GOOD-BYE TO DEER HEAD LODGE
“I think I’ll sleep a whole lot better to-night,” announced Bobolink, as he gave a huge yawn, and stretched his arms high above his head.
“What’s the reason?” demanded Jud, quickly. “Are you happy because we’re going to break camp so much sooner than we expected, owing to everything being snowed under up here in the woods?”
“Bobolink doesn’t get enough to eat, I reckon,” suggested Tom Betts.
“If he doesn’t it’s his own fault then,” Jack went on to say, “because he has more to do with the cooking end of the game than any of us.”
“I guess I know what he means,” hinted Spider Sexton, mysteriously.
“Then get a move on you, Spider, and enlighten the rest of us,” coaxed Sandy, as he cuddled a bit closer to the crackling fire, for the wind had arisen again, and parts of the cabin were chilly, despite the roaring blaze. 228
“Why, the fact of the matter is, Bobolink has a new girl to take to barn dances and all that this winter,” said Spider, boldly. “It’s that pretty Rose Dexter belonging to the new family in town. Oh! you needn’t grin at me that way, Bobolink. I own up I was doing my best to cut in on you there, but you seemed to have the inside track of me and I quit. But she is a peach if ever there was one!”
“Well, do you blame me then for feeling satisfied when we talk of going home?” demanded the accused scout. “All the same you’re all away off in your guesses. I’m hoping to sleep soundly to-night just because my mind is free from wondering who set that incendiary fire and tapped Mr. Briggs’ safe.”
“Oh! so that’s the reason, is it?” laughed Paul. “I’ve been watching you more or less since we came up here, and I wondered if you hadn’t been trying to figure that mystery out. I’m glad for your sake, as well as for some others’ sakes, that we’ve been able to clear that thing up.”
“All I hope now is that on our way back home we can stop off and pay the hoboes a little friendly visit,” continued Bobolink.
“Same here,” Jud added, quickly. “Even if our outing hasn’t been everything we hoped for, it would even things up some if we could march into 229 Stanhope and hand the guilty men over to the police.”
Indeed, Bobolink was not the only scout who slept “like a rock” on that night. Most of the boys were very tired after the exertions of the day, and, besides, now that it had been decided to return home, they really had a load removed from their minds.
Of course, all of them could have enjoyed a much longer stay at Deer Head Lodge had the conditions been normal. That tremendous fall of snow, something like two feet on the level, Paul felt, had utterly prostrated many of their best plans, and facing a protracted siege of it did not offer a great deal of attraction.
With the coming of morning they were once more astir, and were soon as busy as a hive of bees. Each scout seemed intent on getting as much done as possible while the day lasted.
Tolly Tip alone looked sober. The quaint and honest fellow had taken a great liking to his guests, and looked forward to their speedy departure with something akin to dismay.
“Sure the rist av the winter will same a dreary time with not a hearty young voice to give me gratin’ av a mornin’,” he told Paul. “Indade, I don’t know how I’m goin’ to stand for the same at all, at all.” 230
“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 231 and out of it about that time. Packs were being done up, though in much smaller compass 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 clustered 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 232 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 233 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 anticipation 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 assured 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.” 234
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.