CHAPTER XXII

AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

Jack glanced at Nat. The lad was pale, and Jack himself began to feel the effect of the poisonous gas. But he made up his mind he would not give in.

"Brace up, Nat!" he cried. "We must get Budge out of here. Maybe he's only fainted. Brace up! It will only take us a minute, and then we'll get where there is better air."

"I will," said Nat faintly.

He stood up, and by a strong effort fought off the feeling of faintness. Then he and Jack reached down and took hold of Budge, lifting him by his head and feet. His gun was strapped over his shoulder.

"There's what did the mischief," said Jack, and he nodded toward a spring, about five feet in diameter, near which Budge had been sitting when he had been overcome.

The poor lad's body was limp, and it was hard to carry him, but Nat and Jack strained and staggered along. As they went on, the effect of the deadly gas became less, and soon they could breathe better.

"Do you--do you think he's dead?" faltered Nat.

"I hope not," answered Jack, but his voice was serious. "It depends on how long he has breathed that gas. I heard Tanker Ike say he once saw a grizzly bear killed by it, so it must be pretty powerful."

"Have we got to carry him back to camp?"

"No, we'll take him out of the reach of the vapor, and then one of us can run back and get the medicine chest. I'll try some strong ammonia on him. That may revive him--if he isn't dead."

A little later they staggered with the limp body of Budge out on a clear place, where the fumes of the gas could not be noticed.

"I'll wait here with him until you run to camp," said Jack, and when Nat, who had recovered from his faintness, had started off, Jack chafed Budge's hands, and running to the river filled his cap with cold water, which he dashed into the face of the unconscious lad.

This treatment was effective in a measure, for Budge opened his eyes. Then he exclaimed:

"Don't--don't drown me!"

"Budge! Budge!" cried Jack. "Do you feel better?"

But the lad's eyes closed again, and Jack feared that it was but a momentary reviving. He chafed the lad's hands again, and tried to force some cold water from the river between his set teeth.

Then Nat came running back, bearing a medicine box, which Mr. Ranger had insisted that Jack take with him. Long Gun, Sam and Bony followed.

Jack took out a bottle of ammonia, and held it beneath the nose of Budge. The powerful liquid fumes made Budge gasp, and he struggled to sit up.

"Hi! quit!" he called. "Don't burn me!" For the ammonia stung him.

"Oh, he isn't dead!" cried Nat, much relieved.

"Pretty soon be all right," said Long Gun, who had been told what had happened. "Plenty much fresh air make um well."

And he seemed to be right, for presently Budge sat up, opened his eyes, and began feeling in his pockets.

"What do you want?" asked Jack.

"Where'smygum?" was what Budge wanted to know, and his companions laughed.

"I guess you're all right when you can chew gum," spoke Jack. "But what made you go over by that sulphur spring?"

"I was shooting jack-rabbits," explained Budge, "and I thought that would be a good place. I didn't like the smell, but pretty soon I fell asleep, and then----"

"Yes, and then if Jack and Nat hadn't come along you'd be sleeping yet," added Sam.

"'Sright," admitted Budge.

They helped him back to camp, and he was soon feeling better, but he registered a firm resolve not to go too near the deadly gas spring again. Hunting was over for the day, and they were all soon gathered about the camp fire, telling their various experiences.

It was the middle of the night when Jack, who was rather restless, was awakened suddenly. At first he thought some one had called him, but as he raised up and looked over at his sleeping companions he realized that none of them were awake.

"I wonder what that noise was?" he asked himself.

Just then he heard, in the air above the tent, that same sighing, throbbing sound that had so startled them on a previous occasion. It was like the passage of some immense body through the air.

Jack, who was partly dressed, hurried to the flap of the tent. He peered upward into the blackness of the night.

Was it fancy, or did he see some great, mysterious shape moving over the camp? He could not tell, but the throbbing, swishing noise became fainter.

"I wonder what that is?" thought Jack as he went back to bed. In the morning he did not tell his chums nor Long Gun of the affair, fearing to frighten them.

They prepared for a big hunt the next day. There was a light fall of snow, which the Indian guide said would serve to enable them to track the game. They were out early in the morning on their horses, and were gone all day, keeping together. Jack shot a big buck, and Bony, to his great delight, brought down a fine mountain sheep, while the others had to be content with jack-rabbits.

Budge had entirely recovered from the effects of the deadly gas, but he said he felt too nervous to do any shooting, so he and Long Gun, who, despite his name, was a poor shot, simply trailed along in the rear.

"I'd like to get another pair of big horns for my room," said Jack toward the close of the day. "What do you think, Long Gun, have we time to go a little farther and try for a big ram?"

"Hu! Mebby," answered the Indian. "Plenty sheep been here," and he pointed to where the animals had scraped away the snow to get at the grass and shrubs beneath.

Jack and Nat started off, while the others made a temporary camp and warmed some tea. They were to stay there until Jack and Nat returned, which the lads promised to do within an hour if they saw no signs of sheep.

They tramped on, having left their horses in the temporary camp, Jack eagerly watching for a sign of a big pair of horns.

"I guess I'm not going to find them this time," he said as he mounted a pinnacle of rock and looked about him. "It looks like a good place, too," he added.

"Hark, something's coming," said Nat in a whisper.

There was a crackling in the bushes to Jack's right. He turned in that direction, his rifle in readiness. Something was moving there. Was it a mountain sheep?

He raised his gun. A dark object could be seen to be moving behind the screen of bushes, and the snow on them was shaken off.

Suddenly there stepped into view, not a mountain sheep, but the figure of a lad, all in tatters.

For an instant Jack and Nat stared at the youth. He had appeared so unexpectedly that they did not know what to say. On his part, the lad stood there silent, as if he did not know what to do.

Then Jack threw down his rifle and sprang forward, at the same time crying out:

"Bill! It's Bill Williams! Well, how in the world did you ever get here?"