Jack Ranger's Gun Club: or, From Schoolroom to Camp and Trail

“That’s right,” agreed Nat. “We didn’t take so long coming in here. I guess we came the wrong way.”

“I’m sure of it,” declared Jack. “We should have gone to the right.”

“No, the left.”

They discussed it for some time, and finally decided to try the right. They went on for some distance, but no horses were seen.

“Let’s go back to where we left the deer and begin over,” proposed Jack.

They started, but the sawtooth peaks seemed to multiply. They turned this way and that, but could not find the place where they had made their first kill.

“Jack,” said Nat at length, “do you know it’s getting late?”

“It sure is,” admitted his chum.

The sun was low in the western sky. The two boys stared about them. On every side were the peculiar peaks of the bad lands. Jack turned around in a circle. He was trying to see some landmark, by which he could tell whether they had passed that spot before. He saw none.

“Nat,” he said finally, “we’re lost.”

CHAPTER XIX

A PERILOUS SLIDE

For a few seconds after Jack’s announcement Nat stared at his chum.

“Lost?” he repeated.

“That’s what I said, Nat. Long Gun was right, and so was Tanker Ike. It’s a heap sight easier to get lost in here than I thought. Why, every one of these peaks looks just like the one next to it. I don’t believe we’ve been over the same bit of ground twice.”

“I know how we can tell.”

“How?”

“Make a mark on one of these peaks, and then walk around and see if we get back to it.”

“That’s a good way, but in which direction shall we go?”

Nat shrugged his shoulders.

“You’ve got me,” he admitted. “But, say, didn’t we come into this bad section from the east when we were after the deer?”

“Yes,” said Jack after a little thought, “I believe we did. I know when we were eating lunch I noted the sun. We sure did come in from the east. But what of that?”

“Why, if we want to go back we must walk toward the east. That is, have the sun at our backs. Instead of that we’ve been walking with the sun in our faces most of the time. Let’s try it.”

“All right, but first let’s make a mark on one of these peaks.”

They did so by digging out a hollow with their hunting knives, and placing some stones in it. This accomplished, they started off again.

“What about the deer you shot?” asked Nat.

“We’ll not try to get back to that. Make for camp is what I say. Long Gun will probably be able to find the deer.”

It was getting quite late now, and the sun was barely visible from over the peaks of the bad lands. But turning their backs to it they started off. They did not know how far they went, but it was getting dusk rapidly, and they saw no indication that they were getting nearer to the edge of the curious region in which they were lost.

“Well?” asked Nat dejectedly as he sat down on a stone. “How about it?”

“We don’t seem to be getting any closer to camp,” admitted Jack. “Say!” he exclaimed, “why didn’t we think of it before? We ought to yell.”

“Yes, and fire our rifles,” added Nat. “That’s what Long Gun told us to do if we got lost. Queer we didn’t think of it long ago. Well, here goes!”

He raised his voice in a loud shout, and Jack joined in. They called several times, but the echoes seemed to be their only answer.

“Now let’s fire a few shots,” proposed Jack, and they discharged their weapons together, making a terrible din, and causing so many echoes that it seemed as if a thunderstorm was in progress.

“I believe those echoes will confuse them,” said Nat. “I know they would me.”

“I guess Long Gun can tell where we are if he hears ’em at all,” replied Jack. “But I think we’re quite a way from camp. I wish we’d stuck together.”

“Too late for that now. Fire again.”

They did so, and also shouted a number of times, moving about in the interval.

“Well,” said Nat at length as he noted the shadows growing longer and longer, “I guess we’re in for the night; and it’s getting colder, too.”

“You’re right, there,” answered Jack, turning up the collar of his coat. “Still there’s one consolation.”

“What’s that?”

“We haven’t gone in a circle. We haven’t seen anything of that peak we marked.”

“No; but it will soon be so dark we can’t see anything.”

The two lads gazed at each other. Their plight was a serious one, for they were in no condition to remain out in the cold night without shelter.

All at once, from somewhere off to the left, there came a curious noise. It startled the lads, and Nat exclaimed:

“What’s that?”

“I don’t know,” answered Jack. “Some sort of an animal,” and in spite of himself he felt the cold chills running down his spine.

“Maybe it’s a bear,” suggested Nat. “I wish – ”

The noise came again, louder than before, and closer.

Jack burst into a laugh.

“Aren’t we the ninnies?” he exclaimed. “Those are our horses whinnying, and the echoes made their calls sound strange. Now we’re all right, Nat. We’ll find the horses and ride right to camp.”