Thad and Allan, who had now returned in time to hear this last exchanged looks.
"A clear case of sleep walking, seems like!" ventured the former.
"Oh! my goodness gracious! I thought I was over them tricks years ago!"
exclaimed b.u.mpus, shivering. "If they"re agoing to take me again I see my finish; because some night I"ll walk off a precipice, and that"ll be the end of me."
"We"ll like as not have to tie you by the leg every night, just like Jim is now; and that"ll stop you prancing around loose, trying to set my pets free in your sleep," Step Hen went on to say, rea.s.suringly; but somehow b.u.mpus did not seem to take to the idea the least bit.
"You let me alone, that"s all, Step Hen Bingham," he told the other, "and I"ll fix my own business. That"s what comes of you keeping the silly old owl. Serve you about right if his mate dropped in and bit the end of your big toe off to pay you up for fastening that chain on the poor thing"s leg."
"Say, I like that, now; when you were the very first one to ask if we couldn"t keep that same owl!" Step Hen told him.
"Wow! that hurts some, let me tell you, fellows!" groaned the fat scout, when Allan was putting some salve, calculated to help heal the wound, on the torn place, and then with the a.s.sistance of the scout-master started binding the hand up with windings of soft linen that came in a tape roll two inches wide.
"But let me tell you it"s some chilly out here, with only pajamas on,"
objected Giraffe; "and for one I"m going to skip back under my blanket, where I can snuggle down. Somebody remember to throw a little wood on the fire, please. Let Davy do it."
Of course that really meant either the scoutmaster or Allan; and Giraffe often had a failing for shirking some duty like this. It was so easy to expect some other to do disagreeable things; though as a rule the boys were accustomed to saying, "let Davy do it," until it had become so tiresome that the Jones boy had rebelled, and refused to be the errand boy any longer for the entire patrol.
In half ah hour silence again brooded over the camp. b.u.mpus must have done something to make sure he did not start walking in his sleep again, for nothing occurred to disturb their slumbers until dawn came along and, with birds singing, as well as gray squirrels barking l.u.s.tily at the intruders, awakened them all.
Breakfast was hurried, because all of them were" anxious to be on the move. They knew that by following the sh.o.r.e of the big water several miles they would come to the point where there was a village, with something of a landing place in a sheltered nook; and here they expected to find their boat awaiting them.
It was about an hour after sun-up that the cheery notes of b.u.mpus"
silver-toned bugle gave the signal for the start; and the six khaki-clad lads could be seen moving at a fairly fast pace along the sh.o.r.e of the lake. Step Hen had managed to bundle the captive owl in a spare sweater, so he could carry him all right without danger.
The little waves came purling up close to their feet, and seemed to welcome the strangers to their domain; but Thad knew full well that under different conditions these same waves would unite to threaten them with destruction.
Step Hen having found a way to muzzle the owl, so that he could carry the prisoner, without fear of dire attacks from that sharp beak seemed more determined than ever to try and keep Jim; and he frowned every time he saw b.u.mpus observing the bird thoughtfully, because he imagined the fat scout might be hatching up a scheme for choking the thick-necked prisoner, in revenge for what he had suffered from its savage thrust.
Finally a loud shout was heard from Giraffe, who, being so much taller than the balance of the scouts, and possessed of a neck he could stretch to an alarming degree, was in a position to see much further than the rest.
"The village is in sight!" he announced, whereat there was a cheer, the owl commenced to struggle afresh, and Step Hen had his hands full trying to quiet his feathered prisoner.
With their goal now close at hand the boys were able to step out at a more lively pace, even b.u.mpus showing surprising gains.
About ten o"clock they arrived at the settlement where they had seen some sort of dock, at which a couple of ore barges of the whaleback type were being loaded.
Already the eager eyes of the boys had discovered a boat that answered the description of the one they expected to find awaiting them.
Making straight for the place they found that they had guessed rightly.
That good sized powerboat was the Chippeway Belle, the vessel which was to be their home for the next two weeks or more, as they pleased.
An investigation revealed the fact that their stores were all aboard, as well as their extra supplies that went under the general designation of "duffel."
"Nothing else for us to do but go aboard, and make a bully start, is there, Thad?" asked the impatient Giraffe, eager to find out how the craft could go; for up to now the Silver Fox Patrol had generally spent their outings on dry land; and this idea of a cruise had come somewhat in the shape of what Thad called an "innovation."
"Nothing at all, Giraffe," replied the other, himself looking pleased at the prospect of being about to start on such a splendid pleasure trip.
"How about paying for the use of the boat; has all that been attended to?" asked careful b.u.mpus, who was not so very much of a water-dog himself, and rather viewed the prospect of getting out of sight of land on board so small a craft with anything but exultant delight; indeed, to tell the honest truth, the fat scout was already secretly sorry he had come.
"Oh! yes," replied Thad, quickly; "Dr. Hobbs attended to all that for us; fact is, this boat is owned by a friend of his, which was how we got it as cheap as we did. And more than that, the gentleman attended to packing all our supplies at the Soo, and sent the boat here on a steamer, so we could start from this place. It was Dr. Philander"s idea, you know, this coming through the copper region along the south sh.o.r.e of the Eke. And now, if you"re all of the same mind, let"s get started."
"Hurrah; hoist the Pennant of the Silver Fox Patrol that your Sister Polly made us, Giraffe, and every fellow dip his hat to the colors of the gay Chippeway Belle!" and in answer to this request on the part of Davy Jones they did salute the raising of the neat little burgee that had a silver fox fashioned in silken hand-work upon it.
Thad examined the engine carefully. He knew considerable about such things, and yet he fancied, he might have more or less trouble with the motive power of this Lake Superior boat; for it was of rather an ancient pattern, and had evidently seen its best days.
Between them Thad and Allan confessed this much, but they did not think it good policy to say anything to the others, though anxious b.u.mpus watched their conference uneasily, and could be seen to carefully pick out a spot on the rail where he perched, and seemed inclined to stay--it was handy to a quick getaway in case the worst happened, and the engine blew up, as he whispered to himself.
After he had, as he believed, mastered the rudiments of the working of the motor Thad told them to cast off, and they would make a start.
Several men stood around to watch them get away, among them the party in whose charge the boat had been left, and who had only delivered it up after Thad had produced an order for the same, and paid certain expenses for storage and watching.
"Were moving at last!" called Step Hen excitedly, as the machinery started to go with a rush, after Thad had cranked the engine.
Allan stood by the wheel, and as the prow of the boat gurgled through the clear waters of the great lake, every scout was thrilled with the vast possibilities that faced them, now that their cruise had begun.
"This means that we"ll eat our first meal aboard at noon to-day,"
remarked Giraffe who seemed determined that no regular feeding time might be neglected, if he could help it.
"You ought to be a happy fellow, Giraffe," remarked Davy Jones, "after taking a look over the piles of grub we"ve got aboard. Why, do you know there"s a whole big ham, two slabs of bacon, and all sorts of good things. No danger of any of us going hungry on this excursion; unless the old tub should happen to sink, and leave us marooned on some rocky island."
"Oh! see here, stop joking about that sort of thing, Davy," remonstrated b.u.mpus, shivering as though he felt a cold draught; "I know right well that if such a horrible thing ever did happen to us, the rest of you"d make up your minds to begin on me the first thing."
"Well, that"s the penalty you have to pay, b.u.m, pus, for being so tempting," chuckled Step Hen; "now, who"d ever think of picking Giraffe out for a dainty meal; why he"s as skinny as an old crow."
"There are times when it pays right well to be thin," remarked the scout held up to derision, "and that"d be one of "em, I reckon."
They were by now far away from the ore dock, and the barges that were loading; indeed it was only with an effort they could see either, for a haze had crept over the surface of the lake. The Chippeway Belle had been going along at quite a fair pace, thought making more noise than was agreeable to either Thad or Allan, when all at once, without the least warning there was heard a loud report. Instantly the sound of the engine ceased.
"She"s broke down, and we"re wrecked already!" yelled Giraffe, excitedly.
"Oh! mercy! and she may explode at any second now!" cried poor b.u.mpus; after which, in sheer desperation he jumped deliberately overboard, clinging to the side of the swaying craft, and in momentary expectation of hearing a fearful crash, as the gasoline tank went up.
CHAPTER V
THE RESCUE
"Tell us what to do, Thad, and count on us to follow you!" called out Giraffe, rising manfully to the occasion; though to tell the honest truth he looked pretty "white around the gills," as Step Hen remarked later on, when they all found time to compare experiences.
"Just stick to your seats, and don"t bother!" was the quick reply Thad sent back.
"Then there ain"t any danger?" demanded Davy, drawing the only decent breath he had dared indulge in since that first alarm.
"Not a bit!" called Allan, cheerily.