Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-27
CHAPTER XVI
CAIN LAvERsHA GOES poACHIvG.

NICK SnnPGefN IL was almost DARK,
aud there was still the better part of an
hours hard scrambling to be done he
fore they could hope to reach the Eu-
rela again Indeed, the journey took
them considerably longer than an hour
for the rocky gullies and thorny knobs
which they bad to traverse needed care
tul walking even in the daytime. and
now in the rapidly growing darkness,
they were douhly dangerous Fortu-
nately there was a moon, but moon
reams are not the most reliable light in
which to 90 rock climbing, even if one
Is quite sure of the track
The kctch $ riding lamp served az a
beacon to lead them in the right direc
ton, and without its help il is most GER
tain that they would more than once
have gone very far astray indeed in
their efforts to rctrace the path which
they had taken in the morning, for III
the moonlight the shadows gave decep
tive appearances of easy gullies where
there were in reality nothing but ugly
holes and of gentle slopes which a closer
approach showed to be sheer precipices
Every step had to be picked and care
fully picked too
When they reached TO within quarter
of Il mile Of the Eureka the rest was
easy, for they were now upon the sandy,
level beach once more And here they
came upon DR.. Tring.
The doctor was striding along quick
lv, gaunt, black shadow in the moon
beams At Il hail from Guthrie he
stopped
Guthrie ahoyr' he cried "Are you
all rightY'
"All right it isl" answered the I'M
/ dergraduate.
Both Of your"
"Both of u.s." shouted Dolly. "Rath-
er tired and fearfully hungry That's
all. Where's father?'
The doctor shifted his helm and bore
down upon them. About a fathom away
from them he stopped, fiddled for his
glass and put it in his eye, and then he
crammed both his fists deep into his
pockets and stared hard at the truants.
He said nothing. His leathery features
We're screwed up as if he We're going TO
whistle, but no sound came out from
between the puckered lips
"Well!' he remarked presently
"Aren't you ashamed Of yourselves 2"
Under that stare Guthrie had begun
10 feel uncomfortable. Dolly, as usual,
took matters coolly She knew how to
manage most people and among them,
Of course DR. Tring.
Were very sorry for outstaying onr
leave, she said demurely "But we
couldn't help it We were boxed up and
couldn't get ont. We've had very tir
ing day, and we've missed two meals.
BLESS my soull' calculated the doc
tor, letting his eyeglass topple down
and his features smooth themselves out
again. $50 You havel What fool
was not to do the St Bernard dog trick
brandy bottle and Bath bun How.
ever, come along at once.
Where S the dad" asked Dolly.
"As the Yankees would say, Tear
ing around He began to get anxious
about you a couple Of hours ago, and
dare say he's fully convinced by this
time that one if not both Of you will
have to be carried back to the Eureka
on a stretcher.
Il say, doctor"
'WellY'
500 aud tell him, do, and save MS
the weighing We couldn't help it real
ly. You see, it was this way
"Never mind the yarn now, inter.
rupted Dr. Tring "Hcre we are at the
boat Henrietta will put you on board.
and III 90 and find your father and
tell him You re all right Aiterward
you can give us the whole yarn.
"Mind you explain to the dad that
we couldn't help it, " insisted the girl
III m I'll tell him that you say you
couldn t, but You We still got to prove
that, you know, miss, answered the
doctor with IA very feeble pretense at
severity
He turned away inland again, and
the others went down to the boat Hen
rietta squeaked curt greeting, and as
she was showing off remarked that the
"cap'n had took on bad about Miss
Dolly
Poor old dad, " remarked Miss Cole
pepper ten minutes afterward, when
she and Guthrie had taken the keenest
edge off their ppetites-"he's always
fuSsy and nervous about me. Alan, do
you consider we We wasted this day p
Now it so happened that cold beef
and pickles prevented the undorgradu-
ate from giving an articulate reply to
Dolly's question at that particular mo-
ment But he shook his head most Wig
orously
1--WE haven't found the spring OF
fresh water we were sent TO seek you
know, suggested Dolly slyly,
II don't care if we haven t, II" replied
the young man unblushingly. "Im
glad, in fact, because we can spend an
other day like this in looking for it,
"OhV murmured Miss Colepepper
quietly and dropped the subject
There was, however, as it turned ont,
no necessity for another day to be spent
in the search for the needed fresh water,
because Captain Colepspy9r had found