CHAPTER XXVII—THE THEFTThe dripping body of the huge trapper when he stepped at last upon the shore made Reuben once more aware of the immense size and strength of the man. As he recalled the contest between Kit Carson and the giant before him, and was reminded of the slight, almost delicate form of the scout, he was amazed at the courage of the latter in accepting the challenge of the braggart.At present, however, there did not appear to be anything to fear from Rat, and it was manifest that his thoughts were mostly concerned with his own condition. The cold water perhaps had cooled any heated tendencies he may have had. At all events, he was subdued in his manner and even tried to laugh at the sight he declared he must present.“I’ll help you, lad,” said Rat, at the same time stooping and assuming a part of the burden. “You’re going back to camp now, aren’t you?”“Yes.”“I’ll go along with you.”Reuben glanced in fresh surprise at the man, for the camp of the trappers, and especially Kit Carson, he was positive Rat had no real desire to see. Indeed, he wondered at the temerity of the man in daring to return, knowing as he did the feeling against him when he had fled from the place.“I suppose you’ve got the same trappers as ever, haven’t you, Reuben?” inquired Rat.“Yes,” replied Reuben in a low voice.“Kit Carson still at the head?”“Yes.”“He’s a great little Kit. He was too quick for me,” said Rat, striving to laugh as he spoke.“He always is,” suggested Reuben.“That don’t mean that he always will be, does it?”“I think it does.”“He certainly has a good friend in you, Reuben. He makes every one bow down to him.”“If they do, it’s not because he makes them, but because they want to.”“It’s all the same, it’s all the same.”Silence followed, and steadily Reuben led the way back to the place where he had left his comrades. Occasionally he glanced keenly at his companion, but he was unable to discover any signs of fear or even of shame. Apparently Rat was returning to the trappers as a matter of course and expecting that he would be received in the same spirit with which he came. And yet in spite of his manner Reuben was keenly suspicious of the huge boaster. The very fact that he had suffered at the hands of the boyish scout doubtless had aroused a feeling of resentment which could not be quieted until Rat had obtained satisfaction.To the surprise of Reuben, however, when they entered the camp Rat was greeted without any protest, though it could not be said that there was manifest any feeling of special pleasure at his return. Apparently accepting the condition as one which he had expected, Rat soon made himself at home in response to the quiet invitation of Kit Carson. It was plain, however, within a few days that the prejudices of the trappers were still keen. Indeed there was not one who was not suspicious of him, though there was none as yet who had shown any unfriendly attitude.Why had the man come back to camp? What had he expected? If he had returned to take vengeance upon Kit Carson, why did he postpone his attack? These questions and others like them were frequently in the mind of Reuben, but when several days had elapsed and no answer had been found, he concluded that the boaster had been taught a much-needed lesson and that now he was cured of his overbearing ways.On the fourth day after his arrival Rat suggested to Reuben that they should visit their traps together. Unwilling though he was, Reuben nevertheless quietly assented, and not long afterward the two men set forth on their rounds.The season had been wonderfully successful. Never in their experience had so many skins been secured as the trappers had taken within the preceding few weeks. The noisy Rat was loud in his declaration that Kit Carson knew better than any one the streams where the beaver lived. Whether his statement was true or not, beaver, otter, mink, and other animals were caught in great numbers, and many of the skins, as has been said, had been cached.It was when Reuben and his companion had halted in the middle of the day for luncheon that Rat quietly said to the lad: “Where have you made your caches this time?”Reuben laughed as he replied: “There’s one within ten feet of you now.”“What!” exclaimed Rat, glancing keenly about him as he spoke.“That’s right,” replied Reuben, “there’s one within ten feet of you. I don’t know what Kit Carson would say, but I’m so sure you can’t find it that I would almost be willing to say you can have half the skins there if you dig out the place.”“That’s all very well,” replied Rat; “of course I can’t find it.” At the same time he glanced all about him, and if Reuben had been more experienced he would have discovered that the trapper was protesting too much. Again and again he begged of Reuben to show him the place where the skins were concealed, declaring that he was unable to discover any trace that had been left. Reuben, however, refused to disclose the location of the cache, and when at last they proceeded on their rounds he was convinced that Rat had no suspicion as to its exact location.“I’m wondering,” suggested Rat as they moved down the stream, “if Kit Carson would have any objection to letting me bring some of my furs and putting them in the cache along with his.”“You’ll have to ask him.”“I will just as soon as I go back to the camp,” declared Rat.True to his word, that very evening the huge boaster, approaching the scout, said: “Kit, have you any objection to letting me cache some of my furs along with yours?”For a moment the scout glanced keenly at the face of the inquirer before he spoke: “How many furs have you got?” he inquired at last.“Not very many just yet. I expect to have more, for I’ve never seen the catch as good as it is now.”“You come and talk to me when you get more and we’ll see what can be done,” said Kit Carson quietly at last.Slight attention was paid to the conversation, and even Reuben had almost forgotten it, as well as his own talk the preceding day with Rat concerning the location of the cache near the stream on the bank of which they were trapping. These things were brought strongly back to his recollection, however, when on the following morning it was discovered that the black horse was gone and that two other horses also had disappeared. Nor was this all that the camp had lost, for Rat also was missing. When the men assembled for breakfast, the discovery of the loss of the black horse and the report also that two other animals were gone caused them to declare that Rat had not fled from the place without taking more than the horses. Just what he wanted of three horses was not plain to the trappers.Suddenly, however, Reuben called Kit Carson to one side and said to him: “Did Rat ask you to let him cache some of his furs?”“Yes,” replied the scout, looking keenly into the face of his friend as he spoke.“Well, he wanted me the other day, when we were trapping together, to show him where our cache was. I told him there was one within ten feet of the place where he was standing and that if he could find it he might have half the skins. You don’t suppose that he’s found the place and taken those horses to carry off some of the skins, do you?”For a moment Kit Carson was silent. Although he was aware that Reuben was keenly mortified by the confession he had made, he did not speak any word of reproach. Not many minutes had elapsed, however, before Kit Carson, selecting two of the swiftest ponies in the camp, said to Reuben: “Do you want to go with me?”“Yes. Where are you going?”“I’m glad you put your answers in that way,” replied Kit Carson with a smile. “I’m glad you’re going, and you’ll soon find out where I’m going. First of all, take me to the place where you told Rat there was one of our caches.”Both trappers carried their rifles and mounting the swiftest ponies, they speedily departed from the camp. Reuben easily led the way toward the place where he and Rat had stopped for their noontime meal and where also he had foolishly told the braggart that one of the caches was not far away.Reuben was not surprised when an hour later, after they had arrived at the place they were seeking, he discovered that the hiding-place had been opened and that many furs had been removed. It was plain, too, from the marks left by the feet of the horses nearby, as to what disposition had been made of the stolen furs. The anger of Reuben was intense, but to his noisy protests no response was made by Kit Carson, whose quiet manner was still unchanged.“There’s nothing for us to do, lad,” suggested the scout, “except to go after the rascal and get our skins.”Already convinced that this was the purpose of the scout in coming, Reuben made no response except to quicken the speed at which his horse was moving and do his utmost to follow the scout when they set forth on their journey.They already had taken the precaution of providing supplies sufficient for two days, although Kit Carson was depending upon game to provide much of their food.Occasionally the scout paused to examine the ground and try to discover the imprints left by the feet of Rat’s horses. Frequently the trail was almost lost, but Kit Carson, after circling the spot and carefully examining the ground, every time succeeded in discovering the signs for which he was searching, and then with increased speed the pursuit was renewed.Reuben was thinking of what would occur if the scout should overtake the burly boaster. The quiet determination expressed in Kit’s face plainly indicated what was in his mind. And the thief would be overtaken soon, Reuben was convinced, because when Rat had fled, although he had taken Black Jack, swiftest of all the ponies in the camp, the speed at which he was fleeing could not be greater than the pace of the horses which were following him and carrying the stolen furs on their backs.
The dripping body of the huge trapper when he stepped at last upon the shore made Reuben once more aware of the immense size and strength of the man. As he recalled the contest between Kit Carson and the giant before him, and was reminded of the slight, almost delicate form of the scout, he was amazed at the courage of the latter in accepting the challenge of the braggart.
At present, however, there did not appear to be anything to fear from Rat, and it was manifest that his thoughts were mostly concerned with his own condition. The cold water perhaps had cooled any heated tendencies he may have had. At all events, he was subdued in his manner and even tried to laugh at the sight he declared he must present.
“I’ll help you, lad,” said Rat, at the same time stooping and assuming a part of the burden. “You’re going back to camp now, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll go along with you.”
Reuben glanced in fresh surprise at the man, for the camp of the trappers, and especially Kit Carson, he was positive Rat had no real desire to see. Indeed, he wondered at the temerity of the man in daring to return, knowing as he did the feeling against him when he had fled from the place.
“I suppose you’ve got the same trappers as ever, haven’t you, Reuben?” inquired Rat.
“Yes,” replied Reuben in a low voice.
“Kit Carson still at the head?”
“Yes.”
“He’s a great little Kit. He was too quick for me,” said Rat, striving to laugh as he spoke.
“He always is,” suggested Reuben.
“That don’t mean that he always will be, does it?”
“I think it does.”
“He certainly has a good friend in you, Reuben. He makes every one bow down to him.”
“If they do, it’s not because he makes them, but because they want to.”
“It’s all the same, it’s all the same.”
Silence followed, and steadily Reuben led the way back to the place where he had left his comrades. Occasionally he glanced keenly at his companion, but he was unable to discover any signs of fear or even of shame. Apparently Rat was returning to the trappers as a matter of course and expecting that he would be received in the same spirit with which he came. And yet in spite of his manner Reuben was keenly suspicious of the huge boaster. The very fact that he had suffered at the hands of the boyish scout doubtless had aroused a feeling of resentment which could not be quieted until Rat had obtained satisfaction.
To the surprise of Reuben, however, when they entered the camp Rat was greeted without any protest, though it could not be said that there was manifest any feeling of special pleasure at his return. Apparently accepting the condition as one which he had expected, Rat soon made himself at home in response to the quiet invitation of Kit Carson. It was plain, however, within a few days that the prejudices of the trappers were still keen. Indeed there was not one who was not suspicious of him, though there was none as yet who had shown any unfriendly attitude.
Why had the man come back to camp? What had he expected? If he had returned to take vengeance upon Kit Carson, why did he postpone his attack? These questions and others like them were frequently in the mind of Reuben, but when several days had elapsed and no answer had been found, he concluded that the boaster had been taught a much-needed lesson and that now he was cured of his overbearing ways.
On the fourth day after his arrival Rat suggested to Reuben that they should visit their traps together. Unwilling though he was, Reuben nevertheless quietly assented, and not long afterward the two men set forth on their rounds.
The season had been wonderfully successful. Never in their experience had so many skins been secured as the trappers had taken within the preceding few weeks. The noisy Rat was loud in his declaration that Kit Carson knew better than any one the streams where the beaver lived. Whether his statement was true or not, beaver, otter, mink, and other animals were caught in great numbers, and many of the skins, as has been said, had been cached.
It was when Reuben and his companion had halted in the middle of the day for luncheon that Rat quietly said to the lad: “Where have you made your caches this time?”
Reuben laughed as he replied: “There’s one within ten feet of you now.”
“What!” exclaimed Rat, glancing keenly about him as he spoke.
“That’s right,” replied Reuben, “there’s one within ten feet of you. I don’t know what Kit Carson would say, but I’m so sure you can’t find it that I would almost be willing to say you can have half the skins there if you dig out the place.”
“That’s all very well,” replied Rat; “of course I can’t find it.” At the same time he glanced all about him, and if Reuben had been more experienced he would have discovered that the trapper was protesting too much. Again and again he begged of Reuben to show him the place where the skins were concealed, declaring that he was unable to discover any trace that had been left. Reuben, however, refused to disclose the location of the cache, and when at last they proceeded on their rounds he was convinced that Rat had no suspicion as to its exact location.
“I’m wondering,” suggested Rat as they moved down the stream, “if Kit Carson would have any objection to letting me bring some of my furs and putting them in the cache along with his.”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
“I will just as soon as I go back to the camp,” declared Rat.
True to his word, that very evening the huge boaster, approaching the scout, said: “Kit, have you any objection to letting me cache some of my furs along with yours?”
For a moment the scout glanced keenly at the face of the inquirer before he spoke: “How many furs have you got?” he inquired at last.
“Not very many just yet. I expect to have more, for I’ve never seen the catch as good as it is now.”
“You come and talk to me when you get more and we’ll see what can be done,” said Kit Carson quietly at last.
Slight attention was paid to the conversation, and even Reuben had almost forgotten it, as well as his own talk the preceding day with Rat concerning the location of the cache near the stream on the bank of which they were trapping. These things were brought strongly back to his recollection, however, when on the following morning it was discovered that the black horse was gone and that two other horses also had disappeared. Nor was this all that the camp had lost, for Rat also was missing. When the men assembled for breakfast, the discovery of the loss of the black horse and the report also that two other animals were gone caused them to declare that Rat had not fled from the place without taking more than the horses. Just what he wanted of three horses was not plain to the trappers.
Suddenly, however, Reuben called Kit Carson to one side and said to him: “Did Rat ask you to let him cache some of his furs?”
“Yes,” replied the scout, looking keenly into the face of his friend as he spoke.
“Well, he wanted me the other day, when we were trapping together, to show him where our cache was. I told him there was one within ten feet of the place where he was standing and that if he could find it he might have half the skins. You don’t suppose that he’s found the place and taken those horses to carry off some of the skins, do you?”
For a moment Kit Carson was silent. Although he was aware that Reuben was keenly mortified by the confession he had made, he did not speak any word of reproach. Not many minutes had elapsed, however, before Kit Carson, selecting two of the swiftest ponies in the camp, said to Reuben: “Do you want to go with me?”
“Yes. Where are you going?”
“I’m glad you put your answers in that way,” replied Kit Carson with a smile. “I’m glad you’re going, and you’ll soon find out where I’m going. First of all, take me to the place where you told Rat there was one of our caches.”
Both trappers carried their rifles and mounting the swiftest ponies, they speedily departed from the camp. Reuben easily led the way toward the place where he and Rat had stopped for their noontime meal and where also he had foolishly told the braggart that one of the caches was not far away.
Reuben was not surprised when an hour later, after they had arrived at the place they were seeking, he discovered that the hiding-place had been opened and that many furs had been removed. It was plain, too, from the marks left by the feet of the horses nearby, as to what disposition had been made of the stolen furs. The anger of Reuben was intense, but to his noisy protests no response was made by Kit Carson, whose quiet manner was still unchanged.
“There’s nothing for us to do, lad,” suggested the scout, “except to go after the rascal and get our skins.”
Already convinced that this was the purpose of the scout in coming, Reuben made no response except to quicken the speed at which his horse was moving and do his utmost to follow the scout when they set forth on their journey.
They already had taken the precaution of providing supplies sufficient for two days, although Kit Carson was depending upon game to provide much of their food.
Occasionally the scout paused to examine the ground and try to discover the imprints left by the feet of Rat’s horses. Frequently the trail was almost lost, but Kit Carson, after circling the spot and carefully examining the ground, every time succeeded in discovering the signs for which he was searching, and then with increased speed the pursuit was renewed.
Reuben was thinking of what would occur if the scout should overtake the burly boaster. The quiet determination expressed in Kit’s face plainly indicated what was in his mind. And the thief would be overtaken soon, Reuben was convinced, because when Rat had fled, although he had taken Black Jack, swiftest of all the ponies in the camp, the speed at which he was fleeing could not be greater than the pace of the horses which were following him and carrying the stolen furs on their backs.