upton had just glanced at his watch and noted that the hour was 3 a. m. hal and sparrer were both asleep, the long vigil having proved too much for them despite their assertions early in the evening that they couldn't sleep a wink. a slight sound outside the door caught walter's attention. a second later the door swung open and pat and alec entered. it was clear that they had expected to find all the boys asleep, and were endeavoring to make as little noise as possible.
walter flashed a keen look at the two faces and read there the success of the trip. "hey, you sleepy-heads, they've found the camp!" he shouted, thumping hal on the back.
"wha-wha-what?" stammered hal, rubbing his eyes and staring about him wildly, while sparrer blinked stupidly. then fully recovering his senses hal sprang to his feet. "did you really find the camp?" he asked eagerly.
pat nodded. "hurrah!" cried the impetuous boy. "say, who hit me? i was right in the middle of a dream. i had three outlaws lined up against a cabin wall and covered with a rifle when i felt that thump, and for a minute i thought it was another one of 'em who had stolen up behind me and got me foul, i'm certainly glad it was only a dream."
everybody laughed. upton meanwhile had hung a kettle of soup over the fire and was setting a couple of places at the table for the two trappers, knowing that they must be hungry after their long tramp. "now tell us about it," he commanded when they had had a chance to dispose of the soup and a big slab of corn bread.
"there isn't much to tell," began pat. "we found their camp and watched it for a while and then came back."
"so simple," murmured hal. "'we found their camp.' i suppose you shut your eyes and let a good fairy take you by the hands and lead you straight to it! it's a wonder you haven't been over to make a friendly call before, seeing it is so handy and easily found."
there was no mistaking the sarcasm in hal's voice, and pat laughed aloud. "'twas no fairy led us to ut, me bye, but just common woods sense and me partner's knowledge av the counthry." then dropping his brogue he continued: "you know enough about camping to know that one of the first and most important things to look out for in locating a camp is a good water supply. alec knows every good spring for twenty miles around. having made up our minds that the camp was within five miles alec just ran over in his mind the likely springs within that distance and the lay of the land. the fact that those bloody-minded thieves have been working our long trap lines was a pretty good indication that their camp lay somewhere handy to these. that narrowed it down to two springs, the first of which is at the head of a little draw which makes in to the north about four miles west of here just before our line swings north. the second is in a draw which makes in to the south of a pond about a mile farther on and somewhat off our trap line. we made straight for the first one and found nothing there. then we cut across to the second and as soon as we were in the draw we knew that we were on the right track."
"how?" interrupted hal eagerly.
"the smell of wood-smoke," replied pat. "we worked around to the spring, mighty careful to keep under cover and make no noise, expecting to find the camp right there, but there wasn't a thing to be seen. then we followed our noses up wind over a little rise and there in the middle of a clump of spruce was the cabin, pretty near buried in snow. we watched it for a while and then as there was nothing doing we came back, and that's the whole of the story."
"what's the next move?" upton asked the question with an eagerness he could not conceal.
"a little daylight surprise party," replied pat with a grin.
"are we in on it?" demanded the three boys in chorus.
"that depends," replied pat. "alec and i have been talking it over, and if you'll agree to obey orders and keep under cover maybe we'll take you along. witnesses may come in handy. but you've got to agree to do just as you're told."
"we will!" chorused the three joyously.
"our plan is to surround the cabin before daylight. the fact that those fellows haven't pulled out already indicates that they are planning to lie low. but they'll be up and out early to spy on us. we've got to be in hiding before they are up, and that means that we must start in half an hour. you fellows are to remain in hiding and leave alec and me to handle those chaps, and you're not to show yourselves unless we signal you to."
"how many of them are there?" asked upton.
"two, we think," replied pat. "the cabin isn't big enough for more. now get busy and stow away a good meal, because there is no knowing when you'll get another."
a hasty meal of bacon and cold corn bread, with hot chocolate, was speedily disposed of, and they were ready to start. at pat's suggestion the boys had put on extra clothing to protect them should they be compelled to remain inactive for some time. with the exception of sparrer each carried a rifle. in single file, alec in the lead and pat in the rear, they threaded their way through the forest. never will the three city boys forget the uncanny strangeness of that tramp through the moonlit wilderness. the silence of the great frozen waste, oppressive even in the light of day, was doubly so now. their errand and the thought of what might happen at the end of their journey combined to stimulate already overexcited imaginations to a point where nothing seemed real. they felt as if moving in a dream. it was as if by enchantment they had been translated from their commonplace selves into the heroes of one of their favorite books of adventure. they had the feeling that at any moment they might return to normal conditions and find it all a figment of the imagination.
down the hollow past the trail by which they had entered it alec led the way, and out at the western end. then for a couple of miles he bore slightly north along the old trapper's trail that upton remembered the sheriff had taken in his search for alec the previous fall. from this point they bore south, and presently came to the edge of a small pond glistening white and spotless in the moonlight. at that hour it was seemingly safe to cross, but alec was taking no chances and kept to the cover around the edge.
at the entrance to the draw of which pat had told them they paused for a whispered conference. the boys were cautioned to watch every step and to guard against the slightest sound. pat was to place them in hiding to the rear of the camp where they would be out of all possible danger should there be any shooting and he once more impressed upon them the fact that they were scouts under orders and under no circumstances were they to move unless signaled. alec would hide near the spring, while pat would secrete himself where he could cover the cabin-door.
making a detour pat led the boys to a point slightly up the hill and back of the clump of hemlocks in which he said the cabin was hidden. upton and sparrer he placed together in a thicket directly to the rear of the camp, and hal he stationed a hundred yards to the right. then once more charging them to make no sound he left them and vanished as completely as if the ground had opened and swallowed him.
the moon still rode high, but already the gray of approaching dawn appeared in the east and dulled its silver radiance. they had arrived none too soon. upton strained his eyes to make out the cabin, but in the uncertain shadows it was impossible. he found himself actually wondering if pat and alec were not mistaken. he found it hard to believe that there could be any other human beings within miles of them. it was bitter cold, and despite the extra clothing the boys felt the chill of it. it seemed to creep into the very marrow of their bones and the excitement which had exhilarated them at the start subsided in direct ratio to their increasing discomfort.
the gray in the east crept higher and the moon waxed pale. the shadows grew less dense and objects more distinct. little by little something took shape down there among the firs. at first it was little more than a mound of white, but presently upton made out that what he had at first taken to be a little blacker shadow than the rest was nothing less than the smoke-blackened top of a short chimney into which he could look from his position on the hill above. this gave him a clue to the cabin's situation. evidently it backed up against the hill and at the rear was almost drifted over with snow. in fact the snow was banked to the eaves on both sides, the front only having been cleared. this was screened from view by a thicket of young firs in such a way that one might pass in front within thirty yards and not see the cabin unless looking especially for it. it reminded walter of nothing so much as the cunningly hidden home of a fox.
the gray in the east had given way to a touch of rose color when sparrer sniffed softly and silently pointed to the chimney. a thin column of smoke was beginning to rise. it was evident that the inmates were astir. the situation was rapidly approaching a climax. muffled sounds from within the cabin reached the boys. with hearts thumping painfully the watchers waited. presently there was the creak of a door. from their position upton and sparrer could not see what hal from his location farther to the right had a clear view of, a dark, roughly clad man who stooped to pass out of the low doorway. but a moment later they saw him as he entered the thicket, a pail in one hand. he was going to the spring for water.
he passed from sight over the little rise that separated the slight hollow where the cabin was located from the deeper hollow where the spring was. as he reached the bottom he came into view again. they saw him stop abruptly in his tracks as if frozen, then drop his pail and half turn as if to run, only to stop again and throw his arms above his head. then alec appeared, his rifle covering the man before him. there was evidently a parley of some kind, but the distance was too great for the sound of their voices to carry. undoubtedly alec had warned the other not to raise his voice. with bated breath the boys watched the strange pantomime below. it was plain that alec was giving orders to which the other objected, for he violently shook his head. the former, who had partly lowered his rifle, raised it again menacingly, whereat his captive appeared to capitulate. lowering one arm he fumbled at his belt and presently drew forth a wicked looking knife which with evident reluctance he tossed at alec's feet. the latter then permitted his victim to lower the other arm and evidently issued an order, for the man turned and with alec behind him disappeared in the woods.
"he's taking him around to where pat is," whispered upton. "that wasn't the fellow that got you, was it?"
sparrer shook his head. his eyes were blazing with excitement. "dat wasn't no injun," he whispered. "dat feller was easy. wonder if de other gink will be as easy."
once more they settled down to patient waiting. the smell of frying bacon mingled with that of wood-smoke and tantalized their nostrils. it seemed an age before the door creaked again. hal only of the three boys could see the dark face that peered out in the direction of the spring. it was the darker for an ugly scowl which contracted the low brows. for a long minute the man stared in the direction of the spring and hal could see his lips moving as if he muttered to himself. then he vanished inside and the door closed. it was not long, however, before it opened again and once more the scowling face appeared, staring toward the spring. it was clear that his companion's continued absence was beginning to puzzle him. taking a step forward he imitated to perfection the hoarse croak of a raven. so true to life was it that hal instinctively looked up expecting to see the black bird of ill omen. then it flashed over him that this was a signal call to the man who had gone for the water.
twice it was repeated. the third call was answered from beyond the thicket in front of the cabin. hal guessed rightly that it was pat endeavoring to entice the indian, for the man at the cabin was sparrer's assailant, to come out. he hoped that by replying he would lead the indian to think that the answer was from the latter's partner and that the redman would assume that something important had been discovered to keep his partner so long and would seek to join him to find out what it was. if once the indian could be led away from the cabin his capture would be easy.
but pat's hopes in this respect were doomed to be dashed. the instant the indian heard the answering croak from in front of the cabin instead of from the direction of the spring suspicion flashed into his face. for a few seconds he stood motionless, his beady eyes boring into the thicket before him. but pat was well hidden and alec and his prisoner were out of the line of vision. pat essayed another croak, but it served only to still further arouse the indian's suspicions that all was not right.
taking a step forward he darted his keen gaze in all directions, at the same time listening intently. then abruptly he turned to reënter the cabin.
"stop! hands up, or i'll shoot!" pat was taking the one chance open to him. if he allowed the man to get back inside the cabin there was no telling when he would show himself again. it was clear that he suspected something. it was better to take the chance that he would obey orders, knowing that some one had the drop on him, rather than be obliged to lay siege to the cabin.
the indian froze in his tracks, both hands up. "now walk straight back five steps and stop," commanded pat.
the indian took one step back. then in a flash he dove head first through the partly open door, throwing himself flat. the wily fellow counted on the suddenness of the move and the abrupt change of angle of fire to escape. pat's rifle cracked, followed instantly by the bang of the door. he had missed his man. he afterward confessed that he had made no real effort to score a hit. the idea of taking a fellow being's life was repugnant to him even though the fellow was a would-be murderer. he had shot because the situation had required it. it was necessary that the fellow should know that he had to deal with those who could shoot and were not afraid to.
half the battle was won. one man was captured and the other driven to cover. knowing that the latter would make no attempt to get away for the present and that in any event hal was posted where he could give the alarm should an attempt be made pat and alec turned their attention to their captive. his hands were securely bound behind him with a piece of rope which pat had had the foresight to bring, and he was then subjected to a grueling examination, but sullenly refused to commit himself on any point. he was a french canadian of the lower type and alec recognized him as big pierre, a notorious character in the lumber camps of the region.
there was an ugly glint in his black eyes that boded ill for his captors should he once gain the upper hand of them. he refused to admit that he had been robbing the trap lines or that he had even been watching the camp in smugglers' hollow. only once, and that when alex charged him with having a hand in the theft of the black fox, did his face betray anything but sullen rage. for just a fleeting instant a mingled look of surprise, interest, cupidity and anger swept across his face. pat caught it and signed for alec to cease his questioning. then he drew alec to one side out of ear-shot of their captive.
"as sure as you're standing here he doesn't know a thing about that fox," he whispered. "he's been double-crossed by the injun. perhaps we can use him to get the redskin out of his hole. it's worth trying, anyway."
