Pluck on the Long Trail

tion to them, but had our wet rub and went ahead attending to camp duties. After a while one of them (Walt, it was) turned over, and wriggled, and threw the blanket off

and said: "You kids get up a

o'c

he sat up and let his blanket go and

and finally uncover, too. They acted as if

was about ready, on the little fire, and Fitz our

he camp's

th us, draw up and help yourse

es of bark, and opened their knives, and without washing their faces or combing t

anted to be hospitable,

ids bound for, a

ide," told Ge

't we go

were all Boy Scouts, and our party was big enough as it wa

tenderfeet, and we'll do our share. We'll throw in our gru

at," said General Ashley. "We're a Patr

Boy Scouts?"

ained,

aid Walt. "We're good

idn't know anything abou

on the march," said General Ash

now and you can swear us

Ashley, doubtfully,

m in. That would be doing them a good turn, and we might help them to be clean and straight an

" said General Ashley. "One black-ball will k

ere put into General Ashley's hat. Everything was "Y"-and the vote was unani

be under discipline, the same as the rest of us. And if you prove to be Scouts' s

'll be under discipline

we didn't know. We thought that we were doing the rig

they wanted to get rid of in with the packs. We were late; and anyway we didn't think it was best to start

as we were ready to set out. He meant their pipes. Th

hit the pipe?"

d the general. "It's a

"That's the best part of cam

wind, too, and smoking takes the wind. Anyway, we're traveling through the ene

heir pipes int

enemy?" t

nd some other boys are tryi

that ridge," they cried. "They're from t

ey look like

kid with black

he big kid had blue e

n the party

," sa

" said

hor

es

ere the

notice,"

a white nose, and anothe

so," th

were other parties of boys camping, in this country. We weren't the only ones. If Bat

, as usual, with the burros behind (those burros would follow now like dogs, where there wasn't any trail for them to pick out),

Peak stuck up, beyond some hills, ahead. We kept an eye on him, for he was our landmark, no

nge of timber hills-and Pilot Peak and some other peaks rose beyond, with snow and rocks. In the flat a few cattle were grazing, like buffalo, and we

lt a little fire of dry sage, and made tea, while Sally and Apache took a good roll and then grazed on weeds and flowers and ever

nd Walt the two recruits loafed off, down the creek, and when they got away a little we

they cried, excited. "We found some deer-tracks. Let's camp back on the edge

ouse. It wasn't deer season. T

"And we're on the march, to go through

n we. They led up Sally, while Major Henry and Jed Smith and Kit Carson began to pack Apache. The recruits threw on the pa

nd there!

first. "That's no way to treat an animal."

retorted Bat. "I'll kick her head o

t," warned Ge

so well, pack her yours

dered the general; and we did. We threw the diamond hitch

ght best to follow up the creek, through the flat, instead of making a straight climb of the timber beyond. That would have b

. We saw plenty of tracks where deer had come down to the creek and had drunk. There were tracks of bucks, a

he top of a plateau, where was a park of cedars and flowers, and where was a spring. General Ashley dug in with his heel, and we off-packs, to camp. It was a mighty g

The sun shone here half an hour or more longer than down below. We were up pretty high; some of the aspens had turned yellow, showing that there ha

unsets and things. Jays and speckled woodpeckers were hopping about, and a pine-squirrel sat on a limb and scolded at us until he found that we were there to fit in a

ty-five Colt's, at the squirrel, and with it smoking in his hand he was grinning, as if he had played a joke on us. He hadn't hit the squirrel, but it had disappeared. The ground-hog disappeared, the jays and the

't much use trying, now. We were disgusted, but General

und camp isn't allowed," he said. "It's

rel. I almost hit hi

otected by camp

n Walt, the other. "We'll shoot as much

st of us do, all right: pu

didn't ask them in the first place. What's the sense

nswered the general. "I'

" said Bat. "We won't be bossed by any red-headed kid-or any one-armed k

ded one. And we all stood up, ready, if there was to be a fight. But there wasn't.

you can't obey discipline, like t

ed Walt. "We're as good as you are and a

outfit, and they stalked off about a hundred yards, further

s a free camp for all, and as long as they didn't interfere with us we had no right to interfere w

t is good; only, he must be cleaned right away. Well, I was almost at camp again when "Whish! Bang!" somebody had shot and had spat

"Look out there

time none hit me. Now I ran and sat behind a rock. And a

and so I went straight to the other fire. The two

t them?"

al

e full of holes, too,"

ed you full of h

u d

ther. I wasn't an

u shot right down over the hill, and

s well

. "I saw you start out

reful, shooting in the di

t hurt

had a good supper. The other fellows kept to their own camp and we could smell them smoking cigaret

even to one, one to three, three to five. The first watch was longest, because it was the easiest watch. We drew lots for th

Ashley. At one Carson would wake me, and would crawl into my place where I was alone. And at three I would wake General Ashley and c

mes, and says nothing. But jiminy, I was sleepy when Carson woke me and I had to stagger out into the dark and the cold. He cuddled down

own in the flat which we had left coyotes were barking. Maybe they smelled fawns. Somebody was snoring. That was fatty Jed S

nt to sl

was wearing, so that I would be cold. And I walked in a circle. Then I thought that maybe if I sat down with the blanket about me, I would be better off. So I sat down. If I could let my eyes close for just a secon

hings seemed to be O. K. and quiet and peaceful-but su

, picket ropes and all! The place where they ought to be appeared mighty vacant. And now I sure was

shley. You can imagine how I hated to. I almost was sore because he hadn't wake

four o'clock," I reported, "and I slept on guard and the flags