The Black Wolf Pack   By: Daniel Carter Beard (1850-1941)

BY

DAN BEARD

NATIONAL SCOUT COMMISSIONER, B.S.A.

ILLUSTRATED

CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS NEW YORK

[Illustration: It was a shadowy figure yet it moved]

COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS

COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY BOYS’ LIFE

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of Charles Scribner’s Sons

DEDICATED TO

BELMORE AND FRED (BELMORE BROWNE) (FREDERICK K. VREELAND)

NO BETTER WILDERNESS MEN EVER WORE MOCCASINS

PREFACE

After numerous visits to a number of remote and unfrequented places in the Rocky Mountains, from Wyoming to Alberta, the writer was deeply impressed with the awesome mystery of the wilderness and the weird legends he heard around the camp fires, while the bigness of the things he saw was photographed on his brain so distinctly and permanently as to act as a compelling force causing him, aye, almost forcing him to write about it.

When the spell came upon him, like the Ancient Mariner, he needs must tell the story, and thus the tale of the Black Wolf Pack was written with no thought, at the time, of publishing the narrative, but primarily for the real enjoyment the author derived from writing it, and also for the entertainment of the author’s family and intimate friends.

The tale, however, pleased the members of the Editorial Board of the Boy Scouts of America, and Mr. Franklin K. Mathiews, Chief Scout Librarian, asked permission to have it edited for the Scout Magazine, which request was cheerfully granted.

The author hereby freely and cheerfully acknowledges the useful changes and practical suggestions injected into the story by his friend and associate, Mr. Irving Crump, Editor of Boys’ Life, in which magazine the Black Wolf Pack, in somewhat abbreviated form, first appeared.

DAN BEARD.

Flushing, June 1st, 1922.

ILLUSTRATIONS

It was a shadowy figure yet it moved Frontispiece FACING PAGE The eagle screamed, descended like a thunderbolt ... and struck the bull 36

More than once while I clung to the chance projection ... I regretted making the fool hardy attempt 92

“I think the name ‘Pluto’ fits his character to a nicety” 192

The Black Wolf Pack

CHAPTER I

It was a terrible shock to me (said the Scoutmaster as he fingered a beaded buckskin bag). Old Blink Broosmore was responsible. It was a malicious thing for him to do. He meant it to be mean, too,—wanted to hurt me,—to wound my feelings and make me ashamed. And all because he nursed a grudge against dad—I mean Mr. Crawford.

It started because of that defective spark plug in the engine of the roadster. Strange what a tiny thing such as a crack in a porcelain jacket around an old spark plug can do in the way of changing the course of a fellow’s whole life.

My last period in the afternoon at high school was a study period and I cut it because I had several things to do down town. I hurried home and took the roadster, and on my way out mother—I mean Mrs. Crawford—gave me an armful of books to return to the library and a list of errands she wanted me to do. While motoring down town I noticed that one cylinder was missing occasionally and I told myself I would change that spark plug as soon as I got home.