Perk, however, did not take certain possibilities into consideration, if he figured it out that way, for one thing the coming of the storm. At no other time when he played the part of the “babes in the woods” had anything like that overtaken him; and if there was one particular type of Nature’s moods which Perk disliked most cordially it was a storm.
The lightning always made him jump; the thunder awed him; while the roar of a violent wind through the trees, sounding like a runaway railway train coming down the slope, made his flesh fairly creep. So that it can be seen an experience he would not soon forget faced the reckless woods wanderer on this occasion.
They had not been moving again very long after the lantern was lighted when Wee Willie called their attention to the moaning of the wind through the tops of the tall trees.
“That always means storm, according to my weather education,” he affirmed; “anyhow, I never yet knew it to fail. The clouds are working up all the time, too, boys. Guess we’ll be swimming before a great while. Worst of all is the fact that once the water comes down, good-by to our tracking, for even Perk’s heavy trail would soon be washed clean out.”
“And not a single little woods varmint have we run across,” suggested Elmer, who never failed to notice everything, “which shows that their instinct tells them there’s something afoot, and that they’d better hug their underground holes, or hollow trees, for shelter.”
“How weird that wind does sound through the treetops,” said Amos, shuddering as he spoke. “You could almost imagine it came from some unseen spirits, or that the trees were gossiping, just like a pack of old women over their teacups.”
Wee Willie had not thought of that, because he was a practical sort of fellow; but then Amos happened to be built along different lines, being given a lively imagination.
“Here’s where Perk commenced to hurry some,” observed Elmer at that juncture. “He must have begun to realize he didn’t seem to be striking the river very fast, for he even ran a short distance, lumbering along like an ice-wagon, and falling more than a few times.”
“Huh! getting some anxious, I warrant you,” grunted Wee Willie. “Began to be afraid he’d miss his supper if he didn’t do better.”
“Don’t say that,” urged Elmer, reprovingly; “I’d rather believe Perk was thinking of the worry he might cause the rest of his chums.”