“I have them all--every one,” he said. “You must learn to look for new and rare kinds.”
The people of Bolton were sorry to see our friends leave, but as the weather was now good, Jerry decided that it was useless to remain longer. Accordingly the _Comet_ was sent aloft, and steered for the Canadian Border.
“Keep watch for your landmarks,” Jerry cautioned the old prospector. “We’ll go down when you spot one and see if we can trace the valley in that way.”
They crossed the Border early that day, flying low enough to recognize the stone posts that in places marked the Northern limits of the United States, and the Southern line of Canada.
“We’ve got to work more to the East, to my way of thinking,” said Mr. Brill, after several hours of coasting back and forth over the line. “The valley lies more to the East.”
Jerry accordingly changed the rudder. They were proceeding along at a good rate of speed, when there came a sudden snapping sound and the _Comet_ seemed to swing about almost in a circle.
“Rudder control is broken!” cried Jerry. “We’ll have to go down. Shut off the motor, Ned. Bob, start the gas machine!”
Below them was an almost unbroken wilderness, but Jerry managed to pick out a little clearing, and guided the craft to that as best he could.
As the _Comet_ settled down, and the boys and their companions leaped out to see the extent of the damage, there was a commotion in the woods surrounding them. Then, to their surprise, there stalked into the little clearing a number of Indians, attired in their beads, feathers and blankets.
“Blackfeet!” exclaimed Harvey Brill, in a low voice. “They’re a party of Blackfeet from the reservation! They must have taken French leave. Now there’ll be trouble!”
For a moment the two parties remained watching each other narrowly--on one side the whites, and on the other the Indians, who surrounded, and far outnumbered our friends. The redmen were wrapped in their blankets, and they did not show a weapon, though it could hardly be doubted but that, under the gaudy folds, they carried rifles surreptitiously obtained.
“What’s best to do?” asked Jerry, in a low voice.
“Let’s see what they’re going to do, first,” suggested Jim Nestor. “It’s too bad we jumped out so suddenly, without even a pistol. And if we make a move to get ’em now it will only start the trouble all the sooner. If we can get along peaceably so much the better. I don’t hanker for a fight.”