The Banner Boy Scouts Snowbound Part 31

"I'll tell you this, Tolly Tip," replied the scout leader emphatically. "If we get off during the Easter holidays some of us may take a run up here to visit you again. And perhaps you'll find occasion to come to Stanhope in some business dealings with Mr.

Garrity. In that case you must let us know. I'll call a special meeting of the scouts, and you'll be our honored guest."

The old woodsman was visibly affected by these hearty words. He led a lonely life of it, although until the coming of these merry boys it had not seemed especially so. They had aroused long buried memories of his own boyhood, and given him a "new lease of life," as he declared.

Nothing remarkable happened on this last day in camp, though numerous things took place. Paul saw to it that in the afternoon the boys got everything ready to pack so there would be little delay in the morning, and they could get an early start if the weather conditions were at all favorable.

The weather remained good. The great storm must have covered a considerable stretch of territory east of the Mississippi and the Great Lakes and cleared the atmosphere wonderfully, for again the morning dawned without a threatening cloud to give cause for anxiety.

There was considerable bustle inside the cabin and out of it about that time. Packs were being done up, though in much smaller compa.s.s than when the boys arrived at the camp, since only enough food was being taken along to serve for a couple of meals.

All the rest they only too gladly bequeathed to their genial host.

Many were the silent resolves on the part of the boys as to what they would send up to Deer Head Lodge if ever the chance arrived, tobacco for Tolly Tip's pipe being of course the main idea, since he seemed to lack nothing else.

On Tolly Tip's part, he forced each of the lads to pack away a particular pelt which they were to have made into some sort of small article, just to remember the glorious outing in the snowy woods by.

At last the time came to say good-bye to the camp, and it was with unanimous agreement that the scouts cl.u.s.tered in a bunch, swung their hats, and gave three parting cheers for the lodge in the wilderness.

Tolly Tip had laid out their course, and on the way the main body halted while he and Paul tramped over to the foot of the hill where the cave among the rocks lay.

Paul was pleased to find the cave empty and the ashes cold where the fire had burned, thus proving that Hank and his three companions had started overland for home on the previous day.

Once more joining the others, they continued on their way.

"Next in line come our friends, the hobo yeggmen!" remarked Jud, with a grim closing of his lips.

"Listen," said Paul, impressively, "for the last time I want to caution you all to follow the directions I've given. We must try to creep up on that old shack, and find out what the tramps are doing before we show our hand."

"Well, what have scouts been learning woodcraft for if they can't do a bit of spy work?" asked Jud, boldly. "All you have to do, Paul, is to pick those you want to keep you company when you make the grand creep; while the rest hang out close by, ready to jump in at the signal and make it unanimous."

It might have been noticed, were one watching closely, that Jud said this with a complacent smile hovering about his lips. The reason was easily guessed, because Jud really had no peer among the members of Stanhope Troop of Boy Scouts when it came to creeping up on game or some pretended enemy.

He had often proved his superiority in this respect, and could therefore take it for granted that the scout-master would pick him out to accompany him on an occasion like this.

"All right, Jud," said Paul, smilingly, for he understood very well how the other felt, "I'll take Jack with me, Bobolink, and Tom Betts as well--yes, and you may come along too, I guess."

Some of them snickered at this, while Jud glared haughtily around and shrugged his shoulders, looking aggrieved, until Paul took occasion to whisper in his ear:

"That was meant for a joke you understand, Jud. Of course, I couldn't think of doing this thing without your help."

Later on Tolly Tip announced that they would now leave the creek and head in the direction of the abandoned charcoal burners' shack. All the scouts felt more or less of a thrill in antic.i.p.ation of what was to come.

"I only hope," Jud was heard to mutter, aggressively, "that they haven't gone and skedaddled since Bud Phillips saw 'em in the place.

That'd make me feel pretty sore, let me tell you!"

"Not much chance of that happening, Jud," Jack a.s.sured the grumbler, "unless by some accident their supplies got low. And Bud said they seemed to have enough on hand to last for weeks. Everything's going to turn out as we want it, make up your mind to that."

The old woodsman knew every rod of territory around that section, and could have led his charges in a bee-line to the shack except for the snowdrifts. Of course, these caused more or less meandering, but in the end they came to a place where Tolly Tip raised a warning finger.

Every boy knew by that they must be close upon the shack. Indeed, a whiff of wood smoke floated their way just then, announcing that the goal was at hand.

They moved on for a couple of minutes. Then all could glimpse the dilapidated cabin amidst the snow piles, with smoke oozing from its disabled mud and slab chimney. Paul made a gesture that they recognized, whereupon part of the company came to a halt and hid, while the others crept on with the leader.

CHAPTER x.x.xII

THE CAPTURE OF THE HOBO YEGGMEN

Long practice had made the scouts adepts at this sort of work. They could creep up on an unsuspecting sentry almost as cleverly as those copper-colored natives of the American woods whom all Boy Scouts copy when studying woodcraft.

Then again the piles of snow helped, as well as hindered, them more or less. But except for that column of blue wood smoke drifting lazily upward over the cabin there was really no sign of life about the place.

Paul, Tolly Tip and the others of the scouting party soon reached the rear of the shack. They could easily see where the two tramps had actually worked to close up most of the c.h.i.n.ks between the logs, to keep the bitter cold air and the driving snow out of their refuge.

Men of their sort would never think of staying for a week or two amidst such barren surroundings so long as there remained a warm county jail ready to accommodate them with free lodging--that is, unless they had a good reason for wanting to avoid civilization.

Paul, believing that they had set that fire and robbed Mr. Briggs'

safe, could understand just why they remained here in seclusion. They doubtless feared suspicion may have been pointed in their direction, and that something of a search was being indulged in looking to their ultimate capture.

As soon as they arrived close to the walls of the shack the boys searched for some crevice through which they might gain a view of the interior.

Several managed to dig peep-holes by detaching the frozen mud that the tramps had plastered over open c.h.i.n.ks. They applied their eyes to such crevices, and first of all discovered a blazing fire. Then a movement on one side drew their attention to the taller vagrant sitting quietly smoking his black pipe as though quite contented with his lot of idleness, so long as his wants were fairly well supplied.

It happened that the wind had gone down, and there brooded over the snowy forest a deep silence. This fact allowed the listeners without to catch the sound of voices inside the hut, for one of the tramps talked heavily, and the other had a high-pitched voice that carried like a squeaking fife.

What they were saying just then instantly riveted the attention of the listeners, for as though by some strange freak it had an intimate connection with the object of the scouts' coming to the spot.

The shorter man seemed to have been doing some work on his injured hand, for he was now carefully wrapping a fresh rag around it. At the same time he was grumbling because of the pain his injury gave him.

"I never knowed how bad a burn was till now, Billy," was the burden of his complaint. "I've been shot and hurted in every other way, but this here's the fust time I ever got licked by fire. It's a-goin' to be the last time too, if I knows it."

"Any fool had ought to know better'n to play with fire," the other told him between his teeth as he sucked at his pipe. "I reckons that ye'd been wuss hurt nor that if I hadn't slapped a pail o' water over ye, and put ye out. Gotter stand fur it, Shorty, till the new skin comes along. A burn is wuss nor a cut any day."

"I on'y hopes as how it's well afore we skip outen this hole," the sufferer went on to say, still unappeased. "If we git in a tight hole I'd need both my fins to do business with. A one-handed man ain't got much chance to slip away when the cornfield cops make a raid."

"They ain't goin' to bother us any! Make up yer mind to that same, boy," continued the tall vagrant, complacently. "When the time comes, an' the weather lets up on us a bit, why, we'll jest flit outen this region by the back door. I'm only mad as hops 'bout one thing."

"Yep, an' I know what it be, 'cause ye been harpin' on that subject right along, Billy. Yer disapp'inted 'cause the old man didn't have a bigger haul in his cracked safe."

"Well, that's what ails me," admitted the other in a grumbling way.

"We'd a been fixed fur a year to come if only he'd had a good wad lyin' low, 'stead of a measly bunch of the long green."

"Better luck next time, Billy, say I," continued the shorter tramp, as he finished fastening the soiled rag about his left hand and wrist.

It can be easily understood that Paul had heard quite enough by this time. There was not the slightest doubt in the world that Billy and his partner had been guilty of setting fire to Mr. Briggs' store, and had also broken open his ancient safe to extract whatever amount of money happened to be in it at the time.