Messenger No. 48 Part 39

He handed Jim three dollars, and that young gentleman was so delighted at having such an amount to spend as he saw fit that all objections to the journey were forgotten.

"Go up along fast as possible; you can take your time coming back," Jet said, as his companion, shouldering the muzzle-loader, was ready to set out, "and don't delay sending that message."

"I'll fix things in great shape," was the confident reply, and then the small guide disappeared amid the foliage.

During the next hour Jet bustled around considerably more than was necessary, in order to make it appear as if both he and Jim were there, and as a means of causing the time to pa.s.s more quickly, attempted to cook an elaborate dinner.

This was a failure, however, owing to his lack of skill, and he dined on boiled potatoes, which were not particularly palatable, owing to the fact that they had been thoroughly scorched.

The men appeared to be well contented with their camp. They lounged around near the sh.o.r.e, but without showing any desire to fish, and otherwise behaved as if determined to remain.

When night came Jet felt more than lonely. The night noises of the forest almost frightened him, and only by piling the fire high with wood could he keep his courage screwed to the "sticking point."

He had not slept more than half an hour, and was promising himself a long nap after the sun rose; but when the day dawned he had something more serious to think about.

He watched Bob and Sam as they prepared breakfast, and then, much to his surprise and sorrow, saw them launch the boat, packing into her all their belongings.

"Jimminy! They're going to leave, and I've sent that telegram just at the wrong time. Now, what's to be done?"

There could be no question but that the men were intending to break camp, and, uncertain as to what he should do, Jet watched until all the camp equipage had been stowed on board the craft.

Then they pushed off, rowing leisurely down the lake, and again Jet asked himself what should be done.

To pursue them in the boat, no matter how far in the rear he might keep himself, would simply be to tell the men he intended to watch them, and, unfamiliar as he was with the country or woodcraft, it seemed both foolish and dangerous to follow on land.

Not until those he so ardently wished to keep in sight had rowed fully a mile away did he arrive at any decision, and then he said to himself:

"There's no other way out of it. I must go on, and take the chances.

I only hope when Jim comes back he won't be such a fool as to pull down the lake in search of me, for they'd be certain to see him."

Filling his pockets with cartridges, and wrapping in a paper a small stock of provisions, he set off, only to come back a moment later and write on a piece torn from a paste board box:

"I have had to go down the lake. Wait here for me."

This he fastened to a tree where Jim would be most likely to see it immediately on his arrival, and then he started for the second time.

When Jet set out, the boat containing the men was a long distance in advance heading directly toward the lower end of the lake where were a number of small islands.

At first it had seemed a simple thing to follow a craft by keeping close to the edge of the water; but in a short time he learned the difference to his cost.

CHAPTER XXIV

A STERN CHASE

For a certain distance Jet could walk through the fringe of bushes growing at the water's edge, enabled to see the boat and its occupants distinctly, and then a bit of marsh or small stream would force him to a detour of a mile or more.

"At this rate, I'm making about three times the distance they have to,"

he said, as he staggered across a shallow water-course so laden with the provisions, and the gun that he could not hold the branches back from his face, and thus received many a severe blow. "Most likely the next time I get to the edge of the lake they will be behind one of those islands, and then what's to be done?"

The catastrophe he feared did not occur quite as soon as he feared, although it came finally.

Twice more he saw the little craft, Sam rowing and Bob steering, and then she had disappeared.

By this time he was so near the outlet of the lake that it was impossible to say whether the men had crossed over into Upper Saranac, or were making camp near by.

During half an hour Jet sat concealed by the bushes where he could have a full view of the water, and no sign of life met his anxious gaze.

The only benefit derived from this halt was that he had lightened the bundle of provisions by making a hearty meal from a portion of its contents, and enjoyed the repose.

"There's no question but that they have either gone into camp on one of the islands, or kept on through the stream," he said, as he rose to his feet; "but I declare I don't know which way to turn."

He finally decided to walk to the outlet, scanning the sh.o.r.es of the island as he pa.s.sed, and, failing in seeing any signs there, continue on until nightfall.

He tramped steadily for an hour without finding that for which he sought, and by this time was at the carry with the gloom of night settling rapidly around him.

Added to the desolateness of the situation was the sorrow caused by the belief that he had lost the trail at the very time when allowing Harvey to believe the men were where they could be arrested without difficulty.

"If I hadn't sent that telegram," he thought, mournfully, "Jim would have been here to help keep them in sight, or, if we lost them entirely as I have done, he'd have some sort of an idea where they went to."

The thought of the small guide gave him a new idea.

"I'll go back to our camp, if it takes all night," he said, resolutely, turning his face in the direction he believed it was located. "We can come down in the boat and find out whether they stopped on one of the islands."

Now he walked rapidly, in order to cover as much ground as possible before it grew so dark as to shut out surrounding objects from view.

Weary as he was, and owing to the broken ground, his progress was exceedingly slow, and night had fully shut her black curtain down before he reached the edge of the lake.

Then he was forced to proceed at a snail's pace, lest he inadvertantly walked into one of the small streams; but he continued manfully on until it was no longer possible to take another step.

Now came the alarming knowledge that he was lost.

Had he been going in the right direction he should have reached the lake before sunset, and it could not then be less than nine o'clock.

He was no longer able to find the stream which had served him as guide, and stretched himself on the ground at the foot of a gigantic tree feeling as if it made but little difference whether he ever arose again or not.

In utter despair he remained silent and motionless until slumber came to his relief, and he remained wrapped in blissful unconsciousness for several hours.

When he awoke it was yet dark, and he was benumbed with the chill which came from the damp earth.

"There's no need of freezing to death, if I am lost," he said to himself. "Things are so bad now that they can't be much worse, and I may as well make the best of a bad bargain."

By feeling carefully around he succeeded in getting together a small quant.i.ty of decaying wood, and this he lighted after some difficulty.