Camp Fires of the Wolf Patrol Part 17

"I've greased it!" chuckled Elmer. "That's what they do out West when a big bear trap is used, and there's danger of the thing holding too well.

Do you want to step inside this loop, and give it a try, Mark?"

"Please excuse me this time, old fellow," laughed the other. "I'm very well satisfied to stand on the earth as I am just now, and don't hanker about getting any nearer the clouds. I leave all that ambition to others, and particularly animals used to climbing trees. How about the rest of the tent, Elmer?"

"Pegged down so solid that a mouse would have trouble crawling under,"

came the immediate and confident response.

"That means if our friend Diablo is as hungry as we believe, and is determined to make another of his raids on our grub, he's just _got_ to take advantage of the open door, eh, Elmer?"

"That's just what he does," replied the scout leader. "And we're going to get him one way or the other, going or coming. If he happens to miss getting caught as he trips into the tent, he won't be so lucky when he comes out. You see, at that time he's apt to have his arms full of the things we left around loose. He's greedy, like all monkeys, and will try to carry as much he can. Then he can't see quite so well where to step.

Flip! bang! and there you are! Lil Artha hit it closer than he thought when he said everything was lovely and the goose hung high! We expect _our_ goose to do just that same thing."

"Huh! I guess this is what they call putting your foot in it, eh, Elmer?" chuckled Mark.

"We hope it will be, that's right. But as everything has been done to a turn, don't you think we'd better hunt out our blankets? Perhaps Diablo may be watching us right now, crazy to get started on his raid. And then again, it may be he's far away from here to-night, and we'll find we've had all our trouble for our pains."

"But you don't think that last, honest now, Elmer?" queried Mark.

"If I did I wouldn't have gone to all the trouble I did," returned the other. "Take one last look over your camera, and the flashlight powder cartridge. All O. K. is it? Then let's leave here, and trust to luck for the rest."

"I don't believe I'll get much sleep, for expecting to hear a racket!"

Mark declared, as they walked conspicuously away from the vicinity of the store tent, so that the keen-eyed monkey would see them, if, as they suspected, Diablo were hiding somewhere close by, waiting for his chance to make another descent on the camp where all those delicious dainties were kept, to which he had grown accustomed during the period of his captivity--and liberty without these could not be proving all it was cracked up to be.

"Oh! I wouldn't let a little thing like this keep me awake," said Elmer.

"Well, you see it's different with me," declared his chum. "I've had almost no experience in such exciting things, while you have been through rafts of it. But honest now, I'm hoping that our little game pans out a success. I've laid that big bag where we can grab it up on the run, and I saw you fixing the ropes handy. Let Mr. Diablo just give that loop a tiny jerk when he gets his hind foot in it, and oh! my, won't he be the worst rattled jabberer ever!"

Now, secretly Elmer himself was in quite a little flutter of excitement; but he knew how to hold himself in check better than did Mark. He calmly arranged his blanket as usual, and then settled himself down as though such a thing as being aroused in the middle of the night were unthought of.

And having practiced the control of his powers he did go to sleep very shortly; absolutely refusing to allow his mind to become active by dwelling on any subject that might agitate him.

Silence came upon the camp.

The fire sparkled and crackled as from time to time one of the sentries stepped over to toss fresh fuel upon it. But acting under orders, they refrained religiously from ever pa.s.sing near the store tent.

If one of them chanced to be particularly vigilant, he must have discovered a shadowy figure that came slipping down from the branches of a tree that grew not a dozen feet away from the apparently abandoned tent.

It made not the least noise, which would seem to indicate that it must possess feet shod with velvet; but crouching low, after a suspicious look around, started toward the depot of supplies.

Pa.s.sing around this tent, sniffing at various places, and apparently seeking a means of entrance, the dusky figure finally came to the front, where that small opening stood so very invitingly in view.

Elmer, sleeping soundly, was suddenly awakened by a terrific screech, angry and vehement; immediately succeeded by the shrillest scolding and chattering he had ever heard.

Throwing aside his blanket, he started to crawl out of the tent. Mark was at his heels, laughing for all he was worth, and chortling:

"It worked, Elmer, the trap went off! We've got him, I guess, all right!

Great guns; just listen to the racket he's making, will you? Oh! hurry!

hurry! before all the blood runs to his head!"

It was only his great impatience that made him imagine Elmer dallied; for to tell the truth, the scout leader emerged from that tent in double-quick time.

Both of them "scooted" for the spot where all that row was sounding; no other word would so fully describe the manner of their progress as well as Lil Artha's favorite expression.

They were not alone in this forward rush. From every tent came creeping figures, as the scouts crawled forth. And by degrees the screeching of the monkey was actually drowned in the greater clamor of boyish shouts.

It seemed almost as though Pandemonium must have broken loose in that camp of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scouts, for a dozen pair of st.u.r.dy young lungs can make considerable noise once they break loose.

It was a ridiculous spectacle that greeted them as they reached the store tent. The bent-over hickory sapling had sprung obediently erect as soon as the shooting of the trigger had released it from the crotch in which its apex had been gripped. And swaying back and forth, attempting all manner of high gymnastics, was a grotesque figure that stretched out its arms, and made frantic efforts to reach the body of the sapling, so as to climb up.

"Get the bag, Elmer!" cried Mark, the second that he arrived.

But already had the scout leader s.n.a.t.c.hed that article up and prepared to clap it around the struggling monkey, taking care to avoid being caught by those waving hands.

"Quick! the rope!" he gasped, after he had made a forward movement, enclosing the gyrating body in the stout sack.

Mark knew what he was doing, and in a brief time, during which the rest of the boys stood around watching in wonder, the struggling monkey was secured.

"Here, Toby, hold this rope end for a minute!" called Mark.

The other was only too willing to obey, for it gave him a chance to say he had had a hand in the great capture of the hairy thief. Ten seconds later there was a sudden brilliant flash that caused some of the scouts to cry out, in the belief that a storm had crept upon them, with the lightning giving advance warning of its coming.

"It's Mark, and he took a snap flashlight picture of the crowd standing around in pajamas!" cried Lil Artha. "Oh! my, what a sight that will be to chase away the blues. If only my red stripes show, I'll be the happy one."

"How about the first flash--did it go off when the monk pulled the trigger, Mark?" demanded Elmer.

"Sure it did," broke in Tom Cropsey, who had been one of the sentries on duty at the time; "and gave me a nasty scare. I never dreamed you had fixed things up that way, Elmer; and at first I thought something had exploded. But what can we do with the critter, now that we've got him?"

"Oh! that's all fixed," laughed Mark. "Elmer made a stout collar which can be fastened around his neck so he just can't get it off. To that a rope is fastened, and Mr. Diablo will amuse the camp with his stunts the rest of the time we stay up here on old Lake Solitude. Ready to work it, Elmer?"

"Yes, give me a hand here, please," replied the scout leader, who had been cautiously taking the enmeshed body of the still struggling monkey down from the straightened hickory sapling.

"Why, here's luck!" exclaimed Elmer, presently. "As sure as you live he's got a collar on right now, with a ring for a rope. There's a trailing foot of stuff fastened to it, showing just how he got away. All I have to do is to tie our stout line to that ring so even the clever fingers of a monkey can't unfasten it."

When this was done, and the other end of the rope made fast to the sapling that had a.s.sisted in Diablo's downfall, by degrees the rope encircling the beast was removed, and then the bag. The prisoner was inclined to be a little savage at first, because his taste of freedom had made him somewhat wild, and besides, these were all strangers to him.

But he was very hungry, and upon being offered food seized it eagerly.

After that they would have very little trouble with Diablo, though he proved to be a treacherous rascal, and pinched more than a few of the boys who ventured to be too familiar with him.

The scouts were ordered back to their blankets, and once again did the camp relapse into silence, save for the grunting of the satisfied Diablo, as he continued to feast upon the sweet cakes with which he had been supplied.

In this manner, then, was the last source of trouble laid low. Ghosts and thieves they had encountered, but in the end success had rewarded their efforts, and it began to look as though the balance of their stay in camp might be more in the nature of a picnic than the first few days and nights had proven.

When morning came the boys were early astir, and crowded around to stare at the prisoner. But with his stomach comfortably filled Diablo was lazy and good natured. He refused to be bothered, and curled up on the ground like a dog, made out to sleep, though a careful examination might have disclosed the fact that one eye was partly open, and as soon as a boy entered the store tent he was on his feet, begging.

But Ginger would be the one who must feel the most satisfaction over the capture, for it would ease his mind concerning the necessity for cutting his stay on the earth short, and accompanying the Evil One in a "chariot of fire."

So that day pa.s.sed very slowly as they awaited the coming of the scout master and his "ebony galley slave" who was to row the boat up-stream.