Part 12 (1/2)
CHAPTER XII
A CALL TO BREAKFAST
Every one came tumbling out in a great hurry. The moon was so situated that the forepart of the boat was somewhat in the shadow; and on this account they could not see plainly, save that there was some sort of an animal crouching there. As b.u.mpus had so loudly wailed that it was trying to carry off his prize trout, which had been left hanging in the air until needed at breakfast time, the rest of the boys understood the situation pretty well. Immediately they started to shout, and wave their arms, as well as hurl every sort of thing they could lay hands on.
Naturally enough this proved too much for even the bravest wild beast; and giving a savage snarl the thing suddenly bounded ash.o.r.e, and was lost to view. They had just a last glimpse of a shadowy figure skulking off along the sandy beach near by.
”Oh! tell me, did he get away with it?” cried b.u.mpus; and to hear the pain which he threw into these words one would have though a priceless treasure was involved; and so it was, the biggest speckled trout he had ever caught in all his life.
Giraffe scrambled forward, waving his arms in order to discourage any beast that might think to attack him, and ”shooing” at a vigorous rate.
”Brace up, b.u.mpus!” he called out.
”Is it safe?” demanded the fat scout, joyously.
”Yes, he didn't dare carry it off when we got to shouting so lively; and here's your trout, but I reckon we had better take care to make it secure next time. These cats can climb some, and that's right.”
”Was it really a wildcat?” asked Step Hen, curiously; just as though the beast had seemed so large to his excited fancy that he would have felt safe in calling it a panther.
”Looked mighty much that way,” admitted Allan, who ought to know the breed, as considerable of his younger life had been spent up in the Adirondacks, and in Maine, where he must have seen many a specimen of the feline tribe.
”I thought at first it was a tiger,” b.u.mpus admitted, faintly; at which there was a little laugh all around, for they could easily understand how a fellow's fears might magnify things, when suddenly aroused, and with only that deceptive moonlight to see by.
”Whatever it was, and we'll try and make sure in the morning,” remarked Thad, ”it's gone now.”
”But it may come back, after smelling of my fine trout,” b.u.mpus observed, seriously; ”and rather than run any chance, I think I'll have to sit up, and play sentry the balance of the night.”
”Joke!” chuckled Giraffe, chuckling again.
”Huh! mebbe, now, you think I couldn't do that same?” remonstrated b.u.mpus. ”I know I'm a good sound sleeper, which fact I can't deny; but then there's such a thing as rising to an occasion, you see.”
”Yes,” scoffed the tall scout, ”if we depended on you staying awake, chances are we'd have no trout for breakfast to-morrow morning.”
”No need of anything like that,” remarked the scout-master; ”because we can fix it so that no wildcat could get that fish, let him try as hard as he wants. Just you leave it with me, b.u.mpus, and I'll guarantee that we have fish for breakfast, and without anybody having to stay up either, or lose another minute's sleep.”
He tied a cord to the dangling trout, once more placed where it had been before, and then announced that he meant to fasten the other end to his arm. If anything pulled at the fish it would telegraph the fact down to him; and as Thad took the double-barreled shotgun to bed with him, and occupied the place Rumpus had vacated, they understood what the answer was going to be should he be aroused.
But evidently the beast thought discretion the better part of valor, for he did not come aboard again that night. Possibly the shouts, and the whooping of the boys had given him all the excitement he could stand.
He liked fish very much; as do all of the cat species, but if he must have a feast of trout it looked as though he would have to procure the same in some other way than stealing it from those on board the Chippeway Belle.
Strange to say b.u.mpus was the first to crawl out; and his labored progress over his comrades evoked a continual series of grunts and complaints.
”Hurrah! it's still there, and we ain't going to be cheated out of our treat after all!” he was heard to cry, as he gained the open air.
”Well, here's the first case on record of that fellow ever getting awake ahead of the rest of the bunch,” said Step Hen.
”Yes, and he mighty near flattened me into a pancake when he crawled on top of me to get to the doors,” grunted Giraffe.