"Well done, Pepper!" cried Rand, as the former, drawing back a stout bow nearly as tall as himself, let fly an arrow that struck in the third circle of the target set up at the opposite end of the green.
"'Tis a promising laddie ye are," commented Gerald Moore after a preliminary flourish of his bugle. "Ave ye live to be a hundhred and don't lave aff practice 'tis a foine shot ye'll be, I dunno."
"Let's see what you can do," retorted Pepper, with a laugh. "I don't believe you can better it."
"Begorrah, Oi don't belave it mesilf," replied Gerald, shooting an arrow that struck just on the outer edge of the target. "Faith, 'twas a narrow escape Oi made, and it's toime Oi was making another," starting off on a run as the others made for him.
"That reminds me," broke in Dick Wilson.
"It's your turn, Dick," interrupted Rand, as Dick, stepping in front of the target, after much careful aiming, shot his arrow close beside Pepper's.
"Shure Oi wouldn't have belaved av Oi hadn't seen it," remarkedGerald, who had cautiously ventured back.
This was some days later than the events recorded in the previous chapters, since which time, Rand had been selected as leader and Don as corporal, while Gerald, from his fun-loving proclivities, had been named the "Patrol's jester."
The mystery surrounding the robbery had not been cleared up, and was a frequent subject for conversation. Monkey Rae had not been seen about.
They had met upon this occasion for archery practice on the lawn in front of Mr. Scott's residence, where Rand was living. Immediately upon the formation of the Patrol Mr. Scott, who was one of the patrons of the Scout organization, had presented each member with a fine English bow and quiver of arrows, in the proper method of using which they were being instructed by Colonel Snow.
They were all dressed in the Scout uniform, which they wore when on Scout duty or out on an expedition, and were not a little proud of the fact that each one had bought his uniform with money earned by himself, the first money that some of them had ever earned. This the boys had done in various ways, each according to his own fancy, such as going errands, selling papers, working in stores and shops, etc. They were also provided with small bugle horns, upon which they had learned to sound various signals and calls.
"Now, Rand," said Donald, "show us how to do it."
"If I can," answered Rand, taking position in front of the target."As good Hubert said: 'A man can but do his best.'"
Drawing back his bow to the full length of the arrow, with a quick glance at the target, he let fly the arrow, which whistled through the air and struck fair on the outer edge of the bull's-eye.
"A rare good shot, Master Locksley," said a laughing voice, andRand turned to meet a frank-faced lad of his own age in the Scoutuniform, who wore a first class scout's badge, and who gave theScout salute as he stepped forward.
"Cans't thou mend it, brave yeoman," replied Rand in the language of Robin Hood's day, in which the other had spoken, returning the salute.
"I doubt it much," returned the newcomer, taking the bow which Rand had offered and stretching it the length of his arm. "A good bow and worthy of your skill. With your permission I will essay a shot."
"Rather we crave the favor," answered Rand, extending his quiver to the stranger, who carefully selecting an arrow, fitted it to the bow. Then drawing the bow back the full length of the arrow he measured the distance with his eye, and, loosing the string, the arrow sped straight to the center of the bull's-eye.
With one accord the boys put their bugles to their lips and sounded the Scout salute.
"By my faith," cried Rand, in generous admiration of the other's skill, "'twas a noble shot and well placed. You might be the bold Robin himself returned."
"It was but a chance shot that I might not be able to repeat," returned the other modestly. "But I was a member of an archery club in our place and that brings me to my errand here. You are Randolph Peyton, leader of the Uncas Patrol, if I am not mistaken. I was told in the town that I would find you here."
"That is my name," replied Rand.
"My name is Wat Watson," announced the other with a smile. "It is an alterative sort of a name, but all I have. I have here," presenting a paper to Rand, "a challenge from the Highpoint Patrol."
"A challenge!" exclaimed Rand. "Not for an archery contest, I hope, or we are beaten before we begin. Master Watson, permit me to present Don Graeme, Jack Blake and his brother, Pepper, Dick Wilson, and last, but not least in his own estimation, Gerald Moore."
"I am heartily glad to meet you all," said Wat, shaking hands all around, "and hope I may often have the pleasure."
"The same to you," responded the boys.
"And may you live to be a hundred," added Gerald, "and may Oi be wid ye."
The paper which Nat had brought and which Rand had opened, ran:
"To the Uncas Patrol, Greeting:
"The Highpoint Patrol, of the Boy Scouts, hereby challenges the Uncas Patrol to a contest for the Scout championship of the Hudson, to be rowed by crews selected from said patrols, at such time and place as may be hereafter agreed upon.
"HIGHPOINT PATROL. JACK DUDLEY, Leader. TOM BROWN, Corporal."
"Well, boys, what do you say?" asked Rand, when he had finished reading the challenge. "After the prowess exhibited by their messenger, do you think we dare accept?" Whereupon there arose a babble of voices in which all sorts of opinions were expressed.
"Shure they can't bate us more than three miles," concluded Gerald.
"Then I suppose we may accept," said Rand.
"Shall I so report?" asked Wat.
"You can report that the challenge has been received and that we will send our answer by messenger."
"Thank you," replied Wat, "and now I must be off. Be sure and come and see us; we will try and treat you right."
"There can't be any doubt of that," replied Rand. "But, just a moment," as Mrs. Peyton appeared on the green with a tray of cakes. She was followed by a maid with a pail of lemonade.
"Isn't it time for a feast and a war dance or something?" she asked.
"We have just been having a pow-wow," replied Rand, "and our throats are dry with much talking. We have just concluded a treaty with the tribe of Highpoint and are ready for the feast of amity."
Wat would have declined to join in the festivities, but the boys were importunate, and the next half-hour was spent in an interchange of talk, in which the words: Scouts, patrol, tests, boats, were of frequent occurrence, and during which the cake and lemonade vanished as quickly as snowflakes in July, after which the Uncas escorted the messenger for a distance on his way, finally bidding him good-by with three cheers and a flourish on their bugles.
"Well," began Rand on the evening of the day on which the challenge had been received from the Highpoint Patrol, "what shall we do with this challenge?"
"Accept it, av coorse," cried Gerald. "Shure, they can't bate us more thin foor miles."
"But we only row three," put in Jack.
"Thin it's a safe bet," went on Gerald, "Aven Don might bet on that."
"What's that?" asked Donald.
"That they won't bate us more than foor miles," replied Gerald.
"In my opinion," began Donald, "'tis no good accepting, for we have no boat, and if we did we have no time for practice, and—-"
"Can't you think of a few more while you are at it," laughed Rand."As for a boat we can get the use of the old shell of the CrestonClub."
"And we no have any crew to speak of," continued Donald.
"That's easily got over," went on Rand. "There is Jack, Dick and you and I for the crew, with Gerald for coxswain."
"And where do I come in?" questioned Pepper.
"You don't come in," answered Gerald. "You stand on the bank and root for us."
"Root!" cried Pepper; "what do you think I am—a pig?"
"That reminds me—" broke in Dick.
"No it don't," objected Donald; "we have no time to listen to your anecdotes."
"Do you think we have any chance against them?" asked Jack.
"I would no say we had no chance," replied Donald; "but, in my opinion, 'tis no much to brag about."
"That reminds me—" began Dick once more.
"What, against?" said Donald.
"Oh, let him get it off his mind," advised Jack. "What does it remind you of?"
"It reminds me of the hunter that came over here from New York last fall and met old Uncle Zac Williams back in the country and asked him if there was any hunting around here.
"'Plenty of it," said Uncle Zac.
"'Where is the best place to go?' asked the hunter.
"'Oh, mos' anywhere,' said Uncle Zac; 'yo' can't miss hit.'
"So the hunter went on, and that night as he was going home he metUncle Zac again.
"'Hello!' he said, 'ain't you the man that told me there was plenty of hunting around here?'
"'I reckon I be,' replied Uncle Zac.
"'Well, I've hunted all around here and I haven't seen the first thing to shoot.'
"'Waal, ther wasn't nothin' ther matter with ther huntin' was ther?' said Uncle Zac."
"All right," said Donald, when Dick had finished, "we'll forgive you this time, but don't let it happen again."
The boys were in their club room in the attic of Mr. Scott's house, which had been given over to Rand's use. By one of the windows was the instruments of a wireless station with which Rand and his chums had experimented, and scattered about the room were golf clubs, baseball bats and other implements and apparatus of boyish sports.
"It isn't a question of winning or losing," went on Rand. "There would not be any sport in it if we only went in when we thought we would win. We will do our best and if we lose we will cheer our loudest for the winners."
"That's the talk!" cried Jack. "We may not win success, but we'll deserve it."
"Then," continued Rand, "we agree to accept the challenge of theHighpoints. How's this for a reply?"
"The Uncas Patrol accepts with pieasure your courteous challenge to a contest on the Hudson. Time and place to be agreed upon."
"In my opinion," said Donald, "you should say 'rowing match' as being more specific."
"All right," replied Rand. "Are there any further additions or amendments? If not, I will declare it approved as read."
"Now, who will volunteer to carry it to Highpoint?"
"I will!" cried Dick.
"I will make the attempt," announced Donald.
"Lave it to me," said Gerald.
"I'll take it," responded Jack.
"I ought to be the one," pleaded Pepper. "You know I am not in the race."
"You can't all go," decided Rand; "how shall we settle it?"
"Take a vote on it," suggested Jack.
"We will each one write a name on a slip of paper and put it in the box," proposed Pepper.
For a moment each boy was busy with paper and pencil and then the ballots were thrown upon the table to be counted by Rand.
"Each one of you has received one vote; you each voted for yourself," announced Rand, when he had gone over them. "You will have to draw lots."
"Let's toss up for it," said Donald. "Toss up your lucky penny,Rand."
"How can you manage that?" asked Jack, "there are five of us and only one penny."
"That's easily fixed," replied Donald, "Jack and I will toss first and the winner takes the next one."
"Very well," agreed Rand, "what do you say, Jack?" giving the coin a toss in the air.
"Head!" said Jack.
"Tail it is," returned Rand, as he picked it up. "Now, Gerald, it is your choice."
"Head," replied Gerald.
"Tail again," said Rand.
"Faith, thot's the toime tail came out a head," commented Gerald.
"Now, Dick."
"Head," replied Dick.
"Tail again," announced Rand. "Luck is with you, Donald. There is only Pepper left now."
"Only Pepper!" exclaimed that individual indignantly. "What is the matter with me?"
"Notin' at ail, me darlint," broke in Gerald; "shure, your the biggest banana in the bunch, av people only knew it."
"Well, Pepper?" said Rand.
"Heads."
"Head it is," announced Rand. "You're it, Pepper."
"Begorrah, 'tis a long tail that has no head," commented Gerald.
"Master Pepper Blake," began Rand, "has been chosen to carry our message of defiance to the tribe of the Highpoints."
"When do I go?"
"At the rise of the sun to-morrow," replied Rand, "you must be prepared to take the trail."
"Before breakfast?"
"We will not require that sacrifice of you," said Rand. "Here is the message. Fail not on your honor to deliver it. You are going through a hostile country beset with enemies—"
"Monkey Rae's," murmured Gerald.
"And the message must be delivered under all circumstances. It contains information of the utmost importance, which must not be allowed to fall into the enemies's hands. I will meet you to-morrow at the great oak to give you your final instructions."
"Very well, sir," replied Pepper, "I will not fail to carry out your commands to the letter."
"Bravo, boys, well done!" commended Mr. Scott, who had been standing in the doorway, unseen by the boys, enjoying the fun. "If I was only a little younger, there is nothing I would like better than to be an Indian brave with you."
For a moment the boys were silent in the presence of the bank president, whom they all regarded with more or less awe, until Gerald broke the silence.
"Shure, 'tis niver too late to have fun, Mister Scott," he said. "We'd be plased to have ye for one of us. We'll make ye prisident an' ye'll find it a hape more fun than bein' the prisident av the bank."
"I don't doubt it," replied Mr. Scott laughingly, "but I'm afraid I am almost too old to keep up the pace you set. But I'll tell you what I am going to do. I am going on an outing some of these days and I am going to invite you all to go along with me."
"Hurrah!" cried the boys with a will.
"Ready Uncas!" called Don, raising his bugle, "the Scout salute!"
As the room rang with the noise Mr. Scott clapped his hands to his ears.
"Thanks," he said; "Mrs. Scott sent me up here to see if there was anything the matter, you were so quiet, but after that I think she will conclude that you are all right."
"What is that you have there, Rand?" he added as he caught sight of the coin that Rand had been using to toss up. "Where did you get it?"
"Those are the ones that we found in the road," replied Rand. "Do you know what they are?"
"Yes," answered Mr. Scott; "they are a political token issued in the time of Van Buren during the controversy over the currency. By the way, I shouldn't be surprised if these were some of the coins that were stolen out of Judge Taylor's office when it was broken into."
"Then the robbers must have gone away over that road," mused Rand, "and that is how they got there."
"That was doubtless the way of it," concluded Jack.
"Ay, but you thought there was some connection with them and MonkeyRae," reminded Donald.
"Are you sure there isn't?" answered Jack.
When Rand arrived at the great oak, which stood at the fork of the road on the outskirts of Creston, on the following morning, he found Pepper impatiently awaiting his arrival.
"I thought you were never coming," grumbled Pepper, when Rand made his appearance. "I expected to be half way there by this time."
"Plenty of time," said Rand. "How long do you think it will take you to get there and back?"
"How far is it?"
"Five miles, as the crow flies," returned Rand, "and near six by the road."
"That's an hour and a half on the road each way and an hour to stop. I ought to do it in four hours and a half."
"Then you should be back by dinner time," concluded Rand. "We will meet you here at 1 o'clock. Which road are you going to take?"
"The upper road," decided Pepper, "it runs through the woods, but it's by far the shortest way."
With a whistle the boy started off along the thoroughfare at a good pace. "Look for me at 1 sharp," he called back as he went off.
He had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile on his way when, as he was passing a small clump of bushes by the side of the road, there was a rustle behind the bushes, and a voice cried:
"Halt!"
Pepper, however, broke into a run which carried him past the clump, when again came the command:
"Halt, or I'll shoot!"
The boy hesitated for a moment as to whether he should stop or run, and as he did so Gerald and Jack came out upon the scene.
"Did we scare you?" asked Gerald.
"No," replied Pepper stoutly, "I thought it was a joke."
"We just wanted to test your courage," said Jack.
"That reminds me—" began Dick, who had now joined the others.
"That it is time for me to be getting along," broke in Pepper."Good-by, fellows," starting off again.
"Good luck," called the boys after him.
The road which he was following ran through the woods along the top of the mountain and was comparatively little traveled, most persons preferring the lower road which, although longer, was not near so rough or hilly.
Pepper met but few people on the way, and had gone rather more than half the distance when, as he was descending the slope of a small hill, he observed coming down the opposite slope a horse and wagon, about which there was something familiar.
"That looks like the rig that Monkey Rae was driving the other day," he thought, as he looked at it again. "If he is in it, I think I had better do the disappearance act until he goes by."
Stepping from the road he waited behind a small thicket until the wagon came nearer, when he saw that it was being driven by the man who had been with Monkey when they had taken the boat, and that, following the wagon was a big, ugly-looking, mongrel dog, that was dashing from one side of the road to the other, interspersed with little excursions into the woods.
"Gee!" thought Pepper, "I wouldn't want to fall into their hands. I think it's to the woods for mine," at the same time making his way as quickly as possible deeper into the underbrush.
"I didn't get out of the way any too soon," he continued to himself, for on coming to the place where Pepper had left the road the dog stopped, sniffed at the ground and gave vent to a gruff bark.
"What is it, Tige, old boy?" called the man, stopping his horse."Sic 'em!"
With a deep growl the dog started on the boy's trail. Pepper could hear him crashing his way through the underbrush and ran as fast as he could, looking about him, as he ran, for a stick or a stone with which to defend himself, but could see none, and all the time the dog was coming closer and closer, his growl becoming more and more menacing. It was nearly upon him, and he imagined that he could feel its hot breath and expected every moment to feel the snap of its jaws, when he saw, a little way ahead of him, what looked like a stout black stick lying upon the ground. "Gee! that's lucky," thought Pepper, running to where the stick lay and, stooping to pick it up when, to his astonishment and terror, the supposed stick glided from under his hand and he saw that he had been about to grasp a large-sized snake. Springing to his feet he made a wild jump upward and, as luck would have it, caught at the branch of a tree above his head, and, getting a firm grasp, drew himself up just as the dog, with its teeth snapping, sprang at him.
"Crickets!" said the boy to himself, "but that was a close shave," meantime climbing up into the tree to a more comfortable perch. "I don't know which of them I like the least. It looks as though there was going to be something doing now."
So intent had been the dog in its pursuit of Pepper that he did not see the snake until he had run onto it as it lay coiled upon the ground when, with a cry of alarm, the dog bounded into the air, clearing the snake by half a dozen feet. Apparently forgetting the quarry which it had been so eagerly pursuing, the dog now turned its attention to the snake, which was the largest that Pepper had ever seen.
For a few moments Pepper was too fascinated to move, as he watched the strangest combat that he had ever seen going on beneath him. A combat in which neither of the combatants seemed desirous of assuming the aggressive. Lying in a close coil, with its head rising from the center, its forked tongue darting in and out, and emitting every now and then an angry hiss, the snake, swaying its head from side to side, closely followed in its movements those of the dog, which circled about it barking furiously, and apparently watching for an opportunity to seize it back of the head, but which the snake was too wary to permit.
[Illustration: "The strangest combat that he had ever seen."]
"This beats the circus," thought Pepper, after he had watched the fight for a little time, "but this isn't getting the message to Highpoint. I don't believe I have time to wait for the finale. I wonder how I am going to get out of this. If I drop down there they will be making a show of me. Looks as though I might get over into that next tree. I'll try it, anyhow."
The trees here had grown so close together that many of the branches were in-lacing, and it seemed possible to Pepper that he could get from the one tree into the other.
"It looks kind of thin," thought Pepper, when he had picked out a limb which extended into the adjoining tree, "but, perhaps, it will do."
Crawling out upon the branch until it bent and swayed dangerously under his weight, he caught a branch of the other tree and swung himself over, narrowly missing a fall.
"So far, so good," soliloquized Pepper, working his way toward the trunk. "I rather like this way of going. Now for the next one."
The next tree was a little farther away, but by climbing out on a bough that extended into the other tree he crept on until he could just touch one of the opposite branches, but could not get a hold.
"Looks as if I would have to go back," he decided, after he had tried and failed to get a hold on the other tree. But this, he found, was more easily said than done, for when he attempted to turn around he slipped and only his quick clutch of the swaying branch saved him from a tumble.
"This is a nice scrape I have got into," he thought, when he tried to climb back onto the limb from which he had slipped, but found it impossible. "I can't get back, and I don't see how I am to go on. I hope it will let me down easy."
"Two o'clock," said Rand, closing his watch with a snap. "An hour behind time."
The boys had been waiting at the great oak since just after noon, but Pepper had not yet come.
"Perhaps he got off the road and got lost in the woods," suggestedJack.
"Maybe he got back sooner than he expected by some other road and went home," said Gerald. "Shall I run over and see?"
"Go ahead," replied Rand. "We will wait for you here."
Darting off, Gerald was gone but a few minutes, returning on the run to report that Pepper had not been back since morning.
"Perhaps he has got hurt somehow," put in Dick.
"It is no way impossible," assented Donald. "It might no be a bad idea to walk along the road until we meet him."
"Which way did he go?" asked Jack.
"The upper road," replied Rand.
The boys acted upon the suggested and proceeded along the road, slowly at first, then more rapidly as their comrade did not appear. They had covered more than half the distance to Highpoint.
"Listen!" said Jack suddenly, as they stopped for a moment. "What is that?"
Faint and far in the distance sounded what seemed like a bugle call.
"It is a bugle call," cried Dick. "It must be Pepper."
"It may be possible," admitted Donald.
Putting his bugle to his lips Rand blew a long, clear call, but it brought no response.
"Which way did the sound come from?" asked Gerald.
"From over that way," replied Dick, indicating with his hand.
"What would he be doing away off there?" demanded Donald.
"There is it again," said Gerald, as the sound was repeated.
"It is over this way," declared Jack, designating another direction.
"No, it's over this way," asserted Dick, but still at variance with the others.
"Wait," said Rand, "maybe we can hear it again."
The boys stood silent for a few moments, when the call came faintly once again.
"It is over this way," declared Rand, leading the way to the right, but, although they stopped from time to time to listen, they did not hear the sound again, nor did they find any trace of their missing comrade. For a half hour or more they continued their search, but in vain, and they were returning to the road when they heard the call again, but so faintly that it was lost almost as soon as heard.
"He is going away," decided Rand. "There is certainly something queer about it."
"In my opinion," began Donald, "'tis no use looking any more."
"Why not?" asked Rand.
"Because it was no mortal sound," replied Donald.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Rand.
"Nonsense or no," retorted Donald stoutly, "I don't like it."
"What is it, then, Donald, if it isn't mortal?" asked Rand.
"I can no rightly say," responded Donald, "but I don't believe you will ever find him."
"Pooh!" returned Rand; "he may be along any minute."
"Let us go on to Highpoint," proposed Jack, "and see if he has been there."
As nothing better was suggested the boys set out for Highpoint, which they soon reached, and a short hunt enabled them to find Jack Dudley, the leader of the Highpoint Patrol, from whom they learned that Pepper had not been there.
"What time did he start?" asked Dudley.
"Eight o'clock," replied Rand.
"It's very strange," said Dudley. "He may have met with some accident. I will hunt up our patrol and will help you search for him. If you will go back and start from the point where you searched before we will take up the scout from here and keep on until we find him, or we join forces again, unless you have something better to propose."
"I don't think there is any better way," said Rand, with which the others agreed, and thanking him for his offer, the Uncas boys, now thoroughly alarmed, set out again upon the search.
It was 5 o'clock when they got back to Creston, searching on the way, and Pepper had not returned, or trace of him found.
"What shall we do next?" asked Jack, as they stood undecided in the road.
"What is it now?" asked Colonel Snow, who had come up unperceived.
"We can't find Pepper," answered the boys.
"What is it," went on the colonel, "a game of hide and seek?"
"No, sir," responded Rand; "he went over to Highpoint this morning with a message; I mean he started for Highpoint, but he hasn't been there and he hasn't come back. We are afraid he is lost."
"Lost!" exclaimed the colonel. "How could that be."
"We don't know," answered Jack; "but we have hunted all over for him, and he isn't anywhere about."
"All over?" said the colonel. "He couldn't very well be all over at once, could he? But, come along, and we will see if we can't find him. Which way did he go?"
"On the upper road," answered Rand; "but we have been all along that."
"Well, we'll see if we can't pick up his trail," went on the colonel at once, leading off at a rapid pace. "Did any of you pick it up?"
"There are lots of tracks," replied Rand, "but I did not pick his out."
"Some who are expert, you know, can read tracks as readily as you read the paper. These look much alike, but we will follow them up and see if any diverge or break away from the road."
Walking rapidly along the road the colonel indicated one he thought might be Pepper's track, which the boys followed, with some success, after it had been pointed out until, all at once, the marks indicated that the person had come to a sudden stop and had turned aside.
"He left the road here for some reason," decided the colonel, "or the one who made the trail did. He went through here, you can see how these bushes have been thrust aside."
"I do now," replied Rand, "but I wouldn't have noticed it myself."
"Did he have a dog with him?" continued the colonel, following the trail through the woods.
"No," answered Rand.
"Probably the dog came from the other direction. Looks as if Pepper was trying to get away from the dog. They were both in a hurry. It stops here; he must have taken to a tree."
"Pepper!" he shouted, "where are you?"
But neither his calls nor those of the boys brought any response.
"He isn't here," went on the colonel; "but there has been a disturbance of some kind. There are dog's tracks all around as if the animal had struggled with something, but no footprints. There is the track of a snake, too."
"A snake!" cried Jack, in alarm. "Do you think it could have bitten him?"
"No," said the colonel, "if he had been bitten we would still have his trail. He seems to have vanished into the air."
"I don't see how he could do that," declared Don.
"Neither do I," replied the colonel. "Spread out around the tree and see if you can find where he came down."
But a thorough search failed to reveal, to the investigators, any trace.
"I never saw anything like this," declared the colonel. "He seems to have disappeared completely."
"But where could he have gone?" asked Jack, anxious for the safety of his brother.
"I wish I knew," returned the colonel. "If there were any birds around here big enough we might suspect that one of them had carried him off, but we will evidently have to await Pepper's own explanation of the enigma." Then he added after a moment:
"Well, boys, we have got to the end of the trail. I don't know what to do next."
"That reminds me," started Dick, when there was a hiss, a snarl and a flash through the air from the tree, under whose branches they were standing, and an immense wild cat, spitting and clawing, landed on Dick's back.
"Help! Murder!" shouted Dick. "Take it off!"
For an instant the boys were so dumfounded by the suddenness of the attack that they all jumped in different directions, but the colonel, with a well-directed blow from the heavy stick he carried, knocked the animal off of Dick, but not before his coat had been torn and Dick himself scratched by its claws.
Snarling and spitting the cat now crouched, facing the colonel, and seemed about to spring.
"Knock him over the head!" shouted Donald. "Hit it in the head with a stone," looking about for a weapon.
"Look out!" called Rand, "give me a chance at it!" drawing back his bow and letting fly an arrow which pierced the animal's body and knocked it sprawling, when Gerald added a blow from a well-directed stone. With a wild scream the cat bounded into the air and fell motionless to the ground.
"Look out, Rand!" cautioned Dick, creeping back from the bushes into which he had fled as soon as he had gained his feet, as Rand went up to where the cat was lying. "Take care it don't spring on you!"
"No danger," replied Rand: "it's dead."
"Faith, thin, Oi w'udn't trust it, dead or alive," said Gerald.
"That was a good shot, Rand," commended the colonel, "and just in time. A full-grown wild cat is an enemy not to be despised."
"I should say not," agreed Dick. "Ugh! I feel as if I had been scraped with a curry-comb. I wonder," with a look at his clothes, "if I couldn't get a job somewhere as a scarecrow?"
"But what has become of Pepper?" asked Don.
"That is the puzzle that we have got to solve," replied the colonel. "For the present the only thing we can do is to go back to Creston and see if we can't pick up some new clues."
The boys, with Colonel Snow, slowly made their way back to the town, carrying with them the body of the cat, the skin of which Rand proposed to have tanned for a trophy for the club room.
As they entered the town they were met by Officer Dugan, who put his hand on Rand's shoulder.
"I have a warrant for your arrest," he said.
The party were amazed, and the colonel was the first to speak.
"For what?" he asked.
"For robbing Judge Taylor's office," replied the officer.
For a moment or two Pepper hung at the extremity of the branch to which he was clinging, when all at once there came an ominous cracking and the end broke away, but fortunately it had swung so low toward the ground that he dropped at the foot of the tree, not much the worse for his experience.
It had ail happened so quickly that, before he had time to utter a cry Pepper found himself lying on the ground flat on his back.
"My goodness gracious!" exclaimed Pepper, feeling himself all over to make sure that he was ail there. "The farther I go the worse it gets. This is certainly the worst yet. I think the ground is good enough for me after that."
A little dazed by his fall, Pepper, without stopping to consider his direction, started off as fast as he could go, turning this way and that as he went, to avoid the thicker growths of under-brush, until he had gone a mile or more, getting ail the time deeper into the forest.
"I think," he mused, when he stopped for a breathing spell, looking about for some clue to guide him, "I had better be getting back to the road. Now, I wonder which way it is. Let me see, which is the North. That must be it, because this side of the trees have moss on them; then the road must be off this way."
Starting off in the direction he had decided upon Pepper pursued his way, swerving now to the right and again to the left to avoid some all but impassable thicket or some swampy bit of ground, until he judged that he had gone at least a mile.
"Crickets!" he exclaimed at length. "I wonder where that road has gone. I was not that far from it, I know. I must have traveled about four miles since I left it, in the wrong direction at that. Gee! It must be pretty near noon, by the way I feel." Looking at his watch he saw it was 12 o'clock, and sat down to eat his lunch.
"Lucky I brought it along," he thought; "for, from the looks of things, I don't know when I am going to get any more. I wonder if the boys are waiting for me to return? Looks as though they would have quite a wait.
"Now, which way shall I go?" he questioned when he had finished. "There doesn't seem to be any choice in the matter, one way looks as promising as another."
Striking off at right angles from the way he had been going he decided to try that course for a while, but after traveling for an hour through the underbrush, which seemed to be getting thicker and more difficult to get through the farther he went, he again came to a halt.
"Looks as if I was lost," he mused, "and the farther I go the more lost I am. I suppose if Don were here he would toss up for the way to go, and I guess that's as good a way as any."
Taking a coin from his pocket he closed his hand upon the metal without looking at it. "if it is head," he decided, "I will go to the right, and if it is tail I will go to the left. It's head," opening his hand. "Now, I'll bet that isn't the right way, but I'll try it anyhow."
Taking the course the coin had indicated Pepper plunged into the brush and doggedly pushed on, although he was getting tired and somewhat discouraged.
"I am going to keep on this way," he determined, "until I get to the road or come out on the other side, if it brings me out in California."
Stopping to rest, after he had forced his way through a particularly heavy growth of brush, he was startled at hearing the angry bark of a dog not far away.
"Crickets!" he cried, "I hope I haven't run across that beast again I think I had better look for a stick while I have time. I don't want to be picking up any more snakes"
Looking about him he found a good-sized stick lying upon the ground, which he scrutinized closely before venturing to take possession.
In addition to the barking of the dog he could now hear voices, and thus encouraged, he advanced in the direction from which came the sounds.
"Perhaps I can find some one who can direct me how to get out of this," he thought. A few minutes' walk brought him near to a small opening in the woods in which stood a rudely-built cabin, and a little way off a smaller shack which, apparently, was used as a stable, as there was a wagon standing beside it, which Pepper recognized as the one he had seen on the road, and as the very one Monkey had been driving when he nearly run them down. There were a couple of kegs in the wagon and several tin cans. Perched on the roof of the cabin was a boy, whom he recognized as Sam Tompkins, who had, apparently, climbed there to escape the dog, which was jumping up, trying to get at him.
While Pepper watched, the man whom he had seen driving the wagon, came from the inside of the house and drove the dog away, at the same time calling to Sam to come down.
"That's what you get for teasing him," he growled. "He'll take a piece out of you yet."
Making a surly response Sam slipped down from the roof and disappeared into the house.
"Gee!" exclaimed Pepper. "I am glad I didn't walk in on them. Now,I wonder what is going on here?"
From a large chimney, which was built at the back of the cabin, which was nearest Pepper, the smoke from a wood fire was rising, and there was an unpleasant odor in the air.
"That must be the smoke we saw from the river the other day," concluded Pepper. "I wonder what they are cooking there? I can't say I like the smell of it, whatever it is, and I don't think this is any good place for me, either."
Slipping back as quietly as he had come, Pepper started on his away again. When he had gotten far enough from the place so that, he thought, it would not attract the attention of those there, Pepper sounded a call on his bugle.
"Perhaps the boys are out looking for me when I didn't get back on time," he said, sounding the call from time to time as he went on, but which brought no response.
"Thank goodness! I've got to the end of the woods," he exclaimed a little later, when he saw an open space not far ahead of him.
Hurrying forward he found himself, not, as he had expected, on the road, but on the top of a high bluff which descended almost perpendicularly for a hundred feet to a roadway, which was a welcome sight. Just below him, looking over the edge, he saw that there was a broad ledge about ten feet down and that, below this again, the cliff sloped at an acute angle to another narrow ledge, but below this again there was seemingly nothing but the bare side of the cliff.
"No use trying to get down that way," he soliloquized. "I'll just follow along the edge and see where I come out."
Turning, he was about to step back when the earth, where he was standing, gave way, sliding down to the ledge below and carrying him with it.
"Goodness!" he cried, picking himself up and shaking off the dirt with which he was covered. "I wonder what next? Now, how am I going to get out of this? I doubt if I can get back up there, and it don't look inviting below."
It was impossible to climb up the side of the cliff, as it was almost perpendicular, but upon the small ledge below he noticed that a stunted tree was growing from the rocks.
"I wonder if I can catch that tree," considered Pepper, preparing to slide down to the ledge. "I guess it ain't a question of can, I've just got to do it, and I won't be any worse off there than I am here, and I may be a good deal better."
Carefully calculating his distance he let go, sliding down until he reached the ledge where he clutched a tree and held on until he could gain a footing. The ledge, which was about a foot in width, ran but a short distance in either direction, but to the right, a few feet below, was another level space, which Pepper judged he might gain. Moving cautiously along until he was over the point he let himself down to the lower ledge. Following this along he was able to gain another, and so on, slipping at times and tumbling, until he finally came out upon a small plateau at the foot of the hill.
"Thank goodness!" he cried as he got up and shook himself. "I've got to the bottom, anyhow. I hope there isn't anything more coming my way or I won't get that message there to-day, and I've got to move pretty quick, as it is."
He had gone but a short distance when he heard a loud "hello," and looked up to see a strange boy in the Scout uniform standing on the rocks not far above him.
"Hello!" called the boy again; "who are you?"
"Hello!" he replied. "Pepper Blake. Who are you?"
"Tom Brown," replied the other, then, with his trumpet, sending out a call that went echoing among the rocks until it brought back an answering call. "Say, hold on until I get down there," he said, addressing Pepper, then clambering down until he stood beside the lost boy. "Do you know we have been hunting all over for you?"
"No," replied Pepper; "but I am mighty glad to see you just the same."
"How did you get down here?" went on Tom.
"Tumbled down, mainly," was the reply. "I took a drop from the top of the hill yonder."
By this time several more of the boys, who were members of the Highpoint Patrol, had joined them and began to ply the object of their search with questions.
"Hold on a minute," said one of them. "Say, Pepper, ain't you hungry?"
"Well, I had a bite," he confessed; "but that was a good while ago, and I want to get on with this message."
"I guess you have got there," said the boy, with a laugh. "I amJack Dudley, the Leader; you can give it to me."
"All right," replied Pepper, with a sigh of relief; "I got it to you, anyhow."
"You certainly did," said Jack. "Lucky we brought along a day's rations. We didn't know how long we might be out. Now," as the boys got out their supplies from their knapsacks and spread them out on the rocks, "tell us how you got here." Whereupon Pepper related the story of his adventures.
"My goodness!" exclaimed Tom, when the story was finished, "I don't believe it is safe for you to be out alone. What do you say, boys, don't you think we ought to see him safe home?"
"Sure," agreed the others.
"It's getting dark now," continued Tom, "and there is no telling what he will find on the road."
So, in spite of Pepper's protests that he was all right and that once put upon the right road he could take care of himself, the boys insisted upon escorting him to the outskirts of Creston, which they reached without further misadventure.
"Do you think you will be safe now?" asked Tom as they were about to leave him.
"Of course I will," replied Pepper, with a laugh; "why, I am almost home."
"Well, then, good night," they called, and with three cheers for Pepper, the messenger of the Uncas, the Highpoint boys turned about and went on their way home.
Tired, but happy that he had succeeded in delivering the message, Pepper hurried on home. He was almost there when he was accosted by a schoolmate and was told that his brother Jack and others had been seen going into Judge Taylor's office. It was but a step farther, so thither he directed his course.
Colonel Snow and the greatly excited boys accompanied the officer and his charge to the judge's office.
"Good evening, Colonel; good evening, boys," said the judge, greeting them pleasantly when they came in under the escort of the officer. "I am glad to see you. Is this an official visit?"
"Good evening, Judge," replied Rand. "I suppose it must be. The officer said I was under arrest."
"Gracious, no! Not at all," said the judge. "That was a blunder, indeed. I merely told him I wanted to see you. I wanted to see if you could throw any light on the robbing of my office."
"Have you any reason to think that they know anything about it?" demanded the colonel indignantly.
"No sufficient reason," replied the judge. "Now, don't get excited," as the colonel was about to speak, "but there has been a lot of loose talk circulating, and I thought I would like to settle it."
"Loose talk!" exclaimed the colonel; "about whom?"
"About Randolph, Dick Wilson and young Blake," explained the judge; "and, by the way, where is Pepper? I don't see him here."
"We don't know where he is," replied Jack. "We have been hunting for him all the afternoon, but we couldn't find him."
"How is that?" questioned the judge.
Whereupon the story of the unavailing search was told.
"That is certainly remarkable," admitted the judge. "Perhaps we had better put this matter off until we see if we can't find him. Have you any plans, Colonel?"
"No," replied the colonel, forgetting his anger over the blundering arrest. "I am at a complete loss how to proceed. If the ground had opened and swallowed him he could not have disappeared more suddenly and more completely."
"We shall certainly have to start another search. The question is where to begin," mused the judge, and just then, catching sight of Officer Dugan, his mind reverting to the latter's inexcusable blunder, he gave the chagrined minion of the law a severe reprimand. How far the angry judge might have proceeded is not known, for just at this moment Pepper appeared in the doorway.
"Pepper!" cried Jack. "Where in the world have you been?"
"Where in the world haven't I been?" he responded.
"You evidently found yourself," asserted the colonel.
"Is it really you, Pepper?" asked Gerald; "and where did you hide yourself?" and other questions came thick and fast.
"Just returned from delivery of the message to the Highpoint Scouts," finally answered the boy when he was afforded an opportunity to speak.
"Highpoint! Why, we went to Highpoint!" cried Rand, "and you had not been there. Which way did you go?"
"Don't know," replied the messenger. "Round by Robin Hood's barn, I guess; but I came out on the side of the cliff, and the Highpoints fortunately found me."
"But how did you get out of the tree?" asked the colonel. "We couldn't find any trail."
"Did you know I was up a tree? Well, I climbed into the next tree," was the reply.
"Ah!" said the colonel, "that accounts for it. I never thought of that."
"Tell us about it," requested the judge.
"There isn't very much to tell," said Pepper, repeating the details of his trip, from the time of meeting the horse and wagon with Monkey Rae and the man.
"Of course," muttered Jack, "you could bet Monkey would be in it somewhere."
"S-s-say," went on Pepper, "how did that fight come out? I didn't have time to stop and see."
"I should think not," observed the judge; "it was your busy day."
"I think it must have been a draw," answered the colonel, "for each went his own way. But to return to our business. You said, Judge, there was some talk about these boys; what is it?"
"Well, you know," began the judge, "my office was broken into some time ago and some things taken."
"You don't think that these boys had anything to do with it, do you?" interrupted the colonel.
"Of course not," the judge assured him; "but there were some boys' tracks—now let me go on—and it has been said that these boys were out very early on that morning, and that they have been spending money pretty freely of late, buying uniforms and other things."
"But we earned that money ourselves," interrupted Pepper indignantly.
"Don't get hot, Pepper," counseled Donald.
"I don't doubt it," replied the judge; "and then it is reported that Randolph and Pepper claimed to have found money on the road."
"I don't know as you could call it money," demurred Rand, showing the coin that he had found. "I found this and Pepper found another."
"Ah!" remarked the judge, taking the coin, "that looks like one of those stolen from me. Where did you find it?"
"On the Mountain Road," answered Rand. "We did not know that they were yours, or we should have returned them."
"I don't know that they are mine," said the judge, "although they are similar. You had better keep them for the present. So that is the way they went," he mused; "they probably escaped in a boat. I'm afraid there isn't much chance of capturing them. That is all, boys. I just wanted to have a talk with you to straighten things out."
"Where did all these stories come from?" asked the colonel.
"Oh, I think it is mostly boys' talk," said the judge. "I thinkTompkins said he heard it from his boy."
"Sam Tompkins!" cried Jack, "of course. He's trying to throw suspicion on us, but I guess he knows a lot more about it than we do."
"I think you have hit it, Jack," agreed the judge. "I believe that is a clue worth following up."
"But what about the tools?" asked the officer.
"Oh, yes," continued the judge, "I had forgotten about them. Do you know anything about these tools, Dick?"
"Yes, sir; they came from our shop," he answered.
"Ah! that's what I thought," said the officer to himself. "It isn't going to end here."
"They were taken from there," went on Dick. "We missed them several days before the robbery, but I don't know who took them."
"Then they must have been taken by some one around here," concluded the judge. "It seems to me that the farther we go the more mysterious it gets. Jack, I think that you had better set your wits to work and see if you can't clear it up."
"Very well, Judge," answered Jack, who had been going over the matter in his mind. "I think I have a clue that I am going to follow up and see what comes of it."
"Good," commented the judge. "While I do not believe for an instant that any of you young gentlemen had anything to do with the robbery, I would like to see it brought home to those who did it."
"And I, too," added the colonel.
"Good night, boys," continued the judge. "You have had rather an exciting day, and I think you had better be getting home. I think you want to look out for Pepper so that nothing more happens to him to-night."
"Good night, Judge," responded the boys, Jack adding as they went out, "I won't leave him out of sight until I have him safe in the house."