Shelby yawned. "Mind if I doze off?" he said; "this fire is soporific "
"Don't mind a bit," returned Peter gayly; "rather you would, then Gil and I can maudle on as we like."
And they did. Both were of a literary turn, and though they had achieved nothing of importance as yet, both hoped to write sooner or later.
"A story," Peter said, "maybe a book, but more likely a short story, with a real O. Henry punch."
"H'mph!" came in a disdainful grunt from the dozing Shelby.
"You keep still, old lowbrow," advised Peter. "Don't sniff at your betters. There's a great little old plot here, and we're going to make a good thing of it and push it along."
"Push away," and Shelby rolled himself over and dozed again.
"Where's Joshua?" asked Crane, later, as, the talk over, they prepared to bunk on their evergreen boughs.
"Haven't seen him since supper," said Shelby, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Queer, isn't it?"
Queer it surely was, and more so, as time went by and they could find no trace of their guide.
"He can't be lost," said Kit; "he's too good a scout for that."
"He can't have deserted us," declared Peter. "He's too good a friend for that! He'll no more desert us than we'd desert one another."
"Well, he's missing anyway," Blair said, undeniably; "then something must have happened. Could he be caught in a trap?"
"Not he! he's used to them about. No, he's had an accident, I think." Peter's eyes were anxious and his voice told of a fear of some real disaster.
The dusk fell early and though only about nine o'clock, it was as dark as midnight. Clouds had obscured the stars, and only the firelight relieved the black darkness.
But after an hour's worriment and distress on the part of the three men the guide returned. He looked a little shame-faced, and was disinclined to reply to their questions.
"Come, now, Joshua, own up," directed Peter; "I see by your eyes you've been up to mischief. Out with it!"
"I I got lost!" was the astonishing reply, and they all burst into laughter. More at the rueful countenance, however, than at the news, for it was a serious matter.
"You, a guide, lost!" exclaimed Shelby. "How did it happen?"
"Dunno. Jest somehow couldn't find the way."
"Hadn't you a compass?"
"No, sir; I got sort of turned around like, and I went a long hike the wrong way."
Simply enough, to be sure, but apparently it was only good fortune that had made him find at last the road home to camp.
Light-hearted Peter dismissed the whole affair with a "Look out after this; and always carry a compass or take one of us boys along," and then he sought his fragrant, if not altogether downy couch.
Blair, too, gave the episode little thought, but to Shelby it seemed more important. If a hardened guide could get lost as easily as that, it might happen to any of them. And a compass was not a sure safeguard. A man could wander round and round without finding a fairly nearby camp. Shelby was a few years older than the other two, and of a far more prudent nature. He had no dare-devil instincts, and not an overweening love of adventure. He was enjoying his trip because of the outdoor life and wildwood sports, but as for real adventure, he was content to omit it. Not from fear Kit Shelby was as brave as any, but he saw no sense in taking unnecessary risks.
While risks were as the breath of life to Peter Boots. Indeed, he was sighing because the conditions of modern camping ways and the efficiency of the guide left little or no chance for risk of life or limb.
He didn't by any means want to lose life or limb, but he was not at all unwilling to risk them pretty desperately. And he found no opportunity. The days were pleasantly taken up with fishing, shooting, moving on, setting up and taking down camp, and all the expected routine of a mountain expedition; but, so far, there had been nothing unusual or even uncomfortable to any great degree.
The next day brought a fearful storm, with gales and sleet and driving rain and the temperature dropped many degrees.
The party experienced their first really cold weather, and though it depressed the others Peter seemed to revel in it.
The tent was practically a prison, and an uncomfortable one, for the wind was terrific and the squalls became hourly more menacing.
Shelby was quiet, by reason of a sore throat, and Blair was quiet with a silence that was almost sulky.
Not quite though, for irrepressible Peter kept the crowd good-natured, by the simple process of making jokes and laughing at them himself, so contagiously, that all were forced to join in.
But at last he tired of that, and announced that he was going to write letters.
"Do," said Shelby, "and hurry up with them. The postman will be along any minute now."
Peter grinned, and really set himself to work with paper and pencil.
"I know what you're doing," said Blair; "you're beginning our story."
"I'm not, but that isn't half a bad idea. Let's start in, Gil. We can plan it and make up names and things "
"Why can't you really write it?" asked Shelby. "I should think it would be the psychological moment. Isn't it to be all about the storms and other indigenous delights of Labrador?"
"You take that tone and I'll pitch you out into the indigenous delights," threatened Peter. "Come on, Gilbert, let's block out the backbone of the yarn right now."
They set to work, and by dint of much discussing, disagreeing, ballyragging and bulldozing each other, they did make a fair start.
"What's the heroine like?" asked Shelby, beginning to be interested.
"Like Carly Harper," said Blair promptly.
"Not the leastest, littlest mite like Carly Harper," said Peter, his blue eyes hardening with determination.
"Why not?" demanded Blair, who cared little what the heroine was like; but who objected to contradiction without reason.
"Because I say not," returned Peter, impatiently. "The heroine is a little rosy-cheeked, flaxen-haired doll. She has blue eyes, something like mine, and a saucy, turn-up nose, and a dimple in her left cheek."
"A peach," said Shelby, "but no sort of a heroine for that yarn you two fellows are spinning. I'm no author, but I'm an architect, and I can see the incongruity."
"If you know so much, write it yourself," said Peter, but not pettishly. "If I'm doing it, I create my own heroine or I quit."
"Oh, don't quit," begged Blair. "We're just getting a good start. Have the treacle and taffy heroine if you like, only keep on."
His point won, Peter did keep on, and a fair bit of work was accomplished. For the first time it began to seem as if the two authors would really produce something worth while.
"Not likely," Peter said, as they talked this over. "I'm no sort of a collaborator, I'm too set in my ways. If I can't have it the way I want it, I can't do it at all."
"But you can have your own way in details," said Blair, musingly. "They don't matter much. Give me the swing of the plot and let me plan the climaxes, and I care not who makes the laws for the heroine's complexion."
"Well, I'm for a run in the rain," said Peter. "I've worked my brain into a tangled snarl, and I must go out and clear it out."
He shook himself into his storm togs, and as no one cared to go with him, he started off alone.
CHAPTER III
The Snowstorm
Given three good-natured young men, a satisfactory guide, a stretch of Labrador wild, and no cares of any sort, it is not surprising that the happy days and weeks followed one another into the maw of Time, until the date of departure for home drew near.
"I'd like to stay here forever," declared Blair, as he filled his pipe and stretched luxuriously before the fire. "Civilization has lost all charm for me."
"Go away with you!" scoffed Peter Boots, "that's a fine, ambitious spirit to show, and you a rising young author, or about to become one."
"Not unless you duff in and help, old chap. Our book hangs on your efforts, I've pretty well done my part of it."
"And I'll do mine, don't worry. I'm a procrastinator and a put-offer, but I'll get there! Now, cut out the book till we get home. These last few days up here must be given over to Nature as she is snowed under!"
It was the last week in September, but snow-squalls were frequent, winds were high and rains were cold and sleety.
Joshua had been urging the homeward journey for several days, but the men were loath to go, until now, a more severe bit of weather had persuaded them. Even as they sat round the fire, with storm coats drawn high up around their ears, the sleet-squalls drove against their faces and the gale howled among the snowy trees.
Peter loved the life, the outdoor days and tented nights, but his mind once made up to leave, his volatile spirit turned toward home.
"A couple of days more staving round in the snowdrifts and I'll be ready," he announced, and Joshua began to pack up.
The guide growled a little at the reluctance of his party to start.
"You men wait too long, and you'll be sorry," he warned. "This wind won't only let up for a little spell at a time, mostly it'll blow like somethin' let loose! And if a big snow comes, and it's likely to, we'll be in a fix."
"Now, now, old man," began Shelby, "don't growl. We've been a pretty good sort, haven't we? We're going home, aren't we? Why croak at us?"
"That's all right, sir, but meantime this Northwest wind keeps up its force, and well, it means business."
"All right, we'll get the better of its business deal," prophesied Peter, and he and Blair went off for a hike.
As they started, the sun shone clear, and though the temperature was below thirty, the two men strode along, happy with sheer physical joy of living.
"This is the life!" said Peter, flapping his arms, and watching his breath congeal in frosty clouds.
"Yes," Blair agreed, "to a certain point "
"Freezing point?"
"I guess that's right! I like it all as well as you do, but it's nicest when the sun shines. And by Jiminy, she's clouding over again!"
Clouds meant cold, a raw, penetrating chill that seemed to strike to the marrow, and the pair were glad to turn back toward camp.
"What do you think most about, when you think of home?" asked Blair, idly.
"Carly Harper," replied Peter, speaking from the fullness of his heart.
"Good Lord! So do I!" exclaimed Blair, his tone that of surprise only.
Peter turned and looked at him. "Not a chance for you, old chap," he said. "Little Carly is waiting for me. Yeo, ho, lads, ho, Yeo, ho!"
"Oh, I say! Really?" Blair's consternation was almost comic.
"Yes, sir! Fair warning, keep off!"
"Engaged?"
"Same as."
"Meaning she hasn't said a positive yes?"
"Meaning that, if you like."
"Then it's fair field and no favor! We're too good friends to misunderstand, but let's call it a case of may the best man win."
"All right, but I'll win and you can be best man at the wedding, how's that?" Peter's eyes shone with good humor, and his happy face left Blair little room for doubt as to Peter's own view of the case. What Carly herself thought was another matter.
But the two were too good friends to quarrel, and moreover, each knew the other too well to mistrust him for a minute. It would, indeed, be a fair field where they were concerned.
"I didn't know you'd gone so far," said Blair, ruefully, "of course, there's no chance for me."
"I hope not," returned Peter, cheerfully. "But when we get back we'll soon find out."
"Perhaps find out that she's 'gone with a handsomer man,'" suggested Blair.
"Not impossible. I suppose there are such."
But a disinterested observer, looking at Peter's fine, strong face, with its radiant coloring, brought out by the sharp air, might not have agreed.
And then conversation became abstract, for the wind rose to a piercing gale and it was all they could do to keep their balance and fight their way along.
"I said this here wind was bound to ease up some time and it has," said Joshua, with decided satisfaction, the morning of the start for home. "We ought to make good goin' to-day, and maybe get ahead of our own schedule."
"That's the trick," said Shelby, "always get ahead of your own schedule, and you're bound to succeed. Come on, Peter, here we go."
The leave-taking was a bit silent, for all three had become attached to the camp, and they gave long farewell glances backward.
Then off they went, and throwing sentiment aside, turned their thoughts and their talk to the coming journey.
For home was yet a long way off. Many days' traveling before they reached the mail boat and then many more before they could lift New York Harbor.
"And I'm glad of it," declared Peter. "The longer we are on the home stretch, the better I'll be pleased."
"Granting we don't miss the boat," added Blair. "When I start out I want to arrive."
It was about three days later that a big storm set in. Relentlessly it blew and snowed and the gales were almost unbreastable.
"Don't dare stop," said Joshua, in his usual laconic way; "the winter's set in, and any day may be worse'n the day before. Old Merk is down to twenty-four, and we want to peg ahead, that's what we want to do."
They did, by day, and by night they enjoyed the rest and warmth of camp, but still, Joshua urged them ahead continually.
He parceled out longer days and shorter nights, until even strong Peter began to feel the strain.
Shelby was of a wiry sort, and stood hard going well; Blair was a patient, plodding nature and wouldn't have complained if he had dropped in his tracks; but Peter was impulsive and impatient, and he growled frankly.
"We'll get there, Eli," he said to the guide; "don't hustle us so."
"Got to do it, Mr. Crane. I know more about this here winter that's closing in on us, than you do. It's a bit early, but it's sure!"
So on they went, through snow that was wet and heavy, through icy sleet that stung and cut their faces, through roaring winds that choked their lungs, but full of indomitable courage and perseverance and of unimpaired good nature.
And yet a week of this traveling at last began to tell on their morale. Not that they grew testy or irritable, but the silences were longer, the repartee less gay, and even buoyant Peter's spirits drooped a little.
Joshua then took a turn as comforter.
"The worst'll soon be over," he reassured them. "Two days will get us to Big Lake, and once we finish that, we'll be well on our way."
So on they pushed, heavily laden, traveling slowly, but all well and sound in wind and limb.
It was the middle of October, when a bright sunny day beamed on them and their spirits rose in consequence.
But Joshua did not smile. "Weather breeder," he said, laconically, and looked gloomy.
The others knew better than to call him a pessimist, for when Joshua predicted weather, it came.
And come it did. Not a squall; there was little if any wind, but a snowfall. A steady, straight down snow that was so thick, so dense, they could scarce see one another's forms.
"Keep a-going," directed Joshua; "and for the land's sake, don't get far apart. Stay close together, single trail, and close!"
Thus they went on, the guide first, then Shelby, then Blair, then Peter. There was no reason for the order they took, it merely happened that it was so.
They kept close, as directed, but the going was hard. If one stumbled, one must recover quickly and hasten ahead not to lose sight of the others.