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diff --git a/old/51539.txt b/old/51539.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 670df9d..0000000 --- a/old/51539.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5119 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Blackie Thorne at Camp Lenape, by Carl Saxon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Blackie Thorne at Camp Lenape - -Author: Carl Saxon - -Release Date: March 23, 2016 [EBook #51539] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACKIE THORNE AT CAMP LENAPE *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - BLACKIE THORNE - AT CAMP LENAPE - - - CARL SAXON - - _Author of - "The Mystery at Camp Lenape"_ - - [Illustration: Logo] - - - BOOKS, INC. - NEW YORK BOSTON - - COPYRIGHT 1940, 1931 BY BOOKS, INC. - MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - _For - BILL SIMMONS - companion of tent and trail_ - - - - - CONTENTS - - - I. Tent Four 7 - II. The Councilor 17 - III. After Taps 30 - IV. A Hard Case 39 - V. Treasure 53 - VI. The Hermit's House 59 - VII. Initiation 69 - VIII. The Snipe Hunt 81 - IX. A Rainy Day 97 - X. The Lie 111 - XI. Kangaroo Court 123 - XII. The Hut on Black Pond 135 - XIII. Robbery by Night 150 - XIV. The Spring-House 166 - XV. The Last Race 179 - XVI. The End--and the Beginning 198 - - - - - BLACKIE THORNE AT - CAMP LENAPE - - - - - CHAPTER I - TENT FOUR - - - "We've been working on the ra-a-ailroad - All the livelong day----" - -Two enormous hay-wains, full and running over with a tumbling mass of -boys, turned a bend in the narrow country road. - -Blackie Thorne was the foremost boy on the first wagon. He clambered up -on the narrow seat with so much eagerness to view the camp and the lake -that he almost knocked over the stolid farmer who was driving the team. -His first view of camp! - -There it lay on the wooded slope above the shining lake and the boat -dock, a large white lodge with a flag floating lazily above it, and two -rows of canvas tents lost among trees to the right but showing clearly -against the gray mountains beyond, with their heavy covering of tall -pines sticking up like spikes along the skyline. Camp Lenape, where the -wonderful things his friends told about had happened. Why, anything -might happen in such a marvelous place as the camp which grew nearer -every minute as the slow horses plodded their way along the dusty road! - -Blackie squirmed with excitement and jerked his arm so that it hit the -head of the driving farmer and knocked his wide straw hat down over his -eyes. - -"Here now, sonny!" spluttered the man, grabbing at his hat and almost -falling off the board which served as a seat. "If you're a-goin' to get -so het up about seein' this camp-ground of yourn, you better get out and -walk!" - -"A good idea!" exclaimed a fellow standing just behind Blackie, holding -himself up in the jolting wagon by a hand on Blackie's shoulder. He was -Gil Shelton, patrol-leader in Blackie's troop back in the city, and a -"three-striper" who wore on his camp sweater three green chevrons to -show that he had been at Lenape for as many seasons. "What do you say, -Blackie? If we hop off now, we can follow the trail through the woods -and beat the rest into camp." - -The trail led around the end of the lake, down through a meadow dotted -with daisies and buttercups, and on again into the deepening shadow of -the pines and birches. - -They panted as they ran up a short hill, and came out in a little -cleared space among the scrub-pines. - -"Wait a minute, can't you?" gasped Blackie. "What's the use of killing -ourselves?" - -Gil snorted. "Does that little run make you tired? Wait until you've -been here at camp a week, and a trot like this will seem so slow you'll -think you're going backwards." Nevertheless he stopped and threw himself -on the soft ground, and Blackie gratefully followed his example. - -"How far are we from camp now?" - -"Oh, about a quarter of a mile, I guess. Don't worry, little one, you'll -get there before dark." He pointed his grass-stem, toward the hills, -where the sun was dropping, a ball of red fire in the west. "The Indian -council ring is over that way. We'll have a pow-wow there to-morrow -night, I guess." - -Blackie's eyes followed in the indicated direction, but his attention -was immediately claimed by a fan-shaped formation of gray rocks on the -side of the western mountains. His dark eyebrows raised, and he -whistled. "Hey, Gil, what's that?" - -"What's what?" - -"That pile of rocks there--are they rocks?" - -"That's a terminal moraine. Now, ask me another." - -"A what?" - -"Terminal moraine, dummy." - -"Well, who put it there?" - -"Say," exclaimed Gil with disgust, "if you listened to the scoutmaster's -talks instead of skylarking around at troop meetings and stealing Fat -Crampton's hat, you'd learn not to be so ignorant. A terminal moraine is -a pile of rocks brought down by a glacier in the days when all the part -of the world north of here was covered with ice. You've heard of the -Glacial Age, haven't you? Well, when the ice moved down from the North -Pole it pushed a lot of rocks ahead of it, right over the ground. Now, -when old Mr. Glacier got this far, he heard the five o'clock whistle -blow or something, so he dropped that pile of rocks he was carrying, and -started to melt. When we hike up there, you can see markings on the -rocks where they got scratched being pulled along over the ground." Gil -finished his lecture by throwing away his chewed grass-stem and -carefully pulling another. - -Blackie rose and held up his hand to shade his squinting eyes while he -peered at the slide of boulders which, according to Gil's story, had -been brought there in such a dramatic manner. - -"All right, I believe you," he said; but he continued to stare. - -Half-hidden among the pines and mountain maples, clinging to the side of -the mountain at the end of a thin line of road that ran above, Blackie -saw the faded clapboards and weathered roof of a house. There was not a -sign of life about it. The sinking sun, nearing its last stand above the -Lenape ridge, was reflected in all its bloodiness in two upstairs -windows of that dark and ominous dwelling; the afterglow swirled and -glinted with the color of molten copper. A little breeze blew up from -the lake, a breeze not too warm for late June; and Blackie shivered -slightly as it struck his back. He didn't know why, but the sight of -that dead, hidden house scared him--just a little. He thought it looked -like a skull, lost among the trees. There must be some mystery about a -house like that. - -"Gil!" - -"Well, what is it now, youngster?" - -"Does anybody live in that old house up there?" - -"Sure. That's where old Rattlesnake Joe lives. Some people around here -call him the hermit. You can go up and see him some time. Now, have you -got your breath back? If we don't get going pretty soon, the gang will -be in ahead of us, and we'll be out of luck for getting a good bunk." - -The two boys trotted on along the trail at a fast pace. Blackie would -have liked to ask some more questions about the hermit who lived alone -in the woods in that mysterious house, but he was afraid that Gil would -taunt him about being a greenhorn, so he saved his breath for running. -The trail soon broke surprisingly into the campus, and they were among -white tents where several of their comrades, already arrived in camp by -the same short-cut around the lake, were busily spreading out their -blankets on the two-decked canvas bunks that lined the tent walls. - -"The tent assignments must be already posted," muttered Gil. "Hurry up -to the lodge!" - -Blackie ran with him through the little tent-village, but when he -reached the flagpole before the spreading lodge he halted as the lake -and the far shore spread out before his view. - -"Jee-miny!" he whistled. He could see the roof of the boat dock below, -around which were moored about a dozen broad-beamed steel rowboats. - -Gil Shelton came tearing by, laden with blanket and duffle that he had -collected from the pile of baggage on the lodge porch. - -"Say, Blackie," he called, "you better get on the job! You're assigned -to Tent Four, down there. Grab your stuff and hurry down. The first one -in the tent gets his choice of bunks." - -Several boys, the advance guard of the hay-wagons, came streaming down -to the campus from the road behind the lodge. Blackie climbed the steps -to the lodge porch and in the welter of luggage there discovered a -familiar-looking sea-bag with his initials painted on it in black. -Seizing this dunnage, he ran stumbling to Tent Four, his new home in the -woods. - -Tent Four lay at the end of the row of tents topmost on the hilly -campus. Before it lay a cleared space dotted by huckleberry bushes and a -few shading pines. The tent was floored and painted a battleship gray, -and eight canvas bunks lined the walls, running the length of the tent -and making two tiers. A tall boy was already swiftly and smoothly making -up a bed in one of the lower bunks. He nodded to Blackie but did not -pause in his work. - -Gil Shelton shouted across from Tent Three, next door. His bunk was -already made. With the deftness of an experienced camper, he was setting -each thing in its correct place--shoes and hats in a line under the bed, -coats and sweaters on the rope swung between the two tent-poles, pajamas -under his pillow, and the remainder of his kit in one of the pine-wood -lockers that ran down the middle of the tent. - -"The bottom bunks are the best, Blackie! If you pick a top one, the -fellow under you gets you up in the morning by the airplane method!" - -Blackie began unpacking his duffle, slowly and clumsily. He laid out his -blankets on a lower bunk as advised, and tried two or three times to -make his result somewhat resemble Gil's bed; but when he had finished, -it still looked bumpy and not too soft. Then he sat on his sea-bag and -looked about him helplessly. - -The tall fellow, who had not spoken until now, looked up and smiled -shyly. - -"Stuck? Well, follow what I do, and you'll soon get cleared up. This the -first time you've been to camp?" - -It was the first time Blackie had ever been away from home, but he hated -to admit it. - -"Yeah. How do they put their stuff at _this_ camp?" He said it as if he -had visited all the other camps in the world before he had happened to -drop in on this insignificant little one. - -Two other boys now rushed down, and made haste to stake out their claims -to lower bunks. - -"Can't have that one," warned the tall, quiet boy to one of them who had -put his bag on the lower bunk nearest the lodge. "That belongs to the -councilor. And a councilor needs a lower bunk because he may have to -turn out quick in the middle of the night if he's needed." - -"Who is the councilor?" asked the other. - -"Mr. Rawn--Wally. He's the fellow that has charge of the swimming. Well, -I'm going up to the lodge. He promised to let me be the waiter for the -first two days, because I know all about it." He departed in the -direction of the lodge. - -Blackie sat on his bunk and looked around. Everyone was busily engaged -in making up the first night's bed, and shouts and singing came from all -quarters as the busy campers shook down in their new homes. From the -lodge porch came the brazen blare of First Call sounded by the camp -bugler. - -A pine bough brushed against the tent, laden with cones. It occurred to -Blackie that it would be a good idea to take a few and stick them in -between someone's blankets. He lifted off a few that looked to be the -most prickly and crossing the tent, pulled down the blankets of the tall -lad who had gone to the lodge. The two other boys had now been joined by -a third; but none of them were watching, for they were hurriedly -preparing for supper, and evidently thought the bunk was his own. - -Blackie shoved the pine-cones down between the blankets, and looked -around to see if anyone had watched him. Someone had. A shadow fell -across the front of the tent, a tall and muscular figure stood over him, -and a deep voice demanded, "Do you always sleep with pine-cones in your -bed?" - - - - - CHAPTER II - THE COUNCILOR - - -Blackie hesitated. - -"Yes, sir, I always do that when I'm camping. It makes it seem more as -if I was really in the woods," he said. - -The tall man--he must have been six feet two, and stockily built--looked -down at Blackie and frowned. He was big enough to have picked up the boy -and used him for a baseball. - -"I wouldn't lie if I were you," he drawled. "It's a bad habit for a -young lad to acquire. That bunk belongs to Ken Haviland, my aide. By the -time he's ready to crawl in to-night, he'll be plenty tired from a long -day on the job. Don't you think he's entitled to a good sleep?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Well, since we are to be tent-mates, we ought to get acquainted." He -grinned broadly, and held out his hand. "I'm Wally Rawn. What's your -name?" - -"Blackie. Blackie Thorne." - -The man grinned as he took the boy's hand in a firm grip and surveyed -the bright black eyes, the shining black hair. - -"Not a bad name, at that. What's your mother call you?" - -"She calls me Blackie, too. My regular name is Ambrose." - -"I won't tell a soul. Blackie you are and Blackie you shall be. Now, -Blackie, I'm going to offer you a chance to show what sort of a spirit -you have for helping to make the Tent Four boys known all over camp. I -have, after much thought, decided to paint our tent-poles with pink and -green stripes. That ought to start the rest of camp thinking about us. -Now, please run up to the kitchen and ask the chef to send you down here -with a bucket of striped paint--pink and green." - -Blackie was off like a flash, but his leader called him back. - -"While you're up there, Blackie, you can also ask him to lend you a -bunk-stretcher. I find that my feet stick out over the edge of my berth, -and I don't want to wake up in the morning and find the birds roosting -on my toes. A left-handed bunk-stretcher--my bunk is on the left-hand -side." - -"Yes, Mr. Rawn." - -"Call me Wally. Now, off with you!" - -Blackie bounded up the short hill to the side door of the kitchen. -Through the screen came the tantalizing fragrance of something good; -supper was on the way, evidently, and Ellick, that good-hearted king of -the kitchen, was at his busiest. Blackie pushed open the door and ran in -with an important look on his dark face. He was greeted by Leggy, a -skinny, coffee-colored individual whose thin shanks, although they -seemed to have no end, did no more than reach the ground. He waved a -long-handled spoon, and made a swing with it at Blackie's head. - -"Outside, white boy!" he cried. "Kitchen ain't no place for little boys -at de supper-call." - -"I got a message for the chef--very important. Let me in!" - -"Hol' on dere!" came Ellick's voice from the far corner of the room. -"You ain't de boy what is lookin' for de striped paint, is you?" - -"Yes, I am, chef." - -"Well, if dat don't beat all!" exclaimed the surprised cook. "We is just -out of striped paint. If I wasn't busily pre-incapacitated by carving -dis yere ham for dinner, now, I would shorely help you-all out. A -left-handed bunk-stretcher wouldn't do as well, would it, now?" - -"Say, that was the other thing I was sent for!" - -"Who-all sent you?" - -"Wally Rawn--he's my leader." - -"Oh, that Wally boy! It must shore be important then. If I could only -dis-extricate myself from carvin' dis yere ham, now----Let me see. De -bestest thing to do under de concircumstances is for you-all to go down -to de boat dock and petitionate de person in charge to give you de keys -to de campus. And, whiles you'm down there, you-all might bring up a -cargo what's waitin' for some smart young boy to fetch me. Ask him -pussonally from me to deliver unto you-all de shipment of fence-post -holes and de Royal Official Back-Scratcher." - -"You bet, chef--keys to the campus, fencepost holes and the Royal -Official Back-Scratcher." - -"I thanks you. What might be you-all name?" - -"Blackie." - -"Hmm. I decalculate from dat name dat you are repartial to doughnuts." -There was a sweet, sugary smell in the warm kitchen air. - -"Doughnuts? You said it, chef!" - -"Catch!" - -The grinning Ellick deftly caught up a doughnut from a bowl beside him, -and tossed it in the air. Blackie got under it like a veteran fielder, -and sped out the door. The gangling Leggy aimed a parting swing at him -with the long-tailed spoon, and missed. - -On the parade ground, Blackie paused in his headlong lakeward course at -the sight of Gil Shelton, hair combed, face shining from a recent -scrubbing, and spotless for supper. "Hey, Blackie, where you heading? -After fence-post holes?" - -"Yep--how did you know? And striped paint and a left-handed -bunk-stretcher and----" - -Gil started in great surprise. "Don't tell me," he exclaimed, "that they -picked you to bring the Royal Official Back-Scratcher?" - -"They sure have." - -"That's a great honor, my son. In fact, only the newest and greenest -boys are ever picked for it. Say, Blackie, I didn't think you'd fall for -that old stuff. Did you ever see a fence-post hole? Does striped paint -come in cans?" - -Blackie paused and thought for the first time. - -"Well, Gil, it was my leader Wally who sent me. He told me not to tell -lies, too, so I thought it was all right." - -"Say, did you ever hear of Santa Claus? Why, for a week now the little, -new, green, smart, bright city boys will be looking all over the place -for striped paint and the key to the lake. And you fell for it the first -thing!" - -Gil's laughter was so deep that Blackie was glad to get back to the -shelter of his tent. - -Wally greeted him. "So you didn't find it, eh? Well, that's all -right--don't be discouraged. You can help me out in another way. Just -run down to the dock, will you, and ask if anyone down there has seen -the key to the lake?" - -"Not on your life, Wally," grinned Blackie. "Send one of the new fellows -down, can't you?" - -The camp bugler, Ted Fellowes, sounded Assembly Call at that moment, and -there was no time for further talk before supper. After the Retreat -ceremony and the lowering of the flag, the boys attacked the supper that -had been prepared in the depths of the kitchen. Blackie had never found -a meal that tasted quite so good. - -He met the remainder of the boys of Tent Four at the table. Ken -Haviland, the tent aide, was busily serving as waiter at one end; he had -to run again and again to the serving window for additional platters of -ham, potatoes, and turnips, mountains of bread and oceans of milk. -Blackie didn't envy him his job. - -Wally had evidently met all the boys in his group. He paused and, -between mouthfuls, addressed them. - -"There's one thing that's worrying me, gentlemen of the famous Tent Four -group. There are only seven of us, and there should be eight, counting -myself. One of our number has not turned up. I shall call our imposing -roll. Haviland!" - -"Here, sir." Ken seized his serving tray and dashed off in pursuit of -dessert. - -"Thorne! Here, I see. Slater!" - -"Here, sir!" answered a freckle-faced boy with burning red hair. - -"Guppy!" - -Blackie looked with interest at the boy with such a beautiful name. He -was a little chap of about eleven, at the end of one row. - -"Lefkowitz!" - -"Present!" came a squeaky voice from across the table. - -"Gallegher!" - -"Here!" He was a sunburnt, black-haired chap with a scar across his -forehead, shaped like a V. - -"Crampton! No answer. It is the notorious Mr. Crampton who is missing. -Has anybody here ever heard tell of the gentleman?" - -"That must be Fat," said Blackie. "We saw him down at the end of the -lake before we hiked up. He was in the wagon then." - -"Maybe that's the fat fellow we dumped off the wagon coming along the -road back of camp," volunteered Slater. "We told him that walking was -the best way to reduce his figger, and dumped him out." - -"To our fat friend's rescue, then, tent-mates!" cried Wally, drinking -down the last of a glass of milk. "As soon as the Chief makes his -announcements, we shall be in the saddle and off for the hunt!" - -A whistle sounded, and quiet fell on the groups. The Chief was about to -speak. He rose, an imposing figure of a man, quiet, dignified, and with -a voice full of calm command. He was dressed in camper's togs, and wore -the green "L" on his sweater. - -"All I have to say is this, fellows. We are all up here for a good -time--the best time ever. Now, I want to mention a few things that will -help the new camper to get along and make himself at home. Don't expose -yourselves to the sun too much until you get a coat of tan gradually; -you won't blister then. Don't cut up or mark the trees on the campus of -which we are so proud. Don't have any firearms in your tents; none of -any kind are permitted here at camp, and if you have any, bring them up -to the lodge and I will look after them for you. And finally, I only -need mention the rule we have about boys who smoke. Now, those are all -the 'don't's' I'm going to mention. In an hour there will be a grand -jubilee campfire below the baseball diamond, where I will introduce you -to the councilors, who will then have something to say to you. All set -for the best camp season ever! Everybody happy?" - -"Yay!" The resounding, united call of the campers reverberated among the -lodge rafters. - -"Let the lions roar!" - -"Rao-a-ow!" A pack of well-fed lions never sent up such a tremendous -roaring to the Sahara moon. - -"Dismissed!" - -Tent Four remained a little island in the swirling rush of campers that -broke up after the meal. - -"Are you with me, gang?" shouted Wally. "Onward to the rescue of our -wandering brother!" He made for the back door, pushing through the crowd -like a fullback carrying the ball to victory, followed by his eager team -of tent-mates. Tent Four was on the round-up. - -No sooner had they reached the road behind camp than the leader began -giving directions, curtly and with precision. "Spread out, fellows, and -we'll cover a path on each side of the road. Keep in touch with my -whistle--I'll be in the center. Shout for Crampton at intervals, and -we'll soon have him back in the fold----What's that?" - -A low moan was heard behind him, just off the road. - -"Help! Help!" - -Wally bounded off in the direction from whence it came. His muscular -legs cleared the low bushes like so many hurdles. - -"Behind that big tree!" shouted Gallegher. The six boys dashed off after -their leader, and found him staring down at a mournful figure sitting -with his back to the trunk of a tall pine. It was Fat Crampton. His -bulging cheeks bore the trails of tear-marks; he sat hunched amid the -wreckage of his knapsack and accouterment, with the most woebegone look -in the world. - -"I'm lost in the woods," he moaned. "I've been walking around for -hours!" - -"Why, you poor nut," said Blackie, "if you had walked two steps further -you would have tripped over the camp!" - -Fat transferred his doleful gaze. "Oh, Blackie, is it really you? Say, -I'm scared. I heard a bunch of lions off in the woods a minute ago, and -I thought they were going to get me." - -"Lions, nothing!" The whole tent broke into a storm of laughter. "That -was us! Rao-a-ow! Look out for us, Fat--we're lions!" - -"Come on, lion-hunter," said Wally, "come on and get a meal of raw meat. -I think the chef will have saved something for you." He lifted the -rotund lad on his shoulder and set off toward the kitchen, with Fat -helplessly waving his arms from his lofty perch. The rest of the boys -ran with them, roaring terribly and making quips at the wanderer's -expense. - -Little Guppy ran beside Wally, looking up at the leader. - -"I'll make up Fat's bunk," he offered, "if he'll tell me where his -blankets are." - -"That's the spirit! Keep it up, and you'll make a great aide some day, -Gup!" - -By the time the fat boy was fed, the bugle sounded Assembly for the -campfire. It was now dark, and the campers found their ways down through -the baseball diamond to a field above the lake shore, where a group of -three or four leaders were standing beside a high pyre of logs and -branches, talking to the Chief. They were Mr. Frayne, the burly -assistant director whom everyone, even the smallest boys, familiarly -called "Happy Face" because of the smile he always wore; "Sax" McNulty, -the mournful-looking comedian and saxophone artist who had charge of the -shows and stunt-nights; and Lieutenant Eames, the West Pointer. The -other leaders were to be found among the crowd of boys settling around -the piled fire. - -In the glow of somebody's flashlight Blackie caught sight of Gil -Shelton's face in the crowd. Gil saw him, also, and shouted over: "Hi, -Blackie! How's the guardian of the Royal Official Back-Scratcher?" - -"Aw, forget it, Gil. Say, what are they going to do now?" - -"Light the fire, of course. Then I guess we'll have a song or two, and -the Chief will introduce all the leaders, and somebody will tell a -story, and then we'll burn all the little new greenhorns at the stake." - -Blackie laughed as much as the joke required, and snuggled down next to -Wally, in the midst of the Tent Four group. The fire was lighted, and -the glow was reflected in the faces of the happy throng of campers who -gathered around the first campfire of the season. The boys of Tent Four, -already bound together by loyalty to their leader, were content to lie -and listen to the calm voice of their Chief, as a spout of flaring -sparks rose from the flames to challenge the distant glitter of the -stars. - - - - - CHAPTER III - AFTER TAPS - - -The musical echo of Tattoo came from the bugle, and a hush fell upon -Tent Four. The campfire still smouldered in the field by the lake, but -the campers had passed to their tents at the Call to Quarters, and were -now making ready to turn in for the night. - -Blackie squatted on his bunk and stared at the faces that were -half-illuminated by the solitary lantern that hung on the tent-pole. -Mindful of the pine-cones that were still in Ken Haviland's bed, he was -lying low and watching for developments. - -The aide had already stripped, and was climbing into a swathing suit of -pajamas. Above him jutted the head of Lefkowitz, already between -blankets but still full of interest in proceedings. - -"I can't find my nightgown," wailed little Guppy at the other end of the -tent. - -"It should be under your pillow," said Wally. He stretched his broad -arms and yawned prodigiously, making a noise like an enraged walrus. -"You ought to have pajamas anyway." - -"I put it under the pillow, sir, as Ken told me to. I had an extra one, -but that's gone too. And I promised Mother I wouldn't sleep in my--my -underthings, sir." - -"Well, they'll probably turn up. For to-night you can have an extra pair -of my pajamas. I think the pants would be enough for you, though--you're -not exactly a giant." Wally produced a pair of outing-flannel pants, -stuffed the small Guppy into the legs of them, tied the cord about his -neck, and stowed him away between the blankets like a sack of potatoes. - -Ken was turning down the covers. Blackie watched him feel the blankets -all over, and to the joker's disappointment, the aide touched several -suspicious bumps and resuscitated the hidden pine-cones. He tossed them -into the night, and winked at Blackie. - -"My camp experience has taught me to always feel my bed before I turn -in," he grinned. "Some chaps have a funny sense of humor." He hopped in -and sprawled out luxuriously. - -Now that his trap had failed, Blackie bethought him of turning in also. -Slater, who had been outside gazing at the stars, stepped into the tent. - -"Lots of meteorites falling to-night, sir," he observed. "Venus is full, -too, I think; she's especially bright in the west." He set about his -preparations for bed. - -Gallegher made a spring and landed in his bunk, just over Blackie's -head. A creaking from another upper bunk across the way announced that -Fat Crampton had at last been able to climb to his lofty berth. - -"Make it fast, Blackie," warned the leader. "You don't want to be the -last one in." - -Blackie was soon arrayed in the popular evening clothes for the -well-dressed camper, and looked longingly at his inviting bunk. He -slipped between the warm blankets, and stretched out. Umm--this was the -life! - -But hold on! Something had him by the leg--something else was biting him -on the foot! Ouch! He yelled and rolled over the side, to come to the -floor in a whirling pile of boy, blankets, and--pine-cones! - -Gallegher snickered above him. - -"The oldest trick there is!" he chuckled. "These new guys will fall for -anything!" - -The crestfallen Blackie struggled upright, and in the dull lamplight -began to make his bed anew. - -"That will be all the demonstrations of playfulness for to-night, -gentlemen," observed Wally, sitting on the edge of his bunk. "You are -all tired, and need your sleep--I, may it be observed, need mine also. -How anybody has the pep left to skylark around the first night of -camp--or any other night--is beyond me. As soon as Taps sounds, Tent -Four will be as still as the grave. The silence, as the book-writers -always have it, will be broken only by the measured breathing of the -slumbering woodsmen and the far call of a fillyloo bird across the -waste. Key down, now." - -He reached for his kit and drew out a book. "I'm talking seriously now. -We are all up here at Lenape to have the best time ever. It's my job as -councilor to see that we do. And that's what I want to make you fellows -understand. I'll help you in any way I can to keep you good campers and -to make Lenape proud of you. If at any time you have anything on your -mind, bring it to me and we'll talk it out. Now, I'm going to read you -one of the finest things that a camper ever listened to." - -He opened the Bible in his hand and read by the flickering light, in a -clear and sincere voice: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the -firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night -unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where -their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, -and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a -tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his -chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is -from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and -there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the Lord is -perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making -wise the simple." - -Softly and sweetly, as if from afar, came the first comforting notes of -Taps, the finest of music to a tired camper. Wally doused the lantern, -and the glory of the stars came into the quiet tent. - -"Good-night, fellows," said Wally quietly. "Happy dreams!" - -Blackie lay quite still in his tumbled bed, thinking about the stars. -Firmament--that was a word that meant the same as heaven, but not so -nice-sounding. The stars were bright, all right. - -Gallegher must have put those cones into his bed, when he had been -chasing bunk-stretchers--it must have been Gallegher, because he had -laughed so hard when Blackie fell out. Well, so much the worse for Mr. -Gallegher! He was sleeping right above Blackie, and in the morning, Mr. -Gallegher would be surprised. He reached up one foot, tentatively, to -see how the airplane method would work in helping Gallegher to rise. The -temptation came, and he pushed upward with both feet, hard. - -Zoom! Gallegher flew into the air and came down to the floor with a wild -yell. The experiment was a success. Tent Four was instantly alert. - -Lefkowitz snickered. Slater moaned dolefully. Little Guppy said, "What's -that?" - -Gallegher lay tumbled on the floor among his blankets. He had bruised -his elbow against a locker, and it made him mean-tempered. - -"Damn you!" he cried. "I'll get even----" - -Through the dark came the calm voice of Wally. "You seem to have been -around a bunch of pretty foul-mouthed fellows, Gallegher. Gentlemen, and -especially Lenape gentlemen, don't talk that way. Chain gang for you -Monday morning." - -"I don't care!" shouted Gallegher. "I'd say it again if he did that to -me. If Blackie was a gentleman, he wouldn't have given me that airplane -ride. It's his fault as much as mine. Why don't you give him the chain -gang, too?" - -"Blackie!" - -"Yes, sir." Blackie, chuckling happily to himself at the thought of the -row he had raised, sat up and leaned on one arm. - -"Didn't I ask you and the other fellows to key down after Taps?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"All right. Take your blankets and go sleep on the ground by the -flagpole to-night." - -"But why? I didn't do a thing but get back at him for sticking -pine-cones in my bunk!" - -"On your way. When you can behave decently, you can sleep with the rest -of us again." - -Sullenly, and making as much noise about it as he dared, Blackie put on -his slippers and gathered up his pillow and blankets over his arm. The -night air was cool, and he shivered slightly in his pajamas. A pine -tree's branch brushed the canvas tent-roof above his head, and somewhere -off up the mountain a dog howled dismally. It didn't look too inviting -out on the darkened campus by the flagpole; but he didn't want to appear -a coward and whine to get out of going. - -"Good-night, you guys," he said with bravado and stalked out of the rear -of the tent. As he passed the bunk across from the leader's, on his way -out, Slater stuffed something among Blackie's blankets with a whispered -caution. - -"Keep it out of sight--you've got the chance to get to the flagpole!" - -Blackie nodded and went out on the path. The stars were like bright -candles against a blue-green silk dome, and somehow their twinkling was -not so pleasant now. He passed a line of tents, some quiet, one or two -filled with low snickers and cackles and the usual disturbance of the -first night under canvas. The white lodge showed pale and strange in the -starlight; the campus was somehow changed from what it had been in -bright day. He stumbled across to the base of the flagpole and began -spreading out his bed on the hard ground. He cleared away one or two -stones, and beat down the high grass as best he could, and tried to -rearrange his blankets into comfortable shape. - -His next care was to examine the bundle that Slater had passed to him. -As he had guessed, it was the missing nightgown that Guppy had bewailed -at bedtime. He chuckled, thinking of the scheme that Slater had -suggested. - -He looked around; the coast was clear. The flagpole was only a few steps -away. He jumped up, unfastened the halyards, and knotting a sleeve to -each end of the rope, hauled away. Then, almost too sleepy to care where -he lay, he crawled into his twisted bed and was dead to the world in -half a minute, smiling to think that when the morning sun rose over Camp -Lenape, it would reveal that the campers had slept under a fluttering -ensign that was nothing more than little Guppy's pink nightgown. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - A HARD CASE - - -Blackie was wakened somewhat rudely the next morning. A sloshing glass -of cold water landed on his face, and he jumped up half-awake to find -Gil Shelton standing over him in the fresh sunlight with the empty glass -in his hand. - -"Rise and shine!" called the patrol-leader. "First Call will sound in -about a minute. Gee, you must have been sawing wood not to hear the -noise the gang has been making ever since four o'clock this morning! -Most of the tenderfeet woke up early and have been horsing around. I -couldn't sleep, so Chink Towner and Spaghetti Megaro and I got -permission to hike down to the cottage and back. Look at the big frog we -found by the brook!" - -He held up a monstrous bullfrog by the hind legs, so close to Blackie's -face that he jumped backwards in alarm, while Gil's two companions -laughed. - -"Don't let him scare you," said Megaro, the Italian boy. - -"I ain't afraid. Say, what are you going to do with him, Gil?" - -"Give him to Ellick--he likes to eat frog legs. Come on, here comes -Fellowes with his tin horn ready to blow First Call." - -Blackie picked up his bed and made his way to Tent Four. All his -tent-mates were awake and laughing at little Guppy, who had just -discovered that his nightgown was floating in the breeze at the top of -the flagpole. The bugle's call routed them all out to formation in front -of the lodge, where after a snappy setting-up drill the entire camp flew -down the slope to the boat dock for the Indian dip. - -The blue waters of the lake reflected a hundred white bodies standing -about the edge of the dock waiting for Wally's whistle. No sooner had it -sounded than there was a tremendous plunging and splashing as most of -them tumbled head-first into the crisp, bracing water. A few younger -boys and timid souls waded in from the shore. - -"Stick your head under, Toots!" - -"Oh, boy! Say, ain't this water cold?" - -"It ain't cold, you dummy. Just the way I like it--wakes me up fine!" - -Blackie took a swift racing dive off the front end of the dock, swept -cleanly through the water in a shower of small bubbles, and came to the -surface with a speedy overhand stroke. He swam some fifty yards out to -the life-saving boat that was stationed there with Sax McNulty at the -oars and a leader named Munson at the bow, and there floated a minute. -He was surprised to hear the trill of the whistle, followed by cries of -"All out!" - -Swimming over to the dock again, he shouted in a grieved tone to Wally, -who was supervising the general exodus from the water, "What's the idea, -Wally? Do you call this a swim?" - -"Of course not--this is just morning dip, and you'll get a chill if you -stay in long. Swim comes later." - -"Aw, heck!" Somewhat disgruntled, he climbed out and raced back to the -tent to dress for breakfast. - -The morning meal over, there was a period of duty. "We're on police -squad, you fellows!" called Ken Haviland. - -"Police?" asked Blackie. "What do we do--go around arresting guys?" - -"No, you sap. Get a blanket and I'll show you." - -Blackie discovered that policing camp merely meant going about the -campus and picking up bits of paper and destroying unsightly objects -that littered the paths. Church Call sounded soon after they finished, -and together with the rest of the campers he went to a shady glade in -the forest beside the lake and sat on a log while the short Sunday -service was held. He liked sitting there in the leafy woods and singing -the various tunes, even though they were the same ones they sang in -Sunday-school at home; he admired the handiwork of the rustic pulpit -that the campers had built the year before; but when the Chief began his -talk he was frankly bored. The Chief was saying something about -different trees and how they were like different kinds of boys; but -Blackie only listened now and then. He was wishing that church was over -and that they could go in swimming again; and he passed the time -catching ants and dropping them down the neck of a smaller boy who sat -in front of him. - -As a matter of fact the service was quite brief; but it seemed to him -that it would never end. After years of waiting, or so he thought, the -brisk challenge of Swim Call came from the lodge porch, and slipping -into his bathing suit, he headed again for the dock. He was the first -one there, with the exception of the life-saving crew, composed equally -of councilors and older boys who had won the Red Cross emblem that was -stitched over their breasts. Wally was in charge; he was sending out -three boats to patrol the waters about the dock and posting the guards -who would stand in various places about the tower to be on the watch for -water accidents. When this was done, the man turned to Blackie. - -"First one down for swim? Say, if you'd only show as much speed doing -squad-duty, the rest of the fellows wouldn't have to do a thing!" - -"Can I go in now, Wally?" - -"You'll have to hold yourself down until the rest get here and the -whistle blows. The rule is that there's no swimming except when the -life-savers are on duty. There aren't going to be any accidents while -I'm in charge. By the way, I noticed this morning at Indian dip that -you're not a bad swimmer." - -"I'm pretty good, I guess," said Blackie modestly. - -"Do you know the Australian crawl? No? Well, if you want to make speed, -that's the stroke to use. The camp always holds a big boat regatta and -swimming meet at the end of each section--that's two weeks from now--and -we compete with our old rivals of Camp Shawnee. I'd like to see you take -a few honors and help us to beat them. What say I teach you the crawl -some time?" - -"Now?" - -"To-morrow, maybe. Well, here comes the gang!" He turned away as the -crowd of campers, all in swimming togs, trooped on to the dock, and at -the sound of his whistle the swim began. - -Blackie sported about the water happily for the remainder of the period. -He was quite pleased with himself for having thus been singled out by -his leader for swimming ability. Tired of circling about the life-boats, -he began ducking less experienced swimmers and pushing boys off the dock -into the water, until he was reprimanded for this conduct by Lieutenant -Eames because of the danger of someone slipping and injuring himself -against one of the piles or the superstructure of the dock. This -scolding made him sulky, and he swam by himself until the whistle blew, -and then tardily walked up to the tent, stopping many times on the way -to chase butterflies or to hunt for snakes among the rocks; and thus, -when he finally reached the tent, he found his comrades working busily. -All the beds were made except his own, and under the direction of Ken -Haviland, the boys were sweeping and arranging, cleaning the tent -lantern, putting their lockers in order, and tidying up the place. - -"Where have you been?" the aide greeted him. "Snap out of it and get -dressed and make your bunk and get ready for inspection. Wally had to go -up to leaders' meeting at the lodge." - -"Aw, don't make such a fuss," said Blackie. "I'll do it, won't I?" - -"Yes, but we have only a couple minutes before inspection. If the tent -isn't in apple-pie order, we don't stand a chance to win the pennant -to-day." - -"Well, what if we don't? What's the good of having an old pennant in -front of your tent? It don't get you anything." - -"But don't you see it means that the Tent Four bunch are the best -campers? When you're here longer you'll learn not to waste time talking -back when we have a chance to show our stuff." - -Without haste, Blackie peeled off his swimming suit and cast it on the -floor, dressed with tantalizing slowness, and with a scowl at the aide, -began to make his bed. He knew that Haviland was angry and thought it a -good chance to get the tall camper's "goat." In the midst of his -preparations the call came down the line, "All out of tents for -inspection!" Haviland and the others jumped outside and lined up at -attention, but Blackie delayed to try and shake his blankets into shape. -Just as he stepped outside, Mr. Colby, one of the councilors and a -scoutmaster known for his strictness, came along with his inspection -staff. - -"Tent Four! Two demerits for having a camper inside the tent after -inspection call. The tent seems to be in pretty good shape, but there's -a wet bathing suit in the middle of the floor, and one bunk that isn't -made. Sorry, Haviland--but this will give you so many demerits that -you'll probably get the booby prize to-day! Any excuse?" - -"No excuse, sir," answered Haviland, looking daggers at the guilty -Blackie. After the inspection crew had passed on, he turned to Blackie -and said, "We would have had a good chance at the pennant if it hadn't -been for you! As it is, we'll probably have the booby can tied to our -tent-pole until to-morrow! What do you say, fellows--shall I recommend -that Wally puts him on the chain gang?" - -"Put me on the gang if you want to--I don't care!" exclaimed Blackie -boldly; but he was silent all during dinner, and even fried chicken, -green corn and ice-cream failed to make him forget that his careless -attitude had won him the black looks of all his tent-mates. - -After the meal there was the usual siesta period. The boys were -scattered about lying in their bunks, resting and writing letters home. -Blackie crouched in his place with a pencil and pad before him. Haviland -sat across from him, now and then looking gloomily up at a big tin can, -painted black with the white letters BOOBY across it, which hung -swinging in plain sight over the front steps. Slater was writing busily. -Fat Crampton was asleep, and Gallegher was tickling the stout boy's nose -and neck with a stalk of grass, while Guppy and Lefkowitz watched the -proceedings with amusement. - -Blackie looked down at what he had written. "Dear Mother--We got here O. -K. and Camp Lenape is a fine camp. I am on the Chain Gang already and -the swimming is O. K. I will learn the Ostralien crawl soon please send -me up some fudge and cake. Last night I slep out-door. I think this is a -fine camp o boy and don't forget the fudge and cake and some chewing gum -too." - -He read this over for the fifth time, wondered what to put down next, -and looked up to find Haviland watching him. - -"What's biting you?" Blackie asked. "Still sore because you didn't win -your old pennant?" - -"It's not myself I'm worrying about, but after dinner I heard a couple -of the other leaders kidding Wally because he is always so proud of -having his tent make a good showing, and to-day we were handed the merry -razz." - -Blackie snorted. "Say, who is this guy Wally that he should boss us -around? Always blowing his whistle just when the water's getting good!" - -"Yeah," put in Gallegher, who had finally succeeded in awakening Fat -Crampton. "Down our way all the guys would think he was sure a sissy, -landin' on me just because I cussed a little." - -"He wouldn't give me seconds on ice-cream, either," said Fat Crampton -mournfully. "Said I ought to start to reduce." - -Ken looked at them all pityingly. "Say, don't you know Wally is a senior -at Columbia University and on the varsity water-polo and basketball -teams? He's coming up here and spending his time teaching you birds how -to be good campers, and that's all the thanks he gets!" - -"I guess he has a pretty good time," said Blackie. - -"Of course he does, or he wouldn't be here. But it's no fun to have a -tent full of lazy draw-backs like you that object every time he tries to -make a good showing." - -There was a short space of silence. Slater looked up from his writing. - -"Hey, Ken, do we have council ring to-night?" he asked. - -"Sure." - -"What's council ring?" asked Blackie curiously. - -Slater explained. "Just when it's getting dark, we all put on blankets -and go over to council, just like the Indians used to do. We all sit in -a circle around a four-square fire, and one of the fellows lights the -fire with flint and steel, or else with rubbing-sticks. Then we have -report of scouts. Any fellow who has seen any interesting birds or -animals or anything like that gets up and tells about them. Then we -suggest anything we can do to help make the camp better and offer to do -it. Then they have all kinds of contests--hand-wrestling and talk-fests -and imitations, and usually end up with a ghost story. It's real fun, -all right." - -Blackie remembered that Gil had pointed out the way to the council ring -the evening before, and suddenly thought he would like to see the place -by daylight. He put away his letter, rose, and stretched. - -"So long, you guys," he said. - -"Where are you going?" asked the aide. "Nobody's allowed to leave until -after Recall." - -"None of your business--and if you ask me, I think you're nothing but a -spy on us for this Wally of yours." He dived into the bushes and -disappeared before Haviland could follow. - -Not only did he want the fun of tormenting Ken, but also wishing to look -over the famous council ring, he took a course through the woods that he -thought would bring him out at the place he sought. It was quiet; the -camp was still even for a Sunday afternoon. He pressed through the -underbrush and in a short time stumbled upon a well-worn path that led -in the direction he was going. Shortly he caught a glimpse of white -birch railings through the leaves, and he trod softly in case there -should be anyone there who might question him. His precaution proved to -be wise. From a clearing ahead came the low hum of men's voices. - -A circle some fifty yards across had been cleared in the woods, and -seats built about it, with an imposing stone dais on the north side to -furnish a proper elevation for the chieftain. Sitting on this stone were -the Chief himself and Wally Rawn, chatting together. - -They had not seen him, and it struck Blackie that it might be a daring -thing to get close enough to overhear their conference. Forgetful of the -old saying that eavesdroppers seldom hear well of themselves, he wormed -his way around through the bushes and found a place where he could -listen without being seen. - -"I approve of the life-saving crew assignments you've made, then, -Wally," the Chief was saying. He rose as if to leave. "By the way, what -do you think of the bunch I've put in your tent?" - -"They look pretty good," answered Wally. "They ought to turn out -first-rate after a couple of days. Haviland is a pretty capable kid, and -Slater is bugs about stars and scouting and doesn't give much trouble. -That Crampton lad is lazy, but I hope to have him get over that when we -get out on the hikes." - -"You have two fellows I put in with you because they need pretty careful -leadership. Know who they are?" - -"Think I do, Chief--Gallegher and that Blackie Thorne." - -"Right. Gallegher comes from the worst part of town, and I think he may -have picked up a lot of questionable habits. Thorne is a different sort. -He's lively and smart as a whip; but his father is dead and maybe he's -getting to be too much for his mother to handle alone. He's full of -mischief, his scoutmaster tells me, but he ought to turn out right. -They're a pair of hard cases, I guess; but keep them busy and they'll -soon be real Lenape fellows." - -"I like hard cases," grinned Wally. "Blackie is crazy about swimming; -guess I can get him interested through that, and the old camp spirit is -bound to follow. Well, let's get back." - -The two men, arm in arm, disappeared down the path. Blackie Thorne, in -his hidden covert, laughed unpleasantly at their backs. - -"Hard case, am I?" he said to himself. "Well, Mr. Smart Wally, if you -call me that, I guess all I can do is to try and live up to it!" - - - - - CHAPTER V - TREASURE - - -"This chain gang ain't so bad," remarked Gallegher. - -It was after breakfast on Monday morning. He and Blackie, as well as -three other culprits, were chopping wood behind the camp kitchen with -the supervision and assistance of Jim Avery, a tall, gangling councilor -who was a specialist in woodcraft and bird-study. - -Blackie split up a knotty stick of oak before replying. - -"Sure, this ain't such hard work. The leader does half of it, anyway. -Say, you were pretty good, to cuss right in front of Wally the other -night." - -"Aw, that's nothin'. I guess I'm pretty tough, all right. I used to go -down by the railroad lots of times and hook rides on the freight cars. -Once I bummed clear out to Scranton and back, that way." - -"Gee! No wonder the Chief said you was a hard case!" - -Gallegher stopped his chopping, and looked up proudly. "Did he say -that?" - -"Yeah. I heard him talking to our noble councilor about us. He said we -were both hard cases, and that Wally would have to watch us." - -"Well, if that's the way they do in this camp, I'm sure goin' to get -away with everything I can. How about it--are you with me, Thorne?" - -"Sure." - -They split wood for a while in silence. Blackie's back began to ache -from stooping over so much. He dropped his ax and stretched. - -"Gosh, I'm getting sick of this job. When Jim lets us go, I'm going to -head for my bunk and stay there the rest of the day." - -"Say, what did you come to camp for--to be a bunk-stretcher?" asked -Gallegher. "They're goin' to have tests for the honor emblem this -mornin'--ain't you goin' to try for one?" - -"What's the honor emblem? What good is it?" - -"Aw, you have to pass a lot of tests, and then they give you a badge to -sew on your jersey. You've seen them--lots of the guys have won them." - -"You mean the things with a swastika and a big L on them? What do you -get for it?" - -"Say, don't be dumb all your life! If a guy has an honor emblem he can -join the Bugs Society and have an initiation and a feed, and then he can -get away with lots of things, just because he's got a badge, see? It's -somethin' like the Knights of Columbus." - -"Oh. What did you say you have to do to get one?" - -"A bunch of things, like knowin' the names of the parts of a boat and -bein' good at hikin' and swimmin' and athaletics----" - -"That's me. I can do all those things." - -"--And collect flowers and tree leaves and rocks, and know the names of -the stars, and box the compass, and cook a meal, and build cabins and do -stunts--a whole lot of stuff. We can do it easy." - -Blackie considered this, and after his work was done he joined a nature -hike. During the hour before swim, he learned much that he had not -previously known about geology and ferns, and collected the ten leaves -he must identify as one of the qualifications toward his honor emblem. - -Since overhearing Wally and the Chief in the council ring, his attitude -toward his leader had changed. He now thought of Wally as an irksome -guardian and taskmaster, and found excuses for himself to disagree with -every suggestion the councilor made. Nevertheless, he remembered Wally's -promise of the previous day, and after all the other campers had come -out of the water after swim, he touched Wally on the arm and reminded -him that he was to be taught the Australian crawl. - -The life-saving crew now had its brief moment of fun. They were having a -game of water-tag about the boats and up the diving-tower. Blackie -thought it great sport to be with them, and under Wally's direction to -seem one of the outfit that was so much at home in deep water. He kept -one eye on their antics and with the other watched Wally Rawn -demonstrate the approved method of breathing with the crawl stroke that -sent him plowing through the sunlit water at a speedy rate. Then it came -Blackie's turn to show what he had learned, while Wally stood on the -dock and shouted directions. - -"That's right--take a breath every fourth stroke, and let it out under -water! Don't use that frog kick--use the trudgeon! Keep your fingers -together! That's the way." - -At first Blackie found it hard to get the correct timing for his -breaths, but after some twenty minutes Wally called a halt and put an -end to the lesson for the day, pronouncing himself well satisfied with -the boy's progress. - -"If we keep on like this, you ought to win a couple first places in the -Shawnee meet, Blackie. I'll give you some diving instruction later on--I -think I'll give all the fellows in the tent a chance to learn a few -jack-knives and swan dives." - -"What do we get if we win?" asked Blackie. - -"Award ribbons, and lots of glory for Lenape. What more do you want? -You're pretty young yet, kid--but I hope it won't be long before you -find out that the biggest rewards in life are the ones you don't get -paid for. Money or silver cups or ice-cream don't begin to compare with -the ownership of an alert mind, a strong, clean, healthy body, fine -friendships, and a reputation for honor and manliness and courage. Do -you know there's a treasure buried here on the Lenape campus?" - -Blackie was aglow on the instant. "Where? Do you know where to dig for -it? Is it a pirate treasure? Let me help you hunt for it, Wally!" - -The man smiled. "There you go again--always on the lookout for a -selfish, personal gain! The treasure I mean isn't made of Spanish -doubloons and stolen jewels; but it's here, waiting for every boy to -find it for himself. If you've got the right stuff in you, Blackie, and -I think you have, you can take that treasure home with you when you -leave camp. It's a treasure you wouldn't want to trade for anything else -in the world--the treasure of a true Lenape spirit." - -Blackie's visions of delving in the dead of night for a glittering hoard -in a pirate chest vanished. Somewhat downcast, he muttered, "Aw, don't -preach! Just the same, I sure would like to take home a bunch of money -that I found up here." - -"Well, stranger things have happened. Guess your mother would be proud -if you did." - -"Sure! It would help a lot; we don't have much money since Dad left us. -You see, she runs a little store and sells sewing things and fancy -embroidery and stuff like that." - -Wally nodded. "Did you ever stop to think how much she is sacrificing to -give you a good time camping up here in the woods?" - -"I guess so," said Blackie uncomfortably. "Let's go. We don't want to be -late to-day--we don't want to get the booby prize for inspection twice -in a row." - -"That's the spirit!" - - - - - CHAPTER VI - THE HERMIT'S HOUSE - - -That night after supper, when the whistle had shrilled for silence, -Happy Face Frayne, who was officer of the day, made announcement of the -evening's program. "We still have lots of daylight left after supper, so -we have planned a few short hikes before dark. Then, after that, we'll -gather here in the lodge around the fire and have some songs and -stories." - -"Hurray!" - -"Mr. Munson will take a group up the mountain road to the Devil's Potato -Patch. Mr. Colby will head a boating expedition to the dam at the end of -the lake, while those who want to visit Rattlesnake Joe, the hermit, -will report to Dr. Cannon. Those who stay in camp can have a rousing -game of volley ball--Long Jim Avery and Lieutenant Eames will choose -sides." - -"Hurray!" - -"Dismissed!" - -"Where you going, you crazy Irishman?" Blackie asked his bosom friend -Gallegher when they were outside. - -"Me? I'm goin' to start out with the bunch up the mountain, and then -lose myself. You want to come?" He winked significantly. - -"What are you going to do?" - -"You'll see, if you come with me. We'll get away from these babies and -have a good time of our own." - -"All right. Hi, Gil!" shouted Blackie, as his patrol-leader passed by. -"Where you heading?" - -"Up the lake. Say, you remember when we hiked the short way to camp the -first night we came up? You remember that house you asked me about? -Well, now's your chance to see it closer. That's where the hermit lives, -and he's a queer old bird if there ever was one." - -At Gil's words the picture of that secret, sinister house on the -mountainside, as Blackie had first glimpsed it, came back to him. - -"That's right--thanks for reminding me. I'm sorry, Irish--I'll sneak off -with you some other time." - -He slipped away and joined the group around Dr. Cannon, the camp medico, -at the lodge steps. There were some fifteen or twenty campers who -clamored about the short, sturdy figure of the doctor, deluging him with -questions about their destination. - -"The old hermit, Rattlesnake Joe, is one of the sights of this part of -the country," he said, quieting them with a gesture. "I don't need to -tell you anything more--you'll see him for yourselves soon enough. Keep -together--forward, march!" - -The boys straggled behind him as he led the way around behind the -kitchen and the ice-house and on past the Red Cross tent to the road. -Blackie marched in company with the Utway twins and a shock-haired -"two-striper" nicknamed "Sunfish" because he had once fallen out of a -canoe and when he was pulled up on the dock, it was discovered that he -had unwittingly trapped a good-sized sunfish in one of the pockets of -his sweater. - -The hikers turned off to the right where the road turned up the -mountain, and headed down a marshy lane bounded with a stone fence on -each side. The small, stinging deer-flies swarmed about their heads, and -Jerry Utway, one of the twins, showed Blackie how to fasten a -handkerchief around his head so that it would flutter and keep the -bothersome insects at a distance. - -"See that tree?" asked the Sunfish. - -Blackie nodded. - -"Well, that's a black birch tree--the kind they make birch beer from. -Some time I'll show you how to tap it and get a drink of the sap--it -tastes great. Here, take this twig and chew on it. Doesn't it taste -something like sassafras?" - -"Come on--we'll be back with Elephant Crampton in a minute," urged Jake, -the other of the twins. "Hurry up if you kids want to see the old hermit -before dark." - -They increased their pace, and caught up with the vanguard about Dr. -Cannon just as the mysterious house came into sight at the end of the -lane. Surrounded by the shouting company of the campers, Blackie was not -so awed by the place as he had been when, alone with Gil, he had -glimpsed it from afar on his first memorable evening in camp. There were -the same weathered shingles on the low roof, the same dirty windows and -decaying out-houses--but it did not seem so unreal and awful now. - -On their approach they were announced by the furious baying and howling -of half a dozen hounds that leaped and pulled at their chains beside a -rickety kennel by the door. The campers drew back, hoping with all their -hearts that none of the dogs would break loose. The door was flung open, -and a tall old man stamped out and began quieting the hounds, beating -their heads with a stick until they subsided, whimpering. Then he turned -and gazed strangely at the group of boys, shading his eyes against the -slanting rays of sunset. - -"Wal, now," he said after a minute, "if it ain't the Doctor and the -camp-ground boys. How be ye, Doc?" He extended a dirty and claw-like -hand. Blackie was near enough to notice that the finger-nails were all -about half an inch long, broken, ragged, and encrusted with mold. - -Indeed, as Blackie watched him shake hands with Dr. Cannon and step back -to lounge in the doorway, he seemed a far from attractive personality. -He was probably sixty years old, with a tall, stoop-shouldered body. He -leaned slouchily against the rough doorpost, and the blackened fingers -of one hand nervously combed a ragged and greasy beard that was streaked -with gray. The same tangled gray prevailed in the straggling hair that -crawled from beneath his battered felt hat, and in the discouraged -mustache that drooped to mingle with the beard. The hermit's eyes were -bleared by sitting beside a smoky fire, and were overhung by bushy -brows. Now and then, as he talked, he would profanely quiet the hounds -at his feet, who, it must be admitted, were far more intelligent and far -cleaner than their master. - -"Glad ye've come, boys," he drawled. "Allus glad to see boys here. Glad -to see anybody. I been livin' all alone here five year now come fall, -sence my boy Jase left me to go over and cut ties in Pike County. Good -boy, Jase was, but him and me couldn't get along right well together. -Say, Doc, when ye get back to camp-ground ye kin give Ellick and the -Chief my regards fer sendin' up that sack of flour last week. Shore did -enj'y it." - -"We thought you might," said the doctor. "These boys wanted to take a -little hike to-night, and I brought them up to call on you." - -"Thet's fine--allus glad to see boys. Well, boys, guess ye want to see -my old thunderbolt, don't ye? I allus show all the boys that -thunderbolt----" He entered his house and with a long knife pried up a -flat flagstone, one of those forming the hearth before his fireplace. -Blackie saw him kneeling in a shaft of sunlight beside the cold embers, -and watched until he drew forth from its hiding-place what seemed to be -a long, thin, slate-colored piece of stone or iron. The hermit brought -it out and passed it around for all to see. It was pitted and twisted, -like a short iron bar that had been exposed to rough use and rust for -years. - -"Thet's my thunderbolt," the hermit explained. "Ten year ago come August -we had a whackin' big storm--black clouds piled high over the hills here -till it looked like midnight. All of a sudden, bang! comes a big blast -of lightnin', and hit thet old oak tree out thar--it was a big tree -then, but it's only a stump now. After the storm was all over I come out -thar and saw this stuck right in the middle of the tree--had to cut it -out with my old ax. Look at it close, young fellers--ye don't get a -chance to see a reg'lar thunderbolt every day." - -The boys hurriedly passed the famous object from hand to hand, for it -was suddenly growing dark and the doctor had announced that it was time -to leave. Blackie was not at all regretful to leave the neighborhood of -that ruined house, which became more unfriendly as the long shadows of -the pines barred and striped its mouldering walls. - -"How long has he lived here?" he asked Dr. Cannon as they hiked on the -return journey at a rapid pace. - -"All his life, I guess," was the reply. "He makes a poor living, cutting -railroad ties and raising a few pigs and chickens--just enough to scrape -along on. It just shows you what a life of ignorance and dirt can do to -a man." - -"Was that a true story about his thunderbolt?" - -"There aren't really any bolts thrown down during a thunderstorm. That -thing he had may be what is called a belemnite, or maybe just a piece of -meteoric iron he found, and made up the story about it afterward." - -On the return trip Jerry Utway discovered a patch of gooseberries. He -and his brother and Blackie and Sunfish clustered about and found a few -berries that had ripened. - -"Well, Blackie," said Sunfish, talking with his mouth full, "guess you -won't feel so lively to-morrow night." - -"Why? What's going to happen?" - -"Stuck-Ups." - -"What's that?" - -The two-striper put his thumbs in his ears and waggled his fingers -mysteriously. "You'll see," he said meaningly. "They initiate all the -new campers then. Big secret society; everybody tries to join, but they -don't always stand the tortures." - -"Do they have real good tortures at this camp?" asked Jake. "We joined -up at Camp Coutrell last year, so we don't have to get initiated here. -Oh, boy! We were black and blue for a week afterwards!" - -"What do they do to a guy?" asked Blackie. - -"You'll find out. The Grand Mogul makes the neophytes--the new guys--do -all sorts of things and go through all kinds of tortures." - -"I won't do it," announced Blackie, with a sudden sinking of the heart. - -"Oh, you'll have to, if you want to be one of the society. After you get -in, it's lots of fun helping to initiate the ones that join after you -do. And some day, maybe you can work up to be one of the officers, like -the Exalted Overseers of the Rabble or the Supreme Potent Inquisitors or -the Sublunary Administers of the Last Rites." - -"That sounds fine, but I don't want to be black and blue for a week. -Can't you get in without being tortured?" - -"Oh, no!" said Sunfish. "A guy has to go through perils and trials -before he ever amounts to anything in the world. Come on--we'll be the -last ones in camp as it is." - -The four hastened after that. A few hundred yards from camp they came -upon Fat Crampton, weary but still determined, and cheered him with the -news that the tents were not far away. Through the trees was borne the -rollicking chorus of the singers gathered about the fireplace in the -lodge, united in good fellowship and roaring out the lilting words of -the Lenape marching song: - - "Oh, I've travelled the world from shore to shore - And sailed on every sea, - But there ain't no spot in the whole darned lot - Like old Camp Le-na-pe!" - - - - - CHAPTER VII - INITIATION - - -The coming initiation ceremony of the Stuck-Up Society was the chief -subject of conversation during Tuesday. Many were the direful hints and -bloodthirsty tales that the new campers heard from the lips of seasoned -Lenape boys, who, of course, were all members of the society and who -were all occupied in getting out their regalia and ceremonial weapons in -preparation for the big night. - -Immediately after the supper dishes were washed, the lodge was cleared -of all except the dozen members of the society who had been chosen to -arrange the mess-hall as the Throne Room. Blackie, sitting on the steps -in front of his tent, could hear a prodigious thumping and running and -hurly-burly inside the lodge, but could see nothing, because blankets -had been hung over all the windows and the door was guarded. He was -gravely watching Slater, who had been initiated the year before. The -red-headed boy was putting the finishing touches on a war-club he had -just made, meanwhile whistling the Funeral March in a dolorous key. - -"How's that?" he asked, whirling the formidable club by its thong. "When -you're a member, you can bear one of these at initiations too." - -"Say, how do you make one of those clubs?" asked Blackie. - -"First you find a nice little white birch tree. You dig it up and cut it -off about two feet above the roots; then you peel it around the base and -sharpen the roots. Then you can cut your mark and decorations and -designs on the bark, like this. If you soak it in water soon after it's -cut, it gives it this nice, red, bloody color." - -"All loyal Stuck-Ups come to the Throne Room!" came a call through the -megaphone on the lodge porch. - -"So long," said Slater. "I've got to go up now. I'll see you later. Take -my advice and don't get fresh with the Grand Mogul, or it'll be all the -worse for you." - -He departed, swinging his club with gusto. Blackie left to join the -group of new campers who were gathered under the big black-cherry tree -by the baseball field to await the summons to their doom. There were -about forty of them; among them he found many he knew, mostly boys who -had never spent a season at Lenape. Lefkowitz, Guppy, Fat Crampton, and -Gallegher were those from Tent Four who, beside himself, were to prepare -to undergo the awful ordeal. They sat about nervously on the stone -fence, trying to reassure themselves by bold talk and a great deal of -forced laughter. - -"Here they come!" shouted one boy after a while, and instantly there was -silence. All eyes were turned to watch the approach of the Outer Guard, -which consisted of four older boys marching toward them in formation. -Each one of them wore nothing but a towel caught about his hips and -knotted on the side, and fantastic peaked hats some three feet high that -had been made by wetting an ordinary felt hat and pulling it over the -end of a baseball bat until the crown had stretched to a high point. The -faces and bodies of the Guard were barbarically daubed and streaked with -colored grease-paint, and each bore over his shoulder a broad-bladed -canoe paddle. - -They solemnly halted beside the secretly trembling neophytes, and -"Kipper" Dabney, who was in charge, spoke in hollow tones: "Line up by -the alphabet--those with names beginning with A are in front. You are -all about to undergo the dread inquisition of the Omnipotent Stuck-Up -Society. Meditate upon your benighted souls, and ponder how best you can -serve the spirit of Lenape!" - -He counted off the first four boys in the line, and marched them away to -the lodge porch. Blackie saw Dabney give a secret knock and a password; -the portals of the Throne Room unclosed; there was a flourish of -trumpets, and then an ominous silence that lasted until the Outer Guard -again came to take four more aspirants to the great hall of the society. - -Four by four, Blackie Thorne saw his fellows vanish into the echoing -Throne Room. He was almost at the end of the line, and did not know -whether to be pleased or sorry that he would be one of the last to be -initiated; but Fat Crampton went with the second bunch, and both Guppy -and Gallegher with the fourth. Blackie was surprised to see the latter, -about twenty minutes after he had entered, ejected somewhat roughly -through the door and escorted down the steps by two stalwart guards. - -"What's the matter?" he called. "What did they do to you, Irish?" - -"Aw, they booted me out of their old society!" mumbled Gallegher. "They -let that little squirt Guppy stay in, though. Guess I didn't bow down -and lick their boots enough to suit 'em." - -"Key down, you!" ordered one of the guards. "You have been told to go to -your tent. You, Thorne, get back in line and wait your turn." - -Blackie returned to his place, wondering at this new development. -Gallegher had failed to pass the trials for some reason; evidently the -Stuck-Ups did not accept everybody. But he figured that he was at least -as clever as Nightshirt Guppy and could stand any test they might put to -him. - -At last there were only three neophytes left under the -cherry-tree--Blackie, a younger boy named "Peanut" Westover, and Slim -Yerkes. Peanut had grown more and more timid as the minutes passed, and -at last ventured to address the others in quavering tones. - -"Do--do you think they're going to hurt us much?" - -"Maybe," said Blackie. "Who cares if they do?" - -"I sneaked my pillow out here with me," confessed the boy, "and stuffed -it in the seat of my trousers. Some of the kids said they paddle you -something awful." - -"Well, we're in for it now," said Yerkes, pointing. "Here come the -guards for us." - -The three neophytes were surrounded by the serious-faced paddle-bearers -and marched up the steps to the porch. Blackie assumed a careless -expression to conceal his inward misgivings, and whistled with as much -bravado as he could muster. - -Knock! Knock! Knock! Kipper Dabney whispered a password through the -keyhole, the door swung open, and they were marched inside. Two boys -with sashes about their waists, whom Blackie recognized as Ted Fellowes -and his younger brother, put pennant-hung bugles to their lips and blew -a clarion call that set the rafters ringing. The huge room was dark -except for a space in front of the empty fireplace, where a row of -lanterns shed a yellow glare which, however, did not reveal the faces of -three men who sat, robed in blankets, upon a high dais made of benches -piled one upon the other. About the circle the grotesquely-costumed -members of the society sat in grim silence, nursing their war-clubs and -looking with threatening anticipation at the three newcomers. - -From the darkness came the gruesome chords of the Funeral March, played -on the concealed piano; and down an aisle in the center of the seated -initiates proceeded the guarded trio. Peanut Westover was shivering with -fear, and his knees were knocking together at every step. With a roll of -drums they arrived before the dais, and were lined up facing the almost -indistinguishable robed figures of the Grand Master and his two -potentates. - -"Three more rash neophytes who would dare the wrath of the honorable -Stuck-Up Society," announced Kipper in a sepulchral voice, and with a -deep salaam he stepped back and left the three candidates together in -the middle of the lighted space. Blackie could feel everyone's eyes upon -him, and he had a tingling, shaky feeling somewhere inside; but he -resolved that not one of them should think for a minute that he was -afraid. - -The Grand Mogul upon his throne said nothing, but surveyed the three -boys before him with tantalizing deliberateness. Finally he spoke. - -"You have signified your desire to enroll your unworthy names upon the -laurel-crowned roster of the honorable Stuck-Up Society. In order to win -to the gates of Glory you must first slay the Dragon of Selfishness, -defeat the Giant of Fear and arm yourselves with the Helmet of -Knowledge, the Spear of Courage, and the Sword of Justice. Are you ready -to make the trial?" - -He looked at Peanut at the end of the line, and the boy quavered, -"Y-Y-Yes." - -"_Sir!_" roared the entire group within the lodge, bellowing with all -their might and beating their clubs upon the resounding floor. - -"Y-Y-Yes, sir," said Peanut, more frightened than ever. - -"What is your name?" asked the inquisitor. - -"P-P-Peanut, sir." - -"You have a most suspicious bulge in your trousers. Please remove the -padding, Master Seneschal." - -A boy stepped forth and removed the pillow that Peanut had placed where -he thought it would do the most good, while the circle of campers roared -with laughter at his predicament. - -"Let's see how smart you are, Peanut," commanded the Grand Mogul. "Spell -your name with a sneeze and a hiccough." - -Peanut looked bewildered. Blackie nudged him and whispered, loud enough -for everybody to hear, "Go ahead, kid--he won't hurt you. He's only Sax -McNulty dressed up a little." - -The crowd gasped, horrified at such unheard-of impudence from a -candidate. - -"One bell!" said the Mogul solemnly, looking gravely at the offender. -Off at one side, a dishpan struck with a drumstick resounded once with a -hollow clang. "Now--go on, Peanut." - -Taking courage, the smaller boy began: -"P--achoo!--E--hup!--A--choo!--N----" - -"That will do. Now get down on the floor and scramble like an egg." - -Peanut gave the best imitation of an egg in the process of being -scrambled that he could muster. When he had finished, Sax ordered him to -rise, and spoke again. - -"Neophyte Peanut, you must learn that the spirit of Lenape is found in -sacrifice and self-denial. Through secret channels I am informed that -your greatest weakness is wasting the time of your leaders with foolish -questions. To remind you that it is better for a camper to discover -things for himself, I command you not to ask a single question of -anybody all day to-morrow; if any member of the society hears you ask a -question, he will be entitled to hot-hand you once. Now, you tall, -gangling, skinny drink of water on the other end," he continued, turning -toward Slim Yerkes, "what have you got to say for yourself?" - -"Nothing, sir," said Slim quietly. - -"That's just the trouble with you. You're always so quiet that nobody -ever knows you're around. I'll bet a dollar to a flash of lightning that -you've got lots of talent but are afraid to let anybody know it. Camp is -the place where a boy learns to step out of the background and show what -he can do. You're here to-night to help amuse the Stuck-Ups. Let's -see--can you sing?" - -"No, sir." - -"There you go--I'm sure you're a mighty fine singer if only you had a -little confidence. Now clear your throat, sound off, and sing in a bold -voice 'How Dry I Am,' starting from the end and working forwards." - -"Am I dry how----" Slim croaked feebly. The campers set up a groan, but -the Grand Mogul pretended to be immensely pleased at the thin lad's -singing ability. - -"That's not so terrible. Now, just to make you get out of your shell, I -order you to put on a free show to-morrow for anybody that asks you. -Just pretend you're a whole circus side-show, and when they ask you, -give imitations of the Fat Lady, the India-Rubber Man, JoJo the -Dog-Faced Boy, the Snake Charmer, or anything else they happen to think -up. Now, next case for the executioner!" He transferred his attention to -Blackie Thorne. - -"All right," said Blackie insolently, deliberately leaving off the title -of respect. "What are you going to do to me?" - -"_Sir!_" roared the assembled Stuck-Ups. - -"Two bells! Three bells and the foolhardy neophyte hangs on the red -cedar at midnight!" intoned Sax McNulty. The dishpan gong resounded with -two slow strokes. "You have twice dared the wrath of the Stuck-Up -Society. What excuse have you to offer, you in the middle? What's your -name?" - -Blackie resolved that he would not be daunted by the rigmarole of the -initiation as his two companions had been, and answered as impudently as -he could, "Aw, I go by the name of Saxophone McNulty." - -The listeners broke into a pandemonium of hooting and roaring, almost -drowning out the booming of the gong sounding three bells. For the first -time the Grand Mogul's tone became deadly serious, and when he could -make himself heard he addressed Blackie with measured calm. - -"Though the Stuck-Up Society has assembled here to-night in a spirit of -fun, the unwritten code of good-fellowship should govern our every -action as much now as at any other time. You, Thorne, have deliberately -disregarded that code. Besides being an obvious falsehood, your answer -showed a silly wilfulness. In the few days you have been at Lenape you -have shown yourself to be a 'fresh guy' and a bully to those who are -weaker than yourself; you have shown a lack of self-control and a -selfish forgetfulness of the other fellow. You get lots of fun out of -playing jokes on somebody else, but as soon as they play a trick on you, -you get sore and go off by yourself and sulk. Am I right?" - -"I guess so, sir." Blackie hung his head; he hated to be talked to this -way in front of all the other campers. - -"Don't forget, Blackie," went on the leader, "that the difficult things -in the world are the ones worth fighting for. It's easy to be fresh, to -be a bully, to lose your temper, to stir up mischief; but the -worth-while things are gentlemanliness and self-control. Everybody here -will help you all they can, but only you yourself can fight the fight to -make yourself a good Lenape camper. When you have won that fight and -proved that you possess the spirit of sportsmanship and team-play, you -can have another chance to join the honorable ranks of the Stuck-Up -Society. The initiation ceremonies will now proceed without you. Go to -your tent!" - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - THE SNIPE HUNT - - -"Last night about dusk, when I was walking by the marsh down where the -creek empties into the lake, I was surprised to discover a large flock -of snipe. Now, hunting this wary game-bird is one of the sports that -Camp Lenape is famous for; and since in my opinion we couldn't have -better weather for it, I suggested to the Chief that we have a hunt this -very night." - -Mr. Carrigan, leader of Tent Nine and camp naturalist, was making a -report after supper the next day; and judging from the cheer that went -up at his words, the sport he spoke of was one of the greatest -attractions that camp life could offer. Blackie Thorne, sobered by his -humiliating experience in the Throne Room of the Stuck-Up Society the -previous night, listened with both ears as the councilor continued his -announcement. - -"I do not need to explain to campers who have spent a season at Lenape -that it is exceedingly difficult to capture the elusive snipe. It -requires great care and skill to catch them, and since it would be -impossible for all of us to go after them, it has become the custom for -the old campers, who have all bagged their birds, to give first chance -to the new boys and to act as 'beaters' and scare up the game for them. -They will take care of the inexperienced hunters, see that they are -placed in a good position along a well-known snipe 'run,' and do all -they can to drive the birds their way. - -"Now, since many of the new boys will not know about the habits and -method of catching this most famous of all game-birds, it will be best -to explain a few details. There are several varieties of snipe. The -variety that is usually found on the Lenape campus is the 'coo' snipe, -which may always be recognized by the fact that its eggs are not round -but cube-shaped. Another variety, the 'fan-tail' snipe, is found a few -miles north of here, near Camp Shawnee, our rivals on Iron Lake. The -snipe is a bird with long legs and long bill, and the meat is very -succulent, tasting like a cross between turkey and lemon pie. Ellick, -our genial chef, is well-known for his ability to fry snipe in the most -toothsome way, and has furthermore, out of his love for the sport, -offered a prize of one watermelon from the camp ice-box to the first -camper who brings in his snipe." - -Cheers followed, for Ellick, for Mr. Carrigan, and for the watermelon. - -"The best method of catching this cunning bird," continued the leader -when the noise had died down again, "is by means of the bag and lantern. -Each hunter should provide himself with a burlap bag--or a pillow-case -will do--and a lantern of some sort. When one of the beaters posts him -along a snipe 'run,' as we call the trails which the birds make along -the ground through the bushes on their way down to the lake for a drink, -the hunter should prop the mouth of the bag open with sticks, place a -small pyramid of rocks in front of it, and station himself behind the -bag with his lantern. He then at intervals gives the snipe mating-call, -like this--_coo-coo-coo!_--in a soft and liquid voice. The snipe, -aroused and startled by the approach of the beaters through the bushes, -flies into the air in alarm. Hearing the mating-call and mistaking the -pile of rocks for its nest, it flies toward the open bag, and dazzled by -the light in its eyes, blunders right into the bag. Then all the hunter -has to do is to grab the top of the bag quickly, and the bird is -imprisoned alive and brought back to camp. Remember--the first one to -catch his bird wins the watermelon!" - -He sat down amidst a tornado of cheering. During the uproar Wally -managed to make himself heard at the Tent Four table. - -"With four hunters in our bunch," he said, "we ought to have enough -snipe to-morrow to make a full meal for the whole table. Soon as we're -dismissed, you fellows hop around and see if Ellick hasn't got some old -bags you can borrow. Don't let anybody else get ahead of you if you can -help it--it wouldn't be a bad idea to have some watermelon to eat along -with that fried snipe!" - -As soon as the whistle sounded, Blackie joined the torrent of boys that -poured out into the kitchen to besiege Ellick for bags, boxes--anything -in which a bird might be trapped. The chef looked about genially, -finding something for most of them, smiling and assuring them that the -prize offer was true, showing them the big green watermelon that would -fall to the lucky Nimrod. Blackie was fortunate enough to find an empty -potato-sack, and after providing himself with the powerful flash-lantern -he had brought to camp, was ready to put himself in the hands of the -experienced beaters, who would show him the correct place to post -himself. - -To his surprise, Sax McNulty, the councilor who had served the previous -night as Grand Mogul and who had ordered Blackie's ejection from the -Throne Room, singled him out. The gloomy-faced comedian nodded somberly. - -"Hello, Thorne! Going to redeem yourself and make the camp forget last -night by being the first to get your snipe?" - -"I don't know about that," said Blackie, "but I sure am going to try. -Say, Sax!" - -"What?" - -"I--I'm sorry I was so fresh last night. I won't forget what you said -about being a good sport. And I didn't mean to act the way I did." - -"Oh, that's all right. You didn't hurt my feelings any. Just to show you -we're good friends, I'm going to take you to the best place on the -campus for snipe. I know where there's a 'run' where as many snipe have -been caught as in all the other places within six miles. I'll be your -beater. Got your outfit? Good. Trot along!" - -He led the way at a rapid pace and Blackie followed, lugging his bag and -lantern. They cut straight through the woods away from the lake; in -places it was already so dark that the boy switched on his light to see -the way. McNulty made so many turns and twists that it was not long -before Blackie lost all sense of direction. At last, much to the boy's -satisfaction, the leader announced that they had reached the place. He -helped Blackie rig up the sack with the mouth propped and held open by -sticks, and arranged a pile of stones in front. - -"In my experience," said McNulty, "I think Mr. Carrigan is wrong about -the mating-call. It really sounds more like _kuk-kuk-kuk_ than -_coo-coo_." He made the boy practise the call over and over until he was -satisfied. - -"Now," he said, "you just wait here until I beat a few down your way." - -He departed stealthily through the undergrowth, and Blackie crouched -waiting behind his glaring lamp. For ten or fifteen minutes he heard -nothing but the sweet whistles of the whippoorwill and the timid -twilight noises of the woods. Then from the front came a series of -halloos and the crackling of a body passing through the brush. McNulty's -voice was raised in the beater's call, advancing swiftly toward him. The -boy clucked as he had been told. There was a whirr like that of wings, -and a flashing shadow in the bright beam of the light. Blackie fell -forward on his bag, sure that some wild thing was struggling among its -folds. - -"Get any?" asked McNulty, rushing up with a long stick in his hand. -"Here--let me take a look--careful now! Don't let him out, whatever you -do! Easy--I'll hold it, and you reach down and pull him out. Don't be -scared--they just peck you a little bit." - -Gingerly, and not at all sure that he would like to be pecked by a sharp -bill even a little bit, Blackie put his arm in the bag and felt about. -His fingers closed on something, and hastily he jerked it forth. Instead -of a struggling mass of feathers, his hand held only a bunch of tangled -grass and twigs. - -Sax McNulty snorted in disgust. "Thought you had a snipe! Huh! Here I -drove a whole covey of them right at you! Didn't you see them?" - -"Yes, I thought I saw one fly right into the bag! How did this get -here?" - -"You ought to know. Well, guess I'll have to go through it all -again--and it's no fun beating these bushes. I'm all scratched up -already. If you don't have better luck this time, we'll have to go -somewhere else. I'll have to go almost to the top of the mountain as it -is--I've already covered the ground near here." - -He moved away and disappeared into the July night. Blackie settled -himself for a long wait. - -It was lonely there in the woods. He thought over one by one every -incident that had happened since he had landed in camp. Already four -days of his slender two weeks at Lenape had passed; only ten days more -and he would have to return to the hot city, far from the exciting -adventures of forest and lake and lodge. - -It seemed to him that hours had passed since Sax had left him. He -listened with all his might to try and pick up the leader's shouting off -in the silent woods. Mosquitoes, attracted by the light, swarmed about -him and made him miserable with their tormenting hum; he slapped at -them, but still they came to sting his neck and wrists and ankles. He -would have turned off the light, but knew that if he did so he would -miss his chance of bringing in any snipe; and he was determined not to -return to camp without at least one bird. By this time many of the new -boys should have captured their prey; and he could not think of -returning empty-handed. Why didn't McNulty return? - -Gradually it dawned upon him that the leader would not return, that he -had not intended to return. It must all be a joke! Just another of those -innumerable hoaxes which camp custom had decreed should be played upon -all tenderfoot campers during the first days of their first season under -canvas. It must be just a conspiracy among the experienced campers and -leaders to decoy the credulous greenhorns out into the woods alone under -the pretext of a hunt for snipe. With a bag and lantern! The whole story -seemed so impossible to him that he wondered how he could have been -taken in by it. Sitting behind a pile of stones and a gaping -potato-sack, cooing and waiting for birds to fly his way! McNulty must -have bundled up grass and twigs into a ball and thrown it into the bag -when he had approached on the pretense of "beating" the birds toward the -light. And how he and the rest of the knowing ones would laugh at -Blackie when he returned to camp, shamefaced and abashed at having been -hoodwinked by such a ridiculous flimflam! Snipe that laid cube-shaped -eggs! - -The thing must be faced like a good sport, however. If he hurried back -to camp, he might still arrive in time to watch some of the other -victims come in, and thus have the laugh on them----He suddenly realized -that he was not sure which was the way back to camp. He had depended on -the guidance of McNulty, and did not have the least idea where he was, -or how far away the tents might be. Well, he would have to explore a -bit, pioneer the way home for himself. - -Carrying his flash-lamp hooked on his belt, he beat his way through the -scrub carefully, on the lookout for snakes and other dangerous dwellers -in the forest. He blundered across a narrow ravine, pushed his way -through a clump of laurels, and climbed a stone fence. The light showed -on the rutted tracks of a lane that wandered through the trees--a lane -that seemed somehow familiar. Sure enough! It was the road that led to -the gloomy house of Rattlesnake Joe, the hermit; it was the trail he and -the others had followed only two nights before! - -He knew his way now. The stars were out, and a half-moon was tilted -among the tree-tops. He snapped off his lamp, so that it would not draw -too many mosquitoes, and found he could follow the lane well enough by -moonlight. Taking the direction that led away from the hermit's dwelling -and toward the campus, he trudged along by himself, almost laughing to -think how easily the snipe-trick had worked. It was a good joke; and -next year, if he came to camp, he could have the fun of taking some -scary tenderfoot out into the woods and planting him there for the -evening, to coo and wait for snipe that would not come. - -Only about five minutes passed before he was aware that someone was -coming toward him up the road; he could hear the low mumble of voices -only a few hundred yards in front. Could one of them be McNulty, alarmed -because Blackie had not yet turned up in camp, and coming to seek him -and break the news? If so, he was due for a little scare; the jester -would himself be the butt of a jest. Blackie planted himself behind a -thick oak trunk, ready to jump out with a shout and throw the bag over -the leader's head and give him the fright of his life. - -The voices came nearer; one of them harsh and bullying, the other -sounding strangely weak and pleading. Blackie pondered. Neither of them -could be McNulty. They must be strangers, even men who, finding him -alone, might do him harm. He resolved to keep quiet and let them pass -without noticing him. Inwardly congratulating himself for turning off -his light, he concealed himself as best he could behind the friendly -oak. The voices grew louder; they were rough, uncouth, and profane. - -Two slouching figures emerged from the dark, and stopped right beside -the tree Blackie had chosen. He could have reached out his arm and -touched them both. There was a scratching sound as a match was drawn -across a rock; a red flicker burst forth and revealed two faces bent to -light cigarettes. The face of the taller man was seamed and dirty, and -the unshaven jowls were covered with gray stubble. A green patch hung -over one eye, giving him a peculiar and sinister look. The other man was -younger, with a slack mouth and watery eyes, and a vacant face that -showed he had little or no will of his own. Both were garbed in loose, -patched garments streaked with mud and torn in places. - -"Tramps!" thought Blackie. "Gee, they sure look hard-boiled! If they -ever find me here----" He crouched behind his shelter, fearing that they -had seen him already. - -"Aw, what ya want to be yeller for?" the older man was growling. "I tell -ya it's a sure thing! He lives all alone up there--I heard all about him -down in Elmville. The hermit, they call him around here, and everybody -knows he's got a silver mine somewheres in the mountains that he won't -tell about! Every once in a while he sneaks off and digs up some silver -and buries it under the stones of his fireplace!" - -"Are ya sure, Reno?" asked the other, in snivelling tones. - -"'Course I'm sure! I seen him myself the other night, diggin' up the -stones at the fireplace and takin' somethin' out that looked like a bar -of silver. There ya stand moanin' like a sick chicken, and all we have -to do to get rich is just walk in and tie him up and take the silver!" - -"We might be seen!" The younger man's terror was increasing every -minute. "And he's got dogs, too." - -"Blast the dogs! They're all chained up anyway." - -"But how about them kids?" - -"Aw, they're all in bed by now. If you'd seen that bar of silver like I -saw, you'd pull yer freight and get the job done." - -Blackie wanted to cry out and tell them that the hermit was poor, that -he had no money or treasure at all, that the man must have seen him -looking at his precious thunderbolt which he kept under the hearthstone. -But his mouth was so dry with terror that he could not make a sound. He -leaned against the tree for support, and the lantern on his belt clinked -against the rough bark. - -"What's that?" The weak-chinned man jumped nervously about. - -"Aw, yer jumpy as a cat to-night! 'Fraid of the dark, ain't ya, Lew?" - -"I thought I heard somebody in the bushes." - -"Not likely. If I thought there was, I'd pull out his windpipe. There -ain't nothin' to be scared of. Now, will ya come, or will I have to do -the job meself?" - -"I--I'll come, Reno." - -The two men moved off in the direction of the hermit's house. Some -minutes passed before Blackie dared to relax his body from the stiffened -position his fright had put him into. Reason told him to get away from -the spot before he was discovered and would have to face the wrath of -the two tramps alone; but curiosity and an uncanny fascination seemed to -draw him to the house whose grim face had somehow haunted him since -first he had arrived at Lenape. With lagging steps, he followed down the -lane toward the fateful, tumbledown dwelling. - -As he drew near the door, his terror increased. The hounds were making a -dismal racket in their kennel, rattling their chains fiercely. One -small, dusty window on the ground floor showed red with firelight; the -rest of the house was dark. Drawn and yet repelled by what might be -going on behind the weather-beaten walls, he dared the chance of one of -the dogs escaping and attacking him, crept to the door, and listened. - -The sound of voices raised in anger came to him, a bedlam hubbub of -words. He thought he could distinguish the peculiar, slouchy dialect of -Rattlesnake Joe above the others. - -"Ye're crazed, ye devils! I'll have the law onto ye!" - -"Will ya tell us where yer silver mine is located?" - -"No! I won't tell ye a tarnal thing----" - -There was the clatter of a chair overturned on the board floor. A -piercing, terrifying scream, hoarse and horrid, came once and broke off. -A heavy body slipped noisily to the floor. Afterward endured a hushed, -strained silence, during which Blackie heard with distinctness the -beating of his own pulse and the hollow ticking of a clock beyond the -door. - -The wind was rising; a gust swept over the roof of the somber house, -rattling the loose shingles and stirring the tops of the pines. Its -coming brought panic to Blackie Thorne. He turned and, with eyes -starting with horror, fled away into the dark with the ghastly memory of -that hoarse, despairing scream still ringing in his ears. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - A RAINY DAY - - -Blackie did not mention to a single soul what he had seen and heard at -the hermit's house the night of the snipe hunt. He wanted nothing more -than to forget the terror which had gripped him by the throat as he -stood outside the door of the house in the woods. Indeed, when the -crystal clear morning came and the busy camp routine began, it was hard -to believe that he had witnessed any dark deed the night before. - -As the days passed, he almost forgot he had ever overheard the two -tramps planning robbery and violence upon a harmless old man. The -glorious Fourth of July came and went, leaving only burnt fingers and a -powder-blackened litter of colored papers on the baseball field as -souvenirs of the sparkling and explosive celebration. Wally continued -his lessons in the Australian crawl, and also taught the Tent Four group -many things about the art of diving. Camp Lenape held a field meet, and -Blackie was awarded three ribbons of various colors as trophies of his -prowess in running and jumping. Tent Four wiped out its bad record by -winning inspection three times in succession. On Friday night each tent -group put on an impromptu show or stunt, ranging from a vaudeville act -with a trick horse (front part, Gil Shelton; hind legs, Spaghetti -Megaro) to an uproarious imitation of a tent full of sleepy-heads -turning out for Reveille. Blackie and Gallegher spent much of their time -studying to pass their requirements for the honor emblem, and at the -Indian council on Monday night they both were summoned before the -Chief's seat and proudly received the coveted badge. - -Blackie was awake twenty minutes before First Call on Tuesday morning, -and passed the time stitching the swastika emblem on the front of his -jersey. The sky was dull and leaden; for the first time since he had -come to camp there was a smell of rain in the air. When the campers were -returning up the hill after the Indian dip the storm broke, bucketing -down in torrents; the boys went up to breakfast in raincoats and -ponchos, and stood assembled for flag-raising on the long porch of the -lodge. - -"I was going out with the pioneers to help build a signal-tower this -morning," Blackie grumbled over his oatmeal at breakfast, "and here it's -got to go and rain. Gee, what rotten luck!" - -"Why worry?" asked Ken Haviland; "Rain doesn't spoil anything here at -Lenape. Last year we had so much fun on rainy days that I've been -wishing for a wet day soon. We'll have a good time to-day, and don't -forget it." - -"What will happen?" - -"Oh, lots of things. Everybody stays here in the lodge, and we have -boxing and wrestling matches, indoor track meets, or signalling -contests. Maybe some of the leaders will tell stories. Rainy days are -good times to practise for the big show that comes at the end of every -section, or to get the dope on map-making, life-saving drill, forestry -and merit badges. Some fellows can work in the carpenter shop on -handicraft. I remember one wet day last year we had a big mud-marathon -around the lodge. Everybody put on old clothes and went through a big -obstacle race; we almost laughed ourselves sick." - -Haviland's prophecy was correct; the program for the day was more active -and strenuous than for a day of sunshine. The campers put the lodge in -order, cleared away a big space in the center, and brought in a tall -heap of firewood for the cheerful blaze that was crackling in the stone -fireplace. Wally Rawn, who as officer of the day was supervising the -program, caught Blackie by the arm as he was helping to lay down some -large, padded wrestling mats. - -"Blackie, will you go in to the Chief's office and get the O. D. report -blank for me?" - -"You bet, Wally!" - -Blackie skipped over to a far corner of the lodge, where the Chief had a -small room fitted with a desk and cabinet to hold the camp letters and -records. The door was slightly ajar, and two voices sounded beyond. The -Chief had a visitor. Blackie paused at the door, hesitating to intrude -upon the conversation. - -"Just stopped on my way from Elmville," came the heavy voice of the -visitor. "Couldn't find out anything about the matter there, and as I -was riding back over the mountains I thought I might as well stop on the -chance that you might know something about it." - -"Mr. Lane, who brings in our provisions, told me what he'd heard in -town," answered the Chief. "That's all I know. Wednesday night it -happened, wasn't it?" - -"That's what the coroner thinks. The body wasn't found till -Friday--nobody goes up there, you know, and the old man lived alone. It -was just by luck that one of the neighbors stopped in to see him, and -found the body." - -"I'm sorry I can't help you, Sheriff. It's a terrible thing to have such -a murder so near camp. And the old hermit wouldn't have hurt a fly." - -Sheriff! Murder! Blackie clutched the doorpost and almost fell over at -the words. The hermit! - -"Well," said the sheriff, scraping back his chair as he rose, "if you do -hear anything, I live over by Newmiln Center. You can send word to me -there. It's a puzzle, sure enough. As brutal a thing as I ever heard of -in all my experience; if it was robbers that did it, they surely didn't -find anything." - -"I hope you catch them," said the Chief fervently. "And I'm sorry I -can't give you any clue. Good day!" - -Blackie just had time to collect his thoughts and run away from the door -before he might be discovered listening. He dashed off and joined the -group about the wrestling-mats, covertly watching the man who came out -of the office. The sheriff was a heavy-set, black-mustached man in -spurred and muddied riding-boots and glistening slicker. He stamped -across to the back door and, while Blackie watched at a window, mounted -a waiting horse and cantered off down the muddy road through the -downpour. - -The watching boy heaved a sigh of relief; he had escaped being caught -and questioned. The two tramps must have tried to force the hermit to -tell what he knew. The old man, of course, possessed neither a treasure -nor the secret of a silver mine, and in the struggle he had somehow -been--killed. Murder! What an ugly-sounding word it was! Blackie -shivered. He wanted to forget; but he knew that never in this world -would he lose the memory of that sullen, threatening house and the -racking scream that had issued from it on that fatal Wednesday night. - -He looked about him. The rainy-morning program in the lodge was already -in full swing. In front of the fireplace Lieutenant Eames had roped off -a square space and was giving boxing instruction to an interested group. -Two older boys, their fists hidden in bulging padded gloves, were -clumsily sparring together under a rapid stream of cautions and advice -from the lieutenant and a perfect hail of cheers and urgings from the -howling bunch of spectators. - -"Put your body behind it!" counseled the West Pointer. "Place your blows -where they'll do the most good--don't thrash around wildly. There--not -bad! Don't run away, Pete; stand up to him and defend yourself with the -gloves. Whoa!" The two boys, smarting under a few well-placed blows, -were mixing it in earnest, their fists whirling rapidly but with little -damaging effect. "That's enough--you can't fight best when you lose your -tempers. Now, who's next?" - -"Match me with somebody!" urged Chink Towner. "It's my turn now, -Lieutenant!" - -"Whom do you want to take on, Chink?" - -The onlookers chorused a suggestion. "Blackie! Blackie Thorne! Here he -is now! Take him on, Chink!" - -"How about it, Blackie?" asked the lieutenant. "Want to try a round or -two with Chink?" - -Blackie's scare was still too close to him to want to think about -anything else, but he resolved not to display the white feather before -the group. He could not refuse. "Aw, sure, I'm not afraid of him. Give -me the gloves!" - -Jerry Utway volunteered to serve as his second, and jumped to help him. -Jake Utway, not to be outdone by his twin brother, took Chink's corner -and laced on his gloves. The news of the bout spread around the lodge -from group to group, until quite a number of campers crowded about the -ring. Ellick, the chef, drifted in from the kitchen, and agreed to judge -the contest. Tent Three rallied to support Chink, their champion, and -the Tent Four boys patted Blackie on the back and whispered words of -advice or encouragement. - -Wally Rawn came over while Blackie was stripping to shorts and tennis -shoes. "You shouldn't be matched with Towner," he said. "He's got a -longer reach than you have, and knows more about boxing than you do." - -"I can't back out now. I'm not scared of him anyway," Blackie muttered, -but his heart was racing and he had a chilly feeling in the pit of his -stomach. - -"Well, remember to keep your guard up all the time, and don't lose your -head. Another thing--don't set your body stiff until you're ready to -hit; if you're relaxed a blow doesn't hurt so much. But don't let him -take you off balance, or you'll find yourself chewing the floor." - -Bewildered by the shouting and the hasty advice, Blackie found himself -in the center of the ring. The lieutenant was introducing the -contenders. - -"In this corner, Battling Towner, the Chinese challenger; to my right, -Kid Blackie, the Bloodthirsty Bantam. Shake hands, gentlemen! First -round--time!" - -The two boys closed in upon each other warily, exchanged a few watchful -feints and passes. Chink led with his left; Blackie sprang out of the -way, and swung harmlessly at the air. - -"Get into him, Thorne!" squealed Jerry Utway. "This ain't a -pillow-fight! Hit him!" - -Chink feinted with his left and aimed a blow with his right that caught -Blackie on the arm, whirling him half around. He caught his balance, -leaped forward, and closed in a clinch so tight that neither boy got in -any blows before they were separated. They parted; there followed a few -seconds of brisk sparring; then Chink, with lightning footwork, dodged -under Blackie's guard and planted a thudding glove upon his face. -Blackie was knocked backwards; he shut his eyes and crouched with his -gloves over his face and his arms tight to his chest. The spectators -shouted, cheering for Chink. - -"First blood for the Chinese lightweight!" - -"Yay, Tent Three!" - -"Get into him, Blackie!" - -Blackie set his teeth. The blow had stunned him for a minute, but it had -the effect of making him forget the crowd, forget everything but the -crouched figure of the boy before him--his antagonist. The faces of the -watchers and the referee seemed to show through an unreal haze. He -struck out at Towner, and landed on his body; but Chink retaliated with -another crushing blow upon the nose. A numb feeling settled upon -Blackie's senses; his limbs seemed to be yards long, the gloves to weigh -tons. What was he doing out here in front of the crowd, jumping around -breathlessly and being struck again and again? Even Chink's face came to -him half hidden by a dreamy mist. He fought and fought, yet Chink never -seemed to be touched; he darted about, apparently placing his fists -where he pleased. - -A gong sounded; hands reached out and pulled Blackie to his chair. He -felt a splash of cold water on his face; Jerry Utway was rubbing his -arms with a towel. "Round one--won by Mistah Chink!" came Ellick's -voice. - -Again Blackie was aware that the gong had sounded, and once more he was -facing Towner. The other boy was breathing heavily, but was apparently -as light on his feet and as ready with his hands as ever. - -"After him, Blackie--the best defense is an attack!" It was Wally's -voice, coming coolly to him from beyond the ring. Blackie caught his -breath and plunged with whirling arms after the shadowy form of his -opponent. Chink closed in for an exchange of body blows and another -clinch, in which Blackie got the worst end of it. Towner was depending -mostly upon blows to the face, concentrating all his attack upon the -nose and mouth, placing shrewd hits on these places one after another. -Blackie had the feeling that he was fighting against a ghostly figure, -an antagonist as elusive and intangible as smoke. He began hitting out -blindly, thoughtlessly, raging and hating Towner with all his might. A -red flag seemed to drop before his eyes, and he charged with his fists -hammering like pistons, careless of the rain of blows that fell upon his -unprotected head. He was seeing red, running wild, losing all his skill -and direction in a mad, senseless rush. Through the clamor of the crowd -came Wally's low counsel again. - -"Keep your head, Blackie! Self-control!" - -The mist began to clear. He felt a jolting, sharp blow on the chin, was -aware that Chink was off to one side and that in his blind charge he was -nowhere near his antagonist. He fell back, protecting his face; then, -suddenly, he whirled and struck out with his right arm extended. His -glove seemed to plunge forward of its own accord and land with a smack -on Chink's face. The other boy fell back with an amazed look in his -eyes. - -"Time! End of de bout--no decision!" cried Ellick. - -There were shouts of protest; the campers wanted a fight to a finish. -Ellick only shook his head and nodded in the direction of Blackie's -corner. Blackie saw his comrades staring at him strangely. - -"He tapped you one on the nose, all right," said Jerry, giving him a cup -of water. - -Blackie looked with surprise at his hand, still encased in a leather -glove. The casing was stained with a few darkening crimson drops. - -"What of it? I can still lick him! I'm just getting started!" - -Lieutenant Eames crossed over to them with one arm on Chink's shoulder. - -"Sure, you're not whipped by a long sight, Thorne," he said. "But we can -match up you two again some other time. Now, you two boys have been -swatting each other all around the ring enough to satisfy anybody. -Another thing, Blackie--I can see that you don't know the first thing -about scientific self-defense, but you have two things that are most -essential to a good boxer. You have good muscular control, and you keep -your wits about you all the time. If you want to spend some time with -me, I think after a few lessons I can make a pretty fair boxer out of -you." - -"Say, will you, Lieutenant? I'd sure like that!" - -He relinquished his gloves to another boy, and a third match began, -while Wild Willie Sanders and Soapy Mullins began a wrestling bout. The -group split up and drifted away, while Blackie slipped into his clothes. -His nose had stopped bleeding, and he was feeling a glow of happiness -that came from the words of the boxing instructor. He felt a hand on his -shoulder, looked up and saw Wally. - -"Well, you took a beating to-day, all right!" - -"Chink didn't lick me," frowned Blackie. "They stopped us because he -tapped me on the nose." - -"He hammered you all over the ring; I said you were no match for him. -Chink Towner did give you a beating; but I was watching another fight at -the same time." - -"Gee, you talk funny sometimes, Wally. What fight do you mean?" - -"You were fighting against your own self, Blackie, when you were there -in the ring. And you won that fight. I saw you. For a minute you got -mad, lost your control; then you got hold of yourself and began to use -your head. It was a good thing for you to go against a fighter better -than yourself; you learned to take your medicine and keep your temper. -And they're both good things for a young lad to know." - - - - - CHAPTER X - THE LIE - - -"You put up a pretty good scrap," grunted Gallegher approvingly. - -Blackie had donned his shirt and sweater after the boxing bout. "Thanks, -Irish," he said. - -"I've seen lots of tough fights, and I know what I'm sayin', see? Say, -are you tired?" - -"No, not very." - -"What do you say we take a little walk? I'm sick of bein' shut in this -lodge all mornin'." - -Blackie looked out a window; the rain had slackened, but still drizzled -down with settled persistence. "In the rain?" - -"Sure--what's a few drops matter? Put on your raincoat and come along." - -The two boys slipped into their rainproof ponchos, and then Gallegher -led the way a short distance through the wet woods behind camp. Here he -turned off and struck through the brush toward the mountain, following a -line of lead pipe that ran from a spring above down to the lodge, -supplying fresh, cold water for the use of the camp. A trail had been -cut when the men had laid the pipe, but it was overgrown and indistinct, -and it was easy to see that few campers ever passed that way. After -about a quarter of a mile of trudging in silence through the dripping -forest, Gallegher turned off and floundered through the undergrowth -until he came to the thick trunk of a fallen tree that lay rotting on -the ground. - -"Here we are," he said. "Not so bad, eh? I come here lots of times." - -"What for?" asked Blackie curiously. - -"I'll show you." Gallegher stuck out his chin, and winked meaningly. -"Have a good time, away from all the baby kids in camp. See what I -mean?" - -He fished out a crumpled, gaudily-colored package from his shirt, and -held it out to Blackie. Within were a few cheap cigarettes. - -"Gee!" exclaimed Blackie, "cigarettes! Where did you get them, Irish?" - -"Aw, I always carry some. I like to get away and have a little smoke by -myself now and then. Have one." - -"You've been smoking all the time we've been up here? Say, don't you -know the Chief sends a guy home right away if he's caught smoking?" - -"What of it? He has to catch us first, and nobody ever comes here. Don't -chew the rag so much; light up and be happy." Gallegher winked again. - -"Naw--I'm in training for boxing practice with the Lieutenant," said -Blackie uncomfortably. "Smoking is bad for the wind, and I got to have -good lungs to be a good scrapper." - -"Aw, one won't hurt you," Gallegher jeered. "Know what I think? I think -you're scared you'll get caught. You're just yellow, like all the rest -of the babies at this camp." - -"I'm not scared. Here, give me one, Irish. I'll show you." - -Blackie seized one of the white cylinders and hastily lighted the end. -Gallegher lit another and settled back on the fallen tree trunk, puffing -away expertly. - -"Pretty soft, eh?" - -"Not bad," agreed Blackie, fumbling amateurishly with the lighted -cigarette. He coughed and wiped away the tears that formed in his eyes -as the smoke blew into them. "Say, are you sure nobody ever comes around -here?" - -"Sure they don't--especially on a rainy day. I've had a quiet little cig -here lots of times. Don't get scared, kid--we'll be safe. Besides, now -we both got the honor emblem, we can get away with lots of stuff. If you -wear one of these things on your chest"--he indicated the green swastika -and the "L" upon his sweater--"you can put over stuff that would be too -raw for other guys to get away with. I've been kind of layin' low -lately, but believe me, there's goin' to be some fun around this camp -pretty soon, and I'm goin' to get back at the guys that kicked me out of -the Stuck-Up initiation. Are you with me, Blackie? They did the same -dirty trick to you." - -"Sure--sure I'm with you, Irish." - -"Have another fag, then." - -"No, one is enough for me." - -"Come on, have another. What are you afraid of? We can eat a hunk of -candy before we go back to camp, and nobody will ever know a thing about -it." - -Blackie accepted another, but threw the stump away before he had smoked -much of it. He didn't like it, but the idea of sitting there hidden in -the woods doing a forbidden act that would be heavily punished if it -were known gave him a devil-may-care, excited feeling. - -Later, after they had sneaked back to camp for swim, he did not feel -quite so dashing. The secret act now appeared sordid. He felt -uncomfortable and guilty; he could not forget what he had done, and went -to bed that night with an uneasy fear that he might be discovered any -minute. He dropped off to sleep assuring himself that never again would -he let Gallegher or anybody else persuade him to break a camp rule and -do an unworthy, hole-in-the-corner deed. - -He awoke some time later. A pocket flashlight was shining in his face, -and he blinked fearfully for half a minute before he came to his senses. -Dimly he heard Wally whisper close to his ear. - -"Get up and put on your bathrobe, Thorne. I want you to come up to the -lodge with me." - -"Wha--what for?" - -"You'll find out later." - -He could hear the heavy breathing of his tent-mates about him as he -struggled into his bathrobe; but when he stepped outside the tent he was -surprised to find that all of them were not asleep. Gallegher, also -attired in his bathrobe, stood waiting outside on the path with Wally, -who had not yet undressed for the night. - -"What time is it, Wally?" asked Blackie. - -"About ten-thirty. Now, keep quiet and don't wake up the rest of the -fellows. Come along." - -The two boys followed him up to the lodge. The rain had stopped, and a -crisp, bracing wind was blowing up from the lake. As they mounted the -steps leading to the lodge porch, they saw a light still burning in the -little office in one corner of the building. The Chief had not gone to -bed yet, either. Wally opened the outer door, and stepped inside to let -them enter. - -"This way, you two." - -The boys exchanged scared glances. There was no time to do more. They -stepped inside. The Chief turned in his chair and bent a serious look -upon them. - -"Sit down, Gallegher, Thorne. Come on in, Mr. Rawn. Now, I have had your -leader bring you boys up here because I wanted to ask you some -questions." - -Gallegher slumped in his seat with a scowl. Blackie shivered; he did not -dare to face the Chief, but looked away, fearing what was to come. - -"Mr. Rawn tells me," continued the Chief in an even tone, "that to-night -at Taps, he noticed that something fell out of Gallegher's pocket as he -was undressing. He brought this object to me. Here it is." - -Blackie stole a glance at the man's outstretched hand. It was as he -feared. The Chief was holding a crumpled paper package of cigarettes. - -"I asked him to bring Gallegher to me right away. He was seen going into -the woods this morning, and as Thorne was with him, I asked that both of -you be brought up to talk with me. The directors of Camp Lenape, knowing -that smoking is injurious to the health of growing boys, have a rule -that any boy who smokes while at camp will be sent home in disgrace at -once. Have you both heard that rule?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Yes, Chief." - -"I am going to ask each of you a question, and you are on your honor to -answer it truthfully. Gallegher, have you smoked cigarettes while at -Camp Lenape?" - -There was a moment of silence. Gallegher bit his lip and considered. He -was caught with the goods. He shrugged and mumbled, "Yes, sir." - -Blackie felt the Chief's eyes upon him. "Thorne, have you been smoking -at camp, too?" - -He must not be sent home! Blackie shifted in his chair and tried to -think. Sent home in disgrace, away from all the wonderful times at camp; -sent back to town, to face his mother's disappointed eyes, to be in the -city and know that he had missed the big camp show, the boat regatta, -the swimming meet---- The Chief and Wally couldn't be sure--Gallegher -wouldn't give him away---- - -"Answer me, Blackie." - -There was only one way out. "N-No, Chief." - -He had done it! He had lied; deliberately he had told an untruth to save -his own skin. He was glad the Chief was not looking at him any more, but -had turned his attention to Gallegher. Blackie stared at the floor. - -"Gallegher, I'm glad you haven't made it any worse by lying about your -act," the director was saying. "Now, because you've owned up to it like -a man, and because I know that you have lived in a bad neighborhood back -in town and might in that way have picked up some wrong ideas about -things, I'm going to give you a choice that may permit you to stay on -here at camp. You can either leave camp to-morrow, or stay here and chop -wood for the kitchen three hours a day. You'll lose your honor emblem, -of course. Which is it--stay or leave?" - -Gallegher turned away, so that the Chief could not see his face. "I'll -stay and chop wood," he muttered with a catch in his voice. -"And--thanks, Chief." - -"I'm glad you took that choice, Gallegher. Camp has done a lot for you, -and I'd hate to lose you now. Mr. Rawn, you may all go back to your tent -now. Good-night!" - -Wally nodded briefly, and the three left the lighted office. Not a word -was spoken; they walked slowly and thoughtfully back to Tent Four, and -turned in silently. - -Between his blankets, Blackie drew a deep breath for the first time -since he had been awakened. If Gallegher only did not give him away, -nobody would ever know, and things would be just the same as before. -Nevertheless, he did not find it easy to get to sleep, and woke before -dawn to lie wretchedly in his bunk until the activity of the day would -begin and he might win forgetfulness in the rush of the day's program. - -The first blow fell just before breakfast, when the entire camp strength -was lined up after flag salute and morning Call to the Colors. Hungrily -expectant and waiting for the command to march in to mess, the arrayed -campers were surprised to find that the Chief delayed in giving the -command. He stood beside the flagpole with a stern look in his eyes. The -boys stirred in the ranks, shifted their feet curiously, -uncomprehendingly. - -"Why doesn't he tell us to go to breakfast?" - -"Gee--I never saw him do this before!" - -"Quiet in the ranks!" came the command of Mr. Avery, the officer of the -day. "Attention!" - -The expectant bodies stiffened. The Chief cleared his throat. - -"Timothy Gallegher, five paces forward!" he said. - -A ripple of astonishment ran down the line. Blackie felt a movement at -his side; Gallegher had left his place and now appeared in front of the -Chief, standing with a strange white look on his drawn face, swaying -slightly in his place. - -"Timothy Gallegher, you have been guilty of conduct unbecoming to a -Lenape camper. You will here, in the sight of all your comrades, be -stripped of the honor emblem which you have been found unworthy to -wear." - -The crowd gasped. Gallegher never moved, staring in front of him with a -blind tenseness. The Chief reached into his pocket and drew forth a -clasp-knife, opened one of the sharp small blades. From the end of the -line came a muffled tattoo; little Pete Lister, trap-drummer in the camp -orchestra, was sounding a rattling roll on his drum, as he had been told -to do. - -Slowly, in the sight of all, the swastika-L on the front of Gallegher's -sweater was cut away. The thin blade slit the stitches, and the Chief's -hand tore away the green and white emblem of honor. Blackie watched -Gallegher's face, fascinated. He should be out there, too, taking his -medicine, suffering along with the Irish boy; he was just as guilty, and -more so, for at least Gallegher had not lied about his guilt. Blackie -wanted to cry out, to tell them all that he should be standing there, -too, with the Chief tearing away his own badge; but he stood rooted in -his place with a dry tongue and pale cheeks beneath his tan. - -Now it was too late. The Chief had put the emblem and the knife into his -pocket; the drumming had stopped; Gallegher shambled doggedly back to -his place in the line, beside Blackie and the other boys of Tent Four. -The chance to confess was past. Blackie rather envied Gallegher; he had -owned up and taken his punishment, and however hard the work on the -woodpile might be, at least he would have no ugly stain on his -conscience. - -"Right face! Forward--march!" The files trailed up toward the lodge -steps, and instantly a curious babel of voices broke out. - -"Gee, what did you do, Irish?" - -"Say, you must have done something pretty wild to get stripped like -that!" - -"Aw, shut up!" said Gallegher. "Key down, see? That's my business. -Maybe, if the guys that run this camp knew their stuff, I wouldn't be -the only one to get stripped." - -"What do you mean?" asked Slater. - -"I don't mean a thing, see? Not a thing." He looked darkly at Blackie, -who pretended he had not heard. The boys of Tent Four clattered up the -steps. There was a smell of breakfast in the air; everything was -forgotten at the thought of heaping dishes of cereal, hot biscuits, -steaming cocoa. But Blackie took his seat in worried silence, bowing his -head for grace. As he looked down, there showed before him the emblem -sewed on his jersey, the swastika-L he had won but had disgraced and now -wore dishonorably. He had a sudden, unreasoning desire to pluck it from -its place and throw it to the floor. It wavered before his eyes, the -burning badge of his shame. - - - - - CHAPTER XI - KANGAROO COURT - - -The day dragged on miserably for Blackie. - -He had a feeling that the eyes of his tent-mates were always furtively -upon him; when he would face them suddenly they would look away, but he -could feel their silent condemnation. Gallegher spent the morning hours -at work on the woodpile; Blackie saw him now and then bent over his job, -toiling alone. They had not spoken together since Wally had wakened them -both the night before; they did not speak at dinner or in the tent -during siesta hour afterwards. Blackie felt that the Irish boy was -avoiding the very sight of him. - -When Recall sounded after siesta and the boys of Tent Four tumbled out -for the afternoon's fun, Blackie did not leave his bunk. He found -himself alone with little Nightgown Guppy, who sat on the tent step -busily scooping out a section of birch wood for a bird-house. He worked -along in silence, but finally raised his head curiously and put a -question. - -"What's the matter, Blackie? Are you feeling sick or something?" - -"No, I'm not sick, you fool!" growled Blackie, turning over on his -pillow. - -"Well, then, why don't you get out and play baseball with the bunch? The -campers are playing the councilors to-day, and you ought to be in the -game. I never thought you were a guy that would spend all his time doing -bunk-duty." - -"Who cares what you think? Shut up and beat it. I'm sick of hearing you -babies bawling around all the time." - -Guppy worked on for a minute. "What are you sore about, Blackie?" he -asked after some time. "Is it because you're scared the Chief will know -you were smoking?" - -Blackie sat up with a jerk. "How do you know I was smoking?" - -"Oh, everybody knows." - -"If Gallegher said anything, I'll knock his block off!" - -"He didn't have to say anything. We all know you were in on it, and lied -out of it to the Chief." - -The bunk creaked as Blackie jumped up and advanced toward the smaller -boy with doubled fists. "You say I'm a liar? By Jimmy, I'll fix you for -this!" - -"Don't hit me!" said Guppy, dropping his tools and edging away. "All I -said was----" - -"You said enough!" Blackie scowled fiercely, seized the lad's arm -roughly, and gave it a wrenching twist until Guppy cried out with pain. -"That'll teach you to keep your mouth shut around me! Now, will you be -calling me a liar any more? Will you? Will you?" - -"Ow!" screamed Guppy. "I only said----You let me be, Blackie Thorne, or -you'll be sorry----" - -Blackie gave the arm another vicious turn. "If I hear you ever say again -that I was smoking with Gallegher, I'll kill you, do you hear?" - -"No, you won't," said a new voice. Blackie looked up. Facing him were -Ken Haviland, Gil Shelton, and a group of older boys who had approached -unnoticed. - -"Get him!" called Gil in a low tone. He and Sunfish jumped and caught -Blackie's arms. - -"Don't try to struggle, or it'll be worse for you," continued Ken. "All -right, Gup--he won't bother you any more." - -Blackie found himself pinioned on both sides, and a husky guard of four -veteran campers formed about him. They put him, still struggling, on a -locker in the center of the tent. Ken Haviland assumed a seat on top of -an upper bunk, where he could look down upon the prisoner. - -"The Kangaroo Court will now convene," he said solemnly. - -"What's the idea?" protested Blackie. "Gil, I thought you and Sunfish -and Soapy Mullins were friends of mine!" - -"Silence before the judge," warned Gil. "You are now in court. We'll let -your arms loose if you promise not to run away." - -"But why? If one of the leaders comes along now, you guys will sure look -stupid." - -"All of the leaders are down at the baseball field," Sunfish assured -him. "Anyway, it'll be worse for you if any of them hear tell of this. -Now, shut up! The court-martial is beginning." - -Ken Haviland, on his perch above, cleared his throat and began to speak. -"Gentlemen of the Kangaroo Court, you have been called together to try -the case of Blackie Thorne of Tent Four, Camp Lenape. You will see that -justice is done." - -The boys seated themselves about on boxes and bunks. There were eleven -of them, all from different tent-groups, and all boys who had spent at -least one season at Lenape. Ken looked sternly at Blackie. - -"Prisoner, you are charged with breaking the camp law against smoking -and deliberately lying about your act when questioned on your honor. Are -you guilty or not guilty?" - -"So Gallegher's been squealing, huh?" exclaimed Blackie. "Well, what of -it? What right have you to treat me like a convict?" - -"The right of the Kangaroo Court. You're a tenderfoot at camp, so I'll -explain to you what we're doing here. The Chief and the councilors have -nothing to do with it now. You were asked on your honor if you had -broken a camp rule, and we know that you told a lie. Instead of owning -up and taking your punishment like a man, you broke your word and -sneaked out of it. The Chief accepted your word; that's all he could do. -But the campers of Lenape have something to say about how a fellow like -you shall be treated. This court represents every boy in camp, and every -boy will stand by our decision. Are you guilty or not?" - -Blackie sneered. "And I suppose if I say I am, you and this gang of -yours will run and tattle-tale to the Chief!" - -"I said that the Chief has nothing to do with this. And you only hurt -yourself by acting ugly." - -"All right," said Blackie sullenly. "I did it. What are you going to do -about it?" - -"Gentlemen of the court, the prisoner has confessed his guilt. All in -favor of inflicting the usual penalty will rise." - -Every one of the eleven boys rose to his feet. Blackie looked from one -face to another of those who had been his friends, and read there only -reluctant determination. Ken Haviland tore a scrap of paper from a -notebook in his pocket, and scribbled on it with a pencil. Soapy Mullins -yanked Blackie to a standing position. - -"Prisoner," said Ken gravely, "the unanimous decision of the Kangaroo -Court is that you shall be given the Black Spot." He held out the scrap -of paper, and Blackie took it wonderingly. There was nothing on it save -a rude pencilled black disc in the center. "From this moment you are -branded as a disgrace to Camp Lenape, and not a single camper will speak -so much as a word to you. Court's adjourned!" - -The members of the court departed toward the baseball field, taking -Guppy with them, and the culprit was left alone with the marked piece of -paper still in his hand. He crumpled it with an angry gesture, and -tossed it to the ground. - -"Huh! They must think they've done something smart! The Black Spot! -Nobody will talk to me--we'll see about that! And what if they don't? A -lot I'd care if I never saw any of this bunch of Sunday-school kids -again!" - -He caught up a hat and marched down to the ball field, drawn there by a -desire to brazen it out and see if his sentence meant anything. The -boys' team was at bat, and Lefty Reardon, captain, was coaching off -third base. - -"Hey, Lefty!" Blackie hailed him. "How about giving me a game?" - -Lefty turned, looked him up and down quietly, and turned away again as -though he hadn't heard the question. Blackie flushed, and after standing -uneasily for a minute, tried to look unconcerned and strolled down to -the gathering around the batter. There was a low ripple of whispers at -his approach; boys nudged each other and turned to look, turned away -with half-hidden smiles of contempt. He did not even dare to speak to -one of them. For the moment he was tempted to rough-house one or two of -the younger boys just to see whether or not they could be made to speak; -but he remembered what had happened when he had twisted Guppy's arm, and -knew that any defiance of the unwritten code would be useless. - -"What's the score?" he asked of the world in general. - -Not a boy answered him. Someone at his elbow snickered; no one looked in -his face. He felt like a ghost, a branded being who had no right among -that bunch of happy campers; he was lonely in a crowd. - -The only reason he watched the game to its finish was because he refused -to give the boys the satisfaction of having driven him away. It was the -most wretched afternoon he had ever spent. He sat, drawn apart from the -rest, inwardly seething with fury and wondering how long he could stand -it. He forgot the exhilarating, breath-taking delights he had enjoyed at -Lenape; he could only remember the little dislikes he had acquired, the -humiliation of his ejection from the Stuck-Up initiation, the crude and -unceasing jokes that had been played upon him. He hated the Chief, the -leaders; with all the boys against him, staying at Lenape was -unbearable. He would leave the hateful place! It was the only thing to -do--run away from them all and never, never come back! - -He sat there moodily, pondering the plan in his mind. It was easy enough -to decide to run away--but where should he go? If he went back to the -city, he would have to face his mother with a tale of disgrace, and the -boys of the camp would soon discover that their punishment had driven -him home like a whipped dog. If he slipped away and went east, toward -Elmville and the railroad, Wally would soon discover that he was -missing; a hunt would start, he would be easily traced and found before -he could get far, and he would be brought back to camp again, baffled -and more of an object of reproach than ever. But if he could manage to -get too far away to be traced, and stay hidden somewhere for three or -four days, they would think him dead, and when he finally did return -they would be so glad they would forget all about his crime, would be -sorry they had caused him to run off alone. The open road, that was the -thing! He would be a hobo for a while, might even bum his way to some -city miles off, having an adventurous time on the road while the Lenape -kids did their smart little tricks and acted like Sunday-school babies -and thought they were having a good time! - -After some thought he decided not to leave immediately, but to wait -until supper-time. He was watched too closely now; every boy in camp -knew of his sentence and was covertly watching to see how he would take -it. But if he slipped away when the camp was assembled in the mess hall, -it was not likely that he would be seen. Wally might wonder what had -become of him, but would not take steps to find out until after the -meal; and by that time Blackie hoped to be several miles away in a -direction they would not expect him to take. He had seen the county map -which hung in the lodge, and knew that Newmiln Center, on Flatstone -Creek, was about ten miles as the crow flies northwest over the -mountains, in a rich farming region that was separated from camp by -miles of wilderness into which nobody ever penetrated. They would not -look for him on top of the ridges; they would never suspect that he -dared go there. Why, given a fair start and three hours of daylight, he -might even make Newmiln Center before dark closed in! - -"I'll do it!" Blackie muttered darkly to himself. "I'll show them I -won't knuckle under, no matter what they do!" - -He would take his blankets, he decided, and also his flash-lantern, ax, -and compass. The next problem was food. That would have to be -taken--"hooked"--out of the kitchen somehow. But unless there was one of -the kitchen crew at work, the place was always kept locked. He would -have to manage, somehow. - -He thought over his plans during the two hours before Retreat and the -evening flag-lowering ceremony. He did not appear for swim, but spent -the time making a neat roll of his blankets, which he hid along with his -flash-lamp, compass and ax in the bushes beside the road behind camp. He -knew that if his absence at the swimming dock was noted, the boys would -put it down to wanting to escape their silent contempt. - -He was in his place when Retreat Call trumpeted out over the lake; but -when the usual evening rush to tables began and the files clattered up -the steps, he slipped around to the back door of the kitchen. He found -himself in the pantry; shelves of canned goods lined the walls, under -which were bins of vegetables, and the mirrored doors of the huge -ice-box took up one side of the room. During the hush that preceded the -saying of grace in the mess hall, he could hear Ellick whispering -directions to Leggy and his other dusky assistants, who were busied -dishing up the meal. This is what Blackie had counted upon, having the -kitchen crew so busy at this time that they would not see him. Hastily -he slipped a few potatoes and a can of peas into his shirt, and ran to -the ice-box. A cool, humid breath of air came out to him as he opened -the door and peered inside; it was dark within, and he felt about hoping -to locate something he could take. His hand touched a plate of cheese, -and he drew forth a good-sized chunk. There was a rattle of dishes from -the kitchen. Ellick's voice came to his ears. - -"Leggy, you just hurry up now and bring in de butter from de ice-box!" - -Leggy's dragging footsteps sounded across the floor. With frenzied haste -Blackie grabbed at whatever happened to be under his hand. It proved to -be a slice of ham. Slamming the ice-box door, he clattered across to the -exit and ran out of the skinny kitchen-helper's sight. That had been a -close squeak! Pausing only to stuff the ham and cheese into the pockets -of his sweater, he darted around behind the wooden building that was -used for an ice-house and gained the rutted road that led toward the -mountains. Here he found his blanket roll and accouterments, slipped the -roll over his head and hooked the ax and lantern on his belt, and -trotted westward through the woods. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - THE HUT ON BLACK POND - - -Half a mile up the road, where it turned at right angles to climb the -mountainside, Blackie paused and took his first compass observation. His -course was northwest; but he remembered that if he looked at the compass -only now and then, he might go wide of his goal; the thing to do was to -take an observation, note a landmark ahead in line with the NW on the -compass, make straight for that place, and from there make a new -observation on another landmark. The little shifting needle showed him -that his first leg of the journey should take him diagonally up the -wooded mountain to a grayish, scarred slide of stones that showed ahead -in the dropping sun. He knew what that was, although he had never been -there. It was the terminal moraine Gil Shelton had pointed out to him -the day he had first landed in camp--the Devil's Potato Patch, the -campers called it--a heap of blotched, round boulders known as a -favorite resort for rattlesnakes. - -Blackie knew he must hurry if he was to reach the Flatstone valley -before dark. Pausing only to stow his plundered supply of food more -snugly in his pockets and to shift his blanket-roll to the other -shoulder, he set off across an expanse of marshy pasture land toward his -first goal. The deer-flies swarmed about his face and neck, stinging -pitilessly, and he increased his pace as much as he could to get away -from them. He had been prudent enough to wear his heavy hiking shoes, -but in several places he floundered into muddy pools and sank into dirty -water over his ankles. At last he reached the heavily-wooded base of the -mountain, and was forced to slow down and begin a determined climb -through the underbrush, up ledges of yellow, mossy rock, and across -slippery patches of shale where he had to go slowly and watch his -footing. Half-way up the mountainside, he gained the bottom of the -terminal moraine. Huge rocks, gray with lichens and scratched in rough, -random designs, stretched above him; he was forced to leap precariously -from rock to rock, always upward, several times catching himself just in -time to avoid a nasty headlong fall. Once, indeed, he slipped on a bit -of moss, and toppled sidewise into a cranny between two of the boulders. -His blanket-roll saved his body from being more than bruised; but in -falling one hand slipped under his body, and his heavy electric -flash-lamp banged down upon a rock, crushing one of his finger-tips -badly. The darting pain brought tears to his eyes, and he shook the -injured finger violently. Scrambling to his feet for fear he might have -fallen close to the hiding-place of some vicious, venomous -timber-rattler, he struggled on over the great rocks; and after what -seemed like hours of toilsome climbing, he at last gained the top of the -first ridge. - -There, on the mountain's top, the evening light was brighter, but in the -valley he had just left the shadows were long and cool. He turned and -faced toward the east. There was the lake, spreading like a polished -deep mirror that reflected the gold and blue evening sky, the serried -rows of trees along the margin. There were the ordered rows of white -tents, the top of the lodge roof with smoke wreathing lazily from the -stone chimney and with the bare flagpole standing up beyond. He could -see Camp Lenape as if it were a toy model spread out at his feet, almost -hidden in the gray-green foliage of the forest. A slight breeze brought -to him the faint clatter of trays from the mess hall, the confused hum -of campers' voices. They would be almost finished supper, now. Wally and -Haviland and Gallegher and the rest would be sitting about the -mess-table, wondering where he had disappeared. Well, let them worry! - -The thought of supper made him remember that he had had nothing to eat -since dinner-time. He pulled out the piece of cheese he had looted from -the ice-box, and began gnawing upon it. He could eat a little while he -rested. He turned a bit to the left. Beyond the pasture-land he had -crossed on his flight, he saw a line of trees that marked a lane. He -knew that lane; it was the one which led to the hermit's house, the road -he had followed the night he had heard murder done by the two tramps, -Reno and Lew. He could barely make out the weather-stained, mottled -shingles of the roof of the house, and shivered slightly. He would be -glad to go anywhere, anywhere away from the neighborhood of that grim -house of crime. - -Pulling out his compass, he marked a new line of march across the -undulating summit of the mountain. It pointed toward a blasted pine -taller than the rest, and he resolved to make for that. The going was -easier here on the mountain; the daylight was clearer, and the trees -were stunted and far apart, scrub pine and small oaks no more than -waist-high, for the most part. Blackie trotted along with assurance, -chewing upon a piece of raw ham torn from the slice in his pocket in -lieu of supper. He crossed a ravine and stumbled up the other side; this -took time, and now he could almost watch the sun dropping inch by inch -toward the line of trees in the west. There was not a sign that human -beings had ever passed that way; Blackie knew that no one ever -penetrated that desolate wilderness except deer-hunters and blueberry -pickers in the fall of the year. When he again gained level ground, he -found that somehow he had lost sight of the blasted pine he had picked -as a landmark. This did not trouble him much; he took out the compass -and again sighted toward the northwest. His finger was bothering him -more than anything else; the tip had swelled, and the nail was fast -turning an angry purple color. It felt double its size, and as the boy -swung along it throbbed and ached until Blackie was desperate with pain. - -He had covered about a mile and a half since landing on the plateau on -top of the ridge when he came to a section that was marked by long -wooded swales, rank with rotting vegetation, crossing his path. The sun -was dropping lower and lower; it shone like a flaming, bloody ball close -to the horizon, and its slanting rays blinded his eyes until the woods -about him seemed dim and unreal. He determined not to deviate from the -line he had laid for himself, for fear of getting off the track; and -when he came to the giant bole of a fallen tree, he tried to climb over -it instead of going yards around. The knobs and splinters of the rotting -trunk caught at his clothing and his equipment; while scrambling over -the top he slipped and fell prostrate across it, knocking the breath -from his lungs. A train of white ants crossed his arm, and when he -crawled slowly and clumsily to his feet, he felt their red-hot stings on -his wrist and up his sleeve. It seemed that the insects were everywhere -under his clothing, jabbing their poisoned darts of pain into his skin. -He jumped from the top of the trunk, landing on his face and scratching -it until it was crossed by bloody lines. The ground now became marshy, -and he was beset by a humming tribe of mosquitoes. Still he staggered -on, until brought to a stop by a spread of green, scummy water that -barred his path completely. - -Blackie considered. At the rate the sun was disappearing, and at the -rate he was taking to make a few miles across the mountains, he would -never reach Newmiln by dark. It would mean a night alone in this -unexplored region, a night of fighting mosquitoes and unceasing -watchfulness for rattlesnakes, night-prowling animals, and perhaps -worse. He remembered all the tales he had ever heard of lone travellers -caught at nightfall in strange and desolate solitudes, of attacks by -bears, wolves, ghosts of slain Indians. And suddenly, like a chilling -cloak, fear came to him and enveloped him. He felt the short hairs of -his neck rise and prickle; an icy finger trailed down his spine. He -would have to get on; he must cross the swamp somehow, anyhow! - -The water in the slimy pool was only a few inches deep; through the -green scum he could see the muddy, coated bottom. Feverishly he looked -about him, and seized a number of fallen branches that lay on the -ground, filled with the idea of making a rough bridge by casting them -across the few feet of swamp ahead. He worked furiously, and soon had a -network of branches thrown ahead, across which he hoped to run and so -gain the far side. There was no room behind him for a clear take-off; it -would have to be a standing jump. He stood for a second, getting up his -nerve; and with a leap he landed upon the center of the improvised -bridge. There was a snapping crackle of branches--the ones he had chosen -were ground branches, and rotten. They gave under his feet, breaking and -sinking into the mud; and he fell headlong on his face into the sticky -ooze. - -The swamp was a sucking enemy, trying to drag him under and hold him -close, until the foul waters should close over his head; it bubbled -under him, seeming to chuckle like a fiend. Frantically he fought his -way to an upright position; he was standing almost waist-deep in the -slime. Urged on by fear, he floundered forward, caught at an overhanging -bush, and pulled himself slowly to firm ground. There he lay for a -minute, gasping with exhaustion and terror after his exertion. The lower -half of his body was soaked with filthy mud; his face and blanket-roll -were draggled and stained from his fall. But he must not stop; he must -push on, onward to the northwest! - -For ten minutes he wandered through the marshy swales, avoiding the -frequent pools whenever he could. The forest was too thick for him to -spot any landmark ahead, and he gave up the idea of climbing a tree for -an observation, because it would take up too much of his precious time. -At last the ground sloped upward again; open spaces began to appear; the -footing was easier. He pushed on, deadly afraid to halt in that -darkening place of horror. - -Blackie never remembered afterwards very much what he did during the -remainder of that twilight march. He had a picture of himself--a hungry, -weary, frightened figure, dwarfed by the bigness and ominous vastness of -that solitude, caked with drying muck, scratched with twigs and thorns, -and ever followed by a cloud of stinging mosquitoes--fighting his way -through the desolation. He had the feeling of one in a nightmare, when -the dreamer is pursued by darkness and nameless horrors, and the very -ground seems to rise and clutch and hold him back. And he remembered -coming to the edge of the rhododendron thickets and feeling that he -could not go on. - -The tangled network of the rhododendrons fronted an implacable barrier -to his steps. There was no way to go around. It offered little -resistance as he first plunged into it, but as steadily as he advanced, -as surely did the branching horns of the shrub take hold on him. It was -like trying to walk through a gigantic wickerwork basket, woven of tough -and intertwined saplings. Again and again he plunged like a line-bucking -football guard, and inch by inch fought his way. In one place he tried -to stoop and crawl beneath the clutching branches, and was caught among -the roots as in a vise, until he felt that he could move neither forward -nor backward, but would have to stay imprisoned in that dusky brake -until he died of thirst and starvation. He gave a frantic heave, and was -free to fight his way further. The shadows were lengthening; the clock -of the sky warned him that his time was short. - -In the midst of his trouble he began talking desperately to himself; and -finally he broke into high-pitched, shouting song. Over and over again -he roared out to the brooding silence of the woods every hymn-tune he -had ever heard. Ridiculously, he thought this would protect him from the -unnamed evils of the place, and the singing certainly bolstered his -courage. - - "Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide, - The darkness deepens--Lord, with me abide----" - -He had lost his hat, he did not remember where. Plunge--plunge--forward -through the gripping coppice! - - "When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, - Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!" - -At last! He gave a wild cry and broke through the last entangling -thicket, and the rhododendrons crackled closed behind him. He was free -again! - -He did not pause to take any more compass courses, or to straighten his -clothing or pack, or to snatch a bite of food. He broke into a -staggering run. His flight took him for about half a mile, into the -bloodshot eye of the sun. He was dripping with perspiration, and heaving -great shaking sobs. A fallen pine tripped him and he rolled heavily down -a steep bank. When he picked himself up he found that he was standing on -a dimly-traced path through the woods--a bare, almost invisible trail, -but a path nevertheless, leading in what he thought was the direction he -should follow. - -A path meant that humans passed that way at some time or another, and -might lead to habitations and possible discovery. But the forest terrors -so clouded the boy's mind that he welcomed any companionship, no matter -what kind. It would at least give him company and allies against the -loneliness that beset him. It was growing dark; a blue jay somewhere -overhead was bickering to himself among the pine branches. Blackie -trotted down the path. - -It led him along a wooded ledge of naked rock, and down across a marshy -flat place where a brook widened and lost itself in a dense hedge of -rushes. He crossed on a series of flat stones, and ascended a little -hill. One look, and he gave a shout of surprise. - -There, spread before him beyond the margin of the reeds, was a long flat -sheet of water, a mountain tarn whose unruffled surface, like a plate of -polished steel, gave off the last dying beams of sunset. He had come too -far to the south; he was off the course he had laid for Newmiln Center. -This must be Black Pond, the long body of water he had seen marked on -the map in the camp lodge. - -The pond, hidden among the rocks and dark trees of the mountain, at no -time had a friendly look; now, at nightfall, it presented to the weary -boy a face full of sinister threat. He was several miles out of his way; -further progress that night was impossible. He would have to camp here -on Black Pond. - -He was just turning away to locate a camping place, when his eye was -caught by something which he had not noticed in his brief survey of the -pond and its surroundings. Through the trees to the right a thin wisp of -smoke was curling up in a languid spiral. - -Someone was camping beside the pond! Blackie did not hesitate; the fear -of spending the night alone offered no choice. He ran to the end of the -path. There, beside the still waters of Black Pond, was a small shack -rudely knocked together from rough pine slabs and chinked with moss. The -spreading wings and steel-edged talons of a hawk, shot at some time or -another, were nailed to the wall near the low door, in the usual -back-country fashion. The smoke of a fire came from a stone chimney at -one end. A small rowboat with a puddle in the bottom was drawn up on the -muddy shore. - -Blackie paused for a moment. He didn't like the looks of the place, but -beggars can't be choosers; it was now quite dark, and the smoke -indicated a cheery fire inside. Some hunter or fisherman, who used this -small hut for his camp, must be inside. Blackie tiptoed to the door and -knocked hesitantly. - -From beyond the rough barrier came a startled grunt, the sound of a body -moving swiftly across the hut. Blackie knocked again, growing more and -more concerned as the silence continued. - -With a sudden jerk the door was flung open, and a man's figure appeared -outlined in the firelight, with one arm menacingly upraised, wielding -what seemed to be a short iron bar. Blackie Thorne stared, and gave a -shrill scream of fright. - -He was looking in the face of the man called Reno, one of the two tramps -he had overheard on the night of the snipe hunt planning to rob old -Rattlesnake Joe of his imaginary treasure! He could plainly see the -seamed face, the gray unshaven jowls, and the green eye-patch of that -sinister character. - -The tramp was as surprised as the boy. "In the devil's name, it's a -kid!" he bellowed. "A kid, Lew! Nab 'im, quick!" He made a dive for -Blackie, but the boy, pulled by terror, had already taken to his legs -back up the path--away, away from that evil face in the hut. He stumbled -frantically through the dark--the further away from Black Pond, the -better! Behind him he could hear the baffled howling of Reno. He would -escape yet---- - -He stumbled, felt a pair of gripping arms about him, holding him tight -so that he could not struggle. A hoarse voice called, "Here he is, Reno! -Got the bloody little rat!" - -"Good!" came the response. "Bring 'im here to the light. If he's a spy, -I'll pull out his little throat, blast 'im!" - -Helpless and too weary to fight any more, Blackie felt himself being -picked up roughly and carried toward the hut on Black Pond that was the -hiding-place of the two murderous vagabonds who had done to death the -harmless old hermit of the Lenape hills. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - ROBBERY BY NIGHT - - -"Bring 'im over here to the fire, Lew," directed Reno, "and we'll just -have a look at his ugly mug." - -The younger tramp carried Blackie to the hearth and threw him down on -his back, still gripping him about the body with both hands. Reno, the -man with the patch over his eye, stood up against the fireplace the bar -he had been using as a weapon. Blackie recognized that bar at once. It -was the object the hermit had shown them when the campers visited -him--his prized "thunderbolt" that had been the direct cause of his -death. Dazed, he watched Reno stir up the fire and draw forth a blazing -brand which he held up for a torch, close to the boy's features. - -"Glory be, it's just a young kid!" snorted Lew. "From the way he was -fightin' me, I thought it was a wildcat at least! What's he doin' here?" - -Reno spat, wiped his mouth, and swore terribly with his face close to -Blackie's. "You, now! Who sent you here?" - -"N-N-Nobody," the boy managed to stammer. - -"No tricks, now!" warned the loathsome tramp. "If you're alone, what are -you doin' here?" - -Blackie was terribly frightened, but kept his head. These men were -dangerous; he was alone with them, miles from any help. They could not -guess that of all the people in the world, he alone had witnessed the -death of the hermit at their hands. But if he admitted that he came from -Camp Lenape, they would wonder why he was away from camp by himself, and -would suspect that there were others near. He must depend upon his wits, -now; and with the shadow of the great lie at camp hanging over him, he -felt that one lie more or less would not matter now. - -"I'm on the road, Mister Reno," he said. "I didn't know you were -here--I'm bumming around by myself, honest!" - -The tramp laughed nastily. "On the road, huh? Well, we need a kid about -your size. Stick with us, see, and you'll be rich some day. Frisk 'im, -Lew." - -The weak-chinned man called Lew was rapidly going through Blackie's -pockets and unstrapping his belt. "We're in luck!" he said. "Grub and a -light and blankets! An ax, too; the kid can use it to chop more wood for -our fire. Look, Reno--we'll have a regular banquet--peas and ham and -spuds!" - -"About time," yawned Reno, moving back to the fire. "Get a move on and -dish up supper. Blast my eyes if I ain't sick to death of livin' on fish -and berries." - -Lew permitted Blackie to get up. "Well, what did ya expect to live on -while we was waitin' for the Big Job to blow over----" he began, but -Reno stopped him with a hasty gesture. - -"Shut up! If the sheriff was to hear ya say that----" he threatened. Lew -turned away, muttering, and with Blackie's hand-ax chopped open the can -of peas and began cooking the meal at the fire. - -Blackie, unharmed for the present but stripped of his supply of food and -all his equipment, was allowed to sit in a corner and wonder how he -could get out of his plight. Escape for the present was impossible; he -was too closely guarded to get out of the hut, and even if he did so, he -would be lost in the dark wilderness where every horror in the world -might lurk. - -The supper cooked, the two tramps set to in surly silence and gobbled up -every scrap of food Blackie had brought. He did not dare ask for a -share, but hungrily watched them devour the meal to the last morsel. -Reno finished first, wiped his greasy mouth on the back of his sleeve, -yawned loudly, took one of Blackie's blankets and an old quilt he picked -up somewhere, and laid out his bed on the floor of the hut. His back was -against the low door, the only means of exit from the place, and before -turning in, he took the ax and placed it under his ragged coat, which he -had doubled to serve as a pillow. Lew, leaving the dirty dishes on the -rough table, took the remaining blanket and sprawled out on the floor -near the fire. - -Blackie ventured a question. "Excuse me, Mister," he said, "but where -can I sleep?" - -Reno rolled over and glowered. "A lot I'd care if ya never slept, ya -dirty whelp! Shut yer face!" - -"But--you have all the blankets, and----" - -Lew reached out a booted foot and kicked the boy viciously. "I'll kill -ya if ya don't stow yer gab!" he growled. "Kids like you don't need -covers. If I hear any more out of ya, I'll jam my foot in yer mush!" - -Blackie spent that unforgettable night squatting on the hearth beside -the fireplace. Now and then he would drift off into a restless sleep, -troubled by dreadful dreams and startled awakenings. His finger-tip -ached continually, and the nail had turned so black that he knew he -would lose it. He crouched miserably by the dead fire, shivering from -the damp chill that rose from the pond and listening to the heavy -breathing of the two sleepers who barred his way to escape. His teeth -chattered as much from fear as from the cold, for he could not forget -that he was in the terrible company of a pair of desperate murderers who -would twist his throat if they guessed he knew anything about their -crime. Once he dreamed that he was back in Camp Lenape, lying stretched -out in his bunk at Tattoo, with the stars bright over the pines, the -friendly feel of happy boys about him, and Wally sitting beside the -tent-pole reading vespers out of his Bible. He woke with a start, and -saw the two ugly figures sprawled on the floor in the dim firelight. -Camp was behind him; he had left all that, and was "on the road." His -cheeks were wet; he had been crying softly to himself in his sleep. - -Gray dawn came at last. The two hoboes roused themselves, and permitted -Blackie to wash his face and hands at the edge of the pond, making fun -of him for a delicate greenhorn as they watched him. Shortly after, Reno -disappeared into the woods and after about an hour, returned with a hat -full of huckleberries, upon which he and Lew breakfasted, neither -offering any to Blackie nor allowing him to find any for himself. He was -not out of the sight of one of them during that whole dragging day. Save -for a muttered curse or a blow on the head, they treated him as though -he did not exist. The men played with a grimy deck of cards most of the -morning, making large wagers against each other and swearing -blasphemously when they lost, although the boy could not see that either -of them had a penny to win or lose. Around noon, as near as Blackie -could judge, Lew took a fishing line and rowed out upon the pond in the -leaky old boat. He was gone for several hours. Reno spent the time -chewing tobacco and playing a game of solitaire, or else snoring with -his back against the door. - -Lew returned from his fishing expedition empty-handed and in an ugly -humor, and conferred with the older tramp in muttered whispers. Blackie -was driven to the other end of the small hut while they spoke, but -listened as hard as he could and managed to catch a word now and then. -Once he heard distinctly the phrase, "Flatstone Creek," and again, "the -kid can do it." At the end of the talk, Reno rose angrily and shouted, -"I'm sick of yer snivelling like a yellow cur! The whole thing has all -blown over by now--anyways, they haven't anything on us to prove we done -it!" He began stamping out the fire, rolled the blankets in an ungainly -bundle, and stuck the ax in his belt. Lew also made up his blankets, to -which he attached the flash-lamp. - -"Here, you kid!" he said, "grab these bundles and tote 'em for us. We're -clearin' out of here." - -This completed the preparations for departure. Leaving the hut in a -litter, with the door hanging open, the two tramps led the way north -around the edge of the pond, followed by Blackie, who stumbled along -blindly under the burden of the blankets and quilt and the lantern. Reno -led at a lazy gait, turning west after the end of Black Pond was rounded -and strolling through the forested ridge for about three hours. At each -step Blackie grew more weary; he was, after more than twenty-four hours -of fasting, almost ready to keel over with starvation. He was only -allowed to drop his bundles and rest a few minutes now and then, when -the men felt like stopping. He had no idea where the hoboes were going -or what they intended to do. - -At sundown, Reno called a halt. Blackie wondered if the mountain would -ever end. He threw down the blankets and fell upon them wearily; but to -his surprise the two tramps lay on their faces and peered out westward -through a clump of bushes. His curiosity overcoming his fatigue, Blackie -crawled over to their side, dodged a kick from Lew, and looked in the -direction Reno was pointing with outstretched arm. - -They were on the edge of a steep bluff fronting on a pretty little green -valley in the center of which ran the silver ribbon of a brook. Beyond -rose, purple-clad, a low range of hills that Blackie judged might fringe -the Delaware. He was sure the creek below must be the Flatstone--they -had been heading into the sunset for the past hour. To the boy, enslaved -by the loathsome vagrants and unable to escape from their abuse and -dangerous company, the peaceful valley looked like a promised land. -Green, cool pastures spread on each side of the brook, where cattle -grazed, fat little cows looking small enough, viewed from the grim -cliff, to have come out of a toy Noah's ark. - -Almost under them, at the base of the steep mountainside, a white -farmhouse lay near an orchard of gnarled apple trees fronting on a -yellow dirt road running north and south. Across the road was a rambling -red barn, a farmyard full of chickens, and the remains of an old -lime-kiln. - -"That's the place I saw yesterday," said Reno. "Nobody there at night -but the old guy and his wife--the hired man lives up at the Center. I -found out that much." - -"I'm starved," muttered Lew. "How long have we got to wait?" - -"Aw, these hicks go to bed early. If we wait a couple hours, they'll be -so much asleep you couldn't wake 'em up with a cannon. We'll take -anything they got, and then beat it over to Pennsylvania for a while. -Lots of good places across the river where we can lay low--this district -will be gettin' too hot to hold us pretty soon." - -Nothing further was said for some time. Smoke curled from the chimney of -the farmhouse; evidently the people inside were eating dinner. A hearty -country meal it would be, Blackie thought, and his mouth watered as he -visioned smoking joints of meat, thick bread and jam, rich creamy milk, -golden-crusted slabs of pie, corn and squash and pickles and beets, -chocolate cake---- He tried to pass the time thinking of all the dishes -in the world that he liked; but soon had to stop because of the clawing -pangs of hunger that gripped him. - -Reno and Lew lay watching the house like wolves awaiting the coming of -night before attacking a defenseless sheepfold. Once a horse-drawn buggy -with one occupant passed along the road, driving away from the Center -that showed dimly as a cluster of white houses and a church tower to the -north, where a bridge spanned the stream. The sun disappeared; a few -lights blinked forth in the house below, giving it a cheerful, friendly -look amidst the mysterious dark of the valley. - -Blackie, left to himself, thought of nothing but the chances of escape -from the ugly pair he had been thrown in with by the fortunes of the -road. If he could squirm away unnoticed, and make a sudden dash down the -side of the cliff, he might get clear and find his way to one of the -houses in the valley. He was more than willing to risk a broken ankle in -the dark to win free of the tramps. He rolled over as quietly as he -could, and began to worm his way across the ground; but he made the -mistake of putting his weight upon a branch which snapped and gave way -beneath him, and Reno jumped up and caught him by the collar with a -snarl. - -"No tricks like that, my hearty!" he muttered. "Try that again, and -you'll be black and blue for a month! I'll skin ya, so I will!" - -Blackie bowed his head under a rain of blows that stunned him and made -his ears ring. He lay quietly after that, and did not move until, after -about an hour, the two men rose to their feet with an air of -determination. By this time the lights in the farmhouse below had -disappeared, one by one; evidently the inhabitants were all fast asleep. -Reno led the way to the left, picking his path by the aid of Blackie's -flash-lantern shielded under his coat; Blackie followed, still stumbling -beneath the weight of the blankets; while Lew brought up the rear, -cursing softly when he stumbled on the treacherous ground. They picked -their way down the steep slope of the mountainside, and after half an -hour of slow going, came out on the dirt road near the barn. Here Reno -snapped off the light, and without even a moon to guide them the tramps, -like the thieves and night marauders they were, sneaked cautiously -through the orchard until they reached the back of the farmhouse, and -stopped a few yards from the low cellar-door. - -Here they paused for a brief consultation, and then Reno crept toward -the house, while Lew watched him, meanwhile holding Blackie's arm in a -vise-like grip. No sooner had he vanished in the direction of the house -than the night was full of the rousing bark of a dog. - -"Curse the luck----" began Lew; but on the instant the bark died away in -a blood-curdling, stricken howl; and afterwards there was silence again. -He listened in a strained attitude, still clutching Blackie, who could -hear his heart beat so loudly that it seemed as if the inhabitants of -the house must hear those throbbing thumps between his ribs and waken in -alarm. Finally Reno came back to them, moving like a shadow in the -starlight. - -"It's all clear!" Blackie heard him whisper hoarsely. "The watch-dog -heard me and almost give the show away, but I cut his throat right -quick. I tried all the doors and windows, and everything is tight as a -drum--but there's a little window in the kitchen that the kid might be -able to get through." - -"Send him along," said Lew. "Does he know what to do?" - -"He'd better know!" whispered Reno sharply. "Listen, kid--ya got to help -us. I'm goin' to boost ya through a window into the kitchen, and you -pass out all the grub you can find. While I was around lookin' at the -windows, I found a gunny-sack they use for a doormat, and we can stuff -it full of grub and take it with us." - -"But--but that's stealing!" exclaimed Blackie. - -Reno grasped his throat swiftly, and choked the words in the boy's -throat. "Shut yer trap--do ya want the whole house down on us? And what -if it is stealin'? Ya ain't above that, are ya, ya little ladylike -brat?" - -"But what if they catch me in there?" moaned Blackie through his teeth. - -"Ya better not let them catch ya, that's all. But let me tell ya, it'd -be a sight better to have the old farmer catch ya and put a shotgun full -of buckshot into ya than to come back to me without a pile of grub!" -There was an edged threat in his voice, and Blackie did not dare say -another word. If only he had stayed at camp and obeyed the rules, he -would not now have to choose between robbing a house and being beaten -within an inch of his life by a murderous tramp! - -He allowed Reno to push him around to a small, high window at the rear -of the house. "There it is, kid," whispered the man in his ear, "and if -ya see anything else worth takin', pass it out to me!" He lifted the boy -to the ledge, and Blackie fumbled with the catch. The window opened -outwards with a slight creaking noise, leaving an aperture about half a -yard square. Making no further protest, which he knew would be useless, -Blackie squirmed through after some trouble, and lowered himself slowly -into the silent kitchen of the sleeping house. He had a new plan in his -head now, and permitting himself to be pushed inside the farmhouse was a -necessary part of it. It was his duty to rouse the owner of the farm and -warn him of the danger lurking without. If there was a telephone in the -place, perhaps help could be speedily summoned in time to capture the -murderers outside; if not, at least the house could be barricaded and -the tramps driven off. The farmer would give Blackie shelter for the -night, he hoped, and anyway he would be free of the domination and -driving of the two vagrants; but unless the farmer was awakened with -care and quickly comprehended what Blackie would tell him, he might -misunderstand and take the boy for a robber before he could explain. -Nevertheless, Blackie felt that he must carry out his plan no matter at -what danger to himself. - -He found himself in a sort of pantry leading off from the spacious farm -kitchen. A low red fire still glowed in the stove, and he could make out -the walls lined with jars and cans and boxes and cooking utensils of all -kinds. A low hiss from the window warned him that Reno was still on the -lookout. He would have to work rapidly. - -Looking about him hastily in the dull light, he found a door that seemed -to lead to the other parts of the house. Tiptoeing across the uncarpeted -floor one careful step at a time, he reached the door and entered a long -hallway. This he followed for a yard or two, feeling his way along the -wall, until his hand touched a railing that seemed to be part of the -front stairs. He would have to climb those stairs to reach the bedrooms. -He advanced one foot cautiously, and was just climbing the first step, -when a loose board in the floor creaked with a sickening noise. It -sounded to the terrified boy like the crack of Doom. - -Instantly his feet were knocked out from under him as a heavy body -leaped at him like a football tackle, and he fell with a toppling crash -to the floor. Someone was upon him, holding him in a resistless clutch! -The wind was knocked from his lungs, and he gagged and fought for -breath. The stabbing glare of a flashlight hit his eyes. - -Then the strangest event of all that strange night happened. His unknown -assailant gave a little whistle of surprise, and broke forth into -speech. Only one word, but that word the boy's name. - -"Blackie!" - -The flashlight twisted around; the stranger was showing it upon his own -face. Blackie gasped, and almost shrieked with relief. The person who -had captured him in that dark, lonely farmhouse was his own tent leader, -Wally Rawn! - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - THE SPRING-HOUSE - - -"Wally! What are you doing here?" - -Wally Rawn relaxed his iron grip and helped Blackie to his feet. In the -glow of the flashlight the boy could see that Wally was fully-dressed in -corduroy trousers, blue flannel shirt, and high woodsman's boots with -laces dangling. The councilor must have thrown his clothes on in a -hurry. - -"I might ask the same of you, Blackie," he said with a slight grin. -"Have you become a burglar all of a sudden?" - -The words recalled Blackie to his mission in the farmhouse. "Shh! Not so -loud--they're still outside!" - -"Who's outside?" - -"The two tramps! They're the ones that killed poor old Rattlesnake Joe, -and they made me climb in the window to steal some food for them. The -older one stabbed the dog outside so he wouldn't wake the house, -and----" - -Wally pursed his lips in a low whistle. "So that's who shut up the dog -so suddenly! The barking woke me up, and I thought I'd prowl around here -and see what was happening. You say these men are--murderers?" - -"Yes--the sheriff is after them! Don't let them catch me again, Wally! -They kicked and beat me all the time, and wouldn't let me have anything -to eat, and I'm scared of them!" - -"Don't worry--they can't get in here. But if the sheriff wants these -men, we might have a try at capturing them. You say they're waiting for -you outside? Well, you might be able to get them to bite on the hook. -Are you game to take a chance on locking them up where they belong?" - -Blackie's face fell. "Why, sure, I'll try if you help me. But how can I -catch them? They'd kill me in a minute if they thought I was giving them -away." - -Wally considered. "I've got it!" he exclaimed softly. "Listen--out there -in the orchard there's a spring-house where the farmer's wife keeps -butter and meat and stuff to cool. I remember it has a strong lock on -the door. If you could get them in there, and snap the bolt on them, we -could hold them there until Kingdom Come. It'll be touch-and-go with you -if you can't get them inside, but a pair like that should be under lock -and key as soon as possible. Will you try?" - -Blackie nodded. "If you think that's the best way----" - -"Good. I'll wake up the old man, and we'll be on the lookout at an -upstairs window to protect you in case the scheme doesn't work. We can't -show ourselves or they'll get suspicious and we'll never have the chance -again. Now, skip back to the kitchen--they'll be wondering where you -went. Good luck!" - -Wally began to tiptoe silently up the stairs, and Blackie hastened back -down the hallway to the kitchen. On his way to the pantry window he -grabbed two or three jars of preserved vegetables and a loaf of bread. -He found Reno at the window, almost crazy at the delay. - -"What took ya so long, ya little fool?" he raged under his breath. "I -thought I heard noises inside, and thought ya were bagged for sure." - -Blackie handed out the jars. "I was just looking around for grub, Mister -Reno," he said. "There isn't very much here--at least I can't find it in -the dark. This is all I saw." - -Reno grew ferocious with anger. "Well, that's better than nothin'--but -after all our trouble, all ya could get was a mouthful! I'll fix you for -this later! Come on, climb out--don't stand here jabberin' all night!" - -He helped the boy out through the narrow window, and together they crept -back to where Lew was standing guard. - -"Any trouble?" he asked. - -"Aw, the brat couldn't find enough to make a lunch for a flea." Reno -held out the jars and the bread. "We'll have to try this game somewheres -else." - -Disgruntled, he led the way back through the orchard toward the road. -Blackie could barely make out the white-washed side of the spring-house -to their left. He plucked Reno's ragged sleeve. - -"Say, I bet that place is full of grub! Let's have a look!" - -Reno turned with a sneer. "Go and see." - -Blackie knew that if he argued, it might breed suspicion. He waded -through the tall grass to the low door and felt its rough face with his -hand. Sure enough; the outside bore a strong bolt. As he opened the -door, a draft of chill, damp air came forth, mingled with the smell of -fresh cream and cheese. He stumbled in. - -It was the usual type of country spring-house. In the center bubbled up -a rill of icy water that was contained in a deep stone basin, filled -with tall cans of milk. The two men, attracted by Blackie's easy -entrance into the place, followed him quickly, and found him busily -gobbling a generous chunk of apple pie, washing it down with milk from a -pitcher at his elbow. Hungry as he was, however, Blackie had not lost -sight of the deed he had to do; it was part of his plan to entice the -men inside. Lew rose to the bait, and began seizing foodstuffs with both -hands; but Reno cautiously stood square in the doorway, covering the -retreat. His mouth full, Blackie pushed past him, stuffing cookies into -his pockets. - -"Pass the stuff out, Lew," Reno was saying "I'll stick it all in our bag -here." - -Blackie had meanwhile gained the outside, and stood facing the back of -the man in the doorway. "Why don't you go in too, Mister Reno?" he -asked. "You might miss something if you don't." - -Something in his tone made the man whirl about suspiciously. "What do -you mean, you little roach? If you think you can----" - -Blackie saw his only chance, and took it. With a sturdy rush, he butted -against Reno's legs. The tramp, caught off balance, grabbed at the -doorway to right himself, and Blackie, with all the force of his body -behind it, plunged his doubled fist into the man's stomach. It was a -lucky blow that landed right on the solar plexus, and for a moment Reno -was paralyzed. He gave a pained grunt and keeled backwards into Lew, who -fell over a tall milk-can and tumbled sidewise into the pool of icy -water. Before either of them could flounder to their feet, Blackie had -slammed the strong door and shot the bolt upon his prisoners. - -He sat down in the trampled, dewy grass, overcome with the reaction that -sets in after a trying period of strain and excitement. And suddenly, -without knowing why, he began to laugh, laugh until his sides hurt, -unable to stop. - -Wally Rawn came to him on the run from the house, carrying a -long-barreled shotgun in his hands. He tested the soundness of the lock -on the spring-house door, and then clapped Blackie on the shoulder. - -"Neat work, son! You've got them shut up in there like a couple of -sardines in a can. Say, what's the matter with your funny bone?" - -"He--he looked so crazy!" gurgled the boy. "I knocked the wind out of -Reno, and he fell over and pushed Lew into the water!" - -From within the spring-house came an angry racket. Reno must have -scrambled to his feet again and was shouting at the door; both men were -cursing a blue streak, and Reno was making the most terrifying threats -as to what he should do if Blackie did not release the bolt on the -instant. - -Wally patted Blackie's arm soothingly. "Don't you worry your head about -that." He stepped to the door and called commandingly, "Listen, you -inside there! I've got a gun here, and if you make one more sound I'll -wing you both! You're here to stay, and don't forget it!" - -The serious depth of his voice must have impressed them, for they -maintained a puzzled silence while Wally strolled back to Blackie with a -cheerful smile. - -"Guess that'll stop their howling for a while. Now, as I was telling -you, I woke up the old farmer--he was snoring away as peaceful as a -sheep--and now he's telephoning to Sheriff Manders at the Center. The -sheriff will be along in his car as soon as he can make it, and until -then I guess these birds will stay in their cage. They'd better!" he -finished grimly. "Now tell me how you happened to be housebreaking here -in the dead of night in such bad company." - -Growing more calm, Blackie began his tale, relating how on the night of -the snipe hunt he had overheard the two hoboes planning to rob the old -hermit, and how he had followed them and heard the scuffle in the house -and the scream which had driven him to fly in horror. - -"You should have told me or the Chief about that," was Wally's only -comment. "It would have saved a lot of trouble." - -"I was too scared," confessed Blackie, "and besides it all seemed like a -dream that couldn't be true." - -He told briefly how he had fallen in with the tramps again at Black -Pond, and how they had later forced him to enter the house to plunder -it. When he had finished, Wally said nothing for a while, but shook his -head once or twice in somber amusement. - -"Well," he said finally, "guess after all these adventures you won't -mind going back to old Lenape for a rest. I've come to take you back to -Tent Four." - -"But--how did you know where I was? Why are you here?" - -"I didn't know where you were, but I had a pretty good guess. You -slipped away from camp, and I figured it was up to me to catch you -again. The Chief sent Mr. Lane in the car toward Elmville to look out -for you along the road to the railway, and there were quite a number of -fellows scouting around for your tracks on the campus. I wasted some -time after supper down at the south end of the lake, thinking you might -have headed that way toward home, and it wasn't until this morning that -I got the brilliant idea that you would head right into the big timber -for a while. I found your trail up on the ridge, and believe me, you hit -some pretty rough going in spots! Right in the middle of a swamp I found -a hat with your name on it, stuck in some bushes; and then I knew my -guess was right. But after clawing my way through a regular jungle of -rhododendrons I lost your track, and naturally thinking you would make -for Newmiln, I raced over to the Center. I had no idea you would swing -down into Black Pond." - -"What did you do then? Gee, you must have been a wizard to follow me -that far!" - -"I spent the rest of the day sweeping the Flatstone valley for traces of -you; I knew that if you had passed this way somebody must have seen you. -When I got no news, I came back over this side and the old farmer--his -name's Jacob Woods, and he's a friend of mine; I brought a group of -bikers over here last year--he offered to let me stay here to-night and -to go back into the mountain with me in the morning to look for you. He -was telling me tales of lost hunters and mysterious accidents back in -these hills until I almost went out to look for you with a lantern. It -was just a crazy coincidence that your hobo friends decided to pick this -house for their midnight robbery--but I'm glad I was the one that hopped -on you in the dark; somebody else might have been rough." - -Blackie had been drinking in every word. "Say, Wally," he said, "those -tramps are awful quiet. I wonder if they're up to anything?" - -"We'll see." Wally, with his gun held at ready, circled about the little -stone building warily, and was just in time to see Lew, the weak-chinned -younger tramp, sticking his head through an aperture he had made by -removing a stone where the overflow from the spring found its way out. -"Get back there, you!" shouted Wally. He pretended to aim a kick, and -the startled hobo, who had counted on tearing away the stones and -escaping by the back way, withdrew his head so speedily that he bumped -it. Wally closed the opening with several rocks. - -The sound of an auto horn from the road made Blackie jump. "That must be -the sheriff!" cried Wally. "Hi! Over this way, Mr. Manders! Over here in -the orchard!" - -Three men came tramping across through the grass, two of them carrying -rifles. The taller of them Blackie recognized as the man who had been -conferring with the Chief on that fateful rainy Tuesday when he had -fought with Chink and smoked with Gallegher. It was Sheriff Manders, and -he pulled out two pairs of handcuffs while Wally was explaining things -to him. Another man he introduced as his deputy, a rugged farmer with -red chin-whiskers showing in the light of the lantern he carried. The -third, garbed in a pair of overalls hastily donned over his -night-clothing, proved to be Mr. Woods, owner of the farm, who since -telephoning had been watching at the roadside to direct the officers of -the law as soon as they arrived. - -The sheriff heard Wally to the end, and then turned to Blackie. "You're -a real smart boy, if what Mr. Rawn says is true. I'll be over to your -camp-ground later and get your affidavit on all you've told him; and -likely you'll be wanted at the trial." - -He stamped over to the door and knocked upon it loudly. "In the name of -the law, I call upon you to submit to arrest!" - -When the door was flung open, two cowed and shaken vagabonds shambled -out to face the weapons of Wally and the officers. Their short -imprisonment had broken what spirit of bravado they possessed, and under -the watchful eyes of the law they appeared as a brace of craven and -revolting blackguards caught in the midst of crime. They submitted to -being handcuffed, and were bundled off toward the car in short order. - -"I'll go with you and see these fellows safe in jail," volunteered -Wally. "No--you won't be needed, Blackie; you've done more than your -share this night. You just trot off to bed with Mr. Woods here, and -forget all about everything." - -He disappeared after the two prisoners and their guards, leaving Blackie -with the aged farmer. The latter led Blackie back to the house, where -his wife was fussing about the kitchen in a faded red wrapper, stirring -up the fire and raising a most tantalizing smell of cooking. Mr. Woods, -with rare forbearance, did not bother Blackie with questions, but every -now and then he caught the farmer looking at him with a puzzled frown, -shaking his head and muttering to himself, "Wal, who would have thought -it?" His wife mothered Blackie, making him wash his face and hands and -seating him at the table, where she piled hot food before him and -watched him gorge himself on sausage and fried potatoes, pressing him to -eat more pie and cookies until he felt as though his eyes must be -bulging with repletion. When he could eat no more, she packed him off -upstairs to bed, and left him with a gentle good-night. He undressed, -almost dozing off once or twice in the process, climbed into a high -four-poster bed, and lay snugly stretched out under a -brilliantly-colored old-fashioned crazy quilt. He fell asleep as soon as -his head touched the pillow. - -A short time later Wally returned and woke him to say that he had seen -the tramps safely under lock and key in the jail at Newmiln Center, and -that he need not worry any more. Blackie hardly heard the words before -he was asleep again. Wally blew out the lamp and crawled in beside the -sleeping boy, and once more all was peaceful in the farmhouse at the -foot of the mountain. - - - - - CHAPTER XV - THE LAST RACE - - -Blackie and Wally were up at the first crack of dawn; it was to prove an -active day for them, and they had no mind to get a late start. After a -hearty breakfast provided by Mrs. Woods, they took the road south on -foot. The grateful farmer offered to harness his team and drive them -back to camp, but Wally knew that he was needed to tend his stock, and -courteously refused. - -"We'll take the road down the valley and over the mountains," explained -Wally as the two hiked side by side down the yellow road. "It's a bit -longer than straight over the ridge, but we'll avoid a lot of tough -going, and save time in the long run." - -Blackie was not sorry to be tramping along in Wally's company on that -bright summer morning. His clothing had been neatly brushed and cleaned -by the farmer's motherly wife, and his rescued blankets were strapped -over one shoulder. The sky was a lustrous, enamelled blue; the fields -and thickets sparkled with dewdrops; and a cheerful chorus of birds -chirruped a marching song for them. The way led down the valley of the -Flatstone, running on a wooded height above the wandering creek. -Occasionally they passed orchards and farmhouses, lazy in the sun; once -they climbed a spur of the hills and looked down upon a great red mill, -with a plashing race of water leaping down through the dripping teeth of -a clacking wooden wheel. Several times they were passed by farmers -driving wagons or cars, but always they were heading the opposite way, -toward the Center; and the two hikers were not fortunate enough to get a -lift. As they went they chatted gaily, and all the grim hours of -Blackie's flight and bondage seemed like the half-remembered fragments -of a nightmare. - -By ten o'clock they had reached the crossroads, beside a steepled little -schoolhouse with a yard overgrown with weeds, and halted several minutes -before turning eastward. - -"This route is longer than I thought," observed Wally. "We're only about -half-way back to Lenape now, and we still have the hardest part of the -journey ahead. I thought we might be back in camp by this time. You see, -to-day we hold the big regatta and water-sports. Every fellow in Camp -Shawnee will have come down from Iron Lake to compete with our swimmers -and divers, and I should be on hand to take the entries and run the -meet." - -"It's my fault you're not there now," said Blackie. "If I hadn't run -away, everything would have been all right." - -"If you hadn't run away, two desperate characters wouldn't be in jail -to-day, facing trial for murder," pointed out the leader. "That's the -way of the world--there's no situation so bad that courage and brainwork -can't mend it, and many a bad start has ended with a whirlwind finish." - -"Then if I hadn't told a lie in camp, I wouldn't have been kangarooed -and would never have left, and would never have found Lew and Reno up in -the mountains. But all the same, I'm done with lying--forever." - -"That's a peach of a resolution to make," agreed Wally. "Lying is either -cowardly or silly, and a Lenape camper doesn't want to be either. And -now let's be off; we won't get back to camp just by talking about it." - -He leaped to his feet and they trudged off up the mountain road at a -smart pace. Blackie's short legs had some difficulty in matching the -mile-devouring stride of the councilor, but he did not complain, -although it had grown exceedingly hot and dusty, and it seemed as if the -succession of ridges across which they passed would never end. Each time -they would surmount a summit, Blackie told himself that it must be the -last; and each time he would find another belt of road stretching on -ahead and another ridge to cross. A little after noon they sighted a -fine-looking farm in the center of the hills, and on the shady porch sat -a red-cheeked man with drooping mustaches. He was clinking out a lively -tune on a banjo, but dropped the instrument when he saw them approach, -and called out a cheery hail. - -"Hi, Mr. Rawn! Ain't seen you sence last year! Come on in and talk -things over--the old woman'll lay a couple extra dishes for dinner. It -ain't often we have the honor of company for meals, and we like to make -the most of them!" - -Wally accepted the invitation, and after he and Blackie washed the dust -from their faces, they sat on the porch and chatted with the farmer -until the smoking hot meal was served. The leader was impatient to be -off, but the pleasure of the farmer and his wife at having visitors was -so great that it was some time before he could break away. The dinner -was leisurely and abundant, and afterwards nothing would do but they -must chat with the garrulous farmer about every subject he could think -of, from hog cholera to philosophy; and he insisted on playing his -entire stock of old country tunes on his banjo before they finally -parted. - -"It's not far now," said Wally as they again took the road. "The last -ridge is only about a mile ahead." - -This cheered the plodding Blackie a little, but all the same it seemed -as if that mile was the longest in the world. At last they reached the -summit, and instead of another dreary stretch ahead they were rewarded -with an exhilarating prospect of the lake below and the flat countryside -beyond in the direction of Elmville. As they paused to get their breath, -a bugle call trilled up to them from the lodge. - -"Come down and wash your dirty neck----" sang Wally, keeping time to the -trumpet-call. "He's sounding Swim Call. That means they must be starting -the swimming meet! Hurry, Blackie--it must be at least two o'clock; -everybody will be streaking down to the dock. See that bunch of fellows -over in the baseball field? That must be the gang from Camp Shawnee." - -The two broke into a run which took them past the spring and down to the -signal tower. Here they left the road, which bent at right angles, and -plunged down the hillside through the green woods, following the trail -beside the pipe-line. Inside of twenty minutes they were stumbling into -Tent Four, where they sat on their bunks to catch their breaths. - -They found the tent rows deserted; evidently every camper was assembled -down beside the lake. Wally recovered his breath first, and urged by the -necessity of going on duty at the dock, slipped out of his clothes and -into his swimming suit. Blackie, after five minutes' rest, began to -undress slowly. - -"You're not so crazy for a swim you want to hustle right down now, are -you?" asked Wally in surprise. "You better take a nap, son." - -Blackie shook his head. "I've got to get in the meet, Wally! It's my -last chance--you know I have to leave camp to-morrow; I'm only signed up -for the first two weeks. And you've put in a lot of time teaching me the -Australian crawl stroke, and I want to show what I can do in a real -swimming meet. Will you enter me in the distance swims and the high -dive?" - -The councilor grinned. "You sure are a glutton for punishment! I -wouldn't think, after the last couple of days, you'd have steam enough -left for swimming contests! But I admire your gameness, and I'll sure -put your name down." He buttoned the strap on his bathing suit, thrust -his feet into a pair of tennis shoes, and dashed off down the path -toward the dock, from the direction of which came a confused babble of -shouting and cheering. The swimming meet was already in full swing. - -Blackie went down to the lake only a few minutes later, meeting no one -on his way. The boat dock and the shore were lined with swimmers and -spectators; about a hundred of them were strange boys and leaders, -wearing the red arrowhead of Camp Shawnee, who had hiked down from Iron -Lake to accept Lenape hospitality for the day and contest Lenape -superiority in the water. The life-saving boats were stationed further -out than usual, and Wally Rawn, with a whistle about his neck and papers -and a megaphone in his hands, was stationed on the upper deck of the -tower, directing the events, assisted by the chiefs of the two camps. - -The first person Blackie encountered as he stepped on the dock was Ken -Haviland. The aide gave him a stare of contempt. - -"Humph!" he snorted. "So you came crawling back to camp just as I knew -you would! Well, you might just as well have stayed away. What's the -idea of the bathing suit? You needn't think we want a fellow like you to -represent us against Shawnee." - -"Wally has entered me in the meet," said Blackie stoutly. "You shouldn't -kick if he thinks it's all right." - -"Wally's running the meet, and what he says goes," admitted Ken -grudgingly, "but as far as the campers are concerned, you don't count." -He turned away, refusing to speak further. - -"Third event--underwater swim, junior class!" came Wally's voice through -the megaphone. The six contestants, three from each camp, lined up at -the end of the dock and when the whistle sounded took off with flat -racing dives. The spectators cheered as the boys hit the water; and the -wearers of the arrowhead gave a happy yell as their contenders took -first and third places. Steffins of Lenape ran a close second with a -fast breast-stroke. - -"What's the score now?" Blackie asked the boy next to him. It was Slim -Yerkes, and he favored Blackie with a stare. - -"I'd keep quiet if I were you," he said. "Don't forget you're still on -the blacklist around here." He moved off, and Blackie sat down weakly on -a rock on shore. He had hoped that by this time the edict of the -Kangaroo Court had been forgotten and that he could once more speak -freely with his comrades; but since his return not one of them had -spoken to him in friendship or asked about his adventures. - -He did not try to talk with anyone again, but sat where he was and -watched the progress of the swimming meet with dull eyes. The Shawnee -team was a good one; a red-headed, slightly-built lad named Lawrence -took honors in the junior class in diving, winning several first places -in the form and fancy events, and a husky kid whom his Shawnee -camp-mates called "Hobo" starred in the sprints. They both helped to -give Lenape the worst of it, and at the end of the junior contest the -score was Shawnee, 37; Lenape, 23. - -Blackie caught sight of Irish Gallegher among the groups on shore, but -did not want to speak to him. The senior diving events were now called, -and Blackie answered to his name among those competing in high-diving. -There were about seven contestants entered from each camp, and every -entrant was entitled to three dives. They assembled on the upper dock -platform, where a runway and springboard jutted out over the end of the -piers. In this event Lenape, thanks to Wally's careful training, was in -its glory and took all three places. Steve Link, who was a member of the -life-saving crew, took first; Blackie, in spite of his weariness, won -second; and Terry Tompkins came third. Blackie had conquered his tired -muscles and performed a very creditable back jack-knife dive, but not -one of his team-mates shook his hand or dropped him a "Well done!" -Disgruntled, he retired to his place on the rock and watched the Lenape -team slowly shorten the difference in score as the senior events -progressed. - -The "funny dive" came last of all, and was won by Fat Crampton, the -pudgy lion-hunter. He had been entered at the last moment by the -joke-loving Sax McNulty, and his victory came as a surprise to -everybody, but most of all to Fat himself. He had timidly approached the -board, for he was not used to diving in any form; and while he stood at -the end debating with himself what to do, his foot slipped and he -toppled heels over head into the water. His arms became entangled in his -legs as he fell, and he came up with such a pop-eyed, startled look on -his puffy face that the judges immediately awarded him the blue ribbon, -although he had to be pulled out by a delegation of volunteer -life-savers. - -The diving events in the senior class were finished, and the score stood -somewhat closer, with Lenape standing 42 against Shawnee's 48. Wally -summoned the contestants in the fifty-yard dash, in which Blackie had -not entered, wishing to save all his power for the more demanding -distance events. A rangy, sandy-haired youth with the emblem of the -Junior Red Cross on his jersey stepped forward and was hailed by a -volley of cheers from the wearers of the red. "Dunning! Show 'em how to -do it, Dunning!" He was evidently their champion, and he had a confident -smile on his face which might betoken bad news for the Lenape -supporters. - -As a matter of fact, Dunning did win the fifty-yard with ease, although -his triumph was offset by Link and Gil Shelton, who took second and -third places for the Lenape side of the score. The representatives of -the green and white also took first and second in the underwater swim, -making the tally read Shawnee, 52; Lenape, 50, with only three more -events yet to be contested. - -"Hundred-yard swim!" came Wally's voice hoarsely through the megaphone. -"Shawnee team--Dunning, Coombes, Lipsky; Lenape team--Haviland, Link, -Thorne!" - -Blackie rose and walked stiffly to the end of the dock; he was more -tired than he had thought, for no boy can hike with a heavy pack through -mountain roads for seven hours and still hope to be fresh and springy in -a gruelling distance swim the same afternoon. He lined up with the six -contenders, between the confident Dunning and Ken Haviland. The latter -twisted his mouth when he saw Blackie beside him. - -"Still trying, huh? Well, let me tell you, Thorne, I'd rather lose the -meet than have a fellow like you help to win it--and every fellow in -Lenape thinks the same!" - -Blackie said nothing, but a red tide of resentment climbed to his brain. -So that was what they thought of him! But at least they couldn't say he -was a quitter; he would do his best in spite of what any of them said! -He clamped his jaw, and stared out over the sparkling waters of the -lake, over the course that had been marked out by two of the life-boats, -trying to recall everything that Wally had taught him about the -crawl-stroke--trudgeon kick, powerful overhand pull with the arms, -measured breathing once in four strokes. - -"Ready--set----" - -The shrill purl of the starter's whistle sounded, and six lithe bodies -cleaved the water. Blackie, full of anger and determination, put every -ounce of his waning strength into his strokes, fighting to keep his head -and time his muscles scientifically. He did not dare look around to see -how the other contestants were coming, although he was aware of a sandy -head driving through the water a little to his left and half a length -ahead. The course seemed short, but a stiff hundred-yard swim will try -the power of even a swimmer in the best of training. He headed for the -line stretched between the two boats, his arms moving over his head in a -steady rhythm that kept time with the beat of his legs, his face buried -in cool bubbling water. He'd show them! Summoning up his last straining -ounce of power, he spurted to win ahead of the swimmer to his left, and -passed him just as the shadow of the life-saving boat fell upon their -faces. - -"Thorne wins!" came the voice of one of the judges from the boat. -"Dunning second, Coombes third!" - -There was an uneasy silence among the Lenape supporters, but after half -a minute there rose a belated cheer from the wearers of the red -arrowhead, who were disappointed that their favorite had not won, but -who consoled themselves with the thought that Shawnee was still in the -lead. - -Blackie took his time paddling back to the dock. He did not expect -congratulations for his victory; but he was now beyond the stage of -caring. All he had wanted to do was to show Ken Haviland that he was -game; and the taunts of the aide had given Blackie just that extra ounce -of vitality that had enabled him to spurt ahead of Dunning. He climbed -unassisted to the dock, and stood watching the next event, breathing -deeply to get his wind in preparation for the concluding event of the -meet, the two-hundred-yard swim that was the most demanding of all -contests upon the grit and capabilities of the racer. - -Some thirty boys were lined up for the next contest, a free-for-all -marathon over a triangular course that led around two boats stationed -some yards apart in front of the dock; and at the summons of the whistle -there ensued a scrambling battle-royal for places in the water. Most of -the bunch dropped out before the first boat was reached, but among the -remaining swimmers there was a desperate contest to see who would touch -the wharf first. The Lenape cohorts broke into mad cheers when they -found that their entrants in this helter-skelter marathon had placed -first and third, and the yells of all the spectators grew and swelled -out over the water when it was found that the tallies for the last two -events had brought the score to a dead tie, with 57 points for each -camp. - -The excitement was at fever heat as the contenders lined up for the -final event of the afternoon's sport, the two-hundred-yard swim. The -entries were almost the same as for the shorter distance, except that -Link had been replaced by Soapy Mullins. Dunning, somewhat crestfallen, -eyed Blackie with a vengeful air, as if resolved to wipe out the memory -of his previous defeat. Coombes, who had placed third in the -hundred-yard event, looked pale and tired. Blackie stole a look at Ken -Haviland, who was again ranged at his side, but the aide paid no -attention. Blackie saw him feeling the right side of his abdomen -tenderly, and thought he caught Ken making a slight grimace of pain; but -the signal for ready came at that moment, and Ken straightened his body -and gritted his teeth as the starter put his whistle to his lips. - -Brr-r-r-r! The six racers took the water and the gruelling contest -began, with two hundred pairs of eyes fastened upon their shining -muscles, sleek heads, and straining bodies. The last race--the race upon -which depended the camp championship of the season, the victory of the -green and white or the red arrowhead! No wonder the air was filled with -cheers and shouts of encouragement! Once or twice Blackie caught the -sound of his own name rising from that bedlam of excited watchers. He -smiled to himself, filled with a great elation. He had whipped Dunning -before, and knew he could do it again. Turning his head with a jerk, he -saw that Coombes was already out of the race, had dropped behind, too -exhausted to continue. Beside Blackie, the speedy Dunning whipped -through the water, followed by Ken Haviland and Soapy Mullins and -closely pursued by Lipsky. It was to be a close race, in spite of the -distance. - -Onward Blackie Thorne churned his way, tossing diamond-like drops from -his hair as he surged through the water. Ahead he could see the dipping -life-boats that marked the end of the journey. Tie score--if he nosed -Dunning out for first place, it was almost a sure thing that one of the -other Lenape contenders would finish ahead of the slow-going Lipsky, and -end the meet with a slender lead of two points that would, however, give -Lenape the day. - -Ken Haviland was shooting ahead, and was now close on the flailing legs -of Dunning. Blackie, with his eyes on the goal, was slowly but surely -increasing his half-length lead over the Shawnee favorite, when he heard -a low cry that made him turn his head and halt his even stroke. - -Ken was in trouble. His pallid face was twisting with pain, and his arms -floated helplessly at his side. "Blackie!" he gasped. "Cramps! I'm -done----" - -Dunning forged ahead, either not hearing of Haviland's plight or else, -still smarting from his defeat, determined that nothing should interfere -to lose him this last and decisive race. Blackie held his stroke, and -Dunning caught up with him in an instant. - -For only a split second did Blackie hesitate. Two voices seemed to be -shouting in his ears at the same time, arguing against each other. - -"Ken is out of it, but there's still a good chance that Mullins will -beat Lipsky for third. Go ahead and win!" counselled the first. - -"But Ken has cramps--he'll drown if you don't help him!" contended the -other voice. - -"He hates you--don't throw away your big chance to win just on his -account! He said himself he'd rather lose the meet than have you win!" - -"No, he's sick! He needs you!" - -A clock was ticking somewhere in his brain, ticking off the fractions of -seconds in which he must make up his mind what to do. Already Dunning -was beyond him, plowing determinedly for the goal. Blackie made his -decision. In a few speedy strokes he was by Ken's side. - -"I'll hold you up--don't struggle!" he shouted in the aide's ear, and -put forth a supporting arm. Ken's face was blanched and torn with pain, -and he floundered about helplessly, the muscles of his limbs knotted in -paralyzing lumps, his abdomen gripped with shooting pangs. Blackie knew -that he must be very sick indeed. - -Soapy Mullins passed them some yards to their right, followed by Lipsky -trailing unsteadily in his wake. - -"Take it easy!" said Blackie. "Don't get scared! It'll pass off soon." - -Of a sudden Ken's muscles relaxed, and he found he could move his arms -and support himself somewhat. "What happened?" he gasped. "Did they stop -the race?" - -A voice through a megaphone from the boats answered his question. -"Dunning wins! Mullins, second; Lipsky, third. Shawnee wins the -meet--score, 61 to 59!" - -From the shore came the wild hurrahs of the victors, and a sportsmanlike -cheer from the Lenape campers for those who had vanquished them. In the -excitement of the race, few of the watchers had noticed that Blackie had -gone to the aid of Ken, and most of them had assumed that the two had -merely dropped out, overcome by the cruel demands of the contest. - -Ken's face was a blank. "But--but that's not fair! We ought to run the -race over again--you would have won easy if you hadn't come to help me, -Blackie!" - -Blackie shook his head. "The meet's over. No use kicking up a fuss and -having the Shawnee bunch think we're a gang of poor sports who start -crabbing when they lose. It's our hard luck, and we might as well take -our medicine. If you feel better now, come on and I'll tow you over to -the boat." - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - THE END--AND THE BEGINNING - - -The campers from Iron Lake departed northwards about five o'clock in -holiday mood, singing their camp song as they hiked, more than contented -to have won the close-fought victory in the water. Some of the Lenape -tribe accompanied them a mile or two on the road, and were forced to -swallow a lot of good-natured chaffing about their defeat, which they -felt keenly. - -Blackie did not go with them. He had helped Ken Haviland ashore, and -seen him carried off toward the hospital tent and the ministrations of -Dr. Cannon; and then he returned to Tent Four and dressed in a clean -outfit. He was agreeably tired, but the swim had braced him immensely, -and he was comfortable in body for the first time since he had run away. -His mind was far from easy, however, as he answered the bugle's summons -and stood Retreat ceremony with the tent groups. He was still in -coventry; not a boy spoke to him, and many were the black looks cast in -his direction. - -It was the same at supper. Wally presided over a quiet table that night. -Gallegher sat gloomily next to the vacant chair that belonged to Ken -Haviland. Fat Crampton, with his usual good humor, was attacking his -food with gusto, rather pleased with himself for winning a first place -in the diving; Guppy and Lefkowitz chattered together now and then; but -Slater could not forget how easily Lenape might have held the -championship had things been a little different. - -Once Guppy turned to Slater and said, "Gee, that fellow Dunning wasn't -any slouch of a swimmer, was he?" - -"He was pretty good, all right--but he would have been beaten in that -last race if a certain guy--I won't mention any names--wasn't yellow. It -would have won us the meet, too." Slater looked meaningly at Blackie, -who flushed and gazed down at his plate, biting his lip to keep back a -bitter retort. - -After the dessert, Wally leaned over to Blackie. "The Chief wants to see -you in his office, son," he said, "right after supper. He's got a friend -of yours in there with him now." - -"All right, Wally." Blackie knew who that friend of his was; a saddled -horse was tethered outside that could belong to no one but Sheriff -Manders. When the dismissal signal was given, he went over to the office -door with a pounding heart, and entered at the Chief's cheery -invitation. - -The Chief nodded as he saw Blackie. "Come in, Thorne. You've met Sheriff -Manders, I hear. He's ridden over to get your affadavit against the two -men who attacked Rattlesnake Joe. Just tell him slowly everything that -happened, and don't keep anything back." - -The sheriff had paper and pen before him, and with a gentle kindliness -asked Blackie many questions, writing down the boy's answers in a round, -careless hand. The Chief said no word, but listened with increasing -attention as the tale of Blackie's adventures was unfolded. When the -officer pronounced himself satisfied, he looked over at the Chief with a -quizzical air. - -"Kind of a lot of trouble for a kid his size to get into, eh? Well, -you've helped the state to prosecute a pair of brutal criminals, young -Thorne, and I think I may venture to say that----" - -The Chief cut in on his speech. "We won't talk about that now, Mr. -Manders, if you don't mind." - -"Just as you say. Well, I'll be going now. Thank you both. 'Night!" He -stamped out of the office. - -Blackie made no move to leave, but cleared his throat huskily. He had -the most distasteful task in the world before him, the job of admitting -that he was a coward who had sought to shield himself from punishment -behind a lie. - -"Chief, I--I want to tell you something." - -"Go ahead, Blackie." The Chief's face betrayed nothing of what he might -be thinking. "They say that confession is good for the soul." - -"I lied to you the other night. I was with Gallegher when he broke the -camp rule against smoking, and I smoked too. I'm sorry I lied, and I'm -willing to take my punishment." - -"You know what that means?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"All right. You can go now." - -The Chief nodded that the affair was ended for the present, and Blackie -left the little office. He had done it. A great load was lifted from his -heart; he had confessed like a man, and things were understood between -the Chief and himself. However painful might be the outcome, at least he -had cleared away the black stain on his conscience. - -A busy crew of stage-hands was arranging the lodge in the semblance of a -theater, for that night was to be given the musical show, "Coo-Coo," in -which Sax McNulty and an imposing troupe of camp talent were to perform -for the amusement of the campers, a few visitors from the city, and some -neighboring farmers. As Blackie passed out to the porch, it was just -growing dusk. From the lake he could hear laughter and shouts of gaiety; -in spite of the afternoon's defeat it was to be a night of merriment. -Chinese lanterns gleamed from the dock, which was crowded with campers -dressed in masquerade regalia; boat-loads of boys in costumes ranging -from African wild-man to pirate were rowing about amidst song and -fun-making, watching a canoe-tilting contest, at the end of which one -crew or another would be pushed over with a long bamboo pole and -precipitated into the water. Blackie turned away and headed for the -hospital tent. There was little happiness in his heart, and he did not -wish to be reminded of the gaiety of others. - -Ken Haviland was sitting up in bed when he arrived, and invited him in -with a voice that showed he had quite recovered from the mishap of the -swimming race. "Sit down here on the bed, Blackie," he said. "The Doc -filled me up with hot water and ginger, and I'm as well as ever, only he -won't let me get up. It's too bad, because I feel fine, and don't want -to miss the big show." - -"That's great, Ken." - -"What's the matter? You look about as happy as a corpse." - -"Aw, the guys in the tent are still jumping on me because I didn't win -the last race. Slater called me yellow at supper, and all the others -thought I was, too." - -"Did they? Well, soon as I get out of here, I'll fix that! Wait till -they hear what really happened; they'll be sorry they didn't have better -sense. By the way, I'm passing around the word that the Kangaroo Court -decision is all off, and we've forgotten all about it. I'm sorry for -what I've been thinking of you all along." - -"I deserved it, Ken. I've been just a fresh kid ever since I hit camp--I -see it all now. I--I guess the gang will be glad to see me go back to -the city to-morrow." - -Ken leaned forward, and put his hand on Blackie's shoulder. "Don't you -think it! You've only been here two weeks, but you've done a lot for -Lenape. I don't know what the Chief thinks, but as soon as Doc Cannon -lets me out of here, the bunch is going to find out what kind of a hero -you really are!" - -"The Chief knows," said Blackie dully. "He's going to square up with me -in the morning." - -Blackie left the tent thinking of what the morning would be sure to -bring, and in a dejected mood went down to Tent Four. It was dark and -deserted; the whole camp was now assembled in the lodge, from which came -down to him the lively strains of music from the camp orchestra, the -overture of the show. The happiness of the campers only emphasized his -pangs of loneliness, and he slowly donned pajamas and climbed into his -bunk. The strain of the day soon proved too much for him, and lulled by -the music, he drifted off to sleep, from which he did not waken when his -tent-mates tumbled into their bunks when Call to Quarters sounded at -eleven o'clock. - -Blackie woke in the misty dawn the next morning, and softly, so as not -to wake his slumbering tent-mates, dressed in his city clothes and began -packing his blankets and stuffing his camping-kit into his sea-bag. -To-day he would leave Lenape, leave the lake and the hills and go back -to the hot city. Well, that was the only thing to do. He was in bad with -the boys and the Chief, he told himself; he had failed in almost -everything he had attempted to do. After two weeks of the Lenape life, -he was not any better a camper than when he first landed in Tent Four. -True, he had won his honor emblem, but that was sure to be stripped from -him. He wore it on his jersey still, buttoned under his coat; but he -knew that he had no better right to wear it than Gallegher had, as -everyone would soon discover. - -Reveille blew before he had finished his packing, and he continued -making ready for departure while the pajama crew went down for Indian -dip. He noticed that about a dozen other boys, who were also leaving at -the end of the first section, were also getting into their unaccustomed -travelling clothes and stowing their camp things into suitcases and -bags. By the time Assembly sounded, Blackie was ready to leave for the -station at a moment's notice. - -He lined up with his comrades before the flagpole. All during the -ceremony of flag salute and while the buglers were trumpeting Call to -Colors, his nervousness increased. He dreaded what was coming; it was -worse than a trip to the dentist. The Chief was sure to speak this -morning. In a few moments he would be disgraced before all the campers. -He looked toward the end of the line hastily. Little Pete Lister was -standing there with his drum strapped about his neck. - -"Attention!" came the Chief's command. He stood with dignified sternness -before them, and the files straightened. - -"Blackie Thorne, five paces forward!" - -There was a stir among the campers as Blackie marched forward with chin -up, arms at his side, and a set face. They, too, guessed what was coming -now. - -"I wish I hadn't said he was yellow yesterday," whispered Slater behind -his hand. "That kid's got nerve!" - -"He sure has!" responded Gallegher. "I know what he feels like now, and -believe me, it's no joke! But it was all my fault--I really dragged him -into it." - -"Silence in the ranks! Blackie Thorne, you have admitted to me that you -have been guilty of conduct unbecoming to a Lenape camper, and have -signified your willingness to abide by whatever punishment is inflicted. -Is that right?" - -Blackie flushed, but looked his Chief straight in the eye. "Yes, sir." - -"You will here, in the sight of all your comrades, be stripped of the -honor emblem which has been made unworthy by your act." - -Blackie braced himself, waiting; the Chief stepped forward with the -blade of a knife gleaming in his hand. Now it was coming! He felt the -Chief pulling away his coat and cutting the stitches of the green and -white badge. The clattering tattoo from Lister's drum was in his ears. -The Chief stepped backward, putting away the knife. Now it was all over. -Blackie made a move to return to his place in line. - -"Stay where you are, Thorne!" - -The campers started with surprise; they had not anticipated this. -Blackie waited, expecting some further reprimand. - -"I still have another duty to do," announced the Chief evenly. "But -first I want to tell a story which some of you may have read in a book -by Victor Hugo, a book called 'Ninety-Three.' It tells there of an -incident which happened on board a French warship. Through the -carelessness of the chief gunner, one of the huge cannons on the deck -broke away from its chains, and pitched about by the rough sea, rolled -from one end of the ship to the other like a monstrous metal -battering-ram on wheels, killing many sailors who could not get out of -its way, smashing the other cannons that were to defend the ship from -the enemy, and battering the timbers until the vessel was in danger of -sinking. It seemed impossible for the brutal rushes of the gun to be -checked; but one man, armed only with a handspike and a rope, jumped -down on the deck and struggled to halt its mad career. It was the chief -gunner, the man who was to blame for the deadly danger to the ship and -her crew; and after a superhuman battle in which he nearly lost his -life, he succeeded in overturning the cannon and lashing it so that it -could do no further harm." - -The Chief paused a moment. Blackie was listening in a daze, wondering -what this tale could have to do with him. - -"When all was safe again," continued the Chief, "the gunner was brought -to be judged by the general who commanded the ship. The general first -pinned upon the gunner's jacket the cross of St. Louis, the medal for -military merit, as an award for his bravery in capturing the cannon. He -then ordered the man to be shot because his negligence had endangered -the ship. The gunner was executed with the cross of honor on his breast, -rewarded for his courage and punished for failing in his duty." - -Again the Chief paused; the boys looked at each other wonderingly. - -"Sooner or later all of us get our just rewards for what we make of -ourselves, as that wise general knew. Blackie Thorne broke a camp rule, -told a lie to escape punishment, and ran away from camp rather than face -the consequences of his act. But when you hear what other deeds he has -done, you may agree that he has wiped out some of the counts against -him. Yesterday he threw away the glory of winning the swimming meet for -his camp in order to go to the assistance of a stricken tent-mate, a boy -whom he disliked; and afterwards he did not mention anything about his -reason for dropping out of the race, fearing to be a poor sportsman. The -winning of even a contest against Shawnee is, in my opinion, nothing to -be compared with the display of bravery shown by Blackie in the water -yesterday afternoon." - -A cheer rose from the campers, involuntarily bursting forth from their -lips. Excitement ran high. Blackie listened, abashed by this sudden turn -of favor. - -"Blackie was again put to the test when he encountered a pair of -dangerous criminals who were wanted by the law. With courage and -discernment, he captured those men at great risk to himself. Now, -although he did not know about it, there was a reward offered for the -person who led to the arrest of these malefactors, and last night the -sheriff brought over to me a check for three thousand dollars, which I -am now presenting to Blackie Thorne." - -The Chief was unable to speak further; his words were drowned in a -torrent of cheers that made the mountains echo. Somehow the command to -march was given, and the hungry horde stamped off to breakfast, still -shouting Blackie's name to the skies. - -Blackie stood bewildered, clutching the check in his hand. Three -thousand dollars! Wally, who had left the line, put his arm around the -boy's shoulder and looked down into his face. - -"How do you like being rich, Blackie?" he laughed. "Does it feel funny -at first?" - -"It sure does!" exclaimed Blackie. "Say, when I think how happy my -mother will be when I tell her I can buy lots of things we couldn't have -before, I----" - -"Don't trouble to explain. By the way, when the Chief told me about this -check last night, I sent a telegram off to your mother asking her if you -could stay for the rest of the season if she didn't have to pay any more -money. I didn't break the news about your reward to her--you can do that -yourself--but just a little while ago I got a wire from her, and she -agrees that you can stay at Lenape clear up to September! Six weeks more -of camp for you, Blackie--how does that sound?" - -"Great!" There was a lump in the boy's throat as he looked out over the -campus he had come to love. Six weeks more of free, out-door comradeship -with Wally and the Chief and the whole gang of good fellows! "Say, -Wally, remember how you told me one day that there was a treasure around -here?" He looked down at the check in his hand. "I didn't believe you -then, but I do now." - -"Blackie," his councilor assured him solemnly, "you found that treasure -right in your own heart--the rich treasure of true Lenape spirit!" - - - THE END - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Blackie Thorne at Camp Lenape, by Carl Saxon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACKIE THORNE AT CAMP LENAPE *** - -***** This file should be named 51539.txt or 51539.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/5/3/51539/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. 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