CHAPTER XVIII
BROUGHT TO BAY BY THE WOLF PACK
“What does this mean, Dick?” Roger asked, some days later, when they started to make a fire in the morning and found the air quite cold. “Does winter come so early in this northwestern country?”
“Oh! no, it isn’t that,” replied the other; “but, since the wind has whipped into the north during the night, and there’s been a storm somewhere, we’re in for a cool spell. I hope frost is far from us, because we have so much to do before that time. But a fire will feel good, and I think we might take chances.”
They had not seen any signs of Indians for some time now, but Dick was too cautious a boy to relax his vigilance on this account. Nevertheless, after the light of day had come, he believed they could make a fire out of smokeless wood that was not apt to betray their presence in the vicinity.
During this day they journeyed through dense timber, which was quite a change from crossing the wide, level stretches of country lying along so much of the upper reaches of the Missouri.
All the time they had to make sure of several things, especially the presence of the river not far away; and then the important fact that the exploring expedition sent out through the efforts of President Jefferson was still ahead of them.
It would have been a sad joke on the boys had they managed in some manner to outstrip the soldiers and voyageurs with Captains Lewis and Clark, and in this way gone ahead of them.
To make positive that this was not the case they were compelled to keep close to the river, looking for signs of an abandoned camping-place; and when such was discovered they found means to read the telltale evidence that denoted just how many days’ journey in advance were those they sought.
It was while they were jogging contentedly along during this particular morning that Dick suddenly drew rein, and raised a hand with a movement that his companion understood meant that he was to listen.