CHAPTER XII
A CRY FOR HELP
Fortunately for the boys, they knew how to cut up a deer to advantage and it did not take them long to trim away a portion of the pelt and get out the steak they wanted. Then they fixed up a rude fork on which to cook the meat, and soon the appetizing odor of broiled venison filled the hollow.
"This is much better than nothing but a cold lunch," said Whopper, as he divided the steak. "Fingers were made before knives and forks, and as nobody is looking on, we can eat as suits us."
"Let us broil another steak, before the fire gets low," suggested the doctor's son. "If it goes out on us we won't want to be without something to eat?"
"That fire isn't going out—not if I know it. Why, it would be awful to be left without a light, and without warmth. We might freeze to death—if it got much colder!"
Another and larger steak was well cooked, and then the boys set to work to gather a generous supply of firewood, breaking and cutting it as best they could. This was hard work, but it kept them warm, and neither complained.
"I suppose Snap and Giant are worrying about our not getting back," said Whopper. "I hope they don't come out to look for us."
After they had cut all the wood they wanted, they sat down again by the fire. Both boys were very tired, yet the strangeness of their situation kept them awake for several hours. They watched the snow, as it came down as thickly as ever, and listened to the shrieking of the wind as it tore through the trees on the top of the cliff.
"Do you think more of the trees will come down?" questioned Whopper.
"I am sure I don't know," was Shep's reply.
At last both boys began to blink and stretch themselves, and then
Whopper said they had better go to sleep.
"You turn in first," said Shep. "I'll watch the fire. When I can't keep awake any longer, I'll call you."
Whopper laid down and was soon slumbering. Shep continued to guard the fire, and, to keep himself awake, walked up and down the narrow confines of the temporary shelter. He often paused to listen to the roaring of the wind, which, outside of the crackling of the blaze, was the only sound that broke the stillness.
"Well, I am glad no wild animal has come to disturb us," he thought, as he continued to pace up and down.
Presently he sat down and his eyes closed. For a moment he dozed, and then started up. A low moan had reached his ears.
"What in the world is that?" he asked himself, and felt his hair standing on end. Then he heard the moan again, and turning half around, began to grin to himself. The moan had come from Whopper, who was having a nightmare.
"Hi, Whopper! Wake up!" he called, and shook his companion.
"Get out—don't chew me up!" groaned Whopper, and then sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Wha—what's the matter? Oh, I—er—I guess I was dreaming," he said sheepishly.
"You were, and groaning fit to raise the dead," answered the doctor's son, who now felt that he could afford to laugh.
"I dreampt about a million wolves were after me, and one was going to chew my foot off," said Whopper. He stretched himself. "Time for me to stand guard?"
"I think you had better. I am so tired I feel like sleeping standing up," answered Shep.
Whopper arose, and waiting to make certain that his companion was wide awake, Shep threw himself on the couch, which had been formed of some leaves found at the rear of the hollow. He soon fell into a troubled sleep, which lasted about three hours, when he awoke at the sound of Whopper's voice calling him.
"Is it time to get up?" he questioned, sleepily.
"Shep, I hear wolves!"
"Wolves!" and now the doctor's son leaped to his feet and glanced toward his shotgun, which rested against the rocky wall. "Are you certain?"
"Listen!"
Both boys bent their ears and for a full minute neither made a sound.
Then Shep shook his head.
"I can't hear anything now," he said.
"Well, I heard them before," answered Whopper, positively. "Must have been a million of 'em, too!"
"Whopper, you've got a million wolves on the brain."
"Have I? Well, I know—Listen!"
The young hunter stopped short, and both listened a second time. From a great distance came the howl of a wolf, followed by an answering howl not so far off.
"Now, what did I tell you!"
Shep did not answer, but picked up his shotgun. Whopper had already gotten the rifle, and with the firearms fully loaded the young hunters stood on guard for at least a quarter of an hour.
"I don't hear them any more," said the doctor's son, at length.
"They may be sneaking up on the sly," answered Whopper, and it was hard for him to keep his voice from trembling.
Neither of the boys cared to go beyond the light of the camp-fire, and again they waited. But a good half hour went by and nothing more was seen or heard of the wolves.
"You may as well take another nap, Whopper," said the doctor's son. "I'll give you about two hours, and then I'll lie down for the same length of time. That will about finish out the night."
Whopper agreed to this, but it was some time before he could get to sleep, and then he had another nightmare and groaned as before. But this time Shep "let him have it out," as he told Whopper afterward.
Daylight found them still under the cliff. Their fitful naps of the night just passed had only about half rested them and they did a good deal of gaping as they stirred up the fire and prepared a morning meal. Fortunately Shep had a pocket cup with him, and in that they had to melt snow to get water to drink.
"Well, I am glad the night is over," declared Whopper. "I declare, I don't want to pass another like it!"
"Let us be thankful that it was no worse," answered the doctor's son. "Supposing we had not found this shelter, or supposing that match had gone out, or supposing we hadn't shot the deer—"
"Stop, Shep! I am blue enough already. I'll tell you what it is: By hook or by crook, we must get back to camp before to-night. If we don't the others will be worried to death about us, I am sure."
"That's easy enough to say. But look at the snow."
Whopper looked beyond the shelter. The snow had stopped coming down but it lay to the depth of several inches in some spots and in drifts three and four feet high in others. He gave a sigh.
"Tough traveling and no mistake. Maybe we can't get through at all!"
"I know what I am going to do, first of all," said Shep. "I am going to climb a tree on the top of the cliff and locate myself."
"That's a good idea."
Breakfast over, both boys scrambled up one of the fallen trees to the top of the cliff. Not far away was a tree with low branches and up this went the doctor's son, Whopper boosting him all he could. All the boys could climb well, and soon Shep was far enough up to look around on all sides.
"There is the lake, about three-quarters of a mile off," he said, pointing with his hand. "I can see our camp, too. The smoke is coming up out of the chimney."
"Is it on the other side of the lake?"
"It is across the big cove."
"Do you think we can signal to the others?" questioned Whopper.
"We might try it—with some wet wood," answered Shep.
He came down again, and soon they placed several wet sticks on the fire. This created a dense smoke, which, as the wind had fallen, went straight up into the sky.
"That will tell them somebody is over here with a fire," said Shep. "But I reckon we had better start for the camp without delay. Just past the cliff is a ridge of high ground running almost to the lake, and the wind has swept it clear of snow, so walking will not be so very difficult."
It gave them something of a pang to put out the fire, yet they did not
dare to leave it burning, for fear of setting fire to the forest.
Placing the deer on the pole as before, they set off toward the ridge
Shep had mentioned.
With the going down of the wind, the air seemed warmer. The sky was still dull and heavy, and they were afraid it might snow again at any moment. Where the footing was good they almost ran, so eager were they to get back to Birch Tree Inn.
They had almost gained the shore of Firefly Lake when Whopper came to a halt. At the same time a distant cry reached the ears of both young hunters.
"What was that?" asked Whopper.
"Somebody calling for help, Whopper. Listen!"
"Help! help!" came faintly to their ears.
"Don't leave me, please! Help!"
"It's some person calling," said Shep. "But where is he?"
Both boys gazed around in perplexity. Then the cry was repeated, and following the sound they made their way to some brushwood growing between several trees. Here they found a man crouched before a tiny fire. He was dressed in a tattered suit and an even more tattered overcoat, and his shoes were bound up in potato sacking. A slouch hat full of holes was drawn down over his forehead, and he looked to be exactly what he was, a tramp.
"What's the matter?" asked Shep, not unkindly, for the fellow was evidently suffering.
"Don't leave me," cried the man. "I'm sick and I'm hungry, and I nearly froze to death last night. Please don't leave me!"
"Have you had anything to eat?" asked Whopper.
"Not a mouthful since yesterday noon. I had some stuff wrapped in a newspaper, but I lost it in the snow." The man did not add that he had been intoxicated and had not known where he was going or what he was doing.
"Well, here is a piece of venison steak and some crackers," said Shep.
"That's all we can give you just now."
"Ain't you got anything to drink?" asked the man, wistfully.
"No, we don't carry liquor."
"Oh!"
"We can get you some water if you want that," put in Whopper.
"What?"
Whopper repeated his words.
"No, I don't want any cold water—I'm cold enough now," said the tramp.