Clarence Young

“ A NEST OF SERPENTS
“What is it; a rattlesnake?” asked Bob, in a hoarse whisper.
“Or a Gila monster?” inquired Ned.
“Quiet! No noise!” cautioned the professor. “I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the lowest calculation. I’ll have him in a minute.”
“Is it a bug?” asked Chunky.
“There! I have him!” yelled the scientist, making a sudden dive forward, sliding on his face, and clutching his hand deep into the grass.
As it happened there was a little puddle of water at that point, and the professor, in the excess of his zeal, pitched right into it.
“Oh! Oh my! Oh dear! Phew! Wow! Help! Save me!” ”

“ When the meal was over the hermit began to question the travelers about their journey and asked why they came to the lake, which, he said, was seldom if ever visited. They told him how they had unexpectedly found the sheet of water.
“That generally is the way in this world,” said the old man. “If you look for a thing you never find it, but if you do not, sometimes it comes to you in the most unexpected manner. I have sought something for many years, but I have not found it, and my heart will break if I do not succeed soon.” ”

“ Then, suddenly swinging around it, at as sharp an angle as he dared to make and not overturn the car, Jerry sent the auto skidding. The next instant, unable to stand the impetus of the turn, the bear lost its hold on the hood, and was flung, like a stone from a catapult, far off to the left, rolling over and over on the muddy ground.
“There, I guess it will be quite a while before [51] he tries to eat up another live automobile,” remarked Jerry as he slowed up a bit. ”

“ He got stuck in the ice, and was freezing to death, when he awakened to find that his blanket had slipped from him, and that a cold rain was blowing in through the cracks of the shack. Morning had dawned cold and dreary.
“Wow! This isn’t exactly pleasant!” exclaimed Jerry, as he poked his head out of the front of the screen of branches. “I wish there was a hotel handy.”
The others crawled from beneath the blankets, not in any too good humor at the dismal prospect.
“And I’ll bet there isn’t any dry wood to be had,” said Bob. “That means a cold breakfast.” ”

“ Snodgrass. “She seems a queer creature.”
“She is,” answered the hermit. “She is harmless enough, except when aroused, and her great trouble is in thinking that I am a murderer.”
“What makes her think such a thing?” asked Jerry.
“Because she is slightly crazy,” said the hermit. “She was in these woods when I came here, and, in time we grew to be good friends. It seems that years ago her whole family was killed by the Indians, she alone escaping. It turned her brain, and ever since then, she imagines that nearly all men are murderers. ”

“ RAMMING AN OX CART
Mingled with the frantic tooting of an automobile horn, there was the shrill shrieking of the brake-band as it gripped the wheel hub in a friction clutch.
“Hi, Bob! Look out for that ox cart ahead!” exclaimed one of three sturdy youths in the touring car. ”

“ There was a laugh from within the hut. It was answered by a rending, crashing splintering sound as Jerry and the professor, using the stocks of their guns, began a vigorous attack on the portal. The door was strong enough, but the hinges were not, and, in less than half a minute the barrier had given way and, with a bound the travelers found themselves tumbling into the hut. ”

“ How much longer the travelers might have stood outside the hut, after the invitation to enter had been given, will always be a cause for speculation, because, the next instant something happened.
The professor, who had been glancing from the aged hermit to the hut, and then back to the old man, suddenly uttered an exclamation, and made a dive for the door.
“There he goes!” cried the scientist. “There is the one I’ve been looking for for nearly a month!” and, a second later, he had disappeared inside the cabin.
“What’s the matter? Is some one after you?” ”

“ The boys could hear the men getting off their horses, and the animals being led away.
“Get your carbines ready!” was the next command.
“It’s time for us to act!” whispered Jerry. “We must each one take a gun, and stand at the mouth of the cave. We’ll warn them not to enter. If they persist we will have to fire, but we must try not to hurt any one mortally. Aim at their legs!”
In the half darkness of the cavern the boys and the professor each took a rifle and crept to the mouth of the opening. ”

“ Behind the boys sounded the yells and shouts of the men in camp, mingled with rifle shots and the screeching of several of the cougars, for, it developed, a band of three, grown desperate by hunger, had made an attack.
“Are you hurt, Jerry?” cried Bob and Ned, as, with his pails of water, the boy staggered into the cave.
“Not a bit, but I had a close shave,” was the answer. “But we must be quick! Here! Help fill the radiator with the water.”
“Can’t we drink any?” asked Bob who, like the others, was very thirsty.
“Not a drop,” said Jerry firmly. “We need every bit for the automobile. ”

“ As softly as they could, the travelers advanced toward the hut. They found the door and, while the others with rifles in readiness stood in a semi-circle about it, Jerry made ready to knock and demand admittance.
“If they don’t open the door we must burst it in,” said the boy. “The professor and I will look to that, while you and Ned, Bob, must stand ready to rush in right after us with your guns ready. But don’t shoot unless your life is in danger, and then fire not to kill, but to wound.” ”

“ Snodgrass was dancing about in pain.
“Why don’t you take hold of the turtle’s shell in the other hand, and you won’t feel the weight so much!” called Jerry.
“I can’t,” replied the professor. “I have a rare specimen of a toad in my other hand, and I don’t want to lose it. Oh boys! Hurry up, and pry the turtle’s jaws open, but don’t hurt him, for he’s valuable.”
“Can’t you put the toad in your pocket?” asked Ned, knowing the scientist had no scruples about loading his garments up with all sorts of things. “Then you would have one hand free.” ”

“ Pete, enraged at being foiled of his purpose, uttered a beast-like roar, and reached back to where his revolver rested at his hip in a belt. Jerry never moved an inch, but looked the man straight in the eye.
“Here! None of that Pete!” called a voice suddenly, and a big man pushed his way through the crowd, and grabbed the cowboy’s arm before he had time to draw his gun. “If you don’t want to get into trouble move on!”
“All right, Marshall; all right,” replied Pete, the desire of shooting seeming to die out as he looked at the newcomer. “I were only havin’ a little fun with th’ tenderfoot.” ”

“ Jerry ventured. “Nothing like having plenty while you’re at it.”
“I wouldn’t like to be a hermit,” went on Bob. “Think of always being hungry.”
“Chunky is thinking of misers, I guess,” laughed Ned. “There’s nothing to prevent a hermit from living off the fat of the land. If it wasn’t for being lonesome I’d be a hermit for a while.”
[137]
“Stop the auto!” called the professor suddenly. “I just saw a fine specimen of a snapping turtle scoot across the road. I must have it. It’s worth about twenty dollars to me. Stop the car! I must get out!” ”

“ The next instant there floated out from the hut a cry of anguish. It was the voice of a boy, seemingly in great pain or fear, and the travelers heard the words:
“Oh don’t! Please don’t! You are killing me! I don’t know! I can’t tell you, for I would if I could! Oh! Oh! Please don’t burn me again!”
“It’s a gang torturing some one!” almost shouted Ned. “Let’s go to the rescue!”
He would have sprung forward had not Jerry laid a detaining hand on his arm.
“Wait, Ned,” counseled Jerry. “Some one there evidently needs our help, but we must go with caution. First we must get our guns. ”

“ His cry awakened the others, who sat up bewildered and heavy from sound sleep.
“Lively’s the word!” called Jerry. “They’re after us!”
No further explanation was needed, for all knew what Jerry meant. There was a hasty piling of blankets into the auto; the stove was packed up, and, while the travelers jumped into the car, Jerry went in front to crank it up. The cheerful chug-chug told that the machinery was in good working order, and then, the boy, leaping into the steersman’s seat, threw in the low gear for the start. ”

“ The professor thought that a rather cool manner in which to reply to accusation of murder, but, he reflected, if the hermit was as bad as the woman made him out to be, he would naturally, be rather a bold sort of person.
The boys, too, were somewhat embarrassed by their position. To come suddenly upon a man you expect to bind and hand over to the authorities as a criminal of the worst kind and then to find him [186] calmly inviting you into his house, is something out of the ordinary. ”

“ My grass is mowed down as if by a sickle in the hands of a giant. I turn in fear! I see something coming! I can not tell what it is, for the tall grass hides it! I turn to flee! The infernal thing keeps after me! ”

“ Ned untied the string, and, not without some misgivings, peered inside.
“Well I never,” he exclaimed.
“What is it?” asked Bob.
“Fish! Nothing but fish!” replied Ned. “Fine ones at that. I guess all we have done is to have scared the poor old man away from his fishing grounds.”
“Certainly there is nothing suspicious in having a bag of fish,” put in the professor. “I wonder if that strange woman could have been telling the truth.”
“We’ll know better if she keeps her word and comes to take us to the hermit’s den,” said Jerry. ”

“ Jerry brought the big machine to a stop while Bob alighted and proceeded to illuminate the big search lamp and the smaller ones that burned oil. He had just started the acetylene gas aglow when, glancing forward he gave a cry of alarm.
“What is it?” cried Jerry, seeing that something was wrong. “Is it a mountain lion?”
“It’s worse!” cried Bob in a frightened voice.
[16]
“What?”
“A regular den of snakes! The horrible things are stretched right across the road, and we can’t get past. Ugh! There are some whoppers!”
Bob, who hated, above all creatures a snake, made a jump into the auto. ”

“ Quite a crowd of villagers came out to see the auto as it chug-chugged up to the ferry landing, and not a few of the children and dogs were in danger of being run over until Ned, who was steering, cut out the muffler, and the explosions of the gasolene, unconfined by any pipes, made so much noise that all except the grown men were frightened away. ”

“ He can’t know anything about running an auto!” panted Jerry. “He’ll put on the brake or pull the wrong lever next, and the machine will stop!”
“That is unless he blows it up first or smashes it,” said Bob.
[150]
“What’s the matter?” asked Mr. Snodgrass, appearing at this juncture.
Bob was the only one left to tell him, as Jerry and Ned were running down the road at top speed. But it seemed that their race would be useless, for the auto was now running on third gear. And, strangest of all, the Indian seemed to know how to operate it. ”

“ A knot of curious persons gathered around the machine as Jerry brought it to a stop in front of the post-office. Several boys began to inspect every part. The travelers were about to alight when a shrill voice cried out.
“Hey, Jerry! And Bob! And Ned! Hey there! Oh, how glad I am to see you!”
[220]
For a moment the Motor Boys did not recognize the voice. Then Ned saw a lad trying to break through the crowd.
“It’s Tommy! It’s Tommy Bell!” exclaimed Ned. “Hey, Tommy! You can’t guess who we have with us!”
“Tommy Bell! Did you say Tommy Bell!” exclaimed the hermit. “Where is he? Let me see him!” ”

“ Then a bevy of birds sailed through the air.
“Partridge, or some similar bird, I would say,” was the professor’s opinion.
“And there goes a big rabbit!” cried Bob.
“Yes, and there’s another!” exclaimed Jerry. “Say, we have struck a game country if we haven’t a gold one. I say, what’s the matter with having a hunt?”
“Good!” cried Bob and Ned.
“I think it would do no harm to replenish the larder with something fresh,” remarked the professor. ”

“ Snodgrass to the hermit, as he took note of the means of defense.
[189]
“I have to be on guard,” responded the hermit, quickly. “My life is not safe a moment. I do not know what minute I may be attacked. I am surrounded by spies on every hand.”
“It is a wonder that you let us in then,” said Jerry. “How do you know that we will not betray you?”
“I am too good a reader of human character as shown in the face to fear anything like that,” the old man went on. “I can trust you; I know I can.”
“Who are you in danger from?” asked the professor, wondering what sort of story the hermit could tell. ”

“ I don’t believe there are any left, but if there are I want them for specimens. I’ll crank the car.”
[22]
So he got out and peered anxiously under the body, while the boys waited in anxiety.
“No,” called the scientist, in discouraged tones, “there are none left.”
He crawled out, covered with dust, which fact he did not seem to mind, and then turned the crank that sent the fly wheel over. Jerry turned on the gasolene and threw in the spark, and, the next instant the familiar chug-chug of the engine told that the auto was ready to bear the boys and Professor Snodgrass on their way. ”

“ Jerry hurriedly poured most of it into the radiator, though every one in the cave looked at the fluid with longing eyes.
“I must get a drink soon, or I shall go half crazy!” said the professor suddenly. “I never was so thirsty in my life.”
“I’m saving just a little bit for each of us,” spoke Jerry. “But it is a very small quantity, and will only serve to wet our mouths. If all goes well we shall soon have plenty.” ”

“ The red man acted as though he had been used to running autos all his life. He sat straight as an arrow, his hands grasping the wheel, which was sending the car straight for the boys.
“He’s just doing this to taunt us!” exclaimed Jerry. “I have a good notion to take a shot at one of the tires with my revolver and scare him into stopping.”
“Don’t do it! You might kill him,” said Ned, [153] “and you wouldn’t want to do that. But what does he mean by stealing the car, and then bringing it back?”
A few seconds later the auto drew up in front of the boys, who had come to a halt. ”

“ I’ve been driven from the mine, and it’s in possession of a bad gang. So we can’t take the wounded man there.”
“What are we to do?” asked Jerry, seeing that Mr. Bell was bleeding badly.
“Bring him into my cabin,” said Nestor. “I came here after the gang drove me out. I can put you up, I guess.”
Jerry ran the car up close to the shanty and Mr. Bell, who was unconscious, was carried in and laid as tenderly as possible on the single bunk of which the place boasted.
“Now some warm water and clean clothes,” said Mr. Snodgrass. “I must wash the wound and see how bad it is.” ”