diff options
Diffstat (limited to '34394.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 34394.txt | 7575 |
1 files changed, 7575 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/34394.txt b/34394.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a42cef1 --- /dev/null +++ b/34394.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7575 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill, by Charles Pierce Burton + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill + A Sequel to 'The Bob's Hill Braves' + +Author: Charles Pierce Burton + +Illustrator: Gordon Grant + +Release Date: November 22, 2010 [EBook #34394] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY SCOUTS OF BOB'S HILL *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + +Transcriber's Note: Symbols are used in the text to indicate =bold= and +_italic_ text. + + +THE BOY SCOUTS OF BOB'S HILL + +[Illustration: BE PREPARED] + +CHARLES PIERCE BURTON + + + + + OFFICERS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL + + Honorary President, THE HON. WOODROW WILSON + Honorary Vice-President, HON. WILLIAM H. TAFT + Honorary Vice-President, COLONEL THEODORE ROOSEVELT + President, COLIN H. LIVINGSTONE, Washington, D. C. + Vice-President, B. L. DULANEY, Bristol, Tenn. + Vice-President, MILTON A. McRAE, Detroit. Mich. + Vice-President, DAVID STARR JORDAN, Stanford University, Cal. + Vice-President, F. L. SEELY, Asheville, N. C. + Vice-President, A. STAMFORD WHITE, Chicago, Ill. + Chief Scout, ERNEST THOMPSON SETON, Greenwich, Connecticut + National Scout Commissioner, DANIEL CARTER BEARD, Flushing, N. Y. + + + NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS + BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA + THE FIFTH AVENUE BUILDING, 200 FIFTH AVENUE + TELEPHONE GRAMERCY 545 + NEW YORK CITY + + + FINANCE COMMITTEE + + John Sherman Hoyt, Chairman + August Belmont + George D. Pratt + Mortimer L. Schiff + H. Rogers Winthrop + + GEORGE D. PRATT, Treasurer + + JAMES E. WEST, Chief Scout Executive + + + ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD + + Ernest P. Bicknell + Robert Garrett + Lee F. Hanmer + John Sherman Hoyt + Charles C. Jackson + Prof. Jeremiah W. Jenks + William D. Murray + Dr. Charles P. Neill + George D. Porter + Frank Presbrey + Edgar M. Robinson + Mortimer L. Schiff + Lorillard Spencer + Seth Sprague Terry + + + July 31st, 1913. + +TO THE PUBLIC:-- + +In the elecution of its purpose to give educational value and moral +worth to the recreational activities of the boyhood of America, the +leaders of the Boy Scout Movement quickly learned that to effectively +carry out its program, the boy must be influenced not only in his +out-of-door life but also in the diversions of his other leisure +moments. It is at such times that the boy is captured by the tales of +daring enterprises and adventurous good times. What now is needful is +not that his taste should be thwarted but trained. There should +constantly be presented to him the books the boy likes best, yet always +the books that will be best for the boy. As a matter of fact, however, +the boy's taste is being constantly vitiated and exploited by the great +mass of cheap juvenile literature. + +To help anxiously concerned parents and educators to meet this grave +peril, the Library Commission of the Boy Scouts of America has been +organized. EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY is the result of their labors. All the +books chosen have been approved by them. The Commission is composed of +the following members: George F. Bowerman, Librarian, Public Library of +the District of Columbia, Washington, D. C.; Harrison F. Graver, +Librarian, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Claude G. Leland, +Superintendent, Bureau of Libraries, Board of Education, New York City; +Edward F. Stevens Librarian, Pratt Institute Free Library, Brooklyn, New +York; together with the Editorial Board of our Movement, William D. +Murray, George D. Pratt and Frank Presbrey, with Franklin K. Mathiews, +Chief Scout Librarian, as Secretary. + +In selecting the books, the Commission has chosen only such as are of +interest to boys, the first twenty-five being either works of fiction or +stirring stories of adventurous experiences. In later lists, books of a +more serious sort will be included. It is hoped that as many as +twenty-five may be added to the Library each year. + +Thanks are due the several publishers who have helped to inaugurate this +new department of our work. Without their co-operation in making +available for popular priced editions some of the best books ever +published for boys, the promotion of EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY would have been +impossible. + +We wish, too, to express our heartiest gratitude to the Library +Commission, who, without compensation, have placed their vast experience +and immense resources at the service of our Movement. + +The Commission invites suggestions as to future books to be included in +the Library. Librarians, teachers, parents, and all others interested in +welfare work for boys, can render a unique service by forwarding to +National Headquarters lists of such books as in their Judgment would be +suitable for EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY. + + Signed + James E. West + Chief Scout Executive. + + "DO A GOOD TURN DAILY." + +[Illustration: "I HAVE LOST THE CAMP. HELP!"--_Page 132._] + + + + +EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY--BOY SCOUT EDITION + +THE BOY SCOUTS OF BOB'S HILL + +_A Sequel to "The Bob's Hill Braves"_ + +BY + +CHARLES PIERCE BURTON + + AUTHOR OF + THE BOYS OF BOB'S HILL, THE BOB'S CAVE BOYS, + AND THE BOB'S HILL BRAVES + + WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY + GORDON GRANT + +[Illustration] + + NEW YORK + GROSSET & DUNLAP + PUBLISHERS + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1912, + BY + HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY + _Published October, 1912_ + + + + + =To= + THE RAVENS, + Patrol 1, Troop 3, of Aurora, Illinois, + BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + I. "THE BAND" AND THE CAVE 1 + II. RAVEN PATROL HITS THE TRAIL 20 + III. TRACKING THE ROBBERS 37 + IV. "DANGER--COME" 53 + V. A CAMPFIRE ON BOB'S HILL 67 + VI. A FOURTEEN-MILE HIKE 82 + VII. "BILL HASN'T COME BACK" 102 + VIII. SMOKE SIGNALS ON THE MOUNTAIN 120 + IX. FOUND AT LAST 135 + X. A MAIDEN IN DISTRESS 146 + XI. TREED BY A BEAR 162 + XII. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAR 174 + XIII. EAGLE PATROL JOINS THE SCOUTS 191 + XIV. PLANNING A CAMPING TRIP 206 + XV. SCOUTING IN THE GREAT NORTHWEST 219 + XVI. CLOUDBURST ON GREYLOCK 233 + XVII. ON THE WAY AT LAST 246 + XVIII. SCOUTING THROUGH A WILDERNESS 262 + XIX. ON HISTORIC GROUND 278 + XX. SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE 295 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + PAGE + "I HAVE LOST THE CAMP. HELP!" _Frontispiece_ + WITH SKINNY LEADING, WE STARTED, DODGING FROM + TREE TO TREE 13 + "IT GIVES ME PAIN," SHE SAID, "TO INFORM YOU + THAT THE WOODBOX IS EMPTY" 206 + AS WE RAN, WE HEARD A YELL OF PAIN, OR FRIGHT, + AND IT WAS NOT A BEAR'S VOICE AT ALL 261 + + + + +THE BOY SCOUTS OF BOB'S HILL + + + + +CHAPTER I + +"THE BAND" AND THE CAVE + + +BLACKINTON'S barn is exactly at the foot of Bob's Hill. Phillips's is, +too, and so is our garden; but I am not telling about those now. Beyond +the barns are apple orchards, reaching halfway up the hill, as you know, +if you have read about the doings of the Band. + +When they built Blackinton's barn they cut into the hill, so that the +roof of the stable slopes clear down to the ground, on the hill side in +the orchard. It makes a fine place for us boys to sit and talk about +things. + +Mrs. Blackinton, who owns the barn, says that maybe climbing around on a +roof isn't the best thing in the world for shingles but boys have got to +do something and she is willing to take a chance; only to be as careful +as we can, and not to eat any more apples than are necessary to our +happiness and well being. + +Anyhow, seven of us Bob's Hill boys sat there one Saturday afternoon in +May, planning what to do in the long vacation. Every member of the Band +was there, not counting Tom Chapin, except Skinny Miller; and we were +expecting him every minute. + +He was late then, and every little while one of us would stick his head +around the edge of the barn to see if he wasn't coming up the driveway +from Park Street. We might as well have sat still, for you never can +tell which way he will come. + +Pa says that Skinny is like the wind, which bloweth whither it listeth. +I don't exactly know what he meant but that is what he said, or +something like that. + +It was quiet in the orchard. There was hardly a sound except the buzzing +of insects in the sunshine, and somehow that only seemed to make it more +quiet and dreamy. + +Suddenly Bill Wilson stood up on the sloping shingles and gave such a +warwhoop that it almost made the bark rattle on the trees. When Bill +turns his voice loose it is something awful. + +We looked up to see what it all was about. He had grabbed Benny Wade by +the hair and, giving another yell louder than the first, was pretending +to scalp him. Bill always likes to play Indian. + +Benny didn't want to be scalped. Although he is two years younger and +not nearly so big, he grabbed Bill around the legs and held on until +they both slipped and went tumbling down the steep roof to the ground, +where they sat, with the rest of us laughing down at them. + +Just then we heard another warwhoop, sounding from up the hill +somewhere, beyond the orchard. Bill and Benny scrambled to their feet, +and we all looked and listened. + +We saw nothing for a minute or two. Then something darted through the +gate, which leads into the orchard from the hill; dropped down out of +sight behind the fence, and commenced crawling backward toward the +nearest apple tree. Every few seconds, it would raise up long enough to +point something, which looked like a gun, at the enemy. + +"Great snakes!" whispered Bill. "What's that?" + +But we could tell in a minute without asking, for when it reached the +tree it stood up and peered around the trunk, aiming a stick and +pretending to fire. We knew then that Skinny was on the way. + +"It's Skinny!" shouted Benny, throwing a stick at him. + +Skinny waved one arm for us to be quiet, then began to wriggle back to +the next tree. Making his way slowly from tree to tree, with a quick +dash he finally reached the roof, where he felt safe. + +"That was a close call, Skinny," said Bill. "I heard a bee buzzin' +around out there in the orchard, a few minutes ago." + +"Bee, nothin'!" Skinny told him, still pointing with his gun and looking +around in every direction. "They pretty near had me surrounded." + +That was the beginning of this history, which tells all about the doings +of the Band, that set all the people talking about us for miles around. + +Perhaps you never heard about the Band; how we found a cave at Peck's +Falls, part way up the mountain, and had all kinds of fun playing there +and on Bob's Hill. There are eight of us in all. Skinny is captain. His +folks call him Gabriel but we don't like that name. Skinny is a good +name for him, he is so fat. He can run though, even if he is heavy, and +you would think that he could fight some if you had seen him once, when +the Gingham Ground Gang got after us. + +Benny Wade is the littlest fellow in the bunch but he feels just as big +as anybody and sometimes that is almost as good as being big. Besides +these there are Harry, Wallie, Chuck, Bill Wilson, Hank Bates,--Oh, yes, +I most forgot,--and myself. + +My name is John Alexander Smith. The boys call me Pedro, and I have been +secretary ever since Tom Chapin found the cave. It's up to me to write +the doings of the Band and the minutes of the meetings. + +Tom Chapin was our first captain and he meets with us now, whenever he +is in town. + +The village where we live is in a long, narrow valley, with little +Hoosac River flowing north through the center of it, until it gets +beyond the mountain range. Then it turns west and hurries down into the +Hudson. + +Bob's Hill stands just west of the village and looks down upon the +highest steeples. Over the brow of the hill and a little south are +Plunkett's woods. West, straight back, a mile or more, begins the +timbered slope of old Greylock, which, everybody knows, is the highest +mountain in Massachusetts. And in the edge of the first woods, a little +back from the road, is the prettiest place you ever sat eyes upon. +Grown-up folks call it "the glen," but we boys just say "Peck's Falls." +I don't know why, only there is a waterfall there, which begins in a +brook, somewhere up on the mountainside, and plays and tumbles along, +until finally it pours down from a high cliff into a pool a hundred feet +below; then dashes off to join Hoosac River. + +A queer-shaped rock, with a high back and narrow ledge, which we call +the "pulpit," bridges the ravine in front of the falls, fifty feet and +maybe more, above the rushing water. A little farther down the ravine, +at the edge of the stream, is another rock. It will do no harm now to +say that our cave is under that rock, because folks have found out about +it, although not many know about there being two entrances. + +All these things that I have told about belong to us boys. Mr. Plunkett +thinks that he owns Plunkett's woods and Bob's Hill. I mean the very top +of it. And somebody has been cutting trees off from Greylock, until it +looks like a picked chicken in spots. But we call them all ours because +we have more fun with them than anybody else does, and it seems to us +that things belong to those who get the most out of them. + +We knew from the way Skinny was acting that he had something on his +mind, so we sat down and waited for him to tell us. + +"Fellers," said he, after a while, "we've been Injuns and we've been +bandits, and we have had fun, good and plenty. I ain't sayin' that +Injuns and bandits are not all right sometimes but----" + +"Guess what!" broke in Benny. "We've been 'splorers, too. Don't you +remember 'sploring out in Illinois last summer? About LaSalle and that +other guy and What's-her-name who fell over the cliff?" + +"That was all right, too," said Skinny, "and I couldn't forget it in a +thousand years, but I tell you those things are back numbers. They are +out of date." + +"Never mind about the date," said Hank, "but hurry and get it out of +your system. We've got to be something, haven't we? If we ain't Injuns +and we ain't bandits, what are we?" + +"We are Scouts," shouted Skinny, aiming with his gun and dodging so +quickly that he almost slid down the roof. + +We all looked at one another in surprise, wondering what he meant. Benny +spoke up first. + +"What are those things, Skinny?" he asked. + +"Why," said Skinny, "haven't you been readin' about 'em? They +are--er--they are--er--they're just Scouts, that's all.--They scout +around, you know, and do all kinds of stunts." + +"Scoot around, you mean," I told him. + +"Well, it's the same thing, ain't it?" + +"Not for mine," said Bill, shaking his head. "Scouts may be all right, +but Injuns and bandits are good enough for me." + +"Here's the book, anyhow," said Skinny. + +He pulled out of his pocket a little book, which told all about "The Boy +Scouts of America." + +"That's what we are going to be, the Boy Scouts of America, or part of +them. They have members all over the country. We'll call ourselves 'The +Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill,' when we have our meetings." + +Say, it looked good to the Band, except Bill, after Skinny had read the +book to us a little, sitting there on the roof. It was a good deal like +what we had been doing, only more so. Even Bill said it was almost as +good as being Injuns and when Benny heard about the uniforms he hardly +could wait. + +"How are we going to do it?" I asked, after we had talked until we were +tired. + +"That is what I came to tell you about," said Skinny. "Mr. Norton, who +teaches my class in Sunday school, is getting one up." + +"One what, Skinny?" asked Benny, his eyes bulging out like saucers, he +was so interested. + +"Something he called a 'patrol.' You see, the Boy Scouts are almost like +an army, with all kinds of officers, only they call them different +names, and the different companies are called patrols. He is getting up +a patrol in the Sunday school and wanted me in that, but when I told him +about the Band he said that we could have a patrol of our own, if we +wanted to. There are eight of us, you know, and that is just enough. I +don't know much about it yet, but Mr. Norton wants me to bring the Band +up to his house Monday night and talk it over. He's going to have ice +cream; I heard him say so to Mrs. Norton." + +When he said that last, he looked at Bill, because Bill liked ice cream, +although he didn't seem to think much of the Scout business. + +"Will you go?" asked Skinny. "I've got to tell him to-morrow, so he'll +know how much ice cream to make." + +Benny looked at me and I could see by the way his eyes were shining +that he wanted to go. But Bill never likes to change his mind. + +"I think we ought to vote on it," he said, "and have Pedro put it in the +minutes of the meetin'." + +"Shall I put it down in invisible ink," I asked, "or in the kind that +shows?" + +We always write our most secret doings in invisible ink, made of lemon +juice, so that nobody can read about them. We don't need to read it +ourselves, because we know all about it anyway. If we want to, by +holding the writing up to a fire we can make the letters show. + +"Write it with chalk," said Skinny, "and make the letters a foot high. +This is something we want folks to know about." + +"Uniforms wouldn't be so very much good," said Benny, "if folks couldn't +see us with them on." + +Skinny nodded his head; then took a piece of chalk out of his pocket, +and commenced to mark on the clapboards, back of the sloping roof. + +I thought at first that he was going to write the minutes of the meeting +before it happened and was going to kick about it, being secretary. +Instead of that, however, he made a big circle, and in the center of +the circle he drew a picture of a tomahawk. Then, after looking at a +watch which his folks gave him for Christmas, he put the figures 18 +above the tomahawk, and 16 below. + +That was our Indian sign. The circle meant our cave at Peck's Falls, +that being sort of round. The figures said for us to meet on the +eighteenth day of the month, at the sixteenth hour, which would be at +four o'clock that very afternoon. We had half an hour in which to get to +the cave. + +When we saw the Sign we all gave a yell, Bill Wilson louder than +anybody, and were going to start for the cave on a jump, but Skinny +hissed like a snake and held up one hand for us to keep still. + +"My braves," said he, after he had made up a lot of Indian words, which +we couldn't understand, only they sounded fierce, "do you want to lose +your scalps? You don't know what is waitin' for us on yonder hill." + +We didn't, either. If we had, maybe we shouldn't have gone. + +[Illustration: WITH SKINNY LEADING, WE STARTED, DODGING FROM TREE TO +TREE.] + +"Follow me," said he. "Keep behind the trees until we get out of the +forest, and mum's the word!" + +So, with Skinny leading, we started, dodging from tree to tree on the +hillside, until we came to the orchard fence. After that there were no +trees except on the very top. + +There is a sort of road leading out of the orchard and winding around +the hill, where the walking is easy, but on that side Bob's Hill itself +rises almost straight up from the orchards, and the slope is covered +with slippery grass, with now and then a big stone sticking its nose out +of the ground. To climb it you have to dig in with the sides and heels +of your shoes and work hard. + +Skinny started straight up and we after him, except Bill, who can climb +faster than anybody. He soon was ahead. + +As Bill neared the top, forgetting all about danger, Skinny gave a +warning hiss. Bill looked back; then dropped to the ground and began to +crawl slowly up, pulling at the grass and stones to help him along. The +rest of us waited to see what would happen to Bill. + +In a few minutes we saw him stick his head up carefully above the brow +of the hill. Then he dodged down out of sight and slid back part way +toward us, motioning for us to come on and not to make any noise. + +I didn't know what to think of it, for I hadn't really supposed anybody +would be there. Skinny is 'most always careful that way because, he +says, you never can tell what may happen. + +"Gee!" said he, when Bill motioned. "Didn't I tell you they pretty near +had me surrounded? Steady now, and mum's the word!" + +Slowly we crawled up toward Bill. When we had come up even with him, +without a word he crept toward the top of the hill, we crawling along +after him, and my heart was pounding like a trip-hammer, partly from the +work of climbing and partly because it was scary. + +Pretty soon we began to hear voices. The eight of us put our heads up at +about the same time; then sank down again out of sight, and I heard +Skinny whisper, "Jerusalem!" and Bill saying "Great snakes!" to himself. + +We lay there for a moment, looking at each other and not knowing what to +do. Then Benny spoke up. + +"Come on, fellers," said he. "Who's afraid of them? It's only a lot of +girls." + +That's what it was. About twelve high-school girls were sitting there +under a tree, with lunch baskets around, looking at Greylock and waiting +for it to be time to eat. There was no way for us to pass without being +seen except to go back and around through Plunkett's woods, and we +didn't want to do that. + +"Let's scare 'em," said Skinny at last. "We'll yell the way we did on +Greylock that time we scared the wild cat." + +"It's all right to scare 'em," said Hank, "for they haven't any business +on our hill. But a girl ain't a wild cat or anything like it, and you +never can tell what she will do. They may not scare worth a cent." + +"I'll tell you what," I said. "If we all yell, they'll know that it +must be the Band. So let's have only one yell. Give Bill a chance and +there will be something doing." + +We left Bill and crawled up to where we could see them and they couldn't +see us. Then he commenced. + +Say, I've heard Bill Wilson a lot of times, but I never heard anything +like that. Although I knew what was doing it, shivers chased up and down +my back, until I 'most forgot about the girls. + +He started with a moan like he was in pain. Then for a minute it sounded +as if a whole menagerie had been turned loose, with a dog fight in the +middle. From the midst of the dog fight came a blood-curdling screech +which died away again in a moan and sob, and then all was still while +Bill was getting his breath for another. + +It was awful to hear, and the girls didn't wait for another, or even for +the sob part. At the first moan they started to their feet, looking +around with scared faces, and when the menagerie turned loose away they +went on a run. + +"Charge, my braves!" cried Skinny, as soon as he could stop laughing +long enough to speak. "Let's surround 'em." + +With a yell, we charged across the top of the hill, down the slope +beyond and into a field which rose gently up to Plunkett's woods. + +Just before the girls reached the woods one of them looked back, saw us, +and told the others. I thought they would run harder than ever when they +saw us coming, but it was just as Hank said about not knowing what they +would do. They turned and stood there, the whole twelve of them, looking +so mad that we stopped running and waited to see what would happen. + +"We know who you are, Skinny Miller," said the one who had seen us +first, "and you ought to be ashamed of yourself. We'll fix you for +this." + +She said something to the others, which we couldn't hear, and pointed +toward us. Then they stooped and each one grabbed a stick from the edge +of the woods. + +"Great snakes!" said Bill. "I wish I hadn't come." + +"Fellers," said Skinny, looking at his watch. "It's 'most four o'clock. +We'll have to run like sixty if we get to the cave in time for the +meetin'." + +There are a lot of boys who never saw a mountain, and the Band, even, +never saw the Rockies and big mountains like those. But Greylock is big +enough for us. On a summer day, with fleecy clouds chasing over his head +like great, white butterflies; sunshine resting on the pine trees, and +the mountain smiling down on us with arms outstretched, as if he would +gather in all of Massachusetts and a part of Vermont, and the cawing of +crows in the Bellows Pipe, and no school to call us back--say, that's +living; that is! + +Soon we came to the woods and followed along a path until we could hear +the rushing and roaring of Peck's Falls in front of us, sounding as if +old Greylock himself was talking. + +We stopped at Pulpit Rock a minute to see the falls and the foaming pool +below; then followed Skinny down the side of the steep ravine to our +cave at the edge of the stream. + +"The meetin' will come to order," said Skinny, after we had crawled in +and were sitting on the floor. "Are we all here?" + +"I am," said Benny, "and I," "and I," "and I," said the others, faster +than I could count them. + +"All the fellers that want to go to Mr. Norton's," said Skinny, as soon +as he had found that everybody was there, "to see about this Scout +business--and eat ice cream," he added, looking at Bill when he said it, +"mark a cross on the floor of the cave with your knives." + +Everybody marked except Bill. He didn't have his knife with him. + +"It's all right," said he. "I'll go, anyhow, knife or no knife. I'd +rather be an Injun than a Scout any day in the week, but there ain't any +use letting that ice cream go to waste." + +"'Tis well," said Skinny. "We have spoken." + + + + +CHAPTER II + +RAVEN PATROL HITS THE TRAIL + + +WHEN Monday night came, the Band met at Skinny's and went from there to +Mr. Norton's. He seemed glad to see us and started in for a good time +without saying a word about the Scout business. I was just going to ask +him about it when Mrs. Norton brought in the ice cream. After that we +were too busy to ask anything. + +When at last we had eaten all that we wanted and Bill had put away three +dishes, Mr. Norton gathered us around him and said that he would tell us +a story, if we wished to hear it. + +We told him to go ahead, and, after thinking a moment, he began. + +"You boys probably do not remember the Boer war in Africa. You were too +young at the time. During that war the Boers surrounded a town called +Mafeking. All the able-bodied men were needed for fighting in order to +defend the city and could not be spared for the work of carrying +despatches and things like that. + +"They had some lively lads in that town. As soon as the boys found out +the situation they made up their minds that they could do that kind of +work just as well as the men could. They did, too. Back and forth they +hurried on bicycles, through a rain of bullets, from fort to fort, +carrying messages and scouting. I tell you, those English boys were +heroes. I don't see how they escaped being killed. They must have dodged +the bullets." + +When Skinny heard Mr. Norton speak of their being English boys he looked +troubled, because Skinny thinks a lot of the United States of America. + +"Is this an English story, Mr. Norton?" he asked. "Because if it is I +don't know about it. How about George Washington, Bunker Hill, seeing +the whites of the enemy's eyes, and all those things? We named our boat +out on Fox River in Illinois, the 'Paul Revere.'" + +"Guess what!" put in Benny, laughing at something he was thinking. +"Skinny couldn't dodge any bullets? 'Cause why? He's too fat. They +couldn't miss him." + +"Aw, what's the matter with you?" said Skinny. "I could dodge as many as +you could, I guess. If a bullet hit you there wouldn't be anything left +of you; that's what. Why, I----" + +"A hero is a hero," said Mr. Norton, before Skinny had time to finish, +"and a boy is a boy, I guess, no matter in what country he happens to +live. I have heard all about the Band, and I know that if you had been +in Mafeking that time you would have been among the first to volunteer +for scout service, bullets or no bullets, and Washington or no +Washington." + +"Hurrah!" yelled Bill, forgetting where he was. "That's the stuff. Injun +or no Injun, too. I knew an English boy once, and he was all right. Say, +you ought to have seen him in a scrap." + +Mr. Norton laughed and went on with his story. + +"A few years later Gen. Robert Baden-Powell, who had been colonel in +command of the English forces at Mafeking, got to thinking about those +boys in South Africa and how manly it made them to help in the scouting. +He liked boys and he made up his mind that if scouting had been good for +those boys it would be good for any boys. Not the fighting part, I mean, +but the outdoor life, learning to take care of themselves in the +wilderness, make camps, build fires, find their way through the forest, +follow a trail, and such things. So he called a meeting of a lot of boys +and talked to them and showed them how to do it. They played at being +Indians mostly." + +"They don't have Injuns in England," said Bill, shaking his head, +"unless it's in a Wild West show, and that doesn't count." + +"You are stopping the story, Bill," Skinny told him. "What's the +difference?" + +"Well, they don't," grumbled Bill. + +"Anyhow," Mr. Norton went on, "the boys enjoyed the play, and the idea +spread like wildfire, until now there are Boy Scouts all over the world. +In America here Ernest Thompson Seton had much the same idea. He was +teaching the boys woodcraft, camp life, and such things by organizing +the Seton Indians that you may have heard about. Then he went to +England, where he and General Baden-Powell put their heads together and +worked out the Boy Scout idea. In this country the boys are known as +'the Boy Scouts of America,' but nearly every civilized nation has its +Boy Scouts under some name or other, and the movement is very popular +among the boys. + +"I invited you up here to-night to get acquainted with the Band. Skinny, +I mean Gabriel, tells me that you are all live wires. I want to know if +you will join the Scouts. You can have a patrol of your own, select your +own patrol leader and your own patrol animal." + +"What's a patrol animal?" we asked. + +"Patrol animal? Why, each patrol is named after some animal, and the +Scouts all have to be able to imitate its call, so that they can let +each other know where they are hiding." + +When Mr. Norton told us that you hardly could have heard yourself think +for a minute. Mrs. Norton didn't know what had broken loose and came +running in from the next room. Skinny was hissing like a snake; Bill +croaked like a frog; Benny cawed like a crow; Hank barked like a dog, +and the other boys did something else, and nobody could tell what they +were doing. + +"You seem to have the right idea," smiled Mr. Norton. + +There was a lot more to it, uniforms and rules and signs and all that +sort of thing, but that doesn't belong in this history. It didn't take +us long to decide that we would go in. Bill Wilson was the craziest one +in the bunch. + +Mr. Norton thought that we ought to decide on a patrol leader before we +went home. We told him that there was nothing to decide. + +"Skinny is captain, all right," said Benny, "and the Band is the Band, I +guess, whether we are Scouts or Injuns." + +"Yes, I'm captain of the Band," Skinny told him, when Mr. Norton waited +to see what he had to say about it, "but I don't know about this patrol +business. It wouldn't do to vote on it here, anyway. The cave is where +we meet. We ought to vote in the cave, seeing it is summer time. If it +was winter we could meet in Pedro's barn." + +We left it that way and were so busy during the closing days of school +that we didn't have time to think much more about it until Friday. When +we came in from afternoon recess, there was the Sign, as big as life, +drawn with chalk on the blackboard. + +I saw teacher looking at it, sort of puzzled, as if she was wondering +what it all was about, and some of the girls were giggling at it. They +seemed to think it was a joke of some kind, instead of something +important. Anyhow, the Sign said for us to meet at the cave, Saturday, +at ten o'clock. + +Saturday morning, long before ten, every boy was at our house, that +being nearest to the cave. Each one carried a lot of good things to eat, +so we should not have to go home for dinner unless we wanted to. + +Besides his dinner Hank had with him a little camera, which his folks +had given to him on his birthday because he promised not to make any +more awful smells with chemicals in the cellar. Hank was always mixing +things to see what would happen and he pretty near blew his house up at +one time. He is an inventor, too, and says that when he grows up he is +going to make a flying machine. He nearly made one once. He made a kite +that would pull us uphill on our sleds. + +One time he made a spanking machine which worked with a crank, and when +teacher wanted us to lick Bill we spanked him with it. Only we laid a +horse hair across the seat of his pants to see what it would do and it +broke the machine. Of course, he didn't make the camera, but he had a +place down cellar where he developed and printed his pictures after the +camera had taken them. + +"Gee, fellers," said Skinny, "Hank is goin' to take our pictures. +Everybody look pleasant." + +"Not on your life," Hank told him. "You'd break the machine; that's +what." + +We went up through Blackinton's orchard and followed the road around to +the top of the hill. + +In a field, a little west of the top, the same field where we chased the +high-school girls, stand what we call the "twin stones." They are big +ones, six feet high and maybe more. One of these we use for a +fireplace. It is near Plunkett's woods, where it is always easy to find +dry sticks to burn. A piece of the rock has been split off in such a way +that it makes a kind of hearth, with a place between for a fire. + +"Let's come back here for dinner," I said. "When we build a fire in the +cave the smoke makes our eyes smart. What do you say?" + +So we went into the woods and hid our lunch and some potatoes, which we +had carried in our pockets to cook, but Hank wouldn't leave his camera. +He said it cost too much to let it lie around in the woods. His folks +paid three dollars for it. + +Then we hurried on to the cave. + +"Open sesame!" said Skinny, pounding the outside of the cave with a +club, like the robber did in "Arabian Nights." + +"Is she open?" asked Bill, who was in a hurry to get in. + +Skinny didn't answer. He was peering up and down the ravine to see if +anybody was looking. When he found that no one was in sight he motioned +for us to go in. + +"Old Long Knife will guard the pass," said he. + +And he did, for when I put my head out of the cave a little later to +find out why he did not come, he was fighting like sixty. He swung his +club and jumped around for a minute; then gave a fearful whack and drew +himself up with his arms folded, like an Injun or a bandit. + +"Lie there, villain!" he hissed. "Sick semper turn us, and don't you +forget it." + +After that he came in with his face all red, he had been working so +hard. We already had the candle lighted and were ready to begin. + +"Fellers," said Skinny, when we all had sat down on the floor in front +of him and I had called the roll. "I don't know whether this is the Band +or the patrol, or whether we are bandits, or Injuns, or Scouts, and I +don't know that it makes much difference. I am captain of the Band, but +what we want to find out is, who is leader of the patrol. We could fight +for it, perhaps, only I hate to muss my clothes." + +Some looked at Bill, for we knew that he kind of wanted to be leader. He +would make a good one, too, only it seemed to belong to Skinny. + +Nobody said a thing for 'most a minute. Then Benny stood up, bumped his +head against the roof of the cave, and sat down again. + +"Mighty chief," said he, when we were through laughing at him, "may I +speak and live?" + +He never had said that before and it surprised us. + +"You may," said Skinny, looking fierce and swinging his club. + +"Fellers," began Benny, "Skinny was a good enough leader when we went +'sploring out in Illinois last summer and I 'most got drowned in Fox +River, and he was a good enough leader when we found a tramp in this +'ere cave and smoked him out. He lassoed the robber, that time, didn't +he, when the guy was stealin' Hank's pearl, and--and--lots of things? I +guess that anybody who could do that is good enough to be patrol +leader." + +That was a long speech for Benny to make, and we all patted him on the +back except Bill, who sat thinking and getting ready to say something. +All of a sudden he spoke up. + +"Fellers," said he, "three cheers for Skinny Miller, who is always there +with the goods." + +"You're out of order," Skinny told him, but nobody could hear. + +I shouldn't wonder if they heard us voting clear down in the village. + +We also had to have an assistant patrol leader, called a corporal, and +we elected Bill Wilson. Bill is great at such things. As corporal he +would be in command whenever Skinny was away. That didn't count for +much, though, for Skinny is almost always around when anything is going +on. + +The next thing to do was to decide upon our patrol animal, like the book +said. + +At first we couldn't agree very well on that. Nearly every one wanted a +different animal. Skinny wanted us to choose a snake because he liked +the hissing part and a picture of a snake would be easy to draw on our +signs. + +Hank and Bill thought a dog would be best. + +"A dog," said Bill, "is man's best friend, and that is what Scouts are +for." + +Hank could bark like a dog. That was why he wanted it. + +Benny thought a crow would be the thing, but it seemed to me that the +American eagle would be better. We heard one once on Greylock and it was +great. + +Skinny liked the eagle pretty well, especially the American part, but +when he found that Benny Wade wanted a crow he said he was for a crow, +too. That was because Benny had made the speech. + +"A snake is all right for some things," he said, "and you don't want to +step on them or on us. Don't you remember that old flag which had a +rattlesnake on it and the words, 'Don't tread on me'? The hissing is all +right, too, when we are close together and can hear, but how about it +when we are not? What if I was hiding in Plunkett's woods and you were +on the way to the cave and I should be attacked by Injuns or something. +I might hiss until I was black in the face and who'd hear me? You could +hear me caw almost to Peck's Falls." + +"Yes, that's so about snakes," I told them. "I don't think much of +snakes myself. But I don't know about crows. The eagle is such a noble +bird." + +"Noble nothin'!" said he. "What did an eagle ever do that was noble any +more than a crow? Besides a crow can talk if you split its tongue. I +read it in a book. You can't draw an eagle. You'd have to write under it +what it was." + +"So you would under a crow," I told him. + +"Anyhow," he went on, "I'll bet nobody here can make a noise like an +eagle. Let's hear you do it, Pedro. Cawing is easy." + +That ended the eagle business. Skinny was right. Not one of us could +make a noise like an eagle. + +"What makes you want it a crow, Benny?" asked Hank. + +"I don't know how to tell it," said Benny, sort of bashful like. "I +wasn't thinking about drawing it. A crow would be hard to draw, I +guess, but we could make something that looked like a bird and we boys +would know what bird was meant. I wasn't thinking either whether it was +noble or not. Maybe a crow ain't exactly noble, but somehow when I see a +big fellow soaring around in the Bellows Pipe, between the mountains, it +makes me feel kind of noble myself and as if I ought to soar, too. And +when I hear the cawing of a crow, no matter where I am, even in North +Adams or Pittsfield, I can see Bob's Hill and old Greylock and the +Bellows Pipe, and big crows flying around in the air as if they owned +them all. We are Bob's Hill boys and Greylock boys. That's why I want it +a crow. They sort of belong together." + +We never had thought of that before, but when we came to talk it over it +seemed that way to us, too. So we chose the crow for our patrol animal, +only we didn't call ourselves "the crows" but "the ravens," because it +sounded so much nobler. While we can't draw a very good one when we make +our signs, it looks some like a bird and we all know what kind it is, as +Benny said. + +By that time we were getting hungry and so we made a bee-line for +Plunkett's woods, sounding as if a whole flock of crows were starting +south. + +"Everybody scatter for wood," shouted Skinny, when we had come to the +big stone where we build our fires. "I'll get the grub." + +We ran to different parts of the woods where we knew there were dead +branches lying on the ground, trying to see which would get a fire going +first. Then, just as Bill and I met at the stone, with arms full of +sticks, and the others close behind, we heard a terrible cawing over in +the woods, only it didn't sound so much like a crow as it did like +Skinny. + +We looked at one another, wondering what it all meant, for the Scout +business was new to us. Besides it sounded as if something had happened. + +"'Tention, Scouts," said Bill, in a hurry to get in his work as corporal +while Skinny was away. "Everybody caw!" + +We made a great racket. In a moment there came an answering caw from the +woods; then Skinny stepped out into the clearing in plain sight and +motioned for us to come. + +We knew something was the matter and started for the woods on a jump, +the corporal in the lead. + +"It's gone!" shouted Skinny, when we had come near. "Some guy has stolen +our dinner." + +"Great snakes!" groaned Bill. "And I'm starving to death." + +We all gathered around the place where we had hidden the things under +some bushes. Skinny was right; they were gone. I tell you he was mad. + +"I don't know whether we are Scouts or bandits or Injuns," said he, "and +I don't care, but I'd like to get hold of the critter that stole our +dinner. We wouldn't do a thing to him. Oh, no. Maybe not." + +"Everybody scatter," he shouted. "Look for signs and tracks. We'll +follow him to the ends of the earth." + + + + +CHAPTER III + +TRACKING THE ROBBERS + + +WE didn't have any idea who took our things and there didn't seem to be +any way of finding out. The ground in the woods was carpeted with pine +needles, which left no trace of footprints. + +We thought that maybe those girls that we had chased had taken our +dinner to get even, and it might have been the Summer Street boys, or +maybe the Gingham Ground Gang. + +We scattered, like Skinny told us, and gradually worked out from the +center, crawling on our hands and knees, and watching every inch of the +ground and the bushes. + +We didn't get any trace at all until I found a potato. Then Skinny, who +was a little ahead of me and at one side, gave a groan and yelled: + +"Here's my wishbone. They've eaten all my fried chicken." + +It always makes Skinny mad to have somebody eat his fried chicken. + +Farther on we found pieces of eggshell and then more, as if somebody had +peeled an egg while walking and thrown the shells on the ground. + +We knew then that there was no chance of getting our dinners back, but +we followed the trail, just the same. + +After a time we came to the queerest looking tracks, where somebody had +stepped on a soft piece of ground. Benny found them first. + +"The spoor!" he yelled. "The spoor! I've found the spoor." + +"Well, don't tell the whole town about it," said Skinny. "Keep quiet and +we'll surround 'em." + +"But the chicken and eggs are gone," he added, after a moment. "I was +going to give you some of that chicken, Bill." + +We stopped and had a long look at the tracks. There were four footprints +and a hole, which looked as if it had been made with a stick, or cane. +Three of the prints were like those which any man would make in walking +and one was the print of a bare foot, only it had a queer look that we +couldn't understand. + +"We've got 'em," whispered Skinny. "We'll know that footprint again +anywhere we find it. Forward, and mum's the word!" + +Twice after that we found the same queer footprint; once in the dust of +a road that runs along the south side of Plunkett's woods, and again on +the edge of a brook which comes down from the mountain somewhere. + +Then we lost the trail and didn't know where to go. Just because we +didn't know what else to do, we followed the brook up, until we came to +a gully out of sight from the road. + +Skinny was ahead, aiming with his stick and saying what he would do if +he should catch the fellow that stole his chicken. All of a sudden we +saw him drop behind a bush and lie still. We dropped, too. We didn't +know what for, but I've noticed that it is 'most always a good thing to +drop first and find out why afterward. Then we crawled slowly up to him +to see what had happened. + +There, sitting on the ground in a grassy ravine, near the brook, were +two men, and they were eating what remained of our lunch. One of them +had his left shoe off and his foot done up in a bandage. That was what +had made the track look so queer. + +Now that we had caught them we didn't know what to do with them, for +they were too big for us to tackle. + +"I believe we could get away with the lame one," whispered Skinny, "only +they have about eaten it all up; so what's the use? Besides, the other +one looks as big as a house." + +"If we only had a rope, Skinny," said Benny, "you could creep up behind +and lasso them, the same as you did the robber out near Starved Rock." + +"Bet your life I could," he replied, "but we haven't got one. Fellers, +don't you ever go out again without a rope. You can't ever tell when you +will need it." + +"Great snakes!" said Bill, thinking of the chicken Skinny had been going +to give him. "I'm starving to death. Let's heave some rocks at 'em, +anyhow, and then run." + +He picked up a big stone as he spoke and was going to throw it, when +Hank caught his arm. + +"Wait," said he. "I know a trick worth two of that. I'm going to shoot +'em." + +"Shoot them?" I gasped in surprise. "What with?" + +"With my camera. You fellows stay here out of sight and caw like a crow +if they make any move before I am ready for them. If I can only get +behind that clump of bushes back of them without their seeing me, I'll +take their picture." + +"Aw, cut it out," said Bill. + +But Hank was gone, and after a little we could see him running through a +field out of sight of the men, so as to come into the ravine from the +other end. Pretty soon we saw him crawling in, creeping from bush to +bush, in sight only for a second at a time. + +There was not a sound except the voices of the men, who were talking +about something, and the ground might have opened and swallowed Hank for +all we could see of him. + +We waited a long time and began to get nervous, not knowing what had +happened, and I saw Bill feeling around for another stone. + +Then all of a sudden Hank stood up above the bushes he had told us +about. He looked toward where he knew we were hiding and put one finger +to his lips. Then he tossed a stone toward the men and dropped down out +of sight again before it could fall. + +"Great snakes!" whispered Bill. "If he's goin' to throw, why don't he do +it, and not give a baby toss like that?" + +Skinny held up one hand warningly as the pebble fell into the brook +right back of the men, making a little splash and gurgle, as if a frog, +or maybe a trout, had leaped out after a fly. + +When they heard it both men jumped up and stood there in the sunshine, +looking toward the sound. We couldn't see Hank, but knew that he was +somewhere in the bushes taking their picture. + +You almost could have heard our hearts beat for a minute, not knowing +what would happen. Then the men sat down again and went on talking. + +We waited five minutes to give Hank a chance to get away, and crawled +back the way we had come. When we reached the road we heard a crow +cawing in the woods and knew that he was safe. + +"You answer, Benny," said Skinny. "You do it best." + +He gave three caws so real that I almost thought it was a sure enough +crow. Hank joined us and we hurried down the road toward home, hoping +that the dinner would not be all eaten up. + +"Did you get the picture?" I asked. + +He nodded. "I think so, but I can't be sure until it has been developed. +I had a splendid chance. They stood just right and there was a fine +opening through the bushes." + +"It took you a long time," grumbled Bill. "I could have hit them with a +rock easy." + +"I was trying to hear what they were saying. I couldn't hear very well, +but I think they are robbers or something." + +"You bet they are robbers," said Skinny. "Didn't they steal my fried +chicken?" + +We didn't think much more about the men because we had important work on +hand. The first thing we had to do was to eat dinner. That is always +important, especially when your mother knows how to cook beefsteak that +makes you crazy just to smell. After that came a ball game. Our nine, +the "Invincibles," played a picked nine from Summer Street. We beat, 25 +to 19. + +I didn't see any of the boys again until in church, Sunday morning. When +I went in Bill Wilson was there, looking so dressed up that I hardly +knew him. + +He saw me and motioned for me to come into his pew, but Ma wouldn't let +me do it. Bill had something on his mind. It was easy to tell that. He +looked excited, and every time I turned around he went through with all +sorts of motions with his mouth, trying to make me understand what he +wanted to say. + +It bothered me. Every time the minister twisted up his face, trying to +make us understand how important it was what he was saying, I'd think of +Bill's mouth going back of me. I couldn't help it. + +When at last we went into Sunday school he told me. + +"Great snakes, Pedro!" said he, grabbing me by one arm. "Haven't you +heard about it?" + +"How can I tell whether I have or not, when I don't know what it is?" I +told him. + +"They robbed Green's store last night; stole him blind." + +"Who did?" + +"The guys that we saw yesterday. Our robbers." + +When Bill told me that you could have knocked me down with a feather. It +made me almost as excited as he was. He didn't have time to say any more +because teacher made him sit at the end of the line away from me so that +he wouldn't whisper so much. + +But after Sunday school was over he told me all about it. Burglars had +broken into Green's store during the night. They blew open the safe and +took all the money, nearly one hundred dollars, and they carried off a +lot of knives and revolvers. There is an alley back of the store. They +broke into the basement from there and then made their way upstairs. + +"How do you know that it was our robbers who did it?" I asked. + +Bill drew himself up and swelled out his chest, just like Skinny does +sometimes. + +"I'm a Boy Scout, ain't I?" he said. "A corporal, too." + +"You are only a Tenderfoot," I told him. + +That was true. You have to be a Tenderfoot before you can get to be a +real Scout. + +"It's the same thing," he said, winking one eye. "One of the robbers has +a tender foot, anyhow." + +"Look here, Bill," I told him. "You are getting to be worse than Skinny. +What are you talking about?" + +"Pedro," he said, "you'll never make a Scout. You're a good bandit and a +good secretary, but this Scout business is too much for you. I saw their +tracks; that's what." + +"In the alley?" + +He nodded. "Come on and I'll show you." + +We hurried down to Center Street and turned into the alley back of the +stores. The ground in the alley was hard and didn't show any tracks +except wagon ruts. + +Bill looked up and down the alley to make sure that nobody was watching; +then tiptoed over to one side, and lifted up a big piece of wrapping +paper, which lay there as if it had been blown out of the store. Under +the paper there was the same kind of footprint which we had followed +from Plunkett's woods the day before. + +There was no doubt about it. The man with a bandaged foot must have been +in the alley back of the store which had been robbed. + +Bill was the proudest fellow you ever saw over that footprint. When I +had finished looking at it he put the paper back again and we went out +into the street. + +"What do you think of that?" said he. "I guess Skinny ain't the whole +thing--on Sundays." + +"Does the marshal know?" + +"I haven't told a soul except you, Pedro. I am saving it for the Band--I +mean the patrol. This is our chance. What's the good of bein' a Scout if +you don't do any scoutin'?" + +"Anyhow, I think we ought to tell the marshal about this," I said. +"Those robbers are not going to wait for the Scouts to get busy. They +probably jumped a freight last night and are in New York by this time. +But maybe the marshal could do something." + +Bill was bound to tell the other Scouts about it first. So after dinner +we got the boys together and all went over and took a look at the +footprint. + +Skinny was even more excited than Bill was. + +"We are hot on the trail, fellers," said he. "The thing to do is to +surround them. We ought to have captured them yesterday. Bet your life +we'll take a rope next time." + +But when Pa found us talking it over on our woodpile, and we told him +about it, he said for us to go to the marshal's at once, and if we +didn't he would. + +It being Sunday, we went to the marshal's house and found him sitting on +the front porch dressed in his best clothes. He was some surprised when +he saw the eight of us walk into his yard. It made us wish that we had +uniforms on. + +"To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" said he. "Is this a +committee of distinguished citizens to ask me to run for mayor or +something?" + +Bill was bursting with the news, but Skinny was the first to speak. + +"We want you to run for those burglars," he said, "and we can tell you +who they are." + +When he heard that the marshal began to get interested. + +"Well, who were they? Maybe," he went on, smiling at us, "you youngsters +have come to give yourselves up." + +"We didn't do it," put in Bill. "We wouldn't do such a thing, but we +know who did. We don't know his name, but we know his track. We could +have caught him yesterday if we'd wanted to. I wish we had now." + +Then we told him about losing our dinners and following the robbers +through Plunkett's woods, and about the queer looking track made by the +bandaged foot. + +"I'd know that footprint in China," said Bill, "and I found one just +like it in the alley back of Green's store. The man with the lame foot +made it. I 'most know he did." + +"Say, William, you are a regular sleuth," said the marshal. "I have a +notion to put you on the force." + +But he didn't guy us any more after that. He put on his coat and walked +downtown with us. + +After he had looked at the footprint he covered it up again so that +nobody would step on it. + +"That's the one all right," Hank told him. "There were two of them. I +heard them say something about robbing, when I was taking their +pictures." + +"Taking their pictures! They don't go around breaking into stores with +an official photographer along, do they?" + +"I don't know what they go around with," Hank said, "but I crept up +close behind them and lay back of a bush where I could hear them +talking, although I couldn't understand much of what they said. I +thought it would be fun to take their pictures when they didn't know +anything about it." + +"They stood up when Hank threw a stone and looked right at the camera, +only they didn't know it was there," Benny explained. + +"Great Scott, boy! Do you mean to tell me that you took a photograph of +the rascals?" + +"I snapped them all right," Hank told him, "but I won't know whether I +got a good picture or not until I develop the roll. I haven't done it +yet." + +"Well, you develop it right away, or, better still, get your camera and +we'll have Marsh, the photographer, do it and make sure of things. He'll +do it, if it is Sunday." + +Hank hung back. "Can't you wait a while?" he asked. "I've got five shots +left in the camera and don't want to waste them. They cost money." + +The marshal looked disgusted. "Waste them! How much did they cost?" + +"Twenty-five cents a roll; six in a roll." + +The marshal pulled a quarter out of his pocket and handed it to him. + +"You'll be a rich man some day," said he. "Now that roll of films +belongs to me and that picture is going to be developed before you are +an hour older. Can you do the job or shall I look up Marsh?" + +"I can do it all right, if there is any picture to develop." + +"Very well, go ahead with it and bring it down to my office just as soon +as you can. And I'll tell you further, young fellow, if we catch those +burglars through your help, you'll get part of the reward." + +Hank looked at us a moment with his eyes shining. Then he drew himself +up. + +"I'm a Scout," said he, "and Scouts are not looking for rewards. 'A +Scout's duty is to be useful and to help others.' The book says so." + +It made us all feel proud to have Hank say that. The marshal gave a +surprised whistle. + +"If that is the case," said he, laughing, "give me back my quarter." + +But Hank wouldn't do that, although Skinny nudged him. I don't suppose +you can learn to be a Scout all at once. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +"DANGER--COME" + + +IT was anxious work, standing around while Hank ran the film from his +camera through some kind of machine which he had, to bring out the +picture. After what seemed like a long time he took it out and looked +through it toward the light. + +"Hurrah!" he yelled. "We've got 'em." + +We all crowded around to look, and sure enough at one end of the film we +could see as plain as day two men standing up and looking toward us. And +there was the brook, too, and the ravine, so real that we almost could +hear the water pouring over the stones, which we think is the sweetest +music in the whole world. Away back in the picture was the bush, behind +which we boys were hiding when Hank took it. Only you couldn't see us at +all, for we had been careful to keep out of sight. + +It is wonderful, isn't it? I don't know how it is done and I don't +believe that anybody else knows, but I know that it is so because I saw +it with my own eyes. + +Hank washed the film, and after it was dry put it in a frame with some +paper which he had, and held it up to the gas jet. In a few seconds the +picture showed up on the paper fine, just like our writing does when we +do it in invisible ink and hold it up to a blaze. + +We could tell who it was, all right. The big one had a scowl on his +face, as if he had put it there when Hank tossed the stone and hadn't +had time to smooth it out again. + +"This picture is for the marshal," Hank told us. "Now I'll print another +for the patrol. We'll let them soak and wash a while, and then dry them +out. It'll take quite a long time, but we've got 'em all right." + +When we finally went down to the marshal's it was evening. He was +tickled when he saw the picture. It made Skinny feel real chesty and we +all of us were proud. + +"I tell you, Mr. Michael," said he, "the Band's the stuff. I mean the +patrol is. They don't get away from us very often. I only wish we'd had +a rope with us that time." + +"You boys certainly did the trick," said the marshal, examining the +picture. "I don't know those men myself, but I know where they will know +them, and that is the next best thing. That is, if they are old crooks, +as I suspect they are." + +"Where's that?" asked Skinny. + +"At police headquarters in New York. They have a rogues' gallery there +that would surprise you. It contains the pictures and records of nearly +every crook in the country. If these men are among them they'll pretty +near know where to put their hands on them. I'll mail this down +to-night. I've telegraphed already. Come around to-morrow and I'll tell +you if I hear anything." + +He met us with a broad grin the next afternoon and showed us a telegram. +This is what it said, for I put it down. Skinny thought it ought to be +in the minutes of the meeting. + +"Men well-known crooks. Are under arrest. Got the goods and most of the +money." + + * * * * * + +"More than ten words are in that telegram," said Hank, counting them. + +"There you go again," laughed the marshal. "I'll have to call the New +York chief down for being so careless. Anyhow, your robbers will go to +the penitentiary as sure as preaching." + +"I don't know about it," Benny told us afterward, when we were talking +it over. "I'm 'most sorry that we did it. I shall always be thinking +that if it hadn't been for us those men wouldn't be locked up away from +birds and grass and trees. Maybe they didn't have such good folks as +we've got. You know that guy out in Illinois didn't have." + +But after we saw Pa we felt better about it. + +"I'm glad you feel that way," said he. "Still you did the right thing +after you found out about the robbery. I wouldn't advise you, however, +to go around taking photographs of burglars. You might get into trouble +another time. It surely is an awful thing to be in state's prison, but +being away from the trees and grass is not the worst thing about it. The +worst thing is being so bad that you have to be locked up in order to +make other people safe. It is a terrible thing to be a criminal, whether +you are in prison or not." + +He was quiet for a minute; then went on: + +"I can't think of a worse prison for a human soul than a human body that +does mean things, lies and steals or is vile in any way." + +A few days later when Skinny and I went to the post-office together the +postmaster handed him a letter. + +"I say," said he, "you have been promoted, haven't you?" + +On the envelope was written, "Captain Gabriel Miller, Patrol Leader, +Raven Patrol, Boy Scouts of America." + +It made us both excited. + +"It's for the whole patrol," said Skinny, trying to look through it. "I +don't think I ought to open it until we are all together, and I hardly +can wait." + +He rushed to the door as he spoke and whistled through his teeth, for he +saw Bill and Hank passing on the other side of the street, going to my +house. + +"I could have cawed," he explained when they had come across, "but I +didn't think that I ought to when folks were looking." + +We went over to Benny's and found him piling wood and glad enough to +quit. + +"Never mind about the other boys," I told them. "They will be along +pretty soon. Whatever it is, we'll want to read it twice, anyhow." + +Skinny opened the letter and looked at the writing. + +"Jee-rusalem, fellers!" he shouted. Then he commenced to caw like some +crow that was crazy with the heat. + +Bill cawed, too, but he didn't know what for. Then he tried to snatch +the letter out of Skinny's hand. + +"Aw, cut it out, can't you?" said he, when Skinny dodged out of the way. +"Read it." + +"I am readin' it," said Skinny. "It's great." + +"Well, read it out loud." + +Then Skinny started to read, and this is what the letter said, only it +doesn't tell how Skinny's eyes shone, nor how he stopped every few lines +to punch the enemy. + + "_To the Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill:_ + + "I want to thank every boy in Raven Patrol, and + especially Henry Bates, for the recovery of my + property. But for you I should never have seen it + again and the burglars would still be at large. I + offered a reward for the capture of the thieves + and it rightfully belongs to you, but the marshal + has told me that, being Boy Scouts, you do not + want to be rewarded for good deeds. What I wish to + say is this: I like the Boy Scout idea and want to + help it along. Not as a reward but just because I + like boys, will you let me buy uniforms for your + patrol? + + "Sincerely your friend, + "ROBERT GREEN." + +That is how we happen to have such fine uniforms that make folks turn +around and look every time we pass. + +On the day we first wore the uniforms we were made real Scouts; not +First class ones but Second class. You see, there are three kinds. First +you have to be a Tenderfoot. That doesn't mean that your feet are +tender, but that you are new to the business. To get to be a Second +Class Scout, you have to do all kinds of stunts and you have to be a +Tenderfoot at least a month. + +We knew how to build fires and cook things out in the woods and things +like that, which Scouts have to do, and the way we tracked the burglars +showed that we knew something about that. + +The hardest things we had to do were to learn the Morse alphabet of dots +and dashes for signaling and to learn what to do when folks get hurt, +how to put on bandages and things like that and how to bring folks back +to life when they are nearly drowned. We learned them all right, and it +is a good thing we did. + +Signaling was the most fun of all. We could do it with flags like they +do in the army; by waving our arms like a semaphore, and by smoke from +fires like the Indians do. We also could spell out things with smoke in +the Morse alphabet, which was something the Indians couldn't do, by +making the smoke go up in puffs like dots and dashes. + +Part of us would go up on Bob's Hill and part on the hill opposite, +beyond the Basin where we go swimming, build fires, and signal to each +other. It was hard at first, but after a while we could spell out 'most +anything and understand some of it. + +It came in handy, too, because one afternoon, after we had been playing +in our yard, we decided to practise our signaling. Just after all the +boys had started for the east hill, except Skinny and me, who were going +up on Bob's Hill, Ma came out and wanted to know where the other boys +were. + +"It is too bad that they have gone," said she. "I was going to ask them +to stay to supper." + +"Maybe they'll come back," said Skinny, winking at me. + +"We are not going to have much, but I thought you boys would enjoy +eating together and we should like it, too. We do not often have the +honor of sitting down to the table with young gentlemen who have +uniforms on." + +"We'll stay," said Skinny, "if you will let us do something to help. +According to Scout law, a Scout must try his best to do somebody a good +turn every day. I haven't done it now for 'most two days." + +"If that is the case," Ma told him, "my woodbox seems to be getting +empty." + +That is the greatest woodbox I ever saw for getting empty. We filled it +so full that the wood fell off all over the floor; then started for the +hill. + +"Now is our chance," said Skinny. "We've just got to make them +understand this time. We never have had anything much to tell the boys +before, but this is important." + +We climbed to the very top of Bob's Hill and soon had a fire going. When +it was well started we threw on some green stuff that made a big smoke. +Pretty soon we saw smoke going up across the valley and knew that the +other boys were ready. + +"They are there," I said. "Now we'll tell them." + +"Wait," said Skinny. "First let's give the danger signal. That'll fetch +'em." + +"But there ain't any danger," I told him. "What's the use of lying, even +with smoke?" + +"You bet there's danger," said he. "There's danger of losing your +mother's supper, ain't there?" + +So I gave him one end of a wet blanket which I was carrying, and I +grabbed hold of the other end. We covered the fire with it, stopping all +of the smoke; then took it off and let a big puff go up; then covered it +again and sent up a little puff, and kept doing that until I was sure +the boys would be most crazy, for that sign means danger. + +After we had done it a while, we spelled out the word "come." We did +that by using the blanket to make a short puff of smoke for a dot and a +long puff for a dash, like this: + + ... C .. O -- M . E + +We waited and spelled it out twice more to make sure, and then went down +the hill to the house. + +"Shall I set the table for the others?" Ma asked, when she saw us +coming. + +"They will be here in a few minutes," said Skinny, looking at his watch. + +We were not sure of it, but we hoped they would and, as Skinny said, it +wouldn't do any hurt to get the table ready. + +We were beginning to be afraid that they had not understood and were not +coming, when we heard a faint cawing, a long way off somewhere. It +seemed from beyond Summer Street. + +Skinny answered, while I ran into the house to tell the folks that it +was all right. Then we went out in front and waited. + +The first we saw of them was when Bill Wilson turned into Park Street in +a cloud of dust and came tearing up the middle of the road on a jump. +The other boys were close behind, running to beat the band, and every +mother's son of them was carrying a big club. + +They didn't even yell when they saw us, they were so nearly winded, but +Bill, being corporal, ran up to Skinny, gave the Scout salute, and then +whirled his club around his head three times. + +It was great to see them come up that way, every Scout whirling his +club and all out of breath. Skinny's eyes shone like stars, he was so +proud, and I saw Ma looking out of a window, surprised some, I guess. + +"Show 'em to us!" yelled Bill, as soon as he could speak. "We'll eat 'em +up." + +"You'll get all the eating you want in about five minutes," Skinny told +him. + +"Where are they?" yelled Bill again, while the other boys marched up and +stood in a row, each with his club in the air. + +"You are crazy," said Skinny. "Where's who?" + +"The Gingham Ground Gang. Didn't you tell us the Gang was after you and +for us to come quick?" + +"Not much. I said supper was ready and that if you didn't get a move on +yourselves you would lose out." + +"Ain't there going to be a fight?" + +Just then Ma came out and it was a good thing she did, because there +might have been a fight, after all. + +"Boys," said she, smiling at us, "you are all invited to stay to supper, +and you will just about have time to wash up and cool off a little. We +are having supper early to-night. I was so disappointed when I found out +that you had gone that your patrol leader, Captain Miller, told me that +he would signal to you and that Corporal Wilson would get you here on +time if he had to run his legs off. I don't exactly see how he did it +but you are here, that is certain. I've let your folks know, so you can +stay just as well as not, unless you don't like my cooking." + +When she said that the boys set up a shout, for they knew all about Ma's +cooking. + +"I wish you would tell me how you do it," she added, turning back as she +was going into the house. "If your secretary would come like that when I +call him, I should be the proudest woman in the village." + + + + +CHAPTER V + +A CAMPFIRE ON BOB'S HILL + + +"JEE-RUSALEM, fellers," said Skinny a few days later, "we're going to +have a campfire to-night on Bob's Hill. Mr. Norton, the Scoutmaster, is +going to be there, and he says for us not to eat too much supper because +there will be something doing along about eight o'clock. It will beat +the Fourth of July." + +We hardly could wait for evening to come. The folks thought that I must +be sick because I didn't want much supper, until I told them about the +campfire. + +"You'd better eat a bowl of bread and milk, anyhow," said Ma. "If I know +anything about boys, and I have seen a few in my day, you will be ready +for another meal by eight o'clock." + +I don't know how it is, but things always seem to happen just as Ma says +they will. Long before eight o'clock came we were waiting for Mr. +Norton at our house, as hungry as bears. + +After a while he came along, lugging a big basket and wearing a smile +that would have made us warm to him if we never had before. + +"Captain," said he to Skinny, "if you will detail two of your men to +bring some water, we'll get started. Of course, if we were going to make +a regular camp we should see that there was water near. We'll have to +carry it this time, but it isn't far to the top of the hill. One of you +might help me with this basket; there seems to be something in it." + +Fifteen minutes later we were all at the top of the hill and had brought +some sticks from Plunkett's woods for a fire and a curl of birch bark to +kindle it with. + +"I understand that you boys came near burning up the woods and village +once with a fire up here," said Mr. Norton. "We must be careful about +that. Fire is a good servant but a very hard master. We do not need a +big blaze for a campfire, so hot that we cannot sit around it. All we +need is just enough to look cheerful, to heat our coffee, and furnish +enough hot coals for cooking this beefsteak." + +He was unpacking the basket while he talked, and Skinny was lighting the +fire. + +"I don't know that I can tell you anything about making fires and +cooking. You boys just about live out of doors in summer, so far as I +have observed. You are in great luck to have your homes in a small +village. If you should play some of your pranks in a city, I am afraid +that you might become unpopular and the police might get after you. Boys +in great cities, like Chicago or New York, know little of the freedom +and sweetness of country life." + +He went over to a little clump of trees and came back with a small +branch, from which he stripped the leaves and twigs. When he had +finished he had what he called a "pot hanger" of green wood, about four +feet long and with a kind of crotch at the smaller end. He put the big +end under a stone, the right distance from the fire, and drove a short, +crotched stick into the ground to hold the pot hanger over the blaze at +the right angle. When that was done all we had to do was to hang a pail +of water on the end of the pot hanger and wait for the water to boil. + +"I thought that we wouldn't bother with potatoes this time," said he, +"although they make good eating when baked in hot ashes, as you boys +probably know. Mrs. Norton put in a whole stack of bread and butter +sandwiches and some other things, which we must get rid of somehow, and +Mrs. Smith gave me this bag as we were leaving the house. I don't know +what is in it, and she told me not to open it until the feast was +ready." + +We all kept our eyes on the bag and wondered what was in it. I thought +that I could make a good guess, being better acquainted with Ma than the +other boys were, but I couldn't be sure. + +By the time the water was boiling the fire had burned down to red-hot +coals. Mr. Norton poured the water over the coffee and set the pot in a +hot place. Then he began to get busy with the meat, using a broiler +which he had brought in the basket. The delicious smell of the beefsteak +and the coffee almost drove us crazy, and we began to be afraid that it +would bring the whole village up the hill to us. + +It seems as if every meal that we eat out of doors that way is better +than any which we ever have had before. It grew dark before we had +finished Ma's doughnuts, which we found on opening the bag. As we sat +there we could see lights begin to glow all up and down the valley and +back of us from an occasional farmhouse, up toward Greylock. Stars came +out overhead, and after a little we saw a light in the sky above the +East mountain and knew that in a few minutes the moon would come up. + +After we had eaten all that we wanted, we threw some wood on the coals +to make a little blaze, and then lay around and talked. + +Finally Benny said, "I wish you would tell us a story, Mr. Norton, like +Mr. Baxter did out in Illinois last summer." + +"I am going to tell you a whole lot of stories before we get through +with our meetings," he replied, "but let us discuss this Scout business +a little more first. When you took the Scout's oath and were enrolled +in the Tenderfoot class, you pledged your word of honor that you would +do your duty to God and your country, that you would help other people +at all times, and that you would obey the Scout law. That Scout law is +important. Suppose we talk it over. Gabriel, you are leader, can you +tell us what the first law is?" + +Skinny stood up and folded his arms. + +"A Scout is trustworthy," said he. + +"It is a great thing to be trustworthy; to be dependable," said Mr. +Norton. "In a few years, you boys and others like you will be running +this country and the other countries which make up what we call the +civilized world. To you doubtless that time seems far off. Let me tell +you that it will be here almost before you know it. It seems only +yesterday when I myself was a youngster like you." + +"I'm going on twelve," Benny told him, "and I have begun to grow again." + +"The Band is dependable all right," said Skinny, stabbing around in the +air with his fork. "I mean the patrol is. Bet your life, when they +monkey with the Band they run up against a buzz saw." + +Bill didn't say a word, but he cawed three times; then flapped his arms +and crowed, and ended by standing on his hands and kicking his feet in +the air. Bill didn't have to talk. He could do things that made us know +what he meant, without saying a word. + +"To be dependable," went on Mr. Norton, "means more than to fight for +your rights, or for your country's rights. It means that in all walks of +life you must be ready to 'deliver the goods.' When a Scout gives his +word of honor that settles it. That which he says is true, is true; you +can depend upon it, and he will do exactly what he says he will do. That +is a quality which we greatly need in men as well as in boys, who soon +will be men." + +"Corporal, what is the second law?" + +Bill thought a minute and then said: + +"A Scout is loyal." + +"Right you are. You must be loyal to your country, to your parents, to +your officers, to your employers, when you get to work. Loyalty is a +great thing. It means to stick together. One boy, or one man, alone, +cannot accomplish much. Several working loyally together for a single +object, are a power. You and the Gingham Ground Gang used to have +considerable trouble, didn't you?" + +"We do now," we told him, "except with Jim Donavan. Jim is square and +we'd like to have him join us, but he won't leave the Gang; says it +wouldn't be right." + +"That is the kind of boy we want for a Scout. He is loyal and his honor +is to be trusted. You must help me to organize the Gang, as you call +them, into another patrol. But what I was going to say is this: When you +and the Gang were enemies, which I hope you never will be again, what +would have happened if one of you had ventured alone down near the +gingham mills?" + +"They would have done him up." + +"Exactly. Now suppose the eight of you had stood together, back to back, +shoulder to shoulder, working against a common enemy?" + +"We did once," said Benny, "and they licked us, anyhow, but there were +more of them than there were of us." + +"Bet your life they didn't lick us very bad," put in Skinny. "It was a +snowball fight. They drove us from their hill, but afterward they asked +us to come back and slide with them, and we did. We had a fine time." + +"It seems to me that in that case both sides won a victory. The greatest +victory a boy or man can win is one over himself, over his own passions, +his selfishness and meanness. The greatest enemy that he or his country +can have will be found right inside his own heart. There is where we all +have a fight on hand continually. But, remember, you are Scouts and a +Scout's honor is to be trusted." + +"Benny, what is the next law?" + +"A Scout is helpful." + +"There you have it. The highest type of man is the useful one. There was +once an old philosopher who said that he counted that day lost in which +he did no good deed. A Scout ought to feel the same way. You must try to +do something for somebody every day." + +"They don't have giants and dragons, any more," said Skinny. "I wish +they did; we'd paralyze 'em." + +"Henry, what is the next one?" + +"I am not quite sure whether it comes next or not, but I think it does. +The law says, 'A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other +Scout.' Does that mean that we must be brothers to the Gingham Ground +Gang when they get to be Scouts?" + +"Surely it does. Why not? Your folks may have a little more money than +their folks and not so much as some one else. What of it? There is +something better than money, and that something is manhood. Don't be +snobs, whatever you are." + +"Now, Mr. Secretary, it is your turn." + +"A Scout is courteous," I told him. + +"Politeness is a great thing. If he lives up to his pledge, a Scout will +be courteous, especially in his treatment of women and children who are +younger than he is, and of old people and those who are feeble or +handicapped in some way by being crippled or sick. Don't forget that old +men started as boys and that you boys, if you live, will become old +men. Now for number six." + +"A Scout is kind and a friend to animals," Harry said. + +"And the next?" + +"A Scout is obedient," said Chuck. + +"Now we are getting down to business. The first duty of a soldier is to +obey, and it is so important that he should obey in time of war that a +soldier, or scout, who refused to obey orders would be shot. You are +supposed to obey orders without question. Obey your parents especially. +Obey me as Scoutmaster. Obey your patrol leader; that is your duty as +Scouts. If the order does not suit you, do your kicking afterward, not +before. First deliver the goods; then you will be in a position to +criticise, if necessary." + +"We haven't heard from you, Wallie. Let's have number eight." + +"A Scout is cheerful." + +"That's the idea. Don't grumble or whine. That will never get you +anywhere, or the world anywhere. + +"I want to say a few words about the next law, 'A Scout is thrifty.' +Thrift is of the greatest importance. Save your money. Save your +pennies. Put them in the bank. I think they ought to teach thrift and +the importance of saving in the public schools. It does not mean that +you should be stingy. When you boys worked hard one winter and gave a +purse of money to an unfortunate stranger, you were living up to the +highest ideals of a Scout. It doesn't mean that money is the most +important thing in the world, for it is far from it. But remember this: +a man's first duty to his country is to be self-supporting, and to be +self-supporting in his old age he must be thrifty in his youth. He must +make hay while the sun shines. He must learn to save his money. That is +why a Tenderfoot must have one dollar in the bank before he can become a +Second Class Scout, and a Second Class Scout must have two dollars +before he becomes a First Class Scout. The habit of thrift is very +important. When you grow older and go to work, no matter what you earn, +I want you to save a part of it. + +"There are three more laws," he went on, after a minute, "and they speak +for themselves: 'A Scout is brave,' 'A Scout is clean,' 'A Scout is +reverent.' I need not tell you to be brave in the presence of danger. Do +you understand that sometimes it takes greater courage to stand up for +the right? Keep yourselves clean; not only your bodies but your thought +and speech. And be reverent, boys, toward God, who made old Greylock and +these beautiful hills for you to enjoy." + +When he had finished Skinny started to throw some wood on the fire, but +Mr. Norton stopped him. + +"Never go away," he said, "leaving a fire where it possibly can do any +damage. We'll be going home in a few minutes, and before we go this fire +must be put out. If the wind should come up in the night the flames +might spread into Plunkett's woods." + +We saw in a minute that he was right, and, taking sticks, beat out what +little fire there was; then started down the hill. + +"I'll tell you what I have been thinking," said Mr. Norton, when we +were going through Blackinton's orchard. "We have had so much fun +to-night that I should like to go camping with you boys for a week, some +time this summer. These mountains and woods are just the places for +scouting and we could have a campfire every night. What do you say?" + +"We say yes," said Skinny, "if our folks will let us, and I know they +will." + +"Can we play Indian, Mr. Norton?" asked Benny. + +"We certainly can. I think everybody likes to get out into the woods and +be an Indian once a year. You boys have something to do first, however. +I want every one of you to be able to show a First Class Scout badge." + +"We can do most of the stunts now," I told him, "only we haven't been +seven miles and back." + +The book says that before becoming a First Class Scout a boy must go on +foot to a point seven miles away and return again, and afterward to +write a short account of the trip. It says, too, that it would be +better to go one day and come back the next, and that means to camp out +all night. + +That last was a hard thing to do because our mothers did not want us to +go off that way alone. Mothers always seem to think a boy is going to +get hurt or something. Mr. Norton finally talked them into it, all +except Benny's mother. She wouldn't stand for it. Benny cried, he felt +so badly about it. + +"Do it in one day, then," Mr. Norton told him. "Remember that the law +says for you to obey your parents without question. That is more +important than to do the stunt." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +A FOURTEEN-MILE HIKE + + +SCHOOL let out Thursday, June 22, and it had seemed to us as if the day +never would come. Not that we don't like school because we +do--sometimes; but when the sap drips from the maples and bees buzz +around the pussywillows on the river bank and all the trees take on a +different look, as if there was going to be something doing right away, +then the time has come for us to get out our marbles and tops and to fix +up the cave for the summer. + +Pretty soon the buds begin to throw off their overcoats, and Bob's Hill +grows green again in the warm sunshine; the woods are bright with wild +flowers, and the songs of birds and smell of spring fill the air. + +Then the mountains and hills tease us away from our books, when we look +out of the window. The river, all swelled up with joy and melting +snows, shouts for us to come on, every time we cross the bridge. On +Saturdays the brook at Peck's Falls, grown big and noisy, roars out a +welcome and tries to say how glad it is to have us back at the cave +again. + +Say, how can a boy sit quiet in school when all those things are going +on? + +Last day finally came. It always does, no matter how slowly the time +seems to pass. The very next morning the Ravens met to do the final +stunts that would make us First Class Scouts. + +For more than a week we had thought of little except the fourteen-mile +hike. It took several meetings before we could decide where to go. Our +first idea was to tramp up into the mountains somewhere, but that scared +our folks and we had to give it up. + +"It isn't as if you were all going together," said Pa. "In that case, if +one should get hurt the others could take care of him and go for help. +If one of you alone should break your leg on the mountain we might never +be able to find you. I think you'd better stick to civilization and the +beaten paths. You are not mollie-coddles and probably would come out all +right, anyhow. At the same time, I should sleep better nights if I knew +that my boy wasn't off on the mountain somewhere, alone." + +That left us only two directions to go, north and south, because on the +east and west there are mountains and the valley between is narrow. +South near Cheshire Harbor it narrows down so much that there is room +only for a wagon road, the river, and the railroad, side by side, but +there is another road part way up the hill on the east. + +On that account we decided that all should not go on the hike the same +day, but to go four at a time, each taking a different road. There are +two roads leading north to North Adams, one on each side of the river, +and two leading south. One goes through Maple Grove and Cheshire Harbor +to Cheshire, where a lot of swell folks from New York spend their summer +vacations. The other, as I have said, is part way up the east hill and +goes through a place, called Pumpkin Hook. It's a queer name but we +didn't name it. + +The plan that we finally decided on was for each to follow one road one +day for seven miles; then go up into the hills somewhere to make camp +for the night, and the next day to go back again by the other road. In +that way we should stand a chance of meeting two Scouts some time during +the trip, one on the morning of the second day, when we would be +crossing over to take the other road, and one when the first boys on +their way home would pass the second boys on the way out. + +We drew cuts to see who should be the first four to go. Skinny, Harry, +Wallie, and Bill won the first chance. They were to start the next +morning at seven o'clock sharp from the bridge, two going north and two +south. Hank, Benny, Chuck, and myself were to wait until seven o'clock, +the second day, and then start. When we all had come back, we planned to +meet Mr. Norton and tell him about where we had been and what we had +seen and done. + +Benny and I live nearest to the bridge. My house is only a stone's throw +north of it; Benny's is a little north of mine and on the other side of +Park Street. That made it easy for us to get to the bridge first, but +pretty soon the others began to come. + +"Has anybody seen Skinny?" I asked, looking at Mr. Norton. + +Skinny's house is near Mr. Norton's, and we had thought that maybe they +would come together. + +"I stopped in as I passed," said he. "Mrs. Miller told me that he had +started." + +Just then we heard a caw, sounding from over toward Plunkett's woods +somewhere. It didn't take us long to answer. Then we watched down the +railroad track, where it curves into town between the wooded hillside +and the river. + +We didn't have long to wait. In a few minutes we saw Skinny put his head +out between the trees which line a high bank, fifteen or twenty feet +above the track. He looked carefully in every direction; waved one arm, +when he saw that we were watching, and then dodged back again out of +sight. + +"He's surrounding something," said Bill, giving a caw so loud it must +have almost scared the crows up in the Bellows Pipe. + +"There are only four minutes left before leaving time." + +Mr. Norton was looking at his watch. He had hardly spoken, when, with a +whoop and yell, Skinny slid down the embankment and was running like mad +up the track toward us, waving his hatchet in one hand and swinging a +rope around his head with the other. + +"One minute to spare," said Mr. Norton, smiling as he put his watch back +into his pocket. "That's the way to do it. Be prompt. If you say that +you'll be somewhere at a certain time, be there." + +"Say, Skinny," said Bill, winking at me and giving the Scout salute, +"did you get 'em surrounded?" + +Skinny wouldn't answer, or even look at him except to return the salute. +He pulled out his own watch, held it a moment; then pounded on the +bridge with his hatchet. + +"The meetin' will come to order?" said he. + +As he spoke, the bell on the woolen mill began to ring and we knew that +it was seven o'clock and time to start. + +Quite a little crowd had gathered by that time and there was a cheer +when the boys started, Skinny and Harry marching south on Center Street, +side by side, and Bill and Wallie, north on Park Street. + +Pretty soon their ways branched off. They turned and waved to us; then +were gone. Once after that we heard some crows cawing in the distance, +and a little later I heard Bill yell from somewhere down the river. I +knew that he was doing his best, but I hardly could hear him. + +It wasn't easy to wait until the next day, with the other boys gone and +knowing that we should have to do it, too, in the morning. + +Pa said that maybe the time would pass more quickly if I'd hoe in the +garden a spell, but it didn't seem to make any difference. My mind was +following the boys, especially Skinny, on his long walk over a hilly +road to Pumpkin Hook. + +"Scout's law says that we must be useful and help others," he had told +us, "and, bet your life, I am going to do things." + +"Maybe," said he, after a minute, "I can rescue some fair damsel in +distress, like the knights used to do, even if there ain't any dragons +now-a-days. The road goes too far from the river for me to save anybody +from drowning; unless I come back by the river road." + +In the evening Benny and I sat out on the woodpile, talking about it. We +wondered where the boys were making their camps, if anything would +happen to them and if Skinny had rescued anybody yet. + +That night I dreamed that I was on the way. I met a little, old woman, +going to market, and carried her basket for her. + +"Noble boy," said she. "Because of your kind act I'll change shoes with +you. Mine hurt my feet." + +I didn't like to do it very well because her shoes were old and shabby, +but Scout law says to be courteous. So I thanked her as well as I could +and put them on. + +And, say, they were magic shoes. I got to North Adams in about three +jumps and liked it so well that I went on to Boston. I was just going to +sleep on Boston Common when a big policeman grabbed me by one shoulder +and gave me a shake. + +"Quit!" I said. "A Scout's honor is to be trusted." + +"John! John!" came a voice. "It's time to be up and away." + +I opened my eyes and there was Pa, laughing down at me. + +"You're a pretty Scout," said he. "It's after six o'clock and you have +to start at seven." + +Ma hated to see me go, knowing that I'd be out all night, but Pa didn't +care, or pretended that he didn't. + +"He's all right," he said. "What's going to hurt him, I'd like to know?" + +Before seven o'clock the four of us were at the bridge and, say, we +looked fine in our uniforms. Each one carried a little pan to cook in, +some bacon and other things to eat, and a blanket strapped on his back. +We also carried "first aid to injured" things, to be ready if we should +find somebody getting hurt. + +When the bells rang for seven o'clock we started. This time it was +Benny and I who went north on Park Street, and Hank and Chuck, south. + +"You watch my smoke," whispered Hank to me, when we were ready to start. +"I've got a new invention and I'm going to try it on somebody." + +When we were passing Benny's house Mrs. Wade came out and waved to us. + +"Benny Wade," she shouted, "if you are not home by nine o'clock +to-night, your mother will have a fit." + +I knew from the look on Benny's face how hard it was for him to be +cheerful, when he wanted to stay out all night, like the rest of us. + +"All right, Ma," said he. "Don't worry. I'll come back, if I live." + +"If you live!" I heard her yell; but Benny was turning the corner to +take the east road and in another second was out of sight. + +At first I hardly could believe that I really was on the way. I took Mr. +Norton's message out of my pocket and looked at it, to make sure, +several times. He had given each of us a message to some one at the end +of the line and told us to bring back a receipt or an answer. Mine was +to a man in North Adams. + +The Bob's Hill boys are used to walking. That didn't bother me any. But +somehow this was different from any other walk that I ever had taken. I +suppose it was because it was so important and because I was all alone. + +I walked along at pretty good speed until I had almost reached the +Gingham Grounds. Then I slowed down and kept my eyes open for the Gang, +hoping that I should see Jim Donavan somewhere. Jim was their captain +and one of our best friends, but some of the others had it in for us. + +I had begun to think that I was going to get through all right, without +any trouble, when I saw one of them coming toward me. He was one of the +best fighters in the Gang, too, and he had a dog with him. Jim was +nowhere in sight. + +Isn't it queer what things will come into your head when you are scared? +Pa says that I can't remember twenty-five cents' worth of groceries from +our house to the store; but that is something else. + +I was scared, all right, and wanted to run, because fighting always is +scary until after you get started. Then, all of a sudden, I thought of +something that Pa had once read to me about General Grant. Grant was +marching up a hill once, expecting to find the enemy on the other side +and wanting to run all the time, only he was too proud. Then when he +reached the top, where he could see down into the enemy's camp, he found +that they had been more scared than he was and not so proud, for they +had run away. + +"So," said he, or something like it, "no matter how frightened you are, +or how much you want to run, remember that the other fellow probably is +just as badly scared as you are." + +When I thought of that I braced up and walked along fast, pretending +that I was in a hurry and didn't see him, but keeping one eye on him, +just the same, and the other on a stone which lay in the road, near +where the dog stood whining. The boy was patting his head and trying to +coax him along. + +He pretended that he didn't see me, too, until I was passing. Then he +spoke. + +"Hello, you village guy," said he. + +"Hello, yourself," I said, stopping and edging toward the stone. + +"Where do you think you are going?" + +"North Adams." + +"What for?" + +"Oh, just for fun." + +"Huh!" said he. "Ain't the trains runnin'?" + +"I've got something that's better than trains. It's legs." + +"What's the uniform for?" + +"Anything the matter?" I asked, after I had told him that I was a Boy +Scout, for I could see that he was feeling badly about something. + +"It's my dog," he told me, rubbing his sleeve across his eyes. "Somebody +broke his leg with a stone and I've got to kill him. He's all I have." + +"A Scout should be kind to animals," I said to myself. "A Scout is a +friend to all." "A Scout should be useful." + +Then I answered myself back. + +"What's the use? This ain't any damsel-in-distress business, like Skinny +is going to do. Besides, if I hurry maybe I'll get a chance to signal to +Benny from the turn in the road on ahead." + +"Come on and help me kill him," said he. + +Just then the dog gave such a pitiful whine that I couldn't stand it, +Benny or no Benny. So I took out my bandage. + +"I think I can fix his leg, if you'll help me," I told him. "Get me a +couple of sticks." + +I told him what I wanted, and when he had brought them and I had +whittled them into shape to use as splints, I fitted the broken bones in +place and bandaged the leg, just as Mr. Norton had taught us, while the +boy held the dog. The dog yelped a little, but seemed to know that I was +doing it to help him. + +"It will soon grow together," I said, when I had finished, "and then it +will be almost as good as new." + +It made me feel kind of queer and happy to see how glad he was. The dog +licked my hand, too, and seemed to be trying to say something. I wish +dogs could talk. + +"How did you come to know so much?" he asked. "Is your father a doctor?" + +Then I told him all about the Scouts and our hike and what Mr. Norton +had said about wanting the Gang to join. + +"Bully!" said he. "We'll do it. The others went up on the mountain this +morning after berries. I'd have gone, too, only for the dog. But I'll +tell them when they get home to-night." + +"Say," I called out, after I had started on. "You know Benny Wade, don't +you?" + +"The kid what always goes around with youse?" + +I nodded. + +"Yes, I know him when I see him. Why?" + +"He'll come through here this evening some time, on his way back from +North Adams. Let him look at the dog and see if he is all right. He +knows as much about those things as I do. Bill Wilson ought to be along +some time during the day on his way back. He started yesterday. Say, you +ought to see Bill do up a leg." + +Nothing happened after that, although I kept close watch of the river, +hoping that I might find somebody drowning. Some boys were in swimming +at one place, but they were not drowning nor anywhere near it. + +I could have reached North Adams easily long before noon, if I had +wanted to, but I had all day to do it in, so loafed along, expecting to +meet Bill every minute. I rested in the shade whenever I felt like it. +But although I did a lot of cawing every few minutes and kept a sharp +look-out, I didn't see Bill, and I didn't hear him, which I couldn't +understand, unless he had taken the east road home to keep away from the +Gingham Grounds. + +At noon I went down by the river, cut a pole, and fished a little, +although I didn't catch anything. I didn't build a fire and cook because +I had a good lunch in my pack. It seemed sort of lonesome, being there +so far away and knowing I couldn't go home when night came. + +After a long rest I walked on until I came to a bridge, and then, +feeling sure Benny must be in North Adams by that time, I crossed over +to the east road, where I knew some folks, and went up into the hills to +where Hoosac Tunnel begins. It was fun to see the trains dart in and out +of that great hole which reaches four miles through the mountain, and I +sat there a long time watching. + +Four o'clock came before I found my man in North Adams and delivered the +message. By that time I was tired enough to go into camp for the night. +He smiled when he saw me coming in my Scout uniform. + +"This letter," said he, when he had read it, "says for me to buy you a +life size ice cream soda? Do you want it?" + +There isn't anything in Scout law, is there, which says a Scout mustn't +eat ice cream soda? And the tireder and hotter you are the better it +tastes, doesn't it? I guess yes. Only I wished that Benny was there, +eating one with me. + +That night I camped on the bank of a brook, part way up the mountain and +a mile or more beyond the city. The water was clear as crystal and +seemed kind of company, for it gurgled as it poured over the stones, +making music that was great. + +I hardly could wait to build a fire and fry my bacon, I was so hungry. +But what is the use of carrying bacon and a pan seven miles, unless you +fry the stuff after you get there? I tell you it tasted good and so did +the wild strawberries that I picked afterward for dessert. + +But when it began to grow dark and lights shone out down in the city and +in the sky above, and queer sounds came from the mountain and woods back +of me, I'd have given fifteen cents to have been at home, or at any +rate, to have had somebody with me. + +After a while I heard a voice say: + +"A Scout should smile and look pleasant." + +"Who--who--is that talking?" I asked. + +"It's your friend, the brook," came back the answer, in a sweet, gurgly +voice. "I'm a Scout, too. Hear me sing." + +"So am I," came the deep voice of the mountain back of me. "A Scout +should be brave. Sleep, my brother. I'll watch over you." + +"So are we Scouts," came in whisperings from every side, through the +darkness, and I knew that the trees were talking to me. "We'll take care +of you." + +Then I grew brave all in a minute and started up to go to them. As I did +so, the darkness fled, leaving me there lying on the ground in broad +daylight, while the brook sang its loudest and all the trees waved +good-morning. Would you believe it? I had slept all night long and +dreamed that about the brook and the mountain. + +On the way home, I came in sight of the houses of the village before ten +o'clock, tired but happy because I had done the last test and now could +be a First Class Scout. + +Benny met me outside the village, and he looked scared when he saw that +I was alone. + +"Have you seen Bill Wilson?" he shouted, as soon as he could make me +hear. + +"I missed him somewhere," I called. "He must have come back by the east +road. Why? What's the matter?" + +He already was hurrying home so fast that I hardly could catch up with +him. As he ran he shouted back over his shoulder something that set my +heart to beating and made me forget how tired I was. + +"Bill hasn't come back." + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +"BILL HASN'T COME BACK" + + +ALL it meant to say that Bill hadn't come back did not come over me +until I found myself hurrying after Benny down Park Street. Bill had +left home on the morning of the second day before, intending to camp out +one night and come back the next day. Two nights had passed and he was +still away. What had become of him? + +I hurried along faster and faster, thinking of all the things that might +have happened. Mr. Norton and Bill's folks reached the house almost as +soon as I did. I don't know how they found out that I had come back. + +Bill's folks were nearly crazy about him. The first night out, they +expected him to be away, of course, and so did not worry much. When +dinner time came the next day and he hadn't showed up, they began to +wonder what was keeping him, for the other boys who had started at the +same time were home. + +When night came again and he still was away, they began to grow very +anxious and sent for Mr. Norton. + +"I can't understand it," said he. "I supposed that he had come home long +ago, and have been too busy to find out. The other three are back, I +understand." + +"Yes, they came back in time for dinner." + +"I am surprised that William is still out, but do not feel alarmed, Mrs. +Wilson. Something has detained him, but it cannot be anything serious. +Both roads to North Adams are well traveled and the farmhouses are near +together. As likely as not he stopped to help somebody out of a +difficulty and it has taken longer than he expected. One of our laws, +you know, says that a Scout's duty is to be useful and to do somebody a +good turn every day. I'll run over and talk with Wallace. They started +together and may have met when they crossed over from one road to the +other." + +Mr. Norton was more anxious than he pretended. Wallie said that he +hadn't seen him and hadn't heard him, which was worse, for Bill usually +could be heard a long way off. Wallie said that he had called to him +every few rods when crossing over to the west road beyond North Adams +but hadn't heard a thing. It would have been easy for them to miss each +other, unless they happened to take the same crossroad. + +"I might get track of him in North Adams," said Mr. Norton, after a +little. "You see, I gave him a message to deliver to a friend of mine +there. He surely will know something about him, but he hasn't a +telephone and I think is out of town to-day, anyhow. Maybe I'd better +drive up. The boy probably will get back before I do, but it will make +me feel better to be doing something." + +By that time everybody was getting scared. I mean all our folks were. +Mrs. Wade was sure that Benny never would come home again, although it +wasn't quite nine o'clock, the time when he said he would come. + +Mrs. Wade is all right most of the time, only she can think of more +trouble for Benny to get into than he could find in a week, if he +looked for it. Mothers are often that way. I guess it is because they +like us so well. + + * * * * * + +"He said he would come back, if he lived. Those were his last words. And +he hasn't come." + +She told that to Ma, over and over again. + +"He'll come back all right," said Ma, "and so will John, when the time +comes." + +But she was worried about me, just the same, all on account of Bill. Of +course, I didn't know about it at the time. I found out afterward. + +No one ever made better time driving the six miles to North Adams than +Mr. Norton did that night. Just outside the village he met Benny, coming +on a run, and stopped long enough to ask him if he had seen Bill. + +"No," said he. "I missed him. The Gang held me up at the Gingham Ground +and almost made me late. I told Ma that I would be home by nine o'clock +if I lived. I'm 'most dead, but guess I can hold out until I get there. +She'll be having a fit pretty soon if I don't hurry. What time is it, +anyhow?" + +Mr. Norton whipped up his horse before Benny finished. + +"William hasn't come back!" he shouted over his shoulder, just as Benny +called to me in almost the same place. Then he tore down the road toward +the Gingham Ground. + +It was after midnight when he came back. There was a light burning in +our house and he stopped. + +"He has not been there!" was all that he could say, when Pa met him at +the door. + +"Hasn't been there!" + +"No, I found Jenks, to whom I had sent the message, and he said that he +had seen nothing of him, although he had been expecting him. You see, I +told him that the boy was coming. The message has not been delivered." + +"Mr. Smith," he went on, after a moment, "I can't face Mrs. Wilson with +that news. You go to her, while I get the marshal started and see if +something cannot be done. I tell you something has happened. I am +convinced of that. Young Wilson would have delivered that message if he +possibly could have reached the place, and it would have taken a great +deal to stop him. There isn't a yellow streak in that boy anywhere." + +"Did you make any inquiries?" + +"Yes, I stopped at every house along the road where there was a light +burning. Not a person had seen him, although several had seen your boy +on the way out. At North Adams I notified the police, but I don't know +what they can do." + +"I'll go to Mrs. Wilson right away," Pa told him. "This certainly is bad +business, but we can't do much until morning. As soon as it is daylight +we'll send out a search party. There are only two roads, unless he went +up through the Notch, which is not at all probable. It ought not to be a +difficult matter to get some trace of him." + +"I'll tell you where he is," he went on, after thinking a minute. "He +met my John and went back to camp all night with him. They will come +home together to-morrow; you see if they don't. John is a pretty safe +boy. He's full of pranks, like the others, but he is more cautious. +He'll come home all right and bring Bill with him." + +Mr. Norton shook his head. + +"I sincerely hope so," he said, "but it is not at all probable. Mr. +Smith, I never will forgive myself if anything has happened to that +boy." + +"You are not to blame at all," Pa told him. "Depend upon it, if anything +has happened, and we don't know that there has, the boy himself is to +blame. He is a fine lad, but is a little reckless and thoughtless at +times. Cheer up. It might be a lot worse. Now, if the boys had gone up +into the mountains as they talked of doing at first, there would be real +cause for worry." + +That was why Benny waited for me outside the village the next day, and +why Mr. Norton and Mr. and Mrs. Wilson met me at the house and why +Skinny and the other boys came in a few minutes afterward. + +Mrs. Wilson knew by my face that I had not seen anything of Bill and +burst out crying. + +"There couldn't have anything happened to him, Mrs. Wilson," I told her, +sort of choking up in my throat, myself, because she was feeling so +bad. "I mean anything much. Maybe a tramp locked him up somewhere when +he was asleep, or some gipsies stole him. I saw some gipsies up above +North Adams and they were going west to beat the band. But he'll get +away from them. I'll bet on Bill every time." + +When I spoke of gipsies to make Mrs. Wilson feel better it seemed to +scare her worse than ever. + +"Nonsense!" said Pa. "Gipsies don't go around stealing thirteen-year-old +boys, who can make as much noise as Bill can." + +"Well, I saw some, anyhow," I told him. + +Just then Skinny jumped out in front of the rest of us, with his eyes +shining and his cheeks redder than I ever had seen them before, and +stood there with his arms folded, like a bandit, or a Scout, I don't +know which. + +"Fellers," said he, "Scouts, I mean. We got Bill into this scrape and we +will get him out again. This is a job for us, not for the police. If +anybody can find Bill, bet your life we can. We know the call of the +Ravens. We know the signs and we know Bill better than his own folks +know him. We'll track him. We'll follow him to the ends of the earth. +Will you go with me?" + +We sprang up with a cheer, forgetting how tired we were, those of us who +had just come home from the long walk. + +"Everybody scatter and look for signs." + +"Wait a minute, boys," said Ma. "It's almost dinner time. You must not +start without something to eat. There is no telling when you will get +back. Let me give you a bite in the kitchen first." + +That was just like Ma. We saw in a minute it was the thing to do and +hurried in for a quick lunch. + +"The boy is right," we heard Pa saying. "They'll find him, depend upon +it. I never knew those boys to get into a scrape yet that they couldn't +pull out of. But it won't hurt if the rest of us look around a little, +too." + +"Who saw him last?" asked Skinny, after we had started. + +"I did," said Wallie. "We walked together until I turned off to take +the east road. He kept straight on toward the Gingham Ground and I heard +him yell some time afterward." + +"You don't suppose that the Gang got after him, do you, and locked him +up or something?" + +"I'll bet that's what they did," said Benny. "That is just what +happened. They got after me, too. I was scared half to death and didn't +want to go through the Grounds, but it was getting late and I knew that +Ma would be worried, so I braced up and started through on a run. In a +minute two of them ran out and grabbed me by the collar." + +"'It's one of them village kids,' said one of them. 'Let's call the Gang +and duck him. He needs it to cool off.' + +"Then he whistled and a lot of the others came and they hustled me down +to the river. Gee, I was mad and I was scared. Then, just as I had about +given up, another boy came chasing after us. + +"'Is this Benny Wade?' said he. + +"'It's all that is left of me,' I told him. + +"With that he jumped in and took hold of me. + +"'Youse ain't a goin' to duck this kid,' said he, 'unless you duck me +along with him. His partner came through here this morning and fixed my +dog's broken leg and he told me to watch out for Benny Wade and have him +look at the bandage, to see if it was all right. Now, kid, you come +along with me and look at my dog.' + +"'Duck 'em both,' said some one. + +"I guess maybe they would have done it, too, if Jim Donavan hadn't come +along just in time." + +"Maybe it was Bill who fixed up the dog," said Hank. + +"No, I did it," I told them. + +We had been walking along while Benny was talking. What he said +surprised us some and would have made us mad at any other time. Benny +had been so worried about Bill that he hadn't said anything about +himself before, and neither had any of us. + +"The first thing to do," said Skinny, "is to go to Jim's house and start +from there. If Bill went through the Gingham Ground I'll bet that some +of the Gang saw him." + +The place which we call the Gingham Ground is a settlement near some +big gingham mills. There are two long rows of brick tenement houses with +a street between. We knew that Skinny was right, because Bill would have +had to walk down that street between the rows of houses, and some one +would have been sure to see him. He might have stopped at Jim's, or, +anyhow, would have called to him when he passed. + +It didn't take us long to get there, and as we came near we could see +the Gang getting together. You see, they thought we were after them on +account of what they had done to Benny. + +We didn't pay much attention to them but went straight to Jim's house +and found him eating dinner. He was surprised to see us and was glad. + +"Wait until I call the Gang," said he, after we had told him about Bill. + +In a few minutes they had all come up, as friendly as could be when they +found out that we were not looking for a fight. + +Not one of them had seen Bill. They all knew him and they felt sure that +if he had gone through in daylight some of them would have seen him. + +"I'll tell you what we'd better do," said Jim, finally. "I don't believe +that he came this way, but, to make sure, the Gang will work north from +here and ask at every house. You go back and look between here and the +village. If he left there and didn't get as far as this, then he must +have turned off somewhere." + +We went back, stopping at every house we came to, on each side of the +road. We couldn't find a person who remembered having seen him or any +one like him. You see, if he passed at all, it must have been soon after +seven o'clock in the morning. The men had gone to work in the mills and +the women were busy in the back parts of the houses. + +Then we started back again, not knowing what to do next. There was one +house, larger than the others, which we had not visited, because it +stood high above the road on a hillside and could be reached only by a +long driveway. It was about halfway between the Gingham Ground and our +house in the village. We couldn't think of anything else to do, so we +went up there. + +"I don't remember seeing any one," said the lady who met us at the +door. "Of course, there are boys passing at all hours of the day. I +might have seen him." + +We looked at Skinny in despair. + +"This one," said he, "was probably making a noise. Maybe he was cawing +like a crow." + +"I saw him, Mama," shouted a little girl, who had come up and stood +listening. "I saw a boy go past, making an awful racket, and it sounded +something like a crow." + +"Was he carrying anything?" I asked. + +"Yes, he had a rolled-up blanket on his back. I remember thinking he +looked funny and wondering what he was going to do with it. Oh, yes, he +had on a uniform, too." + +"It was Bill, all right," said Skinny. "We've struck the trail at last." + +We went down to the road and talked it over. + +"He passed here," said Skinny, "on time and going north, and he didn't +pass through the Gingham Ground. We feel sure of that much. He must have +turned off somewhere in the next half-mile." + +"We know something else," I told him. "He couldn't have turned east, +because the river is in the way and there isn't any bridge." + +We made up our minds to separate, one party to work north from where we +were standing; one to work south from the Gingham Ground, and the others +to work in between, to see if we could find where he had left the road. + +"Look for a sign," said Skinny, "and look on the west side. There isn't +much chance for finding footprints." + +Hank was the one who found it. We heard him yell and went to him on a +run. + +He came out to the roadside and waited for us, waving his hat in the +air, he was so excited; then, when we had come up, took us back from the +road through a sort of lane, which pretty soon turned south and wound +off through the woods. + +Just at the turn stood a big stone, out of sight from the road. That is +why we had not seen it before. On the stone was something which set us +all yelling. + +It was a circle and in the circle was the picture of a crow and there +was an arrow. It was the Scout sign for "I took this path." The crow +meant that whoever drew the sign belonged to Raven Patrol. We knew then +that it was Bill. + +"We've got him," shouted Skinny. "He went through this way so as not to +meet the Gang." + +It did look like that, but although we examined every inch of the way +between there and the Gingham Ground, we couldn't find another sign of +any kind. And we couldn't understand why he had not delivered the +message to Mr. Jenks and come back home. + +Sorrowfully we made our way out to the sign again and sat down to rest +and talk about what to do next. + +"Guess what!" said Benny, after a little. "That arrow doesn't point +toward the Gingham Ground at all. It points straight back from the road. +Let's go that way and see." + +There didn't seem to be much use in doing it, but we had to do +something. + +"Come on," said Skinny, springing up. "He is somewhere; that's a cinch, +and we know that he was all right when he drew that sign." + +We hurried along and soon struck a little path, up which we ran as fast +as we could, for it was growing late. + +"Look for another sign," warned Skinny. "Scouts and Injuns always mark +the paths they take." + +"Hurrah, here it is!" he shouted, a little farther on. + +When we had come up, he pointed to a stone, which had been placed in the +middle of the path, with a smaller stone on top of it. It was the Indian +sign for "This is the trail." + +We couldn't understand it, for it was leading away from North Adams. + +We hurried on, calling every now and then, but not a sound could we +hear, except the birds and squirrels, and not another sign or track +could we find. + +All that time we were going uphill and away from North Adams. At last, +we came out of the woods on top of the hill, where we could see up and +down the valley, and Greylock over beyond. Feeling too disappointed to +speak we threw ourselves down on the grass. + +Suddenly Skinny gave a yell and we thought for a moment that he had gone +crazy. + +"Look! Look! Look there!" he shouted, pointing back at the mountain. + +We looked; then, when the full meaning of what we saw came to us, grew +as excited as he was, threw our hats in the air, and danced around and +cheered ourselves hoarse. + +From the very top of Greylock, two columns of smoke were going almost +straight up, for there happened to be no wind to speak of. If it was +Bill, and we felt sure that it was, those two columns of smoke meant: + +"I have lost the camp. Help." + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +SMOKE SIGNALS ON THE MOUNTAIN + + +BEFORE Bill started on his trip he made up his mind that he would walk +farther and do a bigger stunt than any of us. When Bill Wilson is for +anything, he is for it. There is no halfway doings with him. He didn't +take to the Scout business very well at first because he didn't know +much about it and thought that Indians or bandits would be better. But +as soon as he had joined he cared more than anybody. + +Trying to do more than the other Scouts did was what got him into +trouble. He started for North Adams, the same as Wallie, Benny, and +myself, and he took with him a message for Mr. Jenks, as I have said. +But a seven-mile walk and back again the next day was not good enough +for Bill. He made up his mind that he would deliver the message first +and then go on as far as Williamstown and stay all night there. + +Williamstown is five or six miles west of North Adams. There is a big +college there, called Williams College. I guess it was the name that +made Bill think of going there. + +Our valley runs north and south until it gets to North Adams and then +turns west. Hoosac River turns with it. After flowing north all the +time, which everybody knows is no way for a river to flow, it turns +west, and so finally reaches the Hudson. Then, of course, its waters +flow south in the Hudson and at last reach the Atlantic Ocean at New +York. + +After Bill had left Wallie the first morning of his trip, he walked +along lively, knowing that he had a long way to go to Williamstown, and +he did a lot of cawing on the road, just as Skinny thought. Nothing +happened to him at all until he found himself almost to the Gingham +Ground. Then he saw five or six members of the Gang playing ball near +where he would pass. + +That made him stop. Bill is brave, all right, but what is the good of +being brave when they are six to your one, and the whole six have it in +for you? + +That is what Bill thought, anyhow, and he started to leave the road and +try to work around out of sight through the woods and fields. Then he +thought of something to do, which scared him at first, but the more he +thought about it, the more he wanted to do it. + +Hoosac Valley, as I have said, swings off toward the west at North +Adams. That brings Williamstown on the opposite side of Greylock from +where we live. + +We found that out once when we went up on the mountain and came near +getting lost, which you know if you have read about the doings of the +Band. Almost straight down in front of us, on the east, was our village, +with Bob's Hill back of it, looking flat and not like a hill at all. We +could tell that it was Bob's Hill because we could see the twin stones, +standing there like tiny thimbles on a table. Looking north, we could +see North Adams; looking south, Cheshire, and on the west side of the +mountain and a little north, was Williamstown. + +Bill thought of that when he was wondering how he could pass the +Gingham Ground without the Gang's seeing him. + +"What's the use of going that way at all?" he said to himself. "What's +the matter with going straight back over the hills, climbing Greylock, +and then, after seeing exactly where Williamstown is, making a bee line +for it? I can deliver the message on the way back." + +Say, that would be a great stunt! We are going to do it some time, when +we get bigger and our folks get over being scared. + +He wanted to prove to us that he had done it; so made signs at different +places on the way, beginning where he turned off the road. We struck the +trail at the second sign. + +Bill can beat us all climbing and he went along fast, having a lot of +fun all by himself. There is a path which leads up on Greylock from the +Gingham Ground; he followed that. + +Before he had gone far he found a couple of bottles, which some one had +thrown away, and he hung those around his neck with a string. He took +them both so that one would balance the other. You see, he knew that +there was no water on Greylock. It has to be carried there from some +spring part way up. The day was hot, and he was thirsty, already. + +When the sun grew hotter he took it easy along, picking berries and +lying around in the shade. He didn't get to the spring, where he was +going to fill his bottles, until almost noon. After that there was a +hard climb to get to the top, as steep as Bob's Hill, maybe steeper in +places. + +He stopped at the spring to rest and eat his lunch; also to fix some +signs. + +At last he stood on the very top of Greylock, which, as you probably +know, is the highest mountain in the State of Massachusetts, and it has +all kinds of mountains. Our geography says that it is 3,505 feet high. +Those last five feet seemed a mile to Bill, and they would to you, if +you were climbing the mountain on a hot day, with a pack on your back +and two bottles of water hanging from your neck. + +I guess there never had been so much cawing on the top of Greylock as +when Bill stood there, after his hard climb, looking down on the hills, +which did not seem like hills, he was so much higher. + +The air was so clear that Williamstown seemed close. So, after resting a +few minutes and drawing the sign on a flat rock to show which way he had +gone, he started down the west side of the mountain on a run, whooping +and yelling like an Indian at every jump. + +Then, just as he was thinking how easy it was and what fun he would have +bragging to us boys about what he had done, he caught his foot in a root +or something, fell headlong, rolled down until he struck a tree; then +lay still. + +How long he had lain there, when he finally came to life again, he +couldn't tell. At first he didn't know where he was or what had +happened. Then he remembered and tried to get on his feet and go on. + +With a cry of pain, he sank back again. He had sprained his ankle and +hardly could move it without yelling. + +When Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked on an island he wrote on a piece +of paper the good things and the bad things that had happened to him. To +start with, he wrote on one side, "I am shipwrecked on an island," or +something like that, and on the other, "but I am alive." + +Bill did the same, only he didn't write it. He thought it. + +"I've busted my ankle," he said to himself, "but I didn't break my +bottles or spill my water. + +"I can't walk a step, but I can yell to beat the band. + +"I can't get to Williamstown and I can't get home, but I have something +to eat in my pack and plenty of matches in my pocket. + +"Nobody knows where I am, but----" + +That last "but" was to much for Bill. He couldn't find anything to go +with it, for he began to think of what Pa had told us, that if a person +should get hurt on the mountain he might die there and not be found for +weeks or years. His ankle was aching fearfully, too. + +He tried yelling for a while and Bill is the best yeller that I ever saw +or heard. + +"Help! Help!" he cried. "HELP!" + +He might as well have saved his breath for all the good it did. + +Then he lay still for a long time, trying to think what to do. That was +what Mr. Norton had told us. + +"If anything happens," said he, "don't lose your heads. Think it over +calmly. Decide what is best to do and then do it." + +"I'm a Scout," said Bill to himself, "and, bet your life, I ain't a +going to stay here and die on no mountain." + +He took off his shoe and stocking and bathed his ankle in water from one +of the bottles--not much water because he couldn't spare it, and he took +a little sip himself. Then he thought of his "first aid to the injured" +package. + +"What's the matter with bandaging myself?" said he. "It will be good +practice." + +When he had finished and had rested a few minutes, he found that his +ankle did not hurt him quite so much and that he could move around a +little, if he didn't bear any weight on it. + +He thought at first that he would crawl on his hands and knees to +Williamstown, or until he came to some house, but when he tried he found +that he couldn't do it. + +"I'll tell you what I can do," he said at last, because he liked to hear +somebody talking, even if it was only himself. "Maybe I can crawl back +to the top of Greylock. Nobody ever would find me here and folks +sometimes go up there." + +The Boy Scouts of Raven Patrol think that it took grit to crawl up the +steep and rough mountainside, with his ankle hurting at every move so +badly that it made him feel faint. + +It wasn't far to the top, but Bill thought he never would get there, he +had to stop so many times to rest and wait for the pain to go away. An +hour or more passed before he finally crawled out into the clearing, +with nothing but the blue sky above him. + +It was then getting late in the afternoon. Skinny was at Pumpkin Hook by +that time, probably surrounding the enemy. Wallie was somewhere in +North Adams or beyond. I was hoeing the garden at the very foot of +Greylock, little thinking that Bill was in so much trouble on top. + +The summit of Greylock is almost level and is not very large. On the +east side Bill saw a lot of brush which somebody had cut and piled up, +probably to make a big fire; then for some reason had not lighted it. + +He crawled over to that after the sun went down, built a little fire, +and cooked a small piece of bacon for his supper, which he ate with a +piece of bread and butter. It tasted good, but it made him thirsty and +he didn't dare drink much water. + +Then, being tired out and more comfortable, he said his prayer and +repeated all of the Scout laws, from being loyal to being reverent, +wondering what good it was doing him to have two dollars in the bank +down in the village, and went to sleep. + +When he awoke it was broad daylight. Benny and I were just starting on +our hikes, down in Park Street, but he couldn't see us, Bob's Hill being +in the way. By standing upon his one good foot, he could see the +village down below, and thought he could make out the very house he +lived in. He was as hungry as a bear and his ankle seemed a little +better, although it was still swollen so much that he couldn't get his +shoe on and he couldn't step on the foot. + +He had plenty of food for breakfast, but he didn't know how many meals +he would need before he could get away; so he ate only a little and +waited, hoping every minute that somebody would come up on the mountain +and find him. + +When the day at last dragged around and the sun was going down again in +Hudson River, Bill knew that he would have to spend another night on the +mountain and he felt pretty bad. + +There were only a few mouthfuls of food left. One bottle of water was +all gone and the other nearly so. He knew that by that time his folks +would feel sure that something had happened and would begin to look for +him. That was some comfort. + +Far down below, lights shone out from the houses, one by one. Down there +was his home. One of those lights was shining out of his window, +shining for him, while his mother sat and waited--waited for her boy who +never would come back again. + +He sobbed aloud and stretched out his hands into the darkness. + +"Mother, mother," he whispered, "I wish I hadn't come." + +When he awoke in the morning he was frightened to find that the little +food which he had saved for his breakfast was gone. Some animal had +stolen it in the night. + +His ankle was still badly swollen but it did not pain him so much except +when he tried to stand on it. + +He was hungry and looked around for something that he could eat. A +little below the edge of the mountain stood a birch tree. He dragged +himself down to it and cut off long strips of the bark. This he chewed +for his breakfast, washing it down with a few sips of water, which +seemed hardly to wet his parched throat. + +"I'll crawl down to the spring, if I can, and die there," he thought. +"Maybe they will find me sometime." + +Then, as he was starting, something came to him. + +Smoke signals! Perhaps one of the Scouts would see them and know what +they meant. + +He was too weak and lame to spell out a message, like we did on Bob's +Hill. Instead, he built two fires, throwing on grass and leaves to make +a thick smoke. There was no wind and the smoke went straight up. That +was one of the signals, which Mr. Norton had taught us. It meant: + +"I have lost the camp. Help." + +He hadn't lost any camp, of course, but he didn't know what else to +send. He hoped it would let us know where he was and that something had +happened. + +All day long he tended his fires, his ankle aching horribly because he +had to move around so much. Between times he sat on the mountain, +looking down at Bob's Hill and Plunkett's woods and the village beyond, +chewing birch bark and moistening his lips with the few drops of warm +water that were left. + +Late that afternoon he gave up and made up his mind that he would crawl +down to the spring before dark and die there, he was so thirsty. He +turned to look down at his home, perhaps for the last time, and to see +Bob's Hill once more. + +There were Plunkett's woods, and there, the twin stones, like thimbles, +they were so far away. And there--what was that? + +From the ground close to one of the stones, the one where we build our +fires, a great column of smoke went up and he saw some things moving +around it, like flies or ants, they looked so small. Then the column of +smoke broke into long and short puffs. It was a signal. + +Slowly he spelled the words: + +"I-S, Is; I-T, it; Y-O-U, you; B-I-L-L, Bill?" + +Jumping to his feet, although he almost screamed with pain, Bill grabbed +his blanket and held it down over one of the fires, which was still +sending out a big smoke; then pulled it off. Again and again he sent up +the puffs of smoke. His blanket was blazing; his hands were burned to a +blister; he was almost strangled with the smoke; but Bill kept on, +until he had spelled out something which could be seen from the top of +Bob's Hill, far below: + + .... H + . E + -- L + ..... P + +Then he fainted away. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +FOUND AT LAST + + +WHEN we saw the smoke signal on Greylock, the first thing we thought of +was to signal back. But Skinny said: + +"Come on. He won't be looking for us here. Bob's Hill is the place. He +can see us there." + +We started on a run across the fields, getting more excited every +minute. + +"I don't see how Bill could lose any camp," exclaimed Benny. + +"And I don't see what he is doing on Greylock when he started for North +Adams," Hank said. + +"Maybe it isn't Bill, at all," I told them. "I've seen smoke on Greylock +more than once." + +"It's Bill all right," Skinny said. "I can almost hear him. We don't +know how he got there, but he's there and he can't get back. Something +has happened." + +"Anyhow, we'll soon find out," we all thought, when we came in sight of +the twin stones. + +"I'll run down home and get a blanket," I told them, "while the rest of +you make a fire." + +Our house is right at the foot of the hill and it didn't take me long. +The old horse blanket which we used in signaling was in the woodshed. I +only stopped long enough to wet it and call to Ma that Bill was up on +Greylock signaling. + +She was almost as excited as I was. + +"Hurry!" said she. "Don't wait for me. I'll come as soon as I can." + +I hadn't thought of waiting for anybody. + +She grabbed a pair of field glasses off the shelf and rushed after me. I +heard her calling to Mrs. Blackinton when she went through the yard and +I had to go some to keep ahead. + +By the time we had climbed the hill, the boys had a big fire going and +were piling on green branches and leaves to make it smoke. Then we +caught hold of the blanket by the corners, ready to shut off the smoke. + +"Ask if it's Bill," Skinny told us, watching the two smokes on the +mountain. + +Then we signaled, "Is it you, Bill?" and repeated it. Before we had +finished the second time Skinny gave a shout. + +"It's Bill," said he. "He's signaling." + +We could see one column of smoke break up into puffs, but couldn't see +very plain because the smoke was so thin and far away. + +"Here, take this glass," said Ma, handing the field glass to Skinny. + +"Hurrah," he cried, after he had looked through them. "I can see real +good." + +Then he held up one hand and we waited while he called off the letters. + +"H-E-L-P." + +That was all. We waited for more but nothing came. + +Before we had turned to go Ma was halfway down the hill and running to +beat the band. I knew that if Bill didn't get help it wouldn't be her +fault. + +"See if you can get hold of Mr. Wilson," she called, as soon as we came +in sight. "I'll telephone his house. If you can't get him, get somebody. +Your father has gone to hitch up and he will be ready to start in a few +minutes." + +In five minutes it seemed as if the whole town knew about it and were +out in front of our house, or else climbing the hill to see the smoke. +Mr. Wilson came on a run and was in the wagon before Pa could stop the +horse. + +"I want one of you boys to go with us," said Pa. "We may need some more +signaling. Benny Wade, you are the lightest. Can you stand the climb?" + +"Can I?" said he. "You watch me." + +The marshal chased up with a light stretcher and another lantern. + +"You can't have too many," he said. "It will be dark before you get up +there." + +Ma came running out with a basket of bread and butter and some meat. + +"We'll light a big fire on the mountain, if all is well," they told +her. + +"The water!" called Skinny. "Pedro, get them a big bottle." + +In another minute they were off, while the others went home to wait, +which is the hardest part. + +I found out afterward what happened. They couldn't drive all the way up +Greylock from our side. There was a road from North Adams and another +from Cheshire but those were too far. + +Pa planned to drive as far as they could and then to leave the horse +tied and walk up the rest of the way. They went around the road by the +Quaker Meeting House to Peck's Falls. From there a road goes part way up +the mountain, steep and winding. It was hard pulling for the horse. + +I don't believe Greylock ever was climbed so fast before, although it +seemed slow enough to poor Bill waiting on top, thirsty and faint. He +knew that his signal had been seen and that was something. + +The first thing that he heard was a call of a crow, over to the south +and far down the mountainside. + +"Caw, caw, caw," came the sound, and it seemed to be Benny's voice. + +Bill stood up on one foot and listened. + +"Caw, caw, caw," it came again, this time nearer. + +Then Bill braced himself and seemed to grow stronger, all in a minute. + +"Caw," he yelled. "Caw, caw!" + +The sound went floating down into the gathering darkness, until it +reached two men and a boy, toiling up the mountainside. + +"That's Bill!" cried Benny. + +"Thank God!" said Mr. Wilson. "He's alive. We know that." + +Twenty minutes later he had Bill in his arms and Benny was building the +biggest fire that had been seen on Greylock since I could remember. We +were watching for it down below and knew that everything was all right. + +"Now," said Pa, "let's have some supper. I don't know about William, but +I feel hungry." + +It was late at night when they finally brought Bill home. Mrs. Wilson +nearly had a fit again when she saw them carrying him into the yard on +a stretcher. + +"Speak to her, son," said his father, "so that she will know you are +alive." + +Bill propped himself up on one elbow and gave such a yell that it scared +the neighbors, and ended with a caw. Then she knew that it was all right +and felt better. + +Skinny was the proudest fellow you ever saw because we had found Bill. +It made him real chesty and we all felt good about it. + +"Say, we're the stuff," said he. "If you don't believe it, watch our +smoke. That's all I've got to say. Hurry up and get well, Bill, so we +can have a meeting and tell about our hikes. I want to see a First Class +Scout badge on my manly bosom." + +We were sitting in Bill's house at the time, to cheer him up a little +because he couldn't go out without a crutch. + +"What's the matter with having the meeting here?" said Bill. "I don't +suppose Mr. Norton will give me a badge because I haven't delivered his +message yet, but I'd like to hear what the rest of you did. I can't get +out for a few days. When I do, I'm going to North Adams and back, if it +takes a whole leg. Believe me." + +"You did more than any of us," Benny told him, "badge or no badge." + +"I guess you won't chase over the mountain the next time," I said. "When +you stick to the roads there don't anything happen." + +"Oh, there don't, don't they?" exclaimed Skinny. "Say, you fellers ought +to have been with me. There was something doing every minute. Ma says +it's a wonder that I'm alive. I've had awfully hard work to keep from +telling about it." + +"Tell us about it now." + +"Not much, you wouldn't be able to sleep to-night. Besides, it might +make Bill's ankle worse." + +"Great snakes!" said Bill. "There ain't anything the matter with me, +only it hurts me to step on my foot. Come on, Skinny. Let's have it." + +"No-p. We've got to have a meetin' first." + +"Suppose that you have your meeting here to-night," said Mrs. Wilson, +who had come into the room in time to hear what we were talking about. +"Willie is a great deal better and I can have him take a nap to brace +him for the story. If you boys will come around after supper you can +meet right in this room, and perhaps, I don't say for sure, perhaps the +neighbors will bring in some ice cream to quiet your nerves and make you +sleep." + +"May we bring Mr. Norton?" I asked. "He is our Scoutmaster and he ought +to be with us when we tell about the doings of the patrol." + +"Surely you can. He is coming, anyway. He sent word this morning that he +would call to-night." + +We met at Skinny's a little before eight o'clock and went over in a +bunch. On the way Skinny told us what to do. + +"When we get to the gate," said he, "let's stop and each one caw three +times." + +"What for?" I asked. "We know that he is there; don't we? Besides Bill +is sick. Maybe we'd better keep quiet." + +"Sick nothin'! He ain't any more sick than I am. He said so himself. +He's hurt his ankle a little, that's all. Ankles can't hear, can they?" + +"Maybe it will cheer him up to hear us," I told him. "He can't get out, +you know. It is hard to be cooped up in the house that way, and Fourth +of July coming." + +"Anyhow," said Benny, "let's not all caw at once. We can take turns and +it will not make so much noise." + +That was what we did, standing just outside the gate, where we could see +a light streaming through an open window in Bill's room. + +Skinny led off with three. I followed, and the others in turn, ending +with Benny. Skinny said that it sounded like the booming of minute guns +in some battle or other, that he read about in a book. + +Say, it surprised the folks living around there. Before we were half +through, they came running out of their houses to see what was going on. +It made us feel proud and we were just going to do it over again, when +we heard Bill cawing in the house and Mrs. Wilson threw the door open +and stood there laughing. + +"I judge by the sound," said she, "that the Ravens have arrived and are +in good voice." + +We found Bill sitting in a big chair, with his foot propped up and his +eyes shining. + +At first we didn't know just how to act, until in a few minutes Mr. +Norton came and then Mrs. Wilson brought in some ice cream and some +clusters of strawberries, with dishes of powdered sugar to dip them +into. + +We knew how to act then, all right, and for a few minutes we were too +busy to talk. + +I am not going to tell what all the Scouts did on that hike. I already +have told what happened to some of us. There didn't much happen to most +of them, anyhow, any more than there did to me. It was different with +Skinny. Something almost always happened to him. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +A MAIDEN IN DISTRESS + + +"FELLERS," Skinny had told us, when we were getting ready to start on +the hike, "you always ought to carry a rope. Something happens every +time when you don't have a rope along." + +"It happens when you do," Benny said. "Anyhow, a rope is too much +bother. A blanket and a frying pan and things like that are all I want +to carry." + +"A rope is the thing, just the same. Didn't I lasso the robber last +summer out on Illinois River, at Starved Rock? How could I lasso +anything without a rope? And didn't we let you down into Horseshoe +Canyon with a rope and pull Alice What's-her-name up again?" + +"Bet your life we did," Bill put in. "You need a rope when you are +camping out or are in a boat on the river, but what good is it in +walking seven miles?" + +"Maybe it is and maybe it isn't; but, just the same, you'll be sorry if +you don't take one along." + +He was right, too, for Bill told us afterward that he would have given a +good deal for a rope when he was sitting on top of Greylock. He didn't +need it for anything, only, he said, it would have been sort of company +for him. + +Skinny was bound to carry a rope. When he marched down Center Street +with it coiled around his shoulders, over his blanket, and with his +tomahawk in his belt, people ran out of the stores to look at him. + +The road that he took is uphill a good part of the way. It goes up +through the foothills of the east mountain and isn't easy walking. We +slide down that road sometimes in winter. When the coasting is good we +can slide nearly a mile, clear into the village; then hitch on to a bob +and ride back again for another. + +There were no bobs for Skinny. It was warm in the sun and he loafed +along, taking it easy and looking for somebody to rescue. Once he +stopped to help a man in a field. Along about ten or eleven o'clock he +began to get hungry and tired. No matter where he looked there didn't +anything happen, so he made up his mind to take a long rest the next +time he came to some good shade, and maybe to cook his dinner. + +A half-mile farther on he came to a real shady spot by the roadside, +under a tree which stood in a corner of a pasture on the other side of a +fence. A tiny stream crossed the road, and ran down through the pasture. + +This was the place he had been looking for and, after drinking, he threw +himself down on the ground and went to sleep. + +He didn't know how long he slept but he felt first rate when he woke up, +only hungrier than ever. Over in the pasture stood a cow with her back +to him, looking at something and growing real excited about it. + +"I wonder what ails the critter," said Skinny to himself. "She looks mad +about something, snorting and shaking her head that way." + +Just then he heard a girl's voice singing. She sang real loud, like boys +whistle sometimes to keep up their courage, when they are half scared. +Then in a few minutes she came in sight, walking across the pasture and +keeping one eye on the cow. + +Skinny hadn't seen her before because the cow had stood in the way. + +"Jerusalem!" said he. "Here's luck. She's got a fire-red sunbonnet and +cows don't like red sunbonnets a little bit." + +On came the girl, singing louder than ever, trying to edge off away from +the cow but not daring to run. + +Skinny could see that the cow was getting madder all the time. He knew +that something was going to happen at last, and he began to uncoil his +rope. + +"Run, you little fool," said he. "Run." + +He meant the girl and not the cow. He said it under his breath so she +wouldn't hear, for he didn't want to lose the chance to do the rescue +act and have something to tell us boys about afterward. + +The girl was scared. Any one with half an eye could have seen that. The +cow hadn't quite made up its mind what to do, and Skinny was beginning +to be afraid that the girl would get across without giving him a chance +to get in his work. Then what did she do but take off her sunbonnet and +swing it around by one string, just to let the cow know that she wasn't +afraid of any animal that walked on four legs. + +She hadn't seen Skinny yet, on account of his being back of the cow. The +cow didn't know he was there, either, until about four seconds +afterward. It knew then, all right. + +Maybe the cow wasn't mad when she saw that red sunbonnet whirling around +in the air. She tore up the sod with her horns, gave a big snort, and +started, head down. + +Say, it was Skinny's busy day about that time. Before the cow could get +fairly going he had crawled under the fence and run up behind, whirling +his lasso around his head. Then he gave a yell like a wild Indian and +threw it. + +I think the yell scared the girl worse than the cow did. Anyhow, between +the cow and the Indian she was scared stiff; just stood there +paralyzed. And she didn't do any more singing. + +If that lasso had caught there would have been a paralyzed cow all +right. Skinny threw it in great shape. It went straight for her horns, +but when he yelled she lifted her head suddenly. The loop struck against +one of the horns, instead of going over it, and then fell off to the +ground. + +"Gee!" groaned Skinny. "Missed!" + +There wasn't time to say anything more, and he knew that he would have +to get mighty busy or there wouldn't be any rescuing done. + +When something happens that way and you have to do something first and +think about it afterward, the mind seems to work like chain lightning. +There was only one thing to do and it didn't take Skinny long to do +that. He dropped the rope, grabbed hold of the cow's tail with both +hands, and dug his feet into the ground. + +"Run!" he yelled. "Run for the fence! I've got her." + +When Bill heard about it he said that it seemed to him as if the cow had +Skinny. Anyhow, she was surprised some and she was mad. She will think +twice next time before she does any chasing, when anybody from Raven +Patrol is around, I guess. + +Skinny had a good hold and she couldn't get away. First she stopped +running and tried to get at whatever it was back of her, with her horns, +chasing herself around in a circle. + +Skinny hung on like a good fellow. He had to. If he had let go once it +would have been all up with him. She never touched him. Every time the +cow stopped, there was a hundred pounds of boy hanging to the end of her +tail. + +It was like playing crack the whip, he told us afterward, "and being the +littlest fellow on the tail end." + +Then for a few moments it was hard to tell which was the cow and which +was Skinny, for she started on a run for the other side of the pasture, +Skinny sliding and bumping behind, and both of them scared half to +death. Skinny was so excited he couldn't think to let go of the tail. + +Hank said that he would have given a quarter if he could have taken a +picture of it with his camera. + +All this didn't take so long as it does to tell about it. The girl had +reached the fence, crawled under, and was yelling for help. + +Just then it seemed to Skinny as if the tail had come off in his hands, +for he went tumbling along, heels over head, until he struck with a jar +that almost loosened his teeth. + +What really happened was that he stumbled on a stone and his hands were +jerked loose. In another minute the cow was out of sight in a hollow. +Skinny scrambled to his feet and went back after the rope, trying not to +limp because he could see the girl looking at him through the fence. + +He felt pretty chesty to think that he had rescued a maiden, only he +didn't know what to do with her, now that he had saved her. + +She spoke first, as he stood there sort of brushing his clothes off. + +"Are you hurt, boy?" + +"What, me?" said Skinny. "Me hurt? Say, didn't you see the critter run +when I got after her?" + +"I should say I did, only I was scared. Wasn't you scared?" + +"I don't scare worth a cent," he told her. "I ain't afraid of any cow +a-livin'. You don't suppose I'd 'a' chased her all over the pasture, if +I'd been scared, do you?" + +"N-no, but----" + +"Say, if my lasso hadn't slipped, there would have been something doing. +It's lucky for you that I got hold of her tail. That's the way to do it. +When you twist a cow's tail, it scares 'em." + +It's just as Hank says, you never can tell what a girl will do. That +girl tried to say something; then choked up and went off into a fit of +laughing that made the tears roll down her cheeks and left her so weak +that she had to hang on to the fence. + +Skinny grinned a little to be polite, but he didn't like it very well. + +"Oh," said she, as soon as she could speak, "it was too--too funny for +anything to see you sailing along behind the cow." + +"It wouldn't have been so funny if the cow had been running toward you, +instead of away from you. You would have laughed out of the other side +of your mouth, I guess." + +She saw that he was mad about it. + +"You mustn't mind my laughing," said she, stuffing her handkerchief into +her mouth. "I can't help it. It's a disease." + +"A disease?" + +"Yes, it's high strikes. When folks have them they can't stop laughing. +They laugh when they ought to cry, maybe." + +"Sounds like a ball game," said Skinny. + +"It's something like that," she told him. "Maybe that isn't it exactly +but it's something. I'm better now." + +"Oh, well, if it's something that ails you, I suppose it's all right. +I'd laugh, too, only I am all out of breath from chasing the cow." + +When he said that the girl burst out laughing again, and Skinny laughed +with her. That made them feel acquainted. + +"I guess I've got 'em, too," said he. "They must be catching. Well, I +must be going now." + +"My name is Mary Richmond," she told him, "I live in Holyoke and I am +visiting over where you see that red barn." + +"Mine is Gabriel Miller. I don't like the name very well. Gabe isn't so +bad. The boys call me Skinny. I live down in the village and I am on a +hike. I guess I'd better be going now." + +"I don't see any." + +"Any what?" + +"What you said you were on, a hike." + +"You will see one in about a minute. I am out for a long walk. I belong +to the Boy Scouts and I've got to walk seven miles, camp out to-night, +and come back to-morrow." + +"My," said she, "you must be hungry--all that walking and--and--chasing +the cow, too." + +"I am," said Skinny, bracing up. "I believe I'll eat my lunch right here +in the shade. Wish you'd stay and eat with me. I can cook some bacon." + +Wasn't that a nervy thing to say? Skinny is brave when he gets started. + +"It would be fine," she told him, "only Ma is expecting me at the house. +She is visiting, too. Wouldn't it be nicer for you to come with me? +They will be glad to see you because you saved me from the cow. I am +awfully hungry and Grandma is the best cook. We're going to have +lemonade. She told me so. Come on, do." + +"Lemonade would taste good," he said, "if I only dast." + +"Huh!" said she, tossing her head. "I thought that you were not afraid +of anything." + +"I ain't of a cow. This is different. Say, that was a swell song you +were singing. I wish I knew it." + +"I'll teach it to you after dinner, if you will come. If you don't +you're a 'fraid cat." + +"All right. I'll go if it kills me." + +Skinny says that he never ate a dinner that tasted any better than that +one did. Mrs. Richmond was scared when she heard about the cow and she +couldn't say enough about how he had saved her little girl from a +terrible death. + +"That wasn't anything," he told her. "Scouts are always doing those +things. I'm going to try to save somebody from drowning when I come back +along the river to-morrow." + +"I'll tell you a better stunt than that," said Mary's grandfather, +winking one eye at the rest of the folks. "Why don't you go up to Savoy +on the east mountain. That would make a walk of about seven miles from +the village. You won't find anybody drowning up there, but several deer +have been seen around there lately." + +"Gee!" said Skinny, his eyes sticking out when he thought of the deer. +"If I only had a gun!" + +"It's against Massachusetts law to shoot deer. That's why they are +getting so common. You have your rope. Maybe you can lasso one. There is +no law against that, I guess." + +"I'll do it," Skinny told him. "Bet your life the boys will be surprised +when they see me bringing home a deer. Maybe I'll get two or three. Mr. +Norton didn't give me a message to anybody, so it won't make any +difference which way I go." + +"Don't get too many. We'd like to save a few. And be careful that some +bear doesn't get you," went on Mr. Richmond, laughing to see how excited +Skinny was. "They are not very common, but once in a while one is seen +on the mountain." + +"How do you get up there?" + +"Go back to Pumpkin Hook. It isn't far, and then follow the road which +turns east. It will take you right to Savoy. You will find a pretty good +road all the way, and you won't have any more trouble than you would +going to Cheshire--unless," he added in a fierce voice that made Skinny +jump, "unless A BEAR GETS YOU!" + +"Now, father, don't scare the boy to death," said Mary's mother. "You +know well enough there are no bears and the road to Savoy is a +well-traveled one." + +"Of course it is, or I shouldn't have suggested his going there. But +there have been bears seen on the Savoy Mountain. I saw one myself, last +year." + +"Huh! I ain't afraid of no bear," put in Skinny, drawing himself up and +looking fierce. "I tracked one once on Bob's Hill. It went up to Peck's +Falls and hid in our cave. We smoked it out. I didn't have a gun or +knife or anything, but I hit it with a snowball." + +You could have hung a hat on Mary's eyes when Skinny told them that. + +"Was it a really and truly bear?" she asked. "And did it stand on its +hind legs like in the circus pictures over at the Hook?" + +"It stood on its hind legs, all right," he told her, "but it wasn't +really a bear. We thought it was. It made tracks in the snow just like +bear's tracks, but when we had smoked it out we found that it wasn't +anything but a man." + +"It was Jake Yost, a foolish feller," he explained, turning to Mr. +Richmond. "He had his boots on the wrong feet and wouldn't change them +back for fear of changing his luck. That was what made his tracks look +like bear's tracks." + +It tickled them to hear about that, but it didn't tickle us boys much +when it happened. It was too scary. + +"If you will stop here on your way back to-morrow," said Mary's grandma, +"we'll give you a nice dinner. I think you will be wanting one about +that time. Mary may walk with you as far as the Hook, if you like, and +show you the road." + +"I think maybe I'd better go along, too, with my gun," said Mr. +Richmond, "on account of the bears." + +"Don't you mind his nonsense," she said. "You run along." + +So off they went together, Skinny with his rope and tomahawk and Mary +with her red sunbonnet, but they kept away from the pasture. + +From Pumpkin Hook Skinny went on alone, up the mountain road, whirling +his tomahawk around his head and every little while pretending to lasso +the enemy, because he knew that Mary was watching him from below. + +Then pretty soon he came to a bend in the road. He turned and waved to +her, and in a minute was out of sight. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +TREED BY A BEAR + + +I AM writing what happened to Skinny as if we found out all about it at +once, which we didn't. He told us some of it the first time, with Bill +sitting up and listening and Mr. Norton asking questions whenever Skinny +began to run down. But every time we saw him after that for several days +he would think of something more to tell, or something a little +different, so that it took a long time before we felt sure that we knew +all about it. + +For instance, he didn't say much at first about Mary Richmond, the +Holyoke girl, except the rescue part. He was afraid that the boys would +make fun of him for walking down the mountain with a girl--but I haven't +told about that yet. I am going to put everything in just when it +happened, so that you can understand it better. + +There didn't much happen, anyhow, while he was going up to Savoy. The +road was steep and winding, and climbing it kept Skinny busy and made +him wish more than once that he had gone in some other direction. + +What Mr. Richmond had said about bears made him nervous. Every time he +saw a stump of a tree, he was sure it was a bear, and every time he came +to a part of the woods where the trees stood very close together and it +looked dark inside, he had to whistle and sing louder than Mary did when +she was afraid of the cow. + +Whenever he felt real scared he would caw like a crow, and that made him +feel almost brave again, for sometimes when you just pretend you are +brave and act as if you are, all of a sudden you get brave. I don't know +why it is but I have noticed it. + +He kept a sharp eye out for deer, for he wanted to bring us one, but he +didn't see a thing all the way up that looked like a wild animal except +a calf, which ran when he threw a stick at it, and the birds, which +don't count. + +It was hot work but the air was fine, and he could see all up and down +Hoosac Valley, and that is worth seeing any time. If he had taken a +spy-glass with him, perhaps he could have seen the other Scouts on the +way to North Adams and Cheshire. + +Once in a while he came to a mountain brook, gurgling and singing over +the stones. Then he would throw himself down to rest and listen to the +pouring water, which we boys think is the sweetest music in all the +world, unless it is the cawing of a crow away off somewhere, on the +mountainside. + +Late in the afternoon he came to Savoy and stopped in a field to cook +himself a good supper. + +That night he slept in a barn, cuddling down in the haymow, where he +could hear some horses stirring in their stalls. They seemed sort of +like company for him, although they couldn't talk any. + +"Were you not afraid up there, all alone?" Mr. Norton asked, when Skinny +was telling about the horses. + +"What, me?" said he. "Anyhow, I wouldn't have been, only there were all +kinds of noises in the night and once I heard something scratching at +the door. I think it was a bear; maybe, two bears." + +"Great snakes!" said Bill, and we all thought so, too. But Skinny waved +one hand, as if that wasn't anything worth mentioning, and went on. + +When morning finally came and the sun shone in through a cobwebby window +across the haymow he slipped out of the barn on the side away from the +house, so that the folks wouldn't see him. + +Just the same, they saw him cooking his breakfast, and were going to set +the dog on him. But when the farmer's wife found out that it was a Boy +Scout and not a tramp she told him to come right into the house and eat +with them. He went, too, because he could smell the breakfast cooking +and it 'most made him crazy. + +"How about it, Mr. Norton?" said Bill. "That makes two meals Skinny had +given to him, not counting the dinner at Richmond's the next day, which +he hasn't told about yet. That makes three. Didn't he have to cook them +himself on account of the Scout business?" + +Before Mr. Norton could answer Skinny spoke up. + +"Aw, g'wan!" said he. "I cooked enough to make up for it, I guess. Why, +I stopped two or three times and cooked something. You don't suppose a +feller can climb mountains without eatin', do you?" + +"I didn't eat much," said Bill with a grin, "but I wanted to." + +"I think Gabriel is right," laughed Mr. Norton. "Besides it sometimes is +harder to work folks for a meal than it is to cook it, yourself." + +"Anyhow," Skinny told him, "I didn't get to Richmond's in time for that +dinner and I paid for those other meals. I rescued the girl the first +time, didn't I? That ought to be good for a dinner. And to pay for my +breakfast I carried in a lot of wood for the farmer's wife. She liked it +so well that she said she would be glad to have me stay to dinner. There +wasn't any chance to do any rescuing in Savoy, so I had to do something +else." + +"That's business!" exclaimed Mr. Norton. "Pay as you go. Gabriel, my +boy, you showed yourself a true Scout and I'm proud of you." + +He reached over and fastened a First Class Scout badge to Skinny's coat. + +"Maybe I am a little ahead of the game," said he, "but Gabriel is leader +and I think that he has earned a badge. This seems to be the +psychological moment to present it." + +Benny spoke up before we could stop him. + +"What's a skological moment?" said he. + +Say, that stumped Mr. Norton. He couldn't tell us. + +"I'd like very much to give you one, William," he went on, after a +little, turning to Bill. "You showed yourself a hero and you have done +everything except the hike. How would it do to give you the badge now, +with the understanding that you will make good on the hike later, when +you get well?" + +Skinny swelled all up when Mr. Norton gave him the badge, and I guess +anybody would. He didn't know what to do or say at first, but in a +minute he came to his senses. He jumped to his feet and gave the Scout +salute. It was great to see him. + +"Fellers," said he, turning to us with his arms folded, while Mr. Norton +looked on, wondering what was going to happen. + +"Who are going to be the best Boy Scouts in America, or England, +either?" + +"We are!" we shouted. + +"Who is the best Scoutmaster that ever happened?" + +"Mr. Norton!" we yelled. + +"Who is great stuff, if he did sprain his ankle on Greylock?" + +"Bill Wilson!" + +"'Tis well. Everybody caw. Now!" + +There was some racket around that room when we turned ourselves loose. +Bill sat there smiling and with his face all flushed up, he was so +tickled over what Mr. Norton and Skinny had said. + +Then Mr. Norton pulled another badge out of his pocket and started to +pin it on Bill's clothes. Bill stopped him. + +"It wouldn't be fair, Mr. Norton," said he. "I started out to do my +hike and I didn't do it. I know that I did something which was harder +but I didn't do that. I wouldn't feel right about wearing the badge +until after I had made good." + +"What do you say, boys?" asked Mr. Norton, his eyes shining because he +was so proud of Bill. + +"Bill's all right," said Hank. "We all know that he can do the stunt and +that he will do it, but he hasn't done it yet." + +Then Benny spoke up. + +"Guess what!" said he. "Let's all wait until Bill gets well and does it, +before getting our badges. Except Skinny; he's got his." + +"Bet your life I'll wait, too," said Skinny. + +He started to take the badge off, but we wouldn't let him. + +"Forget it," said Bill, "and go on with the story. You stopped in an +interesting place. I don't believe much happened, anyhow, except the +cow, and you've told us about that." + +"I don't like to tell the rest. It will make you walk in your sleep and +that will hurt your foot. But I'm willing to risk it if you are." + +You see, when Skinny started toward home from Savoy, he made up his mind +that he would lasso a deer, or know the reason why, because it would +look fine to have one stuffed and standing in front of our cave at +Peck's Falls. So, when he had found a place that looked wild and sort of +scary, he left the road and, getting his rope in shape to throw, made +his way in through the brush, as still as he could, so as not to +frighten the deer away. + +He didn't see any deer, but after a while he found a big patch of wild +strawberries, so thick he couldn't step without tramping on some. That +made him forget all about his deer for 'most an hour. + +Then, all of a sudden, he heard a crackling in the bushes on the other +side of a clearing, and he felt sure that his chance had come. + +Skinny dropped on his hands and knees and crawled toward the sound. It +was slow work because he had to be careful not to make any noise, and he +grew more excited every moment. + +At last he was crouching down behind some big bushes, and on the other +side he could hear the deer real plain, tramping around like a horse. + +"Gee!" thought he. "It's a big one and will look great up by our cave." + +He didn't say it out loud because he knew that although the deer could +not smell him on account of the wind blowing the other way, he would +hear him, unless he was very careful. + +Then, getting the rope ready to throw, with the slip noose working +easily, he parted the bushes gently and crept through. + +There was a great crashing as some big animal broke his way through the +bushes in front of him. Then came a snarl and a growl that made Skinny's +heart almost stop beating. And there he stood, paralyzed, looking +straight into the eyes of a bear! + +It wasn't any Jake Yost with his boots on wrong, either. It was the real +thing, looking as big as the Quaker Meeting House to Skinny, although it +was really only a cub, about half grown. + +I guess the bear wasn't expecting anybody to call, for he stood there, +sort of paralyzed himself, his eyes looking right into Skinny's and one +big paw raised to take another step. + +Skinny gave a howl and started for the nearest tree, one that was too +small for a bear to climb. + +Say, if tree climbing had been one of the Scout stunts, Skinny would +have won two badges. + +It isn't any fun to sit in a tree on a mountain, with a real live bear +sniffing around at the bottom and you both getting hungrier every +minute. + +Skinny knew he was safe as long as he stayed in the tree, but he didn't +dare get down while the bear was in sight, and the cub wouldn't go away +more than a few rods. I guess Skinny looked good to him, he was so fat. + +Dinner time came and went. He was still in the tree and the bear was +still fooling around below. + +Skinny called for help until he was hoarse, but there wasn't anybody +passing at that time of day. Then he began to get mad, and when Skinny +gets mad, look out! + +"You think you're smart," said he, "but old Long Knife will show you a +thing or two." + +First he let down his rope and found that it would reach the ground. +Then he fixed the noose up in good shape, tied the other end around a +limb and waited. + +By and by the bear came smelling around that rope to see what it was, +and that was exactly what Skinny had been waiting for. He leaned down +and tried to swing the noose over the cub's head. The bear didn't know +what to make of it and every time the rope would hit his nose he would +growl and strike it away with his paw. + +Skinny saw that he would have to get closer. He climbed down to a lower +limb; then held on with one hand, swung out over the bear, and tried to +lasso him with the other. + +He almost did it, too, but just as he leaned still farther down, all of +a sudden there was a cracking noise and the limb broke. + +With an awful scream of despair, Skinny fell. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAR + + +THE Band, I mean the Ravens, don't know so very much about bears. That +was the only bear we ever had come across and we had been berrying all +over those mountains, although mostly on the Greylock side. Pa says that +they usually keep away from the road, the few that are left, because +they are afraid of folks. + +Anyhow, it isn't any picnic to fall out of a tree at any time, +especially when there is a bear at the bottom. + +When the limb began to crack, Skinny knew that he was a goner. He yelled +so loud that it surprised the bear and it looked up into the tree to see +what was going on. Just at that second the leader of Raven Patrol landed +on the cub's nose, like a thousand of brick. Boy and bear both went +sprawling, one in one direction and the other in another. + +Skinny was the first to get on his feet and the way he shinned up the +tree again was a caution. He didn't stop to look until he had reached +the limb where the rope was tied. Then he felt safe. + +The bear had picked himself up and was standing close to the foot of the +tree, looking up and whining, as if he didn't like being hit in the head +by a boy very well. + +It was the chance which Skinny had been waiting for. He gathered the +rope up in his hands and opened the noose wide. Then, leaning down as +far as he dared, until he was right over the bear, he dropped it. The +noose fell as straight as a die and, spreading out around the cub's +head, lay across his shoulders with the side nearest the tree almost +touching the ground. + +Just as the bear stepped one foot over the loop, Skinny grabbed the rope +with both hands and gave a quick jerk. The noose tightened; and there +was the most surprised bear you ever saw, tied fast to the tree! Skinny +stood on the limb above like a big crow, cawing to beat the band and so +excited that he came near falling again. + +"Gee, but that bear was mad," said Skinny, when he was telling us about +it. "He growled and he snapped and he rolled on the ground; then he ran +around and around the tree, until he had wound himself up short, but he +couldn't get away. It was great, only I didn't dare jump on him again. +He was too crazy." + +"Great snakes, Skinny!" exclaimed Bill. "You always have all the fun." + +"I guess you wouldn't have thought it so much fun if you had been up in +the tree and couldn't get down. I'd 'a' choked him with the rope, if he +hadn't got his feet tangled up in it so that I couldn't." + +"How did you get down, Skinny?" asked Benny, because Skinny had a way of +stopping at the most interesting places and pretending that he was +through telling about it. + +In order to tell about that I'll have to go back a little in this +history. + +When Mr. Richmond told Skinny to go up to Savoy and to be careful not to +let the bears get him, he was trying to scare a Boy Scout. He says that +he hadn't any idea there would be a bear or deer around, or he shouldn't +have let him go. But the next morning a man from Savoy drove past the +house and told about seeing a bear on the way down. He didn't have his +gun along and besides the bear ran into the woods when he saw him. + +That made Mr. Richmond feel uneasy. + +"I wish I hadn't let the boy go up the mountain," he said. "I don't +suppose anything will happen to him, but I'd feel better if he hadn't +gone. I guess, of the two, the bear would be the most scared if they +should meet." + +"He told me that he'd surely come in time for dinner," said Mary. + +When dinner time came she put a plate on for him. He didn't show up, of +course. He was up in the tree about that time, wondering how he ever +would get down. After that Mr. Richmond grew real anxious and went to +the house several times to see if Skinny had come. + +"That boy looked to me," he said at last, "as if he wouldn't be guilty +of missing a good dinner if he could help it. I am going after him. He +may be all right, but I'm going to find out for sure." + +With that, he hitched up a horse, took down his gun, and started. + +"Let me go, too," Mary called after him. "I can hold the horse while you +are looking." + +"All right. Jump in. We'll probably meet him on the road somewhere." + +The first they saw or heard of him was the yell which Skinny gave when +the limb broke. It scared them. + +"Take the reins," said Mr. Richmond. "There is trouble over there. Turn +around and if anything comes run the old horse down the road." + +Say, he was paralyzed, when he found the bear tied to a tree and Skinny +standing on a limb, cawing. + +"I was that flabbergasted," said he afterward, "that I hardly could pull +the trigger." + +But he pulled it, all right, and that was the end of Mr. Bear. + +Skinny didn't like it because Mr. Richmond killed the bear. He wanted to +tame it and give a show in our barn. He was bound to take it home, +anyhow, so as to save the skin. + +It took a lot of pulling and hauling to get the cub out to the road, and +Mary had to help before they could lift him into the wagon. + +"Jump in," said Mr. Richmond, when everything was ready. "It is time +that I was getting home." + +"I can't," said Skinny. "You see, I am doing a stunt for the Scouts and +I have to walk." + +Just before they started Mary thought of something. + +"Say," said she, "maybe I'd walk, too, if anybody asked me; that is, if +Grandpa would let me and it wouldn't make any difference with the +Scouts." + +"Come on, do," said Skinny. "May she, Mr. Richmond?" + +"Well," said he, "seein' as how you've got a rope and it ain't very far, +I'm willin'. But it will be mighty lonesome for me." + +I never saw Skinny so chesty as he was over catching that bear. And he +had a right to be, for everybody was talking about it and there was a +long piece in the paper. He even wanted to change the name of Raven +Patrol to the Bears, but we wouldn't stand for that. We didn't know how +to make a noise like a bear, anyway. + +After that the folks told us to keep away from Savoy Mountain, rope or +no rope, and we had to do it. But Skinny wanted to go back and get a +bear for each of us. + +"I think that our patrol leader has made good," said Mr. Norton, when +Skinny had finished. "What I'm wondering is, who was the most +frightened, Gabriel or the bear?" + +"The bear was," said Skinny; "anyhow, after I jumped on him. Say, I'll +bet you fellers wouldn't dast jump on a live bear, when he was growling +and showing his teeth. It was great, just like jumping on a cushion, +only the bear didn't like it very well." + +The other boys didn't have much to tell, much that was exciting, I mean, +but Mr. Norton made us all report what we did. Hank came last of all. + +"Well, Henry," said Mr. Norton, "what have you to say for yourself? You +went to Cheshire by the river road, I believe?" + +"How about that new invention, Hank?" I asked. I'd forgotten all about +it until then. + +"Have you a new invention, Henry? Tell us about it." + +"'Tain't nothin'," said Hank, squirming in his chair. "It didn't work +just right. I guess I'll have to go home now. Ma said to get in by ten +o'clock." + +"We'll have time for your report," Mr. Norton told him. + +Hank kept nudging me, trying to get me to go with him, but I wouldn't do +it, so after a while he began. + +You see his invention, the one he spoke to me about just before we +started, was a Life Saver. When we were learning to be Scouts Mr. Norton +taught us how to bring drowned people back to life again; that is, if +they haven't been in the water too long. What Hank wanted to do was to +invent something that would keep them from getting drowned in the first +place. + +"It's all right to bring them to life," he told me, "but it would be a +heap better not to have 'em drown at all." + +After doing a lot of thinking, he made a sort of balloon of oiled silk, +with the mouth fastened to a hollow reed and a piece of potato to put +over the end of the reed, instead of a cork. Hanging from the mouthpiece +were two pieces of stout cord. + +"What's it for, Hank?" asked Skinny, when he was showing it to us. "It +looks like a bagpipe." + +"It's a Life Saver," he said. "You carry it in your pocket when the air +is out of it and look along the river until you find somebody drowning. +Then you throw him the Life Saver, if he hasn't got one in his own +pocket. He ties it around his neck, puts the mouthpiece to his lips, and +blows the bag full of wind. Then he puts the potato on the end to keep +the air from leaking out. He can't sink, can he? The balloon will hold +him up." + +"Great snakes, Hank!" said Bill. "You've got a great head--like a tack." + +"A tack's head is level, just the same." + +"Guess what," said Benny. "Let's go swimming up to the Basin, to-morrow, +and try it." + +"We can go swimming if we want to," Hank told him, "but I did try it. It +worked and it didn't work." + +"What's the answer?" I asked. + +"Well, you see, I walked all the way to Cheshire Harbor, looking for a +chance to use the Life Saver and I couldn't find anybody even in +swimming, let alone drowning. The water isn't deep enough for drowning +in most places, anyhow. But when I got to Cheshire Harbor I found a kid +sitting on the bank of the race, fishing. + +"'What you got?' he asked, when he saw me fooling with the Life Saver. + +"'Jump in,' I said, after I had told him about it. 'I'll show you how it +works.' + +"'Jump in yourself,' he said. 'I don't want to get my feet wet. Let's +see the old thing, anyway.' + +"I handed it to him and he blew up the bag until I thought it would +bust, and then tied it on with the strings. + +"'Say, that's great stuff,' said he. 'I'll bet it will work all right.' + +"When he said that, I don't know why I did it, but it seemed as if I +couldn't help it. I felt as if I just had to save him. I pushed him in, +balloon and all." + +"Gee-e-ewhilikens!" shouted Skinny. + +"You mutt!" said Bill. + +Mr. Norton was too surprised to say anything, but he had the funniest +look on his face. + +"Did it work?" Benny asked. + +"It worked all right, but----" + +"But what?" I said, beginning to get mad because Hank kept stopping at +the most interesting parts. + +"He had tied it on to one ankle, instead of around his neck. It made his +ankle float, but his head went under, and he couldn't swim. I rescued +him, but I had to jump in after him and pull him out. It was hard work +because he kept trying to hit me all the time. Then, after I'd got him +out, I had to lick him before he would let me go on and do my stunt." + +"I hardly think that was according to Scout law," said Mr. Norton, when +the rest of us had finished laughing and pounding Hank on the back. + +"I rescued somebody, just the same. Only it wasn't a maiden." + +"We still have a few minutes," said Mr. Norton. "Suppose that we play a +new game which I have here. It is a kind of invention of my own and is +called baseball." + +"Seems as if I'd heard of that game somewhere," said Skinny, poking me +in the ribs. + +"Not this one. This is parlor baseball and is brand new," replied the +Scoutmaster. + +He brought out a chart, marked off in squares to represent different +plays, and laid it flat on the floor, about six inches from the wall, at +the end of the room. + +"Now," said he, "we'll choose sides, then stand off about ten feet and +toss silver dollars at the squares. That is the same as going to bat. I +mention silver dollars because I brought some with me. Any disk, or +ring, about the same size and weight would do as well and might be more +convenient. The square on which the disk rests gives the result of your +play. If the disk rolls off the chart it counts as a strike, and three +strikes are out. Usually the Scoutmaster or Scout leader acts as umpire, +calls off each play as made and keeps the score. To-night, however, as +William is not able to play, we will make him umpire and I will take +part in the game to make even sides." + + HOME RUN STRIKE THREE BASE + HIT + + FLY CATCH BATTER HIT OUT ON + FIRST + + SINGLE BALL TWO BASE + HIT + + FOUL PASS BALL BALK + +"Let me illustrate," he went on. "We will suppose that the first man up +throws three disks and all of them roll off the chart. That counts as +three strikes and he is out. The second player may throw a two-bagger or +a single. He then returns to his seat and the third player, by throwing +a three-bagger, brings the second man home and gains third base for +himself. The runners are advanced each time as many bases as the batter +makes. They also are advanced one base by a pass ball, a fly catch or an +out-on-first. The first two fouls count as strikes, of course, and four +balls entitle the batter to first base. The arrangement of these squares +is important. The home run is guarded on three sides by strikes and in +front by a fly catch. The three-base hit is as carefully guarded." + +"Say, that game is all right," said Skinny, after we had finished +playing. "Three caws for Mr. Norton, our 'stinguished and celebrated +Scoutmaster." + +As soon as he could make himself heard, Bill spoke up. + +"I think the secretary," said he, "ought to put how to play that game in +the minutes of the meetin'." + +"There ain't goin' to be any," I told him. "It's too much work." + +"I think that William's suggestion is a good one," Mr. Norton said, "and +I also appreciate the force of your secretary's objection. How would it +be if I should do the work? I'll have typewritten copies of the rules of +the game struck off, so that each of you can have one." + +That is what he did, the very next day. I am going to put the rules into +this history right here, just as he wrote them, because other Scouts may +want to play the game. + + _Scouts' Parlor Baseball.--Rules for Play._ + +Divide the patrol into two equal groups and arrange them in batting +order on opposite sides of the room. Place the baseball chart six or +eight inches from one end of the room on the floor and indicate a mark +ten feet from the chart for the "batter" to stand on. The Scouts having +their inning then take turns at tossing a silver dollar (another +metallic disk or ring of equal size will suffice) at the chart. Each +player's record at bat is told by the square on which the dollar rests, +off the chart entirely counting as a strike. If the dollar rests +squarely across a line it is tossed again. + +The rules of baseball govern the game. After a player finishes his turn, +he takes position at the farther end of his side, and the next in line +takes his turn, thus preserving the batting order. When three players +have been declared out, that side is retired and the other side takes +its inning. If time permits, a nine-inning game is played; otherwise the +number of innings to be played should be decided before beginning. + +When a "batter" wins a position on a base he is advanced at each play as +many bases as the next player earns at the "bat." He also advances one +base on out-on-first, fly-catch, balk, and pass-ball plays, and when +forced. He must keep track of his supposed position on the bases and +report to the official when making a score. + +The official, usually the patrol leader or Scoutmaster, decides the +plays and tosses the dollars back to the players. He also keeps the +score, and may correct a player, if necessary, for being noisy, or for +leaving his seat when not playing. In fact, he is in control of the +game, but is not allowed to play except when there is present an odd +number without him. + +The chart should be made of stiff paper so as to lie flat on the floor, +or of cloth, in order to be tacked down. Each square should be 9 x 9 +inches, but a smaller size may be used if the room is not large. In that +case the players should stand less than ten feet from the chart. The +squares must be labeled as in the diagram. Young Scouts, or beginners, +are sometimes allowed to stand eight, or even six, feet from the chart, +in order to make the sides more equal. This and any other questions that +may arise are decided by the official. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +EAGLE PATROL JOINS THE SCOUTS + + +YOU must not think, when you read this history, that something all the +time was happening to us Scouts. I am only telling about what did +happen. Pa says that when it comes to starting things we have them all +beaten to a frazzle and Ma told us that it would be a mercy if we ever +lived to grow up, without losing any of our hands or feet. But we don't +think so. Boys have to be doing something all the time, don't they? If +they didn't they would get into mischief. + +Anyhow, there didn't much of anything happen after Skinny lassoed the +bear, for a long time, unless you count the Fourth of July. Nobody can +help having the Fourth of July. It's part of the year. It is for our +country. + +One Fourth of July, long ago, even before Pa was born, they rang old +Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, to beat the band, and they fired off +guns. 'Cause why? 'Cause there was a paper signed on that day, which +said that the United States of America should be free and independent. +But England was like old Pharaoh, with the Hebrew children, that the +Bible tells about. They didn't want to let us go. I don't blame them +much for it, either, but Skinny does. + +Anyhow, I guess God must have meant for us to go free, just as He did +the Children of Israel because, although England was the greatest Nation +in the world and the best one, too, it seems to me, and we were only a +few scattering colonies without much money or anything, we came out +ahead. That is why Skinny thinks that George Washington could have +licked Napoleon Bonaparte with one hand tied behind his back. + +So we have the Fourth of July, and we boys ring the church bells at four +o'clock in the morning, when they don't catch us at it, just like old +Liberty Bell was rung so many years ago. + +One of Skinny's ancestors was killed in the battle of Bunker Hill. That +is what makes him so fierce against the Britishers. Every Fourth of +July he has us go up on Bob's Hill or somewhere and fight the battle all +over again. + +The time I am telling about we built a fire on the hill and rang the +church bells and fired off firecrackers until we were tired and half +starved; then went home to breakfast. Everybody promised to meet again +at my house about nine o'clock. + +Soon after nine we all were sitting on our side steps, talking over +where we should go for our battle, when Skinny happened to stand up and +look down the street. + +We heard him make a noise like a snake and he dropped off the steps to +the ground so quickly that we thought at first he had a fit or +something, until he made a motion for us to follow him and began to +crawl toward the fence. + +We didn't know what the matter was, but knew that it was something +important, so we crawled along after him as fast as we could. When we +reached the pickets he pointed and we peeped over the top, careful not +to let more than our eyes be seen. + +What we saw was three members of the Gingham Ground Gang coming up the +street, walking in the middle of the road and looking on both sides as +they came, as if they were expecting trouble and wanted to be ready for +it. + +Two of them had red shirts, and that made Skinny mad because it made him +think of his ancestor who was killed at Bunker Hill. + +"The Redcoats are coming," said he in a hoarse whisper, so that they +wouldn't hear, but fierce-like, just the same. "Wait until you can see +the whites of their eyes; then, 'charge, the ground's your own, my +braves. Will ye give it up to slaves? Hope ye mercy, still?'" + +It was a part of his last day piece at school and sounded fine. + +"Charge nothin'!" said Bill. "The Americans didn't do any charging at +Bunker Hill, I guess. The Britishers did the charging. The Americans +waited behind a fence until they got near enough and then let 'em have +it, until their ammunition gave out. Then they ran. That's what they +did." + +That was true, too, but, just the same, it was a victory to hold the +hill as long as their powder lasted, and Bill knew it, but he liked to +get Skinny mad. + +"Bill Wilson," said Skinny, "you are a nice patriot! You are a Scout and +a half; that's what you are--not! So are we going to run but, bet your +life, we're going to run toward the enemy. If you want to stay here +behind the fence you can do it. The rest of us are going to charge." + +Bill gave me a thump in the ribs and grinned, but didn't say anything. I +saw Benny whisper something, his eyes shining with excitement; then +Skinny motioned to us what to do. + +Each of us lighted a firecracker and held it with the fuse sputtering +and sizzling, until they were almost opposite. Then we threw the +crackers under their feet. They went off like a volley of musketry. At +the same time we gave a great caw and jumped the fence. + +"Give it to 'em, fellers," yelled Skinny. "These are the guys that +wanted to duck Benny in the mill pond." + +Say, it was great. The firecrackers surprised them, for they hadn't +seen us, and we were over the fence and upon them before they could run. +Things were lively in Park Street for a few minutes. Then, all of a +sudden, we heard a man's voice say: + +"Scouts, attention!" + +And there was Mr. Norton, looking surprised and sorry! + +We all stood up with a jerk and saluted, and the Gingham Ground boys +started to run. They only went a few steps, however, and then waited to +see what was going to happen. + +"Scouts," said Mr. Norton, sternly, "what sort of brawl is this, on the +Fourth of July?" + +He was looking at Skinny, he being Scout leader. + +"'Tain't a brawl," said Skinny. "It's the battle of Bunker Hill; that's +what it is." + +"Oh, it is, is it? On which side are you Scouts fighting?" + +"We are Americans, of course." + +"Well, if I remember my history right, in that battle a little handful +of Americans faced the British soldiers and held them back until their +powder gave out. And here the American army seems to be attacking a +handful of British." + +"That's what I told him," said Bill. + +"Anyhow," said Skinny, "those guys tried to duck Benny that time when he +was coming home from his long hike. So we thought that we would duck +them in the race. Didn't they try to duck you, Benny?" + +Benny nodded. + +"How about Scout law?" asked Mr. Norton. + +"Scout law doesn't say we mustn't duck our enemies." + +"It does, too," Bill told him. "It says that we must be kind to +animals." + +That was a hot one and it made us all laugh. + +"How much more should we be kind one to another," said Mr. Norton. + +"Well, it wasn't very kind to duck Benny," insisted Skinny. + +"No, and they didn't do it. If I have been correctly informed, they let +Benny go because John here was kind to a dumb animal." + +That was true and I said so. + +"Even if they had ducked him, don't you think that it would be better to +heap 'coals of fire' upon their heads?" + +It surprised Benny to hear Mr. Norton talk like that. + +"We wouldn't do such a thing," said he. "Besides, we haven't got any hot +coals." + +"Yes, you have," laughed Mr. Norton. "The 'hot coals' I mean are kind +words and kind actions. What I meant to say was that you should return +good for evil and then your kind words would make those boys feel as if +you were putting coals of fire on their heads." + +"I don't believe we ought to do it," Skinny told him, "if it is going to +hurt that bad." + +"Suppose we try it and see. I think perhaps it will not be quite so +painful." + +"Boys," said he, turning to the Gingham Ground bunch just as they were +starting away. "I have organized these eight village lads into a patrol +of the Boy Scouts of America and we have planned to have a campfire this +evening on Bob's Hill. These Scouts of mine mean all right. They are +simply working off a little misdirected patriotism. Now, what we want, +is for you to meet with us, you and the rest of the Gang. Will you do +it?" + +They didn't want to at first. + +"There are Boy Scouts," he went on, "in all parts of the civilized +world; in England, too, Gabriel, as well as in this country, and the Law +says that all Scouts are brothers to every other Scout. There are a half +million in the United States alone. I have been appointed Scoutmaster +for this district and I want to organize one or two more patrols so that +I can have a troop. I have had you boys in mind ever since you so nobly +turned out to help find William, the time he was hurt on Greylock. It +will be much the same as the Gang, only better. You can keep the same +leader if you wish, and I know a man who will buy uniforms for you all. +Will you come to-night so that we can talk it over? What do you say?" + +The uniform business settled it. + +"We'll come, if the rest of the Gang will," they told him. + +"Good! Shake hands on it." + +"Attention, Scouts!" shouted Mr. Norton, after he had shaken hands. + +"Salute enemy!" + +We gave the Scout salute to the Gingham Ground boys, while they stood +there grinning and not knowing what to do. + +Then, after whispering together, they gave us the Gang yell. It was +great. + +"We'll be there," they called, as they started up the street. + +They were, too, ten of them, with Jim Donavan at their head. They came +across lots from the Quaker Meeting House, soon after we had gathered +around the big stone where we have our fires, just as they had come two +years before, the time we had our big fight and came to know Jim. + +Mr. Norton saw them coming and went to meet them. + +"This is fine," said he, after we all had sat down on the grass around +the fire. "You are a pretty husky bunch of fellows, and Raven Patrol +will have to go some to keep up, after you get started. Skinny--I mean +Gabriel--suppose you tell our visitors something about the Scouts." + +"It's great," began Skinny. "We've been bandits and we've been Injuns, +but Scouts beat 'em all. The woods are full of 'em all over the country, +and they go about with uniforms on, doing good and having fun. They are +like an army. We are one company, you will be another. I'm the same as +captain, only they call me patrol leader. Mr. Norton is Scoutmaster, and +there are officers above him, only we never saw them. We learn all about +woodcraft and signs and signaling and how to do a lot of things, and we +rescue people and do all kinds of stunts and get badges. The Ravens are +going across the mountain on an exploring trip. I am going to look for a +cave and maybe there is treasure in it. Our patrol animal is the crow, +and it 'most ought to be yours because you live so near the Raven +Rocks." + +Skinny had run down by this time, although Bill was winding him up like +a clock behind his back and making a clicking noise with his tongue. + +"G'wan!" said he, turning around and catching him at it, "or I'll biff +you one." + +"Perhaps I'd better add a little to that explanation," said Mr. Norton. + +Then he told all about it, much as he had told us that first time, and +about Scout law; what it meant to be a Scout; how it made boys manly, +and how much fun they would have. + +"What I want is a troop," said he, when he had finished the story. +"Several patrols together are called a troop. I would be in charge as +Scoutmaster. Raven Patrol is now in pretty good shape. We are going on a +camping expedition in a few weeks and we'll have a good chance to +practise up on signaling, swimming, following trails through the woods, +and things like that. Next year I should like to take a whole troop +along. What do you say? Suppose you go over by that other stone and talk +about it among yourselves." + +"I know what I'll say, right now," said Jim, "but perhaps we'd better +talk it over just the same." + +We saw them whispering together for about five minutes. Then they came +back. + +"We'll do it," said Jim. "And we'll do the best we can, only we may make +mistakes at first. We are going to take the American eagle for our +patrol animal on account of this being the Fourth of July." + +"Everybody makes mistakes," Mr. Norton told him, "but the boy or the man +who has the right stuff in him never makes the same mistake twice. +Suppose that you elect a patrol leader to-night before we separate, +because we shall want to consult together a great deal in the next few +days and I shall be too busy to see you all." + +"Jim," they began to yell, all keeping time. "Jim! Jim! Jim!" + +"Jim, you seem to be elected," said Mr. Norton, reaching out and shaking +hands with him. + +"Speech!" yelled Hank. + +"Ladies and gentlemen," said Benny, getting up on his feet and bowing +right and left, "the Honorable James Donavan will now say a few words, +if he dast." + +Jim looked as if he wanted to run, but in a minute he braced up. + +"I never made a speech in my life," said he, "and I ain't going to make +one now, but you will find the Gang true blue. We ain't much on clothes, +and our folks haven't got much money, but we'll do the best we can, if +you will tell us how. And we are much obliged for taking us in." + +"Three cheers for Captain Donavan and Eagle Patrol," shouted Mr. Norton, +waving his hat. "Now!" + +I'll bet they heard us down in the village. After it was quiet again I +saw Skinny whispering something to Bill. Bill nodded his head and passed +it on to Hank, and finally it came to Benny and me, who sat at the end +of the line. We nodded and began to creep nearer the fire while waiting +for the signal. + +"Caw!" yelled Skinny, all of a sudden, like you sometimes hear a big +crow in the Bellows Pipe. + +As he yelled, he grabbed a burning brand out of the fire, and the rest +of us did the same. Then we formed a circle and danced a war dance +around the Gang, whirling our brands in the air until the sparks flew +in the growing darkness and there seemed to be a ring of fire. + +"Shall we eat 'em alive, my braves?" chanted Skinny. + +"No," we shouted. "They are brothers." + +"Shall we mop the earth with 'em?" + +"No," we yelled. "They are Scouts." + +"What shall we do?" asked Skinny, stopping in front of Jim, who was too +surprised to say anything. + +"Give them the glad hand," we answered. + +"'Tis well," said he, grabbing Jim by the hand, while we did the same to +the others. + +"I'll tell you what," said Mr. Norton, a little later. "I feel so good +over this that I'll buy. Lead me to a soda fountain." + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +PLANNING A CAMPING TRIP + + +WE boys often think of what a fisherman told us one summer day, out on +Illinois River, at the foot of Buffalo Rock. + +[Illustration: "IT GIVES ME PAIN," SHE SAID, "TO INFORM YOU THAT THE +WOODBOX IS EMPTY."] + +"Play," said he, "is work that you want to do and don't have to do," or +something like that. + +Ma often says, when she sees us playing, that if she should make me work +that hard I would think I was abused. + +I guess, maybe, that is so. It surely is some work to chase uphill and +around, play ball, and do all kinds of stunts, and sometimes when night +comes we feel tired. + +I went home to supper one day, all fagged out, so tired I hardly could +drag one foot after the other, and flopped down in the nearest chair. + +Ma heard me and put her head in at the door. + +"It gives me pain," she said, "to inform you that the woodbox is +empty and I need a hotter fire to bake those biscuits that you like so +well." + +"Oh, Ma!" I exclaimed. "Can't you get along until morning. I'm all in." + +"Why, you haven't done a thing to-day!" she told me. + +I had climbed up and down Bob's Hill six times; been up to Peck's Falls +and the cave once; followed the brook over rocks and fallen trees to +where it tumbles out of a sunshiny pasture into the shade of the woods +in a great watery sheet; been swimming in the Basin, on the other side +of the valley; played a match game of baseball at the Eagle ground; +played Indian in Plunkett's woods, tracking the enemy through the +forest; played foot-and-a-half, until I thought my back would break, and +wrestled with Skinny, until he fell on me like a thousand of brick. But +I hadn't done anything all day! Oh, no! + +"You don't want me to do it, do you?" she said. + +Of course, I didn't want that; so, tired as I was, I dragged out to the +shed and brought in an armful of wood. + +Just then I heard a whistle, followed by the caw of a crow from in front +of the house, and I chased out to see what was doing. + +It was Benny. He had come over to tell me that there would be a Scout +meeting at his house that night. + +"John's too tired," Ma told him. "He hardly was able to bring in four +sticks of wood." + +"I feel better now," I hurried to say. "The exercise did me good. After +I have had some of your delicious biscuits and some honey, I'll be all +right again. Besides, I'd hate to miss a Scout meeting; I learn so much +there. Will the wood I brought in last until morning?" + +"I thought Mr. Norton was away?" she said. + +"He is; but they are going to have a meeting, anyhow." + +"Oh, please let him go, Mrs. Smith," put in Benny. "Pedro is our +secretary. We can't have the meeting without him." + +Ma likes Benny so well I just knew she would have to give in. She knew +it, too, I guess, for she looked at us a minute, sort of smiling to +herself; then she said: + +"Well, if he will come home at nine o'clock and promise to take a nap +to-morrow afternoon, I'll let him go. He has been losing too much sleep +lately." + +I didn't think much of that nap business. Daytime wasn't made to sleep +in, except, maybe, the early morning hours when you first wake up. + +"I'll promise to lie down and shut my eyes," I told her, "but I can't +promise to take a nap, can I? The sleep may not come." + +That is true. I've laid awake a lot of times fifteen or twenty minutes +and maybe more, at night, trying hard to go to sleep and not feeling a +bit sleepy. + +That is why I was in bed when Skinny came around the next afternoon. He +knew that I would be, and instead of coming into the back yard and up on +the stoop, as he usually does, he went up the drive between our house +and Phillips' and whistled softly under my window. + +With one bound I was out of bed and looking down at him. He had on his +Scout uniform, and his rope was wound around his shoulders. + +I was just going to tell him to wait until I could come downstairs, when +he put one finger to his lips, then looked up and down the drive to see +who was watching. There was nobody in sight. Ma was taking a nap in her +room and I guess Mrs. Phillips was, too, across the way. + +"S-s-t!" he hissed. "Are you alone?" + +I nodded. It didn't seem safe to say anything. + +"You ain't chained to the bed, or nothin', are you?" + +"Nary a chain," I told him. "We are all out of chains." + +"'Tis well!" said he, coiling up the rope in one hand and getting ready +to throw. "Quick, now, and mum's the word!" + +I caught the rope as it came in through the window and fastened one end +to the bed. Then I threw out the other end, climbed out myself, and +shinned down. + +"What's the matter?" I asked, as soon as I had reached the ground. + +"Let's go around and untie the rope; then I'll tell you." + +A few minutes later he was showing me a letter which he had from Mr. +Norton, who was away on business. This is what the letter said: + + "DEAR FELLOWS:--I shall be at home in a few days + and should like to have a meeting of Raven Patrol + to talk up our camping trip. Are you thinking + about it and planning where to go? The pasture + above Peck's Falls would make an ideal camp. There + is water and sunshine and shade and old Greylock. + That would suit me pretty well, but it is so near + home it might not suit you. If not, I have a + regular trip over the mountain in mind, one that + will take a hike of several days to get us there. + Talk it over among yourselves and ask your folks + about it. Then meet at my house next Saturday + night. We'll decide the matter and begin to get + ready. Yours sincerely, + + "CHARLES NORTON, Scoutmaster." + +"Ain't he a brick?" said Skinny, when he had finished reading. "What do +you say, old Scout?" + +"I say hike," I told him. "That pasture above Peck's Falls is where Tom +Chapin tried to paralyze a bull by the power of the human eye, like the +school reader says, and got thrown over the stone wall by the critter. +No more of that for muh!" + +"We'd have a rope along, you know." + +"Yes, and who'd tie it and what would the bull be doing all that time?" + +"I'd rather go over the mountain on a hike, myself," he said. "Come on, +let's ask the other boys." + +"Wait a minute while I fill the woodbox," I told him. + +Skinny helped me do that and we were soon on our way. + +The other boys felt just as we did about it. Of course, it is always fun +to be near our cave and it is a fine place to get into when it rains, +but we could go there any old time. + +The folks seemed to think near home would be better, until we told them +about the bull and how near we all came to getting killed. They had +forgotten about that and so had we, almost. + +Finally Pa settled it for me. + +"I am willing to leave it to Mr. Norton," he said. "As long as he goes +with you I don't care much where you go, for I know that he will take as +good care of you as I could myself. His hold on you boys is remarkable +and I am willing to back him in anything that he wants to do. I'll say +this much, however. He is going to have his hands full when he +undertakes to look after you boys for a week or two at a time." + +We hardly could wait until Saturday night to hear Mr. Norton's plan and +decide what to do. + +He seemed glad to see us when the time came, only he wouldn't hurry the +meeting or leave anything out. Skinny, being patrol leader, always acted +as chairman and pounded the table, when he could find one to pound. + +"The meetin' will come to order," said he, looking around for something +to thump and not finding anything but Bill Wilson, who dodged out of the +way. + +"The secretary will call the roll." + +I called the names of the boys, and each one in turn arose and gave the +Scout salute, first to Mr. Norton, then to Skinny. + +"Is there any business to come before this 'ere meetin'?" he asked. + +"Mr. President," I said, jumping up. + +"The gentleman from Park Street," said Skinny, as big as life, just as +Pa had taught us to do at meetings in our barn. + +"We have with us this evening our Scoutmaster, who, I think, has +something to say." + +"'Tis well," said Skinny. "We'll harken unto his words of wisdom." + +"Before I speak the words of wisdom which our patrol leader has so +kindly mentioned," laughed Mr. Norton, "I will ask Mrs. Norton to +refresh and fortify us with some lemonade." + +Benny reached the door almost as soon as she did. + +"Let me do it, Mrs. Norton," he said. + +He grabbed the pitcher and tray and poured out a glass for her; then +went around the circle. It tasted fine on a warm night. + +"Mr. Chairman," said Mr. Norton, after we had emptied the pitcher. "I +want to call up the question of our camping trip. Have you boys thought +about the matter?" + +"We haven't thought of much else," Hank told him. + +"Well, how about it? Shall we camp out above Peck's Falls? What do you +say, William?" + +"It's too near home," said Bill. "Ma would get scared the first night +and call me back." + +"That certainly would be serious. What do you say, Mr. Secretary?" + +"I say so, too," I told him. "It's fine up there and wild and all that, +but let's go where we never have been before." + +"How about it, Mr. President?" + +"It's me for the hike," said Skinny. + +The other boys all said the same. + +"It seems to be unanimous," said Mr. Norton. "I thought that probably +you would feel that way. Well, this is what I have in mind, in case you +decide to take the trip, instead of remaining near home. What do you say +to hiking straight east over Florida Mountain, as far as Deerfield and +the Connecticut River? We can get a horse and carry our camping outfit +and supplies in a wagon. We can take turns driving. It will rest us, and +if anybody should give out the wagon will come in handy. We can take as +long a time as we want on the way, camping out each night." + +Mr. Norton stopped and looked at us to see how we liked the plan. Say, +it didn't take him long to find out. Every boy jumped to his feet and +shouted. Skinny forgot that he was chairman and started to march around +the room, shooting and striking at the enemy, and we all fell in line +after him except Bill. He stood on his hands, kicked his feet in the +air, and whistled through his teeth. + +Mr. Norton looked pleased. + +"Mr. Chairman," he said, as soon as we had taken our places again. "I +hardly think it necessary to put that to a vote except, perhaps, as a +matter of form. The next question is, will your folks let you go? +Sometimes fathers and mothers have very decided notions about what they +want their boys to do and more especially what they don't want them to +do." + +I told him what Pa had said about being willing to have us go anywhere +with him, and the other boys said that their folks felt the same way. + +"Good! We'll consider that settled and get down to details as quickly as +possible. I should like to get started in about two weeks, which will be +early in August. We'll call another meeting in a few days and I'll have +a list of the articles needed and their cost ready to submit to you. I +know where we can get tents, but there are a whole lot of things we +shall need in the woods, besides things to eat. Is there any more +business to come before the meeting, Mr. Chairman?" + +"There is," said Skinny, who had been scribbling something on a piece of +paper. He handed it to me to read, and this is what it said: + +"Resolved, that Mr. Norton is great stuff." + +"All that are in favor of the motion salute the Scoutmaster." + +That ended the meeting. We had to have several more like it before we +could get everything ready for the trip. + +"It is early yet," said Mr. Norton. "If you would like to have me, I'll +tell you a story about what I think was one of the greatest scouting +trips ever undertaken." + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +SCOUTING IN THE GREAT NORTHWEST + + +"SOME of you boys went out to Illinois, last summer," he began. "Did you +go as far as the Mississippi River?" + +"No, but we camped out on the Illinois River," I told him, "and that +flows into the Mississippi." + +"We explored," explained Benny, "just like LaSalle and Tonty and the +other guys did. Skinny was LaSalle and I was Tonty." + +"LaSalle and Tonty were great scouts. Do you remember when they made +those early explorations?" + +"I think it was somewhere around 1680 or 1681," said Skinny, who was +always good in history. "Mr. Baxter told us all about it while we were +sitting on top of Starved Rock, where LaSalle once had a fort." + +"There was a great country west of the Mississippi, about which LaSalle +knew very little, although when he explored the river he took possession +of the land in the name of his king, and he called the country +Louisiana. + +"At that time, with the exception of a few fur traders and missionaries, +all the people who came to America from the Old World settled along the +Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes, in various colonies. Some of these +afterward became the thirteen original states of the United States of +America. + +"After Thomas Jefferson became president, he had a chance to buy +Louisiana of Napoleon, who was then at the head of the French +government, and he did so." + +"Huh! Napoleon!" said Skinny. "George Washington could lick----" + +"Aw, ferget it, can't you?" said Bill. "You are stopping the story." + +"That gave us a vast territory, reaching from the Atlantic Ocean to the +Rocky Mountains. Nobody knew very much about it, or about the country +west of the Rockies. Jefferson may have been looking far into the future +when he made the Louisiana purchase, but probably his more immediate +purpose was to secure undisputed possession of the wonderful Mississippi +River. + +"That was in 1804, only a little more than a lifetime ago and nearly a +century and a half after LaSalle explored the river and took possession +of the country. Little, if anything, was known about the country at the +time of its purchase by the United States more than was known in +LaSalle's time. A few hardy traders went up and down the river, buying +furs of friendly Indians, and that was all. + +"Naturally, after Jefferson had bought it, he wanted to know something +about his purchase. So he appointed two men to explore the new country. +I want you to remember their names, because they did a great work. One +was Meriwether Lewis and the other William Clark, and you will find +their trip described in your school history as 'the Lewis and Clark +expedition.' I can't see why their exploration was not attended by as +much danger and hardship as LaSalle's, which had been undertaken so many +years before. The dense forests and great rivers of the West were all +unknown and there were many hostile Indians. + +"What did you boys do, when you made up your minds to explore the rivers +in Illinois last summer?" + +"We built a boat," Hank told him. + +"Exactly. And that was what Lewis and Clark did, or, rather, it was done +for them at Government expense. A keel boat, fifty-five feet long and +drawing not more than three feet of water, was made for them at +Pittsburgh, where, if you remember, two rivers unite to form the Ohio. +This boat had places for twenty-two oarsmen and carried a large, square +sail. Steamboats were not known in those days, although a few years +afterward Robert Fulton ran one on Hudson River. The Government also +provided two smaller boats and loaded them with coffee, sugar, crackers, +dried meats, carpenter's tools, presents for the Indians, and things +like that. A few horses also were taken along in the large boat. + +"The leaders selected a crew of twenty-five men, and one fine day the +whole outfit started down the Ohio River. When they reached the +Mississippi they turned north and soon made their way up the great river +to St. Louis. St. Louis was a French trading station then. Now it is a +large city. A few years ago the hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana +purchase was celebrated by holding a world's fair in St. Louis. + +"There more men joined the expedition and considerable information that +President Jefferson wanted was picked up about the Indian tribes who +lived up and down the river. + +"Finally, May 14, 1804, the explorers started on the real trip. It +wasn't easy work any longer, for they had to row against the mighty +current of the Mississippi. After they had gone a few miles they came to +another great river, which was pouring a dirty looking, yellow flood +into the Mississippi. Who can tell me what that river was?" + +"The Missouri," said Benny, who had been studying about it in school. +"The Mississippi River, with its principal tributary, the Missouri, is +the longest river in the world." + +"Right you are. If you will look on some map you will see how it is +possible to go in a boat from Pittsburgh almost across the continent. +Lewis and Clark turned into the Missouri and started for the then +unknown Northwest. They made their way along very slowly, for the river +was swollen with heavy rains and the current was very strong. + +"After much labor and hardship they managed to reach the mouth of the +Osage River. There they went into camp and sent out an armed party to +explore the interior. When the party returned they brought back ten deer +and all had a great feast on the river bank. + +"Once more they breasted the fierce current, narrowly escaping shipwreck +several times. Once the wind was so strong that they were obliged to +anchor and go ashore. Again they had to pull their boats along with +ropes through some rapids." + +"Betcher life they didn't go without a rope," said Skinny. "Why----" + +Somebody threw a sofa pillow just then and it struck exactly where his +face happened to be. Before he could find out who did it Mr. Norton went +on. + +"At last they reached the mouth of the Kansas River. A large city stands +there now. Does anybody know the name of it?" + +"That is too far from home," said Benny. "I know what city is at the +mouth of Hoosac River. There ain't any." + +"Kansas City now stands where they went into camp. They divided into two +parties. One went out after game, so that there should be plenty to eat, +and the other explored the country." + +"It's fun to explore," said Bill. + +"Probably these men found a certain pleasure in it, notwithstanding the +hardships. They were seeing something new every day. After a time they +started once more and late in July reached the mouth of the Platte +River. They had heard that a tribe of Indians were living near there, so +Lewis and Clark went out with a party to find them and tell them that +the country now belonged to the Great Father at Washington. Under some +bluffs, opposite the present city of Omaha, they sat in council with the +Indians, made them gifts, and smoked the peace pipe. The Indians didn't +seem to care who owned the country so long as they received presents and +had room enough to hunt. A city now stands on those bluffs where the +Indian council was held. I guess you can tell me the name of that one." + +"Council Bluffs," said two or three of us at the same time. + +"Then on went the explorers up the river, through a wonderful country. +Vast prairies, covered with grass and without any trees, stretched away +in every direction, as far as they could see, and great herds of buffalo +roamed up and down. On they went, through what is now Nebraska; then +through South Dakota; then, North Dakota, where some fierce Indians +dwelt. Another council was held and more presents were given. When the +boat was about to put off after this council, the Indians grabbed hold +of the cable and held it. They wouldn't let go." + +"Great snakes!" said Bill. "I'll bet they didn't do a thing to those +Injuns. I'll bet they paralyzed them. They had guns, didn't they?" + +"Yes, and they did sort of paralyze the savages, I guess. + +"'Take aim but don't fire,' Lewis told his men. + +"The next second those Indians were looking into the muzzles of about +twenty-five guns." + +"That's the stuff!" shouted Skinny, swinging his arms and then +pretending to shoot. "Did they kill them all?" + +"I am afraid that you boys are a little bloodthirsty," said Mr. Norton. +"They didn't shoot at all. When the Indians saw the pointed guns they +dropped the cable and pretended that all they wanted was to do some more +trading. The white men were glad enough to let it go at that and get +away as quickly as possible. + +"It soon became necessary to go into camp for the winter. An island in +the river was chosen for the purpose and they spent the winter there. +The Indians in the vicinity proved to be friendly. They never had seen +white men before, possibly that was the reason. Some of the things which +are very common to us seemed wonderful to them. Do you remember how I +lighted the fire one day, when we wanted to cook dinner on Bob's Hill +and had forgotten the matches?" + +"With a sunglass," I told him. + +"Well, that didn't seem very astonishing to us because we were used to +it, but the Indians had never seen a sunglass. They started their fires +by rubbing two sticks together. Even the whites had to use a flint and +steel, for the art of making matches hadn't been discovered. Captain +Clark carried a sunglass in his pocket. One day he went to an Indian +village, intending to smoke a peace pipe with the chief. As he was +entering the village, he saw some wild geese flying over and shot one. +The Indians heard what seemed to be thunder and saw the goose fall, and +it scared them. They ran into their wigwams and closed the skin doors. +Soon after Captain Clark came up to the wigwam of the chief, without +thinking he was doing anything out of the ordinary, he pulled out his +sunglass and lighted his pipe with it. + +"The frightened Indians were peeking out of their wigwams, and when they +saw the white man start a blaze in his pipe by holding up one hand, +they felt sure that he was a spirit. The Redskins gave one yell and ran +into the woods. It was a long time before they could be made to +understand. + +"Spring came at last and the impatient party started up the river again. +The way grew more and more difficult. They were now a long distance from +the mouth of the river, and the water was shallow in places and filled +with dangerous rocks. Often they had to get out and wade, pulling the +boats along by the cables. + +"May 26 they passed the mouth of the Yellowstone River and for the first +time saw the Rocky Mountains in the distance, covered with snow and +looking very grand. They were then in Montana, or what we now call +Montana. + +"In June they heard the roaring of a cataract, and Lewis started out +afoot to find it. After he had traveled for hours he climbed a cliff and +at last looked down upon the cataract. So far as we know he was the +first white man who had ever seen it, although thousands see it every +year now. The cascades of the Missouri stretch for thirteen miles, with +foaming rapids between. It is a great sight." + +"Gee, Peck's Falls ain't in it," said Skinny. "Did he find a cave?" + +"History fails to mention a cave. Lewis went back and ordered the boats +to proceed up the river as far as the first rapids. The question was, +how to get around those cascades. They couldn't go up the river, so they +had to get the boats around in some way. Their horses had died during +the winter. There was nothing to do but drag the boats around eighteen +miles. The men went to work and made rough carts, felled trees, cleared +away bushes, dug out rocks, leveled off the ground, and pulled, pushed, +and struggled on, until at last the work was accomplished and the boats +were launched again in the river above the rapids. + +"But soon the river became too shallow for the large boat and they had +to stop again. Then they cut down trees and made 'dugouts.' They paddled +on until finally they came to a most wonderful place. We think that the +ravine below Peck's Falls and that at the Basin are grand and beautiful, +and so they are, but they found a great canyon, whose walls in places +were a thousand feet high. + +"Beyond this canyon they could not go in their boats, for they were at +the foot of the first range of the Rockies. They had to leave their +boats there and climb. But, first, Lewis started out alone to find some +Indians for guides. + +"The brave man made his way to the top of the ridge and looked down into +the valley beyond. In that valley flowed a river, and far up the stream +he could see an Indian village. It was the home of the Shoshones. He +managed to reach the village, and by offering presents induced some of +the Indians to go back with him, bringing horses, and to guide his men +across the mountains. + +"The trip was a very perilous one, even with guides, and it took them a +whole month to cross. Up, up they climbed, so high that they could not +find any game to shoot. One by one, the horses died from exhaustion, and +the starving men ate the flesh to keep themselves alive. + +"After terrible hardships, they finally left the mountains behind and +came upon streams which flowed toward the west. Here they rested, +secured a new supply of food, built new boats, and then, when all was +ready, paddled down the Lewis and Clark rivers into the broad Columbia, +which, as you know, pours its waters into the Pacific Ocean. They had +crossed the entire country from Pittsburgh to the Pacific, and made the +whole trip by water except that terrible journey across the Rocky +Mountains. + +"It was now November and they were forced to go into camp once more to +spend the winter months. In the spring they started on the long journey +home again and at last reached Washington, where they told the President +about the vast Northwest and what a great country he had purchased from +France." + +"I'll tell you what let's do," said Benny, after Mr. Norton had +finished. "When we start on our trip let's play we are Lewis and Clark +'sploring the country." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +CLOUDBURST ON GREYLOCK + + +SKINNY says that if they would let him run the weather he wouldn't have +it rain daytimes during vacation. All of us Boy Scouts feel that way, +too, because, what's the use? The days are made for boys to have fun in +and the nights are made to sleep. So, why not have it rain nights when +folks are sleeping? + +Anyhow, it rained that August as we never had seen it rain before and +never want to see it again. It began in the night, all right, just like +rain ought to do, but it didn't stop. When day came it seemed to take a +fresh start and kept going. It rained all day long and we couldn't have +any fun at all. When it came time to go to bed it quit for a spell, but +it started up again before morning. It wasn't any drizzle, either. It +came down in bucketfuls, until I thought the village would be washed +away and that even Bob's Hill would float off. + +Along about ten o'clock in the morning it let up, and pretty soon, who +should come along but Skinny and Bill, barefooted and with old clothes +on. They were worried about the cave, and so was I. While it was raining +so hard I thought about it a lot. + +You see, our cave is a little below Peck's Falls, on the bank of the +brook. There are two entrances. One goes in from the top on the upper +side. You first go down into a hole and then wriggle through an opening, +until you come out into the real cave. We don't use that one except when +we want to escape from the enemy, or something like that. + +The one we use is below, right at the edge of the water, and leads +straight into the real cave. The floor of the cave is even with the +water at the entrance and then slopes back a little out of the wet. + +Once a flood filled the cave and nearly drowned us. We should have been +drowned, if Tom Chapin hadn't been with us. He dove down through the +hole into the upper cave and then pulled us through after him. After +that we built a dam so that it would not happen again. I told all about +that once in the doings of the Band. What we were worrying about was the +dam's giving way. + +Almost always in summer the brook is fine. It pours a clear stream down +over the rocks and kind of talks to us and sings, so that we like to be +in the cave and listen to it. But sometimes in the spring of the year, +when the snow on the mountain is melting and old winter is running away +into the valley, and sometimes after very hard rains, the water roars +over the falls and then dashes down through the gulch and over the rocks +below, like some wild beast. At those times, it is a good place to keep +away from, unless you have a dam or a cave that needs looking after. + +"Get your hat, Pedro, and come on," said Skinny. "We want to see about +the dam. If it washes out the water will fill our cave." + +"And bring a shovel," added Bill. "We'd brought one, only your house is +so much nearer." + +"All right," I told them. "Whistle for Benny, while I'm getting it." + +The four of us went up through the orchard and took the road around the +hill to the top because the rain had made it too slippery to climb +straight up. We knew by the roaring of the water, long before we came in +sight, that Peck's Falls were going it for all they were worth. + +When we finally, one after another, crept out on the ledge of Pulpit +Rock, in front of the falls, the sight almost scared us. It was great, +the way the water came down, fairly jumping from rock to rock, until +with a final leap and roar, it plunged, all white and foaming, into an +angry pool below; then dashed off, with a snarl, through the ravine. + +"Gee-whillikens!" said Skinny. "Those are some falls, all right. How'd +you like to go in swimming?" + +"It would just about use a fellow up to go through there," I told him. +"Boost me up so that I can look down at the cave." + +"We'll boost Benny," he said. "He isn't so heavy." + +The pulpit part reaches up several feet above the narrow ledge like a +wall, and back of it there is a straight drop, a hundred feet or more +down. + +"The cave is all right, I guess," Benny told us, when we had held him up +so that he could see over without getting dizzy. "I can see where the +upper entrance is, but, say, the brook is fierce." + +We crept off from the rock and made our way carefully down the side of +the ravine to the cave. + +It was as Benny had said. The dam had held and was keeping the water +from flooding the cave. The upper entrance was all right, although it +was too muddy to use. The water had backed up around the lower entrance +and part way into the cave, but beyond it was dry. + +The little mountain brook had turned into a torrent, raging along like +some wild beast, and foaming over the rocks below, almost like Peck's +Falls. Just above these smaller falls, a tree, which had been carried +down into the ravine, stretched across the stream from rock to rock, +with its slippery trunk about two feet above the water. + +"I guess everything is all right," said Skinny, "but maybe we'd better +fix the dam a little. Gee, but it's getting dark in here." + +We worked a few minutes, throwing rocks and dirt against the dam. I had +just stood off to say that I thought it would hold now, when Skinny gave +an awful yell and slipped off from a rock, on which he had been +standing, into the flood. + +I made a grab for him and missed, and in a second he was whirled down +the stream. + +It is queer how much thinking one can do in a second. I thought of the +rocks and of the falls below and of how nobody could go through without +being pounded against the stones. + +I was afraid to look, until I heard another yell. Then we yelled, too, +for there was Skinny clinging to the tree which stretched across the +stream, just above the lower falls, and yelling to beat the band. + +The water pulled and tore at his legs, dragging them under the tree and +to the very edge of the rock which formed the falls. On his face was +such a look, when we came near, that I knew he could not hang on much +longer. + +"Hold on tight, Skinny," I called. "We are coming." + +It did not take us long to get there, but when we came opposite to where +he was hanging we could not reach him, and the log was too slippery to +walk on. + +"Can't you work yourself along the tree?" I asked. "We can't reach, and +even if we could walk out I don't see how we'd ever get back." + +He shook his head in despair. + +"I can hardly hold on at all," he told us. "I'll have to let go in a +minute, if you don't do something. Get the rope. You always want a +rope." + +I hadn't thought of the rope which we have kept in the cave since the +time I told about, when the flood came near drowning us. + +Then Bill, being corporal, pulled himself together. + +"Run to the cave for the rope," said he, "while I hold him." + +Before we could say a word or stop him, he straddled the tree and began +to work his way out, hitching himself along with his hands. + +"Run," he yelled again, when he saw us looking with pale faces. "Skinny +saved me and I'll save him, if it takes a leg." + +We were halfway to the cave before he had finished speaking. I helped +Benny in through the water, holding him to make sure that he wouldn't +slip, and in two or three seconds he was out again with the rope. + +We found Bill clinging to the slippery tree with both legs and holding +Skinny by the collar with both hands. Skinny had a fresh grip and was +hanging on for all he was worth. + +We tied a slip noose in one end of the rope and threw it to Bill. + +"You'll have to let go with one hand at a time, Skinny," I heard him +say. "Wait until I get a better grip. Now!" + +I saw Skinny let go for a second with his left hand. Bill hung to his +collar with one hand and with the other put the loop over his head and +under his arm. Then Skinny grabbed hold again and did the same with the +other hand. + +"Pull her tight, boys. Easy now." + +We pulled until the noose tightened under Skinny's shoulders. Then we +waded into the water as far as we dared and pulled steadily on the rope. +Skinny scrambled along through the water, digging his finger nails into +the bark, with Bill holding on to his collar as long as he could reach. + +By the time we had him out it had grown so dark that we hardly could see +Bill, but we knew he was out there because we heard him say "great +snakes." + +"Throw me the rope," he called. + +He put the noose around his own shoulders, and with our help was soon +standing on the ground. + +"I swam her all right," said Skinny, "but I hadn't ought to have done +it. Ma told me not to go swimming to-day." + +Just as he said that something seemed to shut us in. The light was +blotted out and we stood there in the dark, scared and wet, wondering +what was going to happen. + +We groped our way along until we reached the cave and crawled in through +the water. I didn't like to do it because I knew that if the dam should +give way the cave would be flooded. But we had made it stronger and we +had the rope to climb out by at the upper hole, if the worst should +come. + +The water didn't reach far into the cave, and soon we had a light, for +we always keep candles and matches there. + +It didn't seem so scary when we could see, sitting down together on a +piece of old carpet which the folks had given us, where we had sat many +times before. + +What happened next, they say, was a cloudburst. Something burst, anyhow. +Skinny had just grinned and said that he thought maybe it was going to +rain, when it started. + +And rain! Say, we never had seen it rain before. It came down in chunks +and pailfuls. Pretty soon the water began to creep farther into the +cave, and we got out the rope and made ready to crawl through into the +other part, if it should come much farther. + +But the dam held, and there we were, snug and safe, with our candle +throwing dancing shadows, and up against one side of the cave, where we +had hung it long before, our motto: + +"Resolved, that the Boys of Bob's Hill are going to make good." + +Then we heard a distant roar, different from anything we ever had heard +before and different from any other noise the storm was making. It +scared us because we couldn't think what it was. + +"Gee!" said Skinny. "What's broke loose, now?" + +"Great snakes!" I heard Bill say. "I wish I hadn't come." + +Benny didn't say anything, but he grabbed my hand and by the way he hung +on I knew he was doing a lot of thinking. + +That roar seemed to be the end of the storm, for the rain stopped as +quickly as it had come. It began to grow light again and somewhere in +the woods we heard a bird singing. + +We were glad enough to get out into daylight once more and make our way +back to the road. + +"Let's see what it was that roared so," I said. "It isn't going to rain +any more and Skinny is nearly dry." + +We could see great patches of blue sky and knew that the storm was over. + +The roaring had seemed to come from the mountain, so we climbed up the +road and went into a field beyond the woods, from which we usually can +see old Greylock looming up, only looking different, it is so near. + +This time we couldn't see him at all. The sky was clear overhead, but +clouds still hung about the mountain, shutting him from sight. + +Then, as we stood there, the noise came again, only worse this time, and +right in front of us. The ground seemed to tremble under our feet and +from somewhere, back of the cloud which covered the mountainside, came a +mighty roaring and grinding that was awful. + +We stood there, clinging to each other and wondering if the end of the +world had come, when suddenly the cloud lifted and Skinny yelled: + +"Look! Look!" + +Down the face of Greylock, where before trees had been growing, water +was pouring over a great, white scar, which reached from top to bottom, +nearly to where we stood, and over to the south was a smaller scar. + +"Guess what," said Benny. "Greylock is crying. What do you know about +that?" + +There had been two landslides, the only ones we ever had known to happen +on the mountain. + +And to this day, as far as you can see Greylock, you will see those +white scars of bare rock, stretching down his face, as if some monstrous +giant had clawed him, but, of course, no water after that first time. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +ON THE WAY AT LAST + + +FOLKS in our town think that white streaks down the face of Greylock do +not improve his looks any, but to us boys they seem like scars won in +battle. We feel like cheering some mornings, when we see him fighting to +break away from storm clouds which wrap him around. + +At first we can see nothing but clouds from where we stand on Bob's +Hill. Then, the clouds begin to lift a little and Peck's Falls woods +gradually come into view. A little later the very tiptop of the mountain +begins to show, floating like an island in an ocean of mist. While we +look, the clouds fall away still more, making the island larger and +larger, and the bottom mists roll up the wooded sides of the hill. + +In a few minutes old Greylock throws them off altogether and stands +there, with his scars showing, except that across his face a narrow +cloud sometimes hangs like a billowy screen, giving him, Ma says, a look +of majesty as if God was living there. + +Anyhow, we boys can't help cheering when the mountain shakes off his +bonds and stands forth like a giant Scout, telling us to be cheerful and +brave and reverent and all that. + +The great rains did more than scar the face of Greylock. They kept us +from starting on our trip at the time we had planned to go. + +"Wait until the woods dry out," Mr. Norton told us. "The roads are too +muddy now to think of starting, and you couldn't have any fun if the +woods were wet. A week of sunshine will fix things all right." + +We hated to wait, but there was plenty to do getting ready, so that the +time did not seem long. + +"We'll carry no firearms," he went on. "Guns seemed necessary when this +was a wilderness, but we are going over a fairly well traveled road. +Scouts do not believe in wanton killing, anyway." + +"How about bears?" asked Skinny, anxiously. + +"I have made careful inquiries and have not found anybody who has seen a +bear along that road in years. I know you found one near the Savoy road, +or he found you, but that cub was as badly frightened as you were. +Should any of us see a bear, which is not at all likely, I don't believe +there is anything in Scout law to keep us from running one way while the +bear is running another." + +"I don't know about a Scout's running," Skinny told him. "Of course I +ran, but I didn't run far, only to the nearest tree, so that I could +lasso him better." + +"Well, that's all right. Run to the nearest tree and then give the Scout +signal. Some of the noises which you boys make, especially William, +would scare a whole drove of bears." + +"Anyhow, I'm going to carry my rope." + +"I'll tell you what we can do. We'll put in the week making bows and +arrows. Every boy should carry with him a good bow, made of hickory, +hemlock, or mountain ash, and a quiver full of arrows. You never will +have a better chance to become experts in archery." + +We thought that we would make them of hemlock, because there are plenty +of hemlock trees up above Peck's Falls and in Plunkett's woods, but Mr. +Norton told us that we ought to make them of seasoned wood. The next day +he sent some seasoned hickory over to our barn and we made the bows and +arrows of that. + +We took a lot of pains with them, and a carpenter that Hank knew helped +us some. Before the week was over we had some weapons which Skinny said +he knew we could scare a bear with, anyhow. Each Scout's bow was about +as long as himself and an inch thick in the center. The ends were shaved +down until they bent evenly. For string, we used strong, unbleached +linen threads, twisted together. Benny made his bow so stiff at first +that he couldn't bend it, but Hank showed him how to shave it down, +until he could draw the string back twenty-three inches, like the book +says. + +The arrows gave us the most trouble because they had to be so straight +and round. We made them twenty-five inches long and about three-eighths +of an inch thick, and we glued turkey feathers on near the notched end. +The other end we fitted into a brass ferrule, to keep the wood from +splitting. The arrows looked fine, when we had them made and painted. +Each boy painted his a different way, so that we could tell which one +killed the bear. + +Mr. Norton showed us how to make guards for the left wrist, to keep the +bow cord from striking it. To protect the fingers of the right hand, we +used an old leather glove, with the thumb and little finger cut away. + +I'll never forget the morning we started. After breakfast the boys, all +in uniform, came over to my house. Pretty soon Mr. Norton drove up in a +light wagon, loaded with tents, camp outfit, and things to eat. + +We greeted him with cheers, and when he had come close gave him the +Scout salute. + +"Come on, boys. Let's get started, if you are ready," he said. "We have +a long walk ahead of us, if we expect to camp on Florida Mountain +to-night." + +"Great snakes!" said Bill. "That listens good to little Willie!" And he +gave a yell that brought people out of their houses, all up and down +Park Street. + +"Boys," said Pa, just as we were starting, "remember that your folks are +trusting you and, as we understand it, a Scout's honor is to be trusted. +Remember, too, that it is a Scout's duty to obey orders and that the one +to give you orders while you are away is Mr. Norton. And let me add that +he has my full sympathy. If he isn't worn to a frazzle before he gets +back, I'll miss my guess." + +In another minute we were off, the folks calling good-bys after us and +shouting for us to remember this and not to forget that and not to do +something else. + +Mr. Norton drove the horse at the start because he knew that we would +want to march through town, and away we went, with our bows and arrows +on our backs, and Skinny, with his rope and hatchet, which he called his +tomahawk. + +At the Gingham Ground we found the boys of Eagle Patrol drawn up by the +side of the road. They saluted and cheered as we passed. + +"If we have good luck this time, we'll take you next year," called Mr. +Norton. "I'm new at the business, myself, and eight youngsters are all I +want to tackle the first time." + +"Skinny! Oh, Skinny-y-y!" yelled Jim, when we were almost out of +hearing. + +We stopped and waited to find out what was wanted. + +"Don't kill all the game-e-e. Save some for seed." + +Skinny's only answer was to wave his tomahawk. Then we marched on toward +North Adams, and at nearly every house we passed people came to the door +to see what was going on. It made us feel proud. + +We took turns riding, two or three boys in the wagon at a time, because +Mr. Norton said that he didn't want us to get all tired out before we +started and that we shouldn't be really started until we came to the +mountain. + +The day was fine and the roads were getting dusty again. We were so +happy that almost before we knew it we came to the foot of a hill, which +led up into the mountain, and there we stopped to eat lunch. + +Before leaving home, I asked Pa why they called it Florida Mountain and +why they called a little town on top Florida, and he said because that +was its name. Anyhow, they call 'em that. Before Hoosac Tunnel was built +under the mountain, a stage coach made regular trips over it, along the +road we were going to take. That was the only way people had to get to +Greenfield and the other towns on the east side, without going south to +Pittsfield and from there going over Mount Washington on the Boston & +Albany Railroad. Now, there is a big hole under the mountain, more than +four miles long, and trains go through in a few minutes. + +After we had eaten and had a good rest, we started up a road, which we +could see winding up the mountainside, far above us. + +"Now, boys," said Mr. Norton, "we don't have to make this trip all in +one day. We are out for fun and to learn something about scouting; if we +climb too far in this hot sun it will get to be work instead of play. I +propose that we climb slowly, taking plenty of time to enjoy the +wonderful views that will unfold before us with every turn of the road. +You boys can stop whenever you feel like it, to rest, or explore, or +shoot. Before we get to the top, we'll pitch our tents near some spring, +in full view of the valley and setting sun. We'll plan it so as to have +several hours of daylight left after we go into camp for the night. What +do you say?" + +That suited us all right and away we went, with Benny driving, and the +old horse moving along in good shape. + +Say, no tunnels for us, after this! Tunnels are all right when you are +in a hurry. But were we in a hurry? I guess not! + +It was just as Mr. Norton had told us. At every turn of the road, and +mountain roads wind around with a lot of turns instead of going straight +up, we stopped to look back over the valley. And every time we stopped +it looked different. It was great. And the higher we climbed, the better +it looked and the farther we could see, until the whole valley lay +before us, all the way to Pittsfield and west toward the Hudson. To the +north, the Green Mountains of Vermont looked blue in the distance. +Across the valley, on the south, old Greylock put his head up above the +other peaks and watched us, wondering, we thought, why we were going up +Florida Mountain instead of climbing over him. + +"Hurray!" yelled Skinny. "I'm Captain Clark, exploring the great +Northwest." + +"I'm Captain Lewis," shouted Benny, strutting around and waving his bow. + +"Me Injun chief," said Bill. "Ugh! Heap pale face get lost. No find +trail. Injun show um way." + +Then he gave such a yell that it scared the horse and we hardly could +keep up. + +About four o'clock in the afternoon we came to a spring near the top of +the mountain, and a little beyond, through the trees, we could see a +grassy slope, just the place for our camp. + +"This looks good to me," said Mr. Norton, driving up to the side of the +road and blocking the wheels of the wagon. "We'll give the horse a +drink after he cools off a little and unload the things which we shall +need to-night." + +It looked like an Indian village there, when we had finished setting the +tents up. For beds we went into the woods and cut branches of hemlock, +which we wove into mattresses and covered with blankets. + +"Let's play 'Hunt the Deer,'" said Skinny, when all was ready for the +night and Mr. Norton had sat down to rest on a rock, overlooking the +valley. + +"All right, boys," he told us. "I want you to have the time of your +lives on this trip and I know that even a view like this will not long +satisfy a boy. But don't go far and remember your Scout training. You +will usually find moss on the north side of tree trunks." + +"We know that," said Skinny. "We tried it once on Greylock, when we were +lost, and it worked all right." + +"You can't get lost. I believe I could hear William call anywhere on the +mountain. The sun is shining and your shadows will point east. Come +back in time for supper. I'll be cook to-night, but after this you boys +will have to take turns." + +"We'll get back in time, never fear," Skinny told him. "We are hungry +enough now to gnaw the bark off the trees." + +Then he grabbed a bag which was stuffed with hay, put an ear of corn in +his pocket, and started. + +"Give me ten minutes," he said. + +It was a game which we had read about in the book. The stuffed bag was +the deer and the corn was for the trail. The game was for Skinny to +scatter corn along, making a crooked trail for us to follow, and then to +hide the deer somewhere for us to find. + +After Skinny had made a good start, we scattered, looking for the +trail--corn, footprints, and other signs. + +It was great fun and not easy for beginners like we were. Sometimes we +lost the trail altogether. Then one of us would pick it up again, where +Skinny maybe had doubled back toward the camp. + +Finally Bill caught sight of the bag in some bushes and yelled: + +"Deer!" + +Hank hurried up and called, "Second!" I saw it third and all the boys +soon after except Benny. He had lost the trail and was beating around in +the woods somewhere, out of sight and hearing. + +It was Bill's first shot and he had to stand where he was when he first +saw the deer. He took out an arrow, aimed carefully, and fired. The +arrow went so fast that I believe it almost would have killed a real +deer if it had hit him, but he aimed too high and it went over. + +Then Hank stepped five paces toward the deer and shot. He missed. I +stepped up five paces more and I missed. Harry went five paces closer +and was the first to hit it. After that we all shot from where he had +stood, until we all had hit it. + +Skinny had come up and I was just asking him if he had seen Benny, when +we heard a great crashing through the bushes and in a minute he came in +sight, running like sixty. + +He was almost tuckered out when he reached us and had only breath enough +left to say: + +"Run! It's a bear!" + +We ran, all right, but after a little I looked back and could see that +there was nothing following. + +"Hold up--a minute," I panted. "It--ain't a-comin'." + +"Where was it, Benny?" I asked, when they had come back. "Where did you +see it?" + +"I didn't see it. I only heard it. It was stepping around in the bushes +and I heard it grunt. I didn't wait to see it." + +"I wish I had my rope," said Skinny. "I left it in the wagon. Come on, +anyhow. We'll surround the critter and shoot him." + +Skinny scared us when he said that. I could feel cold chills chasing up +and down my back bone, when I thought of surrounding a live bear. + +"Great snakes!" said Bill. "I hope it's a big one, so Skinny can hit it. +He couldn't hit a little one." + +"I couldn't, couldn't I?" said he. "I'll show you whether I can hit it +or not. Come on. I'll dare you to." + +That settled it. We weren't going to take a dare, but I was hoping all +the time that the bear had run away. So, with Benny keeping close to me +and pointing the way, we crept through the woods, not making any noise, +and each boy held his bow and arrow ready to shoot. + +It was scary but it was fun. Finally, with an excited pinch of my arm, +Benny stopped and pointed. + +My heart throbbed like a trip-hammer, and I hardly could hold my arrow +on the cord, for, looking through some bushes, I caught sight of +something black and heard the bear tramping around. + +I heard Skinny muttering something about a rope; then he whispered: + +"Get ready, and run as soon as you shoot." + +"Aim." + +We stood there, trembling, wanting to run first and shoot afterward, but +too proud to. Each boy pointed his arrow toward where we could see the +bear standing still behind some bushes and only a part, of him showing. + +[Illustration: AS WE RAN, WE HEARD A YELL OF PAIN, OR FRIGHT, AND IT WAS +NOT A BEAR'S VOICE AT ALL.] + +"Fire!" + +I don't know when I fired. I only knew that my arrow was gone and I was +running for the camp like the wind, with the other Scouts chasing after +me. + +As we ran, we heard a yell of pain, or fright, and it was not a bear's +voice at all. It was a woman's! Then we heard the voice say: + +"For the love of Mike! The woods is full of Injuns and I've got an arrow +in the pit of my stummick." + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +SCOUTING THROUGH A WILDERNESS + + +"FELLERS," said Skinny, panting and wetting his lips with his tongue. +"We've done it this time. We've killed somebody." + +"Killed nothin'!" Bill told him. "Didn't you hear her holler?" + +"She's running, too," said Benny. "Killed folks don't run, especially +girls." + +We could hear a crashing through the bushes beyond, and knew that what +Benny said was true. + +"Let's sneak back and get our arrows, anyhow," said Skinny, when the +noise had stopped. + +So we crept back again, ready to run if any one should come, but there +was nobody in sight. One arrow was lying on the ground where the girl +had been standing when we took her for a bear. It was Skinny's; we could +tell by the way it was painted. + +It made him real chesty, after he had found out that we had not killed +anybody. + +"Didn't I tell you, Bill," said he, "that I'd show you whether I could +hit a bear or not? It must have struck a button or something, or whoever +it was would have bit the dust, and don't you forget it." + +While we were standing there talking about it, a man burst through the +bushes, followed by a girl, about eighteen years old, I guess. + +"Are these your Injuns?" he asked, before we had time to run. Then he +burst out laughing in such a way that we were not afraid to stay. + +In a minute we had found out all about it. They were fern gatherers and +Benny had taken them for bears. A lot of people go up on the mountain in +August, picking what they call Boston ferns to sell to florists. They +put them in cold storage and keep them a long time. There is a crazy +little railroad at the foot of the mountain, on the east side, that +carries whole train loads of those ferns to Hoosac Tunnel station, and +afterward they are shipped all over the country to be put in bouquets. + +Skinny's arrow had struck the girl and hurt her a little, but not much. +She was scared half to death. + +Mr. Norton had a fine supper ready when we reached the camp again, and +we ate until we couldn't eat any longer. + +"You boys ought to know what you are doing every minute you are in the +woods," he told us, after he had heard about the scare. "Suppose that +Gabriel had been carrying a gun, as he wanted to, instead of a bow and +arrows. Just think what would have happened. Hundreds of people have +been killed in exactly that way. Careless hunters have mistaken them for +bear or deer or some other game. You ought to have known what you were +shooting at. It was a foolish thing to do, anyway. I don't believe there +can be any bears around where so many people are looking for ferns and +berries. We'll see dozens of pickers on the other side of the mountain, +probably. If there ever were any bears they have been frightened away +long before this. But suppose that had been a bear. For a bunch of boys +to attack a bear with bows and arrows isn't bravery. It is foolishness. +I am ashamed of you." + +We didn't feel quite so chesty when Mr. Norton had finished talking to +us. + +"Well, I am not going to spoil the day by scolding," he went on, after +we'd had time to think it over a little. "You can see the folly of it as +well as I. Let us sit here and watch the sun go down behind the west +mountains. Did you ever see such glory? Then, when it grows dark, we'll +build a campfire and I'll tell you about a great scout and a trip he +once made through a wilderness." + +It was fine sitting there, watching the sun sink into a golden sea +behind the mountains, while the valley below was already in the shadow +and the dark was creeping up the hillsides. + +We sat there a long time without speaking, until finally the golden sea +faded into a streak of gray, and up and down the valley we could see the +twinkling lights of a half dozen towns and the farmhouses between. + +Then Mr. Norton threw an armful of brush on the coals, and in the light +of the blaze, which made the shadows dance like ghosts of Indian braves, +he began his story. + +"Some of you boys went out to Illinois, last summer," said he, "and I +know from what you have told me that you learned much about the great +French scout, LaSalle; how he explored the Ohio River and went up and +down the Mississippi, taking possession of the country in the name of +the king of France. We already have had one story which grew out of +those early explorations. The Lewis and Clark Expedition through the +Northwest, which I told you about, can be traced back to those scouting +trips of LaSalle and the others, on account of which France claimed the +country. + +"This story is of another scouting trip, long after LaSalle's time and +before Lewis and Clark were born, probably. It took place even before +the United States was born, but, in a way, it grew out of those same +trips of LaSalle and Tonty, Marquette and Joliet, the French explorers +of the seventeenth century." + +"Was this scout a Frenchman, then?" asked Benny. + +"No, he was of English parentage, one of the finest English country +gentlemen who ever lived, but born in America, and one of the greatest +American scouts. + +"He was a friend of yours, too, Skinny," he added, laughing to himself. + +"Not me," Skinny told him, shaking his head. "I think a lot more of +England than I did, on account of General Baden-Powell and the Boy Scout +business, but I don't know this feller." + +"That is strange. It seems to me that I have heard you remark something +about his being able to lick Napoleon Bonaparte with one hand tied +behind his back." + +"George Washington!" shouted Skinny. "The Father of his Country. First +in----" + +"Say, who's tellin' this story, anyhow?" said Bill, pulling Skinny over +and sitting on him. + +"Yes, George Washington, who, it seems to me, would have made the finest +kind of a Boy Scout in his younger days--a scout worthy of membership +in Raven Patrol. He seems to have had all of the Scout virtues. He was +trustworthy, loyal to his home and his native land; he was thrifty; he +was brave; he was reverent." + +"I'll bet he couldn't bandage a broken leg like we can," Benny told him. + +"Maybe not, but he could find his way through the forest and he didn't +go around shooting at girls, thinking that they were bears. He liked +girls too well for that. I believe he liked the girls better, even, than +our patrol leader does." + +We set up a yell at that. + +"Aw, I ain't stuck on no girls," said Skinny. "I just rescue 'em, that's +all." + +"It's all right," Mr. Norton told him. "A girl is the greatest thing in +the world, unless it is a boy. Anyhow, George Washington was a splendid +type of American boyhood and he surely liked the girls; used to write +poetry about them when he was your age." + +I don't know why, but somehow we seemed to think more of Washington +after we had heard that. It seemed to bring him closer to us and make +him a real person, instead of a picture on the wall, praying at Valley +Forge or crossing the Delaware. Most always Washington is crossing the +Delaware when you see him. + +"He was a big fellow in the first place, while Napoleon was small. Size +of body doesn't always count. Some of the greatest men the world has +produced have been small of stature. But George Washington was a big +fellow. Like Lincoln, he could outwrestle, outthrow, and outjump any of +his mates. They still show a spot down in Fredericksburg where he stood +and threw a stone across the Rappahannock River. He didn't seem to know +the meaning of fear. From his early youth he was a fine horseman, taming +and riding horses that nobody else could manage." + +"Did his mother call him Georgie?" asked Benny, before we could stop +him. + +"Perhaps she did, although I hardly can imagine it. At the age of +fourteen George wanted to enter the English navy and he came pretty near +doing it. If he had, perhaps he would have become a great admiral +instead of the father of his country. Who knows? + +"A midshipman's warrant was obtained for him, so the story goes, and his +clothes actually had been sent aboard a man-of-war. Then, at the last +minute, his mother found that she could not give up her oldest boy and +she withdrew her consent. It was a great disappointment to the boy, but +like the good Scout that he was he obeyed his mother and went back to +school. He learned to be a surveyor. + +"Boys matured earlier in those days when the country was new. When +Washington was only sixteen he set out on horseback through the Blue +Ridge Mountains on a surveying trip. A year afterward he was given +command of the militia in a Virginia district, with the rank of major." + +"I don't see what LaSalle had to do with all that," said Harry. + +"He didn't have anything to do with it, but he had something to do with +the scouting trip which came later. You see, France and England each had +obtained a strong foothold in this country; France, along the Great +Lakes and Mississippi River; England, along the Atlantic Coast. Between +the Mississippi and the coast stretched a beautiful and fertile country, +the valley of the Ohio. When LaSalle made his explorations he took +possession of the Mississippi in the name of the king of France. On that +account France claimed to own all the land along the Mississippi and +along all the rivers which flowed into the Mississippi. That took in a +great part of the continent." + +"I don't see how because LaSalle stood on a rock and hollered out some +words," Hank told him, "that made the whole country belong to France." + +"England couldn't see it. Still, the English claim was not much better. +Commissioners from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia made a treaty +with the Iroquois Indians in 1741. By the terms of that treaty, for +something like $2,000, the Indians gave up all right and title to all +the land west of the Alleghany Mountains, clear to the Mississippi +River. There were all kinds of Indians living in the Ohio Valley but, +according to the traditions of the Iroquois Indians, their forefathers +once upon a time had conquered it." + +"It looks like six of one and half a dozen of the other," I said. + +"There wasn't a white settlement in the whole territory. Some hardy fur +traders from Pennsylvania had made trips into the valley and this led to +the formation of the Ohio Company of Virginia, with the object of +getting ahead of the French and colonizing the lands. Then the French +began to get busy. France owned Canada at that time, you know. In 1749 +the French Governor of Canada sent three hundred men to the banks of the +Ohio River with presents for the Indians. They ordered the English +traders out of the country and nailed lead plates to trees, telling +everybody that the land belonged to France. The Indians liked the +presents well enough, but the lead plates made them mad, when they found +out their meaning. One old chief exclaimed: + +"'The French claim all the land on one side of the Ohio; the English +claim all the land on the other. Now, where does the Indian land lie?' + +"I have gone into this explanation in order to make it clear to you why +Washington was sent on his scouting trip. Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia +wanted to send some one whom he could trust to the French commander, to +protest against the French coming into the country. At the same time, he +thought the messenger would be able to find out how strong the French +were, how many canoes they had, and all that. It was a perilous mission +to undertake through an unknown wilderness, with winter coming on. Young +Washington was only twenty-two years old, but he was selected as the one +to make the dangerous trip. + +"Major Washington started from Williamsburg, October 31, 1753. On the +frontier he procured horses, tents, etc. Later he was joined by a famous +woodsman, named Christopher Gist. They took along a white man to act as +interpreter and some Indian guides. Chief White Thunder was one. Another +was known as the Half King. His friendship was very important to the +English. + +"I imagine that the mountains which they went through were much like +these, except that rains and snow had made them almost impassable. The +party pushed on, however, and early in December arrived at the first +French outpost. The French captain gave a feast in their honor, in the +course of which he drank so much wine that it made him talkative. He +began to brag of what the French were going to do. He said that they +were going to take possession of the entire Ohio Valley. The young +American scout kept his head clear and afterward wrote down in a book +all that he had heard. + +"Then Washington set out again, and after four more days of weary travel +they came to the French fort on the west fork of French Creek, about +fifteen miles south of Lake Erie. There he delivered his message, and +after a great deal of delay received a sealed reply. + +"While pretending to be friendly, the French did their best to win the +Indian guides away from Washington. They plied them with liquor and with +presents, so much so that the young scout had a hard time in starting +them toward home. He succeeded finally in getting away. They first went +up the creek in boats as far as an Indian village, called Venango; then +set out by land. Soon their pack horses became so jaded that Washington +used his saddle horse for a pack horse and walked. After three days of +that, he and Gist took their packs on their shoulders, their guns in +their hands, and started out alone, on a short cut to the Ohio River. + +"You will find the story in any history. At one time a treacherous +Indian guide wheeled suddenly and shot at Washington, but did not hit +him. The two men quickly overpowered the savage, and Gist was for +killing him. Young Washington would not permit that, so they did the +next best thing. They took his gun away and sent him home, making him +think that they would follow in the morning. Instead of that, they left +their campfire burning and traveled all night and all the next day, to +get as far away from the spot as possible. At last they reached the +Alleghany River, which they hoped to find frozen. There was open water, +however, and they were forced to build a raft. All they had to work with +was one hatchet, like Skinny's, I mean Gabriel's. On the way across, a +cake of ice struck the raft and threw Washington into the river." + +"Gee, I'll bet that it was cold," said Skinny. + +"It was, but Washington clung to the raft and finally, in a half-frozen +condition, drifted against an island, where the two men camped that +night. In the morning they found ice cakes so wedged in that they were +able to walk ashore. + +"January 16, in the dead of winter, Washington succeeded in reaching +Williamsburg, and delivered the French commander's letter to Governor +Dinwiddie. Soon after that came the French and Indian war, which I am +sure you know all about, in which France lost all her American +possessions except the great tract west of the Mississippi, which +Napoleon later sold to President Jefferson. + +"You see, being a scout in those days wasn't all play. It brought many +hardships that we know little about, but, after all, it called for the +same kind of boy. Washington was brave and true, helpful, kind, and +clean, and he was prepared. When the time came, his preparedness put him +in command of the American forces and afterward made him the first +President of the United States." + +"Washington was great stuff, all right," said Skinny, shaking his head +sadly, "but everything has been discovered now, and explored, and Injuns +ain't much good outside a show. There ain't anything for a feller to do +any more." + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +ON HISTORIC GROUND + + +WE were one more night on the road before reaching the Connecticut +River. + +"This trip is going to be a great part of the fun," Mr. Norton had told +us, "and the best part of it is that we can go as slowly or as fast as +we please. We'll cross over the mountain to-day, stopping whenever we +feel like it, and go into camp somewhere on the other side. I want to +have you do some of our Scout stunts on the way." + +I don't know which was the most fun, walking along the mountain road, +which wound through green woods and across laughing brooks, or pitching +our camp at night and, after a good supper of our own cooking, listening +to Mr. Norton's stories, around the campfire. + +We started bright and early in the morning, carrying only our bows and +arrows and Skinny's hatchet. The other things were on the wagon. Mr. +Norton drove because we boys wanted to play. + +Skinny was George Washington, making his way through the wilderness. He +carried the hatchet because he might have to build a raft to get across +Deerfield River. Benny was bound to be Christopher Gist. Bill had a +right to first choice, on account of being corporal, but Benny wanted to +be Gist and Bill didn't care. He said he'd rather be White Thunder, +anyhow; it sounded so nice and noisy. Hank said that he'd be the Half +King, whatever that was. + +"His name was Tanacharisson," said Mr. Norton. "He was a Seneca chief of +great note in those days. He was called 'Half King' because he wasn't a +whole king. He was under the chief of the Six Nations." + +I don't know what the rest of us were, but I do know that we had a fine +time, scouting through the forest and along the road. When we came to +the town of Florida, on top of the mountain, Skinny told us that it was +the Indian village of Venango, where we'd find the French outposts. He +wanted to surround it, but White Thunder was for pushing on because he +was getting hungry, although it was still quite early in the forenoon. + +So we trudged along, and down the mountain road on the other side, until +we came to Deerfield River. + +We found a bridge across the river and didn't have to make a raft. There +wasn't water enough to float one over the rocks, anyhow, although there +was more than usual on account of the big rain. + +By night we had left the Florida Mountain far behind. Along in the +afternoon of the next day we marched into Deerfield, which is on the +Connecticut River. Say, the people came out of their houses to see us +pass, with our uniforms on and Skinny in front, swinging his rope and +hatchet. + +"This is historic ground," Mr. Norton told us. "At the campfire to-night +we'll have a story of some fights with Indians which were the real +thing. They ought to make your hair stand on end. That stream over there +got its name 'Bloody Brook' from one of those fights." + +We camped that night on the bank of Connecticut River, and it seemed a +long way from home. + +"This river was discovered by the Dutch," said Mr. Norton, after we had +eaten a big supper and were lying on the river bank in the twilight of +the evening, tired and happy. "The permanent settlements, however, were +made by the English. The river was explored by a Hollander six years +before Gabriel's English ancestors came over in the _Mayflower_. The +first English settlements, you know, were made along the Atlantic coast. +Some years later a few of those settlers hiked over to the Connecticut +Valley, or came up the river, and started a number of towns. One of them +was Deerfield. + +"It is hard for us to imagine this fertile and cultivated valley in a +wild state, with a few white settlers here and there surrounded by +Indians. The whites considered themselves a superior race and probably +showed it by their actions. Gradually the savages, who at first had been +kind, grew more sullen and dangerous. This growing hatred on the part of +the Indians made it very difficult for the settlers, but there was +another thing which made it harder. In Europe, two great nations, +England and France, were in almost constant warfare, and each was +striving to get the better of the other in the settlement and possession +of America. + +"There were some early Indian wars, with which the French did not have +anything to do, but they had much to do with the later wars and attacks +by Indians. One of those early struggles is known as King Philip's war, +named after a wily Indian chief. It occurred just one hundred years +before the Revolution, where our patrol leader lost his ancestor. Even +at that early day there were one hundred and twenty-five people in +Deerfield. In that war the Indians attacked the town twice." + +"Was that what made the brook bloody?" asked Benny. + +"No. The bloody event which gave the brook its name happened during the +same war but not during an attack on the town itself. September 18, +1675, I believe, was the date. A company of young men, commanded by +Captain Lothrup, marched out of the town and along a road leading toward +the brook. They were acting as guard and teamsters for a number of +loaded carts, which were being taken to some settler's home. It was a +beautiful day and everything seemed as peaceful as it does now. All were +happy and there was no thought of danger. Some had even placed their +guns in the carts and were walking unarmed. + +"At the brook a band of Indian warriors lay in ambush, waiting. On came +the young men, laughing and whistling and chatting with one another. +They stopped occasionally to gather some wild grapes, which grew along +the way. Concealed in the long grass, on each side of the road, lay the +painted savages, motionless and unseen. Their eyes gleamed with hatred +and exultation as they watched their victims approach. Their eager hands +tightly grasped their weapons. Impatient for the slaughter to begin, +they awaited the signal." + +"Great snakes!" whispered Bill. + +"Snakes is the word. Like snakes in the grass they lay, as silent as the +grave. At last the signal was given. With fierce cries they sprang upon +the surprised whites, and the little brook ran red with blood. +Sixty-four men in all, from the various settlements, were killed that +day. Of seventeen young men, who went out from Deerfield that morning, +not one returned. + +"Too late, another company of men came to the rescue. They found nobody +left to rescue. The Indians then were plundering the wagons. The savages +outnumbered the rescuing party ten to one, but the little band did not +hesitate. They fought desperately for five or six hours. They were +unable to drive the savages away, however, and were just going to +retreat, when some soldiers from Northampton, down the river, appeared +and put the Indians to flight. There was sadness in Deerfield that day." + +"I don't believe I want to play Indian any more," said Benny, drawing +closer to the fire and looking around as if he might see some savages +hiding in the grass. It made us all feel scary. + +"We hardly can imagine it now," Mr. Norton went on, "after more than two +hundred years. Later there were other wars and many attacks by Indians. +The Deerfield people built a stockaded fort, into which all would run at +the first alarm. These later attacks by the savages were a part of the +fight between England and France for the possession of America. The +French induced the Indians to help them drive the English out, but +Englishmen do not drive worth a cent, and at last, as you know, France +was obliged to give up Canada to England, in whose possession it has +remained ever since. + +"First came King William's war, in which Deerfield was attacked several +times; then Queen Anne's war, and during that the town was captured and +a great part of it burned." + +"Tell us about that," I said. + +"War is always a terrible thing, but in those days it seems to have been +more than usually savage and cruel. Take the capture of Deerfield, for +example. The French commander in Canada sent three hundred soldiers to +butcher the people in this little town, in order to make himself solid +with some Indians. The attack occurred a little before daybreak, and +some terrible scenes were enacted. I'll show you an old door up in +Memorial Hall to-morrow, which went through that fight. It was so solid +that they could not break it down. You will see where a hole was cut +through it with axes and bullets. + +"That massacre occurred February 29, 1704, about two hundred years ago. +Then came other French and Indian conflicts, until finally England +triumphed. Later the United States Nation was born, and President +Jefferson bought all of the American territory that France had left. + +"Everything is peaceful here now, but think how you would feel, to know +that you might be surrounded by savages, fierce and bloodthirsty, +creeping toward you in the darkness, without a sound, until near enough +to strike, and then----" + +All of a sudden there came some awful yells and whoops that made our +blood run cold, and a crashing in the bushes that sounded as if all +kinds of Indians were after us. + +We jumped to our feet and looked, even Mr. Norton. Benny grabbed tight +hold of my hand, and I could see Skinny feeling around in the grass for +his hatchet. + +Then it came again, nearer than before, only worse and over to one +side. It was awful. I don't know about Mr. Norton, but the rest of us +were just going to run, when the yell ended with three caws, like a crow +in the Bellows Pipe at home. + +"Shucks!" said Skinny, in disgust. "It's only Bill Wilson!" + +We camped there on the river bank nearly a week and never had more fun +in our lives, boating, fishing, swimming, doing Scout stunts and playing +Scout games, and, with it all, eating our heads off, almost. + +I can't remember every little thing that we did there, and the boys say +that it will be all right to skip that part in writing this history. +There didn't anything much happen, anyhow, although Mrs. Wade was sure +some of us would get drowned and even Ma told us that she would not feel +real easy in her mind until we were at home again. + +"We'll go a little earlier than we intended," said Mr. Norton, when it +was getting near the time for going back. "I want to see some more of +that beautiful Deerfield valley, before the river leaves the mountains. +Perhaps we might do a little exploring on our own account." + +We came in sight of Florida Mountain on our homeward trip, not far from +Hoosac Tunnel. The longest part was behind us, but the hardest part, the +climb over the mountain, was ahead. + +Wild? Say, if you want to see a wild country, follow Deerfield River as +it fights its way down from Vermont, until finally it breaks through the +mountains and runs off to join the Connecticut. When you get in among +those mountains you will think that you are Christopher Columbus +discovering America. + +"The Rockies are higher," said Skinny, when we had stopped to rest and +look around a little. "I read it in a book. Besides, Mr. Norton told us +about Lewis and Clark climbing over them. But these are some mountains +all right; believe me." + +That was what we all thought. They were all tumbled and jumbled together +in a topsy-turvy way, with the river winding around in every direction, +trying to get through, and the railroad following the river. + +Mr. Norton pointed it out to us and stood there with his hat in his +hand, looking. His eyes were shining, and red was coming into his +cheeks, as if he was seeing something which we boys couldn't see at all. +And maybe he was, for I have noticed that grown folks sometimes can't +see and hear the things which we boys see and hear; at any rate, not in +the same way. + +"What does it make you think of?" he asked each of us. + +Benny's answer was the best of all. + +"There was once a baseball nine made up of real giants," said he. "They +were so big that their heads reached clear up into the sky. One day when +they were practising they lost the ball and so they picked up these 'ere +mountains and began to throw them to each other, playing catch. Every +once in a while some guy would muff the ball, I mean the mountain. Then +he would let it lie where it had fallen and pick up another. That is why +they are all tumbled together every which way." + +"That's so," I said. "You can see where the dirt jarred off when they +fell, leaving the bare rocks sticking out in a lot of places." + +"It's alive, boys," said Bill, who had been feeling of Benny's head and +looking anxious. "It feels like a nut, but it ain't cracked." + +"Benny has given us a good description and something to think about," +said Mr. Norton. "I don't believe that I should like to live here all +the time, but I should enjoy staying a week and drinking in all this +beauty. Talk about music! Hear the mountain breeze in the treetops. What +does it remind you of, Gabriel?" + +"It sounds to me exactly like beefsteak frying," Skinny told him, "and +it makes me hungry. Let's have some eats." + +"All right," said Mr. Norton, laughing to himself. "Now that you mention +it, I believe that I can detect a faint resemblance. We can't give you +beefsteak, but there is some bacon left and that ought to make much the +same kind of noise. Whose turn is it to cook?" + +"It's mine," Hank told him. + +"Well, get busy, and for fear that we might disturb you, we'll go off +somewhere and sit in the shade." + +We were all as hungry as wolves when Hank at last called us to dinner +and it tasted fine, although my piece was burnt a little. + +"I don't know how you boys feel about it," said Mr. Norton, after the +dishes had been washed and put away, "but I should like to camp here for +a couple of days. We'll do just as you say, however. Perhaps you have +had enough." + +We all had been thinking the same thing and told him so. + +"All right. We'll find a good place for our tents and go into camp. It +will give us a chance to wash out some clothes in the river and to +explore this delightful wilderness." + +We had all kinds of fun practising our Scout stunts, exploring, playing +Indian, and things like that. One of the prettiest places that we found +was a ravine, where two cascades, twins, tumbled over rocky ledges; then +came together and raced down the mountain. I don't mean that they were +as pretty as Peck's Falls, above our cave. They don't make any finer +places than that, only, of course, Niagara Falls are bigger. But they +were worth looking at, just the same. + +I am going to put down just how to get there, in case somebody should +want to see them. You probably wouldn't walk over the mountain, as we +did, because it takes so much time, but would go through Hoosac Tunnel. +After you have gone through from the North Adams side and the train +stops to take off the electric engine and put a steam one on, get off +and walk back to the mouth of the tunnel. Then, when you have come to +the mountain, climb up a sort of path, following the brook, and after a +little you will come to the twin cascades. We thought of camping there +at first, but couldn't find any good place for our tents. + +Except for the train passing and the engineer leaning out of the cab +window, we seemed out of the world, although we were not more than ten +miles from home, in a straight line. The train was like company, and +when we were around near we always watched it out of sight. + +That is a queer little railroad which comes down from Wilmington and +Readsboro, Vermont, as far as Hoosac Tunnel station. Mr. Norton told us +all about it. It is what they call a narrow gauge railroad. That means +that the rails are closer together than on most railroads, and on that +account regular cars cannot run on it. Its rails are three and a half +feet apart, while on a regular railroad they are four feet, eight and +one-half inches apart. It runs along one bank of Deerfield River, a few +feet above the water. The river is mostly stones in summer, with water +in between. + +The day after we camped there Skinny, Bill, Benny, Hank, and I sat on a +big stone, opposite our camp, waiting to see the train go by. The other +boys had gone with Mr. Norton part way up the mountain, looking for +berries for our supper. + +Pretty soon the train came in sight from toward Readsboro, fifteen miles +north, and it was swinging along at good speed, for it was downhill. + +We cheered and waved our hats as it went by. I noticed a girl, who was +sitting at one of the windows in the passenger car, give a look of +surprise when she saw us; then she leaned far out and waved her +handkerchief. It wasn't anybody that I knew, but when Skinny saw her he +jumped to his feet and let out a yell. And what he said was: + +"Mary!" + +It surprised us some. You may not believe it, but the girl was Mary +Richmond, the one Skinny walked down the mountain with, that time he +lassoed the bear, when he was doing his hike to Savoy and back. She had +been up to Readsboro with her mother, visiting. + +"Come on," said he, starting on a run. "She'll have to change cars at +Hoosac Tunnel station." + +"Aw, what's the use?" said Bill. "We don't know her." + +At that instant, while we stood there watching, we saw the engine give a +sudden lurch and then go bumping over the ties. In another moment it +struck a rock or something and, with an awful crash, the whole train +went off the embankment into the river below. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE + + +YOU may have heard of that wreck, for the papers printed a lot about it +at the time. + +After the first crash, there was not a sound. I don't know how long we +stood there, paralyzed with horror, staring at the place where the train +had been. Then we heard a shriek of fear, or pain, we couldn't tell +which, and it was a girl's voice. + +That shriek brought us to our senses. + +"Scouts to the rescue!" + +Skinny shouted at the top of his voice, hoping that Mr. Norton and the +others would hear, and we started on a run. + +Before we had gone halfway Skinny turned to Benny. + +"Run back to the camp," said he. "Get the bandages and other first-aid +things." + +"And bring my rope and hatchet," he called, over his shoulder. + +The awful stillness after that first shriek sent us on faster than ever, +while something seemed to clutch at our throats so that we hardly could +breathe. + +Bill got there first, but we were not far behind. When we had come close +we could see the train, lying on the stones in the river bed. The engine +had turned bottom side up and lay there on its back with its wheels in +air. The passenger car was on its side and was so badly smashed that it +didn't look like a car at all. + +"We've got to have help and have it quick," said Skinny, looking almost +pale. "Who'll go to Hoosac Tunnel station for help? Hank, you go, and +run like Sam Hill." + +Hank was off like a deer before the words were out of his mouth, running +toward the station, nearly two miles away. + +"Mary!" called Skinny. "Mary! Where are you?" + +"Here," we heard a faint voice say. And, climbing down, we found her, +wedged in between some timbers so that she could not move. + +"Are you hurt?" we asked, as we commenced to pry her loose. + +"A little," she told us, beginning to cry. "I don't know how much, but +I'm all right for now. Find mamma. I don't know where she is." + +After a little search we found her, nearly covered with timbers and +bleeding from a cut in her head. + +"She's dead," I whispered, while an awful feeling came over me. Her eyes +were closed and she didn't move, even after we had lifted the timbers +away. + +We dragged her out as gently as we could and laid her on a couple of car +seats which we took from the train. I sprinkled some water in her face +and pretty soon she opened her eyes. + +She stared around for a second or two, trying to understand where she +was. Then she saw Skinny and seemed to remember. + +"Mary!" said she. "Have you seen Mary? Oh, save my little girl!" + +"Mary's all right," Skinny told her. "We haven't got her out yet, but +we know just where she is. She sent us to find you." + +"Thank God!" she whispered, and then she fainted again. + +We left her there, lying among the stones on the river bottom, with her +dress floating in the water. + +"I wish Mr. Norton was here," groaned Skinny. "I don't know what to do. +Here comes Benny with the things." + +There wasn't any time to talk. We hurried back to where we could see +Mary's head sticking out of the wreck. She had her eyes closed, and I +thought she had fainted, but she heard us come up and opened them. + +"We've got your mother out," Skinny said. "Now we'll get you out." + +Her eyes asked the question which her lips couldn't seem to do. + +"Yes, she's alive," we told her. "She's got an ugly cut on her head, but +she seems all right except that." + +It was all we could do to get her out, the timbers were so heavy and so +wedged in. They had fallen across each other and made sort of a roof +over her. If it hadn't been for that she would have been killed. By all +pulling on the rope and cutting some with the hatchet, we finally +managed to get her loose. + +When we started to lift her out she screamed with pain. We kept on +lifting. There was no other way. + +"It's my foot," she moaned. "It feels as if it was all broken to +pieces." + +Two of us made a chair with our hands and carried her carefully up on +the river bank; then hurried back to the wreck. + +"There is a man groaning somewhere," said Bill. "I think it must be the +conductor." + +We found him lying under some wreckage and in great pain. + +"Where are you hurt?" we asked, when we had lifted the wreck off from +him. + +"My leg!" he groaned. "It's broken. I'm all in." + +I took out my knife and ripped his trouser leg and underclothes to above +the spot that hurt him, a little above the knee. Then, by putting one +hand above the break and the other below it, just as Mr. Norton had made +us practise doing a lot of times, and lifting very gently I could see +the broken bone move. He ground his teeth together and great drops of +sweat came out on his forehead, it hurt him so much, although I was +trying to be careful. + +"It's broken, all right," I told him. "We've sent for help. The only +thing to do is to lie still and wait." + +We straightened him out and piled some coats and things, which we found +in the wreck, around his leg, to make him as comfortable as we could. + +"How many are there?" I asked. + +"I only had two passengers, a woman and a little girl. They got on at +Readsboro. Then there was the engineer, fireman, and brakeman, besides +myself. We run only a small crew on this train." + +The brakeman came up while he was speaking. He had been stunned at first +and when he came to had managed to crawl out. + +"Have you seen Jim or George?" he asked. + +The conductor shook his head. + +"Do you boys know anything about the engineer and fireman?" + +We hadn't thought of them before. We had been too busy. + +"Then they are under the engine," said he. + +He ran through the river to the head of the train, we after him, almost +crazy with the thought of those men at the bottom of that awful heap of +iron and steel. We pulled and lifted at the great pieces, but we might +just as well have tried to move the mountain. + +"We can't do it, boys," the brakeman said, at last. "We'll have to wait +for help. There isn't one chance in a hundred that they are alive, but +they may be. Somebody will have to run to the station and make sure that +they bring some jacks. I am 'most done up and don't feel equal to it. +Which one of you will go? Only one, now; the others will be needed +here." + +"I'll go," said Benny. "I'm the littlest one in the bunch and can be +spared the easiest. What was that you said you wanted?" + +"Jacks; to jack up the engine frame with. There are several in the +baggage room. I saw them there." + +Benny hated to leave, when there was so much going on, but before the +brakeman had finished speaking he was climbing up on the river bank. In +another second he had started down the track on a run. + +"Now, fellers," Skinny told us, trying to keep his teeth from +chattering, he was so excited, "our Scout book says for us to keep cool +and we've got to do it. While we are waiting for help the thing for us +to do is to be Scouts and to get busy with our bandages." + +"And make some stretchers," added Bill. "We can't use our coats and hike +sticks, like the book says, because we didn't bring 'em." + +"That's easy. We can use car seats." + +The "first-aid kits," which Benny had brought from camp, had everything +that we needed. That was what they were put up for, only we didn't think +we should need them. There were shears and tweezers, carbolized +vaseline, sterilized dressings for wounds, to keep the germs out, all +kinds of bandages and things like that. Say, we looked like a drug +store when we had fairly started. + +Skinny cut away the shoe from Mary's foot and Bill brought cold water +from a nearby spring, to bathe it in. The foot was bruised and the ankle +sprained, but no bones were broken. Soon they had her feeling better. + +I went to help Mrs. Richmond, but all the time I was thinking of the men +under the engine. She was sitting up on the car seat, trying to keep her +feet out of the water. + +"Are you hurt anywhere else, except your head?" I asked. + +"No," she said. "I have had a bad shock and my head is cut, but I can +move all my limbs; so I guess there are no broken bones." + +Her head looked worse than it was, with a gash cut in it and her hair +matted down with blood. + +"I don't dare bathe the cut," I told her, "because the water may be full +of germs, and besides I haven't anything to bathe it with. The book says +to be careful about that." + +"What does the book say about my washing my face?" said she, and she +didn't wait for an answer. + +It didn't take long to put on a sterilized dressing and bandage her up +in good shape. Then, with Skinny on one side and I on the other, she +managed to walk to a low place on the river bank, where Mary was +waiting, and climb up. + +Mrs. Richmond said so much about how we had saved her and her little +girl, it made us feel foolish. + +"That ain't anything," Skinny told her. "That's what Scouts are for." + +"It may be a long time before a doctor gets here," I said, after a +little. "He will have to come from North Adams or Readsboro. And that +conductor is getting worse every minute. If you will help me, Skinny, +I'll try to put splints on his leg." + +You see, I had practised with the splints more than some of the boys +had. They were all for saving folks from drowning. + +We first found two pieces of board. There were plenty of them scattered +around, on account of the wreck. We put one piece, which was long +enough to reach from his armpit to below his foot, on the outside of +the leg. The other we put on the inside. It didn't have to be so long, +but reached well below the knee. Then, making sure the broken bones were +in place, we tied the splints on with strips from Skinny's shirt, first +putting a cushion of leaves between the boards and the leg. After that +we tore up Bill's shirt and tied the broken leg to the good one with +three or four strips of that. + +"Do you suppose that we can get him up on the river bank?" asked Skinny, +when we had him all fixed. + +"We must," a quiet voice answered. + +Turning, we saw Mr. Norton, who had come up so still that we had not +heard him. + +"Oh, Mr. Norton!" cried Skinny. "We are so glad you have come. It is an +awful wreck and nobody to do anything at first but us, and we didn't +know what to do. I think the engineer and fireman were killed. The +brakeman is over there, trying to get them out." + +"You seem to have done remarkably well for boys who didn't know what to +do. I want two poles from the woods, Gabriel. Quick! William, you go +with him. John will help me here." + +Skinny grabbed his hatchet, and before we had time to miss them the boys +were back again with two long poles. While they were away Mr. Norton and +I pulled two car seats out of the wreck and were ready to make a +stretcher. By laying the seats end to end on the poles and tying them +fast with Skinny's rope, we had a good one and not bad to ride on, +because of the springs. + +Then Mr. Norton and the brakeman, with us boys helping all we could, +lifted the conductor very carefully and laid him on the stretcher. To +lift it by the ends of the poles and carry it up to the river bank was +the easiest part of all. + +By that time, Hank and Benny had come back with two or three men from +Hoosac Tunnel station, and they went to work with jacks to get the +engineer and fireman out. + +"A special train is coming from Readsboro," Hank told us. "It's bringing +some doctors and the wrecker." + +"Do you feel able to continue your journey, Mrs. Richmond?" Mr. Norton +asked. "We could manage to carry the little girl as far as the station +and there is a train due from North Adams in about an hour. Or would you +rather wait for the special and go back?" + +"I think we'd better go back to Readsboro," she said. "We have friends +there and I don't feel much like walking." + +We didn't have long to wait, for the train soon came puffing down the +valley. Two doctors jumped off before it had time to stop and hurried +over to where we were standing. They were surprised some, when they saw +the people all bandaged up. + +"Who did this?" asked one of them, standing over the conductor. "I +thought there were no surgeons here. Did you succeed in getting somebody +from North Adams?" + +"These boys," Mr. Norton told him. "They are Boy Scouts and have been in +training some time for this very job." + +The doctor gave a little whistle. + +"Good thing for him," he said, "that they were around. I couldn't have +done it much better, myself." + +We felt proud when he said that, and I could tell by the way Mr. Norton +smiled at us that he was feeling pretty good over it. + +All the same, the doctor bandaged him over again, to make sure that +everything was all right. When he had finished, the hurt ones were put +on board the train and made as comfortable as possible. We heard some +cheering over by the wreck and hurried back to find out what had +happened. + +"They are alive," a man explained. "We've jacked her up a little, and +the engineer just spoke to us. He says that the fireman is alive, too." + +It made us feel better to know that they were alive, and the men worked +like sixty to get them out. By that time the wrecking crew had the big +crane ready. After that it was easy. It didn't take long to swing the +heavy frame clear of the ground and to one side. + +The two men were found somewhere in the mass, badly hurt but alive, +which was more than we could understand. + +They were lifted out as carefully as possible and carried to the car. + +"Good-by, boys!" called Mary out of the window. + +"Good-by! God bless you, dear children!" said Mrs. Richmond. + +"Good-by,--good-by," yelled the brakeman. + +The doctors were too busy to say good-by to anybody. We watched the +train steam up through the valley; then Mr. Norton took each one of us +by the hand, and he squeezed hard. + +We heard afterward that both men got well, although many weeks passed +before they were able to work again. + +We started for home, bright and early the next morning, taking all day +for the climb over the mountain and camping that night among the +foothills on the west side. It was only six or seven miles from there +home, and we were so tough and hard that it didn't seem far. + +"We can do it in two hours, easy," said Skinny. + +We were beginning to be in a hurry to see our folks and the cave, after +being away so long. + +"Let's get home in time for breakfast," I said. "What do you say?" + +"And go without eatin' until we get there? Not much!" + +"We can have an early breakfast," Mr. Norton told us, "and start as soon +as we can see; say, about four o'clock. We ought to be able to make it +by seven, easily, and I feel sure that we shall be able to eat again, +after our walk. I'd like to get home early, myself. It is time that I +was going back to work after my vacation." + +That is what we did, and we surprised everybody. They had not been +expecting us before afternoon. + +After that we didn't see anything of Mr. Norton for several days. Then +he asked us to meet him at a campfire on Bob's Hill, Saturday evening. + +"I have spoken to your parents," he told us, "and they have arranged for +a picnic in Plunkett's woods, Saturday afternoon. We will eat supper +together on the grass, at the edge of the woods, and afterward have a +campfire at the old stone. I think that we owe it to your people to make +a sort of official report of what we did on our trip; that will be a +good time to do it." + +That was some picnic, all right, and it was great fun, sitting there, +talking and eating; then playing Indian in the woods, surrounding the +palefaces, and all that. But, best of all, was the campfire, after the +sun had gone down and the moon lighted up the hills and made old +Greylock loom up big and shadowy. Of course, we had told our folks all +about everything but they wanted to hear more, and we had to tell it all +over again. + +Finally Pa spoke up. "We have heard a great deal from the Scouts," he +said, "and we have enjoyed it all. Now, we'd like to hear from the +Scoutmaster, how the boys behaved. But first I want to tell him how +grateful we all feel for what he is doing for these youngsters." + +"I am enjoying it as much as they are," said Mr. Norton, looking fine as +he stood there, with the moonlight on his face. "In fact, I think that I +am getting more out of it than they are. I asked you fathers and mothers +to meet me here to-night because I wanted to tell you how proud I am of +these Bob's Hill boys, the Boy Scouts of Raven Patrol. I understand that +in their cave at Peck's Falls they have a motto hanging, which says that +'The Boys of Bob's Hill are going to make good.' They have made good, +Mr. Smith, every one of them." + +He hesitated a moment; then went on: + +"I have made official application for Honor Medals for the part they +took in saving human life at that unfortunate train wreck, and I hope +the National Court of Honor will award them. But I, myself, have wanted +to do something personally to show the boys how much I have enjoyed +their companionship and what I think of their conduct--all of them, not +only those who happened to be on hand at the time of the wreck. So I +have had this banner made to hang under the other one, in the cave, or +wherever their place of meeting may be." + +He pulled out a fine silk banner from his pocket, as he spoke, and shook +it out until it hung full length in the moonlight, and, looking, we saw +in one corner a black raven and "Patrol 1, Troop 3 Mass."; then, in +large, gold letters, the Scout motto: + + "BE PREPARED." + +How we did cheer! And our folks cheered louder than anybody. + +"Guess what!" said Benny, after all was still again. "When we grow up, +we are going to try and be like Mr. Norton, our Scoutmaster." + +"Bet your life we are!" shouted Skinny, springing to his feet and waving +the banner. + +Then he stopped and stood there, looking at us, with his arms folded. + +"I have spoken," said he. "Let be what is." + + +THE END + + + + +EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY + +BOY SCOUT EDITION + +SIMILAR TO THIS VOLUME + + +THE Boy Scouts of America in making up this Library, selected only such +books as had been proven by a nation-wide canvass to be most universally +in demand among the boys themselves. Originally published in more +expensive editions only, they are now, under the direction of the +Scout's National Council, re-issued at a lower price so that all boys +may have the advantage of reading and owning them. It is the only series +of books published under the control of this great organization, whose +sole object is the welfare and happiness of the boy himself. For the +first time in history a _guaranteed_ library is available, and at a +price so low as to be within the reach of all. + + =Along the Mohawk Trail= + _Percy K. Fitzhugh_ + + =Animal Heroes= + _Ernest Thompson Seton_ + + =Baby Elton, Quarter-Back= + _Leslie W. Quirk_ + + =Bartley, Freshman Pitcher= + _William Heyliger_ + + =Be Prepared,= The Boy Scouts in Florida + _A. W. Dimock_ + + =Boat-Building and Boating= + _Dan. Beard_ + + =The Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill= + _Charles Pierce Burton_ + + =The Boys' Book of New Inventions= + _Harry E. Maule_ + + =Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts= + _Frank R. Stockton_ + + =The Call of the Wild= + _Jack London_ + + =Cattle Ranch to College= + _Russell Doubleday_ + + =Crooked Trails= + _Frederic Remington_ + + =The Cruise of the Cachalot= + _Frank T. Bullen_ + + =Danny Fists= + _Walter Camp_ + + =For the Honor of the School= + _Ralph Henry Barbour_ + + =Handbook for Boys,= Revised Edition + _Boy Scouts of America_ + + =Handicraft for Outdoor Boys= + _Dan. Beard_ + + =The Horsemen of the Plains= + _Joseph A. Altsheler_ + + =Indian Boyhood= + _Charles A. Eastman_ + + =Jeb Hutton;= The story of a Georgia Boy + _James B. Connolly_ + + =The Jester of St. Timothy's= + _Arthur Stanwood Pier_ + + =Jim Davis= + _John Masefield_ + + =Last of the Chiefs= + _Joseph A. Altsheler_ + + =Last of the Plainsmen= + _Zane Grey_ + + =A Midshipman in the Pacific= + _Cyrus Townsend Brady_ + + =Pitching in a Pinch= + _Christy Mathewson_ + + =Ranche on the Oxhide= + _Henry Inman_ + + =Redney McGaw;= A Circus Story for Boys. + _Arthur E. McFarlane_ + + =The School Days of Elliott Gray, Jr.= + _Colton Maynard_ + + =Three Years Behind the Guns= + _Lieu Tisdale_ + + =Tommy Remington's Battle= + _Burton E. Stevenson_ + + =Tecumseh's Young Braves= + _Everett T. Tomlinson_ + + =Tom Strong, Washington's Scout= + _Alfred Bishop Mason_ + + =To the Land of the Caribou= + _Paul Greene Tomlinson_ + + =Treasure Island= + _Robert Louis Stevenson_ + + =Ungava Bob;= A Tale of the Fur Trappers. + _Dillon Wallace_ + + =Wells Brothers;= The Young Cattle Kings. + _Andy Adams_ + + =The Wireless Man;= His work and adventures. + _Francis A. Collins_ + + =The Wolf Hunters= + _George Bird Grinnell_ + + =The Wrecking Master= + _Ralph D. Paine_ + + =Yankee Ships and Yankee Sailors= + _James Barnes_ + + GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Obvious punctuation errors repaired. + +Letter to the Public, "Frenk" changed to "Frank" (Pratt and Frank +Presbrey, with) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill, by +Charles Pierce Burton + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY SCOUTS OF BOB'S HILL *** + +***** This file should be named 34394.txt or 34394.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/3/9/34394/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |