Phil Bradleys Mountain Boys | Page 2

that Ethan's folks were not as well off in this world's goods
as those of his chums; and he was exceedingly sensitive about this fact.
Charity was his bugbear; and he would never listen to any of the others
standing for his share of the expense, when they undertook an
expedition like the present.
Ethan was a smart chap. He knew considerable about the woods, and
all sorts of things that could be found there. And he had hit upon an
ingenious method for laying up a nice little store of money whereby he
could keep his savings bank well filled with ready cash, and thus
proudly meet his share of expenses.
In the winter he used to spend all his spare time out at a farm owned by
an uncle, where he had traps, and managed to catch quite a few little
fur-bearing denizens of the woods. Then in the summer and fall he
knew just where the choicest mushrooms could be picked day after day
in the early morning. He also had several deposits of wild ginseng and
golden seal marked down, and many pounds of the dried roots did he
ship to a distant city to be sold.
His success was enough to turn any boy's head, since he seemed to
receive a price far above the top-notch quotations for such things. The
head of the firm even took occasion to write, congratulating him on
having sent a fox skin (really a dark red), which he claimed was as fine
a black fox as he had ever seen, and worth a large sum of money. On
another occasion it was to say that the dried ginseng Ethan had shipped
was simply "magnificent," and that they took pleasure in remitting a
price that they hoped would inspire him to renewed efforts.
Alas! how poor Ethan's pride would have taken a sad tumble had he
ever so much as guessed that this very accommodating fur and root
dealer was in reality an uncle of Phil Bradley, and that the whole thing

was only a nice little plot on the part of the other three boys to assist
Ethan without his knowing it.
That proved how much they thought of their chum; but should he ever
discover the humiliating truth there was likely to be some trouble, on
account of that pride of Ethan's.
It happened that Phil was an orphan, and had been left a very large
property, the income from which he could never begin to spend in any
sensible fashion. That accounted for his desire to assist Ethan; and
while he felt that it was too bad to play such a trick, there seemed to be
no other way in which the end they sought might be attained.
Raymond's folks, too, were wealthy, and he had really been sent up into
the clear atmosphere of the Adirondacks to improve his health.
Although the doctors did not really say he was threatened with signs of
lung trouble, they advised that the boy, who had grown so fast at the
expense of his strength, should live out of doors all he could for a year
or two. He would then be able to catch up in school duties with little
trouble.
The other three had by degrees come to look upon Phil as their leader;
and indeed, he had all the qualities that go to make a successful pilot.
They delighted to call themselves the "Mountain Boys." Really it had
been Ethan Allan who originated that name, and no doubt at the time he
had in mind those daring heroes of Revolutionary days who made
themselves such a terror to the British under the title of "Green
Mountain Boys."
Among other properties of which the Bradley estate consisted there was
a tract of several thousand acres of wild land bordering on this
mysterious Lake Surprise. Phil had heard a number of things about it
that excited his curiosity. He had so far never set eyes on the place;
when one of the other chums happened to suggest that it might make a
splendid little outing, if they started to look in on the lonely estate.
One thing led to another, with the result that here they were heading
toward the lake, and following a dim trail which had been described by

an old guide who could not accompany them on account of other
pressing engagements.
The boys were pretty good woodsmen, all but Lub, and they had not
doubted their ability to find the lake.
"I think we're in luck about one thing," X-Ray was saying, as he toiled
along sturdily, and wishing that he had as much stamina as Phil or
Ethan; for somehow his legs seemed a bit shaky after so long and
difficult a tramp, with all that