The Frontier Boys in the Sierras Part 24

Juarez's roan was a smaller horse than Caliente, but he, too, was fleet and of tireless endurance. He was somewhat wall-eyed and vicious at times, but Juarez was the master. The story of the capture of the horses is told in "Frontier Boys in Mexico," so I will not rehea.r.s.e it here.

No sooner had the two hors.e.m.e.n left the hill than they whirled their rifles over their heads and gave their horses the rein. Away they dashed at full speed over the level meadows, near the edge of the dark tree-clad slopes, as though they were reviewing the vast army of the pines.

"There they go like wild Indians," said Tom. "We will have a quiet day now."

In a few minutes Tom and Jo were going across the level meadow with the slender poles they had cut and the lines and hooks ready. As for Jeems, he proceeded to make himself comfortable, taking his blankets and spreading them out under the shade of a tree, stretching himself out upon them with his hands clasped under his head, and gazing at the distant clouds, drifting dreamily over the depths of blue, while there came through the sun-warmed air the continual murmur of insects.

Near Jeems' side his faithful shepherd dog was curled up in lazy contentment, with his eyes peacefully closed, opening with an occasional blink, then closing again. It was a happy interval for Jeems, and he thoroughly enjoyed the quietness of the scene, for he was a philosopher by nature as well as by name, and he liked to have time for his own mind. "You can't hatch thoughts unless you sit on 'em a while," was one of his quaint phrases.

Meanwhile, Tom and Jo were walking across the sunny meadows with their minds filled with great expectations of the trout they were about to catch. It was a sort of a holiday for them, and they did not envy Jim and Juarez in the least, and were actually sorry for Jeems, since they were born fishermen. When they reached the stream they separated, Jo going up where there were some willow bushes overhanging the water, and Tom going down where he hoped to find some quiet pools.

The whole valley was a scene of utmost peace, and no one would dream that there was war gathering, as it were, in the near future, but there undoubtedly was. The only bit of tactics that Jo had in his mind at present was how to get the big trout who lurked in the shadow of the limpid pool. He cast carefully and watched the float on his line with intense interest. Five minutes pa.s.sed, then came the heart-throbbing second when the float went under and there was a strong, tense pull on the line. Steadily Jo pulled until there shone in the air a gleaming trout.

It was a beauty with olive-green back, shading down the sides to white with spots of black and red. It was thirteen inches in length, and Jo promised himself quite a triumph over Tom when he should show him this prize. By noon Jo had caught ten fish varying from seven inches to a foot in length. He and Tom met down stream several miles, at noon.

"What luck?" inquired Tom.

"Better than yours," declared Jo proudly. "I've got the biggest fish."

"You have not," said Tom, and to prove it he pulled out of his bag a good big trout.

"There!"

"Huh! You just wait," retorted Jo, fis.h.i.+ng into his sack. "How does that strike you?" and he pulled out his champion.

"Let's measure," said Tom. Jo's fish was a half inch longer, and he also had two more than his brother, for Tom had caught only eight.

They ate their lunch on a little gravelly knoll where there were some pine trees not far from the stream.

What with a couple of trout, backed by what they had brought, and the cold water from the stream, they fared very well, indeed.

"I reckon we will do better than Jim and Juarez," said Tom. "I don't believe that they will get anything."

"We ought to do well this afternoon," said Jo.

And they did. By four o'clock they had a joint catch of thirty-five trout, and decided that was enough for the present. At Jo's suggestion they decided to give Jeems a surprise. So they approached the hill with due care, making their attack on the side towards the slope of the mountain which was best protected. They began their stealthy crawl up through the pine trees, until they came in sight of the camp.

The first evidence they saw of Jeems was his feet sticking out, being quite prominent in their blue socks with white tips, he having removed his boots for comfort. His back was against a big pine, and he was peacefully asleep. Before he could move a rope was pa.s.sed quickly around his chest and he was bound firmly to the tree by unseen hands.

"Help!" he yelled. "Tom, Jo, come here quick, they've got me!"

CHAPTER XXIV

BIG GUS AND HIS GANG

Thus having got poor Jeems securely tied, Tom and Jo vamoosed down the hill shaking with laughter. Then they ran around the edge to the brook side of the hill and ran to Jeems' rescue, he yelling l.u.s.tily for help.

"Where did they go?" cried Jo.

"Back to the woods," replied Jeems.

"How many were they?" asked Tom.

"I couldn't count 'em," answered Jeems.

"What were you doing?" inquired Jo, "while these rascals were tying you?"

"Nuthin'," replied Jeems.

"I suppose you were asleep," put in Tom.

"I was meditating," replied Jeems with dignity.

"With your eyes shut," added Jo.

"The best way," explained Jeems, "for in that way it shuts out every outside object, even outlaws."

"I wonder what luck Jim and Juarez are having?" said Jo, changing the subject.

"They ought to be showing up pretty soon now," remarked Tom.

"Maybe they have got tied up too," said Jeems.

Let us solve this for ourselves by following Jim and Juarez on their hunting expedition. Concluding their race, they settled down to the search for game. After going several miles they branched off to the northwest where a part of the valley formed a park with trees wide-s.p.a.ced and gra.s.s. It was a beautiful place.

"This is the kind of country to find deer in," said Juarez.

"It does look good," said Jim. "We had better leave our horses here and try it on foot."

"There is a thick clump of trees over there," remarked Juarez, "where it will be a safe place to tie them."

Without more ado, the two boys made their way to the grove, which formed an excellent screen, for the trees were not pine, but a kind of alder with large round leaves, and around the grove was quite a thick growth of brush. With some difficulty they got into the center of the trees, and made their horses fast. Then they started to make their way out with their rifles ready.

"h.e.l.lo! What is that?" cried Juarez. "Didn't you hear it?" The boys stood perfectly still; then in a few seconds came two reports.

"Somebody has got ahead of us," remarked Jim. "Those were rifle shots."

"Lucky we got in here when we did," said Juarez.

"There go five deer," cried Jim, "up the mountain opposite."

"Sure enough," said Juarez. They were going like the wind and were soon lost to sight on the wooded slope of the mountain.

"I wish they had come our way," declared Jim, in a disappointed tone.