"Hadn"t you a compa.s.s?"
"No, sir; I got sort of turned around like,--and I went a long hike the wrong way."
Simply enough, to be sure, but apparently it was only good fortune that had made him find at last the road home to camp.
Light-hearted Peter dismissed the whole affair with a "Look out after this; and always carry a compa.s.s or take one of us boys along," and then he sought his fragrant, if not altogether downy couch.
Blair, too, gave the episode little thought, but to Shelby it seemed more important. If a hardened guide could get lost as easily as that, it might happen to any of them. And a compa.s.s was not a sure safeguard. A man could wander round and round without finding a fairly nearby camp.
Shelby was a few years older than the other two, and of a far more prudent nature. He had no dare-devil instincts, and not an overweening love of adventure. He was enjoying his trip because of the outdoor life and wildwood sports, but as for real adventure, he was content to omit it. Not from fear--Kit Shelby was as brave as any,--but he saw no sense in taking unnecessary risks.
While risks were as the breath of life to Peter Boots. Indeed, he was sighing because the conditions of modern camping ways and the efficiency of the guide left little or no chance for risk of life or limb.
He didn"t by any means want to lose life or limb, but he was not at all unwilling to risk them pretty desperately. And he found no opportunity.
The days were pleasantly taken up with fishing, shooting, moving on, setting up and taking down camp, and all the expected routine of a mountain expedition; but, so far, there had been nothing unusual or even uncomfortable to any great degree.
The next day brought a fearful storm, with gales and sleet and driving rain and the temperature dropped many degrees.
The party experienced their first really cold weather, and though it depressed the others Peter seemed to revel in it.
The tent was practically a prison, and an uncomfortable one, for the wind was terrific and the squalls became hourly more menacing.
Shelby was quiet, by reason of a sore throat, and Blair was quiet with a silence that was almost sulky.
Not quite though, for irrepressible Peter kept the crowd good-natured, by the simple process of making jokes and laughing at them himself, so contagiously, that all were forced to join in.
But at last he tired of that, and announced that he was going to write letters.
"Do," said Shelby, "and hurry up with them. The postman will be along any minute now."
Peter grinned, and really set himself to work with paper and pencil.
"I know what you"re doing," said Blair; "you"re beginning our story."
"I"m not, but that isn"t half a bad idea. Let"s start in, Gil. We can plan it and make up names and things----"
"Why can"t you really write it?" asked Shelby. "I should think it would be the psychological moment. Isn"t it to be all about the storms and other indigenous delights of Labrador?"
"You take that tone and I"ll pitch you out into the indigenous delights," threatened Peter. "Come on, Gilbert, let"s block out the backbone of the yarn right now."
They set to work, and by dint of much discussing, disagreeing, ballyragging and bulldozing each other, they did make a fair start.
"What"s the heroine like?" asked Shelby, beginning to be interested.
"Like Carly Harper," said Blair promptly.
"Not the leastest, littlest mite like Carly Harper," said Peter, his blue eyes hardening with determination.
"Why not?" demanded Blair, who cared little what the heroine was like; but who objected to contradiction without reason.
"Because I say not," returned Peter, impatiently. "The heroine is a little rosy-cheeked, flaxen-haired doll. She has blue eyes,--something like mine,--and a saucy, turn-up nose, and a dimple in her left cheek."
"A peach," said Shelby, "but no sort of a heroine for that yarn you two fellows are spinning. I"m no author, but I"m an architect, and I can see the incongruity."
"If you know so much, write it yourself," said Peter, but not pettishly.
"If I"m doing it, I create my own heroine or I quit."
"Oh, don"t quit," begged Blair. "We"re just getting a good start. Have the treacle and taffy heroine if you like, only keep on."
His point won, Peter did keep on, and a fair bit of work was accomplished. For the first time it began to seem as if the two authors would really produce something worth while.
"Not likely," Peter said, as they talked this over. "I"m no sort of a collaborator,--I"m too set in my ways. If I can"t have it the way I want it, I can"t do it at all."
"But you can have your own way in details," said Blair, musingly. "They don"t matter much. Give me the swing of the plot and let me plan the climaxes, and I care not who makes the laws for the heroine"s complexion."
"Well, I"m for a run in the rain," said Peter. "I"ve worked my brain into a tangled snarl, and I must go out and clear it out."
He shook himself into his storm togs, and as no one cared to go with him, he started off alone.
CHAPTER III
The Snowstorm
Given three good-natured young men, a satisfactory guide, a stretch of Labrador wild, and no cares of any sort, it is not surprising that the happy days and weeks followed one another into the maw of Time, until the date of departure for home drew near.
"I"d like to stay here forever," declared Blair, as he filled his pipe and stretched luxuriously before the fire. "Civilization has lost all charm for me."
"Go away with you!" scoffed Peter Boots, "that"s a fine, ambitious spirit to show, and you a rising young author,--or about to become one."
"Not unless you duff in and help, old chap. Our book hangs on your efforts, I"ve pretty well done my part of it."
"And I"ll do mine, don"t worry. I"m a procrastinator and a put-offer, but I"ll get there! Now, cut out the book till we get home. These last few days up here must be given over to Nature as she is snowed under!"
It was the last week in September, but snow-squalls were frequent, winds were high and rains were cold and sleety.
Joshua had been urging the homeward journey for several days, but the men were loath to go, until now, a more severe bit of weather had persuaded them. Even as they sat round the fire, with storm coats drawn high up around their ears, the sleet-squalls drove against their faces and the gale howled among the snowy trees.
Peter loved the life, the outdoor days and tented nights, but his mind once made up to leave, his volatile spirit turned toward home.
"A couple of days more staving round in the snowdrifts and I"ll be ready," he announced, and Joshua began to pack up.
The guide growled a little at the reluctance of his party to start.
"You men wait too long, and you"ll be sorry," he warned. "This wind won"t only let up for a little spell at a time,--mostly it"ll blow like somethin" let loose! And if a big snow comes,--and it"s likely to,--we"ll be in a fix."
"Now, now, old man," began Shelby, "don"t growl. We"ve been a pretty good sort, haven"t we? We"re going home, aren"t we? Why croak at us?"