CHAPTER XVIII.

STILL IN PURSUIT, WITH THE TRAIL GROWING WARMER.

Step Hen was not alone in feeling angry at this action on the part of the two unscrupulous timber cruisers. Every one of the scouts experienced a degree of indignation that might easily be fanned into boyish rage.

"And I don't calculate, now," said Giraffe, presently, "that Hank and Pierre are the kind of men to step out of their way ten feet to do a good deed, 'specially toward a boy they'd never yet seen?"

"Well, they didn't impress me that way," declared Thad.

"And they haven't much of a reputation for being tenderhearted, I believe," Allan added, speaking over his shoulder, for he was following the trail persistently.

But then, even a novice could have kept on that trail. None of the three who made it seemed to think anything about hiding their tracks.

Those of Bumpus in particular were plainly marked, and presently Giraffe began to notice this patent fact.

"There seems to be a big difference in these footprints," he said.

"There certainly is," Allan replied.

"Now, I don't mean it that way, because of course Bumpus hasn't got feet anywhere near as big as those of Hank and Pierre. But always it's the same, and his footprints look deeper than theirs. But for all he's so fat, sure Bumpus can't be heavier than either of those big broad shouldered husky men?"

Giraffe seemed to realize that there must be an explanation which would clear up this little mystery, and he wanted it.

"That isn't what makes the difference, Giraffe," the tracker went on. "You know, we decided that Bumpus went along here right soon after the storm yesterday afternoon, and while the ground was still soft?"

"Yes, I remember, Allan."

"Well," said Allan, "Hank and Pierre didn't happen on the scene until this morning, and by then the ground was somewhat firm again. Is that plain enough?"

"I should say it was, and thank you for the explanation," Giraffe answered. "It beats all what you fellers can get out of this thing. Why, that alone is about as interesting a fact as anybody could think up."

"Then Bumpus had, say twelve hours the start?" suggested Step Hen.

"Right here, yes," replied Allan. "But you must remember that he was meaning to settle down for the night about this time. And when he went on this morning, perhaps they'd be only a couple of hours behind."

"Whew! things seem to be getting mighty interesting," remarked Giraffe.

"I should say they were," Step Hen asserted.

"Don't I wish Davy and Smithy and Bob White were here." the long scout went on.

"Huh! there's four of us as it is, and all carryin' good guns too. We ought to be enough of a crowd to hold up that pair of cowards," declared Step Hen, who did not seem to have a very high opinion of Hank and his mate.

"We did it once, all right," remarked Giraffe, with a grin, "and we c'n do it again, or my name is Dennis."

"But Bumpus hadn't camped yet, had he?" Step Hen asked.

"I think we're coming to where he spent last night," said Allan. "I had a glimpse just then of something that looked like a dead camp-fire. Yes, here it is, boys, you see."

"Well, he did do it, all right," muttered Giraffe, as he stood there, and looked down upon the ashes of a fire.

"Yes," Thad remarked, "and here we can see where he obtained dry timber by hacking into the heart of this stump."

"Oh! Bumpus is the surprise of this trip, all right!" exclaimed Step Hen. "I'm just goin' to take off my hat to him, after what he's done."

"He seems to keep us guessing, don't he?" Thad remarked, looking around with a feeling akin to pride, to realize that the one who all along had been termed the real tenderfoot of the patrol, should so suddenly develop such astonishing skill in taking care of himself.

"No babes in the wood about this business, let me tell you." asserted Giraffe, after he had examined the way Bumpus had made his fire. "Done things pretty near as well as an old seasoned fire builder could have made out."

That was a high compliment indeed, coming from Giraffe. Bumpus must have felt greatly pleased, could he have heard it. Perhaps his right ear burned him just about that time, for all boys know that such a thing happens only when some one is making complimentary remarks about you.

"But Bumpus left here this morning, of course?" said Step Hen; and Allan went on:

"He did, after passing a pretty comfortable night on that bed of hemlock boughs which he made, and which you can see there. Kept his feet toward the fire, too, just like an old experienced camper, who was without a tent and blanket would do. And his going off without this last is what convinces me Bumpus didn't really mean to lose himself when he started out to get his bear. He just took a lot of grub along, his hatchet, and plenty of ammunition, so as to be pretty well fixed in case he couldn't make use of his compass in finding the way back to camp."

Giraffe placed his hand on the dead ashes.

"Wet 'em down again, sure he did," he remarked.

"Ain't our chum just _it_ though," chuckled Step Hen.

"He kept his fire burning all night," Thad remarked, casually.

"How d'ye know that?" asked Step Hen.

"Oh! the amount of ashes tells that he used a heap of wood," was the reply. "You can see he made his camp close to this fallen tree, and used his little axe in cutting up the dead branches."

"Bumpus deserves to be made a first-class scout," said Giraffe, in genuine enthusiasm.

"He's on the road there, anyhow," declared Allan.

"But we must be off," Thad remarked. "We've had a few minutes' rest while figuring out all these things our chum has been up to. Now let's put our best leg forward."

"That means the right one," said Giraffe.

"No, you're away off there; it's the left one," remonstrated Step Hen, limping more decidedly with his right leg to prove that it was not "in the running."

"Both of you are correct," declared Thad. "It all depends on the point of view you choose to take."

"And of course Hank and Company started out on the new trail, because I can see the marks of their brogans?" ventured Giraffe.

"Yes," Allan replied, "they looked around the camp a bit, perhaps surprised to find that even a tenderfoot scout knows how to take care of himself. Then they pushed on."

"How far behind Bumpus?"

"I should say about three hours," replied the trail master, without hesitation.

"He's got that much lead, then?" Giraffe asked.

"Close on it," Allan answered. "But something may cause him to stop, and then they'd overtake him. On the whole, I'd rather guess those men would make faster time than our chum."

"And be slowly but surely gaining, all the while?" suggested Thad.

"Yes."

"Then we've got to get a hustle on us, that's all," Giraffe asserted. "Already we're away behind in the race, and just as like as not another night's going to catch us before we overhaul these parties. That'll make it bad."

"We can't help it any," remarked Thad, "we're doing our level best, and there's a limit, you know. We've just got to leave the rest to Providence."

"And Bumpus' luck--don't forget that," said Step Hen.

"He's sure got it along with him this trip," Giraffe avowed, "and it's been working over time for our fat chum too. Seems to me these here gents are kind of rash tryin' to meddle with a feller that has everything comin' to him like Bumpus has. P'raps they'll think they have made a mistake when they tackle that walkin' wonder."

Both Giraffe and Step Hen chuckled a little, as though the idea rather appealed to their boyish sense of humor. And Thad could not help thinking things had come to a strange pass indeed, when these two scouts, who had lorded it over Bumpus so long, on account of their superior knowledge, were ready to admit that they might yet sit at the feet of the fat chum, and take lessons in woodcraft.

Would wonders ever cease, Thad thought? But then, he knew only too well that once a scout becomes fully enthused with zeal in the pursuit of knowledge along these lines he will not only open up new pleasures daily for himself, but surprises for his friends as well.

They had been gone from the camp-fire about half an hour now. There was no trouble at all about following the trail; indeed, Allan more than once declared that even if a bandage were tied over his eyes he would have been able to keep right along, using his fingers to guide him, so plainly marked were the footprints of men and boy.

"Hello!" said Allan, suddenly, "I wonder now what started him to running?"

"Bumpus, you mean, don't you?" asked Giraffe.

"Yes, he began right here. You can see how his toes press down," Allan remarked.

"Perhaps he discovered the men behind him," suggested Step Hen.

"No, they were still more than two hours' back," Allan contrived, as he walked on hastily. "And besides, Bumpus never once turned to look behind; I could tell from his track if he did. Something in front must have attracted him."

Giraffe and Step Hen looked at each other.

"I wonder," said the former.

"'Twould be just Bumpus' luck if he did," the other boy exclaimed.

Neither of them spoke their thoughts aloud further than that. For a short time they kept moving rapidly along. And then Allan held up his hand as a signal for the others to stop.

"Well," he said, "it happened, after all these days of tramping. Bumpus came across the trail of a bear, and a big fellow too. See here, you can see his tracks, where none of the others have marred them."