CHAPTER XVI

UP AGAINST A SILVER-TIP

There was some difficulty when it came to selecting such things as might prove most handy in their difficult task. Several had to be laid aside as being too bulky and cumbersome; for weight would count heavily against them in forcing a passage through the thick growth in the ravine; as well as later when they struck the mighty upheaval of rocks on the side of the mountain, below the natural pass into the Hole-in-the-Wall valley.

Those things they had selected were divided up, and made into two packages of about equal weight. When Jack did not happen to be looking Perk managed to slip several articles into his pack, evidently begrudging their lack; which he considered only right and proper, since his shoulders and back must stand for the extra strain.

"An' if we do need 'em, which is like enough," he told himself, as if in apology for his deceit; "they might jest prove _life-savers_--yeou never kin tell haow the cat's agoin' to jump; an' they do say as a stitch in time saves yeour whole bacon."

Having attached these bundles securely to their backs the pair were ready to start forth on their perilous errand--matching their wits and courage against the lawless spirits who had defied the power of Uncle Sam, believing it would take the whole U. S. army to dislodge them from such an isolated and natural fortress.

"First thing we've got to remember, partner," said Jack, softly, as they began to plunge into the wild growth that filled the deep ravine from one side to the other, "is to get our bearings as we advance."

"Gosh amighty! Jack, is that a go, when all we got to 'member is haow we kept aheadin' 'long this ere coulie. I doant see haow anybody could go astray in sech a canyon as this same."

"To be sure," Jack assured him, "that's true as long as this is the only old waterbed we'll have to follow; which it isn't, if you remember those directions Simeon sent in. Once we became a bit rattled as to which channel to follow, and it'd ruin all our calculations--the element of uncertainty has wrecked more clever plans than anything agoing. More than that, we must turn around and stare at the way things look from the other direction; because we'll be heading back to our camp when we need to follow our trail. You know lots of landmarks may seem okay in going, which you'd never recognize when coming from the opposite quarter."

"Yeah! I knowed that too, buddy," affirmed Perk, with a grin; "read 'baout the same lots o' times as a kid, when I used to soak in stories o' them old days in Kentucky, that they called the Dark an' Bloody Ground----Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, Harrod an' them forest rangers picked that trick up from the Shawnee Injuns they used to fight. We'll face the other way heaps o' times, an' make picters o' the scenery on aour minds; that's okay with me, Jack."

For some little time they had all they could do to push their way along, so matted were the vines and the underbrush, so extremely rough the footing.

Twice Perk had stumbled, and come near having an ugly fall; he even managed to skin his right knee painfully by coming in contact with a rock; but never a grunt did he emit, accustomed as he was to taking such things as part of the game.

"Mebbe naow this is what I get fur loadin' me daown so heavy," he told himself, under his breath; "but jest the same I aint ameanin' to throw a single thing away; 'cause that'd sure turn aout to be jest what we needed most to save our skins."

Later on, as they stood still and rested a bit, Perk again confided in his companion; he always did seem to suck more or less consolation out of these frequent "chinnings," as they afforded him opportunities to see things through Jack's eyes, an advantage Perk greatly appreciated.

"More I get thinkin' 'baout the slick way that same Simeon took a carrier pigeon 'long with him, so he could be sure o' gettin' valuable information into the hands o' his boss, the more I admire the ole gink. I knowed as haow the French used them birds over across the water, when we was afightin' the Heinies; but say, tryin' sech a game aout in the Secret Service was a new dodge on me."

"Both clever, and original, Perk," assented the other, fastening on his pack once more; "but then, as I remember Simeon Balderson he was always different from the common truck of the Force. I'll be right sorry if anything has happened to him--wiped out by these devils up here, just because they naturally hate all Service men."

Thus they continued to stumble along, sometimes one in the lead, and then later on the other would forge ahead, just as circumstances brought things about.

There was no attempt to make any kind of speed, since time did not count in what they were trying to accomplish--far better to spend a week, even two, than to ruin everything by some incautious move.

From time to time sounds would come to their ears, mostly ahead; but in every case these could be set down as proceeding from birds, or small animals that may have discovered their approach, and were showing signs of restlessness.

Once, however, a faint report drifted to their ears through some slant in the breeze, being possibly a mile or more distant, which both recognized as a gunshot--the only evidence of human beings that thus far they had discovered.

It acted as a spur, making them remember what they were up against; but Perk only smiled, as though he cared very little how soon they ran into the jaws of trouble, and matched their talents against those they sought.

Then they had a severe shock--it came almost without the least warning too, which made it more stunning.

A rustling in the underbrush--what sounded like a snarl or a grunt; and as they flashed a startled look in that direction, a huge shaggy figure uprose to betray the presence of a genuine Rocky Mountain grizzly of un-heard-of proportions, standing erect.

To make the matter all the more serious the frightful beast was almost directly in their way, blocking any further movement along the ravine. Besides, while they carried arms, it was highly imprudent on several accounts for them to dream of using the same.

In the first place their automatics would seem but trivial instruments when used against such a monster, said to have the nine lives of a cat; and often known to still be in fighting trim after receiving a volley of lead from powerful modern sporting rifles.

Then again if they were forced to fire, even though lucky enough to down their hairy enemy, the sound of the discharges was certain to be heard by those in hiding, and would serve to turn the entire settlement out searching for the cause of the rattling sounds.

"Hot-diggetty-dig! did yeou _ever_ see sech a buster o' a bar?" Perk was gasping, as he stared aghast; "an' the tarnel beast's startin' to move this way, as sure as shootin', Jack!"

"We've just got to clear out!" came the ultimatum from Jack.

That was easy to say, but what chance would they have against such a powerful beast, evidently with some reason to hate all two-legged bipeds, having possibly at some time in the past been severely wounded by such a creature, and holding a vendetta against all the clan. He could break through the worst tangle with ease, while they must be held up, and their progress impeded frightfully.

Jack hit a brilliant idea almost on the instant.

"Follow me, Perk!" he shrilled, tersely; "we've got to climb a tree! Let's go, partner!"

"Which tree?" Perk demanded, as he kept close at the other's heels.

"Over this way--got limbs low down--silver-tips can't climb a tree, I've heard. Hurry--hurry!"

There was indeed need of haste, for they could distinctly hear the smashing advance of the big brute; also catch the growling as he pursued the fleeing pair who had dared invade his private hunting patch.

Neither of them dared cast a single look back, lest they stumble over an outcropping rock, or get entangled in some running vine, such as fairly covered the ground in certain places, to serve as traps to incautious feet.

Jack managed to arrive at the selected tree ahead of his mate, and swinging around to the further side, so as to keep out of the other's way, commenced to lift himself into the lower branches.

This was no slight task, seeing how heavily they were both loaded down with those bundles fastened to their backs; but it is wonderful what fright can accomplish under similar conditions; and Perk was already pawing at the other side of the friendly tree, wild with eagerness to hoist himself far enough from the ground so as to avoid contact with those cruel claws of the monster, of which he had doubtless heard thrilling stories concerning their length, and sharpness.

Nearer came the crashing sounds, and the growls; but by great good luck the angry beast arrived just too late to attain his end; for while he reached up all of ten feet Perk believed, he could not more than barely touch the lower foot of the climber, which was instantly drawn beyond his reach.

For a full minute, more or less, neither of them could spare the breath to make any sort of comment over their narrow escape--it was enough for them to know they had nothing to fear immediately from the irate silver-tip, still standing erect, and emitting those hoarse growls, as if to tell them what he would do if only they ventured within his reach.

Then Perk made a slight move, and Jack feared he might be about to kick at the beast's elevated snout, which would only irritate Bruin a great deal more.

"Keep quiet, and don't do anything to stir him up more than he is already," was the way Jack cautioned his running mate, knowing the impulsive nature of Perk only too well. "He may fade away when he sees he can't touch us. Just get your breath back, Pal Perk, and wait up."

"Okay, brother," replied the other, as though recognizing the soundness of his comrade's doctrine.

But somehow or other the big beast showed no signs of intending to break the siege by "fading out," as Jack had termed it; he continued to move around the base of the tree, now on all fours, and again raising up to his full height with ferocious growls if either of them so much as made a slight move.

"Gee whiz! he sure is some wheeze, I'd say, Jack," Perk remarked, after some little time had passed, with no change whatever taking place. "What if the ole geezer takes a notion to tent aout here at aour tree--say, that'd be the limit, bet yeour boots it would!"

Then he fell silent for a spell, as though mentally calculating the extent of such a calamity on their fortunes.