CHAPTER XII.
THE SILENT WITNESS.
Meanwhile Dick Lewis and those of the Club who remained at the Fort, were awaiting the return of the wanderers with no little impatience. Dick, who knew almost to an hour how long they ought to be gone, exhibited no anxiety until the sixth day, and then he began to be uneasy. He made frequent trips to the summit of a high swell near the Fort, gazed long and earnestly in the direction the boys had gone, looked dubiously at the clouds, and was always moody and silent when he returned to the camp. On one occasion, when he had been on the lookout nearly all day, he was met by George Le Dell, who seemed to be greatly excited about something.
“What is it, youngster?” exclaimed the trapper. “Your face says you’ve got news of some sort for me.”
“Come with me and see for yourself,” replied George. “I may be mistaken, and certainly hope I am. I haven’t said a word about it, for I didn’t want to excite any unnecessary alarm.”
George, followed by the trapper, made a wide circuit around the camp, and entering the grove from the opposite side, walked into it a short distance, and then stopped and pointed to a horse which was hitched to one of the trees.
“I found him feeding with my horse, and brought him in here to keep him until you came” said George. “I hope I have made a mistake.”
“Wal, you hain’t,” said the trapper, bluntly. “That’s leetle Fred’s hoss, if I ever seed him. Something’s happened to them keerless fellers.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” said George, an expression of anxiety settling on his face. “You see he has a piece of rawhide rope around his neck. He never broke that.”
“In course he didn’t,” said the trapper. “I’ve a notion to tell ole Bob to give me a good wallopin’ fur lettin’ ’em go. The snow’ll be four foot deep afore this time to-morrow, an’ something’s got to be done, right quick.”
As the trapper spoke he untied the horse and led him through the grove to the camp. Uncle Dick and all the boys were there, and, as may be imagined, the trapper’s appearance created no little commotion among them. They recognised Fred’s horse at once.