| Show BOYS 4 landed He and Jan to fetch out wood after the canoes had been dragged up on the beach and and the bedding brought out Axel Sandy went scouting for signs of his Mr Seymour and friend while Pierre Tacho went to a little patch of that came down to the river out grass of the brush to set rabbit snares “Great smoke look at this!’’ cried Jan In a state of high excitement after they had been gathering fagots a little while to Jack ran where his friend w as stooping the ground that over something on held his wide-eyed attention “What?" asked Jack exclaimed “Do that?" Jan you ’sec pointingto the ground He was shaking with excitement and Jack had hever stirred seen him so Jan tracing outline was an on the ground with his finger and Jack finally made out on the hard earth an outline not unlike a oow's hoof but much larger and with rounded lobes in the front of the track is it?" "What he asked beginning to feel Jan's excitement “"It’s 'him!" Jan turned a startled he face on Jack as replied it “Who?" Jack was puzzled was it that perfectly clear however was of not the trail a man “The Giant Moose!" exclaimed Jan “Book at tihe size of that track! No Moose could have moose but the made that” Jack could feel his hair rising at for fchxs night -some derfoot followed by long raspmg sound that was more like that made by drawn across a beach than canoe else of at anything he could think the a a time At a quite could went clearly and by looking deceiving arrived mile He of forest at that time of it especially as anotiher of ice thin film forming in close to the banks of fiver Pausing for a moment to make sure that he was not being he was ashamed of the adventure but he would not give up the idea of going to his father’s camp— lhe struck into a clump of bushes and began was the followed— ' threading upstream He went Ps his through way as quietly he them could at glow -was the night was not really afraid but he felt creepy at the prospect But he thought better of the canoe trip It was too hard work to get the canoe into the water and he might damage in the bottom of the attempt bit heard he of a faint to his left the near river It was very dim anld he would not have it observed until he had come closer if he had not been aroused by the noise But there could be no doubt that there was a dj-in-g camp fire a short distance ahead of him Jack’s excitement increased He was his certain father by that camp fire With no other thought he sprang he through into a How passed run the rocks without the brush and over told he but disaster could not have red he closely same moment when sounds he was aware the these make out rocks and bushes He down to the river bank toward the canoes for the purpose of further Sandy McNicolls When he there he was almost impelled to of the get into one canoes and make the trip that way To confess the truth he was not altogether pleased with the prospect of fumbling his way through a a PAPKH GIllLS’ AND of the old him camp had taken hold when he thought nothing of telling a fib of by way an excuse the sky The night as was not dark was nearly free from clouds and there of plenty stars to cast sheen were Jack over the barrens and the river couM see the general- lay of the land set had never run in his life ran as he In two minutes the camp fire was It plainly visible was a tiny fire such as the Indians build and it had fallen into embers The light from it was not enough to reveal the ground about it to it he As Jack hurried was aware of something moving at the river’s edge through the gloom He peered intently and made out a canoe with one figure In it just putting out from the shore to He tho brink of the river hoping ran to get a better view of the canoe quickly pushed out but the man in it vanished into the stream and cried boy standing “ather!” the toes in with his the edge of the river lie -Giant “Where Ills all breath drew over asked saying and he he?” is not knowing unable for what he was mcment to think five “Must have been here four or ago” Jun answered “It’s an old track” Jack’s imagination ran back He saw In his mind’s eye the moment- when stood that great iponardh of the wilds there: with Ms massive- shoulders the days air and his huge antlers the sky The boy was excitement There new had alwavs been something about the thought of Uie Giant feltMoose if ’that had as stirred him Now he he were beholding the animal’s ghost His first impulse was to run back to the It camp for his rifle was an absurd buthe was thipg to think He called rattled Jan cooler was to picking up Jack back and set him dead wood to experience another sensation Jack was that evening "Wmcn he and Jan returned to camp with their last load of Sandy and Axel wood they found of returned from their search for tracesfull It the missing ’was then men Sandy came around the lire to dusk Jack “Did ye ever see this afore?" he askmatch ed bolding out a box Jack took it and examined it in the "light of the fire His first look startled " him exclaimed excited-' “That’s dad’s!" he findit?” ly “Where’ d’ you mile above here “They- camped a then" declared Sandy "When?” gasped Jack “Not Jess’ n a fortnight ago nor more than a month Three weeks 1 should pretty were Jan “The wIMch she could go “Where have asked Sandy explained canoe was we in slow of had way by full to getting of take of provisions so out faster” they gone?” asked Jack canoe” solid Jan they know anything about "How the canoe?” Jack panted It occurred to Jan that there were things about that might puzzle one liad who had not much experience in the woods and he took the trouble to explain “We heard snot” he said "The first one awoke us We missed and McNicolls Thon we heard you another Pretty soon there were three We could tell more was a signal of some sort because they tell came regularly Of course we coulid not what Sandy ‘Wait’ says Uncle wanted us to do Axel ’We’ll what’s to be done see pretty soon’ He knew McNicolls was not the man to start an alarm unless could do some good and if he knew we good there would be we could do some to find out wfoat some way for us little do while We waited a and pretty on river Pierre heard canoe the soon so did Uncle Axel after heard and at all a while could not hear ‘He wants us to get after that canoe’ said Uncle Axel “and we made jump “After the did it a it a the By time we got the canoe in the river the sound of the out of hearing” other canoe had gone hald the 'who been flown river Sandy this all time back bank now cameI’m “They’ll no catch 'him the for X 'wz 40 I boat thinkin’”he muttered “Wibo was the ' L himself asked come the one for who he Jack feeling question 'how saw him was?” snapped the ken who SandvJacl$ had learned by this time that the Scotchman had a wtay of picking on his others when mind was troubled by the problems he was solving it He knew he turned so fellow meant nothing by Ms question over to Jan wihb?” Jan returned was “Who “The man in the canoe" “If you’ll tell me what you have seen maybe I can tell you something you haven’t seen” saiid Jan Jack described his experience at the old telling about the man-Who camp site had leaped into the canoe when he approached and made all haste to get -water-proof ‘ to it?” had I ' say” weeks” corroborated “About three nodding his “Were they still in the canoe? asked time "You’re should ' Axel “They started” answer I a of-doing ' was gone they follow?" Jan -to the with the space fired ‘a ris-Ing in high a lie it spread against filled air Waiting and fired of half a minute or like again After a five pause he fired- three four times times Having done this bidding Jack follow him he turned toward their own camp and started back at a brisk trot It was all Jack could do to keep up to with Sandy He had no time wonder why McNicolls had fired the gun of much less to ask He Knew course that it was a signal to the men in the camp but what the Scotchman wanted to do them and how they would know what he expected of them was more than he could understand Jan camp was the only one left in it when the two reached One of the canoes “Did in it for more it ' announcement and he shook the short pointed jff away it’s plain as day” said Jan of the Indians who one was Niles and your father and Mr stolen find the canoe from them" must him!” cried Jack “We “We've got to get hold o’ Mm and find where they are now!" de think my uncle and “Whatrencliman you the paddling about on are the river for Jack?” laughed Jan “or fun?" “Why “Tie’s EKws®lfc guiding 6H? he -head their heads Jack Both gulldes notknow whether to take courage from the news or to beto despondent certainly glad know they He was the of his -nodded has ictid ' trail father actually on since they had been so long that many camped at that spot in the meantime could have happened at last tirod in Before he fell asleep struck into his every bone one thing that t)hey had mind This was the fact his of father and come upon traces of the Giant Moose almost within an hour In and half dreams the half thoughts slumber this fact that preceded his and took on a grew in significance meaning that gave him a feeling that it lie that believed was' an omen ho foresee whidh could not yet some way were but CHAPTER it The -things JACK ’ -in Giant the in the to Moose was recovery and be involved rescue of his father This fancy so occupied his mind that occurred to him that perhaps never box might prove the loss of the match If he Ms father serious tiling for a understood the importance of it he had liad other things than would have He not omens to think about that trace of glad to find have been so Jils parent it -would CHAPTER Midnight The VII Canoe night during the Each time ho felt strangely impelled to get where up and go to the camp Axel and Sandy had found his father’s had an unaccountable match box He feeling that his father was there and that he could do something for him by MANY times Jack going longer last awoke he could stand it At no He slipped quietly out of his blankets and sleeping bag pulled on his hat picked up Ms rifle gloves and and started up along the river Before he had gone ten paces Mc-Nicolls hailed him and demanded to know where he was going Jack that he was Giirsty and was going to the river to get a drink Sandy told hint?rere was a pail of water Jack knocked it said he had which when he was looking for it over It of shows how course was not true he that strongly the feeling must go to explained inertfiTlTmit “Jack but it took had would and examined far that he heard he to bo still advanced took less pains and The result was a moreof rapidly good deal a racket in the night woods Perhaps Jack had a purpose in thought the racket He may it just as well to give warning to any In wild animals lurking the way tlhat when thought he he gone not be so -have was coming knew nothing more of the location father's former camp than that That was one was a mile upstream of the reasons why was foolisih for to him go But he thought the way to shown to him in get there might be time He had already grown to be superstitiousabout There was something about the vast deserted wilds and of the cold the coming winter gray weird enough to make any that was boy superstitious The boy kept close to the river in the the main sometimes walking along beadh and sometimes cutting across necks of land Again rocks or thickets drove him inland for considerable But he was never long away had to go from the river even he out of his and then way to visit his steps His eyes grew usehe to the faint light as the went on and began to feel quite at home in the he He of his it it it distances if it retrace night Now and then as he went along some fancied noise would cause ’him to stop his excitement listen At such times and would make the blood beat in his arid he could feel throat the hair on his bristle like head a dog's He was not he afraid was only keyed up He had tlhat been through much day Jack was certain that he must have to covered nearly the distance the camp he to and was beginning examine the ground more closely for signs of the old camp fire when he was again by a This time there new noise be could no mistake about it There the of was sound gravel crunching uiarrested in it the light “athcr!" of the There was rolling echo of the woods and “leather! This his fire” no call waters answer sent but back the by is Seymour! Jack! Jack Who is it? ather!” No the darkly answer came from sweeping stream that came out of the off mysterious darkness and whirled into darkness again bearing with it another mystery Certain that the man in the boat not h’ave been his father or Mr Jack hurried back to the camp He could see no one lying near it He Ms got down on hands and knees and made a search behind every bosh arid small tree He was not going to of miss chance finding his father any could Niles fire or No evidences of one was his presence there He threw two three dry sticks on the smoldering staring into the and stood beside it opening circle of light made by the revis’ing flames father” he called “ather now softly He could not abandon the belief that he had been brought there that night to Then a new noise meet his father or fire Something was coming toward He heard twig breaking hand and a shuffling in the When he turned in the direction whence Che sound came a man suddenly emerged from the shadows of the bushes and came into the firelight In a where Jack stood awaiting him moment he saw was McNicolls “Dad lad’ exclaimed the Scotchman reprovingly “what’ll ye be doin’ here?” There was something more Important to tell Sandy than the reason for his being there dampin’ here “Some one’s been sounded him close grass a at It tonight" he said quietly for “I he was calm saw him canoe One man in a large “Hoot mon!” cried Sandy gun” your Jack banded him the time in a 30-3X this by escapin’ canoe” “Gi’ me Sandy of VIII Hunters the Lost understood the meaning had happened since he discoveredthe man stealing away the in canoe Saridiy bad guessed that the man must have been up to mischief and had at once sonje that he was one of the Indians who had been guiding tlie rnen for whom the rescuers were looking Therefore he signaled the others on the the theory that canoe massed them they would hear and would then know of first Trail now that all concluded i if it to by his signals they were give chiase Axel and Pierre interpreted the signals anld off to correctly immediately set overtake the canoe although they could not know wihy it was wanted in doubt Jack’s mired There was no now that the man who had jumped into the canoe and run in away from Mm was whose hands his one of the liferascals had father’s been He wished he savagely that had let the fellow have his 30-30 a bullet from through the leg Nor whs he so particular about its being leg as far the as the Indian was concerned Jack would have been quite as willing to have (drilled his skull with a steeljacket only that this might have removed a the source of information whereabouts of the concerning two blankets living over the scene again antd again each time with a little more heroism for himself in it the He had Indian on his knees begging for dozen times he mercy to him was towrestling with arm arm jaw jaw half the nigtnt Many were the death clutches from wthich he broke and many were the 'wrestling tricks he played on the unsuspecting savage Passing into a thin sleep at last he in his dreams to carry on with the red man in the course of of which he fell Jan one upon blankets sleeping bag and all The might have resulted In sorry Sandy awakened by mess of bedding the noise had not brought Jack out of his nightmare with a thwack across the legs with of daybreak It was within an hour when they awoke and all got up withON PAGE SEVww ICONTLNUHD white men Jack lay in his a continued conflicts encounter a if a pack-strap |
