall of rock and -formed one of an almost innumerable number of small streams that fed -a creek, which, in turn, was later to pour its waters into the mighty -Columbia. Ralph needed no instructions on how to turn the horses out, -and while he and the rest, acting under his directions, attended to -this, Mountain Jim got supper ready. By the time the boys had completed -their “chores” and the tents were up, the guide had their evening meal -of bannocks, beans and bacon, and boiling hot tea ready for them. For -dessert they had stewed dried prunes and apples, and the boys voted -the meal an excellent one. Indeed, they had been hungry enough to eat -almost anything. - -Supper despatched, it was not long before they were ready to turn into -their blankets, which were of the heavy army type, for the nights in -the Rockies are cool. To the music of a near-by waterfall, they sank -into profound slumber, and before the moon was up the camp was wrapped -in silence. - -It was about midnight that they were aroused by a loud wail of distress -from the tent which Persimmons shared with his two chums. Mountain -Jim rolled out of his blankets--he disdained tents--and Jimmie, who -likewise was content with a makeshift by the fire, started up as -quickly. From the door of the professor’s tent appeared an odd-looking -figure in striped pajamas. - -“Great Blue Bells of Scotland! What’s up?” roared Mountain Jim. - -“Wow! Ouch! He’s sticking me! Ow-w-w-w!” came in a series of yells from -Persimmons. “Ouch! Prancing pincushions, come quick!” - -“Is that boy in trouble again?” demanded the professor, as he slipped -on a pair of slippers and advanced with Mountain Jim toward the scene -of the disturbance. The air was now filled with boyish shouts, echoing -and re-echoing among the craggy hills that surrounded the small canyon -in which the camp was pitched. - -As they neared the tent, from under the sod-cloth a small dark form -came shuffling forth. It grunted as it went, like a diminutive pig. Jim -jerked his old Winchester to his shoulder and the death struggle of -the small animal immediately followed the rifle’s report. - -Simultaneously, the three boys clad in their underclothing, dashed out -of the tent door. - -“Is it Indians?” shouted Hardware. - -“A bear?” yelled Ralph, who had his automatic in hand. - -“More like a walking pincushion,” yelled Persimmons, dancing about and -nursing one of his hands, “look here!” - -He held out his hand and they saw several objects which, in the -moonlight, looked like so many knitting needles projecting from it. - -“Ha! ha! ha!” laughed Mountain Jim, whose mirth aroused Persimmons’ -secret indignation, “I reckon it was a walking pincushion, all right. -Boy, don’t never put your hand on a porcupine again, they always leave -souvenirs.” - -“A porcupine!” cried the professor. - -“Sure enough,” rejoined the guide, and he rolled to their feet with -his rifle barrel the body of the small animal he had shot. - -It was surely enough one of those spiny and familiar denizens of the -north woods. - -“Nodding needles! No wonder I felt as if I’d struck a pincushion,” -cried poor Persimmons, who had, by this, drawn the last of the -offending quills from his hand. “I heard something grunting and -nosing about my blankets, and when I put my hand out I got it full of -stickers.” - -“I’ll put some peroxide on,” said the professor, hastening to his tent -for the medicine chest. - -“They aren’t poisonous, are they?” asked Ralph, referring to the quills. - -“No; just sharp, that’s all,” responded Mountain Jim. “Porcupines are -the greediest and stupidest cusses in the woods. I reckon this one -smelled grub and was investigating when he ran into Master Simmons -here.” - -“You mean that Persimmons ran into him,” corrected Ralph. - -“Guggling geese, no!” expostulated Persimmons, holding out his hand to -be dressed, for the wounds made by the sharp quills were bleeding, “he -ran into me, don’t ever mistake that.” - -It was some time before the camp quieted down again, but finally peace -was restored and a tranquil night, undisturbed by any more nocturnal -adventures, was passed. - -Bright and early the next day they set out once more, traveling now off -the beaten track and making for their destination, the Big Bend of the -Columbia River. The professor was on the lookout for what he called -metamorphic specimens of rock, which, in plain English, means bits of -stone and so forth that show traces of the new world in the making. -For, as he had explained to the boys, the Canadian Rockies are, from a -geologist’s standpoint, of recent formation. Unlike many chains of like -character, they are not supposed to be volcanic in formation. The final -cause of the uplifting of their giant crests is generally attributed -to the shrinkage of the earth’s interior by loss of heat or some other -action. It is also supposed that eons ago the Rockies were as lofty as -the Himalayas or the Andes, but that the various destructive forces -that worked and still work amidst their rugged bosoms, have diminished -their stature by thousands of feet. - -It was at the close of their second day’s travel that the first of a -series of mysterious happenings, destined to puzzle them greatly in the -future, occurred. Ralph, who had been disturbed by the noise of some -nocturnal animal trampling about in the brush, rose from his blankets -and emerged into the moonlight with his rifle, his thoughts centered -on the notion that his long-cherished hope of shooting a grizzly had -materialized. - -Not far from the camp, and overlooking it, a lofty rock towered above -the floor of the valley through which they were then traveling. In -the moonlight its dark form was silhouetted blackly against the night -sky. Ralph’s heart gave a leap as he saw, or thought he saw, something -moving on the summit of the great boulder. - -He raised his rifle to fire and stood with beating pulses awaiting the -opportunity. - -Suddenly a form moved into view on the summit of the rock. The boy’s -finger was just about to press the trigger, when he gave a gasp of -astonishment and the rifle almost fell from his hands. - -It was the form of a man that had appeared, blackly outlined against -the moonlight. For one instant the figure stood there and then, as -Ralph hailed it in a quavering voice, it wheeled, and like an alarmed -wild beast, slipped off into the forest. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -A MOUNTAIN MYSTERY. - - -Ralph said nothing of his adventure of the night till the next -morning. As he had expected, his young chums put it down to a feverish -imagination. Even the professor suggested a dose of quinine; but -Mountain Jim walked over after the morning meal to where the boy had -seen the apparition, which, Ralph was beginning to believe, the figure -must have been. - -The lad accompanied the mountaineer, who had expected to find some -tracks or traces by which Ralph’s adventure might be verified. But the -ground was rocky, and the soft bed of the forest beyond held no tracks, -so that they were disappointed in their anticipation of finding some -clew to the strange appearance of the night. - -“You’re certain sure, dead certain sure that you did see something. -Didn’t just dream it?” questioned Mountain Jim as they made their -way back to camp where the others were busy packing the ponies, even -Persimmons being by this time able to cast a “diamond hitch.” - -“I’m positive,” declared Ralph firmly; “if I hadn’t been so certain -that what I saw was a man, I would have fired. But who could it have -been?” he added in a perplexed voice. Jim shook his blond head. - -“Great Blue Bells of Scotland, I dunno, boy,” he said, thoughtfully -puffing at his pipe. “You ain’t the sort of lad to dream things, I can -see that. But it’s got me. If we’d been in the gold country now it -might have been a prospector, but nobody goes through here, not even -hunters, for right where we are now is a bad place for game.” - -So, for the time being, the mystery of the midnight visitor was -unsolved and almost forgotten. It was destined to be recalled later in -a startling manner, but for the present even Ralph began to believe -that he might have been the victim of some sort of an hallucination, -caused, possibly, by the fact that he was only half awake when he had -beheld the figure on the rock. - -As Mountain Jim had said, the country through which they were now -traveling was indeed a bad section for hunters. Although the boys made -several detours after game, not so much as a rabbit did they see. -The day following the night on which Ralph had seen, or thought he -had seen, the figure of the watching man, they encountered, for the -first time, a tract of country common enough in the Canadian wilds -but particularly unpleasant to travel through, namely, a _brulee_ or -vast tract of woods through which a forest fire has swept, leaving -desolation in its path. - -Nothing more depressing can be imagined than these burned forests. -Naked, blackened trees, with rags of scorched bark peeling from their -bare trunks, tower out of a desert expanse of gray-black ash. Horses -or foot travelers passing through, churn up clouds of this ashen dust -which chokes the nostrils, burns the eyes and blackens everything with -which it comes in contact. - -Our travelers found themselves on the outskirts of such a place some -time before noon on the day mentioned. Mountain Jim had at first -thought of making a detour up a mountain side, but after a consultation -it was decided to press on through the desolate waste, where charred -trunks stuck up like the blackened stumps of teeth in an old man’s jaws. - -As they plunged into the _brulee_ they found their ponies sinking -over the fetlocks in the ashes. In places, huge piles of trunks, -burned through at the base, lay like barriers across their path, -and it was necessary to go around them to find a passable way. Long -before they were out of the wretched place the water in their canteens -was gone, and their throats were clogged and lips cracked from the -dry, acrid dust that rose in clouds. From time to time the boys were -compelled to rub their eyes to relieve the tingling smart in them, and -speedily their faces were blackened like those of coal heavers. A more -sorry-looking party it would be hard to imagine than that which, hour -after hour, painfully wended its way through the burned forest. Not a -sprig of green, not a rill of water refreshed their sight. No birds or -animals could be seen or heard. On every side was nothing but black -desolation. - -Ralph and young Ware rode ahead, side by side, while behind straggled -the rest of the party. Mountain Jim brought up the rear behind the pack -animals, which needed urging with whip and voice through the desolation -of the _brulee_. Now and then, far off, they could hear the crash of -some forest giant as its burned-through trunk gave way and it came -smashing to the ground with a roar like thunder, not infrequently -bringing two or three of its mates with it. - -Jim had warned the boys and the professor to be on the lookout for such -things, and as Ralph and Harry Ware rode along they kept a bright and -vigilant watch for any tree that looked as if its fall was imminent. - -“Gee whiz! I feel like an ant that has lost its way in the ashes of a -camper’s fire,” was the graphic way in which Hardware expressed his -feelings, as for the twentieth time that morning he tried to clear his -throat of ashes. - -They ate a hasty lunch, of which, the boys declared, ashes formed the -chief ingredient, for the dry, implacable gray dust appeared to sift -into every mouthful they tasted. A long stop was out of the question. -There was no knowing how far the _brulee_ extended and they must push -on and get to water, for already the ponies were beginning to show -signs of distress. The poor animals’ sweaty sides were caked with gray -dust till they all appeared of one uniform drab color. For the matter -of that, the travelers themselves were no better off. Like a dull -monochrome, they were cloaked in ashen gray from head to foot. - -Hardly speaking, for their spirits were at the lowest ebb in this -ghastly ruin of a majestic forest, they pushed on. The only life in the -_brulee_ appeared to be the black flies and mosquitoes which bit till -they drew blood, further annoying them. - -“I thought I’d rough it in the West,” muttered Ralph once as his pony -tumbled over a blackened trunk that lay across the trail, “but this -beats anything I’ve ever experienced,--pah!” and he spat out a mouthful -of ashy dust. - -The afternoon wore on, and still they stumbled along through the -_brulee_ without any signs of its coming to an end. As far as they -could see the forest of blackened trunks extended, the same carpet of -ashen dust was everywhere. The sun, growing lower, hung like a glowing -ball of copper in a red sky, seen through the dust that they kicked up -as they moved painfully along. - -The horses were driven half mad by the biting flies, and their fetlocks -were cruelly bruised and cut by the charred logs and rocks. It was -heartbreaking traveling, but of a kind that must befall sooner or later -everyone who ventures into the wilds of the Canadian Rockies. - -Tired, choked and irritable, Harry Ware was lagging behind Ralph, who -was now riding in advance alone. Behind him he could hear the voice -of Mountain Jim unceasingly urging on the pack animals. Mountain Jim -never swore, but his range of words which were forceful and expressive -without being profane, was amazing. Evidently, too, his adjurations had -their effect on the jaded ponies, for they stumbled bravely on leaping -logs and dodging stones with renewed agility every time the guide’s -voice boomed through that blackened, fire-swept wilderness. - -Ralph had fallen into a semi-doze. The deadly monotony of the -half-calcined columns on every hand, the close heat of the _brulee_ -made him drowsy. The voice of Mountain Jim fell more and more faintly -on his ears. Harry Ware, kicking his pony viciously, passed him. - -“I’m going to be the first out of this beastly place,” he remarked with -emphasis as he rode by. - -“Well, don’t kick any more dust in my face than you can help,” rejoined -Ralph, only a shade less irritably. - -“Oh, shut up!” snapped Harry, ordinarily the best and most -even-tempered of boys. - -Ralph flushed angrily for an instant and his hand clenched as a cloud -of choking dust was spurned in his face by the heels of Harry Ware’s -mount. But the next instant he gained control of himself. - -“Pshaw! I guess we’re all losing our tempers,” he murmured to himself, -“and it’s a fact that this place would make a saint cross--Hold up -there, pony! Not much longer now.” - -Content with his spurt ahead, Hardware slowed his pony down to a walk -a few paces in front of Ralph. He did not apologize for his unthinking -act of smothering Ralph with dust. Instead, he gazed sullenly straight -ahead of him. - -He was hot, thirsty, and bitten mercilessly by black flies. The lad was -in no mood to go around obstacles. Rather was he in that savage humor -that rushes recklessly on, although he had been warned of the dangers -of the _brulee_. In fact, the frequent crashing of half burned-through -trees, as a vagrant wind caught them and snapped them off, would have -been sufficient indication that a sharp lookout was necessary to anyone -in a less irritable mood. But Harry didn’t think of this. Instead, he -urged his tired pony viciously over blackened logs with quirt and heel. - -Suddenly Ralph, whose vigilance had not relaxed although he was -fearfully drowsy, thought he saw a great blackened trunk directly ahead -of them lean over a trifle. He was sure of it in another moment. - -“Pull out!” he yelled to Harry, who was driving his pony straight in a -path which would bring him under the swaying trunk. - -“Oh, mind your own business!” flung back Hardware crossly, and drove -his little mount right on. - -Ralph did not hesitate a minute. He wore spurs, the same blunt-rowelled -pair he had used on the border. He drove these into his pony’s side and -brought down his quirt with a crack that made the little animal snort -angrily and plunge forward. - -In front of him he saw the mighty column sway and oscillate as though -in a vain attempt to recover its equipoise. Directly under it was Harry -Ware, sullenly riding on with his eyes on the ground. Once more Ralph -yelled and his pony gave a wild leap forward. - -Suddenly the mighty trunk rushed earthward. Simultaneously Ralph’s -hand fell on Hardware’s bridle. He gave a tug that brought the latter’s -pony up on its haunches. It reared wildly, almost toppling backward. - -At the same instant a cold wind fanned both boys as the trunk swept -down. There was a deafening crash almost under the feet of the plunging -ponies, and both lads were shrouded in a cloud of black dust that rose -up like a dark veil. - -“Good heavens! They’re killed!” shouted the professor dashing forward. - -About the two boys the dust whirled and eddied. The ponies plunged -wildly, almost unseating them, but Ralph held on till he had dragged -Hardware’s mount out of the black dust cloud. - -As he did so, from ahead of them, came crash after crash with a -startling suddenness. The _brulee_ was filled with shocks of sound that -rang in thunderous reverberations along the steep rocks. The echoes -flung back and forth till the uproar was deafening. In the meantime -the party, including the two lads who had been saved from what appeared -certain death, stood fast. - -They hardly breathed till the crashes grew less and less frequent and a -brooding silence settled down over the _brulee_ once more. - -Then Hardware, shaking all over, gazed at the great trunk lying -recumbent not two yards from them. His eyes filled with tears. He held -out a blackened hand to Ralph, who smiled at him through his mask of -gray ash. - -“I--I--I don’t know how to thank you, Ralph, old man,” he choked out. -“If it hadn’t been for you, in my silly temper I’d have gone right on -without minding you, and--and----” - -He could not go further, but Ralph’s fingers closed on his -out-stretched hand. - -“That’s all right, old man,” was all he said; but between both boys -a thrill ran as their fingers clasped. Hardware had learned a lesson -there in the _brulee_ that all the schools in Christendom couldn’t -have taught him, and he knew it. - -“A mighty near thing,” said Mountain Jim, as the others rode up, “I -guess I’ll have a smoke.” - -His voice was steady enough, but his hands shook as he filled his old -brier. Death had swept by too closely for any of them to recover their -nerve for half an hour or more. By that time, as they rode on, the -charred trunks were fewer and fewer, and an hour before sundown they -came out of that “Valley of Desolation” into a wide canon, carpeted -with lush, green grass and watered by a crystal clear stream. On each -side towered rocky scraps of cliff clothed with dark pines and balsams. - -Boys and men broke into a cheer, and even the dispirited ponies fell -into a brisk gait without urging. The travelers forgot their trials as -they laved in the fresh, cold water of the mountain stream and watched -Jim getting supper, assisted by Jimmie, while the ponies ravenously -cropped the fresh, juicy grass. But it was days before the last trace -of ashes was removed from their belongings, and one at least of the -party was destined never to forget that _brulee_ in the Rockies as long -as he might live. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE PONIES VANISH. - - -Ralph’s first act on wakening the next morning was to pull open the -flap of the tent and gaze out. His next was to utter a shout of -surprise. Of the ponies which had been turned out to graze the evening -before, not a sign was to be seen. As usual, they had been driven out -with old Baldy, the leader of the pack horses, as the “bell” pony. Like -most ponies in the wilds, they had hitherto stuck closely to Baldy who, -for his part, was usually quite content to remain around camp so long -as the grazing was good. - -But although Ralph listened closely, he could not catch even the -familiar tinkle of the bell that would have told him that Baldy and the -rest were somewhere near at hand. - -“Well, this is a nice pickle,” he thought, as he set off to stir Jim -into wakefulness, “it means a day’s delay while we hunt for the ponies; -however, there appears to be plenty of rock in this vicinity for the -professor to explore and hammer away at, so I suppose he’ll be happy.” - -Jim greeted Ralph’s news without much surprise. It appeared that in -years of packing he had grown used to such eccentricities on the part -of ponies. - -“We’ll track ’em down after breakfast,” he said, rolling out of his -blanket and pulling on his boots. - -In the meantime Ralph had aroused the others, and they set off for a -cool plunge in the stream. The water was icy and made them gasp, but -they felt a hundred per cent. better after their bath. As Persimmons -put it, “They began to feel as if the world was made of something else -than ashes.” While the professor made less strenuous ablutions, the -boys rubbed each other into a warm glow and then indulged in a merry -game of tag on the springy turf, and yet they were ready to respond -eagerly to Jim’s breakfast call of:--“Come and get it!” accompanied by -a vigorous solo on the wash tin performed by Jimmie. - -It was wonderful what a difference there was in the New York waif -already. The crisp mountain air had reddened his pale cheeks and the -rough but plentiful “grub” had had its effect in nourishing his skinny -frame. The old wistful look still lurked in his eyes, and all the boys’ -attempts to drag from him the reason for his desire to penetrate the -Rockies were in vain. So, perforce, they had to allow it to remain a -mystery till such time as the lad himself chose to enlighten them. Bits -of his history he had already imparted to them. The lad had enlivened -many a camp fire with stories of his experiences in the saw-dust ring, -and in selling papers in New York. Besides this, he had worked at -peddling soap powder and household goods, and he had some amusing -narratives of his experiences among the farmers of the Catskills where -he had worked as an “agent.” And as he lived with the boys, he adopted -their language and ways as though he had been born to them. - -“There’s a treat for you fellows this morning,” said Jimmie with a -mysterious air, as the hungry boys squatted down and prepared to pass -up their tin plates for their shares of bacon, bannocks and beans. - -“What may that be, Jimmie?” inquired Ralph, while Mountain Jim grinned -expansively. - -Persimmons sniffed the air anticipatively. - -“Seems to me I do smell something good,” he remarked. - -“How would pancakes go?” inquired Jimmie. - -“Great! Jimmie, you ought to be in Delmonico’s,” cried Hardware -hungrily. - -“I’ve been on the outside lookin’ in, many a time,” said Jimmie with -a grin, as he turned to the “spider” and began dishing up the thin, -brown batter cakes. - -Mountain Jim was on hand with a tin of maple syrup fashioned like a -miniature log-cabin, the chimney forming the spout. - -“Eat hearty, boys,” he said, as he passed it along, “and try to forget -the black flies for a while.” - -Early as the hour was, those pests were already at work, in spite of -the “smudge” that Mountain Jim had built. - -“Wish I’d put some of that black-fly dope on my hands,” muttered -Hardware, “it’s great stuff.” - -“Even if it does smell like cold storage eggs with the lid off,” -laughed Ralph. - -As he spoke he poured a liberal amount of syrup on his cakes. With -hearty appetite he cut off a big slice of the top cake and eagerly took -it into his mouth. For an instant a puzzled expression played over his -features, and then he gave a yell. - -“Wow! Oh!” he ejaculated, and bolted from the “table.” - -“What’s up? What’s the trouble?” asked the others. - -“Been bit by a snake?” asked Mountain Jim apprehensively. “Better get -out your medicine chest, professor.” - -Ralph was frantically gulping down several dipperfuls of water from the -bucket Jimmie had brought from the creek. They watched him with some -alarm, holding bits of pancake suspended on their forks. - -“Oh-h-h-h!” sputtered Ralph, and then turned to Jimmie, who stood -looking on with undisguised amazement. - -“Say, you,” he gasped out, “did you put any of that fly dope on your -hands this morning?” - -“Y-y-y-yes,” stammered Jimmie, a guilty flush spreading over his face, -“I did and----” - -“And you forgot to wash it off before you mixed the batter for these -cakes,” sputtered Ralph. “Fellows, pancakes flavored with fly dope are -the worst ever.” - -“Shucks!” grunted Hardware, “and I was counting on pancakes!” - -“Dancing dish rags!” growled Persimmons. “What sort of a cook are you -anyhow, Jimmie? Flavored with fly dope,--wow! wow!” - -Jimmie looked ready to cry, and sniffed his fingers remorsefully. - -“Guess you’re right,” he admitted dolefully. “I’m sorry, fellows, but I -reckon as a cook I’m a failure.” - -“I hope it isn’t poison, that’s all,” groaned Hardware, with a glance -at Ralph. “Feel any symptoms, Ralph?” - -“None that can’t be stopped by plenty of coffee and a big plateful of -grub,” laughed Ralph good-naturedly. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -RALPH’S VOLCANO. - - -Mountain Jim’s examination of the trails left by the errant ponies -showed that they had scattered in three distinct directions. This -confirmed him, he said, in a belief he had previously formed that the -animals had been frightened during the night by a bear or mountain -lion, the latter called, in that part of the country, a cougar. - -No tracks of either wild beast was to be seen, but that by no means -proved that they had not been in the vicinity. Horses can scent either -a cougar or a bear at a considerable distance when the wind is toward -them, and there are few things that more terrify a pony than the near -presence of one of these denizens of the northern wilds. - -Jim assigned himself to one trail, Persimmons and Hardware to another -and Ralph to a third. The professor and Jimmie were to remain in camp -and wash dishes and set things to rights, and then Jimmie was to assist -the professor in gathering specimens of rock from the cliffs in the -vicinity. - -It was odd to see how, in an emergency, a man like Mountain Jim, who -probably had little more scholarship than would suffice to write his -own name, took absolute leadership over the party. The professor, whose -name was known to a score of scientific bodies all over the country -as a savant of unusual attainments, obeyed the son of the Rockies -implicitly. Such men as Jim are natural leaders, and in situations that -call for action automatically assume the supremacy over men of theory -and book learning. - -Jim explained his reason for assigning Ralph to follow a lone trail -while the other two lads had been ordered to accompany each other. -Ralph had plainly shown his skill as a ranger and had the experience of -his life on the Border behind him. The other two, while self-reliant -and plucky, had not had the same experience, and therefore the guide -deemed it best not to send either out alone. - -With hearty “So-longs” the three searching parties set out, striking -off in a different direction up the mountain side. It was rough -country, with beetling masses of gray rock cropping out now and then -amidst the somber green of the Douglas firs and great pines. Here and -there cliffs of great height and as smooth as the side of a wall, -towered sharply above the forest, and beyond lay a “hog-back” ridge of -considerable height. Beyond this, although they could not see them from -the valley, the boys knew that mountain range after mountain range was -piled up like the billows of an angry sea, with the higher peaks of -the Rockies raising their crests like snow-crowned monarchs beyond and -above all. - -Each boy carried a canteen of water, his rifle, and a supply of bread -and chocolates. Of course they also carried their small axes, slung -in canvas cases at their belts, and matches in waterproof boxes. These -same waterproof match safes were, in fact, among the few “Dingbats” -approved by Mountain Jim. - -“Dry matches have saved many a man’s life,” he was wont to say. - -It was lonesome in the deep woods into which Ralph plunged, after -bidding adieu to his comrades. The trail, too, was hard to follow, and -kept the lad on the alert, which was as well perhaps, for it kept him -from thinking of the solitude of the mountain side. No one who has not -penetrated the vast solitudes of the Canadian Rockies can picture just -what the boding silence, the utter solitude of the untrodden woods is -like. And yet the life in the wilds grows upon men till they love it, -as witness the solitary prospectors, packers and trappers to be met in -all the wilder parts of the American continent. - -As he trudged along toilsomely, Ralph kept a look out for game as -well as for the trail, for the camp larder needed replenishing with -fresh meat, and he was anxious to bring home his share. In this way he -covered some three or four miles, now losing the elusive trail, now -picking it up again. The mountain side was steep and rocky and strewn -with the fallen trunks of forest giants. But Ralph’s muscles were -tough, and clean living and athletics had given him sinew and staying -power, so that he was conscious of but little fatigue after a long -stretch of such traveling. - -Almost as skillfully as Coyote Pete might have done in those days in -the southwest, the boy read the trail. Here the ponies had galloped. -There they had paused and nibbled grass; in other places, broken boughs -or abrasions on a fallen tree trunk marked their path. There were two -of the ponies; but just which pair they were, Ralph had, of course, no -means of determining. - -One thing was plain, they must have been badly frightened; for as has -been said in the mountain solitudes, as a rule, ponies will stick close -to camp. They appear to dread being separated from human companionship, -and few packers or trailers ever find it necessary to tether their -animals. - -At last the ridge was topped and beyond him, by clambering on a rock, -Ralph looked into a deep valley with ridge on ridge of mountains rising -beyond it, and beyond them again some snow-capped peaks of considerable -height. He scanned the valley as closely as he could, but big timber -grew thickly on its sides and bottom and he was not able to see much. -There were some open spaces, it is true, but in none of these could he -see anything of the missing ponies. - -Ralph sat himself down on the flat-topped rock he had climbed, and -pulling a bit of chocolate out of his pocket, began to nibble it. He -was munching away on his lunch when he saw an odd-looking gray bird, -not unlike a partridge, sitting in a hemlock not far from him. The -bird did not appear to be scared and regarded the boy with its head -cocked inquisitively on one side. - -“Well, here goes Number One for the pot,” thought Ralph to himself. - -He raised his rifle, and taking careful aim fired at the gray bird. But -his hand was shaking somewhat from the exertions of his climb, during -which he had had to haul himself over many rough places by grabbing -branches, and his bullet flew wide. - -“Bother it all,” exclaimed the boy impatiently. “I am a muff for fair.” - -But to his astonishment, although the bullet had nicked off some leaves -and showered them over the bird’s head, it had not moved. It still -sat there giving from time to time an odd sort of croaking sound, not -unlike the clucking of a barnyard “biddy.” - -“I know what you are now,” chuckled Ralph to himself, for the fact -that the bird did not stir helped him to recognize its species from -a description given the night before by Mountain Jim, “you’re a -‘fool-hen,’ and you are certainly living up to your name.” - -He fired again, and this time the “fool-hen” paid the penalty of its -stupidity, for it fell out of the tree dead. Ralph ran forward, picked -it up and thrust it into the hunting pocket of his khaki coat. - -“It was a shame to shoot you,” he muttered to himself; “too easy. I -believe the stories that Jim told about knocking fool-hens out of trees -with stones, now that I’ve seen what dumb birds they are. But this -isn’t finding those ponies,” he went on to himself. “Guess I’ll strike -off down in the valley. There may be some sort of pasture there where -they’ll have stopped to feed.” - -Suddenly he stopped and sniffed the air suspiciously. An odd, rank odor -was borne to him on the light wind. - -“Sulphur spring!” he exclaimed half aloud. “Reckon I’ll take a look at -it. It can’t be far off; it’s strong enough to be right under my feet. -At any rate I shan’t need any other guide than my nose to find it.” - -Sniffing the tainted air like a hound on the trail, Ralph set out down -the mountain side. As he went the odor grew more pronounced. A few -minutes later he came upon a pile of rocks heaped in an untidy mass on -the mountain side. From the midst of them a stream of yellowish white -fluid was flowing. - -“Phew!” exclaimed the boy, “here’s my sulphur spring, sure enough. I -guess if it was near to civilization there’d be a big health resort -here. Smells bad enough to be good for anything that ails you; but--not -for me, thank you.--Hullo! What in the world was that?” - -Ralph paused and listened intently. Through the forest came a dull -booming sound, and the earth appeared to shake as if agitated by a -small earthquake. The boy looked about him apprehensively. - -“Well, what in the world!” he began. And then, “It can’t be anybody -blasting. Mountain Jim said there was no mining hereabouts. What can it -be?” - -For some odd reason the recollection of the man on the rock recurred to -him. His heart began to pound rather faster than was comfortable. - -“Pshaw!” he exclaimed, to quiet his nerves, “I’ve got nothing to fear. -I’ve got my rifle and--Great Scott! It’s raining!” - -That was the boy’s first thought as a gentle pattering resounded amidst -the trees about where he stood. - -He looked upward; but the sky was clear; the sun shining brightly. -Clearly the pattering was not caused by rain. - -“What in the world can it be?” he exclaimed, considerably startled. -“Sounds as if somebody was throwing stones or gravel at me.” - -The next minute a large globule of mud struck him in his upturned face. -Apparently it had fallen from the sky. It was followed by a perfect -storm of the mud dobs. They pattered about him in a shower, spattering -his clothes and hands. - -“It’s raining mud!” gasped the astonished boy, completely at a loss to -account for the phenomenon. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -JUST IN TIME. - - -Once more the odd booming sound was borne to Ralph’s ears. It came from -off to his left. The mud fell again in showers all about him. - -“It’s some sort of a boiling spring!” exclaimed Ralph suddenly. “I’ll -bet a doughnut that’s what it is. What a chump I was to think that the -man on the rock had anything to do with it. Yet it did give me a scare -for a minute, too.” - -He dashed off in the direction of the booming sound, eager to see what -he was certain now had caused the shower of mud. He soon came upon it. -In a little clear space amidst the pines he found himself in marshy -ground. Rank green grass and flowers of bright colors grew here, and -brilliantly colored dragon-flies shot hither and thither through the -moist, warm air. The atmosphere held a steamy, unwholesome sort of -dampness. - -Suddenly there came a rumbling sound which quickly changed to a roar -like that of a locomotive blowing off steam, and from the center of the -clearing there shot up a clear stream of steaming water. But in a flash -its purity was sullied and it turned a dark muddy color. The rumbling -increased in violence and a miniature geyser of mud and steaming hot -water was shot upward to a considerable height. - -Ralph made a swift dash for the shelter of a Douglas fir and looked -on curiously while the convulsion of nature lasted. Then he ventured -out to examine the geyser more closely. To his disappointment he found -that he could not approach the depression from which the mud and water -had been spouted upward. The ground was far too swampy to permit such -a proceeding and the boy was compelled to look on at the strange sight -from a distance. - -The convulsions occurred with almost clock-like regularity, at -intervals of about ten minutes. As he watched, Ralph thought of the -professor, and how delighted the man of science would have been to -behold such a sight. He made careful mental notes of the operations of -the mud geyser, however, so that he could be sure to give an accurate -account of it to the professor when he returned. - -Suddenly, behind him, he heard an odd, rustling sort of noise and -noticed a movement in the tall grass. He parted the vegetation to see -what could be causing the disturbance. The next instant he leaped -backward with a spring that would have done credit to a gymnast. - -He had almost stepped on a huge rattlesnake that was coiled in the -grass. All at once he became aware that in his backward spring he had -nearly landed on another of the reptiles, a snake fully five feet in -length. This caused the boy to beat a precipitate retreat, choosing -open ground for the purpose. It was not till then that he began to -notice that the entire vicinity of the hot springs was fairly alive -with the scaly reptiles. Undoubtedly they had been attracted there by -the warmth of the ground and had a den in the neighborhood. - -“Ugh!” exclaimed the boy with a shudder, “I never did like snakes. -I guess I’ll get out of this as quickly as possible. Some of those -fellows beat anything I saw in Arizona. I don’t fancy their company.” - -He retraced his steps to the point where he had left the trail of the -missing ponies and took it up once more. It led down into the valley -and Ralph, thinking of the scores of serpents that must haunt the -vicinity of the geyser, followed it with a thankful feeling that he had -seen the rattlers in time to avoid them. - -The traveling down the side of the ridge on which he was now was almost -as hard as his clamber up the opposite acclivity. To make matters -worse he encountered several muskegs smelling strongly of sulphur, and -undoubtedly fed by the sulphurous springs higher up the hill. But the -boy was grateful for one thing that the softer ground did for him. It -made the traveling harder, but, at the same time, it held the prints of -the runaways’ hoofs as clear as day; and as well as Ralph could judge -from the look of their prints they were fairly fresh, and told him that -he could not be far from the strays. - -This encouraged him greatly, and he made good time down the hillside, -strewn though the way was with obstacles. He was traveling forward -thus, when from a patch of flowering shrubs ahead there came a rustle -and a crackling. - -Ralph’s heart jumped into his mouth. Mountain Jim had declared that the -ponies had been scared by a cougar or a bear. Could the creature be -just beyond him in that clump of shrubs? - -He examined his rifle carefully. - -“I don’t want to be treed again,” he said to himself. - -So far as he could see, the rifle was in perfect working order. He -stood stock still and waited for a recurrence of the disturbance in the -bushes. - -But following the rustling that had first attracted his attention no -sound came. Ralph’s excited imagination showed him a tawny side a dozen -times or more, only to be followed by the discovery that it was some -dead or faded leaves and not the flank of a bear or cougar that he had -spied. - -“If something doesn’t happen pretty quick, I’m going to blow up!” -exclaimed the boy to himself as he waited, hardly daring to breathe. - -All at once there came from the patch of bushes a renewed rustling. -It was coming toward him. Ralph clutched his rifle tightly and bit -his under lip to keep his nerves under control. The sound was growing -nearer now. Was it a bear, or a stealthy, cat-like cougar that was -destined to emerge in an instant from its place of concealment? - -“It’s coming,” thought Ralph, with a bound of his heart, “I hope I can -shoot straight and finish it with one shot.” - -He threw up his gun in anticipation and the next instant burst into a -loud laugh. - -From the bush had emerged, not a bear nor a mountain lion, nor even a -deer. - -Facing Ralph, and quite as much astonished as he, to judge by its -attitude, was a large Canada hare. For an instant boy and hare stood -looking at each other, while Ralph shook with laughter over his -feelings of trepidation as to what the brush would bring forth. - -“Talk about the mountain and the mouse,” he chuckled to himself. “This -sure is a modern version of the old fable.” - -“Skip along, bunny,” he added the next instant, as the hare, with a -spring and a whisk of its stumpy tail, vanished down the mountain side -seeking cover, “I wouldn’t take as easy a shot as that, especially when -I was looking for big game.” - -But the next minute he was destined to get another surprise. Something -was coming toward him from another direction, from his right. He could -hear its footsteps as it advanced somewhat heavily, cracking branches -and twigs. - -Then among the tree trunks and underbrush he saw something move. A -brown object it appeared to be. - -“A deer!” flashed through Ralph’s mind. “I’m in luck to-day.” - -With eager eyes riveted on the spot where he had last seen the brown -object, Ralph raised his rifle. His hands trembled but he steadied -them with an effort, fighting off the attack of “buck fever,” as a -hunter’s excitement at the prospect of big game is termed. - -Suddenly the brown object appeared again, bobbing about behind a clump -of brambles. - -“It’s a deer’s head, sure!” breathed Ralph. - -He drew a careful bead on the object, devoutly hoping that his sights -were adjusted right for the range, which was about a hundred yards. - -“Now for it,” he said to himself, as he prepared to press the trigger. - -But the shot was never fired, for just as Ralph was about to send a -bullet crashing from his weapon there stepped into view from behind the -brush, _the figure of a man_! - -Ralph shook as if from a fever. Another instant and he might have been -a murderer! The man had revealed himself in the nick of time. But -hardly had Ralph discovered his mistake when the man saw him. Without a -word he dashed off like a wild animal, crouching and diving as he went, -and in a flash was out of sight. - -In the brief interval that Ralph had had to scrutinize the man he had -so nearly shot, he had not received more than a general impression as -to what he looked like. But this impression was startling enough. It -was of a creature bearded with a hairy growth that reached almost to -his waist, half naked and with long, unkempt hair and wild eyes. - -But even so, he had a queer intuition that this half wild creature and -the silent watcher on the rock were one and the same individual. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -BOYS AND A GRIZZLY. - - -Hardware and Persimmons found pretty much the same traveling as Ralph. -But not as experienced as he in following a trail, they did not advance -so fast. Luckily, as it so fell out for them, the pony that they were -trailing was one known as White-eye. He was a harum-scarum sort of a -brute, and for that reason Mountain Jim had fastened round his neck, -the night before, a lariat with a heavy stone attached to it. The stone -had left a plainly swept path through the woods, and except in one or -two baffling places the boys had followed it without much difficulty. - -Instead of keeping to the open mountain side, like Ralph’s quarry, -White-eye had made his way up a gully that cut deep into the hills, -leading in a diagonal slash to the north. The two lads followed the -bottom of the gully as far as it led and then, still following the -trail of the stone attached to White-eye’s neck, they made their way up -a rough, rock-strewn slope to the summit of the ridge. - -Unlike the country Ralph had struck, Hardware and his companion found -themselves, on the summit of the ridge, in a forest of white birch and -shady green timber, amidst which the sunlight filtered down cheerfully. -Passing through this they emerged on a rocky hillside thickly grown -with “scotch-caps,” or sackatoons, Rocky Mountain blueberries and snake -berries, while under foot was a carpet of red heather. - -The boys ate heartily of the blueberries and scotch caps, but one -taste of the snake berries was enough for them. They were bitter and -nauseating to a degree, although Mountain Jim had told them that bears -preferred them to any other berry. - -“No accounting for tastes,” commented Hardware in this connection, -“and speaking of bears, I wonder if there are any hereabouts?” - -“Bucking blueberries, I hope not,” exclaimed Persimmons, looking about -him in some trepidation. “I’d like to have Mountain Jim along if we are -going to run into anything like that.” - -“This looks like the sort of country he said bears frequented,” was -Hardware’s response. “I don’t see why we should be scared to meet one, -either.” - -“I suppose you’d go right up and say ‘Goodmorning, bear,’” snorted -Persimmons. - -“Well, we’ve got our rifles, and they are supposed to be powerful -enough to bring down any bear, and----” - -“Howling hammerheads, what’s the matter now?” - -The question was a natural one, for Hardware had stopped short and was -staring ahead of them down the steep hillside. - -“Why, something’s moving down there. It may be a bear. Get your rifle -ready.” - -Hardware’s face took on a determined expression and he looked to the -mechanism of his rifle and slipped a magazine into place. Persimmons -did the same, muttering to himself as he did so that it was no use -fighting a bear, and that they’d better give Bruin a wide berth. - -But the next instant their anxiety was relieved and gave place to high -good humor. The object Hardware had spied moving among the rocks and -brambles was not a grizzly, but the recreant White-eye, cropping the -grass as he moved about. - -Suddenly he looked up and saw the boys. With upraised head and pricked -ears he watched their advance. - -“Goodness! I hope he will let us get near him,” said Hardware. “I don’t -much fancy a chase through this sort of country.” - -“He looks as wild as a hawk,” was his companion’s response. - -Indeed White-eye did not appear as if he meant to be docilely captured. - -As the boys cautiously crept forward, trying to avoid any action that -might startle him, the pony rolled his eyes back in the manner that -had given him his name and extended his nostrils, sniffing the air -suspiciously. Both boys had brought along some grain in their pockets, -out of the supply carried for emergencies, and now Hardware dipped his -hand into his pocket and extended it, full of oats, for White-eye’s -inspection. - -But seemingly, the pony had no mind to be caught just then. He gave a -plunge and snort and dashed off. - -“Oh, gracious!” groaned Hardware. “There he goes, lickety-split; it -doesn’t look as if we’d ever catch him.” - -“Howling hen-roosts, no!” gasped Persimmons, who had just barked his -shin on a sharp rock. “And I tell you one thing, Hardware, I’m not -going to chase very far after him. Hullo, what’s he doing now?” - -White-eye had paused with startling suddenness in his mad career, and -the next minute the boys realized what had caused his abrupt stoppage. -His long tether, with the stone attached, had caught around the stump -of a sage bush as it bounded down the hill, and twisted round the stump -two or three times had captured the runaway as effectually as if he had -been tied by human hands. - -“Well, that’s what I call luck,” declared Hardware fervently. - -“It’s all of that and then some,” responded Persimmons puffingly. - -“Let’s hurry up, he may get loose again,” urged his companion, and the -two boys hastened forward regardless of brambles or rocks. - -In a jiffy they had the lariat untied and were holding tightly on to -it, prepared for another wild dash on the part of White-eye. But now -that they had hold of the rope, the pony appeared, with equine wisdom, -to perceive that further resistance was useless. He followed docilely -enough while they led him up the hillside. - -“I hope the others have had as good luck,” remarked Hardware as they -trudged along. - -“I hope so, too,” responded Persimmons, “I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy -any more of this kind of work than could be helped.” - -But just as they were congratulating themselves on the easy capture -of the stray a sudden demon appeared to enter White-eye’s being. He -started leaping and bucking and snorting as if possessed. - -“What on earth is the matter with him now?” gasped Hardware in -wonderment. - -“Bucking beefsteaks, he acts like he had a bad tummy ache,” exclaimed -Persimmons; “maybe he’s been eating some of those snake berries. -They’re enough to make anybody cut up if he takes too many of them, -and one’s a-plenty--wow! Look! Harry! Look there!” - -[Illustration: ... a great brown form arose on its hind legs and stood -looking at them.--_Page 131._] - -The cause of White-eye’s sudden alarm became startlingly apparent. From -a patch of blueberries just ahead of them, where he had evidently been -feeding, a great brown form arose on its hind legs and stood looking at -them. - -“A g-g-g-g-grizzly!” yelled Hardware, quite forgetting his rifle that -was slung over his back by a bandolier. - -“Run! Run for your life!” shouted Persimmons, equally forgetful of his -weapon, which, in order to lead White-eye, he had been compelled to -sling over his shoulders in a similar way. - -The bear dropped on all fours and began coming toward them without -undue haste, but with a sort of deadly deliberation. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -A CAVERN OF MYSTERY. - - -Snorting and plunging, White-eye wheeled and dashed off down the -hillside. When they had first re-captured him, the two boys had, for -greater ease in leading him, fastened the rope through their belts. -They were heartily sorry for this now. - -As the pony turned and plunged off, they only managed to keep their -feet by an effort, and the next instant they were perforce flying down -the steep mountain side attached to the leading rope of the frightened -pony. - -Fortunately, the going was too rough for White-eye to be able to make -his full speed, otherwise they might have been dragged off their feet -and seriously injured. As it was, their united weight and the rugged -hillside both combined to slacken the pony’s runaway gallop and -enabled them to keep upright. But even so, they were hauled through -brambles and brush, scratching their hands unmercifully and tearing -even the stout fabric of their hunting clothes. - -It was an extraordinary situation. First came the terrified pony, -making every effort to escape from the bear. Behind him, towed at -the end of the rope and helpless to relieve the stress of their -predicament, came the two boys. Behind them again lumbered the bear, -apparently not in any particular hurry, but still getting over the -ground uncomfortably fast for those he was pursuing. - -The two boys had no opportunity to exchange words as they were -remorselessly hastened along. Hardware made an effort to reach his -knife, but he was unable to do so and carry out his intention of -cutting the rope. Even if he could have done this, their situation -would not have been much improved. There would still have remained the -bear to be reckoned with, and both boys were so badly flustered that -it is doubtful if they could have used their rifles effectively. - -Suddenly Harry Ware, who had cast a glance behind him, gave a yell. -“He’s coming faster!” - -The bear had quit his leisurely rolling canter and was now advancing at -a pace that appeared incredibly swift for so cumbrous and awkward an -animal. He looked like a flying ball of fur as his short legs flashed -under his heavy body. - -It seemed inevitable that the chase was to come to a sudden -termination. Every instant the frightened boys expected to feel the -creature’s great claws pull them down. - -But suddenly, something as startling as it was entirely unexpected -occurred. - -White-eye vanished from view ahead of them. - -One instant they had seen him straining and tugging on the rope by -which they were being so unwillingly towed along. The next minute the -earth appeared to open and swallow him. - -Simultaneously both boys were jerked off their feet by a sharp tug -on the rope. They felt themselves being rushed forward over the rough -ground and yanked through a clump of scratching “scotch-cap” bushes. - -A moment later they both gave a shout of terror as they felt themselves -falling into a dark hole. Then came a plunge and a sudden bump as -they fetched up their career through space by abruptly alighting on -something soft and warm. - -For a time, so badly shaken were they by their fall and by terror, that -neither spoke. Then Persimmons’ voice came through the darkness. - -“Rocketing radishes! are you dead, Hardware?” - -“No, are you?” came the answer in a quavering voice. - -“Not even scratched. But where under the sun are we?” - -“At present we are lying on White-eye’s body. Poor brute, I guess he’s -dead.” - -“But he saved our lives. If he hadn’t fallen first to the bottom of -this hole, or whatever it is, we’d have been killed or had our bones -broken, sure.” - -“Not much doubt of that. But what are we going to do now?” - -“Get out of this place.” - -“But how? Can you suggest a way? Look up above.” - -Peering over the top of the hole, which was some twenty feet above -them, was a shaggy head. As he gazed over into the hole down which his -prey had so unexpectedly vanished, the bear gave a growl and shook his -great head, while his red jaws slavered and dripped. - -“Well, this hole in the ground, or cave, or whatever it is, saved us -from that bear at any rate,” declared Persimmons. - -“Yes; but it looks as if we had got out of the frying pan into the -fire,” retorted his companion disgustedly. “Why didn’t we think to use -our rifles? We’re a fine pair of hunters, we are.” - -“We couldn’t have used them, anyhow,” was Persimmons’ response. - -“Why not?” - -“Because, like Mazeppa, we were hitched to a fiery steed, only we -trailed along instead of being on his back. Poor beast, he must have -been killed instantly by his tumble.” - -“I guess so. His head is doubled under his body. His neck must have -been broken.” - -“Well, this is a fine end to our horse hunt. I guess we’ll have to wait -here till they come along and find us.” - -“Looks that way,” was the moody reply. “At any rate I’m going to have a -shot at the cause of all our trouble.” - -“All right, if you miss, give me a chance at him.” - -Harry Ware raised his rifle and fired directly at the bear’s head as -the great, shaggy creature peered down into the dark hole. His shot was -echoed almost simultaneously by a report from Persimmons’ rifle. There -was no need for a third. - -The great head sank lifelessly and hung limply over the edge of the -hole above them. - -“Good work!” cried young Simmons. “Now, if we can only get out of here -we can bring back a pelt that will astonish them.” - -“True enough; but the problem is how to get out.” - -“Let’s light up and see what sort of a place we have got into.” - -As he spoke Persimmons struck a match from his pocket case and a yellow -glow illumined their surroundings. They had fallen into a sort of -rift in the hillside with a narrow opening in it through which poor -White-eye had plunged, dragging them with him. But the light of the -match, even in the brief period it endured, showed them that it would -be impossible to clamber out by the way they had so unceremoniously -entered. The hole, or rift, was larger at the bottom than the top, and -they would have had to be able to walk upside down, like flies on a -sloping ceiling, to regain the mouth of the hole. - -It was plain that they must find some other means of egress. But how -this was to be accomplished was a puzzling question. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE HUT IN THE WOODS. - - -Following his first flush of surprise at the strange reappearance and -vanishment of the mysterious man, Ralph was conscious of a feeling -closely akin to hot indignation. - -“I’m going to catch him,” thought the lad fiercely. “What does he mean -by going on like this? What’s he following us for and spying on us? I’d -like to find out what sort of tricks he is up to, and I’m going to.” - -So saying he set off through the woods at a good pace, following as -nearly as he could the direction the man had taken. But it soon dawned -on him that he had undertaken an almost hopeless task. Judging from -the man’s appearance, he had been a denizen of the woods for a long -period, although just how he lived was not apparent. - -At any rate, before he had gone far Ralph was compelled to admit that -there did not appear to be much chance of his catching up with the -man. No sign of him was visible, and no crackling of brush or sound of -footsteps betrayed in what direction he had gone. - -“Guess I’ll have to give it up,” mused Ralph disgustedly. “At any rate -I’m sure of one thing now, I’ve got nothing to fear from this strange -customer, whatever may be his object in hanging about us like this. He -must have followed us and----” - -Ralph paused abruptly. He had last seen the man on the other side of -the _brulee_. It was hardly likely that he could have passed through -such a tract of country. Yet, on the other hand, the boy could not -doubt that the man he had seen on the rock overlooking their camp and -the wild figure of the valley were one and the same. There was a deep -mystery about it all. One too deep for the boy to fathom, for he broke -off his meditations with a sigh. - -“It’s no use keeping up the chase to-day,” he declared to himself with -emphasis, “but if that fellow keeps on dodging our tracks he’s going to -hear from me in no uncertain fashion.” - -He rose from the stump on which he had sat down to think things over -and resumed his search for the stray ponies. As he moved along he -munched his bread and chocolate, taking his lunch “on the hoof,” so to -speak. - -Before long he struck the trail of the missing ponies once more. This -time it soon led him into a swampy country and he followed it rapidly. -Along the floor of the valley he went till suddenly, on coming around -a pile of great rocks, hurled from the summit of the ridge in some -prehistoric convulsion, he saw something that gave him a big surprise. -In a little clearing stood a ruinous log cabin, and tethered outside -it was one of the missing ponies! - -Of the other there was no trace. All at once Ralph heard a scrambling -and clambering among the rocks above him on the steep hillside. He -glanced quickly and just in time to see the mysterious man remounted on -the other pony, rapidly urging it away from the hut. - -“Stop thief!” yelled Ralph, carried away by excitement. “Come back -here!” - -“Stop or I’ll shoot!” he shouted the next instant throbbing with -indignation. - -He had no intention of hitting the fugitive, but he did mean to -frighten him into stopping if he could. For an instant the form of the -stolen pony and its rider became visible among the trees through which -the afternoon sun was sending down oblique shafts of light. - -Ralph raised his rifle, sighted it to carry a bullet well above the -fugitive’s head and fired. - -“The next will come closer,” he warned; but the next minute all other -thoughts were rushed abruptly out of his mind when a bullet whizzed by -his head close enough to fan his ear. The ping-g-g-g-g-g-g of the ball -as it sped by, ruffling his hair, did not appeal to Ralph. Evidently -the fugitive was a dead shot and was not inclined to be pursued if he -could avoid it by putting his tracker out of the way. - -“Jove!” exclaimed Ralph as he slipped behind a tree trunk, “that bullet -was a message meant for me, all right. I don’t care to be at home to -such callers.” - -He listened an instant and then came the sound of the pony’s hoofs -making off at a good pace through the trackless forest. - -“He’s escaped me again,” exclaimed Ralph angrily. “Confound him, he’s -worse than a mystery now. I’ll bet that it was he who stampeded the -ponies last night and now he turns out to be a miserable horse thief. -Wonder if I can’t get a clew to him at that hut yonder? At any rate -there’s Baldy tied up and safe and sound as ever. I suppose I ought to -thank our mysterious friend for leaving him behind.” - -The boy slipped from behind his tree trunk and made his way toward the -hut. Baldy whinnied as the boy approached. It was plain that the pony -was glad to see him. - -“Good Baldy! Good old pony,” exclaimed Ralph, slapping the animal’s -thigh and then giving him some bread. “I wish you could talk, old -fellow, and then maybe you could throw some light on what in creation -all this means anyhow.” - -Ralph then looked all about him with much curiosity. The hut was -moss-grown and moldering into decay. Judged from its exterior it had -not been lived in for many years. At the rear of it a spring bubbled -into a rusty iron pot beside which lay a rust-eaten dipper. - -The door of the shack--windows it had none--hung on one crazy hinge -made of raw-hide. - -“Guess I’ll take a look inside,” said Ralph, feeling a very lively -curiosity, “but from general appearances I don’t think our mysterious -friend and horse thief actually lives here. Looks to me more as if he -used it as a temporary camping place. Yet he could hardly have found -his way here unless he previously knew of its existence.” - -Cautiously, and with his rifle ready for a surprise, for he did not -know what he might encounter next, Ralph entered the hut. It smelled -moldy and stuffy, and in the dim light he could not at first see very -much of its interior. - -Bit by bit the details began to grow out of the gloom. In the center of -the shack was a rough board table and on it stood some rusted plates -and cups. In a corner hung some old garments and a few moldering furs, -skins of raccoons and minks. A rusty stove stood in another corner, one -leg missing and sagging drunkenly. - -By the door Ralph now noticed a yellow bit of paper tacked up, with -some writing on it. He came closer to read it and made out in faded -characters: - -“Gone on April 16, 1888, Jess Boody, Trapper.” - -This inscription made one thing plain to Ralph. The hut had once been -occupied by one of those solitaries of the wilds whose trap lines are -sometimes forty or fifty miles long. This Jess Boody had been such -a man and had either “made his pile,” or getting disgusted with the -location as a source for peltries had, as he tersely put it, “gone on.” - -There were no traces of more recent occupancy of the hut, and Ralph was -compelled to come back to his first theory; the mysterious man had used -the place simply as a convenient shelter from time to time. Some ashes -in the stove, that looked fairly fresh, appeared to lend color to this -belief. Probably the horse thief had spent the night there. - -“Well, if this hasn’t the makings of a first-class mystery about it,” -gasped Ralph, pushing back his sombrero and running one hand through -his curly hair. - -As there seemed to be no use in making any further investigation of -the tumble-down shanty, Ralph untied the pony left behind by the horse -thief, and mounting it rode back toward camp in a thoughtful mood. He -was deeply puzzled, and small wonder, by the events of the day. - -He reached camp that evening shortly before dusk, and found that -Mountain Jim had returned with the ponies that he had been after and -which he had found in a glade across another ridge. The professor, -and Jimmie, too, had had a successful day, having gathered in almost -a sackful of what the professor called “specimens,” and Mountain Jim -“rocks.” But of Harry Ware and Percy Simmons there was no sign. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -“UNDERGROUND!” - - -Harry Ware struck another match. This time the two imprisoned lads did -not bother to look above them. They knew that escape in that direction -was an impossibility. Instead, they turned their attention to their -immediate surroundings. - -Suddenly Percy Simmons gave a cry of triumph. - -“Look! See there, Hardware, old boy, isn’t that a crack or fissure in -the rock?” - -“Sure enough,” responded his companion, who had just time to notice the -crack in the rock wall of their prison before the light of the match -died out. - -“Maybe we can get out that way,” sputtered Persimmons, all agog at the -thought that a means of escape had been opened to them. - -“Perhaps we can, but it looks pretty narrow,” responded Hardware -dubiously. “Anyhow, it’s worth trying. Strike another match and we’ll -have a good look at it.” - -A second inspection showed the boys that the fissure, though narrow, -was sufficiently wide for them to squeeze into in all probability. -Although in the event that it grew smaller further on, they would be -as badly off as before. Still, as Harry Ware had said, it was worth -trying, and the two boys clambered off the body of the unfortunate pony -and began forcing their way into the fissure. Harry Ware went first and -Percy Simmons, who was stouter, followed close behind. - -For a distance of some five feet they managed to forge ahead. But -suddenly Persimmons gave a grunt. - -“I’m stuck, Harry, I can’t get any further.” - -“Too bad; I guess we’ll have to turn back,” Hardware started to say, -when he gave a cry of delight. - -“It’s all right. It broadens out beyond here. Come on, Percy, you can -squeeze through alright.” - -“I’ll try,” declared the stouter of the two youths valiantly, and, with -a violent effort, he forced himself forward. It cost him almost all -the breath in his body, but he succeeded in passing the narrow place -and then found himself beside his companion in what appeared to be a -much larger space beyond. Another match was struck which revealed the -place into which they had forced their way as a circular cave with a -dome-like roof from which water dripped in a constant shower. - -It was cold and damp and the boys shuddered as the water, which was icy -cold, pattered about them as if a violent rainstorm was in progress. - -“Ugh! What sort of a place have we landed in now, I’d like to know,” -muttered Percy Simmons. “Shivering snakes, it’s like a Cave of the -Rains, or something of that kind.” - -“That’s so. We can’t stay here; it’s like being in a damp ice box. We -must find some way out.” - -“Where do you suppose we are, anyhow?” - -“Evidently in some subterranean cavern or passage that runs under the -hillside.” - -“The question is, where does it come out?” - -“That’s what we’ll have to see. There must be a way out.” - -“Oh, of course,” assented Persimmons with suspicious eagerness. - -Neither boy dared to admit, even to himself, that it was altogether a -possibility that there might not be any way out; in which case they -would be in as bad a fix as before. As for waiting at the bottom of the -hole down which White-eye had pulled them, it was beginning to grow -painfully apparent that they might stand a good chance of remaining -there till Doomsday without anyone discovering their whereabouts. - -Once more matches were struck and they gazed eagerly about them. They -fully realized now that it was becoming a matter of life and death to -them to find some means of escape from this underground prison into -which, through no fault of their own, they had blundered. - -But rigidly as they inspected their prison, it was some time before -they found that on one side of the cavern a low archway in the rock led -into what appeared to be another rift in the rocky formation underlying -the mountain side. - -“Shall we try it?” asked Hardware as his sixth match fluttered out. - -“Unanimous unicorns, yes!” was the energetic reply. “We can’t stay -here, and it’s no use going back.” - -“Good, the word is forward, then.” - -Hardware, as he spoke, bent low to get under the archway of living -rock, which, centuries before, had been tunneled out during some -disturbance of the earth, and once more the boys found themselves in a -narrow rift through which they could barely squeeze. - -“Gracious, if this gets any narrower we are stuck for fair,” gasped -Persimmons, as they shoved and panted through the darkness. - -“Don’t think of that; just say to yourself, ‘We’ve got to get out of -this,’” urged young Simmons’ companion. - -In this way they went forward for some distance further when the rift -began to widen once more. Suddenly they collided with a solid wall of -rock. It appeared that the rift had come to an end. - -“Shivering centipedes, we’re stuck!” groaned Persimmons abjectly. - -“Hold on a minute,” counseled his companion, “wait till I strike -another match. Thank goodness, we brought a good supply of them.” - -“Yes, it’s a lucky thing that Mountain Jim insisted on our filling the -match safes. We’d be in an awful fix without them.” - -To the huge delight of the boys, the light showed them that the rift -branched off in two directions at the point they had reached. They had -bumped into the rocky wall that formed the apex of the triangle at -which the two new passages met the old one. - -But now they faced a fresh problem. Which passage would they take? -They tossed a coin. Heads would be the right-hand one, tails the left. -The coin indicated the right-hand rift and into it, accordingly, they -struck off. The floor of the passage appeared to rise abruptly and they -soon found their further progress blocked by a rocky wall. - -“Perishing panhandles, what’ll we do now?” gasped young Simmons. - -“Try the other one,” was his companion’s brief response. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -A DESPERATE CHANCE. - - -The other passage proved to be much the same as the one they had tried. - -“I hope this doesn’t end in nothing,” muttered Hardware as they made -their way along it. - -They took a few steps more when Harry Ware gave a sudden yell of alarm -and surprise. - -“W-w-what’s up now?” gasped out Persimmons; but before Harry could -reply both boys found themselves tumbling downward. The bottom appeared -suddenly to have dropped out of the cavern passage. - -“We’re lost!” choked out Persimmons as he felt his feet go from under -him. - -Neither boy knew anything more till they found themselves lying on the -ground, Persimmons stretched across Hardware’s recumbent body. - -“Whew! The second tumble to-day,” gasped out young Simmons, “this place -is as full of holes as a porous plaster. Are you hurt, Harry?” For poor -Hardware had given a groan. - -“Yes, that is, I don’t know. Ouch! I’ve bust my ankle, I think.” The -boy gave a loud moan, which rang hollowly against the walls of the -dismal place. - -“Is it badly hurt?” gasped Persimmons in a dismayed tone. - -“Get up off me and I’ll try to stand up. Give me a hand to rise. That’s -it--wow, but it’s painful!” - -“Do you think you can use it, Harry?” - -“Y-y-y-yes,” came bravely from poor Hardware, who was suffering -excruciating pain, “but it feels as if a million little dwarfs were -poking needles in it.” - -“Lean on me a minute. If we could only find some water, I’d bandage -it. Say, we seem to be the two most unlucky kids on earth!” - -“That’s what. I wonder if we’ll ever get out of this?” - -Young Simmons made no reply. For the life of him he could not have -found words just at that moment. It was all he could do to choke back -his sobs. He was a plucky enough lad, yet he could hardly be blamed for -feeling a pang of black despair clutching at his heart as he revolved -in his mind their truly desperate situation. After a minute he regained -control of himself, however. - -“We’ll light up and have a look around,” he said, as cheerily as he -could. “I want to see what sort of place it is that we’ve dropped in on -so unceremoniously.” - -He struck a match; but it was instantly blown out. Both lads now -noticed for the first time that quite a stiff breeze was blowing -against their faces. The air felt fresh and chilly and evidently came -from some opening further along. - -“Well, this breeze is a good sign,” declared Hardware; “it means that -this place must open out somewhere along the route.” - -“Blithering blizzards, that’s so!” cried young Simmons with a gleam of -his customary cheerfulness. “Do you think you can walk, old man?” - -“Oh; I’ll hobble along somehow,” declared Harry Ware bravely. - -“Lean on me and that will make it easier. We’ll have to go slow, -though. I’ve a notion that one more drop would finish us.” - -“Like aviation liniment,” responded Harry. - -“How’s that?” - -“One drop is enough,” responded Harry with a chuckle, despite his pain. - -Both boys laughed, and somehow, as is often the case, it made them feel -better. As they advanced, cautiously, as you may imagine after their -experiences, the breeze grew stronger till it fanned their faces in a -regular gale. Their clothes had got wet in the Cave of the Rains and -they felt chilled to the bone. But before long a gray light sifted into -the rift which presently opened out above them, and looking up they -could catch a glimpse of the sky. - -“Hurray! We’ll soon be out of here now!” cried Harry squeezing his -comrade’s shoulder on which he was leaning heavily. - -“I hope so,” was the response, “but hark! what’s that?” - -A roaring sound, not unlike that caused by a train rushing through a -tunnel broke on their ears as he spoke. - -“Goodness! Sounds like a den of wild beasts!” - -But the next instant they found out what it was that caused the roaring -sound, and at the same time experienced a shock of disappointment as -their hope of speedy release was rudely dashed. - -The rift terminated abruptly in a sort of rocky basin with steep sides -topped with big trees and brush. The center of this basin was a sort of -whirlpool formed by a stream which rushed in at a fissure at one side -and out of a similar crack in the rocky walls at the other. A groan -fairly forced itself from the lips of both boys as they gazed at the -smooth, steep sides of the rock basin and realized the impossibility of -scaling them, even had Harry’s ankle not been injured. - -The stream entered the basin by a small waterfall which tumbled in -a foamy mass over great rocks grown with green moss, and it was the -roaring of this that had caused the odd noise they had heard in the -tunnel. - -“Stuck!” was Harry’s exclamation as they stood on the foot-wide strip -of beach on the marge of the pool. - -Percy Simmons could only echo his companion’s exclamation. Utterly -disheartened they sank down on the strip of beach, the spray from the -waterfall dashing unnoticed in their faces. For the first time since -the beginning of their misfortunes the two boys were on the verge of -giving way utterly. - -How long they sat thus they didn’t know; but it was Harry Ware who -broke the silence. Both boys were chilled to the bone, and their -clothes needed drying. Besides this, an idea had just struck Harry. He -thought that if any search was made for them a column of smoke might be -a good thing to attract attention to their whereabouts, and a good fire -would serve a double purpose. - -The beach was littered with all sorts of drift wood, from big logs to -small sticks that the stream had brought down probably during a spring -freshet and which had lodged there. - -When he had succeeded in rousing Percy from his lethargy of despair, -Harry limped briskly about, helping his companion build a roaring -fire. The heat was grateful to their chilled skins, and taking off -their outer garments they spread them out to dry. It was while they -were sitting thus, discussing their situation with more cheerfulness -than hitherto they had been able to muster, that Harry’s attention -was caught by a partridge sitting on a hemlock limb that overhung the -rocky basin on their side. Raising his rifle, which had survived all -accidents, he fired at it, and rather to his surprise the bird came -tumbling down, landing almost at their feet. - -“Come on, we’ll have some broiled partridge, bread and chocolate,” he -cried, addressing the woebegone Persimmons. “It’s no good starving, -even if we are in a tight fix.” - -He skinned and cleaned the bird and then broiled it on a flat rock -which he had previously heated in the fire. The two boys ate the bird -hungrily, although it was not at all overdone, being half raw, in fact. -But their appetites were too keen to be discriminating, and after -despatching it and eating some of their moist bread and chocolate they -felt much better. - -By this time it was midafternoon. Their clothes were dry and after -putting them on again, they seated themselves on the margin of the pool -and discussed their plight. - -“If only we had a boat!” mused Harry, after some discussion. - -“Jumping jellyfish, you’re right there, Harry,” exclaimed Persimmons; -“but just the same why don’t you wish for an airship while you are at -it?” - -“Because we can’t get an airship and we _can_ have a boat.” - -“What! Have you gone crazy?” - -“Never more serious in my life. I mean what I say.” - -“What, that we’ve got a boat?” - -“No; what I mean is, that we can make one.” - -“Go on,” said Persimmons, staring at his companion as if to make sure -that he was in possession of his right senses. - -“It’s no use looking at me like that, Perce. I’m quite in earnest. The -only question is, if we make the boat, have you nerve enough to ride on -it?” - -“I’d ride on anything to get out of this place. I wish that eagle up -yonder would come down and offer to carry me out. You’d see how quick -I’d take him up. But honest, Harry, do you mean what you say?” - -“Surely. See that old log over there? That one with the rope dangling -from it?” - -“Yes,” rejoined his companion anticipatively. - -“Well, I reckon it drifted from some old lumber camp or other and the -rope came with it. However, that’s not the point. The rope is on it and -we can ride on it out of this pool through that rift in the rocks.” - -“But the log will roll over with us.” - -“That’s just where the rope comes in. We’ll lash two of the logs -together and then take our chances. If we get spilled, why we can both -swim and I’m pretty sure that outside this pool we can find a bank to -land on.” - -“Inventive Indians! You’re a wonder, Harry. I’d never have thought -of that in a hundred years. Come on, let’s get busy. The sun must be -getting pretty low, and if we do get out we’ve got a long hike back -to camp. I think”--he broke off abruptly. “I forgot your ankle,” he -exclaimed, “you can’t walk far on that.” - -“No, but you can leave me some place and get help. That part will be -all right. The main thing is to reach some place from which you can -strike back to camp.” - -“That’s right. Well, let’s get busy and lash two of the logs together -and then try to chute the chutes.” - -A log of about the size of the stick of lumber to which the rope was -attached was secured and rolled alongside it on the shelving beach. By -using smaller logs as levers the boys raised the large ones and lashed -them together as firmly as they could, so as to form a sort of raft. -The rope, on testing proved to be lamentably old and rotten; but the -lads were not by this time in a mood to be critical. They were crazy to -escape from their rock-walled _cul-de-sac_, and would have been willing -to dare almost anything that held out even a remote hope of relief. - -At length all was ready, and using their levers they got their crude -raft into the water. Then they selected two poles which they thought -might come in handy to shove the craft off any obstructions that it -might strike. This done, they were ready to make their adventurous dash. - -“All ready?” asked Harry, wading out into the water. - -“Ready as I’ll ever be,” was the reply. - -“Get aboard then.” - -Without further words both boys scrambled upon the lashed logs and -shoved off with their poles. The next instant the raft was in deep -water. An eddy caught it, whirling it swiftly into the middle of the -pool. - -“Wow! But it’s swifter than I thought,” gasped Harry, as a wave swept -over the raft. - -His companion did not reply. At the instant he was poling hard to keep -the raft from being swept against a rock, for he knew that the force of -a collision would, in all likelihood, cause the logs to break apart. -For a second the raft swung round dizzily, waves and spray breaking -over it and drenching the boys afresh. The next minute it was caught in -the main current of the stream and, like a flash, it shot through the -rocky rift of the basin and was hurtled down a passage between steep -cliffs, through which the waters boiled like a mill race. - -There was no opportunity to speak. The raft was rushed onward with -almost the speed of an express train. Sick and dizzy from the violent -motion, drenched through, and thoroughly frightened, the two boys could -only crouch close and hang on for dear life. Once a sudden lurch -almost caused Harry to roll off, but young Simmons caught him in the -nick of time. - -All at once, above the roar of the waters that shot along through the -rocky chasm, there came a deeper diapason--a loud, thunderous sound -that proceeded from right ahead of them. Louder it grew and louder, -till its deafening uproar drowned out all other sounds. - -“What is it?” shouted Harry at the top of his lungs, but to his comrade -his voice sounded like a whisper. - -Then came a sudden shout from young Simmons who had raised his head and -glanced beyond the plunging, dizzily swaying raft. - -“Great goodness! We’re being swept toward a waterfall. Get out the -poles.” - -“Pole off! Pole off!” yelled Harry, forgetting his ankle and seizing up -his pole as he rose to his feet. - -At the same instant there was a cracking, rending sound, and the two -boys were swept asunder on separate logs. - -The raft had parted under the strain and they were carried helplessly -toward the waterfall of unknown height that boomed and thundered ahead -of them. - -[Illustration: Then came a plunge into a breathless abyss.--_Page -171._] - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -FACING GRIM DEATH. - - -Of what occurred then, neither boy had in the retrospect any clear -idea. Over and over they were rolled in a vortex of white water, each -clinging for dear life to his log. Then came a plunge into a breathless -abyss and, after what appeared to be an eternity of submergence, they -rose to the surface, half-choked and blinded by their immersion. There -followed a fierce fight with the boiling, foaming water at the base of -the fall, and then both boys found themselves almost side by side in -the quieter outer eddies of the maelstrom. - -“Are--you--hurt?” gasped out Harry. - -“N-n-n-n-no. Are--you?” - -“Not a bit. But--what--sort--of--a--place is--this--anyhow?” - -“Don’t know. It’s--awful--wet--though.” - -In spite of his peril, Harry could not help smiling at Persimmons’ -whimsical rejoinder. - -Dashing the water from his eyes he resumed swimming, pushing the log -before him, for in some mysterious way throughout the awful buffeting -they had received in their tumble through the water, both boys had -retained their hold on their logs. - -It was a rather difficult task to reach the shore, for their wet -clothing hampered them sadly and they were greatly fatigued. At last -their feet encountered solid ground. Like two drowned creatures they -dragged themselves up the bank of the pool beneath the fall and spread -themselves panting, on the grass, incapable for the moment of either -thought or speech. - -“Woof!” panted Percy Simmons at length, gazing back and upward at the -fall, “do you mean to say that we came down that and are still alive?” - -“So it seems. It’s a good thing we didn’t know of the existence of that -waterfall before we built the raft.” - -“How’s that?” - -“Because in that case we would never have had the nerve to use it.” - -“Cantering cascades, I guess you are right! That was the wildest ride I -ever took in my life.” - -“And the wildest you are ever likely to, I reckon.” - -“Let’s hope so, anyhow. Hammering hummingbirds, what a drop!” - -Both boys gazed at the fall, which thundered and boomed its white -waters from a height that appeared to be fully fifty feet above where -they lay, although in all probability the drop was not half that -altitude. - -“Say, Persimmons,” murmured Harry presently. - -“Well?” - -“Has it struck you that we are mighty lucky to be lying here safe and -sound after all we’ve been through?” - -“You just bet it has,” was the hearty response. “Walloping waterfalls, -if it wasn’t that I’m so hungry I’d think I was dead.” - -“We’d better be seeing about getting back to camp,” said Harry -presently. “It’s getting late and they’ll be worried to death over us.” - -“Not half so worried as we were over ourselves about twenty minutes -ago,” breathed Persimmons fervently. - -“I don’t know about that. But look, the sun is getting low. We’d better -start.” - -“Right you are; but how about your ankle?” - -“It doesn’t hurt half so much now. I guess I can make it all right.” - -“All right. But if it hurts you badly, I guess I can carry you a way. -Or maybe we can find a hut of some trapper or something where you can -stay till I bring help.” - -“Got your compass?” was Harry’s next question. - -“Yes; but the sun would give us our direction in any event. The camp -must lie over that ridge to the east.” - -“Then we came under part of the hill and were brought by that river -down into the valley here.” - -“That’s what. It seems funny to think of all we’ve been through since -we left camp this morning, doesn’t it? I wish we could have brought -back poor old White-eye, though.” - -“So do I. We’ll have to get another pony some place, I guess.” - -Talking thus, the two boys began to climb the hill under whose rugged -surface they had traveled by that strange subterranean route, bored or -shaken out there when the world was in its infancy. It was a strange -thought that theirs were the first human feet that, almost beyond a -doubt, had ever trod those gloomy rifts beneath the earth’s surface. -But being boys, they did not waste much time on speculations of this -kind. Instead, they munched what remained of their chocolate, a sad, -pulpy mess, and cheered themselves as they trudged along by thoughts of -a camp fire and a hot supper. - -They did not make very rapid progress. Although Harry’s ankle was much -improved, yet it gave him pain as he walked, and from time to time -they were compelled to sit down and rest on a rock or a log. Both boys -still carried their rifles by the bandoliers, and an examination had -shown that the water had not injured the almost waterproof locks. But -the weapons, although lightweight, felt as heavy as lead on their tired -backs as they toiled up the rugged steeps. - -“Well,” remarked Harry as they paused, not far from the top of the -ridge which they had crossed that morning, “camping in the Canadian -Rockies isn’t all fun, is it?” - -“Galloping grasshoppers, no!” was the fervent rejoinder. “If this is -what the professor calls getting experience, I’d rather accumulate -mine in less strenuous fashion.” - -“I imagine, though, that after a good night’s rest and some supper -we’ll feel different about it.” - -“Maybe. But to-day we’ve done nothing but tumble in.” - -“Yes, and we were lucky to get out again every time as easily as we -did.” - -“True for you. I guess there’s not so much to grumble about after all.” - -“Anyhow, we got a fine bearskin. It will help to remind us of this day -every time we look at it.” - -“Thanks. I don’t need any reminder. I can recollect it all perfectly -well without a souvenir.” - -They paused once more to rest Harry’s ankle, when suddenly young -Simmons gave a glad exclamation. - -“Look, Harry! Over yonder among those trees! There’s a man on horseback -coming toward us. Maybe we can get you a lift into camp!” - -“Perhaps it is some one from the camp. No; it isn’t, though. Who can it -be?” - -Just then the solitary horseman emerged from the shadow of the white -birches that stood ghost-like against their dark back-ground of pine. -The red glow of the setting sun streamed full upon him, bathing both -rider and horse in a flood of crimson light. - -“Why,--that’s--that’s one of our horses!” exclaimed Harry suddenly. - -“So it is. Maybe that fellow’s been sent out to search for us. Wow, but -he’s a wild-looking customer, though!” - -His shaggy hair, huge, unkempt beard and ragged clothes did, indeed, -give the horseman a mysterious, almost uncanny look as, with head bent -down, he came riding out of the wood into the sunset light. Suddenly he -raised his head and saw the two boys for the first time. - -“Hey, mister!” cried young Simmons. - -The next instant, with a wild cry like that of some animal, the uncouth -figure wheeled his pony and dashed off into the wood from whence he had -come. - -“Well, what do you know about that?” gasped Persimmons, gazing after -him. - -“I don’t know what to make of it. He looked like a wild man; but that -was one of our ponies, I’ll take my oath on that.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -A STORM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. - - -Long after dark that same evening the two lads came limping into camp -to the no small relief of the anxious watchers, who had built a roaring -fire to guide them back. After a fine supper they told the story of -their day’s adventures which, as may be imagined, caused no small -astonishment among their hearers. The fact that they had recognized -the pony on which the wild-looking man rode, together with their -description of the man himself, served quite sufficiently to identify -him as the same fellow who had been seen by Ralph on the two former -occasions. But so far as solving his identity was concerned, they were -as far off as ever. - -After a late sleep the next day, a visit was paid to the hole down -which poor White-eye had terminated his career, thereby causing Harry -Ware and young Simmons so much trouble. The carcass of the bear lay -there, and although tracks showed that animals--foxes and wolves in -all probability--had been sniffing around it, the body had not been -molested. When Mountain Jim had skinned it, they had a fine “silver -tipped” grizzly’s skin to take back with them. - -Harry had remained in camp during this expedition so as to rest his -sprained ankle as much as possible. Mountain Jim had collected various -herbs and pounded them into a paste which, when laid on the injured -member, did it more good than all the liniments in the professor’s -medicine chest. But it was still painful, for the exertions he had made -in getting back to camp on the previous evening had not improved it. - -After a consultation it was decided that the party could not well -continue to the bow of the Columbia River without getting two more -ponies to replace the dead and stolen animals. Mountain Jim said -that he knew of a ranch not more than fifteen miles off across the -mountains, at which he could purchase the needed animals cheaply. It -was decided, therefore, that he and Ralph should leave early the next -day for the ranch and bring back two ponies with them. The others would -have liked to go along; but in view of the apparent hostility of the -mysterious man it was decided best to leave a strong guard in camp. - -Bright and early the next morning the camp was astir. But Mountain Jim -was hardly out of his blankets before he gave an angry exclamation and -pointed to where the stores had been piled under a canvas. - -The cover had been raised during the night, and by the disorder that -prevailed among the supplies it was plain that several articles had -been taken. But who or what could have done the rifling? - -Bears were the culprits, according to Mountain Jim’s first -declaration, but he revised his opinion when Ralph’s quick eyes -detected the print of a foot in the soft ground near by. A slight, -misty rain had fallen in the night and the ground showed plainly the -impression of a human foot, or rather of what was, apparently, a very -old and broken pair of boots. - -“Humph!” grunted Mountain Jim, “I guess it’s your friend that’s been -and done this, Master Ralph. Yes, by hooky! there’s the hoof print of -the pony he stole. I’d know it among a dozen. See here, that off fore -shoe is broken.” - -“Well, of all the nerve!” gasped Ralph. “To visit our camp on a -thieving expedition mounted on a stolen pony from our pack train; can -you beat it?” - -“You can’t,” chorused the boys. - -“Can’t even tie it,” commented Percy Simmons, standing with his hands -in his pockets and legs far apart, surveying the scene of vandalism. - -An investigation showed that some flour, beans, and a big hunk of -bacon had been taken, besides canned goods. - -“Say, I’d like to get my hands on that fellow for just about five -minutes,” declared Mountain Jim angrily. “The skunk’s broken every law -of the woods. If he had been hungry and asked for grub he’d have been -welcome, but not to sneak it off this way. I’d just like to get hold of -him.” - -“Couldn’t we notify the Northwest Mounted Police?” asked the professor -mildly. - -“There ain’t no station closer than MacLean’s,” was the reply, “an’ -that’s a good sixty miles off the other way. Besides that, we don’t go -much on police in matters of this kind.” - -Mountain Jim’s face took on a grim look. It was just as well for that -mysterious individual that he was not within reach of those clenched -and knotted fists right then. However, even with the draught that had -been made on their stock of provisions, they still had a large enough -supply to last them to the Big Bend, where Mountain Jim assured them -they could get anything they wanted “from a pin to a threshing machine” -at a store kept by a French-Canadian. - -However, as they all felt a desire to push onward, they did not waste -much time discussing the visit of the thief in the night. Instead, -Mountain Jim and Ralph busied themselves with preparations for their -start, and soon after breakfast they jogged off to an accompaniment of -a chorus of good-wishes and farewells. Their road lay down the little -valley in which they had camped, and before long an elbow of craggy -cliff shut out the little canvas settlement from view. - -The road was level for a short distance and they made good time, the -ponies loping along as if they enjoyed it. Soon Mountain Jim consulted -his compass and declared that the time had come for climbing a ridge -and making “across country” for the ranch where he hoped to get the -ponies. - -Accordingly, they spurred up a steep mountain side covered with dark -and somber pines and tamarack, among which the wind sighed dismally. -The going was much the same as Ralph was already getting accustomed to -in that rugged, little-traveled country. Rocks, fallen trees and deep -crevasses crossed their paths in every direction, causing frequent -detours. - -Hour after hour they traveled through this sort of country, making but -slow progress. At noon they stopped for a bite of lunch, and tethering -the ponies in some scant grass which grew in a rocky clearing, they -seated themselves on a log for their meal. Their canteens of water came -in refreshingly, for they had not passed any streams or springs. - -So engrossed had they been in making their way over the difficult -country that they had been traversing, that up to this time they -had not paid any attention to the weather. They now saw that great -black clouds were rolling up beyond the snow-covered summits to the -northwest of them. - -As they ate, the clouds spread out as if a sable blanket had been drawn -across the sky by unseen hands. Before long the sun was blotted out and -the forest grew unspeakably gloomy. - -“Reckon we’re in for a change in the weather,” said Mountain Jim dryly, -looking up. - -“It seems that way,” was Ralph’s reply; “it’s getting as dark as -twilight. Hadn’t we better be getting along?” - -Mountain Jim nodded. - -“I’d like to get across the bed of the valley yonder before that hits -in,” he said. “It looks like it’s going to be a hummer, and in that -case the water will rise in the creek bed below, uncommon sudden.” - -They finished their meal hastily and remounted. Before them lay the -steep mountain side, at the bottom of which was the creek of which -Mountain Jim had spoken. At that time of year it was probably dry, -but if the storm proved to be a bad one it might fill with great -suddenness, and for a short time be transformed into a roaring torrent, -next to impossible to cross. - -As they rode down the shaly mountain side, their ponies slipping and -sliding and scrambling desperately to keep a footing, there came a low, -distant rumble of thunder. The sky to the northwest turned from black -to a sort of purplish green. Through this ugly cloud blanket a shaft -of lightning zipped with a livid glare. The thunder rolled and rumbled -among the mountains, reminding Ralph of Rip Van Winkle’s experiences in -the far-off Catskills. - -“She’ll hit in most almighty quick,” opined Mountain Jim; “wish we’d -brought slickers with us.” - -“I don’t mind a wetting,” rejoined Ralph stoutly. - -“It’s worse than a wetting you’ll get, if it’s bad; half a drowning is -more like it,” grunted Mountain Jim. “Geddap, Baldy, shake a foot.” - -But hasten as they would, before they had gone more than a few hundred -yards further the rain began to fall in huge globules; drops they could -not be called, they were too large. The thunder roared closer and a -sudden chill struck into the air. The dark woods were lit up in uncanny -fashion by the blinding blue glare of the lightning. - -Suddenly, there was a flash of brilliant intensity and simultaneously -a ripping crash of thunder, followed by a sound like some mighty mass -crashing earthward. - -“Tree hit yonder,” said Mountain Jim laconically, “reckon we’d better -be looking for shelter. We came close enough to getting hit in that -_brulee_.” - -Ralph agreed with him. But where were they to go to get from under -the lofty trees that invited the lightning to pass through their -columnular trunks earthward? Suddenly Mountain Jim gave a shout: - -“There we are yonder. _The Hotel de Bothwell_,” he cried with a grin. - -Ralph looked and saw a small opening under some rocks not far distant. -It was only a small cave seemingly, but at least, in case anything in -their vicinity was struck, it would keep them out of harm’s way. - -Amidst incessant flashes of lightning and peals of thunder they made -for the place. - -“Have to hitch the ponies outside,” said Mountain Jim. “Too bad there -ain’t room to take ’em in, too; but it can’t be helped.” - -However, the space in front of the cave mouth was fairly open and free -from trees, so that it was not as bad as if they had had to tie their -mounts in the dense forest. In the downpour the mountaineer and the -boy made the terrified ponies fast, and then made a dash for the dark -mouth of the cave. It appeared to be little more than a recess formed -by the piling of a mass of huge rocks one on top of another, reminding -one of a giant’s game of blocks. Had the professor been there, he would -have ascribed the presence of the Titanic rock pile to glacial action; -but to Mountain Jim and Ralph, the place stood for nothing more than a -welcome means of shelter. - -They were just about to enter it when a low moaning groan came from -the back of the place and a huge, tawny body flashed past them, almost -knocking Ralph over. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -PRISONERS! - - -“W-w-w-what under the canopy was that?” stammered Ralph as soon as he -had recovered himself somewhat from his surprise. - -“Mountain lion, cougar, some calls ’em. Lucky she didn’t claw you, -boy,” responded Mountain Jim. “If she hadn’t dived off so quick I’d -have shot her. But hullo, what’s that?” - -From the back of the cave came a plaintive sound of mewing, as if there -were a litter of kittens concealed there. - -“Young ones, by the Blue Bells of Scotland!” exclaimed Mountain Jim. -“Say, we’re mighty lucky that the old lioness didn’t attack us.” - -“Why didn’t she?” asked Ralph. - -“Dunno. There’s no accountin’ for the freaks of wild things. At one -time they’d attack a battleship, at another time they’ll run like -cotton-tails. But I reckon this old lioness is off looking for her -mate.” - -“And they will come back and attack us?” - -“That ain’t worryin’ me. We’ve got good rifles, and cougars are mostly -dumb cowards anyhow.” - -“I hope these are,” said Ralph fervently, “although I’d like a shot at -one, all right.” - -They went to the back of the cave to look at the kittens. There were -four of them, pretty little fluffy, fawn-colored creatures, whose eyes -had apparently only just opened. They blinked as the lightning flashed -and the thunder roared outside the cave. - -But the two did not bend over the litter of lion cubs for long. The -stench of decaying meat around the den was terrible. The carcasses of -at least a dozen deer lay there, besides the bones of smaller creatures. - -“The old man goes hunting and brings all that truck back,” said -Mountain Jim as they sought the front of the cave where the air was -fresher. - -“I’d like to get one of those cubs and tame it,” said Ralph. - -“What for? He’d get so savage when you raised him that you couldn’t do -much with him ’cept shoot him. Puts me in mind of a fellow that used to -live back of Bear Mountain long time ago, and trained a grizzly so that -he could ride him. Like to hear the yarn?” - -There was a twinkle in Mountain Jim’s eye as he spoke that warned Ralph -to prepare for a wonderful tale of some sort; but anything would serve -to pass the time, so as Jim drew out his old brier and lighted up, the -boy nodded. - -“Well, this here fellow, Abe Brown his name was, Abe J. Brown, -caught this grizzly young and trained him so as he was most as good -as a saddle horse. Abe and his bear was known all over the country -thereabouts, and was accounted no common wonder.” - -“I should think not. Do you mean to say that this fellow actually rode -his bear just like a horse?” - -“The very same identical way--Wow, what a flash!--Well, as I was sayin, -Abe, he’d ride this bear all about, huntin’, fishin’, and all. Well, -sir, one day Abe goes up on the mountain after a deer. The mountain was -a famous place for grizzlies in them days, and what does Abe do but -ride plumbbango right into the middle of a convention of sixteen of -them that was discussing bear business. - -“Well, Abe and his bear got mixed up right away, and Abe’s bear got -killed in the scrap, being sort of soft from having been raised a pet.” - -“But what happened to Abe?” asked Ralph. - -“He wasn’t no ways what you might call communicative about what -happened in that canyon on the mountain, Abe wasn’t,” went on Mountain -Jim, fixing Ralph with his eye as if to challenge any doubt in his -story, “but the next day Abe come into Baxter’s cross-roads riding one -of them wild bears, and with sixteen skins, includin’ that of his tame -beast, tied on behind. He was some hunter, Abe was.” - -“And some story teller, too,” laughed Ralph. “Do you believe that, Jim?” - -“I ain’t sayin’ no and I ain’t sayin’ yes. I’m jes’ relatin’ the facts -as they was told to me,” said Jim, with a twinkle in his eye. - -Ralph had half a mind to tell Mountain Jim some of the staggering yarns -he had heard along the southwestern border during his experiences -in that country of tall men and tall stories; but at that instant -something happened that quite put everything else out of his head. - -Just above the entrance to the cave there was a huge rock which -appeared, either from constant frost and thaw or from some other cause, -to have slipped from its position among the other giant boulders, for -it was now perilously poised just above the small entrance to the -cavern. The boy had noticed this rock when they slipped into the cave, -but with the excitement of the cougar and the roar and crash of the -storm, which was now at its height, he had quite forgotten it. - -He now noticed that all around this rock the water from the hillside -above was pouring in a perfect torrent. The rain was coming down so -hard that it fairly hissed on the ground as it fell. Under these -conditions the whole steep hillside was a roaring sheet of water, but -just above the pile of rocks under which they crouched was a small -gully which, of course, attracted more water than any part of the -hillside in the vicinity. - -“That water’s coming down in a pretty considerable waterspout,” -remarked Mountain Jim, as he followed the direction of Ralph’s eyes and -noticed the cascade of rain water that was pouring like a veil in front -of the cave mouth. - -“Yes, Jim, and I’ve noticed something else, too. See that rock up -there?” - -“Yes, what of it? The water’s coming against it and it is dividing the -cataract so that it doesn’t splash back in here.” - -“Not only that; but it’s doing something else; something that may make -trouble for us.” - -“How do you mean?” - -“Why, I’m certain that I saw the rock move.” - -“Great Blue Bells of Scotland, you’re dreamin’, boy. That rock is as -solid as the etarnal hills.” - -“I’m not so sure. I’m sure I saw it quiver a minute back, when that -roll of thunder shook the ground.” - -“Guess you’re mistaken, boy. Jumpin’ Jehosophat! Come back here! Quick!” - -Ralph had stepped forward to gaze up at the big poised rock. As he -did so, there had come a brilliant flash and an earth-shaking peal of -thunder. - -The ground quivered and shook, and as it did so the great stone gave -a lurch forward. The next instant it crashed downward right upon the -spot where Ralph had been standing. But the boy had been snatched back -by Jim’s muscular arm. - -“Safe! Thank the Lord!” gasped out Mountain Jim fervently. - -“But look at the rock, Jim! It has blocked the entrance to this place! -We’re prisoners!” - -It was only too true. The big stone was lodged in front of the small -cave mouth, shutting out the light and almost excluding the air except -for a small space at the top. To all intents and purposes they were as -much captives as if a jailer had clanged a steel gate upon them and -locked it securely. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -INDIANS. - - -“Well, this is a fine fix!” - -“About as bad as it could be.” - -“What are we going to do?” - -“I don’t know yet. But we’ll find a way out somehow.” - -Mountain Jim spoke with his accustomed confidence; but it was easy to -tell by his puckered brow and anxious eyes that he was by no means -quite so certain of finding a way out of their unexpected trouble as he -would have it appear. - -An examination of the rock showed that it was a huge and heavy boulder -that by ill luck happened almost exactly to fit the opening of the -cave. Only the crack at the top, which was narrow and irregular -admitted light and air. - -“Well, we’re in a snug enough place now,” declared Mountain Jim, with -a rueful grin, as he completed his examination, “the only objection -is that we’re too blamed snug. I could do with a thinner door, for my -part.” - -Ralph agreed with him. The boy’s spirits were considerably dashed by -this misfortune which, indeed, appeared to portend serious, even fatal -results if some way could not be found out of their quandary. - -They tried shoving the great rock, but their efforts were of no more -avail than if they had been a couple of puny babes. - -“That settles that,” grunted Mountain Jim, wiping the sweat off his -face as they concluded their efforts. “‘No admittance,’ that’s the sign -we ought to have hung outside.” - -“‘No exit,’ would be more like it,” retorted Ralph, “I don’t see why -anyone would want to get in here.” - -He spoke sharply and Mountain Jim looked at him with a quizzical look. - -“Now don’t blow up, youngster,” he said, “things might be a lot worse. -For instance, you might be under that rock at this blessed minute.” - -“By Jove! That’s so, and I owe it to you that I’m not,” spoke Ralph -quickly, flushing shame-facedly over his exhibition of temper. - -“That part of it is all right,” responded Mountain Jim easily, “but the -point is that I’ve been in a heap tighter places than this and got out -with a whole skin. Let’s form ourselves into a Committee of Ways and -Means--of getting out of here.” - -“All right. You start off. Any suggestions?” - -“Yep. I’ve got one right hot off the griddle.” - -“What’s that?” - -“Well, the storm seems to have died down a bit now, and you can go -outside and take a look and then report back on what you find.” - -“But how in the world am I going to get out?” - -“See that crack at the top there?” - -“Yes; but----” - -“Hold on. You never know what a narrow place you can squeeze through -till you try. It’s my opinion that you can slip through that crack as -easy as a bit of thread through the eye of a darning needle.” - -Ralph eyed the crack between the top of the stone and the roof of the -cave dubiously. - -“I’ll try it,” he said, “but first I’ll take off my coat. That’ll make -me thinner.” - -He shed his stout hunting jacket and took the axe out of his belt. -Then, aided by Mountain Jim, he clambered up and looked outside. The -storm was rolling away to the southeast, and before long, as he could -see, the sun would be shining once more. If only they could get out -they could resume their journey without delay. - -As Jim had foretold, it was not a hard matter for the lithe, slim boy -to wriggle through the crack, narrow as it had appeared to be from -below. Ralph stuck his head through and then drew the rest of his body -up. In a minute he was on the outside of the cave and free. - -“Oh, Jim,” he called back, “can’t you make it, too?” - -“Not me. My two hundred pounds would never get through that mouse -hole,” responded Jim with perfect good humor. “I guess I’ll have to -stay here till I get thin enough to follow you.” - -Ralph slid down the rough face of the rock and then fell to examining -its base eagerly. It rested on a small terrace just in front of the -cave, but it didn’t take him long to see that no ordinary means would -dislodge it. - -“How about you?” shouted Jim from within his rocky prison. - -“I’m afraid there’s no hope, Jim,” was the disheartening reply. “It’s -planted as solidly as Gibraltar, outside here. A giant couldn’t move -it.” - -“Well, as there’s no giants likely to happen along, that don’t much -matter,” said Jim in his dry way, from within the cave. - -“But,” he added, “if we had some giant powder, that would be a -different thing.” - -“You mean blasting powder?” - -“Yep, ‘giant powder’ is what we call it up here.” - -“If we can’t do anything else, I’d better ride to some settlement and -try to get some.” - -“Yes, unless any miner or prospector happens along and that’s not -likely.” - -“Why not?” - -“‘Cause this is in the Blood Indians’ reservation and the Bloods don’t -take kindly to strangers roaming around on their property and hunting -and prospectin’.” - -“Are they bad Indians?” - -“Well, not exactly. Just ugly, I reckon ’ud be about the name fer it. -The guv’ment keeps fire water away from ’em all it can, but they sneak -it in somehow and a Blood with whisky in him is a bad proposition. -They’ll steal ponies, rob houses, do most anything.” - -“Well, I don’t know that I’d mind seeing even a Blood Indian now,” said -Ralph, “in spite of their ugly name. Maybe they could help us or at any -rate ride for help.” - -“Son, a Blood would just as soon shove you off a cliff if he saw you -standing on the edge of one, as he would tell you you were in danger of -a tumble. But say, get me a drink of water, will you? I’m as dry as an -old crust after shoving at this bloomin’ rock.” - -Ralph went toward the ponies, where the canteens hung to the saddle -horns. But both were almost empty and as the creek was raging and -roaring not far below him, he determined to go down to it and refill -their water containers. - -He found the creek much swollen by the rain, and racing and tumbling on -its boulderous bed like a miniature torrent. But the water was clear -and cold, and he took a long drink before refilling the canteens. This -done, he pushed his way among the alders back toward the blocked-up -cave. - -All at once, off to the right, he heard the sound of hoofs and voices. - -“Good enough,” thought the lad to himself, “here’s some one who can -give us a hand to get out of this precious fix we’re in.” - -He hurried forward, but the alders were thick and his hands were -occupied so that his progress was slow. From time to time a -whipping-back branch would slap him a stinging blow across the face, -making it smart painfully. - -So it was that he did not emerge into the clearing until the voices he -had heard had grown quite close. In fact, the appearance of the boy -with the canteens and the emergence of three horsemen into the clearing -were simultaneous. But as Ralph beheld those horsemen his heart gave a -quick, alarmed bound, and then sank into his boots. - -They were Indians! Evidently they had just seen the tethered ponies of -the white men and were discussing them with animation. - -All three were mounted on wiry ponies. Two wore blankets and soft hats, -with much patched trousers poking from under the folds of their gaudy -wrappings. The third, who appeared to be some sort of a superior being, -was garbed in an old frock coat, several sizes too large for him, and -in his soft hat was stuck a long eagle feather, as if to symbolize his -rank. - -But in spite of their semi-civilized garb, all three had cruel, savage -faces and eyed the tethered ponies with gluttonous eyes. As Ralph -watched them, the one with the frock coat drew out a bottle and handed -it in turn to his two companions. - -“They’re Bloods and they’ve got hold of fire-water some place,” -murmured Ralph. “We’re in for more trouble now, and I left my rifle in -the cave!” - -He crouched back among the alders, wondering if Jim was aware of what -was going forward outside the blockaded cave. So far the Indians had -not seen him, and Ralph was not particularly anxious that they should. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -AN ENCOUNTER WITH “BLOODS.” - - -The Indians appeared to be in no hurry, and from the fact that the -carcass of a deer lay across the back of one of their ponies Ralph -judged that they were a hunting party. But the appraising glances that -they cast at the tethered ponies were by no means reassuring. - -They looked about them cautiously for a time, and exchanged some hasty -words in their guttural dialect. Then the one who wore the odd-looking -frock coat and the eagle feather slipped from his pony and approached -those that were tied. - -It was high time to interfere apparently; but still Ralph hung back. -Unarmed as he was, he was unwilling to show himself until actual -necessity called for it. But when the frock-coated Indian deliberately -began to unknot the tie ropes of their ponies his intention was only -too plain and the boy cast all prudence aside. - -“Hey, you, let go of that pony!” he exclaimed, coming out from the -shelter of the alders. - -The Indian started and turned, and his two companions did the same. -For a minute they were considerably startled, for “red coats” (mounted -police) occasionally rode through that part of the country. - -But when they saw that it was only a boy who faced them, they quickly -recovered their composure. - -“Hullo, white boy,” said the one that appeared to be the leader, -speaking a dialect that cannot be reproduced on paper. “Hullo, white -boy, what you want, eh?” - -“I want you to leave those ponies alone,” spoke back Ralph boldly, -“they belong to me and my partner.” - -“That so, eh? Well, we take them ’long small piece, savee?” - -The rascal coolly bent over the rope and went on unfastening it. Ralph -was, for a minute, at a loss what to do. Then he bethought himself of -Jim in the cave. - -“Jim! oh, Jim!” he cried shrilly. - -“Hullo,” came a hearty voice in reply, “what’s up?” - -“Some rascals are stealing----” began Ralph, when one of the mounted -Bloods slipped swiftly from his pony and, before the boy could utter an -other syllable, grasped him by the throat. Ralph was a powerful boy, -but in the hands of the wiry, muscular Blood he was no more than an -infant The man drew an ugly looking knife. - -“You keep quiet, eh? Me plentee stickee you, you make any more -chac-chac (talk).” - -Whether the Indian would really have carried out his threat or not -Ralph had no means of guessing, but he deemed it most prudent under -the circumstances to obey. The Indian smelled most abominably of -liquor, and was evidently in no docile mood. A sort of reckless -deviltry danced in his eyes that warned Ralph not to cross him. - -But the next instant, to his unspeakable relief, he heard Jim’s voice -again. - -“I’m trying to climb up the rock. I’ll be there in a jiffy. Confound -it, but it’s slippery!” - -Of course Ralph could not reply, but the words cheered him. If Jim -would only appear with his rifle maybe he could scare the Bloods off. -In an agony of impatience he waited. Luckily the rain had wetted the -knots so that they were hard to untie and the Blood leader was having a -lot of trouble with them. - -Suddenly Ralph heard a sharp cry from the Indian that still remained -on horseback. The one that was bending over the knots heard the -exclamation and glanced up, as did the one that was threatening Ralph. -The boy, too, looked around and soon saw what had alarmed them. - -Creeping into the clearing were two immense, tawny forms. The female -cougar had returned with her mate! - -The Indians gave a series of sharp cries, and the one that held Ralph -released his hold and ran for his pony. So did the one that had been -bent on stealing the white men’s mounts. - -Lashing the ground with their tails the lions began to give utterance -to a sort of whining snarl. - -This was answered from within the cave by a chorus of mewings and -squeals from the cubs. The sound of her young appeared to drive the -lioness to fury. She leaped full at the nearest Indian, and landed on -the haunches of his terrified pony. - -One of the others snatched a rifle from his saddle and fired at the -animal, but before he could aim properly the male cougar had attacked -him, and the bullet went wild. Evidently the lions thought the Indians -were responsible for keeping them from their cubs. - -The rifle was an old, single-barrelled one, and having fired the one -shot the Indian had no chance to reload. But as the bullet sang by her, -the lioness had relaxed her hold on the terrified pony’s haunches and -slipped to the ground to face this new antagonist. Ralph gazed on with -fascinated horror. The scene was unreal, fantastic almost. The three -Indians, an instant before bent on thievery, were now fighting for -their lives against two creatures urged to fury by the most powerful -motive known to the animal kingdom--the love of their young. - -“Cheysoyo tamya!” cried the one with the eagle feather, and, urging -their ponies to mad flight, the Indians made off at top speed. The -lions made two or three bounds after them, but then stopped to listen -to the appealing cries of the cubs inside the cave. - -They were a badly embarrassed pair of felines. Evidently the manner in -which the cave had been sealed up during their absence was a mystery to -them. They walked about in front of it sniffing, growling and lashing -their tails like gigantic cats in a rage. Dangerous as his position -was, Ralph could not but admire the restless grace of the tawny -creatures with their smooth, yellowish coats and great green savage -eyes. - -Suddenly, and without any particular reason that Ralph could see, -although they had undoubtedly smelled him, the two cougars came -bounding toward the alder thicket into which he had crouched back when -first they appeared. Ralph’s heart almost stopped beating as they came. -He looked toward the cave despairingly. - -As he gazed he saw Jim’s rugged face appear in the crack above the -rock. The mountaineer took in the scene instantly, and, although he -could not see Ralph, he called to him. - -“Come on the rock, boy! I’ll hold them back.” - -Ralph saw the muzzle of Jim’s rifle gleam in the afternoon sun as he -thrust it through the crack and sighted with his keen eyes along the -barrel. - -Instantly his mind was made up as to what he would do. As the lions -dived into the alders not far from him he dashed out and made for the -rock. In the meantime the tethered ponies were plunging and rearing as -if they would break their ropes. But the lions paid no attention to -them. Apparently they were only seeking those who had invaded their den. - -As Ralph made his dart for safety the lions spied him. With crashing -bounds they came out of the underbrush. - -Ralph felt a bullet whiz by his ear, but he heard no howl to tell that -one of the lions had been hit. Instead, came Jim’s voice from above. - -“Oh, Lord! This plagued rock juts out too far for me to aim down on -’em.” - -“Throw me down the rifle, quick!” cried Ralph, an agony in his voice. - -He knew he could not clamber up the rock in time to avoid the lions’ -claws. His one chance lay in the desperate plan he had formed as Jim’s -exclamation came to his ears. - -Jim let the rifle come sliding and clattering down the rock and Ralph -caught it up. The strange noise of the weapon as it came to the ground -after the startling report halted the lions for an instant. But as he -turned to face them Ralph saw that they were all ready for another -attack. - -He bravely prepared to meet it, although his pulses throbbed and his -breath came so fast that he could hardly hold the rifle in the proper -position. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -FIGHTING MOUNTAIN LIONS. - - -“Steady, boy! Steady!” came Jim’s voice from above, vibrant with -agitation. - -He knew only too well that to the tyro at big game shooting any large -animal appears about twice as large and ferocious as it really is. Many -lives have been lost and many painful and disfiguring wounds carried to -the grave because a man’s nerve has failed him at the critical moment -when hunting dangerous game. - -“You’re only shootin’ at a mark, boy! That’s all! Hold on ’em now! Hold -on ’em!” - -Jim’s voice steadied Ralph’s nerves wonderfully. He glanced down the -rifle barrel and then, as his finger pressed the trigger the report -roared and crashed through the valley. - -“Give it to ‘em! Oh, give it to ‘em!” yelled Jim wildly. - -Following the two sharp, quick reports and mingling with them came a -scream full of ferocious agony. Ralph saw a big, tawny body leap high -into the air and then, falling back, begin to claw the earth and stones -frantically. - -“Look out for the other!” roared Jim, and none too soon, for the -female, seeing that her mate was stricken by the brave boy’s shot, now -prepared to spring. - -Ralph’s attention had been distracted from her by the death agonies of -the male cougar. Jim’s warning shout recalled the boy to himself. - -He fired once more, but this time he did not inflict a mortal wound. -Instead, his bullet pierced the lion’s shoulder. Apparently she did not -care for any more of that sort of punishment, for with a yelp and a -howl she turned and dashed off, leaving her mate stark in death on the -ground in front of the cave. - -Ralph, white and shaking, now that it was all over, reeled for a minute -and then leaned against the rock to recover himself a little. - -“Bravely done, lad!” came a voice from above. - -It was Jim, but Ralph felt almost too weak from the ordeal he had just -passed through to answer. - -“The rifle just seemed to go off by itself,” he stammered. “I was so -scared I couldn’t see anything plainly.” - -“Never mind that. You did the trick, and that’s what counts. Wish you’d -got both of ’em, though. That lioness wasn’t badly hurt and she’ll be -back for her young ones before long.” - -“Well, she can’t get into the cave,” said Ralph with a rather shaky -laugh, “any more than you can get out,” he added ruefully. - -“That’s so. I declare for a minute I’d forgotten all about our fix. -Say, but those lions served us one good turn when they drove off those -Bloods. The fellows were ugly and meant trouble.” - -“But won’t they be back?” - -“Not they. They’ve had time to think it over by this time, and they’ll -have come to realize that these ain’t early days, and that horse -stealing would result in their whole reservation being turned inside -out till the culprits were found.” - -“Hark!” cried Ralph suddenly, “somebody’s coming now. Maybe it _is_ -those Indians coming back, after all.” - -“Great Blue Bells of Scotland, it’s someone on a horse, sure enough. -I’ll duck down into the cave and get your rifle up.” - -For it was Jim’s “Old Trusty,” as he called it, with which Ralph had -despatched one lion and wounded the other. - -But to Ralph’s unspeakable relief it was no band of Bloods that rode -into the clearing, but a bearded man on a wild, shaggy pony leading a -pack mule by a hair rope. From the pack Ralph could see shovel and -pick handles sticking out and both rider and animals appeared to have -been roughing it for many months. - -The man wore rough buckskin garments, and his stirrups were made of -rope. On his head was a battered old Stetson hat with a leather band -around it. Across his saddle bow he carried a long-barrelled rifle, -with the stock embossed with silver. He glanced at Ralph in a quick, -surprised sort of way. - -“Wa’al, what in the ’tarnal’s bin goin’ on here?” he demanded in a -nasal tone, which Ralph recognized as belonging to a native of the -States. - -“Why, I--that is, we’ve been mixed up in a sort of scrap with Indians -and lions,” replied Ralph hesitatingly. - -The man looked so wild and uncouth that he did not know but he might -have to deal with a highwayman of some sort. - -“Do tell,” exclaimed the rough-looking stranger, “and you’re only a -kid, too! Yankee?” - -Ralph nodded. Just then Jim reappeared at the crack on the top of the -fallen rock, and as his eyes fell on the stranger he uttered a yell of -astonishment. - -“Great Blue Bells of Scotland,” he shouted, “it’s Bitter Creek Jones!” - -“That’s me,” rejoined the stranger shifting in his saddle, “but who may -you be? Come out and show yourself.” - -“I can’t. My door is locked on the outside, so to speak; but I’m -Mountain Jim Bothwell--remember me?” - -The stranger broke into a great roar of delight. - -“Wa’al, do tell. If this ain’t luck. Mountain Jim! I ain’t never forgot -that day on the Bow River that you saved me from that bunch of huskies -that was goin’ to hold me up and take my dust away frum me. But come on -out. Let’s shake your paw, old pal!” - -“Sorry, but I’m not receiving to-day,” responded Mountain Jim. He -hastened on to explain what had happened within the last few hours, -interrupted constantly by Bitter Creek Jones’ astonished exclamations. - -“I heard an almighty firin’ an’ blazin’ away frum over this neck of the -woods,” he said, “and I jes’ nacherally come over ter see what in Sam -Hill was goin’ forward. So ye’re all walled up, hey? Jes’ wait a jiffy -while I take a look at that rock. It’ll be tough luck if Bitter Creek -can’t get you out’n that mouse-trap without’n you havin’ ter ride fifty -miles fer help.” - -“Do you think you can do anything, Mr. Jones?” asked Ralph, as the -odd-looking stranger slipped off his sorry-appearing steed. - -“Say, Sonny, I’m plain Bitter Crik to my friends. I’m Mister Jones to -them that don’t like me, see? So far as gittin’ Mountain Jim out’n that -hole, it’ll be hard luck if I kain’t do it. Bitter Crik’s got gold -out’n tougher places nor that, you kin bet your last red. Lucky I came -along this way, too. You see I’ve bin prospectin’ all through here, -but it’s a rotten country. I’m going back to the States and ship to -Alasky, when I git out’n the Rockies.” - -Talking thus, Bitter Creek, who looked so ferocious, but proved so -good-natured, examined the rock from all sides. As he carried on his -investigations he hummed to himself like a man in deep thought. - -At length he straightened up and hailed Jim. - -“I’ll get you out’n here, Jim,” he said. - -“All right, old man, wish you would. These cubs smell like a shoe -factory on fire. I ain’t particular, but I know a heap of smells that’s -sweeter, including skunk.” - -Bitter Creek turned to Ralph. - -“Know what I’m goin’ ter do, Sonny?” he asked. - -Ralph shook his head. - -“Well, see here. That rock rests on this little terrace or ledge, don’t -it?” - -“Yes.” - -“And the ground all slopes away from it toward the creek?” - -“It does,” rejoined Ralph, seeing that the odd man expected some sort -of a reply. - -“Well, I’m going to put a slug of giant powder in under that terrace -and blow it out from under the rock. Onless I mistake my guess, that’s -all that’s holdin’ it. When we blow that to Kingdom Come that ol’ rock -is jes’ nacherally goin’ ter start rollin’ down ther hill, and out ’ull -walk Jim as large as life and twice as nacheral.” - -“But won’t the explosion hurt him?” asked Ralph, to whom this appeared -to be a dangerous proceeding. - -“May shake him up a bit, but yer see, the force of giant powder works -downward, and I’ll drive in under the rock for the shot.” - -The scheme was explained to Mountain Jim, who entirely acquiesced in -it. Bitter Creek Jones wasted no more time, but hurried off to his -mule. From the pack he produced a small box carefully wrapped in -various soft cloths. This proved to be filled with excelsior, amidst -which nestled sticks of giant powder. From another box came caps and -fuse. - -Then with a crowbar, the miner drove a deep hole under the terrace on -which the rock rested, and this done, capped and fused two sticks of -dynamite and “tamped” them into place. Then summoning Ralph they both -retreated to a distance, and Bitter Creek bent over and lit the fuse. - -“Look out, Jim!” he yelled as it sputtered and sparked. “In about tew -minutes there’s goin’ ter be ‘Hail Columbia’ round these diggin’s.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -“BITTER CREEK JONES.” - - -A dull, booming crash that shook the ground under their feet, followed -within a few seconds. A cloud of dust and rocks arose from the cave -mouth. Suddenly Ralph broke into a shout: - -“The rock! The rock! It’s moving!” - -“Hold on, boy,” warned the prospector, laying a hand on Ralph’s -shoulder. “Watch!” - -The big boulder hesitated, swayed, and then, with a reverberating -crash, as the blasted terrace under it gave way, it rolled down the -hillside. An instant after, Jim Bothwell burst from the cavern and -ran toward them. It was all that Ralph, in his joy, could do to keep -from embracing him, but just then a sudden shout from Bitter Creek -Jones caught and distracted his attention. In their excitement they -had forgotten all about the tethered ponies. The great rock was now -bounding toward them with great velocity. - -It shook the ground as its ponderous weight rumbled down the hillside. -The ponies whinnied with terror and tugged and strained at their ropes. -But just as it appeared inevitable that they must be crushed, the huge -rock struck a smaller one and its course was diverted. Down it went, -but on a safe track now, and terminated its career in the clump of -thick growing alders that fringed the stream. - -“Wow, a narrow escape!” ejaculated Ralph breathlessly. - -“Yep, we come pretty durn near killin’ two birds--or ponies, -rayther--with one stone,” grinned Bitter Creek Jones; “but all’s well -as turns out all right, as the poet says.” - -“Bitter, you’re all right,” cried Jim, clutching the hand of the -prospector who had turned up so opportunely. - -“Shucks! That’s all right, Jim. It wasn’t much to do fer you, old -pal,” responded Bitter returning the pressure. “And now,” he went on, -as if anxious to change the subject, “you’d better skin that lion and -be gettin’ on yer way. It’s drawin’ in late, and this is a bad part of -the country to get benighted in, more specially with a bunch of Bloods -hanging about all lit up with fire-water.” - -“Reckon you’re right, Bitter,” was the response as Mountain Jim deftly -made the necessary incisions and he and his friend skinned the dead -cougar with skillful hands. - -It was not long after that they parted company. Bitter Creek Jones -continuing toward the south, while Ralph and Mountain Jim swung on to -their ponies and resumed their journey toward the northwest. The last -they saw of Bitter Creek Jones he was waving a hearty adieu to them and -shouting: - -“See you in Alaska north of fifty-three, some time.” - -Then a shoulder of mountain shut him out and they saw him no more. - -“There’s a white man,” said Jim with deep conviction, as the ponies -carried them from the scene. “He’s rough as a bear, is Bitter, but -white right down to his gizzard.” - -Ralph regretted that he could not have taken one of the cubs along, -but on the rough trip that still lay before them it would have been -extremely difficult if not impossible to transport it. So the little -den of young cougars had to be left behind to await the return of their -wounded mother, an event which, Mountain Jim declared, would take place -within a short time. - -“Maybe I ought to have killed the whole boiling of them young -termagents,” he said. “They’ll grow up and make a heap of trouble for -sheepmen, but let ’em be. I ain’t got the heart to make away with a lot -of babies like them.” - -It was dark when, on topping a backbone of desolate mountain, they -saw in a valley below them a light shining amidst the blackness. Jim -declared that this must be the ranch for which they were searching, -and they made their best speed toward the lonely beacon. If it had -been hard traveling by daylight through the forest, it was doubly -difficult to make their way by night. But Jim appeared to possess in -a superlative degree that wonderful sense of location peculiar to -persons who have passed their lives in the great silent places of the -earth. It has been noted by travelers that a young Indian boy, who has -apparently not noted in the slightest the course followed on a hunting -expedition into the great woods, has been able, without any apparent -mental effort, to guide back to camp the party of which he formed a -member. Such a faculty has been ascribed as more due to instinct, the -sense that brings a carrier pigeon home over unknown leagues, than to -anything else. - -Through the darkness they blundered on, through muskegs, fallen -timber and swollen creeks--the latter due to the heavy rains of the -afternoon. At length, after it appeared to Ralph almost certain that -they must have lost their way, they came out on a plateau and saw -shining not half a mile from them the light for which Mountain Jim had -been aiming. - -A sea captain, with all the resources of highly perfected instruments, -could not have made a more successful land-fall. But as they drew -nearer to the light, a puzzled expression could have been observed -on Mountain Jim’s face had it been clearly visible. Ralph, too, soon -became aware of a great noise of shouting and singing proceeding from -the vicinity of the light. - -“Must have some sort of a party going on,” he observed to his companion. - -“I dunno,” was Mountain Jim’s rejoinder. “Donald Campbell used to be -a bachelor and no great shakes for company. Maybe he’s married and -they’re havin’ a pink tea or something.” - -Soon after, they rode up to a rough looking house, behind which, -bulking blackly against the darkness, were the outlines of haystacks. -Several horses were hitched in front of the place and the door was -open, emitting a ruddy stream of light that fell full on one of the -animals. Ralph recognized the cayuse with a start. It was one of those -that had been ridden by the Bloods. There was no mistaking the animal’s -pie-bald coat and wall-eye. He was what is known among cowmen as a -“paint-horse.” - -Ralph gasped out his information to Mountain Jim. His companion only -nodded. - -“I’ve been thinking for some time that there is something queer about -this place,” he said, “but there’s no help for it, we’ve got to see it -through now.” - -And then a minute later he made an odd inquiry: - -“Where’ve you got the money for the ponies, Ralph?” - -“Right in my inside coat pocket. Why?” - -“Oh, I dunno. Better put it in a safer place; you might lose it.” - -Ralph could not quite understand the drift of his companion’s remark, -but he shifted the money--one hundred dollars in bills--to his belt, -which had a money pocket for such purposes. By this time they were up -to the long hitching post where the other ponies were tied and they -dismounted and secured their own animals. - -“Let me do the talking,” warned Mountain Jim as they approached the -door. The noise of their arrival had been noticed within, and a short, -stocky figure of a man with a flaming red beard blocked the light from -the doorway as they approached. - -“Great Blue Bells of Scotland, that ain’t Donald Campbell, by a long -shot!” - -“Maybe he’s moved on,” said Ralph, recollecting the phrasing of the -notice in the deserted log cabin. - -“Maybe,” responded Jim briefly. The next minute the man in the doorway -hailed them. - -“Evening, strangers.” - -“Evening,” responded Jim. “Donald Campbell about?” - -“Naw. He ain’t lived here in quite a spell. Gone up the valley ten -miles or more. Lookin’ for him?” - -“Well, I calculated on seeing him,” was Jim’s response. “Can we stay -here to-night?” - -The man hesitated an instant, but then spoke swiftly as if to cover up -his momentary vacillation. - -“Yep. Come right in. Guess we kin get you supper and a shake-down. -That’s all you want, ain’t it?” - -“That’s all,” responded Jim as they passed the threshold. Inside -they found themselves in a rough looking room lighted by a hanging -lamp which reeked of kerosene. At a table under it some men had been -sitting, but they vanished with what appeared suspicious haste as the -two strangers came in. The host left them alone soon after, promising -to give them some bacon and eggs and coffee. The noise that they had -heard as they drew close to the ranch had died out, and now all was as -silent as a graveyard. Ralph lowered his voice as he addressed Mountain -Jim. - -“What sort of a place is this, anyhow?” - -In the same low tones Jim made his reply: - -“Dunno, but it looks to me like what they call up in this section a -‘whisky ranch.’ It’s the resort of bad characters and is stuck back -here in the woods so as to be beyond the ten-mile limit. You see the -Canadian government, knowing what harm that stuff does, won’t let -liquor be sold within ten miles of a public roadway.” - -“Then that’s what brought those Indians here?” - -“Looks that way. But this fellow would be in mighty bad if it was found -out by the mounted police. But--hush! I reckon he’s coming now.” - -Sure enough the red-bearded man re-entered the room at this juncture. -He bore a big dish of bacon and eggs in one hand and in the other he -had a blackened tin pot from which came the savory aroma of coffee. - -From a corner cupboard he got tin plates and cups and wooden-handled -knives and forks. He asked them what their business was as he laid the -table, which required no cloth, being covered with a strip of white -oil-cloth. - -“We wanted to buy some ponies from Donald Campbell,” spoke Ralph before -Jim’s heavy foot kicked him under the table. For an instant there was a -sharp glint in the red-bearded man’s eyes. - -“Buyin’ ponies, eh? Must have lots of money. Ponies is high right now.” - -“In that case we can’t afford ’em,” said Jim, taking the conversation -into his own hands. He had noticed the momentary flash in the man’s -eyes when Ralph spoke of buying ponies, and rightly interpreted it. -The man stood by them while they ate and told them that he had bought -the ranch some time before, but that it was a poor place and he could -make nothing out of it He appeared anxious to impress them that he was -a rancher and nothing else, and spoke much of crops and stock. Jim and -Ralph listened, replying at intervals. - -When they had finished eating, the red-bearded man offered to escort -them to bed. He wanted to put them in separate rooms, but Mountain Jim -demurred to this. - -“My partner here is a heavy sleeper,” he said, “and we’ve got to be up -early to-morrow. I’d rouse up the whole house waking him if you put him -in another room.” - -“All right, I can put you in the attic,” said the man, “but you’ll not -be over comfortable.” - -“Oh, that’s all right,” said Jim airily. “We’re used to roughing it.” - -“You may be, but your partner don’t look over and above husky,” said -the red-bearded man, glancing at Ralph’s slender form, which rather -belied the boy’s real strength and activity. He conducted them upstairs -and left them in an unceiled attic in which were two rough cots. He -took the lamp with him when he went, saying that it was too dangerous -to leave a kerosene lamp up there so close to the rafters. - -“Don’t sleep too sound,” whispered Jim as they got into their cots. -“I’ve a notion that our friend with the vermilion chin coverings isn’t -any better than he ought to be. I’m sorry you made that crack about -buying ponies; it’s given him the idea that we are carrying a lot of -money. I saw it in his eyes as soon as he spoke.” - -Ralph hadn’t much to say to this. He realized that he had made a bad -mistake and blamed himself bitterly. But he determined to try to -retrieve his error by keeping awake to watch for any sudden alarm. But -try as he would, his exhausted eyelids drooped as if weighted with -lead, and before long, tired nature had asserted her sway and the lad -was sound asleep on his rough couch. - -Just what hour it was Ralph could not determine, but he was suddenly -awakened by a noise as if someone had pushed a chair across the room or -had stumbled on it. Broad awake in an instant he sat up in the cot, his -every sense alert and his heart throbbing violently. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -THE OUTLAW RANCH. - - -Suddenly he was conscious that someone was near his cot. He could hear -hard breathing and then he felt a hand creeping over the covers. In -a flash he grasped it and yelled aloud to Mountain Jim. Now Jim, no -less tired than Ralph, had likewise dropped off to sleep despite his -determined efforts to keep awake. But Ralph’s cry brought him out of -his cot in a bound. - -“Great Blue Bells of Scotland! What’s up?” he roared. - -“There’s someone trying to rob me!” yelled Ralph, still clutching the -wrist he had caught. The next instant a hand was at his throat and a -knee on his chest and he was choked into silence. But his cry had had -its effect. Like a runaway steer Mountain Jim came charging through -the darkness. - -“Who in creation are you, you scallywag? What do you want?” he roared, -grabbing hold of Ralph’s antagonist, for by good luck he had come -straight in the direction of Ralph’s cry. Without giving whoever the -midnight intruder was any chance to reply, Mountain Jim encircled him -with his iron arm and hurled him clear across the room. They could hear -a crash and grunt as the fellow fetched up, and then a rush of feet -through the darkness followed by the crash of a heavy fall, caused -apparently by a violent tumble down the steep stairs leading to the -attic. - -They listened intently and heard somebody picking himself up and -limping off. - -“Well, what do you think of that?” exclaimed Mountain Jim. “Serves me -right for sleeping, though, Ralph. Are you hurt?” - -“Not a bit, but I feel half choked. That fellow had a half Nelson on my -neck, all right.” - -“I guess I had a whole one on his,” chuckled Jim. “Strike a match, -Ralph, and let’s see what we can see.” - -The match showed a revolver lying on the floor by Ralph’s bed -apparently just as it had been dropped by the intruder when Jim’s -mighty arm encircled him. - -“Humph! pretty good gun,” commented Jim dryly, looking the weapon over. -“I’ll bet a doughnut that the owner never sees it again, though.” - -“Who do you think it was?” asked Ralph. - -“Old red-whiskers. We’ll look him over in the morning, and by that same -token it’s pretty near dawn now. Hear the roosters? Well, as there’s -no more sleep for us to-night, we might as well get up and see to the -ponies. It would be just like this outfit of scallywags to try to do -them some harm or even steal ’em, if your friends, the Bloods, are -about.” - -But the ponies, which had been turned into a corral the night previous, -were found to be all right, and by the time the stars paled they had -them saddled and re-entered the house. Jim banged loudly on the table -of the room where they had had supper the previous night and demanded -breakfast. Before long the landlord came shuffling into the room. - -In the pale light they could see that under his left eye he had a big -purple swelling. His hands shook, too, and altogether he appeared to be -very ill at ease. - -“How’d you sleep?” he asked. - -“Fine,” rejoined Jim heartily. “In the night a mosquito or some other -kind of low down critter bothered me, but I guess I bunged him up -tolerably considerable.” - -He looked at the red-bearded man with a cheerful grin, and stared -him straight in the eyes. The optics of the rascal dropped. He got -breakfast in sullen silence and took his pay without a word. - -“Oh, by the way,” Jim shouted back to him as they rode off, “I found a -gun in that attic last night. If the owner wants it, tell him to come -to me, will you?” - -The landlord looked at them for an instant and his florid skin turned -green. He swung on his heel and fairly fled into the house. - -“I’ll turn it over to the Mounted Police,” shouted Jim after him. “I -guess they’ll be interested in finding the owner.” - -They arrived at Donald Campbell’s new ranch shortly afterward, riding -over a fairly good road. The old Scotchman told them that they were -lucky that nothing worse had happened to them. The place was suspected -to be a “whisky ranch,” and its owner had been in trouble with the -police on two or three occasions. - -“I guess he’ll be careful who he tackles next time,” remarked Jim with -a grin. - -The bargain for two tough, hard-looking ponies, broken to pack, was -soon struck, and with good wishes from the old Scotchman they rode off. -They reached the camp on the return journey that night, and all hands -sat up late listening with absorbed interest to the story of their -adventures. - -The new ponies proved to be anything but tractable the next morning, -but eventually they were subdued and their packs firmly “diamonded” -to their plunging backs. This done, the way lay clear before the -adventurers to the Big Bend of the Columbia River. Mountain Jim had -told the boys that their route would skirt the bases of some of the -peaks covered with eternal snow, among which the great white Rocky -Mountain goat ranges. There might even be a chance, he declared, for a -sight of the famous Big Horn sheep, although these animals are now so -wild as to be almost inaccessible to hunters. - -They set out in high humor, the new ponies being hitched to more -sedate companions so as to keep their spirits within bounds. But -notwithstanding this, the lively little animals plunged and leaped -about till it appeared as if their packs would come off. Throughout -the morning they progressed steadily toward the great snow-covered -peaks that shone and glittered like diadems toward the northwest. Black -ridges of rock appeared among the white coverings of their flanks, -giving them an odd, striped appearance. - -A stop was made for dinner at the side of a roaring torrent, whose -green, cold waters came from the snow-capped peaks toward which their -way now lay. While Jim cooked the meal, aided by Jimmie, the boys -scattered in every direction gathering firewood or looking at the -scenes about them. All at once there came a wild whoop of dismay from -Persimmons, who had been entrusted with the duty of tethering Topsy, -one of the new ponies. - -The little animal had taken fright at the smell of the lion skin, which -was rolled up on Baldy’s back, and before anyone could stop her she was -off toward the torrent. Ralph was in his saddle in a second and after -her, swinging his lasso in true cowboy fashion. - -“Yip! yip!” he yelled, delighted at the prospect of a brisk chase. - -But Topsy, although she hesitated a minute on the brink of the torrent, -did not, as Ralph had surmised, turn and dash along the bank. Instead, -she plunged right into the seething waters, pack and all, and struck -out for the opposite shore. - -Ralph only paused a minute and then he was into the stream after her, -urging his unwilling pony into the cold water. Reaching the middle of -the stream, he slipped off his pony and swam beside him till shallower -water was reached. - -The swift current carried them down stream for quite a distance, but at -last the struggling pony’s feet found solid bottom, and he scrambled -out not more than a hundred yards behind Topsy. All this had happened -so quickly that those left behind had hardly time to realize it before -Ralph gained the opposite shore. Then Jim hailed him: - -“Can you get her, Ralph?” - -“Sure!” hailed back the boy positively, and clapping his big, -blunt-rowelled spurs to his pony he was off into the woods after the -fleeing pack animal. The wood proved to be only a strip of pine and -tamaracks, and beyond was a rocky ledge leading up the side of a high -mountain, for by this time they had reached the heart of the Rockies -and big peaks towered all about them. - -“Yip! yip!” cried Ralph entering fully into the spirit of the chase. As -for Topsy, apparently not feeling the weight of the heavy pack at all, -she dashed on like a lightning express. Ralph was sorry that the chase -was not among the trees, for in the timber Topsy would have found it -hard to get along so quickly with the encumbering pack on her back. But -up the rocky ledge, which zig-zagged like a trail up the mountain, she -fairly flew. The noise of her speeding hoofs was like that of castanets. - -“Well, a stern chase is always a long one,” thought Ralph, as he -shook a kink out of his rope and spurred after her as fast as his pony -was capable of going. The camp was soon left far behind and still the -boy found himself on a narrow trail, or shelf of rock, that inclined -steeply up the mountain side. Below him the ground dropped off to -unknown depths, and on his other hand a wall of rock shot up so steeply -that hardly a tree or a bush found footing on it. As they rose higher -Ralph experienced a sensation as if he was riding into cloudland. -Frequently he would lose sight of Topsy, and then again he could -glimpse her as she darted around a shoulder of the mountain, only to be -lost to view again. - -“Gracious, this is like being slung up between heaven and earth,” -thought Ralph, as he loped up the trail as fast as his pony could carry -him. Glancing down he saw that a sort of blue mist veiled the depths -of the abyss below him. He was many feet above the tops of the tallest -of the big pines. Afar off, through the crisp, clear air, he could -see more ridges, but he appeared far above them. To anyone gazing at -him from below, the boy would have looked no larger than a fly on some -steep and lofty wall. - -“Fine place to meet anything,” he said to himself. “This road was only -built for one.” - -At the same instant another thought flashed across him. Up to this -time, in the heat of the chase, he had cast reflection to the winds. - -The trail was narrowing. Unless it widened further up, how was he to -turn his pony around and retrace his steps? - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -CARTHEW OF “THE MOUNTED.” - - -This thought had hardly occurred to him when he was saved further -pondering by the sight of Topsy coming flying back along the ledge. Her -nostrils were distended in a frightened way and her coat was flecked -with foam. For a flash he saw her as she turned a shoulder of rock, and -then she vanished again as the trail turned inward toward the cliff -face. Ralph had only a second in which to act. - -He glanced about him. It appeared impossible that two ponies could pass -on the narrow trail. Yet he would have to let Topsy get by or else -be backed off into the depths below. In emergencies such as the boy -now faced, the mind usually rises to the occasion and works with the -rapidity necessary to dictate quick action. It was so in Ralph’s case. - -He swung his pony in toward the cliff face, clinging to it closely, as -the only possible salvation. In a flash Topsy came swinging around the -turn, going at full gallop. Ralph held his breath as he felt her sides -graze his right knee! But she galloped safely by with hardly a fraction -of an inch to spare between her hoofs and the edge of the trail! - -To his huge joy and relief the emergency was passed, and without -accident. In another minute he had swung his pony around, its small, -nimble legs bunched together to make the turn, and was off down the -trail after the runaway. Almost at the bottom several riders were -advancing toward the boy. The recreant Topsy was between him and the -newcomers, whom Ralph recognized as his camp mates. Mountain Jim was at -their head and they had set out in search of Ralph a short time before. - -Topsy, thus hemmed in, allowed herself to be captured without making -much resistance, and a much chastened pony was led back into camp, -where the professor was awaiting the return of the party. - -“Lucky thing that she turned,” was Ralph’s comment, “for I don’t think -that ledge went much further up the mountain side.” - -“Reckon it didn’t,” was Jim’s reply, “and if you had found a spot where -it was much narrower, you’d have been in an ugly fix.” - -“Not a doubt of it,” commented Ralph as he thought of his feelings when -he was uncertain whether Topsy would be able to pass him or not. - -As to what had turned the runaway pony in such a fortunate manner, -opinions were divided. Mountain Jim inclined to the belief that the -trail had come to an end and that the pony had had sense enough to -turn. Ralph, with the recollection of the animal’s terror fresh in his -mind, was positive that some wild beast had scared the recreant Topsy -and caused her to dash back. - -The discussion over the exciting incident had hardly ceased, when hoof -beats were heard coming along the trail by which they had arrived at -their camping place. All looked up with interest, for travelers were -few in that wild part of the Rockies. Their curiosity was not long in -being gratified. - -Through the trees came riding a stalwart figure on a big bay horse. -The newcomer was clean shaven, bronzed and capable looking. He wore a -big sombrero, riding boots, and trousers with a stripe down the sides. -His appearance, for he carried a carbine in a holster and pistols in -his belt, was somewhat alarming to the boys, who exchanged hurried -whispers. But Mountain Jim soon quieted their fears. - -“It’s a trooper of the Northwest Mounted Police,” he exclaimed, and -then, as the rider drew nearer, he cried out in a glad voice: - -“Great Blue Bells of Scotland, if it ain’t Harry Carthew!” - -“By Jove! Jim Bothwell!” cried the new arrival in a gratified tone. -“Upon my word, I’m glad to see you. But what brings you here?” - -As he spoke, he gazed with some curiosity about the camp and at the -youthful faces of the young adventurers. - -“Sort of piloting these lads and Professor Wintergreen through the -Rockies, Harry,” was the rejoinder. “Where are you mushing along to?” - -“I’m bound for Muskeg Lake,” was the response, “just coming through -from Fort Grainger.” - -“Won’t you rest here a while?” asked the professor. - -“Don’t mind if I do,” said the big trooper. “The goin’s been rough and -both I and Dandy here”--he patted his horse--“are a bit fagged, don’t -you know.” - -“Sit down and have a bite to eat,” said Jim hospitably. “I guess Dandy -can shift for himself all right.” - -The trooper unsaddled his mount and was soon seated in the shade of a -big tree, his back against its trunk, while he dispatched with gusto -the food Jim placed before him. When he had finished, he and Jim -lit their pipes and began to talk, while the boys and the professor -listened interestedly. The man was a new type to them. Self-reliant, -big-limbed, clear-eyed, and active as a cat in all his movements, he -appeared a fit person for the hard and often dangerous work of the -famous Northwest Mounted. - -He and Jim, it seemed, were old friends, the veteran guide having aided -him in the years past to corner and make prisoners of a band of cattle -rustlers. Jim told him about their experiences at the outlaw ranch and -the trooper promised to report the matter to his superior officers at -once. - -“That red-bearded fellow is a character we’ve been after for a long -time,” he said, “and thanks to you, I guess we’ll be able to round -him up at last. Nevins of Ours almost had him once years ago, but he -slipped through his fingers.” - -“What became of Nevins?” asked Jim interestedly. “That man always made -me wonder what a chap like him wanted to join the Northwest for.” - -Trooper Carthew drew thoughtfully on his pipe. Then after a minute he -looked up and spoke softly. - -“Nevins has gone on a trail he won’t come back from, Jim.” - -“Dead?” - -The other nodded. - -“How’d it happen?” - -“What kills a lot of unseasoned men in the service: snow madness!” was -the rejoinder. “It’s a thing I don’t often talk about, but if any of -your young men here,” he nodded toward the boys, “think that life in -the Northwest Mounted is any cinch it might be a good thing to tell -’em the yarn.” - -“We wish you would,” said Ralph, scenting a story out of the ordinary. - -“Well, it happened a dozen winters ago,” began Trooper Carthew, “and -it must be fifteen since I’ve seen Jim. Time slips by here in the -mountains. Well, as Jim here said, Nevins was a man who ought never to -have gone into the Mounted. He was a nervous, harum-scarum kind of man. -I don’t know where he came from or what made him join, but anyhow there -he was, and it fell to my lot to look after him. - -“We were sent on detachment duty up to a place called Bear Rock. Jim -knows where it is, and as you don’t, the best way I can describe it to -you is to say that a one-horse board-and-canvas town anywhere in the -wilds you’ve a mind to place it, would have been a metropolis alongside -of it. - -“There were a few Cree Indians around--I forgot to say it was up in -the Yukon Country--and that was all the society we had. Not even skin -thieves or horse rustlers ever came up there. It was too poor pickin’s -even for them. - -“Things began to go wrong the first winter. I saw that the loneliness -of it all was beginning to prey on young Nevins’ nerves. I call him -young, but I expect he was older than he looked. Mind you, he never -said anything in the way of complaint, but I’d seen men go that way -before, and I saw that he was not built for the job. I tried to get -him to go back to division headquarters and report sick, or ask to be -transferred or something. But he was a proud cuss, and ‘No,’ says he, -‘I’ll stick it out.’ - -“Well, if you’ve never been stuck off in the Yukon, sixty miles from -any place, with a man whom you suspect is beginning to get snow -madness, you’ve no idea what a business it is. Nevins had a nice little -habit of getting up in the middle of the night and saying that he saw -faces looking at him through the window, and voices calling down the -chimney, and little things like that. - -“By the middle of the second winter he got so bad that it began to get -on my nerves, too, and I’d begun to look about and listen and think I -heard things. I soon saw that this wouldn’t do, and so decided to ride -into White Lake, the nearest station, and explain matters. Besides, -Nevins was really in need of a doctor. His face was drawn and pale and -he could hardly be trusted out by himself on the trail, for he was -always shooting at something or other that he thought he saw, but which -wasn’t there at all. Oh, he was a bad case, I tell you. I began to be -scared that some night he might take a fancy to get up and shoot at me. -I began to lose sleep and get pretty nearly as peaked as he was. - -“When I broke the news to him that we were going back to the station he -got mad as a hornet. He was no kid, he said. He could stick it out. All -he wanted was to shoot the enemies that were after him, and then he’d -be all right. I quieted him down by telling him that our time at the -post was up anyhow, and that we were due to report back at White Lake -without delay. - -“As soon as he saw, as he thought, that we were not leaving on his -account he brightened up wonderfully. He took an interest in getting -the shack in order for the next comers and talked about our trip almost -all night. I patted myself on the back. He seemed like a cured man -already, and when we started out with our parkees on our backs and our -snow shoes on our feet, you’d have thought that there wasn’t a thing -the matter with him. - -“Sometimes there was a queer glitter in his eyes, though, that showed -me that he wasn’t as right as he seemed to be by any means, and that a -doctor and some companionship were needed before a thorough cure could -be effected. As we left the shack he turned and shook his fist at it -without saying a word, but his face showed me how much he had suffered -there and how glad he was to be saying good-by to it all. - -“Mushing, as they call traveling in the Yukon, is slow work on a broken -trail, and that one from the shack to White Lake was about as bad a -specimen as I ever traveled over. But Nevins didn’t seem to mind it. He -was so eager to get back to civilization--as if you could call White -Lake civilization--that he was always ahead of me. But I didn’t like -his gait. It was awkward, zig-zaggy, not the trail of a man who is sure -of himself. Nevins was living on his nerves. I caught myself praying -they didn’t explode before we reached White Lake! - -“Once I offered to take a turn at breaking the trail. But, ‘No, what -do you think I am? A baby?’ says he angrily, and after that we plugged -along in silence. Nevins’ head was poked forward and he appeared to be -in a desperate hurry to get along, almost as if he was afraid something -was after him. - -“‘You’ll blow up if you don’t slow down, Nevins,’ I said once, but he -only made an irritable reply and kept right on. - -“I began to be worried. If he did break down I would be in a nasty fix. -I’d seen snow madness before and knew what it was. That night I fairly -forced him to halt. He was getting so crazy that he wanted to keep on -in the dark, but I stuck out at that and he finally quieted down. Yet -every now and then as we ate our sough-dough flap-jacks and gulped down -our tea before turning in, I saw him keep looking back along the trail -we’d come, as if he was scared somebody or something was coming after -him to take him back to that shack. - -“The next day we mushed on, Nevins still in the lead. We were due at -the Lake that night, but I began to doubt if Nevins would make it. He -started to talk and mutter to himself, and finally he turned around on -me and asked me if I heard anything coming after us down the trail. -I laughed the thing off as best I could, but I tell you it’s no joke -being out in those wilds with a snow-crazed man, especially when he has -a rifle, and maybe might take a crazy notion to try his marksmanship in -your direction! I watched Nevins mighty close, you can bet. - -“At noon we stopped and ate a half frozen meal, with Nevins staring -back up the trail. As we resumed our march he was still muttering to -himself and I noticed that he was fumbling with his rifle in a way that -was not at all reassuring. I tried to get him to give it to me, making -the excuse that it would lighten his load. He looked at me cunningly. - -“‘I half believe that you’re in league with those fellows that want to -take me back to that shack,’ says he, in a way that made me feel sick, -for I knew then that he was crazy, sure enough--and me alone with an -armed maniac and miles from any human being!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -THE TROOPER’S STORY. - - -“However, I put the best face I could on the matter and even tried to -talk cheerfully to Nevins. But he would have none of my conversation -and zig-zagged along on his snow shoes with his queer, swinging gait in -the same silent way. It began to grow dusk, and I saw that we should -never make the lake that night. I halted Nevins and told him so. - -“He gave an odd kind of laugh. - -“‘Not make it? Man alive. I’m going to make it’ he grated out in an -odd, rasping sort of a voice. - -“‘Don’t talk like a fool,’ said I. ‘Come, here’s a place under this -ledge that’ll make a good camp, and bright and early we’ll hit the -trail again.’ - -“He whipped round on me with blazing eyes. If ever a demon shone out -of a man’s optics it blazed out of his. - -“‘I’m going on, I tell you,’ he snarled, ‘and what’s more, you’re going -with me.’ - -“I’ve been in some pretty tight places, but take my word for it, right -then I began to think that I hadn’t begun to know what a tight corner -was. I could see by the way that poor crazy Nevins gripped his rifle -that he meant to have company on his night ‘mush,’ even if he had to -shoot him to get it. I felt as if somebody had dropped a chunk of ice -down my back. - -“‘All right, Nevins,’ I said, ‘I’ll go along. Don’t get excited.’ - -“‘I’m not excited,’ he said. And then he added, ‘It’s only that they’ll -get us if we don’t keep on going.’ - -“‘Who’s them?’ I inquired. - -“‘Those things that have been following us,’ he whispered. - -“Then he came quite close to me and caught my arm. - -“‘They live back there up in the snow, and they’re trying to get me and -take me back with them, but they won’t.’ He broke into a wild laugh -that made my scalp tighten till I could almost feel my hat lift on my -hair. - -“‘Don’t talk nonsense, Nevins,’ I snapped. ‘We’re far ahead of them. -They’ll never catch us now.’ - -“He looked sharply at me. - -“‘You’re more of a fool than I thought you,’ he said contemptuously. -‘They’ve been following us all day. They’re close behind us now!’ - -“I confess that his manner was such that I jumped nervously and looked -behind me as he spoke. Of course there was nothing there but the trail, -and I told him so, but a contemptuous laugh was all that I got. - -“Well, in the course of my career as a trooper I’ve handled some -pretty bad characters and been into some tight places and faced some -situations where things looked mighty bad, but I never felt such -a feeling of real scare as I had at that moment. Having made this -outburst, Nevins started off again. After a while, when it began to -get dark, I determined to make a last try to check his crazy plan. I -stopped dead. - -“‘Here’s where I stop, Nevins,’ I said. ‘I’m dead beat.’ - -“He faced round like a wild man, and before I could lift a hand he had -his rifle raised, and with the yell of a maniac he fired blindly in my -direction. I felt the bullet fan my ear. - -“‘What on earth are you trying to do, Nevins?’ I asked in as firm a -voice as I could assume, but I’m afraid it was as wobbly as a dish of -jelly. ‘Are you crazy?’ - -“‘Crazy!’ he echoed with a wild laugh. ‘It’s you that are crazy. Come -on, follow me. I’ll save you from those creatures that are after us.’ - -“There was nothing to do but to obey. Up I got and started on again -after Nevins, who went staggering along, edging from side to side of -the trail like a dizzy man. I found myself wondering how it was all -going to end. I’m pretty tough and hard to tire, but I felt almost all -in, and Nevins, not nearly so strong as I was, must have been going -solely on the unnatural strength lent him by his insanity. - -“By and by it got dark, but Nevins kept on. He kept shouting back -at me, and I’d answer him from time to time. I couldn’t let him go -on alone, although I was almost dead. After a while his shouts grew -less frequent and finally they died out altogether. I guessed what -had probably happened. I thought that by and by if I kept on I would -stumble over his body lying in the snow. - -“For a long time I walked slowly, every minute expecting to come upon -him, but he was nowhere on the trail. I don’t like to recall that night -nor the next day when I went on staggering down the trail till I began -to get crazy, too, and hear odd things and voices. - -“If it hadn’t been that a party from the station out hunting found me I -don’t like to think of what might have happened. I soon came round and -told all I could about Nevins. A search party started out at once, but -returned the next day empty-handed. They had found and then lost tracks -of many snow shoes in the woods near the trail. We always suspected -that Nevins had wandered off the trail when I missed him, been found -dead by Blood Indians, robbed and buried in a drift.... And that, boys, -is one incident in the life of a trooper of the Mounted.” - -“It’s a ghastly story,” shuddered Ralph, while the others looked grave -and sober. - -“Chum around with a bunch of troopers some time and you’ll hear -stranger yarns than that,” said Trooper Carthew. “And,” he added -thoughtfully, knocking the ashes out of his pipe, “the worst of it is, -they are all true. There’s no need to do any fancy color work on ’em.” - -Not long after, the trooper rose with the remark that he must “mush -along.” The party intended moving on, too, so they rode with him till -their trails parted. The last they saw of Trooper Carthew was his broad -back as his horse surmounted a brow of the trail and disappeared. He -turned in his saddle and waved, and then was gone. - -It was a new experience to the boys and it was long before they forgot -his story, but such men are met with frequently in the wild places. -Real heroes, worthy of world recognition, die fighting a good fight, -without hope of reward or praise beyond that bestowed by their mates. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -AFTER MOUNTAIN GOATS. - - -The two days following were unmarked by any special incident. Jimmie -rode with the boys, becoming stronger and lighter-hearted every day. -And yet they noticed a curious thing about the waif. Whenever the -mysterious man was spoken of he grew somber and silent. It was as if -some link existed between himself and this wanderer of the mountains. -The boys put this down to the fact that possibly Jimmie felt that, like -himself, this outcast of the hills was friendless and alone. - -It was on the evening of the second day that they made camp beside one -of those beautiful little lakes that nestle in the bosom of the mighty -Rockies. Across the sheet of blue water the color of turquoise, a ridge -rose steeply from the very water’s edge. The pines on it were thinner -than usual, and appeared singularly free from underbrush. Far above the -lake the smooth ascent broke off abruptly, and there appeared to be -beyond it a rocky plateau intervening between it and the farther wall -of rock and snow that piled upward till it seemed to brush the sky. - -While they were making camp Persimmons was gazing about and suddenly he -drew Ralph’s attention to some moving objects on the snow-covered crest -above the plateau. Mountain Jim was appealed to and decided that the -objects were mountain goats. - -“A big herd of them, too,” he declared. - -“Have a look through the binoculars,” urged Ralph, borrowing the -professor’s glasses which he was far too busy with his rock specimens -to use. Indeed, he hailed Ralph’s excited announcement with only mild -interest, being at that moment entering in his note-book a voluminous -account of his discovery of some metamorphic rock in a region where -none was thought previously to exist. - -The glasses revealed the objects as mountain goats beyond a doubt. They -were big, white fellows with high, humped shoulders and delicate hind -quarters and black hoofs and horns. They looked not unlike miniature -bisons, although of course the resemblance was only superficial. - -While they still gazed at the moving objects on the snow-capped ridge, -Mountain Jim suddenly uttered a sharp exclamation. - -“Look close now,” said he, “for you’ll see something worth looking at -in a minute or two, or I miss my guess.” - -The goats were at the summit of what appeared to be an absolutely -precipitous rock wall. From where they watched it did not appear that -a fly could have found foothold on its surface. The goats had paused. -Ralph drew in a deep breath. - -“Gracious! I do believe they are going to try to get down it,” he -exclaimed. - -“And that ain’t all,” declared Mountain Jim. “They’re going to succeed, -too. Watch ’em.” - -The leader of the goats gave a leap that must have been fully twenty -feet to a ridge which was hardly perceptible even through the glasses. -He stood poised there for a second and then made a breath-catching -plunge off into space. The place on the ledge that he had just vacated -was immediately occupied by one of his followers, while he himself -found footing on nothing, so far as the boys could see. It was a -thrilling performance to watch the goats as they made their way down -that rock-face to the feeding grounds. Sometimes the leader would take -a leap that would make the performance of a flying squirrel seem tame -by comparison. And his followers, among them some ewes, were by no -means behind him in feats of agility. - -“I’ve seen ’em come down a gully that looked like a chimney with one -side out,” said Mountain Jim as he watched. “Old hunters say that when -they miss their footing they save their heads from being caved in by -landing on their horns, but I don’t take any stock in that.” - -“Don’t they ever miss their footing?” cried Ralph wonderingly. - -“Well, I’ve traveled aroun’ these parts fer a good many years,” replied -Jim judicially, “and I ain’t never found hair nor hide of a carcass -killed that way, and no more I reckon did anybody else.” - -Jim went on to describe to the boys how wise and cunning the mountain -goats are, gifted with an intelligence far beyond that possessed by -most wild creatures. He also related to them an anecdote concerning an -ewe whom he had seen defend her kid from the attack of an eagle. The -eagle had swooped down on the kid and knocked it head over heels. It -was about to fix its talons into the fleecy coat and fly off to its -eerie with the little creature, when the old mother became aware of -what was going on. Like a thunderbolt she charged down on the eagle, -which tried in vain to get away. But its own greediness proved its -undoing, for its talons were tangled in the young goat’s coat and it -could not rise, and the mother speedily tramped and butted it to death. -While she was doing this some old rams looked on as if it were no -concern of theirs. They seemed to know that the mother was quite able -to fight her own battles. - -“Think there’s any chance of our getting a shot at them?” asked young -Ware, vibrant with excitement. - -“Don’t see why not,” responded Mountain Jim. “It’s not a hard climb -up there, and I reckon they’ll stay there till to-morrow anyhow, as -there’s pasturage and grass on the plateau and they’re working down to -it.” - -The professor demurred at first at allowing the boys to go hunting the -goats, but after Jim had promised to bring them back safe and sound -he gave his consent. Early the next day, therefore, the party set -out, leaving only Jimmie and the professor in camp. Jimmie had by this -time become quite a valuable assistant to the scientist, and the quiet -occupation of collecting specimens appeared to suit him far better than -the more strenuous sports the rugged boys enjoyed. - -For a couple of hours, after skirting the little lake, they climbed -steadily. Up they went among, apparently, endless banks of climbing -pines, and traversed strips of loose gravel here and there that sent -clattering pebbles down the slope under their feet. - -Then they left the last of the dwindling pine belt behind them and -pushed along on a slope strewn with broken rock and debris that made -walking arduous. - -“Great sport this, hunting mountain goats, ain’t it, boys?” said Jim -with a grin as the boys begged him to rest a while, for Jim appeared to -be made of chilled steel and gristle when it came to climbing. - -“I’m all right,” declared Harry Ware stoutly, although his panting -sides and streaming face belied his words, “but how about lunch?” - -“Yes, cantering crackers! I’m hungry as one of those lions that tried -to gobble up Ralph,” declared Persimmons, who always had, as may have -been noticed, an excellent appetite. - -“Don’t be thinking of lunch yet,” admonished Jim. “You’re a fine bunch -of hunters. The first thing we want to do is to get a crack at those -goats, ain’t it? If we don’t keep on, they will.” - -That settled the question of lunch, and after a brief rest they kept -pushing on up the mountain side. A chill wind was now blowing from -the vast snowfields, and the cool of it fanned their flushed cheeks -refreshingly. - -They reached a stretch of rocky ground made smooth and slippery by -melting snow from the ridges above. The scrap broke off on the verge of -an almost precipitous rift, in the depths of which a torrent roared. -They stopped for a minute upon the dizzy ledge of rock and gazed down -above battalions of somber trees upon the lake below. They could see -the camp and the ponies, dwarfed to specks, moving about far beneath. -Harry Ware and Percy Simmons shouted and waved their hats, but Jim -instantly checked this. - -“Are you hunting goats or out on a picnic,” he admonished the abashed -boys. - -“Huh! Not much of a picnic about this,” grunted Hardware in an audible -aside. - -“Cheer up, it will get worse before it gets better,” said Ralph with a -laugh. - -A short distance further on they came upon some green grass growing in -a marshy spot, kept damp by the constant running of silvery threads of -melted snow. - -“Now look to your rifles,” warned Jim. “We’ll be using the shooting -irons before long, or I miss my guess.” - -They crept cautiously forward, taking advantage of every bit of cover -they could find. They were above timber line now, and only a few -scattered bits of brush or big rocks afforded them the hiding places -they desired. - -It was after they had been crouching behind a big rock for some minutes -that Mountain Jim, who had just peered over the top, brought them to -their feet with a whisper that electrified them. - -“They’re coming,” he said, in a voice that was tense with a hunter’s -excitement, “don’t move or make a sound, and they’ll come right on top -of us.” - -The wind was blowing from the goats toward the hunters, and the -magnificent animals appeared to have no idea of what lay in store for -them beyond the rocks where the boys crouched. There were twenty or -more of the goats, including several bucks, great snow-white creatures -of regal mien with splendid horns and coats. The boys were conscious of -an almost painful excitement as they waited. - -[Illustration: Four rifles cracked and two of the goats sprang into the -air and crashed down again dead.--_Page 285._] - -But Jim, like a good general, knew when to hold his fire. Peering -through a crevice in the rocks he watched the advance of the stately -creatures. They appeared in no hurry, and under the mighty snow-covered -shoulder of the mountain they moved along serenely, cropping the grass -and from time to time skipping about playfully. - -“Now!” shouted Mountain Jim suddenly. - -Like one lad the three boys leaped to their feet. Four rifles cracked -and two of the goats sprang into the air and crashed down again dead. -Both Harry Ware and Persimmons had missed their marks. The goats -wheeled in wild confusion. They snorted and snorted and mah-h-hed in -a terrified manner. With a whoop Percy Simmons dashed toward them, -yelling at the top of his voice. - -“Come back!” roared Jim frantically, but the boy was far too excited -to heed him. He rushed after the fleeing goats at top speed, shouting -like an Indian. - -Suddenly one of the old bucks wheeled. The creature was as big as a -small calf, and almost as powerful as an ox. It saw Percy and lowered -its head. - -“Gibbering gondolas! He’s coming for me!” exclaimed the boy, and so -indeed the infuriated old buck was. - -“Fire at him!” roared the others, seeing the boy’s predicament, but -Persimmons could only stare stupidly at the great buck, as with lowered -horns, it dashed toward him. - -“Run! Shoot! Do something!” came from Jim in a volley of shouts. - -“Look out!” roared Hardware, as if such a warning was necessary at all. - -“Get out of his way!” cried Ralph. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -JIMMIE FINDS A FATHER. - - -The goat itself simplified matters for the frightened boy. Its lowered -head collided with his rotund form like a battering ram, and the next -instant Persimmons described a graceful parabola above the snowfield. -As for the goat, it dashed on, but came to a sudden halt as a shot -cracked from Jim’s rifle and the bullet sped to its heart. - -The boys, however, paid little attention to this at the time. Their -minds were concentrated upon poor Persimmons’ predicament. The boy had -been hurtled head foremost into a pile of snow and all that was visible -of him were his two feet feebly waving in the air. - -“Gracious, I hope he’s not badly hurt!” exclaimed Ralph, as he and the -rest ran toward the snow bank. - -Thanks to the soft snow, the lad was found to be uninjured, and after -he had been hauled out, he sat down on a rock with a comically rueful -expression on his face, and picked the snow out of his hair and eyes. - -“What do you think you are, anyhow,” demanded Harry, “a bullfighter?” - -“Ouch, don’t joke about it,” protested the boy. “I thought an express -train had hit me. Wh-wh-what became of the buck?” - -“There he lies yonder, dead as that rock, but I don’t see where you -come in for any credit for killing him.” - -“You don’t, eh? Didn’t I attract him this way so you could shoot him?” -demanded the other youth indignantly. “I’ll tell you, fellows, shooting -the chutes, the loop-the-loop and all of them can take a back seat. For -pure unadulterated, blown-in-the-bottle excitement, give me a butt by -a mountain goat. It’s like riding in an airship.” - -“If you ever take another such ride it may prove your last one, young -man,” spoke Mountain Jim severely. - -“Yes; I wouldn’t advise you to get the habit,” commented Harry Ware. - -Not long after, they watched Jim separate the fine heads of the three -dead animals, and, as it proved, there was one for Harry Ware, after -all. Mountain Jim had shot so many of the goats in his time that a head -more or less meant nothing to him, and he gladly gave his to Harry when -he saw the latter’s rather long face. - -They took the choicest parts of the meat back to camp with them. Not -all of a mountain goat is very good eating, some of the flesh being -strong flavored and coarse, so that they had no more than they could -easily carry amongst them. That night, as you may imagine, Persimmons -“rode the goat” all over again amidst much laughter and applause, and -the other young hunters told their stories till they all grew so sleepy -that it was decided to turn in. - -Three days of traveling amidst the big peaks followed, and they all -helped the professor collect specimens to his heart’s content. His note -books were soon bulging, and he declared that his trip had added much -to the knowledge of the world concerning the Canadian Rockies. - -One evening as they mounted a ridge, Mountain Jim paused and pointed -down to the valley below them. Through it swept a great green ribbon of -water amidst rocky, pine-clad slopes. - -“That’s it,” declared Jim. - -“What?” demanded Persimmons eagerly, not quite understanding. - -“The Big Bend of the Columbia River,” was the rejoinder. - -The party broke into a cheer. The end of one stage of their journey was -at hand, for they were to return by a more civilized route. And yet -they were half sorry, for they had enjoyed themselves to the full in -those last days amidst the great silences. - -It is at the Big Bend that the mighty Columbia turns after its erratic -northeast course and starts its southern journey to the Pacific Ocean, -which it enters near Portland, Oregon. - -In the sunset light, which lay glowingly on the great peaks behind -them, the heart of whose mysteries they had penetrated, they rode -rapidly down the trail, sweeping up to the store in a grand manner. -That night they had an elaborate supper and related some of their -adventures to the store-keeper, a French Canadian, who, in turn, told -many of his experiences. They were still talking when a man came in and -announced himself as Bill Dawkins from “up the trail a ways.” - -“I heard that one of your party is a doctor or suthin’ sim’lar,” he -said, “and maybe he can do suth’in for a poor cuss that’s just been -throwed from his horse and had his head busted, up the road a piece.” - -“I am not a doctor, but I have some knowledge of medicine,” said the -professor. “Where is the man?” - -“In my cabin. I’ll take you to him.” - -They all streamed out into the night and followed Bill Dawkins up -the trail. It was not a great way and they were soon standing at the -bedside of a well-built, but pitifully ragged-looking man. His head was -bandaged, but enough of his face was visible to cause Ralph to give a -great start as they saw him. - -“It’s the mysterious man! The horse thief!” he cried, clutching -Mountain Jim’s arm. - -“Are you sure?” - -“Certain.” - -Jim turned to the man who had brought them. - -“Is the horse that threw him outside?” he asked. - -“Sure, pard’ner, right under the shed,” was the reply; “good-looking -pony, too.” - -Jim borrowed a lantern and he and Ralph went out. There was no question -about it. One look was enough. It was the missing pony. - -“Well, that’s what I call poetic justice,” said Jim. - -“Hark!” cried Ralph suddenly. “What was that?” - -“Somebody hollered,” declared Jim; “it came from the hut. Maybe that -scallywag is dead.” - -Ralph set off running. The cry had been in Jimmie’s voice. He had -recognized it. What could have happened? - -Inside the hut there was a strange scene. Jimmie was on his knees at -the bedside of the wild-looking man and was crying out: - -“Father! It’s me! Jimmie! Father, don’t you know me?” - -But the man on the bed was delirious. He shouted incoherently. - -“It’s silver! I tell you it’s silver! Jimmie? Who says Jimmie? Why, -that’s my boy. But he’s dead, is Jimmie. Dead-dead-dead!” - -The cracked voice broke off in a wail. Suddenly the delirious man -thrust his hands into his pockets and drew out some fragments of rock. - -“Scramble for it, you dogs!” he cried. “It’s silver! Jimmie’s dead and -I don’t want it. But they’re after me,--after me yet!” - -The professor picked up a bit of the rock. - -“It’s rich in fine silver!” he exclaimed. “This man has found a mine -somewhere.” - -“Yes; but Jimmie called him ‘father.’ What does it all mean?” demanded -Ralph. - -“It must remain a puzzle for the present,” said the professor. “This -man has been badly injured in his fall. I think he will live, but I -can’t answer for it. Bill Dawkins’ partner has ridden off for a doctor. -In the meantime. I’ll do what I can.” - -Soon afterward the doctor arrived and they were all ordered from the -room. It was then that Jimmie told his story to the curious group that -surrounded him. - -His father, whom he had so strangely recovered, had been cashier of a -city bank many years before, when Jimmie was a baby. Before that he had -followed the sea for a time, and sailor fashion, he had had tattooed on -his arms his own initials,--H. R., Horace Ransom,--and the initials of -Jimmie’s mother,--A. S., Anna Seagrim. There came a day when shortage -was discovered in the bank and Jimmie’s father, wrongfully suspected, -fled to Canada rather than face the chance of being convicted, as he -knew that had happened to many another innocent man. - -Beyond the fact that he had gone to the Canadian Rockies, then a wilder -region even than they are to-day, Jimmie’s mother knew nothing. Time -went on and it was found out that Horace Ransom was innocent, but he -could not be found. Jimmie’s mother fell ill and died, but before she -passed away she left a paper with her son describing the marks on his -father’s arm and where he had last been heard of. - -Jimmie was too young to understand what it all meant then. He was -sent to an orphans’ home, but ran away as soon as he was old enough -to make his escape. He drifted about, selling newspapers, performing -with circuses and doing many other things, but all the time he clung -to the precious bit of paper his mother had entrusted to him. Jimmie’s -one ambition had been to find his father if he were alive, and to make -him happy. He saved and scrimped and at last got money enough together -for railroad fares back to the States for his father and himself. But -he had, as we know, to make his way to the Rockies without financial -assistance, traveling as best he could. - -The boys’ stories of the wild man had worked on his imagination and -a feeling that the man might be his father had come to possess him. -But, of course, he had no proof of the matter till he knelt at the -bedside of the raving man and saw the tattoo marks. Such, in brief, was -Jimmie’s strange story. - -With this, our party had to be content for the time being, and leaving -Jimmie with the neighborhood doctor at Bill Dawkins’ hut, they went -down the trail to pitch camp at the Big Bend. They decided to remain at -this place at least until Jimmie’s new-found father was out of danger -and his plans for the future were made. - -Some days later Mr. Ransom rallied enough to talk haltingly,--and to -Jimmie’s joy he talked rationally! The surgeon in attendance declared -that, as is not altogether unusual, the sudden blow on the head had -restored the man’s senses. He felt assured that some particularly -severe experience during Mr. Ransom’s years of loneliness and hardship -in the Rockies had deprived him temporarily of his mental poise, and -that he had been subject to periods of wildness. - -What the crucial strain was, no one could discover. He seemed very -uncertain when questioned about his past and apparently was unable to -relate one incident to another as he recalled them. - -It was left for Jimmie, who could hardly be tempted to leave his -father’s bedside, by day or night, to tell him of his early history and -to piece together the later experiences as they fell from the injured -man’s lips. - -It seemed that Mr. Ransom had accidentally blundered upon the boys’ -camp on one of his lone pilgrimages amidst the mountains, for doubtless -he had searched only during his sane periods for gold or silver. The -sound of boyish voices had evidently stirred memories of his own son, -Jimmie, who he had realized must be a grown lad, although he had left -him a baby in arms. - -But the fear of being arrested for the crime of which, as he supposed, -he still stood accused, always haunted him and had made him afraid of -meeting the travelers from the States face to face. He had followed -them at a distance, his half-crazed brain fascinated by them. In the -terrible passage of the _brulee_ his own pony had died under him, and -the next night he had stampeded the travelers’ ponies and stolen one -of them. In the same way, when necessity arose, he had stolen some of -their provisions. He was still on their trail when the accident that -restored to him his son, his senses and the knowledge of his complete -clearance of suspicion of the bank shortage, had occurred to him. - -But still he could not account for years of his past. Jimmie patiently -went over with him the story of his long-ago flight and of his recent -mining researches, but between the two experiences yawned a baffling -hiatus. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -THE MYSTERY SOLVED. - - -One day the two were sitting in the doorway of Bill Dawkins’ hut, where -the hospitable owner still made them welcome. They were looking over -the few specimens of rock “rich in fine silver” that Mr. Ransom had -produced that first day, when the man thrust his hands into his pockets -to see if any more fragments remained there. Finally from an inside -pocket he added to the growing pile of treasures a piece of flat, -tarnished metal. He gave a little shudder as his fingers released it, -and Jimmie glanced up in time to see a sudden change in his father’s -eye, like a glimpse of suddenly remembered fear. - -“What is it, father?” Jimmie cried sharply. - -The man started, looked down and then smiled foolishly. - -“I don’t know, son,” he replied slowly. - -Jimmie picked up the bit of tarnished metal, and gave a sudden start in -his turn. Quickly controlling himself, he asked as quietly as possible, -“Where did you get this, father?” - -“I don’t know, son,” repeated the man again. “I don’t know. I must have -had it a long time,--son,--a long time.” - -Jimmie looked at the little dull article a moment and then leaning -forward fastened it to the breast of his father’s coat. Mr. Ransom -began to look uneasy and a wild light sprang to his eyes for an -instant. Jimmie immediately detached the metal piece and put it in his -pocket. Then he began to chat with his father about the trees, the -mountains, the hut and kindred matters, and apparently forgot all about -the incident. - -But the moment that Bill Dawkins returned from his day’s hunting in the -mountains, Jimmie was off like an arrow from a bow for the camp down on -the Big Bend. - -The party were just enjoying a quiet evening meal prepared under -Mountain Jim’s tutelage, when Jimmie burst in upon them. - -“See that!” he cried breathlessly, holding up the piece of tarnished -metal. “And that!” he added, turning the article over so as to show its -blackened under side. - -“It’s a badge!” cried Persimmons. - -“A Northwest Mounted badge!” added Ralph. - -“And it has a name scratched on the back!” reported the professor. - -“And the name--is--_Nevins_!” concluded Mountain Jim in a tone of awe. - -“And _my father_ had that in his pocket!” said Jimmie, tears of -excitement rolling down his cheeks. - -“Could your father--possibly--be--Nevins?” asked the professor slowly. - -“But Nevins died in the snow!” protested Harry Ware. - -“No, Carthew only _thought_ he died. No one _knew_,” said Mountain Jim -reminiscently. - -“But the Indians?” suggested Ralph. - -“Maybe they saved him,--who knows?” said Jimmie, his eyes shining. “And -maybe they let him wander away when he got stronger because they saw he -was crazy!” - -And so the talk went on, one suggestion and one surmise following -another until the long evening was spent. The mystery could not be -fully solved, but all agreed not to remind Jimmie’s father of the -horrible experience that had been his, if he were, indeed, the subject -of Trooper Carthew’s tale. - -The next day the faithful doctor approved this decision. He also -promised that he would get word to the trooper of this strange sequel -to his story. - -To digress, for a moment, as we may not linger much longer over the -happy ending of Jimmie’s search. Time and the trooper proved, that Mr. -Ransom and “Nevins of Ours” were, indeed, one and the same. The second -name had been assumed as a protection, and so had prevented the finding -of Jimmie’s father long ago. A year or two after the incidents just -related there was a reunion of the two men who had long before faced -death together on the solitary trail, and by that time the clouds of -forgetfulness had been so largely dissipated from Mr. Ransom’s befogged -brain that he was able to thank the stalwart trooper for his efforts in -his behalf. - -Although much that had intervened between the time of Mr. Ransom’s -disappearance in the snow and the time of his mental recovery was never -clearly known, yet flashes of memory recalled to him Indians, warm -blankets and good food. And his friends concluded that the Indians had -really captured and saved him, but through some superstitious regard -for his crazed condition, had been kindly disposed toward him and -given him his freedom. - -But the silver? It was many days before Horace Ransom was strong enough -to compel his brain to work backward to locate the spot where he had -found the rich ore. Finally he succeeded, and the professor and the -boys eventually accompanied him to the recess in the hills where the -rich find had been made. The professor declared that the vein was of -great richness and would yield a vast amount of silver, and so it -subsequently proved. - -The new Horace Ransom--the alert, middle-aged man of property that had -arisen from the ashes of the mysterious derelict of the mountains--was -anxious for the boys and the professor all to take shares in his mine, -but they refused. Instead they turned their interest, which Mr. Ransom -insisted they possessed, over to Mountain Jim. - -All this, of course, did not take place in a day. While Mr. Ransom -was convalescing, the boys had much sport on the great Columbia in -native canoes. They also had several adventurous hunting trips and -memorable mountain climbs. But possibly of all their recollections of -the Canadian Rockies the remembrance of the strange reunion of “the boy -from nowhere” and his father was destined to stand out as the brightest -and best. Little did they imagine when Ralph rescued Jimmie from the -hands of the brutal brakeman, that before many years had rolled by the -waif would be partner in the “Border Boy” silver mine, answering to the -name “Mr. James Ransom.” - -And here we will break off this tale. Another volume might easily be -written relating further doings of these boys in the Canadian Rockies. -But space forbids, and we must defer further acquaintance with our lads -till we meet them once more in the next volume of this series, THE -BORDER BOYS ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. - - -THE END. - - - - -The - -Radio Boys Series - -BY GERALD BRECKENRIDGE - - -A new series of copyright titles for boys of all ages. - -Cloth Bound, with Attractive Cover Designs - -PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH - - - THE RADIO BOYS ON THE MEXICAN BORDER - - THE RADIO BOYS ON SECRET SERVICE DUTY - - THE RADIO BOYS WITH THE REVENUE GUARDS - - THE RADIO BOYS’ SEARCH FOR THE INCA’S TREASURE - - THE RADIO BOYS RESCUE THE LOST ALASKA EXPEDITION - - THE RADIO BOYS IN DARKEST AFRICA - - THE RADIO BOYS SEEK THE LOST ATLANTIS - - -The - -Boy Troopers - -Series - -BY CLAIR W. HAYES - -Author of the Famous “Boy Allies” Series. - - -The adventures of two boys with the Pennsylvania State Police. - -All Copyrighted Titles. - -Cloth Bound, with Attractive Cover Designs. - -PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH. - - - THE BOY TROOPERS ON THE TRAIL - - THE BOY TROOPERS IN THE NORTHWEST - - THE BOY TROOPERS ON STRIKE DUTY - - THE BOY TROOPERS AMONG THE WILD MOUNTAINEERS - - -The - -Golden Boys - -Series - -BY L. P. WYMAN, PH.D. - -Dean of Pennsylvania Military College. - -A new series of instructive copyright stories for boys of High School -Age. - -Handsome Cloth Binding. - -PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH - - - THE GOLDEN BOYS AND THEIR NEW ELECTRIC CELL - - THE GOLDEN BOYS AT THE FORTRESS - - THE GOLDEN BOYS IN THE MAINE WOODS - - THE GOLDEN BOYS WITH THE LUMBER JACKS - - THE GOLDEN BOYS RESCUED BY RADIO - - THE GOLDEN BOYS ALONG THE RIVER ALLAGASH - - THE GOLDEN BOYS AT THE HAUNTED CAMP - - -The - -Ranger Boys - -Series - -BY CLAUDE H. LA BELLE - -A new series of copyright titles telling of the adventures of three -boys with the Forest Rangers in the state of Maine. - -Handsome Cloth Binding. - -PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH. - - - THE RANGER BOYS TO THE RESCUE - - THE RANGER BOYS FIND THE HERMIT - - THE RANGER BOYS AND THE BORDER SMUGGLERS - - THE RANGER BOYS OUTWIT THE TIMBER THIEVES - - THE RANGER BOYS AND THEIR REWARD - - -The Boy Scouts Series - -BY HERBERT CARTER - -For Boys 12 to 16 Years - - All Cloth Bound Copyright Titles - -PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH - -New Stories of Camp Life - - THE BOY SCOUTS’ FIRST CAMPFIRE; or, Scouting with the Silver Fox - Patrol. - - THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE BLUE RIDGE; or, Marooned Among the Moonshiners. - - THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL; or, Scouting through the Big Game Country. - - THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE MAINE WOODS; or, The New Test for the Silver Fox - Patrol. - - THE BOY SCOUTS THROUGH THE BIG TIMBER; or, The Search for the Lost - Tenderfoot. - - THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE ROCKIES; or, The Secret of the Hidden Silver - Mine. - - THE BOY SCOUTS ON STURGEON ISLAND; or, Marooned Among the Game-Fish - Poachers. - - THE BOY SCOUTS DOWN IN DIXIE; or, The Strange Secret of Alligator - Swamp. - - THE BOY SCOUTS AT THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA; A story of Burgoyne’s Defeat - in 1777. - - THE BOY SCOUTS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA; or, The Silver Fox Patrol Caught - in a Flood. - - THE BOY SCOUTS ON WAR TRAILS IN BELGIUM; or, Caught Between Hostile - Armies. - - THE BOY SCOUTS AFOOT IN FRANCE; or, With The Red Cross Corps at the - Marne. - - -The Boy Allies - -(Registered in the United States Patent Office) - -With the Navy - - BY - ENSIGN ROBERT L. DRAKE - - -For Boys 12 to 16 Years. - - All Cloth Bound Copyright Titles - -PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH - - -Frank Chadwick and Jack Templeton, young American lads, meet each other -in an unusual way soon after the declaration of war. Circumstances -place them on board the British cruiser, “The Sylph,” and from there -on, they share adventures with the sailors of the Allies. Ensign Robert -L. Drake, the author, is an experienced naval officer, and he describes -admirably the many exciting adventures of the two boys. - - THE BOY ALLIES ON THE NORTH SEA PATROL; or, Striking the First Blow at - the German Fleet. - - THE BOY ALLIES UNDER TWO FLAGS; or, Sweeping the Enemy from the Sea. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE FLYING SQUADRON; or, The Naval Raiders of the - Great War. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE TERROR OF THE SEA; or, The Last Shot of - Submarine D-16. - - THE BOY ALLIES UNDER THE SEA; or, The Vanishing Submarine. - - THE BOY ALLIES IN THE BALTIC; or, Through Fields of Ice to Aid the - Czar. - - THE BOY ALLIES AT JUTLAND; or, The Greatest Naval Battle of History. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH UNCLE SAM’S CRUISERS; or, Convoying the American - Army Across the Atlantic. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE SUBMARINE D-32; or, The Fall of the Russian - Empire. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE VICTORIOUS FLEETS; or, The Fall of the German - Navy. - - -The Boy Allies - -(Registered in the United States Patent Office) - -With the Army - -BY CLAIR W. HAYES - - -For Boys 12 to 16 Years. - - All Cloth Bound Copyright Titles - -PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH - - -In this series we follow the fortunes of two American lads unable to -leave Europe after war is declared. They meet the soldiers of the -Allies, and decide to cast their lot with them. Their experiences and -escapes are many, and furnish plenty of good, healthy action that every -boy loves. - - THE BOY ALLIES AT LIEGE; or, Through Lines of Steel. - - THE BOY ALLIES ON THE FIRING LINE; or, Twelve Days Battle Along the - Marne. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE COSSACKS; or, A Wild Dash Over the Carpathians. - - THE BOY ALLIES IN THE TRENCHES; or, Midst Shot and Shell Along the - Aisne. - - THE BOY ALLIES IN GREAT PERIL; or, With the Italian Army in the Alps. - - THE BOY ALLIES IN THE BALKAN CAMPAIGN; or, The Struggle to Save a - Nation. - - THE BOY ALLIES ON THE SOMME; or, Courage and Bravery Rewarded. - - THE BOY ALLIES AT VERDUN; or, Saving France from the Enemy. - - THE BOY ALLIES UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES; or, Leading the American - Troops to the Firing Line. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH HAIG IN FLANDERS; or, The Fighting Canadians of - Vimy Ridge. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH PERSHING IN FRANCE; or, Over the Top at Chateau - Thierry. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE GREAT ADVANCE; or, Driving the Enemy Through - France and Belgium. - - THE BOY ALLIES WITH MARSHAL FOCH; or, The Closing Days of the Great - World War. - - -The Jack - -Lorimer Series - -BY WINN STANDISH - - -For Boys 12 to 16 Years. - - All Cloth Bound Copyright Titles - -PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH - - - CAPTAIN JACK LORIMER; or, The Young Athlete of Millvale High. - - Jack Lorimer is a fine example of the all-around American high-school - boys. His fondness for clean, honest sport of all kinds will strike a - chord of sympathy among athletic youths. - -JACK LORIMER’S CHAMPIONS; or, Sports on Land and Lake. - - There is a lively story woven in with the athletic achievements, which - are all right, since the book has been O. K.’d. by Chadwick, the - Nestor of American Sporting journalism. - -JACK LORIMER’S HOLIDAYS; or, Millvale High in Camp. - - It would be well not to put this book into a boy’s hands until the - chores are finished, otherwise they might be neglected. - - JACK LORIMER’S SUBSTITUTE; or, The Acting Captain of the Team. - - On the sporting side, this book takes up football, wrestling, and - tobogganing. There is a good deal of fun in this book and plenty of - action. - - JACK LORIMER, FRESHMAN; or, From Millvale High to Exmouth. - - Jack and some friends he makes crowd innumerable happenings into - an exciting freshman year at one of the leading Eastern colleges. - The book is typical of the American college boy’s life, and there - is a lively story, interwoven with feats on the gridiron, hockey, - basketball and other clean honest sports for which Jack Lorimer stands. - - -For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by -the Publishers - - A. L. BURT COMPANY - 114-120 EAST 23rd STREET NEW YORK - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Border Boys in the Canadian Rockies, by -Fremont B. Deering - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BORDER BOYS *** - -***** This file should be named 52810-0.txt or 52810-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/8/1/52810/ - -Produced by Giovanni Fini, Roger Frank and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Books project.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |