THE QUEER ACTIONS OF ZACK ARNOLD
ROOM was found for the newcomer later on in the half-circle before the fire, and though Zack Arnold took no part in the conversation, he sat there listening, and hearing things that must have given him many new impressions. As a rule his eyes were fastened upon the beaming and genial face of Uncle Caleb, who, however, made out not to notice this attention he was receiving, though naturally he could not help knowing it.
The boys told their host numerous things connected with the organization of the troop of Boy Scouts in their town, and what wonderful things it had already done for many of those who had signed the muster roll. He was keenly interested, and asked questions so fast that it kept them all busy answering; for Elmer would never consent that his chums simply sit there while he spoke for all; he wished them to have a part in the telling.
On his part, Uncle Caleb related a lot about his life in the past, touching upon some of the remarkable things that had happened to him.
Strange as some of these might be reckoned, Elmer was privately of the opinion that nothing more singular could ever have happened to the traveler and scientist than the dramatic coming to his cabin door on this bitter cold winter"s night of one who believed himself to be the old gentleman"s enemy, sorely wounded, almost ready to die, and wholly dependant upon Uncle Caleb"s bounty for his very life.
When later on some of the scouts manifested signs of drowsiness and exhaustion, by sundry yawns and nods, the host declared it was time they thought of getting some sleep.
"I"d put you on the cot here, Zack," he told the guide, "only it isn"t as strong as it might be, and you"re rather heavy. If it happened to give way you"d get a bad wrench to that arm of yours that wouldn"t be very pleasant. So I"m going to fix you out with a bunk on the floor near the fire. I happen to have some spare blankets, and here are some furs that will make things feel easy for you. I don"t suppose you object to sleeping on the floor, do you?"
At that the man grinned, for the first time since entering the cabin.
"Won"t be the fust time by a thousand thet I"ve slept on boards, suh,"
he went on to say, "an" right hyar I wants to tell ye how much "bleeged I am ter yer fur all ye done by me. I don"t deserve a bit o" the same.
I"m a bad man, suh, I been thinkin" all manner o" rotten things "bout ye, sence ye guv me what I reckons I desarved, if ever a mean skunk did; an" thet"s what."
"Don"t mention it, Zack," said Uncle Caleb, pleasantly; "I know you looked at things from the wrong side, and at one time thought I"d done you harm; but since then you"ve seen a better light; and I wouldn"t be surprised if you were coming out of your way to my cabin to tell me so, when this accident happened."
The big guide"s jaws worked several times as though he might be trying to say something; but it was of no use, for not a word escaped him. He did heave a deep sigh, however, and gave his kind benefactor a long look before allowing his eyes to drop.
Elmer felt satisfied, for he believed the cure must be working. Indeed, he could not for the life of him understand how any one could withstand friendly advances from such a splendid old gentleman as Uncle Caleb. His very eyes were full of benevolence and the kindly spirit that filled his heart. The man who would take the keenest delight in binding up the broken leg of a poor little rabbit that he found in distress, certainly could not bear malice toward an uneducated woodsman, who had never had half a chance to learn better things than entertaining an unreasonable desire for revenge.
Under the direction of the owner of the cabin Lil Artha made up a mighty comfortable bed on the floor. When it was finished the scout tested his work, and declared he would not mind sleeping there all the rest of his stay, if Uncle Caleb thought one of the bunks would be better for the wounded guide.
Zack, however, would not hear of it. He declared that he preferred the floor for many reasons. Lil Artha managed to shoot a suggestive look toward Elmer, upon which the other shook his head in the negative. He knew that the lengthy scout suspected Zack might be thinking of taking French leave while they slept, and perhaps help himself to some of their stores in the bargain. But Elmer had no such fear.
When the boys started to crawl into their respective bunks, partly undressing, although none of them had dreamed of bringing their pajamas along on this wintry expedition, Zack appeared to be asleep. At least he lay there bundled up, and seemed to be breathing heavily.
Lil Artha, when he thought he was not noticed, managed to deftly move his Marlin gun closer to the bunk into which he meant to clamber presently. He acted as if he more than half suspected he might find occasion to make some sort of use of the weapon before dawn broke again.
But Elmer had seen him; indeed, it was very little that ever eluded those wideawake eyes of the scout master, when out with his chums. He managed to get a chance to whisper with Lil Artha when the others were busily engaged making their sleeping quarters ready.
"I"d be mighty slow to think of using that gun, if I were you, Lil Artha," he suggested.
The lengthy scout flushed a little, and looked somewhat confused.
"I might have known you"d glimpse me doin" that same, Elmer," he confessed, "but when a wildcat comes down our chimney what"s to hinder its mate from doin" likewise? And if a fellow was waked up in the night to find that a ferocious critter had taken possession of our bungalow, why, a gun"d be a good a.s.set, believe me."
Elmer looked at him, and then smiled grimly.
"Oh! well, if that"s what you"ve got troubling you, it"s all right, Lil Artha," he went on to say, meaningly. "I kind of imagined you were thinking of something else. And if some one should take a notion to skip out, remember it"s no business of yours. We wouldn"t want to detain any one against his will."
"Sure, I didn"t mean to try to," acknowledged the tall scout, ""less, f"r instance, he tried to loot the whole shebang, when I"d think it my duty to cover him, and then call Uncle Caleb."
"I don"t think you"ll find any need of doing that, Lil Artha," continued Elmer; "fact is, all the signs point just the other way."
"Hope so," grunted his chum; and this was all that pa.s.sed between them.
Later on the cabin became quiet, except for the heavy breathing of those who were sound asleep. Elmer dozed. Somehow, although he was desperately sleepy, he did not appear to be able to lose himself for more than brief intervals at a stretch.
Perhaps it was his strange surroundings, although Elmer could hardly believe such to be the case, for past experiences were against it. He could remember sleeping soundly on more than a few occasions when danger threatened; he had helped guard the saddle band of horses on his uncle"s ranch when rustlers in the shape of horse thieves were operating all through the vicinity; and on being given a chance to s.n.a.t.c.h an hour"s sleep had lost himself as soon as his head touched the ground.
The wind moaned through the branches of the trees without. Now and then Elmer believed that he could hear faint sounds that might proceed from certain of the four-footed denizens of that great snow forest around them, possibly searching for food while the night lasted, since they hugged their dens in the daytime.
Once he saw Lil Artha thrust his head out from his bunk, and stare at the figure bundled up in those blankets on the floor. This told the scout master that Lil Artha had not been able to quite get over the suspicions he had formed, and which Elmer believed to be wholly unwarranted.
It must have been long after midnight when Elmer, chancing to once more awaken, on glancing out from his bunk saw that Zack Arnold was no longer lying there on his well side, and wrapped in sleep.
The revengeful guide was now sitting up. He seemed to be intently listening, as though to either discover whether all of the others were sound asleep, or else trying to catch some signal from without.
A dreadful thought flashed into Elmer"s mind, though he quickly dismissed it as unreasonable. It was of course possible that Zack may have coaxed others to accompany him on his mission of revenge; but if he had company why should he appeal to his bitter enemy when in desperate need of succor? That alone stamped the idea as next door to absurd; and so Elmer put it out of his mind as impossible.
At the same time the actions of the guide were certainly queer, to say the very least of it. He was now getting slowly and painfully to his feet, repressing a groan while so doing; because with one arm tied up and useless it is not always the easiest thing in the world to get up off the floor, and out from a mess of clinging blankets.
Once he was on his feet the actions of the man became even more suspicious. He crept toward the door, turning his head several times as though to make sure that no one was watching him. Here he fumbled for a brief time, managing presently to take aside the bar. Then he gently opened the door, and as the wind was from the north, and the opening faced the south, the cold air did not enter when he had done this.
Elmer, still watching, half expected to see the guide step out and depart. He was even debating with himself as to whether his duty might not compel him to raise his voice in protest against such an act, since the chances were the man would not be able to survive the exposure in his present weakened condition, without his rifle, and with no food to sustain him.
He saw that Lil Artha had that long neck of his "rubbering," as he himself would have termed it; doubtless his gun was alongside him in the bunk, and even then he had hold of it.
To the astonishment of Elmer, however, the man did not pa.s.s beyond the doorsill. He seemed to have drawn some object from a hidden receptacle about his person, where it must have escaped observation when his benefactors were helping him. And giving this a swift toss Zack Arnold hurled it far out amidst the snow drifts; after which he backed into the cabin, softly closed the door, glanced hurriedly around to see if he had been observed, but seeing nothing, because Lil Artha had hastily drawn his head back as might a cautious old tortoise when threatened with peril; after which the guide replaced the bar.
Five minutes after all this queer happening had taken place Zack was once more bundled up in his blankets, and apparently bound to go to sleep, this time in real earnest.
After that Elmer seemed to find no difficulty whatever in getting asleep himself. Why, it really seemed as though a great load had been removed from his mind; and the first thing he knew George was calling him to get up, because breakfast was almost ready.
It was a most unusual thing for the scout master to over-sleep. Some of the others, notably Toby and George, joked him about it; but Elmer noticed that Lil Artha did not say a word.
Later on, after they had all partaken of the fine meal that George prepared, he doing his level best to show Uncle Caleb that there were other cooks as well, Elmer caught Lil Artha making certain gestures in his direction. He could manage to guess what it all meant, and believed the other wanted a chance to talk with him outside.
"I wonder what the weather promises for to-day; and I think I"ll step out to see how things look," Elmer presently remarked carelessly.
"I"ll go along and give you the benefit of my vast experience as a weather prophet!" exclaimed Lil Artha, jumping up; "the rest of you stay inside, because too many cooks spoil the broth, and two of us ought to be enough to settle this job with the clerk of the weather."
It happened that George was still busy with some of his dishes, about which he saw Uncle Caleb was unusually particular, in that he used two separate waters in washing the same; while Toby was busily employed in looking over some traps he had discovered hanging from a nail, and evidently seldom used; so that neither of them dreamed of leaving the comfortable cabin, and braving the outside air just then.
"What"s all this about, Lil Artha?" demanded the scout master, after the door had been carefully closed behind them.
"Why, I happened to know that you saw that ugly looking guide moving around in the middle of the night, Elmer; and I thought you must have noticed that he threw something away when he was standing there in the doorway?"
"I did see him do that, and I knew you were on the job, too, Lil Artha,"
Elmer went on to say; "but if you"ve made a discovery, hurry up and tell me what it is, because I haven"t thought to put my sweater on, and it"s pretty chilly here."
"Well, I was that curious to know what it could be the fellow threw away," continued the tall scout, "the first thing this morning, before any of the rest of you had peeped an eye open, I got up, and came out here to look around."