Girl Scouts in the Rockies

The two guides made way for the scouts to crowd up beside them, and there they saw a well-grown deer in the center of the tiny park. It was still young and inexperienced, as was shown by the way it backed around and voiced its horror and fear.

“What is it afraid of, Tally?” questioned the Captain, because her unaccustomed eyes saw nothing to fear.

“See on limb dere – where deer must go if she like to get out?” whispered Tally, pointing to one end of the clearing where a giant pine spread its branches far over the place.

Along the lowest bough crouched a panther, ready to leap. Its green eyes gleamed with hungry desire for the choice breakfast so near, and its sinuous tail whipped gracefully back and forth against the tree. But its gaze wavered from the deer to something at the other end of the clearing. What could be restraining this ferocious beast, whose claws, as they dug sharp nails into the wood of the tree, appeared ready to rip open the tender flesh of its prey?

Two sides of the clearing were made impassable for the deer by the close growth of aspens, interlocked like a brush-fence. At one end of the clearing the panther kept guard, but what was the cause of the starting eyes of the deer as it gazed at the nearer end – the end where the scouts stood?

“Ah, Omney – see?” breathed Tally, softly, as he pointed.

Then they saw a grey-brown animal about the size of Scrub, with a stubby tail. Its body was thick and short, and its head was round. It had gleaming eyes, green-slitted like a cat’s. Its ears were sharp-pointed and stood erect. The mouth was partly open, with the tongue showing its red edge between the fanglike teeth. Its rusty color merged so perfectly with the bushes that it was small wonder the scouts had not seen it immediately.

Its expression, the crouching pose, its tense muscles – all denoted its eagerness to taste the blood of the deer, but there was the panther to reckon with first! Now the girls realized the danger of the young deer. How could the poor thing hope to escape from a panther and a lynx?

When the lynx sensed the human beings, she snarled viciously, but showed no fear. Her entire attention was given to the movements of the panther. But the fact that her natural enemies, human beings, stood so close to her, made her act sooner than she might have done.

Tally whispered the situation in a breath. “Pant’er no jump, fear lynx get him an’ en get deer. Lynx ’fraid to jump firs’ ’cause pant’er den jump on bof an’ eat ’em.”

Then Omney whispered, “Tally shoot pant’er, an’ me shoot lynx – same time. When I say fire – den shoot!”

So the two guides slowly lifted their rifles and aimed. But the lynx had crept closer to the deer, which in turn sent a swift look of apprehension back at the beast that was now preparing to spring the moment the lynx leaped. The deer lifted its muzzle high and bleated forth a wailing cry, and at the same moment two rifles sounded.

The instant before they rang out, the lynx had jumped right at the throat of the deer, and the instant after the panther had leaped also. The bullet sped faster than the lynx could spring, and the latter fell with a heavy thud to roll over in the buffalo grass at the forefeet of the deer.

Omney’s shot at the panther, however, struck its right shoulder instead of a fatal spot. When the lynx rolled under the nose of the panic-stricken deer, the poor creature jumped over against the wall of aspens, and this leap spared its life. For the panther, instead of ripping open its throat as it planned to do, clawed a tear in its side and then rolled over on the grass. Instantly, the wild beast was up and about to spring again, when a shot from Tally’s gun ended its preying.

The frightened deer had seen the animal rise to spring again, but her eyes were so blinded with the pain and fury of the gash in her side, that she leaped high and brought both hoofs down upon her dead antagonist. Again and again she lifted her stiffened forelegs and drove her sharp hoofs into the spine of the dead panther. Finally, however, the deer realized that her enemy was dead, and swiftly she wheeled and fled from the clearing through the opening opposite the scouts.

As she disappeared, the girls relaxed the nervous tension that had held them absolutely motionless during the battle. Now they sighed, and Mrs. Vernon sat down where she had stood. Betty began crying softly, and said, “The poor deer! I hope its side will heal.”

“Sure! Him go roll in mud of shallow spring and it heal,” Tally assured her.

The lynx and panther were found to be splendid specimens of their individual kinds, and the scouts had the satisfaction of knowing that this big game had not been shot for mere sport. But, having saved the deer’s life by shooting the two wild beasts, the pelts naturally became trophies for the scouts to send home.

“They’re awfully big brutes, girls. We’ll never be able to carry them both back to camp to-day,” said Mrs. Vernon.

“Skin ’em – onny take back pelts,” said Omney.

“We want to have them stuffed, Hominy, so we need the heads and feet, too,” said Julie.

Tally looked at Omney and spoke in his native language. Then he turned to the scouts and interpreted what he said.

“I say, Omney skin animals wid head an’ feet on – us go on an’ help Omney on way back. Him done skin den.”

As no new adventure befell them that day, they retraced their steps and stopped for Omney and the pelts. That night the story was told to the three men, and it lost none of its coloring by having five scouts tell it, turn and turn about.

Scrub did not return to camp that night, and Mr. Lewis told Omney to start immediately after breakfast in the morning and see if any untoward accident had happened to the dog. Tally and the scouts would not remain behind, for they were very fond of the pet and worried lest he had been killed by a wild beast.

They chose the trail they had seen Scrub take the two previous days, and after climbing the mountain for a time, Tally and Omney argued over following a faint trail through a jungle. Tally pointed to a paw-track in the soft earth, but Omney declared it was not a dog’s track.

Yet Tally won his way, and started into the dense thicket. He had not gone more than a few yards before he exclaimed jubilantly and pointed to a wisp of Scrub’s hair that had been caught on a briar. Then Omney meekly admitted that Tally must be right in his intuitions.

After following the faint trail for a short time, Julie called out, “I’m sure I heard a dog bark just now.”

“Let’s shout. Maybe Scrub’s lost and is calling to us,” explained Betty, anxiously.

“Lost! Now Betty, you don’t know that dog if you say he could be lost,” retorted Joan.

They all distinctly heard a shrill bark, now, and Tally said, “Sound like him got wild animal trapped, an’ wan’ us help.”

Finally they were near enough to hear Scrub bark and yelp in reply to the plaintive whining of some other animal. Then Tally advised the girls, “You no call Scrub when you come up. Dog look to see you, an’ animal jump on him. No say anyting, but wait an’ let Tally shoot.”

This was hard sense, and the scouts agreed to obey. Just then they reached a spot where the forest trees were not so closely grown. Tally held his rifle ready to shoot if necessary, to spare the dog’s life, but when he came out of the fringe of pines that circled the small clearing where the dog barked, he stood amazed.

The scouts deplored the fact that the camera had been left at camp, as usual, for here was a most unique picture. Scrub stood stiffly, the hair along his spine standing upright from excitement. His stub tail vibrated so swiftly that one could not see it move – it seemed a blur of action. His front legs were braced, and he was yelping and barking at two little bear cubs.

They appeared as distressed and confused as the dog. One, the larger of the two, glared at Scrub with ferocious mien and at intervals, when the dog stopped barking for time to breathe, it would charge threateningly, but never got near enough to grapple with the dog.

The smaller cub circled whiningly about a huddled mass that lay under a great pine log. It would sniff about the heap and then sit upon its little haunches and cry quiveringly. It was this wail the scouts had heard in the distance.

At times Scrub would run over to the trail whence he found his friends approaching, then the little male-cub would join his sister at the black heap, and both would whine pitifully to the mother that was insensible to their cry. The moment Scrub was aware of any movement on the part of his opponent, he would tear back to engage his enemy in another wrangle of sounds.

“Um! No wonder Scrub no come home las’ night!” laughed Tally.

“Maybe that’s why he was so excited the night before – he wanted to tell us,” ventured Joan.

“Yes, but I’m surprised that he remained, when he found we would not follow him,” added Julie.

“He may have feared we might move camp and he would be left behind,” suggested Mrs. Vernon.

“I go see why mudder don’ help cubs,” said Tally. So he started across the clearing, followed by the girls.

“Um! See – big log fall from tree jus’ when bear go un’ner,” said the Indian, pointing up at the split bough that had been severed by lightning, with its heavy end left dangling for a time. It had fallen and struck the black mother-bear just as she was passing under, and it must have instantly killed her.

“The poor little babies!” sighed Betty.

“Can’t we catch them and train them?” asked Julie, eagerly.

“Dem die sure in woods – or beastes eat ’em,” said Tally.

“Dear me, we mustn’t have that!” cried Mrs. Vernon.

“If we could only tame them and send them to the Zoo in New York – what a fine thing that would be for the Girl Scouts’ Organization. It would be quite an honor,” exclaimed Ruth.

During the unfamiliar sound and sight of the scouts, the cubs blinked fearfully at them. What new calamity was now at hand – and mother lying there so still and helpless?

Scrub was ordered away from the bears and made to mind, while Tally planned how to catch the cubs.

“I use rope an’ lasso bof,” said he.

“We’ll surround the cubs, Tally, and Scrub can keep guard so they won’t run away, while you catch them,” planned Julie.

It was an easy task to catch the little girl-cub and tie her to a tree near the mother bear. But it was another matter to catch the boy-cub. Tally threw the lasso, but it merely struck the rump of the little fellow as he turned to investigate what his sister, who had been given a chunk of cake by one of the scouts, was eating.

The cub resented the slap from the rope, and snapped at it. But Tally dragged the lasso back, coaxing the bear-cub much nearer. When the rope was caught up to coil again, the frightened little fellow raced back to the tree where his sister sat. He was so cunning in his awkward gait that the scouts laughed heartily.

This time the rope caught him truly, and he rolled over with a jerk. He clawed and snapped and yelped at the bonds that kept him from running away; and when Tally took in the rope, the cub snapped viciously at him. Then the guide had to throw his coat over the cub’s head and fall upon it to wrap him in the folds.

But the forepaws were free, so the cub used them well, trying to tear the garment away from his head. So strong was the little fellow that Tally had his hands full to finally tie him about the neck. In this fight the cub earned his name of “Snap.”

When both cubs were securely tied to the tree, Tally went over to examine the old mother-bear. The scouts followed and stood looking down upon the huge body sprawled under the heavy log.

“Her dead at once. Her not hear babies cry – or nuddin’,” explained Tally, trying to lift the log from her back.

Several of the scouts assisted and soon the tree bough was rolled away, Scrub managing to get in every one’s way during the procedure.

“Her dead mos’ two day – babies no get milk to eat,” said Tally, after examining the teats and body of the bear.

“Mebbe we coax home wid eats,” suggested he, as he glanced from mother to cubs and back again.

“Tally, I brought some candy in my pocket,” said Anne, instantly producing the sweets.

“Bear like sugar. Us lead cubs easy wid dis.”

“Tally, how can we keep this dead bear so we can have her skin, too,” now asked Julie, anxiously.

“Oh, if we could only ship home such a magnificent bear pelt, wouldn’t we be proud!” sighed Joan.

“Kin skin and bury ’um now. Come back mornin’ an’ carry to camp. Got han’ full wid two cub to-day,” grinned the Indian.

“Oh, if you boys would skin it and save it for us!” sighed several eager scouts.

So the guides sharpened their great knives that they always carried in their belts, and began work on the dead bear. The girls would have fainted at such a sight a year before, but now they stood by without a quiver and watched the Indians skin the animal.

The pelt was soon stripped from the carcass, and the former was buried deep under the log, while the latter was left for the wolves, or other animals. While Tally finished this work the scouts gathered berries to feed to the starved cubs. The latter were so famished that they eagerly ate everything given them.

All the way home the scouts took turns in holding bits of candy in front of the cubs’ noses, to make them run for it. At some of these “home-runs” the cubs got the best of it, and the scouts had to drop the candy and jump aside, or be clawed in the bears’ eagerness to get the sweets. At such times Scrub barked and jumped at the harnessed cubs, and they in turn would fight back, so there ensued a wild scene of battle until Tally got the upper hand again.

Once the cubs were in camp and caged they became tame and friendly with every one, – even Scrub failed to draw a snarl from Snap now. The smaller of the two bears was named Yap, as she was forever wanting something to eat and yapped when she could not get it.

In a few days’ time they were freed from the homemade cage and tethered to a tree during the daytime. They furnished great amusement for the scouts; and Scrub was peeved because every one showed so much attention to these horrid little brutes, while he would permit petting without a snap if his friends were so inclined.

The campers had been on this site for almost two weeks before the men mentioned that they were ready to move along. The cubs were quite tame now, and ran about camp, playing with every one who would play with them. They were fine and plump, and the scouts gave much time to the currying of their soft silky coats and to teaching them tricks.

“What do you scouts intend doing with Snap and Yap when we start on the trail again?” asked Mr. Gilroy.

“Where do you plan to go from here, Gilly?” asked Julie.

“Why, Lewis is going back now that he has secured the special specimens he came to the glaciers for,” returned Mr. Gilroy; “but we are to go along to Flat Top, where I hope to spend some time at Tyndall, you know.”

“You told me, Gill, that you wanted to visit Mills’ Moraine and hunt for glacial deposits there,” ventured Mr. Lewis.

“So I did, but it is simply impossible for me to lead the scouts such a dance, and now that they have two bears to dance along with them, I shall have to forego Mills’,” laughed Mr. Gilroy, longingly.

“Is Mr. Lewis going right back to Denver, did you say?” asked Julie.

“Yes, he has a public lecture to give at the Auditorium, so he cannot go on with us,” explained Mr. Vernon.

“Then listen to my idea, and tell me what you think of it – everybody,” exclaimed Julie, eagerly.

“Why can’t Mr. Lewis take back our pelts and the cubs, and express them home for us?”

The very audacity of the suggestion made every one laugh at first, but after much talking it seemed not so impossible.

“Then Gilly and Uncle can go through their wonderful heaps of glacial débris, while Tally guides us along the trail to the Flat Top. We will meet again at the foot of Tyndall Glacier,” said Julie.

So out of all the talking and planning this was the result: Frolic was selected as being the best-behaved of the two mules; the double crate was harnessed to her back, and in each crate a little cub was secured. The pelts of the bear, the panther, and the lynx were strapped across her back, and she was ready to start back to Long’s Peak village, with Mr. Lewis and Omney. There the bears would be crated anew, and shipped to the Zoo at Central Park, New York City, while the pelts were to be expressed to Mrs. Vernon’s home to await the scouts’ return.

Mr. Lewis was then to send Frolic back with Omney, who was to trail with the party and help Tally in various ways, while his master finished his lecture tour in Colorado.

The morning of their departure, the cubs were scrubbed, combed, and fed to repletion by the scouts, then secured in the crates. They were oblivious of the tears shed by the scouts over their soft little bodies, for they were curled up and fast asleep after such a hearty breakfast.

When Mr. Lewis and Omney rode down the trail, the scouts wept forlornly while the little party was in sight, but once a bend in the pathway was turned, Scrub came in for his full share of love and petting again.

“If we could only have kept the cubs with us!” sighed Joan.

“Thank heavens we have Scrub left as a hostage for Frolic,” sighed Ruth, hugging the dog, who now ignored every fond attention.

“As it was impossible to ‘travel light’ with two bears, isn’t it much better the way we arranged it, girls?” asked Mrs. Vernon.

And they had to admit that such was the case.

CHAPTER NINE – A THRILLING CANOE TRIP

With one pack mule less, Jolt had more to carry but he seemed not to mind it. He was made up of that temperament like few humans, that as long as he had plenty to eat and a place to sleep, it mattered not how hard he had to work at other times.

The day following Mr. Lewis’s departure with Omney and the cubs, the scouts broke camp and moved along the trail to pitch a camp nearer Battle Mountain. From this spot Mr. Gilroy and Mr. Vernon could daily rove about, hunting for the precious bits of rock and débris that meant so much to the geologist. Here the party planned to await the return of Omney and the mule, Frolic.

The new camp near Battle Mountain was much like the old one, with the exception of its being nearer the trail instead of way back in the woods. Thus it happened that the second day of camping, a party of tourists stopped to ask which trail would lead them to a certain stream where they were to meet a party of canoeists.

Tally explained how they could reach the place, and after they had gone, Joan sighed, “I wish we could canoe for a change!”

“It wouldn’t be much like the infant trips we took last summer,” said Ruth.

“I should say not! In the Rockies there’d be rapids, then a whirlpool, and then over a waterfall – to extinction!” laughed Julie.

“All the same, others take these trips safely, – why shouldn’t experienced scouts?” added Anne.

“Just because we never thought of it, with all our other excitement,” answered Ruth.

“Now that we have thought of it, let’s ask Verny why there are no places where one can hire a canoe,” suggested Julie.

The girls laughed at such an idea, but the thought of what a wonderful experience it would be to canoe on these streams, clung to their minds, and so the Captain heard about it.

“Even if you had canoes, there are no navigable streams,” said she.

“Those folks who stopped to ask Tally the way to Flat Top base were to meet friends who canoed all the way from somewhere,” said Joan.

“Yes, they told us they were to meet the party there and all were going to cross the Divide on horses, then come back and canoe home,” added Judith.

“It seems too bad that all those fine canoes must remain idle while those folks are riding over the Divide,” sighed Julie.

Mrs. Vernon purposely ignored the sigh and the insinuation, then did her best to change the subject to one more practical. But the Fates were against her this time.

The following morning, two of the men who had previously stopped to inquire the right trail to take, returned to ask Tally if he knew of any one who would sell them, or hire out, a number of mountain-climbing horses. Now that the canoeing party had arrived, there were no extra horses for them to ride.

“How many horses will you need?” asked Julie, quickly scheming.

“There are eight people in the party, and they will want one or two extra horses for the luggage,” replied the man.

“There are nine horses and one mule in our outfit,” hinted Julie, her eyes gleaming as she glanced at the Captain.

“But your mounts will do us no good,” laughed the man.

“Oh, they might, if you could persuade us to swap for a time,” said Julie, daringly.

“Julie, what do you mean?” demanded Mrs. Vernon, angrily.

“Why, one likes to be brotherly, you know, Verny, and in the wilds, far from other people, we ought to do a good turn to strangers. Here is a party with a number of canoes but no horses, and here are we with horses but no canoes – see my point?” she said.

“Even though you are the Scout Leader, Julie, I do not see how you can even suggest such a step. The Captain refuses to listen to any argument along those lines,” said Mrs. Vernon sternly.

“We scouts like to canoe, and we will be here at camp for several weeks, so a little side trip like the one offered now would be most delightful,” responded Julie, who understood that the Captain’s objections arose mostly from dread of the scouts taking the trip on unknown streams.

“Several weeks! Why, we are only camping here for a few days,” retorted Mrs. Vernon. “Besides I have no idea of exchanging safe methods of travel, for what is known to be a great risk.”

“Verny, Gilly told Uncle last night that he had enough material on hand in these moraines to keep him busy for a year, if he wanted to do the thing properly. But even as it was, he proposed spending several weeks between here and Tyndall Glacier,” said Joan, to corroborate Julie’s statement.

“Well, what of that? Would you advise me to loan the horses Gilly gave security for, to a party of strangers we never saw in our lives?”

Before any one could answer, Mr. Gilroy hurried back to camp. “I’ve forgotten my magnifying glasses, girls. Don’t stop me for anything, now,” said he.

He ran into his tent and was out again in a moment, but one of the men who came to ask about horses, recognized him in that moment.

“Why, it is Mr. Gilroy, who has a place in the Adirondacks!” exclaimed he, coming forward.

“Well of all people! You’re the last I looked for in the Rockies, Kenmore!” laughed Mr. Gilroy, shaking hands with his friend from the East.

“Funny how we should happen to meet like this,” said Mr. Kenmore, then he introduced his companion. Mr. Gilroy, in turn, introduced the two men to Mrs. Vernon and the girls.

When Mr. Kenmore told his story, and why he had stopped at the camp, Julie hastily interpolated and repeated what she had said about a fair exchange of horses and canoes. But no one spoke of the Captain’s fears.

“Say, Ken, that plan might work out all right,” declared Mr. Gilroy. “How long shall you folks want to use the horses?”

“Why, as to that – we can go as far as your time permits, and return when you say.”

“Well, I’ll tell you! I’ve got to be about these diggings for another ten days or two weeks at least, and if the scouts want to take a little canoe trip during that time, I think it will be fine! What do you say, Captain?” and Mr. Gilroy turned to Mrs. Vernon.

“You seem to have settled everything before you asked my opinion. Yet there would be no scouts in the Rockies if I were not responsible for each one of them on this trip!”

“Why, Captain! I imagined you were as eager for this trip as the girls seem to be!” exclaimed Mr. Gilroy, aghast.

“Eager – what for? Losing half the scouts in a whirlpool because of a silly notion of Juliet’s?” The very mention of Julie’s full name sobered every one considerably, for they realized that the Captain was very serious in her objecting to this new risk.

Mr. Gilroy suggested, “Can you two men spend the day with Mrs. Vernon and the scouts? I’ve simply got to rush away and meet Mr. Vernon. Then we will plan to-night after dinner, and see what we can do. I do know that there’s no use your trailing back unless you go all the way to Loveland or Boulder for your mounts – and you won’t want to lose all that time, I’m sure.”