Boy Scouts in Glacier Park Part 27

"I do," Joe spoke up.

Tom and the man both turned toward him.

"Who is it?" they said.

Joe simply made a gesture toward Tom.

"You?" the hiker asked. "You look like a strong, capable boy, but have you had any experience with rock climbing?"

"Joe's talking through his hat," Spider stammered. "I couldn't go. My job's to take care of this camp----"

"I can fix that," Joe cut in. "I'll look after the camp. Besides, here's somebody comes to the Park looking for a climb, and it's up to the Park to find somebody to go with him."

"That seems settled," the man smiled. "But have you had any experience rock climbing?"

"No sir, not really, I guess," Tom said. "I climbed the head wall of Huntington Ravine on Mount Was.h.i.+ngton once, when we scouts took a hike in the White Mountains, and Joe and I have climbed some little cliffs around home, with just a common rope, and I got a box of spikes for my shoes, but of course, I've never been in the Alps, or anything like that."

The man had now laid off his pack, and was inspecting his tepee as he listened.

"The head wall of Huntington Ravine isn't a bad little climb," he said, "though one of the side walls is better. But it hardly qualifies you as an Alpine guide. However, if you'd care to come with me, and we could get somebody to tell us where there's an interesting wall, I'd be glad of your company to-morrow."

"Oh, gee, I'd like to go!" Tom cried, "if I can get off."

"You can get off," said Joe, "and after supper I'll go get the Ranger to come and tell Mr.--Mr.----"

"Kent is my name," the little man said. "At home I'm Dr. Kent, but out here I wish to forget it."

"----Mr. Kent where there's a good cliff. Would you like an omelette for supper, Mr. Kent, with some chicken soup and fried potatoes and griddle cakes and coffee?"

"That sounds very nice," said he. "But I warn you I sha'n't know what I'm eating. I've had nothing since breakfast but a couple of raisins."

Joe went busily about getting his supper, while Tom set the table, got fresh water, put some extra blankets in his tepee, and ran to the supply store for some jam or canned fruit for dessert.

"Now, you be sure to explain to Big Bertha that I'm going to take your place if he'll let you off," Joe whispered. "He knows I can do it. If he makes any kick, I'll go up after supper."

When Tom came back, he reported that it was all right, Big Bertha had not kicked at all.

"He's an old peach," Tom added. "Asked me why I hadn't suggested such a scheme before."

"I knew that would be all right," Joe laughed. "After grub, I'll get Mr.

Mills, and he'll go, too, maybe. Gee, he's dandy on a trip, and he knows how to use a rope."

The two scouts now devoted their entire attention to the single guest at the camp. When Joe called, "Come and get it!" Tom set a camp chair at the table, and brought the steaming food from the stove. While Dr. Kent was eating the soup, Joe made the omelette just right, and kept the fried potatoes sizzling, and with them sent in a pot of piping hot coffee and a plate of rolls. Then he made griddle cakes--five helpings of them the man ate, too, four thick cakes to a helping! He topped off with preserved peaches. When he had finished, he drew a cigar case from an inner pocket of his old, worn leather jacket, lit a cigar, came over to a seat by the camp-fire which Tom had now lighted, stretched out his short legs, which were clad in great, heavy, square-toed boots, blue woollen stockings that were in wrinkles, and worn woollen knickerbockers of a once rather startling brown and green striped pattern, sighed contentedly, looked at the two scouts, and remarked:

"Tom and Joe--those are your names, eh? Well, I never fared so well, boys, in the Savoy in London or the Waldorf in New York. Joe, I knew what I was eating all the time, it was so good. I don't know how you chaps ever got way out here--I can tell you both come from New England.

But I'm glad you came. I think maybe the Lord sent you for my especial benefit. What do you think about it?"

"Tom thinks you were sent here for his special benefit," Joe laughed.

"He's not had a chance to see a bit of the Park yet."

"Why, Joe--I do not!" poor Tom cried, getting red.

"Well, it looks mutual," the man admitted. "Now, where's this Ranger? I like to get to-morrow all settled while it is still to-day."

Tom went up to the cabin for Mills, while Joe was getting a bite ready for Spider and himself. Mills appeared in less than ten minutes. Tom introduced the two men, and went into the cook tepee, to eat with Joe, while they both strained their ears to hear the plans.

"Well," the Ranger was saying, "there's a mighty nice climb at the head of Iceberg Lake. I was never up it, but I know where the goat trail starts. Might be good sport to follow that trail."

"Chimney work, or mostly shelf?" the other man asked.

"Mostly everything, I should reckon. I don't now recall any real chimney, till the top. The goats sort of switchback on ledges. Guess you'll need sharp toe-nails, here and there."

"Any ice work?"

"Nothing sticks on that wall!" said the Ranger.

"And the height?"

"Oh, maybe two thousand."

"You mean two thousand, all cliff?" the man demanded.

"Sure," said Mills. "Well, maybe you can knock off two hundred for the shale slide at the bottom. It goes right up to the crest of the Divide."

"Well, that sounds like a climb!" Dr. Kent exclaimed. "Suppose this boy Tom here can do it?"

Tom and Joe, pretending to eat, stopped their forks half-way to their mouths to listen. Tom was almost trembling.

"He can if you know your business," Mills answered, laconically.

"They've got good heads, both those boys--and heads count on a goat trail."

The doctor looked at Mills rather sharply. Evidently he was not used to being spoken to in just that way.

"I have climbed the Matterhorn," he replied.

"We got a different kind o' stone out here," said Mills. "It ain't reliable. What's the matter with me going too? I ain't had a good climb since I hunted bighorns last, five years ago. And we can all ride up to the lake on my horses, and I can see how the trail's standing up after the rain."

"Three on the rope are better than two, of course," the other said. "And I'd be glad of your experience. I have at least climbed enough to know that it is safer to have a guide who knows the cliff."

"Stranger," Mills smiled, in his quiet way, "you seem kind o' sore at me. But I'm the Park Ranger for this district, and Uncle Sam don't want no accidents in here. You may be the next thing to a mountain goat, but I've never seen you climb, and it's up to me to be kind o' what you'd call sceptical. Now, wouldn't you act so, if you was here for Uncle Sam?"

The doctor put out his hand. "I'm ready to climb anywhere you say we can get," he said. "You're the sort Uncle Sam needs everywhere. Shake, and say we're friends."

The boys saw them shake hands, and then they heard Dr. Kent calling.

"Tom," he said, "Mr. Mills is going with us to see that we don't break our necks. We leave to-morrow at five o'clock. Is that too early, Mills?"

"Not a bit," said the Ranger.