Jack seemed to have recovered from his fatigue, for he was busying himself in some sort of way. Steve, too well satisfied with his position even to move, watched him for some time, while Toby, like the good fellow he was, wrestled with the pots and pans and pannikins that had been soiled with getting supper.
"Would you mind telling me, Jack, what in the wide world you"re doing with all that dark-colored cord, and those tin pans in the bargain?"
Steve finally burst out with, unable to restrain his bubbling curiosity longer.
"I"m trying to save our bacon, that"s all," replied the other calmly; but this explanation only increased the mystery; so far as Steve was concerned.
"I reckon I"m particularly stupid tonight, because I"m tired, Jack," he went on to say, desperately; "but, honest now, I don"t get the hang of it at all. What do you mean by saving our bacon? Does that apply to our fine pork products in the wagon yonder; or are you hinting that perhaps our lives are in danger, and you"re fixing up a game to keep us from going under?"
Jack chuckled as he explained further.
"I"ve got our provisions in mind when I designate them all under the general name of bacon, you understand, Steve."
"But how are they in danger of being carried off, Jack? I wonder now if you suspect that hungry old mother cat would follow us all the way here, with the idea of making a night raid on our well stocked larder. Could she know we must have plenty of grub along in camp? Please explain a little further, won"t you, Jack?"
"It"s a two-legged thief I"ve got in mind, you see," he was told. "Have you forgotten what we said that perhaps the easiest way to make us clear out of the Pontico Hills country would be by stripping us of all our grub? Well, it"s to prevent the possibility of such a calamity overtaking us that I"m working this game right now."
Steve evinced new interest on hearing this. He even bestirred himself, and limped over to see what Jack was doing at closer range. After watching for a short time, he gave a laugh as though he had solved the puzzling mystery.
"Oh! I"m on to your fine game now, all right, Jack, old scout!" he exclaimed, as he saw the other fasten one end of the cord to a collection of tins which he had a.s.sembled in a heap. "It"s going to be a sort of home-made alarm clock, I reckon. You"ve fixed that cord low down near the ground, so a man can"t get near the wagon without brushing up against it. When he does he"s apt to break the cord and that"ll let the bunch of tins drop down from where they"re dangling. Whoop! what a glorious jangle there"ll be about that time. I warrant you the intended thief will get the scare of his sweet life, and how he will run like mad!"
"You"ve guessed it finally, Steve, though it did take you a long while,"
Jack a.s.sured him. "And we"ll have the gun handy, so as to send a shot up in the air, and add to his terror. Of course I may be off in my guess, and no one may visit us tonight, or any other night during our stay. But then lots of business men insure their houses and their goods when they never dream that they will have a fire. This cord is our insurance policy."
"Yes," sang out Toby, who had been eagerly listening to all this talk, although up to that point taking no part in the same, "an ounce of prevention is always better than a whole pound of cure. They say, too, that a st.i.tch in time saves nine, though I"ve had many a one in my side, and it didn"t save me at all. But Jack, it"s a bully good scheme all right, and ought to work first rate."
"I can just imagine three fellows about our size piling out in the wee small hours of the night, clad in their striped pajamas, and hearing a scared individual go whooping through the woods, banging up against every other tree as he runs. It will be a great picnic, for us I mean, boys; and I"m half hoping he does come along this very night."
"How about that rain, Steve?" asked Jack, quietly.
"Why, would you believe me, it has actually cleared up again, with all the stars shining up there like fun? Which goes to show the folly of borrowing trouble, eh, Jack? There I was, figuring out just how it"d feel to be wet to the bone, and all that stuff, when never a drop came down. I had my worry for nothing."
"It happens lots of times with most people," chuckled Jack. "There, I think that ought to fill the bill. The string isn"t very strong, and even a slight knock will serve to break it, because you see it"s being held pretty taut by the weight of all those tin pans. Once that happens and you"ll hear Rome howl."
"I think I"ll sleep easier, because of your precaution, Jack," a.s.serted Toby.
"Huh! I just _know_ I shall," added Steve. "I"ve worried a lot about our supply of eats, and it gave me a pain even to think of them being stolen. But if the trap only works like it promises to do, we"ll be safeguarded all right. If the marauder means to come over the same distance we covered, Jack, he"ll be doing great stunts. And then there"s that cat to consider in the bargain. Oh! I hardly think we"ll be bothered tonight, anyhow."
Later on they retired to their blankets. Steve declared that he would not need to be rocked to sleep that night, and that there was nothing like exhaustion to induce good sound slumber. Toby had kept himself busy much of the day, finding many things to do about the camp, following out various suggestions which Jack had mentioned in talking matters over, and which of course he had meant himself to undertake when the right time came along. So Toby was tired also and ready to welcome the "call of the blankets," as Steve humorously designated the proposition to go to bed.
Jack took a last look around. He wished to be sure everything was secure in case a rain storm did drop in upon them during the remainder of the night; or some light-fingered gentleman invaded the camp, on looting bent.
Finally he too crept inside the canvas. They were eventually tucked away snugly in their warm blankets, and had said the last goodnights as the lantern was extinguished, and darkness reigned within the tent.
Outside, the fire burned low, since Jack did not see any necessity for leaving much of a blaze when it was a summer night. Besides, there must always be more or less danger of embers being blown about by an increasing night breeze, possibly to start an incipient conflagration amidst dead leaves gathered behind some log, and thus cause trouble, for it is often much easier to start a fire than to put one out.
It must have been midnight or some time past when the trio of campers were suddenly aroused by a most terrific clamor. It sounded as though all the small boys in Chester had secured dishpans and such instruments of ear torture, and a.s.sembled with the idea of giving a village serenade to some newly wedded folks who would be expected to treat the bunch to cakes and fresh cider.
Although possibly a bit confused on being so abruptly aroused from sound slumber by such an unearthly din, Steve, as well as Jack and Toby, instantly grasped the stunning truth--that was the alarm which had been rigged up to give fair warning that their precious stores were being raided. A thief had invaded the camp and unconsciously disclosed his presence in this loud-tongued brazen fashion.
It was now up to them to appear hastily on the scene and add to his alarm in every way possible. So acting in concert they all started to crawl out from under the canvas, Jack clutching the double-barrel shotgun in his hand.
CHAPTER XI
THE RASCALLY THIEF
Could any one blame those boys for feeling highly worked up just about that time when they were hustling to get outside the canvas shelter, and see what strange things were taking place? The din created by the sudden fall of the bunch of tin pans was still ringing in their ears. And doubtless all manner of wildly exaggerated ideas must be crowding their brains in that same brief s.p.a.ce of time.
Each had something to do in the general line of self-defense as arranged for in case such an event transpired while they slept. There was Jack holding the gun as became the leader of the flock. Behind, and crowding close upon his heels, came Steve, bearing his jolly big club, with which he felt able to flay even a wildcat, and he had quite a notion, too, along that same line. Toby brought up the rear, not because of any undue timidity on his part, but because somebody had to "take the drumstick,"
as his father was wont to say when they had turkey, and in this case all of them could not be either first or second; so Toby guarded the rear.
He grasped the flashlight in a trembling hand, and his orders were to make use of it just when Jack gave the word.
The night was dark, very dark, in fact. The old moon had not yet put in an appearance in the eastern sky, which went to prove how aged and dilapidated it must indeed be to rise at such a late hour. As for the fire, it was entirely extinct by this time, and not able to render the first aid in time of need.
Every fellow, upon emerging began to look eagerly around him. Just what Steve, for instance, expected to discover would be a difficult question to answer. He may still have had in mind Mrs. Bobcat and her brood of kits, and half antic.i.p.ated being called on to offer fight in order to defend the camp. Anything seemed possible with that brooding and mysterious darkness hanging over the place. Its sable depths might be peopled with a great variety of goblins, and unnatural wood folks, gathered to expel these rash, invaders of their haunts.
After that one general look around Steve focused his sight upon the particular spot where, as he well knew, the wagon had been standing at the time they sought their blankets.
Well, it was still there, if that fact could afford him any satisfaction. He could just manage to dimly make it out in the darkness, for very little starlight found entrance through an opening aloft in the interlocked treetops and branches.
Even as he looked Steve felt sure he saw some object move as though it were possessed of life. That caused him to have another nice thrill that sent a shiver up and down his spine.
Jack was already starting to creep that way, trailing his gun along, which weapon he held in such a fashion that it could be brought into use without the loss of more than a second.
About this time Toby began to forge alongside Steve. He had remembered that he was the torchbearer of the trio, and on that account had no business to be hanging in the rear, when Jack at any second might call upon him to make use of the flashlight.
Strange noises greeted them, of which they could make nothing. Indeed, Steve was of the opinion that possibly two persons were scuffling over there by the supply wagon; for he likened the queer sounds to half-suppressed breathing, and such struggles as wrestlers might indulge in. He could not make it out at all, nor why two invaders of the camp should pick upon one another in such a ridiculous manner.
There, that sounded like a blow; and it was immediately followed by a plain grunt, as though the recipient of the stroke had had his wind partly knocked out of him.
If only Jack would give the order for Toby to flash his light on the scene, doubtless the mystery might be explained. But so far he had kept silent on this score, although still creeping stealthily forward.
Steve, wondering still, and trembling a whole lot in the bargain, believed he could understand what Jack must have in his mind. He wanted to get close enough up before betraying their presence, so that he could cover the pilferers, and let them see that they were in range of a deadly weapon, so that to run away would very likely get them into a peck of trouble.
The strange sounds kept up, and in an increased ratio, Steve figured.
Undoubtedly whoever it was making them must be growing more and more vehement, as though something which was badly wanted managed to evade his clutch. Even the racket produced by those clanging tin pans had not frightened the intruder away, which Steve considered most amazing indeed. He felt sure that had he been invading a camp, and had such a fearful noise suddenly broke out, he must have taken wildly to his heels, and made a record run of it in order to escape the consequences of his folly.
Then Steve caught what was plainly a loud snort, as of triumph. This gave him a new idea, and which was hardly calculated to increase his comfort very much.
Why, that was hardly such a sound as a human being would emit, being much louder, and along harsher lines. Then what else was likely to make it? Jack had said a considerable number of wild game must exist among these same Pontico Hills; indeed, on the way there had they not seen a live doe and fawn; then there was the red fox with the big brush of a tail that had slunk out of their path while they were making their way through the woods; and last, but far from least, Steve remembered the adventure with the wildcat and her kits.
If in the brief s.p.a.ce of their stay they had already run across such a variety of game animals would it not be safe to believe there might also be other species roaming the woods, and seeking to secure their daily meals wherever they could find them?
Now Steve had never seen a bear at large, nor yet a wolf at liberty, but like all other wideawake boys he had fairly doted over these beasts when held in captivity in the circus or menagerie that annually visited Chester.