Part 54 (1/2)

This was the huge night prowler that Guy had seen, and in the morning one more mystery was explained, for careful examination of Yan's diary of the big Buck's track showed that it was nothing more than the track of Burns's old Hog. Why had Caleb and Raften both been mistaken?

First, because it was a long time since they had seen a Buck track, and second, because this Pig happened to have a very unpiggy foot--one as much like that of a Buck as of a Hog.

XXIV

Hawkeye Claims Another Grand Coup

”_Wa wa wa wa wa! Wa wa wa wa wa! Wa wa wa wa wa!_” Three times it echoed through the woods--a loud, triumphant cry.

”That's Hawkeye with a big story of bravery; let's hide.”

So Sam and Yan scrambled quickly into the teepee, hid behind the lining and watched through an ”arrow hole.” Guy came proudly stepping, chin in air, uttering his war-whoop at intervals as he drew near, and carrying his coat bundled up under one arm.

”_Coup! Grand coup! Wa wa wa wa!_” he yelled again and again, but looked simple and foolish when he found the camp apparently deserted.

So he ceased his yells and, walking deliberately into the teepee, pulled out the sugar box and was stuffing a handful into his mouth when the other two Chiefs let off their wildest howls and, leaping from their concealment, chased him into the woods--not far, for Yan laughed too much, and Sam had on but one boot.

This was their re-gathering after a new search for adventures. Early in the morning, as he wiped off the breakfast knives by sticking them into the sod, the Second War Chief had suggested: ”Say, boys, in old days Warriors would sometimes set out in different directions in search of adventure, then agree to meet at a given time. Let's do that to-day and see what we run across.”

”Get your straws,” was Woodp.e.c.k.e.r's reply, as he returned from putting the sc.r.a.ps on the Wakan Rock.

”No you don't,” put in Hawkeye hastily; ”at least, not unless you let me hold the straws. I know you'll fix it so I'll have to go home.”

”All right. You can hold the three straws; long one is Woodp.e.c.k.e.r--that's his head with a bit of red flannel to prevent mistakes; the middle-sized thin one is me; and the short fat one is you. Now let them drop. Sudden death and no try over.”

The straws fell, and the two boys gave a yell as Hawkeye's fate pointed straight to the Burns homestead.

”Oh, get out; that's no good. We'll take the other end,” he said angrily, and persisted in going the opposite way.

”Now we all got to go straight till we find something, and meet here again when that streak of sunlight gets around in the teepee to that pole.”

As the sunstreak, which was their Indian clock, travelled just about one pole for two hours, this gave about four hours for adventures.

Sam and Yan had been back some minutes, and now Guy, having recovered his composure, bothered not to wipe the stolen sugar from his lips, but broke out eagerly:

”Say, fellers, I bet I'm the bully boy. I bet you I--”

”Silence!” roared Woodp.e.c.k.e.r. ”You come last.”

”All right; I don't care. I bet I win over all of you. I bet a million dollars I do.”

”Go ahead, Chief Woodp.e.c.k.e.r-settin'-on-the-edge.”

So Sam began:

”I pulls on my boots” [he went barefooted half the time]. ”Oh, I tell you I know when to wear my boots--an' I set out following my straw line straight out. I don't take no back track. _I'm_ not scared of the front trail,” and he turned his little slit eyes sadly on Guy, ”and I kep' right on, and when I came to the dry bed of the creek it didn't turn _me_; no, not a dozen rods; and I kept right till I came to a Wasp's nest, and I turned and went round that coz it's cruel to go blundering into a nest of a lot of poor innocent little Wasps--and I kep' on, till I heard a low growl, and I looked up and didn't see a thing. Then the growling got louder, and I seen it was a hungry Chipmunk roaring at me and jest getting ready to spring. Then when I got out my bonearrer he says to me, he says, as bold as bra.s.s 'Is your name Woodp.e.c.k.e.r?' Now that scared me, and so I told a lie--my very first. I says, says I. 'No,' says I. 'I'm Hawkeye.' Well, you should 'a seen him. He just turned pale; every stripe on his back faded _when I said that name_, and he made for a hollow log and got in. Now I was mad, and tried to get him out, but when I'd run to one end he'd run to the other, so we ran up and down till I had a deep-worn trail alongside the log, an' he had a deep-worn trail inside the log, an' I was figgerin' to have him wear it right through at the bottom so the log'd open, but all of a sudden I says, 'I know what to do for you.' I took off my boot and stuffs the leg into one end of the log. Then I rattles a stick at the other end and I heard him run into the boot. Then I squeezes in the leg and ties a string around it an'

brings him home, me wearing one boot and the Chipmunk the other, and there he is in it now,” and Sam curled up his free bunch of toes in graphic comment and added: ”Humph! I s'pose you fellers thought I didn't know what I was about when I drawed on my long boots this morning.”

”Well, I just want to see that Chipmunk an' maybe I'll believe you.”