Part 21 (1/2)
When Old Eagle Eye, then, announced that the two men were coming, the others craned their necks to look. Allan told them not to appear too curious; and so those who were busy at the fire went on with their culinary labors, cooking a bountiful breakfast, as it seemed that they might have company.
Sheriff Bob and the lawyer soon strode into camp--at least the officer did the striding part, for old Artemus seemed pretty nearly f.a.gged out. A burning desire to acquire a glorious fortune so easily was all that kept him up, otherwise he would never have been able to have stood the long tramp as he did.
The first thing the sheriff did after replying to the salutation of Allan, was to scan each one of the four boys in turn, and then turning to his companion, say tersely:
”None of these the one you want, I reckon, sir?”
The old Denver lawyer looked dreadfully disappointed. His ferrit-like eyes had flitted from one to another of the scouts, and each time he changed base his long cunning face grew more like a blank.
”No, my nephew isn't in sight, as I can see, Sheriff,” he replied, with a frown, and a look toward Allan, as though to say that it was his opinion the boy might produce the one they sought, if proper force were applied.
”Having a hunt up here in the mountains, are you, boys?” asked the sheriff, as he followed the example of the lawyer, and dropped down near the fire, crossing his legs tailor-fas.h.i.+on, as though he meant to make himself quite at home.
”Yes, we want to get a big-horn or so to take back with us,” replied Allan.
”Just the four of you?” continued the other, arching his heavy brows as if with surprise.
”Oh! no, there are a lot of other fellows,” replied the scout who took Thad's place as leader when the other happened to be absent.
”Oh! that's it, eh? Rest off on a little side hunt right now, I reckon. P'raps you've got a guide along with you, too?” the officer continued, bending his neck, so that he could see inside the nearest tent, the flap of which happened to be on the side toward him, and thrown back to allow of ventilation.
”Oh! yes, we've got a guide now, though for a long time we had to go it alone, and managed to get on pretty well,” Allan continued, wondering why it was he could catch a peculiar quizzical gleam in the snapping eyes of the other, once in a while, when the sheriff looked straight at him.
”Who is he; perhaps I might happen to know him?” asked the other, accepting a tin cup filled with coffee, from b.u.mpus.
”I'm sure you do, sir,” Allan hastened to remark; and then, remembering that he was not supposed to know of the visit the sheriff and his employer had paid to the camp of the big-horn hunters on the previous night, he hastened to add: ”everybody knows honest Toby Smathers, the forest ranger, I should think.”
”Well, I should say, yes, I did,” replied the other, commencing to calmly devour the piece of venison that had been placed on his platter, as though his appet.i.te was sharp indeed this bracing morning.
”And so you boys have come away out here just to see what we've got in these Rockies, eh?”
”Just what we have, sir,” replied Giraffe, thinking that he would like to have the sheriff notice him a little.
”And I declare, you seem to be fixed pretty comfortable like,” the other went on. ”Just look at the tents they brought with them, Mr.
Rawson. I've always said that on the whole they were better than the old-fas.h.i.+oned tents. You can see how the heat of the fire on a cold night is sent back into the tent; and there's aplenty of head-room here. Yes, both of 'em as cozy as you please.”
He had seemed so very much interested in the subject that he even laid down his tin cup and platter, and gaining his feet, pa.s.sed over, to peer into each tent, as if bent on ascertaining what the interior looked like.
Allan, of course, knew just what this meant. The sheriff was looking for Aleck, as if he half-expected to find the hunted boy concealed under a pile of blankets. And yet it puzzled Allan to note that, in spite of the keen disappointment which would naturally follow a failure to locate the boy, Sheriff Bob was even chuckling as he once more sat him down in the circle, and resumed operations on his breakfast.
Something seemed to be amusing him, Allan wished he could tell what.
He felt it must have some connection with the search for Aleck Rawson; though for the life of him he could not decide what was in the sheriff's mind.
The talk soon became general, though Artemus took no part in it. He sent a beseeching glance every now and then in the direction of the officer, as if begging him to do something; but whatever it might be, evidently Sheriff Bob was in no hurry, and meant to finish that good breakfast first, anyway.
Presently, as he emptied his platter the second time, and swallowed his third cup of scalding Java the officer remarked:
”I know something about the Boy Scouts myself, it happens. Got a youngster down below that belongs to a troop. Great thing. Teaches lads lots of the right kind of outdoor business. Makes 'em healthy, and able to depend on themselves a heap. My kid, he's dead stuck on this signal business with flags and such. Glad to see it, too. Takes me back to old times, as sure as you live.”
He stopped there, and seemed to reflect. It was as though memories might be arising that were pleasant to look back upon. Meanwhile Allan was conscious of something like a little thrill pa.s.sing through him.