CHAPTER IX

PLANNING A SURPRISE

"MORE trouble ahead!" cried Roger, starting back, for he did not fancy a hand-to-hand conflict with that furious beast, intent on claiming the game that had fallen to Dick's gun.

"Do nothing rash!" admonished the other, who knew the headstrong ways of his cousin, and wished to prevent any action that might precipitate a struggle.

"But see how the beast acts! As if he owned the earth, Dick!"

"Well, what of it?" came the steady reply, for Dick was hastening his reloading operations while talking, something Roger did not seem to have thought of.

"But you shot the bull, Dick," urged the other.

"Then I make of him a present to our friend, the big cat," Dick told him. "We have quite enough meat out on the open, all we can manage. Besides, I pity your teeth if you ever try to bite into the flesh of that tough old rascal. Move around, and let the cat be. That's all he asks of us."

"But, Dick, I don't like to let it seem as though the two of us were afraid of just a hungry panther," remonstrated Roger, who was proud of his valor.

"Oh! for that matter, there's the poor old wolf, you remember. And in a short time the air will be black with buzzards coming to the feast from a distance of miles around. Let good enough alone, as I've heard your mother tell you, many's the time."

Grumbling a little, and sending more than one aggressive look backward toward the audacious panther, Roger finally agreed to accompany his chum out to where the other victims lay.

The rest of the herd had galloped away, and were far distant by this time, though now lacking a gallant protector. And, lying where they had fallen, were the yearling bull and another, for both boys had made capital shots.

"What shall we do first?" asked Roger.

"I want to see you charge that rifle of yours before we start a single thing," he was told bluntly by his companion.

"Oh! I had forgotten that part of the game, but you know I generally do reload without any loss of time, Dick. I learned that long years ago, and many a time, as I can distinctly remember, it saved me a heap of trouble."

This duty having been accomplished, Roger waited to hear what they were to attempt next; for as a rule he was content to let Dick do the planning.

"While you go and fetch the horses, Roger, I'll start to cutting up this fine young bull. You've got your bearings, of course, and know just where we left our mounts?"

"I surely do know," the other replied, "and I'll have them here before long. If I were you, Dick, I'd keep one eye out for that slippery beast of a panther. For all any one can say, he may take a notion that he prefers tender meat to tough. And that I'd call carrying the joke too far."

"Depend on it, Roger, I'll keep my gun handy all the while, and, if Mr. Panther gives me any trouble, I'll be tempted to waste a bullet on him. Get back as soon as you can, that's all."

With that advice ringing in his ears Roger hurried off, while Dick, drawing his hunting knife with the buckhorn handle, proceeded to first remove most of the skin of the young bull, so that it could be used to wrap around the meat. After this he started to cut away such choice portions as he meant to keep.

Every now and then as was his habit, he raised his head to take a quick glance around; but neither the panther nor the wolf came into sight. Evidently the hungry animals were not excessively particular about the tenderness of their meat, if only the supply proved sufficient.

Roger came galloping up after a bit, leading the second horse. The animal did considerable snorting, as horses always will when they scent freshly spilled blood; but Roger knew how to stake them out so that they could not wander away.

After that he commenced dressing the second buffalo, also a yearling. Since both boys had had considerable experience in this, they made fair work, and the two piles of fresh meat mounted up by degrees.

It was just as well, for evening was not far away now, the day having drawn on toward its close. Off yonder, in the glowing west, the sun was sinking, and beginning to paint the fleecy white clouds a vivid red that had strange fluted columns running up and down. To the imagination of the two boys these were the beckoning fingers that tempted them always, just as the rainbow for ages past has promised a pot of gold to him who could find the spot where its foot rested on the earth.

The two bundles of meat were tied securely, and fastened to the backs of the prancing horses. Then the boys set off, expecting to strike the camp of the expedition along the bank of the river.

As they passed the timber they could see something of a commotion in the place where they had had their adventure with the savage old buffalo bull. Dozens of big bald-headed birds were sitting on dead limbs of the trees, now dropping awkwardly down to the ground, and anon flapping back to their perches.

"The buzzards came, just as I thought they would," remarked Dick; "but they'll have to wait for the second table, because that cat and the wolf must first be served. When they can hold no more they may go away and let the poor buzzards have a chance."

Dick did not have any particular trouble in finding his bearings. It had been indelibly impressed on his mind that the river lay to the north, and, with the setting sun on their left, it would be no difficult task to find the water.

He had also figured out about where the boats and the horses would bring up when the day's toll had been taken, so that he was now making what he would have called a bee-line for that particular place.

The sun was down behind the level horizon at last, and shadows had begun to creep out of their hiding-places. Roger began to feel a little anxiety concerning their hoped-for arrival at the river.

"It seems to be further than I thought," he ventured to say presently.

"Meaning the river, I suppose," remarked Dick, calmly. "Yes, I expected that it would take us some little time to get there, because there was a big bend just at the place we left the water, on sighting that hill which we climbed to look around for game."

"Dick, I believe I see something that flickers ahead of us!" exclaimed Roger just then.

"It must be the light of the fires, which as usual have been built below the river-bank, so that their glow may not betray the camp to hostile eyes. Yes, just as you say, Roger, we are getting there, and will be in on time."

"Oh! as to that, Dick," said the other with a laugh, "even if supper is started they will be sure to switch off and give this fresh buffalo meat the first showing. But, for one, I shall be glad to rest. After all that prancing around my tree every muscle in my legs cries out in pain, I do believe."

They were not long in arriving at the camp, and, when the campers found what the packages that the horses carried contained, they greeted the newcomers with cheery words of welcome and of thanks.

It was a lively scene, with the boats drawn up on the sandy beach under the river-bank; the horses picketed out to graze; the tents that had been erected to serve as sleeping quarters for the company; and the blazing fires about which the cooks were starting to cook the evening meal. For a background to the picture there was the ever-murmuring river, and the boys, many a time, wished they were able to send a loving message down those hundreds of miles to the little settlement of St. Louis, where their loved ones dwelt.

They knew that a monumental task still lay before them, since the terrible, rocky mountains, of which they had heard vague stories from the Indians, had to be scaled, as well as trackless wastes of desert land crossed, before they could hope to feast their eyes on the blue sea which was their goal.

Still, the whole summer lay before them, and they had already surmounted so many obstacles that nothing seemed to daunt those bold spirits. Each day's journey they counted another link in the chain, and, having virtually burned their bridges behind them, it became a necessity that they succeed.

The supper was finally cooked, and those who were not on duty as guards settled down to enjoy what had been prepared. As usual Dick and Roger found places close together, for they were chums in everything, and liked to chat while eating.

"This pays me for all my trouble with that old bull," remarked Roger as he munched away. "Sweeter meat I never tasted, if I do say it myself."

"Oh! I agree with you there," Dick told him. "But I find myself wondering why Captain Lewis keeps looking over this way so often. And then, too, it strikes me he is unusually solemn to-night. What do you say, Roger?"

"I hadn't noticed it before," came the reply presently, "but, now that you call my attention to the fact, I really believe you are right. He does look as if something had gone wrong. I wonder what could have happened while we were away this afternoon."

"We may have to take it out in guessing," Dick observed, "unless the Captain decides to tell us about it, which is hardly likely. But the rest of the men seem to be noisier and in better humor than usual. There's Andrew Waller keeping a lot of them roaring with laughter as he tells some comical story. I never saw him so lively, come to think of it."

About the time all of them were through eating, Dick discovered that Captain Meriwether Lewis was walking directly toward the spot where he and his chum still sat. A couple of convenient stones had afforded them resting places; but, as the commander of the expedition paused beside them, both lads immediately sprang to their feet, courteously offering the captain a seat.

"I will accept if one of you can sit tailor-fashion on the ground," remarked Captain Lewis, but without any sign of merriment in his voice, for he was still looking very grave. "I want to speak with both of you lads, and it is concerning a subject in which you are deeply interested."

Of course that aroused their curiosity at once, and Roger lost no time in dropping upon the sand, where he could make himself fairly comfortable.

As soon as they were all seated again the captain began:

"While you two boys were away on your hunt this afternoon, something happened which deepened my suspicion that we have a traitor among us. By a mere accident I picked up a bit of paper that some one must have drawn from his pocket unknown to himself. Glancing idly at it I was startled at what I read."

He looked around him as though to make certain that no eye watched his action, and then placed a small piece of paper, very much wrinkled and soiled, in Dick's hand. Together the boys fastened their eyes on the writing and made out the fragment of a sentence:

"if you think it unsafe to stay longer in the camp, join us; but be sure and bring plenty of guns and ammunition along, for we need them."

There was no signature, but the boys did not doubt in the least that the one whose hand had Penned this note of instructions was François Lascelles or his equally rascally son, Alexis. The question was, who could the recipient be, and how were they to find out.

"After you found this paper, Captain, you watched to see if any one seemed to be searching for anything, I suppose?" Dick asked eagerly.

"All the afternoon I have kept on the alert, but, whoever the villain is, he has either not discovered his loss, or else has assumed an appearance of indifference in order to blind hostile eyes."

"But how do you suppose he could have received the message?" continued Dick.

"That, too, may always remain a mystery," continued the other, reflectively, "but an arrangement could have been made whereby certain stones that were laid down in a peculiar manner would direct him to search in a hollow stump or under a log for a letter. All we know is that this traitor did receive his message, and started to tear it to pieces, but on second thought kept part of the letter."

"It will be his undoing yet, sir, I think," Roger ventured to suggest. "Too bad there was no name mentioned, so we could charge him with the deed, and punish him as he deserves. I am wild to know who he is, for I shall long remember how he tried to put an end to us in the rapids of the Yellowstone."

"Perhaps you may, and that before another dawn comes," remarked the captain, as he smiled indulgently at the headstrong boy, whom he had come to like very much, as, indeed, he did Dick, also.

"That sounds as though you had made a plan of campaign, Captain," Dick observed, with a pleased look that was only exceeded by the smile on the face of his companion.

"I have laid out a little scheme which I think may work well, and trap the guilty wretch in the toils," explained the captain. "You remember the special mention made of guns and ammunition, which he was told to take with him, if he really believed his usefulness in the camp had come to an end? That gave me my clew."

"The bait will be a stock of powder and ball, and perhaps several guns, unless I fail to catch your meaning, sir?" Dick continued.

"Before we go to sleep, to-night, I shall have three men, whose names I need not mention, know that there are several good guns, and quite a quantity of ammunition for them, in the supply tent where we keep our extra provisions. It is not guarded beyond the fact that sentries are posted outside the camp to watch for enemies. But to-night both of you boys, together with myself and Captain Clark, will be in hiding, ready to capture any one who ventures to enter that supply tent."

"Thank you for thinking of us, sir," exclaimed Roger, warmly.

"Why should I not do so, when the first intimation I received that there was a traitor in the camp came through you two boys? And, besides, you are more deeply interested in his capture and punishment than any of the others, because this unknown spy is working hand and glove with François Lascelles, who hates you most bitterly."

"Tell us what to do, Captain, and you can rely on our working with you to the best of our ability," Dick assured the commander, who smiled at him and went on to explain further.

"Understand then, that, later on, both of you, when not observed, are to take your guns and disappear. I will look to find you in that bunch of brush yonder to the right, and from that point we can watch the supply tent until something happens. I think the bait will be sufficiently attractive to tempt the man to make his move, meaning to steal the guns and ammunition, after which he hopes to leave us in the lurch. After we make sure that he is inside the tent, we can creep up and face him as he comes out laden with his booty. That is enough, since you understand," with which the captain laughingly arose to his feet and sauntered away, leaving the boys thrilled through and through.