Part 38 (1/2)
”You want to take plenty of things with you,” Dunston Porter had cautioned theet farther away from hoht”
”That's true, Uncle Dunston,” Dave had answered ”And that being so, if we don't turn up at a reasonable hour, don't worry about us”
”But ill you do if you capture that wild man?” asked Mrs
Basswood
”If it's Wilbur Poole, we'llhiood luck to you!” cried Dunston Porter, as the boys prepared to leave ”Reet a chance at any game don't let it slip you”
”Trust us for that, Uncle Dunston!” cried Dave
With shouts of good-bye, the boys turned away fro the path running beside the brook
CHAPTER XXIII
SHOOTING A WILDCAT
Less than half an hour later, the boys found themselves at the top of the cliff where Dave and Phil had seen the encounter between Link Merwell and the so-called wild man A brief look around convinced them that the locality was deserted
”Now to find the wild man's trail, if he left one,” announced Dave, and the boys scattered in several directions, looking at the ground and the brushith great care
”If we only had one of those Reservation Indians with us, he er ”As it is, I must confess I'ive up so soon,” returned Dave ”Remember we have the whole day before us”
Presently Ben and Luke, who had turned southward on the cliff, let out a shout
”Here is so of a trail,” announced Ben, when the others ca in that direction, and he pointed to footprints which led through some soft soil between a number of low bushes A little further on they could see where somebody's shoes or boots had carried some of the mud up on to the rocks beyond
”That certainly does look like a trail,” declared Dave ”Let us follow it up a bit, and see where it leads to”
This was considered good advice, and soon, led by our hero, the whole party was h the brushwood and over the rocks Then they caain to the woods, and here discovered a well-defined trail running southard
”This may be an animal trail for all we know,” remarked Shadow ”For my part, I can't tell one kind of trail from another”
”It's quite likely that a fellow like that wild man would use any trail he ca to move around in a wilderness like this,” answered Dave ”I don't think it will do any harm to follow it for some distance”
”Better keep your eyes open, Dave,” cautioned Phil ”It ot ot the rifle handy, too,”
answered our hero, as he once more led the march forward