diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-8.txt | 7457 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-8.zip | bin | 145673 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h.zip | bin | 799523 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/54755-h.htm | 10916 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/bswc01.jpg | bin | 94940 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/bswc02.png | bin | 14914 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/bswc03.jpg | bin | 88078 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/bswc04.jpg | bin | 88355 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/bswc05.png | bin | 32552 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/bswc06.jpg | bin | 101623 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/bswc07.jpg | bin | 69208 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/bswc08.png | bin | 10367 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/copyright.png | bin | 15034 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 116567 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54755-h/images/crest.png | bin | 6327 -> 0 bytes |
18 files changed, 17 insertions, 18373 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1d111db --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54755 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54755) diff --git a/old/54755-8.txt b/old/54755-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 275f6a1..0000000 --- a/old/54755-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7457 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp, by Thornton W. Burgess - -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: The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp - -Author: Thornton W. Burgess - -Illustrator: C. S. Corson - -Release Date: May 21, 2017 [EBook #54755] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY SCOUTS OF WOODCRAFT CAMP *** - - - - -Produced by Emmy, MFR, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive). Dedicated, with much affection, to our -friend Emmy, who "fell off the planet" far too soon. - - - - - - - - - - The Boy Scouts - of - Woodcraft Camp - - By - Thornton W. Burgess - - Author of - The Boy Scouts on Swift River - The Boy Scouts on Lost Trail - The Boy Scouts in a Trapper's Camp - - - [Illustration] - - - Illustrated by C. S. Corson - - - The Penn Publishing - Company Philadelphia - 1922 - - - COPYRIGHT - 1912 BY - THE PENN - PUBLISHING - COMPANY - - [Illustration] - - - - - [Illustration: THE CHIEF GREETED HIM PLEASANTLY] - - - - - _To my Wife_ - - _whose faith and encouragement - have placed me in her debt - beyond my power to pay_ - - - - -Introduction - - -The Boy Scout movement has appealed to me from the very first as a -long step in the right direction. It stands for an organized boyhood -on a world-wide plan. It has in it the essentials for a stronger and -better manhood, based on character building and physical development. -Clear and clean thinking and self-reliance are its fundamental -principles. Its weakness has been and is the difficulty in securing -leaders, men with an understanding of and sympathy with boys, who can -give the necessary time to active work in the field with the patrols, -and who are themselves sufficiently versed in the lore of the woods -and fields. - -For years, before ever the Boy Scouts were organized, I had dreamed of -a woodcraft camp for boys, a camp which in its appointments and -surroundings should make constant appeal to the imagination of -red-blooded, adventure-loving boys, and which should at the same time -be a true "school of the woods" wherein woodcraft and the ways of -nature should be taught along much the same lines as those on which -the Boy Scout movement is founded. - -In this and succeeding volumes, "The Boy Scouts on Swift River," "The -Boy Scouts on Lost Trail," "The Boy Scouts in a Trapper's Camp," I -have sought to portray the life of such a school camp under Boy Scout -rules. "The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp" has been written with a -twofold purpose: To stimulate on the part of every one of my boy -readers a desire to master for himself the mysteries of nature's great -out-of-doors, the secrets of field and wood and stream, and to show by -example what the Boy Scout's oath means in the development of -character. Many of the incidents in the succeeding pages are drawn -from my own experiences. And if, because of reading this story, one -more boy is led to the Shrine of the Hemlock, there to inhale the -pungent incense from a camp-fire and to master the art of tossing a -flapjack, I shall feel that I have not written in vain. - - THE AUTHOR. - - - - -Contents - - - I. THE TENDERFOOT 11 - - II. WOODCRAFT CAMP 26 - - III. FIRST IMPRESSIONS 39 - - IV. THE INITIATION 56 - - V. THE RECALL 71 - - VI. THE SPECTER IN CAMP 86 - - VII. FIRST LESSONS 100 - - VIII. LONESOME POND 116 - - IX. A SHOT IN THE DUSK 136 - - X. A BATTLE FOR HONOR 161 - - XI. BUXBY'S BUNCOMBE 184 - - XII. LOST 199 - - XIII. THE HONEY SEEKERS 220 - - XIV. THE SUPREME TEST 237 - - XV. CRAFTY MIKE 254 - - XVI. THE POACHER OF LONESOME POND 273 - - XVII. THE HAUNTED CABIN 288 - - XVIII. ON GUARD 304 - - XIX. FOR THE HONOR OF THE TRIBE 319 - - XX. THE HOME TRAIL 337 - - - - -Illustrations - - - THE CHIEF GREETED HIM PLEASANTLY _Frontispiece_ - - DIAGRAM OF WOODCRAFT CAMP 41 - - "TELL HIM YOU ARE TO BE A DELAWARE" 51 - - HE HAD BUILT A FIRE 118 - - BILLY'S APPARATUS FOR MAKING FIRE 207 - - "RUN!" HE YELLED 233 - - THE BOYS WERE DRILLED IN WIG-WAG SIGNALING 308 - - - - -The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE TENDERFOOT - - -In the semi-darkness of daybreak a boy of fourteen jumped from a -Pullman sleeper and slipped a quarter into the hand of the dusky -porter who handed down his luggage. - -"You are sure this is Upper Chain?" he inquired. - -"'Spects it is, boss, but I ain't no ways sho'. Ain't never been up -this way afore," replied the porter, yawning sleepily. - -The boy vainly strove to pierce the night mist which shrouded -everything in ghostly gray, hoping to see the conductor or a brakeman, -but he could see barely half the length of the next Pullman. A warning -rumble at the head of the long train admonished him that he must act -at once; he must make up his mind to stay or he must climb aboard -again, and that quickly. - -The long night ride had been a momentous event to him. He had slept -little, partly from the novelty of his first experience in a sleeping -car, and partly from the excitement of actually being on his way into -the big north woods, the Mecca of all his desires and daydreams. -Consequently he had kept a fairly close record of the train's running -time, dozing off between stations but waking instantly whenever the -train came to a stop. According to his reckoning he should now be at -Upper Chain. He had given the porter strict orders to call him twenty -minutes before reaching his destination, but to his supreme disgust he -had had to perform that service for the darkey. That worthy had then -been sent forward to find the conductor and make sure of their -whereabouts. Unsuccessful, he had returned just in time to hand down -the lad's duffle. - -Now, as the preliminary jerk ran down the heavy train, the boy once -more looked at his watch, and made up his mind. If the train was on -time, and he felt sure that it was, this was Upper Chain, the -junction where he was to change for the final stage of his journey. He -would stay. - -The dark, heavy sleepers slowly crept past as the train gathered way, -till suddenly he found himself staring for a moment at the red and -green tail lights. Then they grew dim and blinked out in the -enveloping fog. He shivered a bit, for the first time realizing how -cold it was at this altitude before daybreak. And, to be quite honest, -there was just a little feeling of loneliness as he made out the dim -black wall of evergreens on one side and the long string of empty -freight cars shutting him in on the other. The whistle of the laboring -locomotive shrieked out of the darkness ahead, reverberating with an -eery hollowness from mountain to mountain. Involuntarily he shivered -again. Then, with a boyish laugh at his momentary loss of nerve, he -shouldered his duffle bag and picked up his fishing-rod. - -"Must be a depot here somewhere, and it's up to me to find it," he -said aloud. "Wonder what I tipped that stupid porter for, anyway! Dad -would say I'm easy. Guess I am, all right. Br-r-r-r, who says this is -July?" - -Trudging along the ties he soon came to the end of the string of -empties and, a little way to his right, made out the dim outlines of a -building. This proved to be the depot. A moment later he was in the -bare, stuffy little waiting-room, in the middle of which a big stove -was radiating a welcome warmth. - -On a bench at one side sat two roughly-dressed men, who glanced up as -the boy entered. One was in the prime of vigorous manhood. Broad of -shoulder, large of frame, he was spare with the leanness of the -professional woodsman, who lives up to the rule that takes nothing -useless on the trail and, therefore, cannot afford to carry -superfluous flesh. The gray flannel shirt, falling open at the neck, -exposed a throat which, like his face, was roughened and bronzed by -the weather. - -The boy caught the quick glance of the keen blue eyes which, for all -their kindly twinkle, bored straight through him. Instinctively he -felt that here was one of the very men his imagination had so often -pictured, a man skilled in woodcraft, accustomed to meeting danger, -clear-headed, resourceful--in fact just such a man as was Deerslayer, -whose rifle had so often roused the echoes in these very woods. - -The man beside him was short, thick-set, black-haired and mare-browed. -His skin was swarthy, with just a tinge of color to hint at Indian -ancestry among his French forebears. He wore the large check mackinaw -of the French Canadian lumberman. Against the bench beside him rested -a double-bladed axe. A pair of beady black eyes burned their way into -the boy's consciousness. They were not good eyes; they seemed to carry -a hint of hate and evil, an unspoken threat. The man, taking in the -new khaki suit of the boy and the unsoiled case of the fishing-rod, -grunted contemptuously and spat a mouthful of tobacco juice into the -box of sawdust beside the stove. The boy flushed and turned to meet -the kindly, luminous eyes of the other man. - -"If you please, is this Upper Chain?" he inquired. - -"Sure, son," was the prompt response. "Reckon we must hev come in on -th' same train, only I was up forward. Guess you're bound for -Woodcraft Camp. So'm I, so let's shake. My name's Jim Everly--'Big -Jim' they call me--and I'm goin' in t' guide fer Dr. Merriam th' rest -o' th' summer and try to teach you youngsters a few o' th' first -principles. What might yer name be an' whar be yer from?" - -"Walter Upton, but the boys mostly call me 'Walt.' My home is in New -York," replied the boy. - -"Never hit th' trail t' th' big woods afore, did yer?" inquired the -big guide, rising to stretch. - -"No," said Walter, and then added eagerly: "But I've read lots and -lots of books about them, and I guess I could most find my way along a -trail even if I am a city tenderfoot. I've paddled a canoe some, and I -know all about the habits of wild animals and how to build a fire -and----" - -"Son," interrupted Big Jim, "stop right thar! Forget it--all this rot -you've been a-readin'. Woodcraft never yet was larned out o' books, -and it never will be. I reckon you an' me are goin' t' hitch up -together fine, an' when yer go back t' yer daddy this fall yer'll be -able t' take him out in th' tall timbers an' show him a few stunts -what ain't down in th' program o' city schools, but what every -cottontail born in the north woods larns the second day he gets his -eyes open. Now yer jes' fergit all this stuff yer've been a-readin' -and stick t' me; we'll git along fine. I'll make a woodsman o' yer yer -dad will be proud o'. Let's have a look outside t' see how the weather -is." - -As he followed the big fellow out onto the platform Walter felt his -cheeks burn at this wholesale condemnation of his treasured books, one -of which, "A Complete Guide to Woodcraft," was at that moment within -easy reach in the top of his duffle bag. Despite his natural -admiration for this big guide, to whom the mountains, lakes and woods -were as an open book, and his unbounded delight in having made a good -impression, Walter was not yet willing to overthrow his former idols -for this new one, and he was independent enough to stand by his -opinions until convinced that he was wrong. - -"Have you ever read any of them, Mr. Everly?" he inquired courteously. - -"Me? Read them books?" Big Jim's laugh rolled out infectiously. "What -would I read 'em for, sonny? I've seen some o' them book-writers in -th' woods, and thet's enough fer me. Lordy!" and again Jim's hearty -laugh rolled forth. - -Walter laughed a little too, but deep in his heart he resolved that he -would yet show Big Jim that there was some good in the despised books. -To change the subject he inquired about the low-browed owner of the -axe back by the fire. - -"Him? Why, thet's Red Pete, a French canuck with some Indian in him, -an' th' meanest man in th' mountains," replied Big Jim. - -The mist had begun to burn off. Even as they watched they saw it roll -in great tattered masses up the side of the opposite mountain. With -the coming of the sun Walter was able to take note of his -surroundings, and his eager eyes drank in the scene so strange to him -but so familiar to his companion. It was one of those few moments -which come to all of us, when we experience sensations which so -impress themselves upon the memory that never are they forgotten. -Walter felt a thrill that made him tingle from head to foot and, from -sheer delight, clinch his hands till the nails nearly bit into the -flesh. Since he was big enough to read "Deerslayer" and "The -Pathfinder" and Captain Mayne Reid's fascinating tales of adventure in -forest and on the plains he had lived in an imaginary world of his -own--a wonderful world, where he penetrated vast wildernesses, voyaged -on great rivers and climbed snow-capped mountains. Now he was really -in the great woods; his dreams were coming true in a measure. - -Indeed, it was a scene to stir any red-blooded boy. A gentle breeze, -moving across an unsuspected lake, rolled before it great billowing -masses of vapor. The sun, just rising above the eastern hills, drew -the mist swiftly up the mountainsides in broken, detached masses that -eddied, separated, came together and in an incredibly short time -dissipated in thin, clear air, till naught remained save in the -deepest hollows not yet penetrated by the sun's rays. Walter drew a -long breath. - -"Oh!" he gasped, and again, "Oh!" - -Big Jim looked at him curiously, while a sincere liking twinkled in -his blue eyes. - -"Never see a sunrise in th' mountains afore, did yer, sonny?" he -asked. "Jes' yer wait till yer see a sunup from th' top of old Baldy, -and watch forty lakes throw off their night clothes all at once." - -Sordid enough was the scene now revealed close at hand in the clear -morning light, the ulcer of so-called civilization, to be seen -wherever man has pushed the outposts of commercialism into the great -forests. A dozen log houses and a few ugly frame buildings, the latter -unpainted for the most part, but with one a glaring red and another a -washed-out blue, dotted an irregular clearing on either side of the -railroad. Close by, the tail of a log jam choked a narrow river, while -the tall iron stack of a sawmill towered above the rough board roof -that afforded some protection to the engine and saws. Off to the right -glistened the end of a lake of which the river was the outlet, its -margin a mass of stark, drowned timber. The peculiar odor of wet -sawdust filled the air. A sawdust road threaded its way among the -scattered buildings, and all about were unsightly piles of slabs, -heaps of bark and mill waste. - -But to Walter it was all fascinating. The sky-scrapers of his native -city seemed not half so wonderful as these moss and clay chinked -cabins. He pinched himself to make quite sure he was awake, that it -was all real. An engine and single dingy coach were backing down a -siding. - -"Thar's our train, son," said his companion. "Better stow yer duffle -aboard. It won't pull out for half an hour, and then it'll be a -twenty-minute run over t' Upper Lake. I want to see Tim Mulligan over -yonder t' th' store, but I'll join yer on th' train." - -Taking the hint, Walter put his duffle aboard the train beside the -pack basket of his friend, and then, to kill time, started out to form -a closer acquaintance with the town. From most of the houses thin -columns of smoke and the odor of frying bacon or pork proclaimed that -breakfast was being prepared. Occasionally he had glimpses of -weary-faced women in faded calico gowns. One, standing in the doorway -of her cabin, was barefooted. A frowzy-headed, dirty-faced little -urchin stared at him from the shelter of her skirts. The men he met -were for the most part rough, good-natured fellows, dressed in the -flannel shirt of the woods, their trousers thrust into high, laced, -hobnailed boots. Several nodded kindly or exchanged a "howdy" with the -bright-faced boy. - -On his way back, as he neared a cabin somewhat apart from the others, -he heard voices in angry dispute. Turning a corner of the cabin he was -just in time to see a boy of about his own age, but a good head -taller, strike a vicious blow at a whimpering hunchback. In a flash -Walter confronted the astonished young ruffian, eyes flashing and -fists doubled. - -"You coward!" he shouted. "You miserable coward, to strike a boy -smaller than yourself, and a cripple!" - -For an instant the other stared. Then his face darkened with an ugly -scowl, and he advanced threateningly. - -"Get out av here! This ain't any av your business, ye city dude!" he -growled. - -"I'll make it my business when you hit a little fellow like that," -replied Walter, edging between the bully and his victim. - -"Want ter foight?" demanded the other. - -"No, I don't," said Walter, "but I want you to leave that little chap -alone." - -"Huh, yez do, do yez?" responded the other, and rushing in he aimed -an ugly blow at Walter's face. The fight was on. - -And just here the young ruffian was treated to the greatest surprise -of his bullying career. Instead of crushing his slight antagonist as -he had contemptuously expected to, he lunged into empty space. The -next instant he received a stinging blow fairly on the nose. For a -moment he gasped from sheer surprise, then, with a howl of pain and -rage, he rushed again. - -To all appearances it was a most unequal match. The young backwoodsman -was not only taller, but was heavy in proportion; his muscles were -hardened by work and rough outdoor life in a sawmill village, and hard -knocks had toughened him as well. In contrast, the city boy seemed -slight and hopelessly at a disadvantage. But underneath that neat -khaki jacket was a well-knit, wiry frame, and muscles developed in the -home gymnasium. Moreover, Walter's father believed in teaching a boy -to take care of himself, and it was not for nothing that Walter had -taken lessons in boxing and wrestling. - -As before, he avoided the rush by lightly side-stepping, driving in a -vigorous left to the ear and following this with a right which raised -a lump just under his opponent's left eye. The latter backed away. -Then he came in again, but more cautiously. He was beginning to -respect this elusive antagonist who hit so hard, yet managed to get -away untouched. It was all so new in his experience that he was -utterly at a loss to know what to expect. - -Round and round they circled, each watching for an opening. Suddenly -Walter took the offensive. As he started to rush he slipped in the wet -sawdust. His opponent saw his advantage and swung hard, but Walter -caught the blow on his right forearm, and the next instant they were -locked in a clinch. This was what the bully wanted. Now he would throw -his antagonist and, once he had him down, that would end the battle, -for his ethics knew no quarter for a fallen foe. - -But again he reckoned without his host. Scientific wrestling was an -unheard-of art to the young giant, while in the home gymnasium Walter -had twice won the championship for his weight. For a few minutes they -swayed this way and that, then Walter secured the lock he was trying -for, there was an instant of straining muscles, then the bully was -pinned flat on his back. - -A big hand fell on Walter's shoulder. "Son," said Big Jim, "I hate t' -break into yer morning exercise, but you an' me hev an engagement at -Upper Lake, and we've got jes' two minutes t' ketch thet train." - -Walter jumped up at once, and then held out his hand to the -discomfited bully. "Will you shake?" he asked. - -To the surprise of the delighted onlookers the fallen terror of the -village arose and in a manly way, though sheepishly, shook the -outstretched hand, for at heart he had the right stuff in him. - -"Ye licked me fair an' square," he mumbled. "Oi wish ye'd show me some -av thim thricks." - -"I will if I ever have a chance. You ought to be a Boy Scout," shouted -Walter as he and Big Jim sprinted for the train. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -WOODCRAFT CAMP - - -The light breeze which had lifted the mist at Upper Chain had dropped -to a dead calm, and when Walter followed the guide from the train down -to the landing on Upper Lake not a ripple broke its placid surface. As -far as he could see it lay like a great magic mirror, the -heavily-wooded shores reflected so clearly that the inverted forest -appeared no less real than the original, so marvelously counterfeited. -In every direction mountain succeeded mountain, for the most part -clothed to their summits with the variegated green of the mighty -woodland growth, the somber spruce of the higher slopes, black against -the lighter green of yellow and white birch, maple and ash, which had -reclaimed to the wilderness the vast tracts ruthlessly laid bare by -reckless lumbering twenty years before. One of the nearer mountains -was crowned with bare, exposed ledges to which clung a few unsightly -blasted trunks, mute witnesses to the devastation wrought by fire. - -By a peculiar optical effect produced by the angle of light in a dead -calm at that time of the day, floating objects appeared magnified to -many times their actual size, so that a launch some two miles distant, -whose rapid put-put had drawn their attention when they first stepped -from the train, appeared to be less than half that distance away. - -Big Jim looked at it long and steadily, shading his eyes with a big -hand. - -"Thet's 'Woodcraft Girl' all right," he said, "and I reckon they're -comin' down fer us. Yer make yerself t' home, son, while I run back up -yonder t' th' hotel and rastle up some grub. We'll be some hungry -before we reach camp if I don't." - -Walter seated himself on the end of the pier and drank in the beauty -of the exquisite scene. Alongside a little mail boat was getting up -steam, her crew busily stowing away express packages and supplies of -all kinds for the various camps and hotels scattered along the lake. -Half a dozen passengers were already aboard. Two Adirondack skiffs, -each pulled by a brawny guide, a fisherman lolling at ease in the -stern, were just setting out for the fishing grounds. All was hustle -and activity, in strange contrast with the quiet lake and the majestic -calm of the mountains. - -In a few minutes Big Jim returned with some sandwiches, which they -promptly disposed of while they waited for the approaching launch. It -was now near enough for Walter to make out the blue pennant with the -magic words "Woodcraft Camp" fluttering at the bow, and a moment later -there came a joyous hail of "Oh, you Jim!" from the figure in the bow, -followed by a wild waving of a small megaphone. - -"Oh, you Bob!" bellowed the big guide, swinging his hat. - -The launch drew in rapidly and was deftly laid alongside. From it -sprang two young fellows of seventeen or eighteen, in olive khaki -trousers, flannel shirts and soft-brimmed hats, who straightway fell -upon Walter's companion and pounded and thumped him and shook both -hands at once, and were pounded and thumped in return. - -When their somewhat noisy demonstration was over the one whom Jim had -called Bob turned to Walter and held out his hand. "Guess your name is -Upton, isn't it?" he inquired with a pleasant smile. "My name is -Seaforth, and this is Louis Woodhull, the best fellow in Woodcraft -Camp. Dr. Merriam sent us down to look for you, but I see you were -already in good company. The doctor was some worried for fear you -might have missed connections at Upper Chain, but if he'd known that -you were trailing in company with this old son of the backwoods his -mind would have been easy. Jim, you great big stick of seasoned -timber, it sure does a fellow good to look at you. Stow this young -fellow and the duffle in the launch while I get the mail and do some -errands, and we'll be off. The whole camp's a-looking for you, though -they don't expect you till to-morrow. You're sure needed. Ed Mulligan -is guiding over on Big Moose and won't be with us this year, but his -younger brother, Tom, is taking his place, and I guess he'll make -good." - -Bob's errands were soon done, the supplies, duffle and mail pouch -stowed away in the launch, and her nose pointed down the lake. Bob -took the wheel, while Louis ran the engine. Walter was up forward, "to -be properly impressed," as Bob put it. And if that was really the -object in giving him the best post of observation, its success left -nothing to be desired. - -With eager eyes he drank in the wonderful panorama constantly -unfolding--as the launch sped swiftly over the lake. Here the lake was -less than half a mile wide, then abruptly it opened up great bays -which made it more than twice that width from shore to shore. How he -longed to explore those bays and coves! Two big summer hotels on -commanding bluffs were passed, showing but little life as yet, for the -season had not fairly opened. On rocky points, or half hidden in -sheltering coves, he caught glimpses of summer "camps," most of them -built of logs, but in many cases little short of palatial, and the -boy's lips curled with scorn at this travesty of wealth upon the -simple life. Gradually the camps became fewer and farther apart until -only an occasional lean-to or a tent now and then, clinging on the -very edge of the forest, was evidence of man's invasion, and Walter -felt that now in truth he was entering the wilds. - -From the good-natured chaff and talk of his companions he gathered -that Big Jim had been chief guide at Woodcraft Camp ever since this -famous school in the woods had been started, and that the two young -men had been among his earliest pupils. With eager ears he drank in -their talk of fish and lures, of deer, rifles and hunting lore. -Occasionally, as they skirted an island or ran around a sunken reef, -one or another would recall a famous catch of bass or a big laker -taken there. - -Of the two young men, Seaforth was the more talkative. He was dark, -with sparkling black eyes and a merry, likable face, which, for all -its irrepressible good-humor, had in it a strength and purpose which -denoted a solid foundation of character. He was broad-shouldered, -deep-chested, finely-developed, a splendid type of young American -manhood. - -His chum was rather slight in build, but wiry, with light hair and a -rather thin, clean, serious face which gave the impression of -tremendous nervous energy habitually under control. He took but little -part in the conversation, but his quiet smile at the sallies between -Bob and the guide was of a peculiarly winsome sweetness. His slight -reserve drew rather than repelled Walter, who instinctively felt that -the friendship of Louis Woodhull was something well worth the winning. - -They had now come some twelve miles down the lake, and presently Bob -pointed out a long pier jutting out from the eastern shore, and beyond -it, just to the left of a giant pine, a flagstaff from which Old Glory -was fluttering limply in the light breeze just beginning to ripple the -surface of the lake. - -"There you are, Upton, your first glimpse of Woodcraft," he said. "I -hope you'll----" - -But what he hoped Walter never knew. A shrill "Hy-i-i-i-i! We want -that tenderfoot!" cut him short, as a canoe manned by two youngsters -of about Walter's own age shot out from an island the launch was just -passing. Both boys were in trunks and jerseys and paddling like mad to -intercept the launch. Suddenly the one in the stern caught sight of -the guide. For an instant he stopped paddling, while a look of pleased -surprise passed over his face, and then with a wild yell of "Jim, oh, -you Jim!" he redoubled his efforts. - -Seaforth put the wheel over to port a couple of spokes. "No you don't, -Billy!" he called with a grin. "This boat carries Uncle Sam's mail, -and it can't stop to pick up tows." - -"Aw, Louis, slow her down, won't you?" begged Billy. - -Louis smiled good-naturedly; but the engine slowed down not a bit. - -"Ta-ta," called Bob. "The Indian attack is foiled, Billy. I'm ashamed -of you! Your paddling is abominable. Where's that new stroke that's -going to win the championship? See you later." - -And then it happened. One moment two boys were frantically digging up -the water with their paddles and the next a canoe was floating bottom -up, one boy white-faced and frightened, clinging to the bow, and the -other, with a malicious grin on his freckled face, swimming at the -stern. - -The instant it happened Seaforth put the wheel hard over and, -describing a short circle, headed for the canoe. Walter's heart had -been in his mouth, but the others seemed not a bit disturbed. Louis -stopped the launch, and while the guide righted and emptied the canoe, -he and Seaforth hauled the victims aboard. - -"You little beggar!" growled Bob as he grabbed Billy by the slack of -his jersey, "I've a mind to duck you until you howl for mercy. You did -that purposely." - -Billy grinned. "You didn't suppose I was going to let you land Big Jim -and I not be there, did you?" he asked. - -"That's all right, Billy, but this is going to be reported," broke in -Louis. - -"Don't, please don't, Louis," begged the culprit. - -"Sorry, son, but it's got to be. We love you, Billy, and because we -love you we're going to report. You addle-pated little scamp, when -will you ever learn that whatever risks a man may run himself he has -no right to involve others in danger? How did you know that Allen -there would be able to take care of himself, plunged unexpectedly into -the water? He's been in camp only three days, so what did you know of -his powers of resource? No, my son, we hate to tell tales, but we've a -duty to you to perform, so prepare to pay the penalty." - -The launch was now once more under way with the canoe in tow. Walter -was duly introduced to the penitent Billy and his victim, Harry Allen, -like himself a new recruit and therefore a tenderfoot. - -Several boys had gathered on the pier to size up any newcomers the -launch might bring, and Walter felt himself the target for a battery -of eyes. The ordeal was light, however, compared with what it would -have been at nightfall or earlier in the day, for it was now nine -o'clock and the boys were largely scattered in the duties and pursuits -of camp life. - -As the launch was made fast Billy whispered, "Here comes Dr. Merriam; -isn't he a peach?" - -Walter looked up with just a little feeling of awe to see the man of -whom he had heard so much--a scientist, explorer, author and lecturer, -honored by many scientific societies and institutions of learning both -at home and abroad, and now content to bury himself in the north woods -as the founder and head of the most unique school in the world--a -school with a purpose which was, as he himself whimsically expressed -it, "to make big men of little boys." - -Woodcraft Camp was the outgrowth of years of study and observation of -boy life and the needs of the tremendous army of youth annually turned -loose upon the country for three months of idleness and mischief. It -was, in effect, a vacation school, so cleverly masked in the guise of -a camp that probably not one among the pupils, save a few of the older -boys, recognized it as such. Its courses were manliness, -self-reliance, physical and mental health, strength of character, -simplicity of desire and love of nature. The curriculum embraced all -forms of athletic sports, swimming, canoeing, fishing, shooting, -forestry, the rudiments of civil engineering, woodcraft in all its -branches from the pitching of a tent or building of a lean-to to the -cooking of a good meal, the shooting of a rapid and the way to live -off of the country in an unknown wilderness. - -Botany, ornithology, the rudiments of physiology, as taught by a -knowledge of first aid to the injured--all these things and more were -taught, while the boys, all unconscious that they were being -systematically trained and developed, thought only of the jolly good -times they were having. Timid, nervous, under-developed youngsters -entering the camp at the beginning of the summer vacation went forth -to their studies in the fall brown, hearty, well muscled and with a -quiet confidence in themselves and their own abilities to do things -which won immediate recognition among their fellows. And not one among -them but held in the secret places of his heart as his ideal in life -the man whom Walter now saw approaching with a quick, elastic step. - -He was about fifty years of age, medium height, thin, but sinewy, a -human dynamo of nervous energy. He was clean shaven, slightly gray at -the temples, with firm, square jaw, rather large mouth, prominent nose -and eyes which seemed to see all things at once yet from which a smile -seemed ever ready to leap forth. It was far from a handsome face, save -in the beauty of strength, but was a face to love, a face once seen -never to forget. - -It was now all alight with pleasure at the sight of Big Jim. The guide -leaped forward to meet the doctor, and in the greeting there was -plainly evident a mutual respect and liking between these men, so far -apart in the social scale, yet beneath the veneer produced by -circumstance, so closely bound in a common brotherhood. - -Turning from the guide the doctor held out his hand to Walter. -"Upton," he said with a kindly smile, "let me welcome you as a member -of Woodcraft Camp. Buxby," turning to Billy, "you show Upton the way -to Wigwam No. 1 and where to stow his duffle and wash up. By the way, -Buxby, you and your canoe look pretty wet. Have an accident?" Then -without waiting for Billy's reply he added, "You may police camp for -the remainder of the day, Buxby. Carelessness and recklessness are -equally reprehensible, and neither should ever go unpunished. Upton, -please report at my office in an hour. Buxby will show you where it -is." - -"And I never said a word; you can't fool the doctor," whispered -Woodhull to the discomfited Billy, as the latter stooped to lift a -package from the launch. - -Billy made a wry face and then, good-naturedly shouldering Walter's -duffle bag, started up the trail toward a long log cabin. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -FIRST IMPRESSIONS - - -Woodcraft Camp had originally been the headquarters for one of the -largest lumbering crews operating in that section of the north woods. -The location had been chosen with the same strategy a general in the -field would display in selecting headquarters for the direction of -important maneuvers. The site was on a broad level of ground -sufficiently high to insure perfect drainage. A boiling spring -furnished a perpetual supply of pure water. A logging road had been -driven straight east, tapping a heavy hardwood belt on Little Knob, -while branching from this road to the south another opened up the -northwestern slopes of Mt. Sewell. A third, swinging to the north, -brought all of the southeastern side of Old Scraggy under the dominion -of the axe and peavy. Thus the operations of three crews could be -directed from the one central point, and the entire cut of this -region be put into the lake with a minimum of effort. Moreover, it was -a scant half mile to the outlet of the lake, so that the rafting of -the logs into the swift waters of the river was a comparatively easy -matter. - -The magnitude of the operations and the comparative permanency of the -camp called for substantial buildings, and the three log bunk houses, -stables, storehouse and blacksmith's shop were splendid examples of -the loggers' skill with axe and peavy. A long pier had been built into -the lake, and the underbrush cut out for a considerable distance -around the camp. - -With the despoiling of the once noble woodlands completed the camp had -been abandoned to the occasional hunter or fisherman who passed that -way. The clearing had grown up to a tangle of raspberry vines, and the -deserted buildings had begun to show signs of neglect and decay, when -Dr. Merriam chanced to camp there. At once he saw the opportunity to -put into execution his long-cherished dream of a woodcraft school camp -for boys. - - [Illustration: DIAGRAM OF WOODCRAFT CAMP] - -The property, with some five hundred acres of adjoining land, was -bought, the buildings repaired, with only such changes made as would -adapt them to the needs of the proposed school, the land in the -immediate vicinity cleared of underbrush, and the pier repaired. It -was Dr. Merriam's idea to make as little change in appearance and -arrangement as possible, that the camp might lose nothing of the -romantic charm which surrounds every logging camp when seen for the -first time by eager boyish eyes. - -Walter, following Billy up the trail, was ushered into the first of -the three large cabins. Inside it was almost as rough as the outside, -yet he was at once conscious of that indescribable sense of comfort -and security which the log cabin in the forest alone possesses. The -low ceiling, which had originally divided the loft from the main room, -had been removed to insure a better circulation of air. In a double -tier down the two sides were built plain box bunks, each containing a -tick filled with straw. Sheets, gray blanket and a thin pillow, filled -with aromatic fir balsam, completed the equipment. Each bunk was -numbered and a corresponding number appeared on the bedding in each. -In the rear of the room was a huge fireplace capable of taking in six -foot logs, and on either side a tier of lockers numbered to correspond -with the bunks. - -Tossing Walter's duffle on to the nearest bunk, Billy suggested that -he open up for his soap, towel, brush and comb. Supplied with these -necessary adjuncts to the toilet he meekly followed Billy out to a -long, low shed located to the rear and midway between the cabin he had -just left and another, which was of the same size and, as he later -discovered, of precisely the same interior arrangement. - -A broad shelf ran the entire length of this shed. On this stood three -pails of water, each with a dipper hanging above it, while beneath the -shelf hung a row of graniteware wash-basins. Big galvanized nails were -driven at convenient points for the towels and the folding mirrors -which were a part of every boy's equipment. It was primitive, very -primitive, but quite in accord with Dr. Merriam's idea, and Walter had -to admit that it served his purpose admirably. - -While Walter made himself presentable, Billy plied him with questions. -When he got through Walter felt that he had been pumped dry, and that -the garrulous Billy knew his life history. Finally he ventured a few -questions himself. - -"Is this your first year?" he inquired. - -"Me? My first year? Say, do I look like a tenderfoot?" demanded the -indignant Billy. "Say, you are green. Never was off of Broadway -before, was you? No, sir, this is my third year. Say, if you want to -learn woodcraft, just you trot with me a while." - -"Said woodcraft consisting at the present moment in policing camp," -broke in a quiet voice just behind them. "Probably Upton had rather be -excused." - -Both boys turned to find Louis Woodhull, who, walking with the -noiseless step of the forest ranger, had come upon them unawares. - -"There's a lot of chips around the wood-pile, Billy, and cook wants -them right now, so trot along, son," he continued. - -"Doctor told me to look out for Upton," protested Billy. - -"Upton is quite equal to taking care of himself, from all I hear," -said Louis drily. "Wood-pile's waiting for a good, strong, able-bodied -forester who knows woodcraft, one of the first essentials of which is -knowledge of how to swing an axe. Insubordination----" - -But Billy, with a grimace, had already started for the chip basket. - -Louis laughed. "Billy is one of the best hearted boys in camp, but -he's a reckless little beggar, and he does hate work. Look out he -doesn't lead you into mischief, Upton. By the way, Big Jim tells me -that you've already started in to conquer the wilderness, and have -laid one of the savages low. Where did you learn to use your fists?" - -"My father taught me how to protect myself almost as soon as I could -walk, and then I took boxing lessons at the gym. That was nothing this -morning; I couldn't have licked him if he'd known what I know," -replied Walter modestly. - -"My boy," said the older lad earnestly, "right there lies the -difference between success and failure--knowledge--the know how--the -know why--the know when. Knowledge is power. It is better than bull -strength. You knew how to make the most of what muscle you have got, -and you won. You'll find that's the answer all through life. The man -with knowledge and the power to apply it is top of the heap every -time. Take these big woods here--how long do you suppose a greenhorn -from the city dropped in the middle of 'em alone, with nothing but gun -and blanket, would live? But take a fellow like Big Jim, with his -knowledge of the wilderness and wilderness ways, and he'd hit the -nearest settlement in three days and live like a lord all the way. -Now, if you're ready I'll show you the way to the office. By the way, -I'm going to ask Dr. Merriam to put you in my tribe; I like your -style." - -The "office" was a small detached cabin which had formerly been the -headquarters of the logging camp boss. It was divided into two rooms -by means of burlap curtains. In the front room was a desk, a plain -deal table, three rustic chairs and book shelves occupying two-thirds -of the wall space. The head of a magnificent ten-point buck looked -down from above the fireplace. Over the books were mounted specimens -of salmon, trout, bass and muskelonge. Mounted specimens of rare -birds, a case of butterflies wholly unlike any Walter had ever seen, -and which he suspected were from distant lands, specimen stones and -minerals from the surrounding mountains, added to the fascination of -the room. Before the fireplace lay the skin of a huge bear, and two -tanned deer hides were spread on the floor. In one corner stood a -collection of guns, rifles, paddles, fishing-rods and landing nets -which caught the boy's eager eyes the instant he entered. - -Through the parted curtains he had a glimpse of the same primitive -sleeping arrangement, namely a box bunk, that he had found in the big -cabin where he had left his duffle. Could he have peeped farther -within he would have found a neat single iron bedstead with a hair -mattress and snowy counterpane, a dainty white bureau, low, -comfortable rocking-chair, sewing-machine and other evidences of -feminine comfort, for, though Dr. Merriam religiously insisted on -having for himself nothing more luxurious than he gave his "boys," the -comfort of Mrs. Merriam--she was "Mother" Merriam to the whole camp in -the affections of the boys--was another matter, and no pains were -spared to make things pleasant and comfortable for her. In fact, not -only the boys, but the guides and others attached to the camp vied -with each other in showing her little attentions and waiting upon her. - -As Walter and Louis entered "Mother" Merriam came forward at once to -greet the newcomer, and while Louis talked with the doctor for a few -minutes this quiet, sweet-faced, tactful little woman put the newcomer -so at his ease that when Louis finally bade his superior good-morning -and went out, Walter turned to meet the head of the camp wholly free -from the awe with which he had entered the door not five minutes -before. - -"Upton," said the doctor, "Woodhull has just requested that you be -assigned to his 'tribe,' an honor which you do not appreciate now, but -which you will later. The camp is divided into four patrols or -'tribes,' each under the leadership and direction of one of our oldest -and most trustworthy boys, known as 'chiefs.' Woodhull is chief of the -Delawares, and Seaforth, whom you met with the launch, is chief of the -Algonquins, the two tribes occupying the big cabin known as Wigwam No. -1, to which Buxby showed you on your arrival. Wigwam No. 2 is occupied -by the Senecas and Hurons, under Chiefs Avery and Robertson. The rules -of the camp are few and simple and every boy is put on his honor and -is trusted to live up to them. Reveille is sounded at five o'clock -every morning, except Sunday, when it is an hour later. At -five-thirty on week-days and six-thirty on Sunday mess is served to -two of the tribes and half an hour later to the other two, the wigwams -alternating in the order of service. - -"A detail from each wigwam is assigned to police the camp, that is, -clear up all rubbish and keep the camp in order, wash dishes and chop -fire-wood. Noon mess is served from twelve to one o'clock and evening -mess from five-thirty to six-thirty. At nine o'clock 'taps' is -sounded, which means 'lights out' and every boy in bed. - -"Each boy is expected to look after the making up of his own bed. -There are certain defined limits on shore and on the lake beyond which -no boy may go without a permit from his chief, sanctioned by me. - -"The building of fires at any time or place is strictly prohibited -save when accompanied by a guide or chief. Smoking is not allowed. -Violation of either of these two rules is sufficient cause for -expulsion from camp. Boys who cannot swim are not allowed in the boats -or canoes unless accompanied by an older competent person, until they -have learned to care for themselves. The carrying or use of firearms -is forbidden except at the rifle range, where instruction is given -daily by one of the guides. From time to time there will be 'special -duty' squads, such as the surveying squad, forestry squad, logging -squad, and others on which boys are expected to serve willingly, and -in the performance of these duties they will be taught many of the -essentials of woodcraft. - -"You will report this afternoon to Mr. Medcraft, our physical -instructor, for examination, and will be expected to follow his -recommendations for daily exercise. Big Jim has told me of your -encounter at Upper Chain. My boy, I rejoice in the manliness and -courage, in the sense of fair play, which led to your defense of the -weak. Of all men the bully is most contemptible. No bullies are -allowed in this camp, and, Upton, no fighting, unless all other means -of settling a quarrel prove futile. Then it is fought out with gloves -in the presence of the whole camp and with an unbiased referee. It has -happened but once; I hope it will not happen again. I mention this -now, for I fear that you will find that you have established a -reputation as a fighter, and such a reputation often leads one into -difficulties which otherwise might be avoided. - - [Illustration: "TELL HIM YOU ARE TO BE A DELAWARE"] - -"We are glad to have you as a member of Woodcraft Camp, and I hope we -shall make a first-class scout and a thorough sportsman and woodsman -of you. I will not add 'gentleman,' for we feel that every boy is that -when he comes to us. If you are interested in any special branch of -nature study come and consult me freely that I may aid you in its -pursuit. - -"Now you may report to Chief Woodhull, and tell him you are to be a -Delaware. He will inform you as to the minor rules of the camp and our -methods of learning the most from this close communion and association -with nature. We want you to go home in the fall feeling that you have -had the best time a red-blooded boy could have, and that the summer -has been profitable as well." - -With a pleasant smile the doctor shook hands warmly once more and -Walter started for the wigwam, secretly elated that he was to be under -Woodhull, and that he was to be a Delaware, the tribe of Uncas and -Chingachgook. He found Woodhull waiting for him. The chief greeted him -pleasantly. - -"So the big chief (that's what we call the doctor) has made a Delaware -of you? I'm glad of that." - -"So am I," responded Walter. - -"Now the first thing," the other continued, "is to get acquainted with -the wigwam and stow away your duffle. The Delawares have the east -side, and the Algonquins the west. Your number is the skiddoo number, -twenty-three, for bunk and locker, and I hope you'll make it a lucky -number for the tribe. Stow your duffle in your locker, and I'll show -you around the camp and make you acquainted with some of the boys. By -the way, Upton, do you go in for athletics, besides boxing?" - -Walter admitted that he ran a little, being best at the mile, was -fairly good at the running broad jump, had once won a boy's canoe -race, and had practiced a lot at a short range target with a small -rifle. - -His chief received the information with manifest pleasure. "You see," -he explained, "we have a big field day in August, and there is a lot -of rivalry between the tribes, and especially between the two wigwams. -A mounted deer's head is offered this year to the wigwam scoring the -greatest number of points in woodcraft during the summer and in the -field day sports, and we want it over our fireplace. The biggest fish -caught each day counts five points and the biggest for the week -fifteen points; the best photograph of wild animals or birds made -during the summer counts twenty-five points; fifteen points each are -scored for the rarest botanical specimen, best mineral specimen, -largest number of birds positively identified, best collection of -insects and largest number of trees identified. Any exceptional feat -of woodcraft scores to the benefit of the wigwam. The championship -banner goes to the tribe winning the largest number of points in the -successful wigwam. The Hurons won it last year, but, son, the -Delawares have got to get it this year. Then there are individual -prizes well worth mentioning. We shall expect you to miss no -opportunity to score for the honor of the tribe and wigwam. Our wigwam -leads now, but the Algonquins have twenty points the best of the -Delawares. It's up to you to do your prettiest to help us get their -scalps. By the way, don't be surprised if things are made some -interesting for you to-night. Whatever happens, keep your nerve and -don't show the white feather." - -Beyond this mysterious hint Woodhull would vouchsafe no information, -and Walter could only guess at what might be in store for him. - -The tour of the camp included the big mess cabin, with the cook house -in the rear, where they had a glimpse of Billy and the chip pile, and -the cabin of the three guides, where they found Big Jim very much at -home, the other two being out with fishing parties, and where Walter -was introduced to Mr. Medcraft, the physical director, and to Mr. -Burnham, a young Y. M. C. A. man who was Dr. Merriam's assistant. -These shared the cabin with the guides. They then went down to inspect -the boats and canoes. Several fishing parties were just coming in, and -Walter was introduced to some of his fellow tribesmen, as well as to -members of the other tribes. - -As they turned back to the wigwam the bugle sounded for noon mess, and -boys appeared as if by magic from every direction in a mad rush for -the wash-house. Presently Walter found himself seated at a long table -in the mess room, an agate-ware plate and cup before him, and an -abundant supply of plain but well cooked food, in which deliciously -browned trout were evidence of the practical lessons taught at -Woodcraft Camp. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE INITIATION - - -Mess over, Woodhull and Seaforth took their stand at either side of -the door, and Walter noted that as each boy passed out he saluted the -two chiefs with the Scout's salute, and was saluted in return. It was -a point of etiquette which he learned was never omitted, and which did -much to maintain discipline and to instil the principles of respect -for superior officers. Once outside the mess room Walter was free to -inspect the camp in detail and at his leisure for, it being his first -day, he was not assigned to any of the duty squads. - -There were fifty-two boys in camp, including the four leaders, or -chiefs, and they were from all quarters, two being from as far west as -Chicago. They represented all classes in the social scale. A few were -from homes of extreme wealth and one, according to Billy, was a Boston -newsboy in whom the doctor took a personal interest. But in -accordance with Scout ideals all were on equal footing in the camp, -and the most democratic spirit prevailed. Achievement in scoutcraft -alone furnished a basis for distinction. - -The camp had been established three years before the Boy Scouts of -America came into existence, but Dr. Merriam had been quick to -perceive the value of the new movement, the principles of which are, -in fact, the very ones he had been seeking to inculcate in his unique -school. This year the camp had been placed under Scout regulations, -and it was the doctor's desire to send every one of his boys home at -the end of the summer as qualified Scouts of the first class, fitted -to take the leadership of home patrols. - -Approaching from behind the wood-pile, where Buxby's assignment to -duty was keeping him busy, Walter heard his own name and paused, -uncertain whether to go on or not. Billy was regaling the cook with an -account of Walter's exploit of the morning as he had wormed it out of -Big Jim. - -"Pretty spry with his fists, they say," concluded the talkative Billy. -Then he added as an afterthought, "Bet they'll get his goat to-night, -though." - -Walter waited to hear no more. He had not been wholly unconscious of -the sly looks and mysterious winks passed between some of the boys he -had met, and, though he did not allow it to show outwardly, he was -inwardly not a little perturbed by the thought of the initiatory -ordeal he felt sure he must undergo. Chief Woodhull's hint, together -with the frequent exchange of meaning glances which he had -intercepted, could mean but one thing--that his nerve and courage were -to be put to some strange and crucial test. - -Therefore it was with some trepidation that with the sounding of taps -that night Walter sought his bunk and turned in. In five minutes -lights were out, and apparently the camp had settled down for the -night. Walter lay listening in suspense for some sound which would -indicate that secret designs concerning himself were afoot, but -nothing but the regular breathing of twenty-five healthy, tired boys -rewarded his vigilance. It had been a long, strenuous day, with little -rest the night before, and in spite of himself he soon fell asleep. - -He was awakened by the sudden removal of his blanket. Despite his -struggles he was bound and gagged. Then his arms were loosed enough -for his flannel shirt to be slipped on. His trousers and shoes -followed, and then he was rolled in his blanket, picked up bodily and -carried forth into the night. In absolute silence his captors bore him -along what appeared to be a rough, little used trail. Occasionally a -dew-damp twig brushed his face. Through the tangle of interlacing -branches overhead he caught glimpses of the stars. The number of his -captors he had no means of knowing. He was carried by relays, and -though there were frequent changes he could not tell whether each time -a new team of bearers took him or two teams alternated. - -Once his bearers stumbled and nearly dropped him. Once they seemed to -lose the trail, stopping to hold a whispered consultation of which the -victim could catch only a word here and there. After what seemed like -an interminable length of time Walter heard in the distance the -tremolo of a screech-owl, answered by a similar call close at hand. A -few minutes later they emerged in an opening. - -"Are the canoes ready?" asked a subdued but sepulchral voice. - -"They are, chief," was the guarded reply. - -"Then let them be manned," was the order. - -Walter was carefully placed in a canoe amidship. He felt it gently -shoved off, and then it floated idly while, to judge by the sounds, -the other canoes were hastily put in the water. Presently, at a low -command from the rear of his own craft, there was the dip of many -paddles and he felt the light craft shoot forward. - -Flat on his back, he could see little but the star-sprinkled heavens. -It seemed to him that never had he seen the stars so bright or -apparently so near. By straining up and forward he caught the shadowy -outline of the bow man's back, but the second time he tried it he was -warned to desist. Out of the tail of his left eye he sometimes caught -the arm and paddle of the stern man on the forward reach. But thus far -there had been nothing to give him the slightest idea whether he was -in the hands of members of his own tribe or a captive of one of the -rival tribes. - -Swiftly, silently, save for the light splash of paddles and the -gurgling ripple at the bow, the canoe sped on. Never will Walter -forget the spell of that mysterious night ride on that lonely lake in -the heart of the great north woods. His gag had been removed and, but -for inability to move hand or foot, he was not uncomfortable. All the -witchery of night in the forest was enhanced an hundredfold by the -mystery of his abduction and the unknown trials awaiting him. - -A mighty chorus of frogs denoted low, marshy land somewhere in the -vicinity. Strange voices of furtive wild things floated across from -the shore. Once a heavy splash close to the canoe set his heart to -thumping fiercely until he rightly surmised that it was made by a -startled muskrat, surprised at his nocturnal feast of mussels. Again, -as they slipped through the heavy shadows close along shore, there was -a crash in the underbrush which might or might not have been a deer. -It was weird, uncanny, trying in the extreme, yet sending little -electric thrills of fascination through the nerves of the city boy. - -How long the journey lasted Walter could not tell, but he judged that -it was at least half an hour before there suddenly broke out ahead a -cry, so human yet so wild, that he felt the very roots of his hair -crawl. Once more it rang over the lake, a high-pitched, maniacal laugh -that rolled across the water and was flung back in crazy echoes from -the shores. In a flash it came to Walter that this must be the cry of -the loon, the Great Northern Diver, of which he had often read. This -time it was answered from the rear. A few minutes later the canoe -grated on the shore. Walter was lifted out, his eyes bandaged, the -bonds removed from his legs and, with a captor on either side, he was -led for some distance along what seemed like an old corduroy logging -road. - -On signal from the leader a halt was made and the bandage was removed -from the captive's eyes. Curiously he glanced about, but in the faint -light could make out little. Apparently they were in the middle of a -small opening in the forest. On all sides a seemingly unbroken wall of -blackness, the forest, hemmed them in. In a half circle before him -squatted some two dozen blanketed forms. - -One of these now arose and stepped forward. He was tall and rather -slender. In the uncertain light his features appeared to be those of -an Indian. A single feather in his scalp lock was silhouetted against -the sky. A blanket was loosely but gracefully draped about his figure. -Standing in front of the captive he drew himself up proudly to his -full height and, leveling a long bare arm at the prisoner, addressed -him in a deep guttural. - -"Paleface, dweller in wigwams of brick and stone, it is made known to -us that your heart turns from the settlements to the heart of the -great forest, and that you desire to become a child of the Lenape, -whose totem is the tortoise, to be adopted by the Delawares, the tribe -of Uncas and Chingachgook; that you long to follow the trail of the -red deer and to spread your blanket beside the sweet waters; to read -the message of the blowing wind, and interpret aright the meaning of -every fallen leaf. - -"You have come among us, paleface, not unheralded. Our ears have been -filled with a tale of valor. It has warmed the hearts of the Delawares -and their brothers, the Algonquins. Our young men have had their ears -to the ground; they have followed your trail, and they yearn to make -a place for you at their council fire. But, lest the tales to which -they have listened prove to be but the chirping of a singing bird, it -has been decided in secret council that you must undergo the test of -the spirits. - -"Alone in the wigwam of the spirits, where, it is said, on the fifth -night in every month the spirit of a departed brave, stricken in the -prime of his manhood, comes seeking the red hand of his slayer,--here -alone you shall keep watch through the black hours of the night. Thus -shall we know if your heart be indeed the heart of the Lenape; if you -are of the stuff of which Delaware warriors are made; if our ears have -heard truly or if they have indeed been filled with the foolish -chatter of a Whisky Jack (Canada jay). - -"If you meet this trial as a warrior should, making neither sign nor -sound, whate'er befall, then will the Delawares receive you with open -arms, no longer a paleface, but a true son of the Tortoise, a blood -brother, for whom a place in the council chamber is even now ready." - -Turning to the shadowy group squatting in silence he threw out both -arms dramatically. - -"Sons of the Lenape, do I speak truly?" he demanded. - -A chorus of guttural grunts signified assent. Turning once more to the -captive the speaker asked: - -"Paleface, are you prepared to stand the test?" - -As the harangue had proceeded Walter recalled that during the -afternoon he had heard vague references to a haunted cabin across the -lake. Now the conviction was forced upon him that this was the place -in which he was to be left to spend the night alone. In spite of -himself a shiver of something very like fear swept over him, for the -mystery of the night was upon him. But he had firmly resolved not to -show the white feather. Then again he was possessed of a large bump of -sound common sense, and he felt certain that if, when left alone, he -gave way to fear, sharp eyes and ears would be within range to note -and gloat over it. In fact he shrewdly suspected that spies would be -watching him, and that his solitude would be more apparent than real. -He therefore replied: - -"I am ready." - -Thereupon the leader gave some brief directions to the band, of whom -all but two trailed off in single file and disappeared in the -blackness of the forest. Presently he heard the faint clatter of -paddles carelessly dropped in canoes, and surmised that his late -companions were embarking for camp. A few minutes later the hoot of a -horned owl came from the direction they had taken. This seemed to be a -signal for which his guard had been waiting. Once more the bandage was -placed over his eyes, and he was led for some distance along an old -tote road. - -At length a halt was called. His legs were bound and he was picked up -and carried a short distance. Although he could see nothing he was -aware by the change of air that they had entered a building. He -suspected that this was the haunted cabin. He was deposited on a rough -board floor with what appeared to be a roll of old burlap beneath his -head. He was told that his hands and feet would be freed of their -bonds, but he was put upon his honor not to remove the bandage from -his eyes for half an hour. - -"Keep your nerve, son, and don't sit up suddenly," was whispered in -his ear. - -He could not be sure, but he had a feeling that the speaker was -Woodhull, and to himself he renewed his vow that, come what might, he -would not show the white feather. He heard his captors silently -withdraw and then all was silent. - -Cautiously he felt around him. Sticks and bits of bark littered the -floor. Rough hewn logs shut him in on one side, but on the other as -far as he could reach was open space. Feeling above he found that -there was not room to sit upright, and he thanked his unknown friend -for that last timely warning. - -The silence grew oppressive. It was broken by a light thump on the -roof, followed by the rasp of swift little claws. "Squirrels," thought -Walter, after the first startled jump. Gradually he became aware of a -feeling that he was not the only tenant of the cabin. Once he heard -something that sounded very like a long drawn sigh. He held his breath -and listened, but there was not another sound. What were those tales -he had heard of the cabin being haunted? He tried to recall them. How -far from the camp was he? Would they come for him in the morning or -would he have to find his way in alone? - -In spite of his strange surroundings and lively imagination Walter -found difficulty in keeping awake. Outraged nature was asserting -herself. There had been little sleep for more than twenty-four hours, -and now even the uncertainty of his position could keep him awake no -longer. In fact he had not even removed the bandage from his eyes when -he fell sound asleep. - -He was awakened by having this suddenly snatched off. For a few -minutes he blinked stupidly while a mighty shout from the entire -wigwam greeted him: - - "Oh, warrior, tried and true, - We hereby welcome you! - We like your nerve! - We like your sand! - A place you've won - Within our band. - You've won your feather fair-- - You are a DEL-A-WARE!" - -Then Walter was hauled forth and shaken hands with and thumped and -pounded on the back by a whooping, laughing crew of boys in all stages -of undress. It was broad daylight and, to his amazement, Walter found -he was not in the haunted cabin but in his own wigwam, where he had -spent the night on the floor underneath his own bunk. The boys, noting -the expression of his face, shouted afresh and mercilessly guyed him -till presently, realizing how completely he had been duped, he wisely -joined in the laugh at his own expense. - -Reveille had sounded. Buxby joined him at the wash bench, and on the -way to mess explained how the initiation was worked. When he had been -placed in the canoe they had simply paddled around near camp for half -an hour. He had then been led over an old trail to an opening near, -but out of sight of the camp, and there Woodhull, in the character of -the Indian chief, had delivered the harangue. At its conclusion all -but the guard had gone to the wigwam and at once turned in, one of -them first slipping down to the lake and rattling the paddles, -afterward giving the owl signal. The guard had then led him back to -the wigwam and put him under his own bunk, where the floor had been -strewn with chips and bark to fool him when he felt around, as they -had foreseen he would. - -"You're all right, Upton, and say, wasn't Louis a lulu?" concluded the -garrulous Billy. - -At mess Walter realized that he had "made good," and was already -accepted as one of themselves by the merry crew of sun-browned -youngsters amongst whom he had come a total stranger less than -twenty-four hours before. Most of all he prized Woodhull's quiet "Good -boy," as he saluted him at the door. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE RECALL - - -"Oh, you Delaware!" - -"Come tell us that tale of the singing bird!" - -"Looks pale; must have seen a haunt!" - -"Got your goat with you?" - -"Come join the young men at their council fire!" - -Walter grinned at the good-natured chaff of a group of boys squatting -in front of a shelter tent pitched on the shore of the lake. - -"Where's the fire?" he asked. - -"What!" cried Tug Benson. "Is he coming among us with the eyes of a -paleface?" He spread his hands above the ashes of a long dead fire as -if warming them. "And here," he added in an injured tone, "we've been -sitting for an hour roasting that loon he heard last night, that he -might feast with us. Now he doesn't even see the fire!" He gave an -exaggerated sniff. "He's done to a turn." - -"Which?" asked Billy Buxby innocently. "Walt or the loon?" - -"Both," said Spud Ely with conviction. "Say, Upton, tell us about -that scrap." - -"Nothing to tell," replied Walter. - -"Modest, though mighty, as becomes a son of the Tortoise," commented -Tug. "Say, Walt, did he have light curly hair and a front tooth -missing?" - -"Now you mention it, I believe he did," replied Walter. - -"Pat Malone!" exclaimed Tug triumphantly. "Sure thing. Say, fellows, -Pat's been hanging 'round camp for the last three or four days; what -do you suppose he's after?" - -"Looking for a chance to swipe something," said Billy. - -"Aw stow it, Billy! Pat's tough all right, but that doesn't make him a -thief," said Chip Harley. - -"I saw Pat talking with Hal Harrison up on the Old Scraggy trail just -at dusk the other night," broke in Ned Peasely. "They seemed mighty -'fraid of being seen. Wonder what's up?" - -"Oh, probably Hal's trying to impress on the natives a sense of his -own importance and the power of the almighty dollar," said Spud. - -"Cut it out, Spud," advised Tug. "Hal's all right. Some day he'll -forget he's the son of a millionaire. He's got good stuff in him." - -"Sure thing," said Chip. "Say, did you know that he brought in another -record fish this morning? Six-pound small-mouth bass. That's what gets -my goat. Here he is, a tenderfoot, and yet he's putting it all over -the fellows that have been here two or three years. He's rolling up -points for the Senecas to beat the band. Say, I'll bet that Pat Malone -has put him next to some secret fishing ground or new bait or -something." - -"Speaking of angels----" said Billy. - -Walter looked up with the others to see a boy of perhaps fifteen -passing on the trail up from the lake. He wore the regulation camp -dress, but there was something in his bearing, a suggestion of -superiority, a hint of condescension in his curt nod to the group -around the tent, that gave Walter the feeling that he considered -himself a little above his companions. Yet, withal, there was -something likable in his face, despite a rather weak mouth and the -shifty glance of his eyes. Instinctively Walter felt that Tug was -right, and that beneath the supercilious veneer there was the stuff -of which men are made, submerged now by self-indulgence and the -misfortune of being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, as Tug -expressed it. - -"Hear you've put another over on us. Say, Hal, put us wise to that -private preserve of yours, will you?" called the irrepressible Billy. - -"Do a little scouting and find one for yourself," retorted Hal, -passing on up the trail. - -"I have it! We will do a little scouting. We'll trail him 'til we find -out where he gets those big fish. What do you say, fellows?" - -"That we'll do nothing of the kind." - -The words were spoken quietly, but with a note of authority and -finality that admitted of no contradiction. The boys turned to find -Woodhull in their midst. Unseen he had come up just in time to hear -Billy's last words. They all saluted the chief, and then Billy, who -never was known to let the chance for an argument pass, took up the -subject again. - -"Why not, Louis?" he demanded. "I thought it was a Scout's duty to -always keep on the trail of an enemy." - -"Meaning whom?" asked Woodhull. - -"Why, Harrison, of course. Isn't he a Seneca, and aren't the Senecas -the enemies of the Delawares?" - -"Wrong again, Billy," responded the chief. "The Senecas are rivals, -not enemies of the Delawares, and we are going to beat 'em to it in -fair and open contest--if we can. But they are brother Scouts, members -of Woodcraft Camp as we are. Just pin that in your hat. Of all -contemptible beings the most contemptible is a spy, save in actual -warfare. No, my son, if Hal has been smart enough to beat us all at -locating the hiding-places of big fish he is entitled to the honors. -Put your powers as a Scout to work and find the fish for yourself, my -son; but no spying on fellow Scouts. - -"Tug, suppose you take Upton out to the swimming raft and try him out. -You know the Hurons drew a prize in Hampton, who came in last week. -Billy, I've got a bit of surveying to do on the Little Knob trail, and -I need a rod man. Are you on?" - -"You bet! you know I'd follow you to the North Pole, Louis," replied -Billy, rising with alacrity. - -Tug and Walter started for their tights, while the others continued to -sprawl lazily around the tent. - -"The chief's right," said Spud meditatively. "It wouldn't be a square -deal to spy on Hal. Just the same I'd like to know where he gets those -fish. You don't suppose----" He broke off abruptly. - -"You don't suppose what?" asked Chip. - -"Oh, nothin'!" - -"Come, Spud, out with it! What don't you suppose?" - -Spud clasped his hands about his knees and gazed thoughtfully into the -fireplace. - -"What does Hal do with all his spending money?" he demanded abruptly. - -Chip looked up, startled. "You don't mean, Spud, that you think for a -minute he----" - -"No, I don't," Spud broke in. "I don't believe there's a fellow in -camp low down mean enough to try to win points with things he'd -bought. But why couldn't he have hired some one to put him -next--guide for him?" - -The boys considered this in silence for a few minutes. - -"Aw, forget it, Spud," advised Chip. "Hal wouldn't do that. He's got -us going, and we're sore, that's all. Let's take a canoe and try for -that big laker you lost the other day." - -"I'm with you," replied Spud promptly. "Bet he don't get away from me -again!" - -Meanwhile Walter and Tug had paddled out to the raft, where boys from -both wigwams were enjoying a morning swim. Walter was a fair swimmer, -but he soon found that Tug quite outclassed him. As a matter of fact -Tug was the star swimmer of the tribe, and in the water was as much at -home as a fish. He watched Walter critically for a few minutes. - -"You'll do best at long distance," he decided. "We'll put you in for -the quarter mile. You're rotten on the crawl, and the crawl's the only -thing for the hundred yards. You've got something to learn on that -overhand, too. You fight the water too much. You don't get in your -full power, and when you try to hit it up you waste your strength. -Here, let me show you!" - -With a clean-cut dive Tug left the raft, and Walter watched with -admiration, not unmixed with envy, the powerful yet easy overhand -strokes that sent the swimmer through the water without apparent -exertion, yet at a speed that made his own best efforts seem hopeless. -Tug regained the raft, and Walter noted that he was breathing as -easily as if he had not been in the water at all. - -"Say, Tug, will you coach me?" he asked eagerly. - -"Surest thing you ever knew! That's what I'm here for," was Tug's -hearty reply. "But you've got to keep at it every day. No soldiering, -and, kid, no getting mad when I throw the hooks into you! If we can -get even a third in the quarter we'll pretty near break even with the -Hurons. The Algonquins have only one man we're really afraid of, and -the Senecas don't cut much ice in the water, but are all to the good -on it." - -"Paddling?" asked Walter. - -"Yep," replied Tug. "They've got a great tandem team, and a four I'm -afraid we can't touch at all. And then you know they've got a long -lead on points for fish, thanks to Harrison. By Jove, I should like to -know where he gets those big fellows, and what bait he uses. He's mum -as an oyster." - -Just as they stepped into the canoe to paddle back to camp the notes -of a bugle rang clear and full across the water. - -"Hello!" exclaimed Tug, pausing to look over the camp. "That's the -'recall.' Wonder what's up. That means everybody report at once. Hit -her up, kid!" - -As soon as the canoe touched shore the boys sprang out and turned it -bottom up on the beach. As they hurried up to headquarters boys were -pouring in from all directions, on every face a look of wondering -curiosity. The recall was sounded only in case of an emergency. - -When the last straggler within sound of the bugle had hurried in, Dr. -Merriam stepped from the office. His face was very grave as he studied -the expectant faces turned toward him. An instant hush fell over the -waiting boys. - -"Scouts of Woodcraft Camp," began the doctor slowly, and it seemed as -if he measured each word as he spoke, "I have had the recall sounded -because of a discovery made an hour since--a discovery unprecedented -in the annals of Woodcraft Camp. It is that there is or has been a -thief in our midst." He paused for an instant while his keen eyes -scanned the startled faces before him. Then with one of his rarely -beautiful smiles he added, "But I do not believe that any member of -this camp is guilty." - -Instantaneous relief rippled over the faces before him and the doctor, -noting it, smiled again. Then once more his face grew grave and stern, -as he continued: - -"For some days little things have been missed around headquarters. -That they were stolen we have not been willing to believe, preferring -to think that they had been mislaid. But this morning occurred a loss -which admits of no doubt that there has been a thief in camp. You all -remember the little gold clasp pin in the shape of a Maltese cross, -set with three small diamonds, which Mrs. Merriam always wears at her -throat?" - -The boys nodded. They would have been poor Scouts indeed had they not -noticed the one bit of jewelry which "Mother" Merriam allowed herself -in camp. - -"This morning Mrs. Merriam laid the pin on the sill of the north -window of her room. Five minutes later she went to get it, but it was -not there. Nor was it on the ground outside or on the floor inside. -The actual value is not great but, because of sentimental -associations, the value is not to be computed in dollars and cents. To -Mrs. Merriam that little pin is priceless. I have called you together -to tell you of this loss, believing that there is not one among you -but will gladly give of his time and best endeavor to discover the -thief and secure if possible the return of Mrs. Merriam's valued -keepsake. I ask each one of you to report to me privately any -suspicious circumstances he may be aware of or may discover. That is -all." - -The boys at once broke into excited groups. That there could be a -thief among them was inconceivable. Still, there had been few -strangers in camp, two or three guides and a few lumber-jacks passing -through, and all of these above suspicion. - -Chip Harley joined Walter and Tug, and the three walked on in -silence. It was broken by Chip. - -"Say, fellows," said he, "you remember what was said about Pat Malone -this morning? Well, he was in camp just afterward." - -"How do you know?" asked Tug. - -"Saw him," said Chip. "He came in while you fellows were swimming. -Left a message for Tom Mulligan. When he left he took the trail up -past headquarters." - -Tug and Walter considered this information soberly. - -"Looks bad," said Tug. "Shall you report to the big chief?" - -"I don't know," replied Chip. "It's suspicious, any way you look at -it." - -"Don't do it yet," said Walter. "You haven't got any real evidence, -you know. And let's not say anything about it to the other fellows. It -does look mighty suspicious, but I don't believe that a fellow who -would take a licking and then get up and shake hands the way Pat did -with me would steal. Let's do a little scouting before we say -anything. What's the matter with us three working together on this -thing?" - -"Good!" agreed Tug. "Each night we'll get together and report all -clues discovered. Gee, but I'd like to find that pin for Mother -Merriam!" - -"You bet!" said Walter. "And I'd like to clear Pat, too," he added to -himself. - -The three shook hands on the compact, and separated to look for clues. -True to their agreement, they said nothing about Pat. But others had -seen the sawmill boy in camp, and by night there was a pretty general -conviction that Pat was the thief, so easy is it for mere suspicion to -pose as truth. A few of the more hot-headed were for rounding Pat up -the next day and forcing him to confess, but wiser council prevailed, -and it was agreed that Pat should be left alone until real evidence -against him was produced. After evening mess Chip, Walter and Tug met -in a quiet corner to report. - -"Well?" said Tug. - -"Footprints," said Chip sententiously. "Found 'em leaving the regular -trail just north of the office, and pointing toward Mother Merriam's -window. Just about Pat's size, they were. Prints of the hobnails in -the right showed clearly, and three are missing on the ball. Sprinkled -some dirt over the tracks so that no one else would find them. What -did you find, Tug?" - -"Nothin', except that Pat went from here straight up to the Durant -lumber camp," replied Tug. - -"And you, Walt?" - -"Nothing but this," said Walter, drawing the tail feather of a crow -from his pocket. "Found it caught in the window screen." - -"Worse and more of it," growled Tug. "Pat usually has a feather -sticking in that old hat of his. Don't you remember?" - -"Yep," responded Chip. - -They sat in silence for a while, considering the evidence. - -"Looks bad, doesn't it?" said Chip gloomily. - -"It sure does," assented Walter, "but footprints and a feather are -mighty small things on which to brand a fellow a thief. Let's wait -till we get something else before we say anything." - -"Right-oh!" responded Tug, rising to stretch. "I'm going to turn in. -Nine o'clock sharp at the raft to-morrow, Walt." - -"Sure!" replied Walter. - -Then, with the sounding of "taps" the boys sought their bunks. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE SPECTER IN CAMP - - -A shadow lay over Woodcraft Camp. The routine of daily life went on as -before, but there was something lacking. The fun-making was not -spontaneous. There was no enthusiasm in work or play. The old time -jollying ceased. The rivalry between the tribes seemed falling into -hopeless apathy. Even Spud Ely's success in temporarily wresting the -fishing honors from Hal Harrison and the Senecas by landing a -twelve-pound lake trout served to awaken no more than a passing -interest. - -Suspicion, the grimmest of all specters, strode back and forth through -the camp. Whenever a group of boys came together it peered over their -shoulders and with bony fingers choked back laughter and song and -strangled the old freedom of speech. It sat at mess, and the chill of -its presence was felt in the wigwams at night. Who had stolen Mother -Merriam's pin? Who? Who? Could it be that the thief was really one of -their number? - -For more than a week nothing was seen of Pat Malone. To many, hasty of -judgment, eager to rid themselves of the specter, this was construed -as evidence of guilt. But still the specter would not down. The strain -was telling not only on the spirits but on the tempers of the boys. -Under it they were becoming irritable, quick to take offense. - -Every night Tug Benson, Chip Harley and Walter met to report progress, -or, rather, lack of it. Finally, just a week after the sounding of the -"recall," Chip was sent on an errand to the Durant lumber camp. As -soon as evening mess was over he signaled Tug and Walter to meet him -back of the wood-pile. There was a gleam of triumph in his eyes that -belied the studied gloom of his face as he looked up to greet them. - -"Well?" said Tug. - -"It's Pat, all right!" said Chip sententiously. - -"Are you sure? Absolutely sure?" Tug and Walter cried together. - -"Sure as--as--sure as I be that skeeters bite," replied Chip, -slapping viciously at his neck. - -"Did you find the pin?" asked Walter eagerly. - -"Naw! You don't suppose he'd be such a fool as to have it lying around -in plain sight, do you?" Chip's tone indicated his supreme disgust. -"But," he continued, "it's a cinch that he took it just the same. -What'd we better do about it?" - -"How the deuce do we know, when you haven't told us your story yet? -Come, out with it, you tantalizing blockhead!" growled Tug -impatiently. - -Chip shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Well," he began, "you know -the big chief sent me over to the Durant camp with a message this -afternoon. After I'd delivered it I thought I'd just look round a bit, -and do a little scoutin'. Pat wasn't there. Fact is, the whole gang -was in the woods 'cept the boss and the cook. Got kind of chummy with -the cook, and he opened up a nice little can of his own private -troubles and poured 'em out for my special benefit. - -"Seems he ain't got much use for boys, and for Pat Malone in -particular. Nothin' special, I guess, only Pat plays tricks on him and -raids his cooky box pretty often. They're good cookies, all right," he -added reminiscently. - -"Well, I jollied him along," continued Chip, "and went pokin' 'round -like I'd never seen a lumber camp before. Pretty soon I see a pair of -spiked boots hanging on a nail. 'What'll you take for the boots, -cookie?' says I. Cookie grinned. 'Them ain't mine,' says he. 'They -belong to that young rascal Pat Malone. I reckon money wouldn't buy -'em of him. Sets as much store by 'em as if they was pure gold. Was -give to him by one of the fellers over to your camp.'" - -Tug looked up startled. "What's that?" he asked sharply. "You don't -suppose--you--say, do you believe it could have been Hal Harrison?" - -Chip grinned. "Sure thing," said he. "Found his name in the top of one -of 'em." - -Tug and Walter looked at each other blankly, while Chip went on with -his tale. - -"When cookie wasn't looking I just naturally examined those boots a -little closer, and measured 'em with a bit of string. They're just the -size of those prints we found under Mother Merriam's window, and -there's three nails missing from the soles of the right one!" he -concluded dramatically. "Now what do you fellers think we'd better -do?" - -Tug sat down and idly began to throw chips. "Looks bad," he ventured. - -"Bad!" snorted Chip, "I call it open and shut, iron-bound, no-loophole -evidence! Pat's the thief, or I'll eat my shirt." - -"Guess you'll find Durant cookies better eating," said Walter drily. - -Chip looked a bit sheepish. Then he slipped a hand into a capacious -pocket and brought forth three crisp brown discs. "They are pretty -good," he admitted as he passed one to each of the others. "Might as -well admit that I followed Pat's lead. Brought 'em along just to prove -that I really was there, Walt's such a doubter," he explained -ingenuously. - -For a few minutes the boys munched the cookies in appreciative -silence. When the last brown crumb had disappeared Chip returned to -the subject. - -"Well, Walt, what ought we to do?" he demanded. - -"Nothing." - -Chip got up from the chopping block and dramatically planted himself -in front of Walter. "Say, what's chewing you, anyway?" he demanded. -"You don't mean to tell us that you still think Pat innocent!" - -"I'm not going to think him guilty until there is some proof," replied -Walter doggedly. - -"Proof!" Chip fairly yelped the word out. "Proof! Haven't I given you -proof enough? What more do you want?" Chip flung himself down on the -chopping block in sheer disgust. - -"It's wholly circumstantial evidence, and--and----" Walter hesitated. - -"And what?" demanded Chip. "Spit it out!" - -"Why, the fact is----" Walter hesitated again. - -"Come on! Come on! Out with it!" Tug broke in. - -"Well, there is another pair of hobnailed boots of the same size in -our own camp, and three nails are missing from the right one!" - -Chip and Tug stared at him blankly. Then Tug gave vent to a long -whistle of incredulity. "Say," he demanded, "what kind of a bunco -steer are you givin' us, anyway? Say that over again, you sawed off -pocket edition of Sherlock Holmes!" - -Walter was somewhat nettled and he replied rather tartly, "I said that -there is another pair of boots in camp that might have made those -prints." - -"Whose are they?" Chip demanded. - -Again Walter hesitated, and grew uncomfortably red in the face. "What -is the honor of a Scout?" he asked abruptly. "Has one Scout any right -to cast suspicion on the honor of another Scout? I don't believe that -the owner of this second pair of boots knows any more than we do about -Mother Merriam's pin, but if I should tell you who he is you couldn't -help but wonder, and wondering, that kind of wondering, leads to -suspicion. You couldn't help it. Until this thing is cleared up you -couldn't look that fellow straight in the face with quite the same -feeling you do now. I didn't mean to say anything about it, but I had -to to show how little real evidence Pat's boots afford. By the way, -Chip, do you know just which nails are missing from Pat's boot, and -which three were lacking in those prints?" - -Chip confessed that this was a detail he had wholly overlooked. - -"Then that's where we all fall down on the footprint clue," said -Walter. "Strikes me we're blamed poor Scouts. The prints are gone now, -and if we had both pairs of boots here what good would they do us? -Without knowing which nails were missing in the prints we couldn't -tell which boots made 'em, and there you are! We'd simply be all the -more suspicious of the owner of the second pair of boots." - -Tug arose and impulsively held out his hand. "Shake, old man! I for -one don't want to know who owns those boots. My, my, this business is -bad enough as it is!" he said. - -"Them's my sentiments too," Chip broke in. "It's bad enough to suspect -one fellow outside the camp, and I should hate awfully to have that -kind of feeling about a brother Scout." - -Walter's face cleared as the three shook hands. "I'm glad you fellows -see it that way," he said. "We leave matters right where they were -then, do we?" - -"Sure thing!" Tug spoke emphatically. "Mum's the word. We'll just keep -up our quiet little hunt and say nothin'. Gee, but I would hate -awfully to think that maybe some of the fellers thought I was a thief! -Of course I'm naturally curious about that other pair of boots, but I -wouldn't listen now if you tried to tell me, for just as sure as -little fishes have tails I'd get to thinkin' about that feller in a -way I wouldn't want anybody to think of me. Funny about those boots of -Pat's, ain't it? You don't suppose Hal gave 'em to him to pay -for---- Oh, rats! There it is! It's with Hal just like it would be -with the owner of that second pair of boots. We don't like him. He's -licked us to a frazzle fishin', and here we are suspectin' he ain't on -the level. Let's cut it out! Say, I've got an idea!" - -"Phew! You don't say! I wouldn't have believed it of you, Tug," -drawled Chip. "Hold it down with both hands 'til Walter can identify -it." - -Tug promptly back-heeled Chip and calmly sat on his head while that -unfortunate helplessly thrashed on the ground and in smothered tones -begged to be released. - -"Think you can be respectful to your elders?" inquired Tug, holding -his seat by pinning down both arms of his victim. - -A smothered mumble was translated to mean assent, and Chip was -released. - -Tug proceeded to explain his idea. "You remember what Louis said to -Billy the other day? Well, what's the matter with us three hanging -together to beat Hal at his own game? We all like fishin', and there's -just as big fish in this little old lake as Hal has yanked out of it. -If he can find 'em we can. We've been trustin' too much to luck, same -as the rest of the fellers do. My idea----" - -Chip cleared his throat, and Tug turned to glare at his erstwhile -victim. But that young gentleman looked so innocent as he inquired, -"What's your idea, Tug?" that the latter relaxed his belligerent -attitude and resumed. - -"My idea is that we read up about the different kinds of fish around -here, their habits, what they eat, when they feed, the kind of bottom -they like best and all that sort of thing. The big chief's got a lot -of books about fish, and he'll be tickled silly to have us read 'em. -Then we'll pump Big Jim and Tom Mulligan, and do some real -scoutin'--for fish instead of thieves. If Hal has anything on us then -we'll just naturally take off our hats to him and give him the high -sign." - -"Bully!" cried Walter. "We've got just time before 'taps' to read up a -little on small-mouth black bass, and we'll get away at daybreak -to-morrow mornin' for our first scoutin'. I'll go right up t' the big -chief's and borrow the book. Tug, you go hunt up Louis and get -permission for the three of us to take a canoe and leave before mess, -and, Chip, you hustle over and bamboozle cookie into puttin' up a -lunch for us." - -The others agreed, and the three boys separated on their several -errands. As they disappeared in the gathering dusk a rough unkempt -figure crawled from behind the wood-pile and watched them, an ugly -frown darkening his dirty but usually good-natured face. - -"Yez think Oi'm a thafe, do yez?" he growled. "Oi don't know what yez -think Oi shtole, fer Oi didn't get here in toime ter hear ut all, but -if Oi iver get yez alone Oi'll make yez chaw thim wurrds and shwaller -thim. Oi'll--Oi'll----" He shook a grimy fist at the retreating -figures. His eyes rested a moment on Walter's square, sturdy figure -and he seemed to hear again the quiet voice: "I'm not going to think -him guilty 'til there's some proof." - -Gradually his face softened. "Thot bye's all roight. He's sound -timber, he is," he muttered. - -He slipped into the blackness of the forest and presently hit the -Durant trail. For the most part his thoughts were as black as the -shadows around him. - -"Thafe, is ut?" he muttered to himself. "Oi guess ut ain't healthy fer -the loikes av me around thot camp. What roight have th' loikes av thim -ter be callin' me a thafe jist because Oi'm poor an' live in the -woods? What roight have they to be callin' me a thafe, an' me wid no -chance ter say a wurrd? What show's a bye loike me got, anyway? Whin -thot Walt bye licked me he said Oi ought ter be a Bye Scout, an' Oi'd -begun ter think ut must be somethin' foine. But if this is the way -they be afther doin', callin' a bye a thafe widout him iver knowin' -what's been shtole, Oi want nothin' ter do at all, at all wid Bye -Scouts. Oi wonder what thot honor bus'ness is thot Walt bye talked so -much about. Oi'll pump thot bye wid his pockets full av rocks an' see -what he knows about ut." - -Abruptly his thoughts reverted to the fishing pact he had overheard -and slowly a grin crept among the freckles. "Goin' ter bate Harrison, -be yez?" He slipped a hand into a pants pocket and clinked some loose -change there. "Oi wonder now, have yez got the price? Oi guess yez -don't know what yez be up aginst. Jist the same Oi'd loike thot Walt -bye ter win out." - -A sudden thought struck him. "Oi wonder now wud he----" He took a -silver dollar from his pocket and held it up so that a ray from the -rising moon was thrown up from it in a bright gleam. "No," he said, -"no, Oi don't belave he wud, though why not Oi don't see at all, at -all." - -He rapidly strode forward to the bunkhouse, and for once forgot to -play a good-night trick on the long-suffering cook. - -The moon crept higher and higher. It filtered through the great forest -and touched the white birches with ghostly gleam. It looked down upon -a thousand tragedies among the little people of the night. It bathed -the two camps in silvery light, and all unconscious of the greater -tragedy in the hearts of men, it caressed into points of living flame -the tiny diamonds in Mother Merriam's pin. - -But there was no one there to see, and for a few hours even the -specter in the wigwams slept. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -FIRST LESSONS - - -Walter's skill with his camera gradually won for him the distinction -of being the best photographer in camp. When, therefore, he somewhat -diffidently told Chief Woodhull of his ambition to secure some -flashlight views of deer the chief listened attentively to the plans -suggested for securing them, and promised to lay them before Dr. -Merriam. Imagine Walter's delight when on the following day the big -chief sent for him, and after close questioning informed him that it -was arranged for him to make a two days' trip to Lonesome Pond with -Big Jim for the purpose of trying for the coveted photographs of wild -deer in their native haunts. - -It was an almost unprecedented honor for a first year boy. The -privilege of making such an expedition alone with one of the guides -was reserved for the older boys, whose experience and training fitted -them for the "roughing" which such a trip usually involved. Walter -fairly walked on air when he left Dr. Merriam to seek Big Jim and make -the necessary arrangements. He found the guide tinkering with a -jack-light. - -"Dr. Merriam says----" began Walter. - -"I know all about it, son," interrupted the guide. "You an' me'll be -pardners for a couple o' days, and we'll start before daylight -to-morrow morning. Rustle round now and get your picter machine ready. -I reckon Mr. Peaked Toes will be a mighty unsartin subjec', a leetle -mite bashful. If you don't get him th' first shot, 'tain't likely -he'll wait fer a second, so it's up to you t' hev everythin' in -workin' order. Run over an' tell cookie thet I want two loaves o' -bread, a slab o' bacon, some butter in a wide-mouth jar, flour, salt, -cocoa an' sugar fer a two days' trip. We're goin' light, so you won't -need t' bring nothin' but yer fish rod, blankets, sneaks an' an extra -handkercher. Better turn in early, fer we want t' start at four -o'clock sharp. Hev cookie put up a lunch. Now skip!" - -At quarter of four the next morning Walter slipped out of the wigwam. -The moon had not yet set, while in the east appeared the first faint -flush of the coming day. The forest lay black and still. For a moment -or two he shivered in the chill of the outer air after the warmth of -the wigwam. There was a light in the guides' cabin, and thither he -made his way at once. - -Just outside the door stood a pack basket, a tightly rolled blanket -lashed across it, and the handle of a frying-pan protruding from the -top. Big Jim's favorite paddle leaned against it. As Walter -approached, the door opened and the guide stepped out. - -"Hello, pard!" said he. "I was jes' comin' over t' pull yer out o' yer -blankets. Come in here an' hev a cup o' hot cocoa an' stow thet snack -away; it's easier t' carry inside than out." - -When Walter had gulped down the hot drink and eaten the lunch put up -for him by the cook he felt ready for anything. - -As they took their way down the trail to the lake the hoot of a great -horned owl suddenly broke the silence and wakened startled echoes on -Old Scraggy. - -"Whooo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whooo-hoo-hoo!" - -"Ole Fly-by-night must hev had poor huntin' last evenin'," said the -guide. "Do you see him, son?" - -Walter searched the trees near at hand, but could make out nothing -that resembled a bird, and his chagrin was deepened by the guide's -next remark. - -"Them books may tell yer where t' look, but they don't teach yer how -t' use th' eyes God give yer. Now any five-year-old born in th' woods -would hev seen thet big swelled up bunch o' feathers fust thing. Look -at thet tall pine stump over thar t' th' right and----" - -"Whooo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whooo-hoo-hoo!" rang the fierce cry again, and -almost on the instant the top of the stump resolved into a huge, -broad-winged bird, that swiftly and noiselessly dropped behind a low -hemlock. A moment later it reappeared, a hare struggling in its -talons, and flew heavily over toward a swamp. Big Jim promptly seized -upon the episode to drive home a lesson in woodcraft. - -"Pard," said he, "thar's a better lesson in the A B C o' wood life -than I could give yer in a month o' talkin'. If thet hare hadn't let -its narves go on th' jump, and had remembered what she ought t' hev -knowed afore she was born, thet to sit tight an' not move a muscle -when yer don't want t' be seen is th' first law o' th' woods, she'd be -sittin' nice an' snug this very minute, instead o' stuffin' ole -Fly-by-night's craw. Puss was narvous. The hoot startled her an' she -moved jest a leetle bit. Probably she rustled a leaf. Them big owls is -all ears. Fact, son; the whole side o' th' head, pretty near, is an -ear. He heared thet leaf rustle, an' he was Johnny-on-the-spot in a -jiffy. Yer saw what happened. Never make a sudden move in th' woods. -Sit tight if yer don't want t' be seen, or move so slowly thet -nothin's goin' t' notice it. Don't never ferget it! Yer've jes' seen -what fergettin' may cost. When yer go in th' woods leave yer narves t' -hum." - -The pack basket and duffle were stowed in the middle of the canoe, -Walter took the bow seat and the guide, kneeling in the stern, for he -had never outgrown his early training when canoes of his acquaintance -had no seats, shot the little craft out into the lake. As they turned -into the low marshy estuary which marked the outlet of the lake, the -first rays of the rising sun glanced over Mt. Seward. - -Once in the main channel of the river they felt the gentle force of -the current, and under Jim's powerful stroke they swept swiftly on. -Walter had been doing his full share, for he was a good paddler, but -now the guide suggested that he put up his paddle and hold his camera -ready for whatever they might surprise along the river's edge, or up -some of the numerous setbacks. - -The boy put his paddle aside and, slipping a film pack into the -camera, set the focus for one hundred feet. Then with thumb and -forefinger of his right hand on the focussing screw, ready to shorten -the focus should they get within less than one hundred feet of a -subject, he set himself to watch the shores. - -"Remember now, no talkin' an' no sudden moves," cautioned the guide. - -Alas for Walter! The lesson had yet to be driven home. Not five -minutes later the canoe shot around a bend, and without a sound glided -into a setback. Almost instantly a low warning hiss from Big Jim put -Walter on his guard. The canoe seemed merely to drift, but if the boy -could have seen the guide he would have witnessed a magnificent -exhibition of the canoeman's art as, with paddle deep in the water and -moving so slowly as to make hardly a perceptible ripple, he still kept -the craft under perfect control. - -Walter, every nerve tense, scanned the shores in a vain effort to -discover the cause of the guide's warning. Inch by inch the canoe -crept on and still the boy saw nothing but the placid, pad-strewn -surface of the water, and the forest-lined shore. Presently his eager -ears caught a faint splash off to his right. Like a flash he turned, -swinging his camera with him. The next instant he realized his -mistake. With a sharp whistle of surprise and alarm a doe noisily -splashed shoreward from a point not fifty yards distant, where she had -been standing among the lily-pads. From the instant the canoe had -first caught her attention and excited her curiosity she had remained -so motionless that Walter had failed utterly to pick her out from the -background with which her protective coloring blended so marvelously. - -But the moment the boy moved she whirled for the shore, sending the -water flying in a shower of silver. As the boy, in open-mouthed -astonishment, watched her she lightly leaped a fallen log, and with a -parting flirt of her white flag disappeared in the undergrowth. - -Walter's chagrin was too deep for words. Indeed, he was very near to -tears as he realized what a rare opportunity he had missed, and how -wholly his own fault it was. He did not dare look at Big Jim, and -there was no comfort in the guide's slow, sarcastic drawl: - -"A clean miss, pard. Did them books teach yer thet lightnin' whirl? -'Pears t' me thet you an' puss back thar, keepin' company with ole -Fly-by-night, belong in th' same class. Now if yer mem'ry had been as -good as yer fergittery we'd most likely hev drifted right up t' thet -thar deer. No use wastin' more time in here. Some day when yer hev -larned a leetle more woodcraft mebbe we'll run down an' try it agen." - -This surely was rubbing it in, and Big Jim meant it to be so. Right -down in his big heart he was almost as disappointed for the boy as -was the boy himself, but he felt that this was the time to drive the -lesson home. Every word stung the chagrined young photographer like a -whip-lash, and he could not trust himself to make reply. He was -mortified beyond expression, for he had prided himself that he knew -the value of noiselessness and motionlessness, and that when the test -should come he would win golden opinions from the guide for his -display of woodcraft. Now, at the very first opportunity, he had -failed miserably, acting like the veriest tyro, and he felt himself -humbled to the last degree. - -Had he turned he might have caught a kindly twinkle in the blue eyes -watching the dejected droop of his figure, but he kept his face -steadily to the front, gazing fixedly ahead, yet seeing nothing, while -automatically he swung his paddle and gloomily lived over the -bitterness of his mistake. - -They were now once more in the current, and in a matter-of-fact way -the guide suggested that Walter put his paddle up and be ready for -whatever else might offer. As he adjusted the camera the boy resolved -that this time, come what might, he would show Big Jim that he had -learned his lesson. - -The opportunity came sooner than he had dared hope it would. The canoe -swerved sharply toward the east bank, and presently Walter made out a -little brown bunch on the end of a log. With a nod of the head he -signaled the guide that he saw, and then attended strictly to his end -of the matter in hand. By this time the canoe was close in to the -bank, so deftly handled that it would approach within twenty feet of -the log before emerging from the screen of a fallen tree which the -guide had instantly noted and taken advantage of. - -Jim was paddling only enough for steerage way, allowing the current to -drift them down. They were now close to the fallen tree, and the guide -began to silently work the little craft around the outer end. Walter -had reduced the focus to twenty-five feet. As they drifted nearer and -nearer to the subject he began to shake with nervous excitement, so -that it was only by the exercise of all his will power that he could -hold the camera steady. Inch by inch they crept past the tree and -Walter strained his eyes for a glimpse of the old log with its little -bunch of fur. He was holding his breath from sheer excitement. Ha! -There was the outer end of the log, and there, a foot or so back, sat -a muskrat, wholly oblivious to their presence. - -Slowly, with the utmost caution, Walter turned in his seat, so slowly -that it seemed ages to him. The guide had checked the canoe within -less than twenty feet of the log and Walter altered his focus -accordingly. Now in his reflecting finder he clearly saw the little -fur bearer, a mussel in his paws. With a sigh of relief Walter heard -the click of the shutter in response to the squeeze of the bulb, held -in his left hand. Then as the rat made a frightened plunge, he -remembered that he had forgotten to withdraw the slide before making -the exposure. - -It is an error the novice frequently makes and that the expert is -sometimes guilty of. It was, therefore, not surprising that under the -stress of excitement Walter should suffer this lapse of memory, but -coming as it did immediately after his other fiasco, it was almost -more than he could bear. - -Big Jim was chuckling delightedly over the supposed success. "Reckon -musky never set fer his picter afore! Did he look pleasant? Pard, yer -sure did thet trick well. Had a bit o' buck fever fust along, I -reckon. Thought yer seemed kind o' shaky. Don't yer mind thet none. -I've seen a feller with a clean open shot at a standin' deer within -fifty yards wobble his rifle round so thet th' safest thing in thet -neighborhood was thet thar deer. Now we'll go on fer th' next." - -Walter did not have the courage to tell the guide then of his second -blunder, but resolved that when they got in camp that night he would -own up like a man. For the next three miles nothing eventful occurred. -Then the boy got his third chance. It was a great blue heron this -time. It was standing on one foot, the other drawn up until it was -hidden among the feathers of the under part of the body. The long neck -was laid back on the shoulders, the sharp bill half buried in the -feathers of the breast. The big bird appeared to be dozing. The light -fell just right, and as it was intensified by reflection from the -water, Walter felt sure of a good photograph. - -Little by little the canoe drifted in. Forty feet, thirty, twenty, -ten--click! This time there was no mistake. Working quickly but -cautiously, with as little motion as possible, he pulled out and tore -off the tab, set the shutter and, as the big bird spread its wings, a -second click caught it at the very start of its flight. The shutter -was set at the two hundredth part of a second, so that despite the -nearness of the subject, Walter felt reasonably certain that little -movement would show in the photograph. - -"Get him?" asked Jim. - -"Two of him," replied Walter, a note of pardonable pride in his voice. - -"Thet's th' stuff! Ye're larnin' fast," said the guide, once more -shooting the canoe into the current. - -This success went far to offset the previous failures and the boy's -spirits rose. He began to enjoy his surroundings as he had not been -able to since the episode with the deer. Mile after mile slipped -behind them, the limpid brown water sliding between the unbroken -wilderness on either bank. Try as he would he could not get over the -impression of sliding down-hill, such was the optical effect of the -swiftly-moving water. - -At last he heard a dull roar which increased in volume with every -minute. Then they rounded a sharp turn, and before them the whole -river became a churning, tumbling mass of white, with here and there -an ugly black rock jutting above the surface. The canoe felt the -increased movement of the water and the boy's heart beat faster as the -bow of the little craft still pointed straight down the middle of the -river. Could it be that Big Jim would try to run those tumbling, -roaring rapids! - -"Sit tight and don't move!" came the guide's sharp, terse command. - -The canoe all but grazed a great gray boulder. Then dead ahead, not -two inches under water, Walter saw another. Surely they must strike -this, and then--he closed his eyes for just a second. When he opened -them the canoe was just shooting through the churning froth on the -edge of the rock, and that immediate danger was past. He realized then -how completely the man behind him was master of the river and their -craft. With fascinated eyes he watched each new danger loom up and -pass almost before he realized its ugly threat. - -The roar of the rapids was now so loud that it drowned all other -sounds. Presently he became aware that they were no longer in -mid-stream. With a few powerful strokes the guide shot the canoe into -a back eddy and a second later it grounded lightly on a tiny sand -beach where Jim held it until Walter could leap out and pull it up -securely. - -"How'd yer like thet?" shouted the guide as he lifted his pack basket -out. - -"Great!" replied the boy, his eyes shining with excitement, as he -helped take out the duffle. - -Big Jim adjusted the basket to his back, lashed the paddles across the -thwarts of the canoe so that when they rested on his shoulders, with -the canoe inverted over his head, it balanced perfectly, and leaving -Walter to follow with the rest of the duffle plunged into what seemed -at first glance an almost impenetrable thicket of maple, birch and -moosewood. - -Walter found, however, that there was a well-defined trail, albeit a -rough one. It followed the course of the river, over moss-grown -decaying tree trunks, across old skidways, now firm to the foot and -again a bed of oozy black swamp muck in which he sank half-way to his -knees. After a mile of this they came out on the bank of the river -just at the foot of the falls which marked the end of the rapids. The -canoe was launched at once and in a few minutes they were again -speeding down-stream. - -Three and a half miles below they made another portage. This put them -in a lake at the upper end of which a shallow stream connected with a -string of three small ponds. The last of these was known as Lonesome -Pond, and this was their destination. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -LONESOME POND - - -Lonesome Pond was well named. A mile long by perhaps half a mile wide -at its widest point, it lay like a turquoise in an emerald setting -between two mountains whose upper slopes were dark with a splendid -stand of spruce and pine. A magnificent growth of birch, maple and ash -with an occasional pine or hemlock scattered among them grew to the -water's edge, save along the southern end where they had entered. Here -for some distance a sphagnum swamp, dotted with graceful tamaracks, -extended on either side of the narrow outlet, in places forming a -natural open meadow. - -The pond was shallow at this end, with great masses of lily-pads, both -of the white and the yellow or cow-lily. In contrast to this the shore -of the upper end was bold and rocky, heavily wooded to the water's -edge. Here on a tiny patch of shingle, the only break in the rocky -shore line, the canoe was beached. A trail led up for a hundred yards -into a grove of hemlocks where, completely hidden from the lake, was -the camp which was Big Jim's objective point. Two comfortable lean-tos -had been built perhaps ten feet apart and facing each other, with a -stout windbreak closing one side between the two. The lean-tos were of -hemlock bark, peeled from forest giants and flattened to huge sheets. -These sheets formed the sides, back and steeply sloping roofs, the -entire front of each, after the manner of all lean-tos, being left -open. In the middle, between the two, were the charred embers of old -fires, while the matted brown needles of small hemlock and balsam -twigs in both lean-tos bore mute witness to the spicy, comfortable -beds of other campers. A rough board table stood at one side of the -fireplace. - -"Here we be, pard," said Big Jim as he swung his basket to the ground. -"You take this pail an' follow thet trail yonder till you find a -spring, while I dig out th' grub. Reckon you must be hungry. We'll hev -a bit o' bacon now and a good square meal to-night." - -It was long past noon, and now that the excitement of the journey was -over Walter realized how empty his stomach was. He found the spring -easily, and when he returned Big Jim already had his basket unpacked -and was just starting the fire. He had cut two bed logs about six feet -long and eight or ten inches in diameter. These he had flattened on -top and one side and had placed side by side, flat sides opposite and -some three inches apart at one end, spreading to ten inches at the -other. Between these he had built a fire of hemlock bark started with -birch bark, which, by the way, is as good as kerosene for starting a -fire. In a few minutes he had a bed of glowing coals over which the -frying-pan was soon sizzling, and that most delicious of all odors, -frying bacon, mingled with pungent wood smoke, assailed the boy's -eager nostrils. - -By making the fireplace and fire in this way, Big Jim explained, the -frying-pan rested on an even surface, with a steady even heat beneath -it, and one could squat beside it in comfort without becoming unduly -heated. At the same time the bacon was cooked thoroughly without -scorching. - - [Illustration: HE HAD BUILT A FIRE] - -A kettle of water was set over the coals to wash the tin plates, -knives and forks when the meal was over. How good that bacon, bread -and butter did taste, washed down by clear cold water! It seemed to -the hungry boy that he never had eaten such a meal, its one fault -being that there wasn't enough of it. But Big Jim laughed at him, -telling him that that was only a lunch, but that he should have a real -dinner at sundown. - -When the dishes were cleared away Big Jim took his axe and went back -into the woods returning presently with half a dozen forked sticks of -green wood. Two of these about four feet long were driven into the -ground, one at each end of the fireplace. Across them, supported in -the forks, was laid a straight young sapling which the guide called a -lug-pole. Then he took one of the other sticks and cut it off about -three inches above the fork or crotch, leaving a good hand grasp. One -branch was cut off some four inches from the fork, the other branch -being left long enough so that when a small nail was driven in the end -on the opposite side from the short part of the fork and the fork -inverted over the lug-stick a pail hung from the nail would swing -just over the coals. Other sticks were made in the same way, but of -varying lengths. The camp range was then complete. - -The long sticks (they are called pot-hooks) were for bringing a kettle -close to the fire, while the shorter ones would allow of keeping -things simmering without boiling or danger of burning. Moreover, by -simply taking up a pot-hook by the hand grasp a kettle could be moved -anywhere along the lug-stick away from the hottest part of the fire -without burning the hands. It was simple, quickly made, yet for all -top cooking as effective as the gas range at home, and Walter felt -that he had learned an important lesson in woodcraft. - -After the dishes were cleared away Big Jim led the way to a balsam -thicket, taking with him two straight sticks about four feet long, -hooked at the lower end. With his axe he rapidly lopped over a mass of -balsam twigs, showing Walter how to slip them on to the long sticks so -that when he had finished they had two big green spicy cylindrical -piles of balsam with a hand grasp at the top to carry them by. -Returning to camp Jim rapidly made up two beds. Small boughs were -laid first, overlapping so that the butts were hidden. A deep layer -of the small twigs were then laid on in the same way and behold! a bed -a king might covet! - -About four o'clock the guide told Walter to rig his rod and they would -go in quest of their dinner. Paddling over to a cove where several -springs fed the lake they drifted idly while the guide studied the -various insects on and above the water. Finally he told Walter to rig -two flies, a brown hackle for the tail and a professor for the -dropper. The boy had already become fairly proficient in getting his -line out cleanly and dropping his flies with that lightness which so -closely simulates the falling of the living insects on the water. As -yet he had seen no indications of fish, but he was impatient to try -his luck. Big Jim, however, was lazily smoking, and Walter was forced -to be content with admiring the wonderful panorama of lake and -mountain spread before him as they idly drifted. Presently there was a -splash on the edge of the shadows inshore, and then Walter caught a -gleam of silver as another fish broke the mirror-like surface. The -fish had begun to rise. - -With the same noiseless stroke that Walter had so much admired in the -morning Big Jim worked the canoe shoreward toward the widening circle -where the last fish had broken. At his signal Walter cast, ten -feet--twenty feet--thirty feet. The flies dropped lightly almost -directly above the spot where they had seen the fish. Hardly had the -tackle touched the water when there was a swift flash of silver and -with a deft twist of the wrist Walter struck. - -With a rush the fish started for deep water, while the reel sang -merrily. Gently but steadily Walter applied the pressure of the rod, -when the first rush was checked, reeling in every inch of slack, until -five minutes later he led the tired captive within reach of Big Jim's -eager fingers, which closed in his gills and the prize was theirs, a -shining half-pound spotted beauty, which the guide promptly and -mercifully killed by slipping a thumb into the mouth and bending the -head back till the spine broke at the neck. - -So they drifted alongshore, Walter taking two more of about the size -of the first one, and several smaller ones. As they approached a lone -rock some fifty feet offshore he made a long careful cast just to the -edge of the deepest shadow of the rock. The strike which followed was -so fierce and the strain on the rod so great that but for the -screaming of the reel Walter would have been sure that he had caught a -snag. But there was no mistaking the active form at the other end of -the line. Big Jim had waked to the battle royal now in progress and -was bringing to bear all his skill in the handling of the canoe. - -Straight out into the lake shot the fish. "Give him th' butt, boy, -give him th' butt, but be careful!" shouted the guide. This Walter -did, elevating the tip of the rod until the springing little bamboo -was bent almost double, the fish pulling against the full spring of -the rod, clear from the butt. This served to check the rush. A period -of sulking in deep water followed. Then the line slackened until it -hung limply from the end of the straightened rod. - -"He's off," thought Walter, his heart sinking. But the guide was not -so easily fooled. - -"Reel, boy, reel!" he shouted, deftly turning the canoe as on a pivot. - -Then Walter waked to the fact that the fish had started a rush -straight toward the canoe, hence the slack line. Madly he reeled until -a sharp tug that pulled the tip of his rod under water told him that -he was still fast. With a sigh of relief he gently increased the -pressure. - -"Must be a four pounder, sartin," said the guide, skilfully keeping -the canoe bow on. "Funny he don't break water. He ought t' hev been in -th' air half a dozen times 'fore this." - -Thus far they had not had so much as a glimpse of the finny warrior. -Thrice he had come almost to the surface, but instead of the silver -flash arching through the air, which is the joy of the fisherman, -there had been no more than a sudden swirl of the placid surface, and -the fish had again sought the depths. - -Walter's wrist was feeling the strain. Despite the excitement he was -becoming tired. His heart was pounding with conflicting emotions, -alternate hope of landing a record prize and fear of losing it. -Another fit of sulking gave him a few minutes' respite. When the next -rush started he felt that it was weaker, nor was it as long. Inch by -inch he was recovering his line, not for one instant relaxing the -steady strain on the fish. - -The rushes were short now and quickly checked. Inch by inch, foot by -foot the reel took up the line. At last in the clear depths he got a -glimpse of a shadowy form as it started another rush. Big Jim had seen -too. Indeed, he had seen more than Walter had. - -"Two o' em, by gum!" he shouted. "Steady now, pard! 'Twon't be safe t' -try t' land 'em in th' canoe without a landin' net. I'm goin' t' work -in t' thet bit o' shingle over yonder. Jes' yer keep 'em comin' an' -don't let up on 'em fer a minute." - -The guide was right. Both flies had been seized at once. By this time -Walter could occasionally see the two fish, and the sight brought his -heart into his throat. Could he save both? What a chance to score for -the Delawares! And what a record to send home to father! He understood -now why there had been no leaping; the fish had checkmated each other. - -As the canoe grated on the pebbles the guide leaped over, knee-deep -in the water. Walter stood up and gently led the fish toward the -waiting guide. So tired were they that they were almost passive, their -broad tails feebly winnowing as, getting the line in his left hand, -Big Jim drew them slowly to him. Gently he sank his right arm in the -water that no sudden move should startle the fish into a last frantic -struggle. Would he save them? Walter sat down weakly, trembling with -the strain and anxiety. - -Slowly the guide's big hand slipped up the length of the fish on the -dropper. The stout fingers locked in the gills, there was a deft -throw--Walter could never tell just how it was done--and both fish -were flapping on the shore. Jim threw himself upon them a second -after, for his quick eye had seen that the tail fly had torn out. When -he stood up he held out a fish in each hand, such fish! The young -angler could hardly believe the evidence of his own eyes. - -"Smallest'll weigh 'bout two an' a half pounds, an' t'other 'bout a -pound heftier," said Jim, eyeing them critically. "Pard, thet's goin' -some fer a beginner. Reckon yer must carry a rabbit's foot in yer -pocket fer luck." - -Walter disclaimed any witch charms whatsoever as he produced the neat -little spring scales which had been a parting gift from his father. -These proved the accuracy of Jim's guess, one being an ounce less and -the other an ounce and a half more than the weights he had named. They -were the true broad tails or speckled trout, commonly called brook -trout (Salvilinus fontinalis) than which no more beautiful fish swims. - -As he admired their exquisitely painted sides something very like -regret for a moment subdued the boy's elation and pride, for he was -one of the true nature lovers, to whom the destruction of life must -ever bring a feeling of sadness. - -As the guide shoved off Walter started to bend on a change of flies, -but to this Big Jim quickly put a stop. - -"Pard," said he, "no true sportsman will ever kill more'n he needs. -We've got enough--all we can use. The man who kills jes' fer th' fun -o' killin' ain't nothin' more'n a butcher. He'd better get a job in -one o' them big slaughter-houses. When I find I'm guidin' fer one o' -thet breed he most gen'rally don't hev no luck." - -Walter felt the rebuke, but he was fair minded enough to appreciate -and not resent it. Nor did he ever forget it. - -Back at camp Big Jim at once started preparations for dinner. Going -into the woods he cut a small log of hard wood about two feet long, -out of which he split a slab about three inches thick. One side of -this he rapidly smoothed. Under his direction Walter had, in the -meantime, built a fire of small pieces of hard wood. This was soon a -bed of glowing coals which would retain their heat for a long time, a -property which soft woods do not possess, as the guide took pains to -impress upon him. For this reason hardwood coals are always preferable -for cooking. - -When the slab was smoothed to Jim's satisfaction he propped it up in -front of the coals. Splitting the largest fish down the back its -entire length, taking care not to cut through the belly, he cleaned it -and wiped it dry. When the slab was hot he tacked the fish to it, skin -side down, and spread full width. Then the slab was once more propped -in front of the fire and three strips of bacon were hung across the -top so that the fat would try out and drip on the fish. When it became -necessary to reverse the ends of the slab so that the fish would cook -evenly the bacon was taken off and impaled on the pointed end of a -small stick, it becoming Walter's duty to hold this so that the drip -would continue to baste the fish. - -While Walter tended the fish the guide made a reflector according to -an idea Walter had given him. Lashing together two sticks in the form -of a T, one two and a half feet long and the other a foot long, he -tacked a piece of birch about two feet wide to the ends of the T, thus -forming a segment of a circle. The white side of the bark was turned -in. A flat piece of hemlock bark was fitted across the sticks and a -rough handle was lashed to the whole. The result was a crude but -effective reflector to concentrate the light from a flash in a given -direction. - -By the time this was finished the fish was done to a turn. A dash of -salt and pepper was added, and it was ready to serve on the slab on -which it was cooked. Have you ever sat under the sweet smelling -hemlocks, careless of all else in the world save securing your full -share of the flaky pink flesh of a trout cooked in this way? If you -have then your mouth is watering this very minute. If you have -not--ah, why try to describe it? My advice to you is simply this: -Follow Walter's example at the earliest opportunity. - -Bread with butter and hot cocoa (Dr. Merriam tabooed coffee or tea for -growing boys) completed the menu. When the dinner was finished, to the -last shred of pink flesh clinging to crisp brown skin, Walter felt -that never before in all his life had he eaten half so delicious a -meal. - -With dinner out of the way and camp made ready for the night they -prepared to put into execution the plan which was the real object of -the trip. There was no moon, for the sky was overcast, and the night -promised to be very dark. This was much to Jim's liking, for the -blacker the night the less likelihood that the deer would see ought -but the baleful, fascinating glare of the jack-light. - -It was nine o'clock when they left camp, Walter in the bow as usual, -but this time with nothing to occupy his attention but his camera and -the jack-light strapped on his hat. The reflector was within easy -reach of the guide, to whom Walter had given careful instructions in -its use. A flash, consisting of two No. 2 cartridges, had been -prepared and wires connected from a couple of electric batteries. Jim -had merely to press a button to fire the flash. - -It was agreed that Walter should set his focus for one hundred feet -and that, should they be lucky enough to find the deer, the judging of -the distance and setting off of the flash should be left to the guide. - -It was weird, uncanny, that paddle down the lake, the black water -beneath them and a black formless void around and above them. A dozen -strokes from shore Walter felt as utterly lost so far as sense of -direction was concerned as if blindfolded. But not so Big Jim. He sent -the canoe forward as confidently as if in broad daylight. The jack was -lighted but not uncovered. - -Walter became aware presently that the canoe was moving very much -more slowly and he suspected that they were approaching the lower end -of the pond. At a whispered word he turned on the jack. The narrow -beam of light cutting athwart the darkness made the night seem blacker -by contrast. Very, very slowly they were moving, and there was not so -much as the sound of a ripple against their light craft. - -The boy sat motionless, but listen as he would he could detect no -smallest sound to denote the presence of his companion, much less to -indicate that he was paddling. But paddling he was, and the canoe -steadily crept forward. A mighty chorus of frog voices in many keys -evidenced the close proximity of the meadows surrounding the outlet. -As the canoe's course was altered to parallel the shore the boy -cautiously turned in his seat so that the rays from the jack were -directed shoreward. At that distance, even in the very center of the -beam of light, the shore was but a ghostly outline, and Walter -wondered how it could be possible that they could see the eyes of a -deer. - -Once the heavy plunge of a muskrat made him jump inwardly, for his -nerves were keyed to a high pitch. He was beginning to feel cramped -from so long maintaining one position. One foot and leg had gone to -sleep. But he grimly ground his teeth and resolved that, come what -might, he would not move. - -A slight tremor on the port side of the canoe attracted his attention -and he realized that Big Jim was shaking it, the signal agreed upon -should the guide see the deer first. Walter forgot his discomfort. -Eagerly he stared at the shore. For a few minutes he saw nothing -unusual. Suddenly he became conscious of two luminous points--the eyes -of a deer gazing in fixed fascinated stare at the light. He could -discern no faintest outline of the animal, but the eyes glowed -steadily, unwinking. - -Inch by inch the canoe drifted in. Suddenly the two glowing points -disappeared. Walter's heart sank. Had the animal taken fright? No, -there they were again! The deer had merely lowered its head for a -moment. A shake of the canoe warned the boy that there was something -more. Turning his own eyes from the two burning there in the -blackness he presently became aware of two more, smaller and lower -down. A second later he saw a third pair. - -What could it mean? Could it be that the deer had enemies stalking it? -What if it should be a lynx or even a panther! His excited imagination -conjured up a thrilling scene. What if he could photograph it! He -longed to ask the guide what it all meant, but that was impossible. - -Slowly, slowly they drifted in toward the three pairs of eyes. Walter -kept his camera pointed directly at them, the shutter open, not -knowing what instant the flash might go off. Still they drifted in, -Walter as fascinated by the six glowing points as were the deer by the -jack. Inch by inch, inch by inch they drew nearer. Would the flash -never go? Walter felt that he must turn and see what Big Jim was -doing. Could it be that Jim had disconnected the wires and was unable -to fire the flash? - -Even as this dread possibility entered his mind the water and shore -directly in front of him were lit by a blinding glare. He had an -instantaneous impression of a doe and two fawns staring in curious -alarm from near the shore of a wild meadow flanked by ghostly -tamaracks. Quite automatically he squeezed the bulb that closed the -shutter. Then for a few minutes he could see nothing. But he could -hear the plunging of the frightened animals as they fled for the -shelter of the forest, and his heart leaped at thought of what that -negative in his camera must hold. - -"Git 'em, pard?" drawled the voice of the guide. - -"I guess so. I don't see how I could help it. Anyway, I held the -camera pointed right at them," replied Walter. - -"Guess thet'll do fer to-night, son," said Jim, swinging the canoe -about. "Shut off th' jack an' git out yer paddle. It's us fer th' -blankets now!" - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -A SHOT IN THE DUSK - - -Day breaks in the great forest in a hushed solemnity, as if all nature -bowed in silent worship. The very leaves hang motionless. The voices -of the night are stilled. The prowlers in the dark have slunk back to -their lairs. The furred and feathered folk who people the mighty -woodland through all the hours of light have not yet awakened. The -peace of the perfect stillness is at once a benediction and a prayer. - -It was at just this hour that Walter awoke. There was no sound save -the heavy breathing of Big Jim. For a few minutes he lay peering out -through a break in the bark wall of the shack. Swiftly the gray light -threaded the forest aisles. A rosy flush touched the top of a giant -pine and instantly, as if this were a signal, a white-throated sparrow -softly fluted its exquisite song from a thicket close by the camp. -Another more distant took up the song, and another and another until -the woods rang with the joyous matins. A red squirrel chirred sharply -and his claws rattled on the bark of the roof as he scampered across. -A rabbit thumped twice close at hand. Cautiously raising himself on -one elbow Walter discovered the little gray-coated fellow peering with -timid curiosity into the opposite lean-to. - -As if this were the morning alarm Big Jim yawned, then sprang from his -blankets. Brer Rabbit dived headlong for the underbrush, but the -guide's quick eyes caught the flash of bunny's white tail, and he -laughed good-naturedly. - -"Why didn't you invite him t' breakfast, son?" he inquired. - -Walter grinned as he crawled out of his blankets. "Felt too bashful on -such short acquaintance," he replied. - -"Prob'ly them's his feelin's, too," said the guide, producing two -rough towels from the depths of his pack basket. "Now fer a wash and -then breakfast." - -There was a sharp nip to the air that made Walter shiver at the -thought of what the water must be like. He dreaded that first plunge, -but he said nothing, and followed Big Jim's lead down to the lake. To -his surprise he found the water warmer than the air, as if the heavy -blanket of mist in which the lake was still shrouded was indeed a -coverlid provided to hold fast the warmth absorbed from the sun of -yesterday. A brisk swim followed by an equally brisk rub-down banished -all thoughts of chill, and just as the first low-flung rays of the -rising sun burned a hole through the slowly rising vapor they started -back for camp and breakfast. - -"You start th' fire while I rastle round th' grub," said the guide, as -he once more dug down into the pack. "How will flapjacks and th' rest -o' them trout hit yer fer a lining fer yer stomach, pard?" - -While the guide prepared the batter Walter showed how well he had -learned his lesson in fire building the night before. Between the two -big bed-logs he placed two fairly good-sized sticks about a foot -apart. Dry twigs and splinters were laid loosely across, and on these -at one side some strips of birch bark. Two more sticks were now laid -across the twigs at right angles, then another layer of small sticks. -The next layer of larger sticks was laid at right angles to the -former. So the pile was built up, log-cabin fashion, good-sized split -hard wood being used for the upper layers. - -Touching a match to the birch bark he had the satisfaction of seeing -the whole mass leap into flame in less than a minute because, built in -this way, air had immediate circulation to the whole mass, free access -of air being essential to a brisk fire. Then again the whole would -burn down together to live coals, the object to be obtained for -successful cooking. - -In the meantime Big Jim had stirred up the flapjack batter and gone in -quest of the trout, which had been left in a pail hung on the stub of -a dead branch of a pine near by. He returned with a look of chagrin on -his good-natured face. - -"Reckon, pard, thet we've had more visitors than thet leetle -cottontail we ketched a glimpse o' this mornin'. If yer ain't no ways -pertic'lar you an' me will have bacon stid o' trout with them -flapjacks. Ought t' known thet if leetle ole Mr. Mink really wanted -them fish he wouldn't mind takin' th' trouble t' shin up a tree. If -I'd hung thet pail by a wire as I'd ought t' hev, Mr. Mink wouldn't -hev th' laugh on us now." - -Walter laughed at the rueful face of the guide. "How do you know it -was a mink?" he asked. - -"'Cause thar's no other critter in these here woods likes fish well -enough t' use his wits thet way t' git 'em. Besides, he wasn't -pertic'lar 'bout coverin' up his tracks. Left 'em 'round most -promiscus and insultin'. Say, son," he added, his face brightening -with a sudden thought, "you take thet tin dipper and hit th' trail -past th' big pine over yonder. Keep a-goin' till yer strike a patch o' -old burned-over ground. Yesterday I see a lot o' early blueberries -over thar. Pick th' dipper full and I'll give yer somethin' t' tickle -yer ribs so thet yer'll fergit all about them trout." - -Walter took the dipper and following the trail shortly reached the -burned land. Sure enough, there were the berries, so plentiful that it -took but a short time to fill the dipper. Before he reached camp he -smelt the bacon and his mouth watered. A pot of steaming cocoa hung -from one of the pot-hooks, and a plate of crisp bacon rested on one -end of the fore-log where it would keep warm. - -Big Jim took the dipper with a grin of satisfaction and stirred the -berries into his kettle of batter. Then into the sizzling hot -frying-pan, well greased with bacon fat, he poured enough batter to -cover the bottom, and placed it over the glowing coals before which he -squatted, watching the bubbling cake with a critical eye. Suddenly he -lifted the pan, and with a dextrous twist of the wrist, so deftly -executed that Walter did not see how the trick was done, the flapjack -was sent into the air, where it turned over and was caught in the pan, -brown side up as it came down. It was returned to the fire all in the -one motion and two minutes later, buttered and sugared, was on its way -to "line Walter's ribs." - -"Well, pard, how do yer like 'em?" inquired the cook, sending another -spinning over to Walter's plate. - -"They're just the best ever!" exclaimed the boy enthusiastically. "I'm -going to teach cook to make 'em when I get home. Wish dad could have -one of these right now. Say, Jim, it's my turn to fry now." - -The guide tossed one more to begin on while Walter was frying the -next, and then turned the frying-pan over to the amateur cook. Big -Jim's eyes twinkled as the boy reached for a knife with which to turn -the cake. His big hand closed over the knife first. - -"Nobody can be a side pardner o' mine who has t' take a knife t' turn -a flapjack," he drawled, "and, son, I kind o' think I'd like you fer a -side pardner. Thet bein' so, up she goes!" - -Walter grinned sheepishly and gave the frying-pan an awkward toss. The -required twist of the wrist was wholly lacking and, instead of turning -a graceful somersault in the air, the cake shot out at an angle and -landed soft side down on the very spot the guide had occupied a second -before. That worthy, with wisdom born of experience, had shifted his -base at the first motion of the frying-pan, and was now rolling on the -ground in huge glee, his infectious laugh rolling through the camp. - -Walter, his face crimson with more than the heat of the fire, bit his -lips in chagrin which he could not hide, but being blessed with a -strong sense of humor he joined in the laugh and straightway prepared -to try again. This time, under a running fire of comment and advice -from Big Jim, who solemnly assured him that in his humble opinion "the -landscape ain't really a-needin' blueberry frescoes t' improve its -beauty," he succeeded in sending the cake into the air within catching -distance of the pan, but it lacked the impetus to send it high enough -to turn completely over, and fell back in the pan in a shapeless mass. - -Big Jim cast an appraising eye at the batter kettle and, evidently -considering that his chances of a square meal were in jeopardy, -reached for the pan and gave Walter a practical demonstration. Holding -the pan slanting in front of and away from him he gave it a couple of -preliminary easy flaps to get the swing, then flipped boldly and -sharply. It seemed the easiest thing in the world, and in fact it is -when you know how. Returning the pan to Walter he had the latter go -through the motions several times until he was satisfied. Then he -bade him pour in the batter and go ahead. - -Slowly at first, then faster the bubbles broke to the surface. -Presently the edges stiffened and with a little shake Walter felt that -the cake was loose and free in the pan. Getting the preliminary swing -he gave the pan a sharp upward flip and a second later the cake was -back over the fire, brown side up. - -The guide nodded approvingly. "Reckon yer goin' t' be a sure enough -woodsman," he said. "Nobody what can't toss a flapjack has any -business t' think he's th' real thing in th' woods." - -Breakfast finished it fell to Walter to wash the dishes while the -guide went out to look for deer signs. Cleanliness is next to -godliness in camp as well as at home, and hot water is as necessary to -wash dishes in the one place as in the other. Walter had finished his -work and was hanging the towel to dry when he heard a queer noise -behind him. Turning, he was just in time to see a bird about the size -of a blue jay, but gray and white in color, making off with the cake -of soap which he had left on a log. - -Flying to the nearest tree it started to sample its queer breakfast. -But one taste was enough. With a harsh scream, which was a ludicrous -blending of disappointment, disgust and rage, it dropped the soap and -vigorously wiped its bill on the branch on which it was sitting. Then -scolding and protesting in a harsh, discordant voice, it flew to the -next tree, stopping long enough to give the bill another thorough -wiping on a convenient branch, only to repeat the performance on the -next tree, and so on until it disappeared in the depths of the forest. - -Walter laughed heartily, disgust was so clearly manifest in every -motion of the bird and the torrent of invective being poured out was -so very plainly aimed at him personally as the author of its -discomfiture. The boy had never seen a bird of this species before, -but he recognized it at once from its markings, the fine silky plumage -and certain unmistakable characteristics in general appearance and -actions, as a member of the jay family. It was, in fact, the Canada -Jay, Perisoreus canadensis, first cousin to the blue jay, and a -resident the year through of the north woods, where it is often -called the moosebird. - -Big Jim returned just in time to witness the last of the performance. - -"Whisky Jack seems t' think yer ain't been usin' him just right, son," -said he. "What yer been doin' t' rile him up so?" - -Walter told him the incident of the soap, and the guide chuckled with -enjoyment. "Serves th' old thief right," said he. "Why, I've had one -of them fellers sit on my tent just waitin' fer me t' go out so's he -could go inside an' steal somethin'. He'll swipe a meal out of yer -plate while yer back's turned. Just th' same, it's kind o' sociable t' -have him neighborly if yer happen t' be all alone in th' deep woods -fifty miles from nowhar, 'specially in winter." - -"Where did he get the name of Whisky Jack?" asked Walter. - -"Don't know, son, unless it comes from an Indian name I heered a half -breed in a Canada lumber camp use once. He called one o' these jays -thet hed got caught tryin' t' steal th' bait from a mink trap he had -set a 'whis-kee-shaw-neesh.' When yer say it quick it sounds -something like 'Whisky John,' an' I reckon maybe thet's where th' -trappers and lumbermen got th' name 'Whisky Jack.' Anyhow, thet's what -they all call him. Ever see one before?" - -"No," replied Walter, "but I knew it was a Canada Jay as soon as I saw -it. You see I had read all about it in a bird book," slyly putting -just the least emphasis on the word book. - -Big Jim grunted and then abruptly changed the subject. "Been a-lookin' -fer signs o' Mr. Peaked Toes, an' they ain't none too plentiful. If it -was two months later I should say this country hed been hunted hard. I -wonder now----" he paused abruptly to gaze into the fireplace with an -air of deep abstraction. - -"What do you wonder?" asked Walter when the silence became oppressive. - -Big Jim reached for his pipe. "I wonder," said he slowly as with his -fingers he deftly transferred a hot coal from the embers to the bowl -of his pipe, "I wonder if some o' them sneakin' low-lived poachers -ain't been a-killin' deer out o' season right round these here parts. -Durant's lumber camp has been havin' a right smart lot o' fresh -'veal' all summer, an' some one's been supplyin' it. You an' me will -have a look around on th' ridges this morning--take a kind o' census, -mebbe. This afternoon we'll have another try at th' trout t' make up -fer those Mr. Mink had fer breakfast." - -While the guide exchanged his heavy boots for a pair of moccasins -Walter slipped on a pair of sneaks, for he realized that this was to -be a still hunt, the highest form of sportsmanship, a matching of -human skill against the marvelous senses of the most alert and timid -of all the animals that live in the forest. It was to be his first -deer hunt, for the jacking expedition of the night before could hardly -be dignified by the name of hunt, the advantage lying so wholly with -the hunters. Now, however, the advantage would be reversed, lying -wholly with the hunted, with ears trained to detect the smallest -sound, suspicious of the mere rustle of a leaf, and with nostrils so -acutely sensitive that they would read a dozen messages in the -faintest breeze. - -It was still early and Big Jim at once led the way to the foot of a -series of low ridges above a swamp that flanked one side of the pond, -explaining as they went that deer are night feeders, coming down to -the lowlands at dusk and spending the night in the swamps, and along -the watercourses. "'Bout now they'll be workin' back t' higher ground, -till along 'bout ten o'clock they'll be well up on th' hardwood ridges -where they'll lay up fer th' day, snoozin' behind a windfall or thick -clump o' evergreens. Then 'long 'bout four o'clock they'll git movin' -agin, an' pretty quick begin t' work back t' low ground and a drink," -said the guide. - -"Now, pard," he continued, "yer watch them feet o' yourn, and put 'em -down 'sif this here ground was made o' egg-shells. Look out fer twigs -and dead sticks. Snap one o' 'em and it's good-bye Mr. Peaked Toes! -When I stop jest you stop, freeze in yer tracks, till I move on agin. -Guess yer larned yer lesson yesterday 'bout sudden movin'." - -By this time they were skirting the foot of one of the ridges and Big -Jim moved forward slowly, his keen eyes searching the ground for -signs, and sharply scanning the thickets. It was wonderful to the boy -a few feet behind to note how without any apparent attention to where -he was stepping each foot was planted surely and firmly without the -rustle of so much as a leaf. It seemed as if the big moccasins were -endowed with an intelligence of their own, and picked their way among -the scattered litter of dead sticks without attention from the man -whose huge form and heavy weight they bore so lightly. - -Walter himself found that it required every bit of concentration of -which he was capable to watch his path and at the same time keep an -eye on his companion that he might be prepared to "freeze" should the -latter stop suddenly. It was a nervous strain that rapidly became -fatiguing in the extreme. He could not relax for an instant to look -about him, lest in an unguarded moment there should be a fateful snap -underfoot. He wondered if it could be possible that he would ever -acquire that seemingly instinctive art of still walking which is -inborn in the Indian and has become almost a sixth sense in the -trained woodsman. - -It was a relief when Big Jim suddenly stopped and pointed to a bit of -soft ground just ahead of them. There, clearly defined, were the V -shaped imprints of sharp-edged little cloven hoofs. The guide studied -them a moment. - -"Doe crossed here within five minutes," he whispered. - -"How do you know?" asked Walter, imitating the guide's guarded -whisper. - -"Know it's a doe by th' size." He stooped and pointed to a slight film -of moisture on the edge of one of the prints and even as he did so a -tiny particle of wet soil loosened and fell. Had more than five -minutes elapsed the edges would have slightly dried out, and Walter -was enough of a scout to realize this and understand the significance -of what he saw. The guide scanned the side hill to the right. - -"Watch that old windfall," he whispered. - -Walter looked in the direction indicated and studied the tangle of -fallen timber a hundred yards away, but for the life of him he could -make out nothing that in any way resembled an animal. A slow smile -dawned on the good-natured, sun-browned face watching him. Then slowly -Big Jim stooped and picked up a good-sized stick, which he broke in -his hands with a sharp snap. - -Instantly there was a startled whistle, followed by a sudden crash at -one end of the fall, and Walter caught a glimpse of two slim -reddish-brown legs and a white "flag" ridiculously like a magnified -edition of the little bunch of cotton which had been his last glimpse -of Brer Rabbit early that morning. There were two or three diminishing -crashes beyond the windfall and then all was still. - -Walter turned to look at the guide, whose mouth was broadly stretched -in a hearty but noiseless laugh. "Did you see her all the time?" he -whispered. - -Big Jim nodded. "Sure," he replied. "Yer see, son, yer was lookin' fer -somethin' thet wasn't thar--Mrs. Lightfoot right out on full dress -parade like yer've seen 'em in a park, mebbe, and o' course yer didn't -see her. Now I was lookin' fer jest a leetle patch o' red, which -couldn't nohow be leaves at this season o' year, and I see it right -away. Yer most generally see what you're lookin' fer--if it's thar. In -the woods th' thing is t' know what t' look fer." - -His face clouded suddenly as he continued. "I don't nohow like th' -way she dusted out. If it was th' huntin' season I wouldn't think -nothin' o' it. But it ain't, and she ought not t' hev run more'n a -couple o' hundred yards afore she got so blamed curious thet she'd hev -stopped and then come a-sneakin' back t' see what had given her thet -sudden attack o' heart disease. She was sure scared, and she's been -worse scared quite lately." - -They resumed their tramp in the same cautious manner as before, -finding several old tracks and two or three fresh ones, to none of -which Big Jim gave more than a moment's attention. Then they ran -across a trail which, from the size of the prints, Walter knew must -have been made by a big buck. The guide wet a finger and carefully -tested the direction of the wind, which was so faint as not to be -perceptible to the dry skin. Satisfied that the trail led directly -into the wind he started to follow it, explaining as they went along -that had the trail led down wind it would have been useless to waste -time following it, for the game would have scented them long before -they were near it. - -The course now led up to higher ground and only such trained eyes as -the guide's could have picked it out. As they approached the top of -the ridge Big Jim suddenly left the trail and made a wide détour to -the left, then circled back to the top of the ridge, along which he -led the way with the utmost caution, stopping at every step to study -the landscape in front and below. Finally in the shelter of a young -hemlock he stopped and nodded for Walter to join him. - -"Look in thet thicket o' young hemlocks a couple o' hundred yards down -from th' top o' the ridge," he whispered. - -Walter looked as directed, but for a few minutes could make out -nothing unusual. Then he recalled his lesson earlier in the day and -looked for a "patch o' red." Almost at once he saw it, low down under -the hemlocks, and by looking intently soon made out the form of the -buck lying down in unsuspicious contentment. - -"Foxy old Mr. Peaked Toes has been clear up on top o' th' ridge an' -then doubled back and laid down whar he can watch his back track," -whispered the guide. "But we've fooled him this time." - -For a few minutes they watched him. Then the hush of the great forest -was abruptly broken by the alarm notes of a crow, so close at hand -that Walter instinctively looked up, expecting to see the black -mischief maker above their heads. But no bird was to be seen, and a -glance at Big Jim's grinning face told him that the crow was none -other than the guide himself. - -When his glance once more returned to the buck it was to behold a -lordly animal standing with his magnificent head, crowned with ten -point antlers still in the velvet, thrown up, his sensitive nostrils -testing the wind for trace of possible danger. For a few minutes he -stood motionless, ears forward to catch the least sound, big soft eyes -searching the hillside, delicate nostrils expanded and a-quiver in the -effort to read some warning in the air. So the king stood, suspicious -but not alarmed, a royal animal in the full vigor of maturity. - -Satisfied that ears and eyes and nose could detect no danger, but -still suspicious, he suddenly bounded behind the hemlocks, clearing a -fallen tree with a leap which was a marvel of lightness. The thicket -shut him from their view, but presently Big Jim called Walter's -attention to a slight movement of bushes far up along on the ridge. - -"He's making a sneak t' high ground whar he can have a better look -around. Then he'll make a big circle t' try the wind from all -quarters. Did yer notice that scar on his shoulder? He's been burned -thar by a bullet or had an ugly tear in a scrap with another buck. -Son, you've seen th' King o' Lonesome Pond. I've tried fer him for th' -last three years in th' open season, but th' old rascal knows as well -as I do when th' huntin' season begins and he's too smart fer me. No -walkin' up on him then like we did to-day! I'd like t' get him and -yet--well, fact is I'd hate t' see him dead. He sure is a king! Now -fer camp an' lunch an' then a try fer them trout. Son, yer'll make a -still hunter one o' these days, and, son, don't yer never fergit thet -still huntin' is th' only real sportin', square deal way o' huntin' -deer." - -These few words of approval from his companion amply rewarded the boy -for his long effort to "keep his feet in the way they should go" and -now as they tramped rapidly toward camp he felt within him for the -first time the sense of mastery and self-reliance which is ever the -woodsman's best reward. - -In the afternoon fishing Walter failed to equal his record catch of -the day before, but nevertheless landed some handsome trout, and they -soon had all they could use. After an early supper the guide led the -way to a deer run only a short distance from camp, where, he said, the -animals were in the habit of coming down to drink. Here at one side in -a position to command an unobstructed view of a part of the run Walter -set up his camera, masking it with branches broken from the -surrounding trees. A flash was arranged to be exploded by an electric -spark from two dry cells which had been brought along for the purpose. -A stout thread was fastened across the run in such a way that an -animal passing up or down must strike it and the adjustment was such -that the least pull would make the necessary contact and set off the -flash. - -"Thar's a couple o' other runs close by, and it's all a chance -whether a deer will take this partic'lar run, but I think th' chance -is good," said the guide. - -Back at camp the guide put out the fire lest the smell of smoke should -alarm the game. Then they sat down to wait, Big Jim whiling away the -time with stories of hunting and adventure which set the boy's pulses -to faster beating. Swiftly the shadows crept through the woods and -dusk settled over the landscape. Through the tree tops Walter caught -the gleam of the first star. - -"Ought not t' be long now 'fore thar's somethin' doin'," said the -guide. - -Almost with the words the report of a rifle rang out from the lake in -the direction of the run where the camera was set, and rolled in heavy -echoes along the mountain. Big Jim was on his feet in an instant, his -face contorted with rage, while he shook a brawny fist in the -direction of the shot. - -"You hound, I'd wring yer blasted neck fer two cents!" he muttered. -Then he turned to Walter and shook his head sorrowfully as he said, -"It ain't a mite o' use t'-night, son. Thet shot hit th' narves o' -every deer within two miles o' here. Might as well go bring in th' -camera. I been sartin all day thet some such mischief as this was -afoot. We didn't see half th' number o' deer we'd ought to this -mornin' and them was so skeery thet I suspicioned they was bein' -hunted right along. Guess when we git back t' Woodcraft we'll hev t' -notify th' game warden and do a little still huntin' fer bigger game -than Peaked Toes. Reckon I could guess who th' feller is, but I ain't -got no proof, not a mite. If yer was t' leave thet picter box out all -night yer might ketch one 'long just 'fore daybreak," he added as an -afterthought. - -Walter agreed to this, and they set about preparing for the night, -when both were startled by a distant flare of light. - -"The flash!" cried Walter joyously. "You guessed wrong that time, you -old croaker!" - -Big Jim's face was a study. "Reckon I did, pard," he drawled. "Must be -one deer round these parts what is plumb foolish in her head. Well, -we'll go bring in th' camera." - -In a few minutes they reached the run. Sure enough the thread was -broken and the flash sprung. Walter at once slipped in the slide, and -gathering up the apparatus they returned to camp, the boy in high -spirits, but Big Jim in unwonted soberness. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -A BATTLE FOR HONOR - - -Reaching Woodcraft late the next afternoon Walter at once hurried to -the dark room adjoining Dr. Merriam's office to develop his plates. To -his dismay he found that needed chemicals for fresh developer were -lacking, and he was unwilling to risk his plates in the old and -necessarily weak developer on hand. There was nothing for it but to -possess himself in such patience as he could until a fresh supply -could be obtained from the city. Dr. Merriam promised to send at once. -Leaving Big Jim to report to the doctor the results of their trip -Walter sought the wigwam. - -He found Tug rewinding his split bamboo and Billy Buxby assisting with -a ceaseless stream of unheeded advice. - -"Behold the mighty hunter!" exclaimed Billy with an exaggerated bow of -mock deference as Walter entered. - -"What luck?" asked Tug, as he tied the final knot and reached for the -shellac. - -Walter rapidly sketched a brief account of his two days at Lonesome -Pond, but in his enthusiasm over the deer hunt forgot to mention his -double catch of trout. "Anything new here?" he asked finally. - -Tug shook his head. "Nothin' much. Harrison came in with a three-pound -brook trout this morning, and unless some one gets in to-night with -something better that will give the Senecas the score for this week. -Say, the gloom in this little old shanty is something fierce. If it -was any one but Harrison there'd be no kick comin'. He's gettin' such -a swelled head he can't see anybody outside his own tribe. I'd like to -punch it for him," growled Tug savagely. - -"Say," he added as he looked up, "what's the matter with you, you -grinning Cheshire cat?" - -"Nothing much," replied Walter, "only day before yesterday I landed a -double, for a total of five pounds; brook trout, too." - -Tug and Billy fell on him as one. "Say it again! Say it again!" begged -Tug as they pinned Walter to the floor and sat on him. - -"I got two trout at one cast, and they weighed five pounds. Does that -beat it?" gasped Walter, giving up the struggle. - -"Counts same as one fish," whooped Billy joyously. - -"Well, we win anyway, for one of them weighed over three and a half," -said Walter, giving a sudden heave that sent Billy sprawling. "Now -what's the matter, you old gloom chaser?" - -"Walt, you ain't foolin', are you? Tell me, you rabbit-footed -tenderfoot, have you got proof?" implored Tug. - -"Big Jim's word for it, and a photo," replied Walter. - -Tug's face cleared. "That's good enough. Oh, my eye, wait till that -record is posted to-night!" he chortled. - -Tug was not disappointed. The record held, and the Delawares -celebrated that night with a bonfire and war dance in which Walter, to -his confusion, found himself the central figure. Harrison's chagrin -was too evident to escape notice, and his defeat was rubbed in with a -malice born of his growing unpopularity. - -The next morning when Walter met him and offered his hand Hal passed -on as if the other lad were a stick or a stone. The insult was -witnessed by several Delawares and by members of Hal's own tribe. That -night a meeting of indignation was held by the Delawares, and in spite -of Walter's protest and the efforts of Woodhull and one or two of the -older boys, it was voted to send Harrison to Coventry so far as the -Delawares were concerned, that is, he was not to be spoken to or -recognized in any way. - -In his own wigwam Hal was only a degree less unpopular. The leaders -tried to induce him to make an apology, pointing out to him that he -was violating both the spirit and word of the Scout's oath, but the -effort was without avail. The high-strung, undisciplined boy, -accustomed from babyhood to having his own way, fawned upon by all -with whom he had hitherto come in contact because of his father's -great wealth, was utterly unable to adjust himself to the new -conditions which surrounded him, to the democracy of which he was now -a part yet of which he had no understanding. So he went his headstrong -way, and if in his heart were bitterness and misery he made no sign. - -The Senecas stood by him with half-hearted loyalty because he was a -fellow tribesman, but there was not one whom he could call a friend. -So he became more and more isolated, spending his days fishing, the -proudest, loneliest boy in all the big camp. The fact that he -continued to score with big fish gave him a measure of standing with -his tribe, and to maintain this became his chief object in the daily -life. - -Walter was thinking of this and wondering what the outcome would be as -early one morning he headed his canoe for a setback some three miles -from camp, which he had discovered the day before. The entrance was so -hidden in a tangle of alders and brush that it was only with the -greatest difficulty that he could pick out the channel. He had passed -the spot dozens of times without suspecting that anything lay beyond. - -Patiently and carefully he worked his way through the tangle, once -having to get out and lift the canoe over a jam of a dozen stranded -logs. Beyond this the channel was comparatively clear. Unexpectedly -it abruptly opened into a broad body of water perhaps half a mile -long, deep in the middle, and with the upper end covered with an acre -or more of lily-pads. - -Walter's eyes sparkled. "Gee, I bet there's pickerel in here!" he -exclaimed, unconsciously speaking aloud. - -"Bet yer life thar is," said a voice with a chuckle. - -Walter turned to find a rude raft anchored behind the half submerged -top of a fallen hemlock, and on it sat Pat Malone, catching young -striped perch for bait. - -"Hello!" exclaimed Walter. "What are you doing here?" - -"Seem ter be fishin'," replied Pat, a broad grin spreading across his -freckled face. - -Walter grinned in return. "Well, what are you catching?" he asked. - -"Mostly fish--some skeeters," was the prompt retort. - -Pat lifted a wriggling three-inch perch from the water. "Do you call -that a fish?" asked Walter. - -"Mebbe it is an' mebbe it isn't," said the lumber boy as he dropped -the victim into a battered old pail half filled with water. "How -about this?" He reached behind him and held up at arm's length a huge -pickerel. - -Walter allowed a long low whistle of admiration escape him. "Are there -any more like that in here?" he asked eagerly. - -"Shure," replied Pat. "That's nothin' but a minnie 'longside some old -whopperlulus in here." - -"What'd you catch him with?" - -"Bait an' a hook an' line." - -Walter laughed. "Pat, you win," said he. "I don't want any of your -secrets, but I should like to catch just one fish like that one." - -A crafty look swept over the freckled face grinning across at him. -"Yez licked me once." - -Walter nodded. - -"An' yez said that if iver yez had the chance yez'd show me some o' -thim thricks what done it." - -Again Walter nodded. - -"Will yez do it now if Oi'll show yez where thim big fish is an' how -ter ketch 'em?" asked Pat eagerly. - -"I'll do it anyway, and you don't need to show me anything about the -fish," replied Walter heartily, driving the canoe ashore as he spoke. - -Together they forced their way through the underbrush until they found -a cleared place. "This isn't to be another fight?" asked Walter, a -sudden suspicion flashing into his mind. - -"Course it ain't! What kind av a low-down hedgehog do ye take me fer, -anyway?" retorted his companion indignantly. - -Walter put out his hand and apologized promptly, ashamed to think that -he should have been guilty of entertaining such a thought. Then he -began by briefly explaining the rules governing boxing, pointing out -that a blow below the waist line constitutes a foul, that a man -knocked down is allowed ten seconds in which to get on his feet again, -and during that time must not be touched by his opponent; that -wrestling is not allowed, and that matches usually are conducted by -rounds of three minutes each, with a minute for rest in between. - -"No true sportsman will ever hit a man when he's down," concluded -Walter. - -This was difficult for the backwoods boy to grasp, and it was equally -hard for him to understand why in a fight he should not scratch, kick -and gouge, even use his teeth if opportunity offered, for in his hard -life in the lumber camps he had witnessed many a rough and tumble -fight where ethics are unknown, and where fighting men sink to the -level of fighting beasts, employing every weapon with which nature has -endowed them, and giving no mercy to a fallen foe. - -But Pat was blessed with a strong sense of fair play, and when he had -fully grasped the meaning of the rules they appealed to him instantly. -"'Tis jist a square deal both byes gits in a foight!" he exclaimed, a -light breaking over his puzzled face. - -Then Walter showed him a few of the simplest guards, how to parry an -opponent's blow with one arm while countering with the other, how to -protect the body with elbows and forearms while the hands shield the -face, how to step inside, and how to duck under a swing, how, by -watching his opponent, to anticipate the coming blow and be prepared -to avoid it. Lastly he showed him the art of side-stepping, the -little shift of the feet which while keeping the body perfectly poised -allows the blow to pass harmlessly to one side or the other, at the -same time opening an opportunity to counter on the opponent. - -Naturally quick, and with an Irishman's inborn love of battle, Pat -picked up the points readily and when at the end of an hour Walter -flung himself on the ground for a breathing spell Pat executed a -double shuffle. - -"Shure it be the greatest dancin' lesson av me loife!" he whooped -joyously, side-stepping, ducking and lunging into empty space. "Come -on, bye, come on! Oi can lick yez now! Come on, ye spalpeen! 'Tis Pat -Malone will give yez the greatest lickin' av yer life!" - -Walter declined with thanks, lying back weak from laughter, while the -young giant continued to dance around sparring, ducking and countering -on an imaginary foe. "'Tis meself will clane out the Durant camp -before anither sun is up as shure as Oi be the eldest son av me -mither," he chuckled, flinging himself beside Walter from sheer -exhaustion. - -When they had rested a bit Walter proposed that they go try the fish, -and that Pat come in his canoe. In an instant the young woodsman had -forgotten his newly acquired accomplishments, for a new idea had -suddenly possessed him. - -"Tell me, bye, what's this about catchin' the biggest fish at -Woodcraft Camp?" he asked eagerly. - -Walter explained the contest fully, and told how eager he was to score -over the Senecas. - -"'Tis aisy," broke in Pat. - -"What do you mean?" asked Walter, a bit puzzled. - -Pat struck one side of his nose with a dirty forefinger and winked -solemnly. "Oi wonder now, have yez forgot the big pickerel yez have -lyin' down on the raft? 'Twill weigh ten pounds if it weighs an -ounce." - -"But that isn't mine!" exclaimed Walter. "It's yours." - -"Is ut now?" said Pat, scratching his head. "Shure Oi disremimber -ketchin' ut. Oi'm thinkin' yez must hev caught ut in yer shlape an' -didn't know ut." - -Walter laughed and thanked his companion heartily, while he refused -the gift. Then seeing the look of hurt disappointment on Pat's face -he hastened to make clear why he could not accept the fish. "You see," -he concluded, "a Scout's honor is always to be trusted, and it would -not be honorable to try to win with a fish I did not catch myself. A -man's honor is the greatest thing he possesses." - -The other pondered this in silence for a few minutes trying to adjust -his mind to a new idea. When he spoke it was slowly, as one feeling -his way. - -"Yez mane that ter score wid thot fish would be loike hittin' a man -when he's down, or shtalin' from a blind pup." - -"Exactly," replied Walter. - -"An' do all the other byes feel the same way?" - -"Of course they do." - -"No they don't! Anyway, there's wan that doesn't." - -"What do you mean?" cried Walter startled. - -"Oi mane thot there's wan dirty blackguard has been winnin' points -roight along wid Pat Malone's fish. Oi mane thot thot spalpeen thot -yez call Harrison, the wan with his pockets lined with money, has been -buyin' me big fish fer the last mont' an' payin' me good money fer -'em. Oi mane thot if yez hadn't happened in here this marnin' yez -moight hev seen him luggin' in thot big pickerel this very noight. -'Tis his last fish he's had from me, the low-down blackguard." Then he -added ruefully: "Sure 'tis a glad day fer Pat Malone an' a sorry wan -fer his pockets ter hev found out what honor manes." - -The two boys returned to the canoe and spent the remainder of the -morning in a vain attempt to land another big pickerel. When they -parted it was with a mutual respect and liking and a promise on -Walter's part to return the next day in quest of the big fellows. -"Oi'm goin' ter hunt frogs fer bait this afternoon an' Oi'll be -waitin' fer ye at sunup," were Pat's parting words. - -It was a sober boy who paddled back to Woodcraft that afternoon. What -he had learned that morning filled him with mingled feelings of -contempt and gladness--contempt, for the fellow Scout who had so -perjured himself and violated his Scout's oath, and gladness that his -faith in the unkempt boy of the woods had been so fully justified. Any -lingering doubt of Pat Malone's innocence of the theft of Mother -Merriam's pin which he might have entertained had been banished by -what he had learned of the boy that morning. - -And in his own mind the boy was fighting a battle. Where lay the path -of duty? What did his honor as a Scout demand of him? To go report -what he had learned? To become a bearer of tales? The very thought was -abhorrent to him! On the other hand had he any moral right to allow -his fellow tribesmen to suffer through the dishonesty of which he held -the proof? And Hal's own tribesmen, was it fair to them to allow them -to profit by points to which, though no fault of theirs, they had no -right? - -It was a relief to see Harrison's canoe approaching the landing as he -pulled his own out. He would put it up to Hal to do the square -thing--redeem himself by playing the man for once. - -"Hal," said Walter in a low tone as the other landed, "I know where -you get your fish." - -Hal turned and faced him. "What are you talking about?" he said -roughly. - -Walter flushed and instinctively his fists doubled, but he kept a -check on his temper. "You have bought your record fish of Pat Malone," -he said evenly. - -It was the other's turn to flush, but he maintained his air of -bravado. - -"That's silly," he jeered. - -"No it isn't, and you know it," replied Walter. - -"Well, what are you going to do about it?" asked the other sulkily, -seeing that denial was useless. - -"I don't know," replied Walter sadly. "Say, Hal, why don't you go own -up to Dr. Merriam and ask him to try and put you right with the -fellows?" - -"What do you take me for? I'm in bad enough now. If you don't blab -who's going to know it? And if you turn telltale I guess my word's as -good as yours," sneered Hal. - -"For two cents I'd punch----" began Walter hotly, then pity for the -unfortunate boy before him calmed him. "Hal, I'm not going to say -anything to-night, anyway. Do the right thing. Remember your Scout's -oath," he begged. - -"Remember it yourself," growled Hal. "There's mighty little honor in -telling tales." And with this parting shot he strode off to the -wigwam. - -Walter's preoccupation and sober face were bound to attract the -attention of his mates, and he came in for a lot of guying. - -"Who is she, Walt?" - -"Is her papa a big chief?" - -"Take us round and give us a knock-down, Walt." - -"Romance of the big woods! Walt, the tenderfoot, falls in love with an -Indian princess!" - -Walter's replies to all these sallies were only half-hearted, and -seeing that something was really amiss with him the boys dropped their -banter. He retired to his bunk early, only to twist and toss uneasily -all night long. Over and over till his brain grew weary he kept -repeating the perplexing question, "Ought I to tell? Ought I to tell? -Ought I to tell?" - -The problem was no nearer a solution when in the gray of dawn he -slipped a canoe into the water the next morning and turned her bow -toward the setback. Pat was waiting for him on the old raft and, true -to his word, he had a pocket full of lively little frogs, which were -giving him no end of trouble in their efforts to escape. Walter took -him aboard, and they were soon skirting the lily-pads at the upper -end. - -Here Pat bade Walter rig his rod and, producing a lively green frog -from his pocket, he impaled it on the hook by thrusting the barb -through its lips, explaining that in this way the frog's swimming was -not seriously interfered with. He then took the paddle and handled the -canoe while Walter cast. The frog had hardly struck the water before -there was a swirl at the very edge of a patch of lily-pads followed by -a strike that made the reel sing. A couple of good rushes and then, as -is the way with pickerel, the fish was brought alongside with hardly a -struggle. Pat deftly scooped it into the canoe and killed it with a -blow that broke its spine. It was fair for a beginning, weighing -perhaps four pounds, and Walter prepared to try again. - -For half an hour they worked along the pads, taking several smaller -fish. - -At length they approached an outlying patch of pads where the water -was deep and black. Two canoe lengths short of it Pat stopped the -canoe. Then he sorted over his remaining supply of frogs till he found -one that suited his critical fancy. With this he rebaited Walter's -hook. "Now, ye throw roight over ter the very edge o' thim pads, and -don't ye be in no hurry," he commanded. - -The first cast was short, but at the second attempt the frog landed -with a spat at the very edge of the pads and began to swim vigorously -in an effort to reach and climb up on them. Suddenly the water fairly -boiled, and Walter all but lost his balance and upset the canoe, so -sudden and vicious was the strike. - -"Ye have him! Ye have him! Shure 'tis the king av thim all, an' 'tis -mesilf that knows ut, for 'tis tree times thot the ould feller has -walked off wid me line and hooks!" yelled Pat excitedly. "Don't let -him get foul o' thim pads!" - -Walter soon found that he had the fight of his life on to keep the -wary old warrior in clear water, but inch by inch he worked the fish -away from the pads until finally he felt that the danger was past and -that it was only a matter of time when the prize would be his. A few -more heavy lunges, which threatened by the mere weight of the fish to -break the slender rod, and the battle was over. Softly Pat slid his -hand along till his stout fingers closed in the gills and the prize -was in the canoe, where Pat speedily put an end to the snapping of its -cruel looking jaws by severing the spinal cord with his knife. - -Walter brought out his scales, and could hardly believe that he read -them aright. "Thirteen pounds and a half!" he gasped. - -"An' there's two av me hooks in his mouth, bad cess ter him," said the -matter-of-fact Pat, deftly extracting his property. - -Pat was for trying for another big fellow, but Walter had had enough -for that morning. Besides, he was anxious to show his prize at camp, -so reeling in his line they started for the mouth of the backset. - -"Pat, did Harrison ever have much luck in here?" asked Walter. - -Pat stared at his companion for a minute before he found speech. -"What, do ye mane ter tell me ye be thinkin' Oi iver showed him where -Oi was ketching the fish he bought?" demanded Pat. "Not he nor any -ither o' the Woodcraft byes knows about this setback. 'Tis lucky ye -was ter be findin' the way in yer own self. Ye will kape ut ter -yerself now, will ye not?" - -Walter promised that he would. - -"Say, bye, did ye tell the docther av the low-down thrick this -Harrison has been afther playin'?" Pat suddenly inquired. - -Walter confessed that he had not. Then in a sudden burst of confidence -he told the Irish lad all about the dilemma in which he had become -involved. "What would you do, Pat?" he concluded. - -"Me? Shure Oi dunno at all, at all. Oi'm thinkin' Oi'd side-step," -replied Pat, with a twinkle in his eyes. - -"But that's the trouble, I can't side-step," responded Walter. - -The freckled face of the woods boy sobered. "'Tis a quare thing, this -honor ye be tellin' about, but Oi'm thinkin' 'tis a moighty foine -thing too," he said. Then, his Irish humor rising to the surface, he -added: "There be wan thing Oi wud do; Oi'd knock the block clane off -av that blackguard that's made all the throuble." - -Walter laughed. "I'd like to," he confessed. - -They were now at the entrance and setting Pat ashore Walter turned his -canoe toward camp. His arrival with the big pickerel, to say nothing -of the smaller ones, created a wave of excitement among the boys who -were in camp, and great jubilation among the Delawares. It happened -that Harrison was among those present. - -"So," he sneered when no one was near, "you've tried the silver bait! -How much did you pay for the bunch?" - -Walter turned on his heel and walked away. All the joy of the day had -vanished. He wanted to be alone to fight out to a finish the battle of -honor. So immediately after noon mess he slipped away unseen, and -sought the cool depths of the forest to find in the peace of the great -woodland the solution of his difficulty. - -Late that afternoon, his mind made up, he turned toward camp. As he -approached he became aware of an air of suppressed excitement about -the camp. Buxby was the first to see him. - -"Hi, Walt! Have you heard the news?" he shouted. - -"No," said Walter. "What is it?" - -"The Senecas' records have been wiped out; Harrison's been buying -those fish," whooped Billy. - -Walter's first thought was that Hal had done the right thing and had -confessed, and a great load fell from his shoulders. But Billy's next -words brought him up short. - -"Pat Malone came in this afternoon and told the big chief that he'd -been selling fish to Hal right along. Brought in what money he had -left, and said he guessed it wasn't quite the square thing for him to -keep it. What do you think of that?" - -"What did the doctor do?" asked Walter. - -"Told Pat that as he had sold the fish in good faith the money was -his, especially as the camp had had the benefit of them. Then he -called Hal in and paid him back all that he had given Pat. Then he -wiped out from the Senecas' score all of Hal's records. Don't know -what he said to Hal, but the word's been passed that the incident is -closed. Gee, but I'd hate to feel the way Hal must! I guess Pat's -squared himself with the bunch on that pin business. A feller that -would do what he did wouldn't steal." - -After the first burst of indignation the feeling of the camp settled -into contempt, mingled with pity, for the boy who had so besmirched -his honor. No reference was ever made to his disgrace, but for the -most part he was left severely alone, only a few, of whom Walter was -one, endeavoring to hold out a helping hand. So the camp settled down -to the usual routine once more. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -BUXBY'S BUNCOMBE - - -The late afternoon sun shone warmly on a little clearing some two -miles from Woodcraft. It flooded with soft golden light the scar on -the face of the great forest which nature, ever abhorrent of the ugly, -was trying to mask under a riot of fireweed and early goldenrod. -Blackened stumps were half hidden under tangled canes of the red -raspberry. In the more open places low bush blueberries carpeted the -ground. At the upper end of the clearing two boys squatted beside the -charred stump of a great pine. - -"There he comes, Billy. Line's started again," whispered one. - -"'Tain't a he, it's a she," replied Billy disgustedly. "Don't you know -that all worker bees are females? Males don't make no honey; they're -the drones." Billy was strong on facts, if weak on grammar. "There -comes another and another right behind. They're making a mighty short -flight. We must be pretty close to the tree. Gee, Spud, I bet the -eyes of some of the fellers will stick out when they see us luggin' in -a barrel of honey!" - -"Ain't got it yet," replied Spud sententiously. "That tree is sure out -of bounds, too. What we goin' to do about that?" - -"Go on," said Billy decidedly. "'Tain't far out, and I reckon the big -chief won't say nothin' when he sees that honey. Gee, but this will -score some for the Delawares!" - -The two boys were Billy Buxby and Spud Ely. Billy had been responsible -for what he called the "big idea," which was to line out a bee tree, -and Spud had closed with it at once. With all his happy-go-lucky -carelessness Billy was well versed in outdoor life and by his powers -of observation was continually surprising even those who knew him -best. Had he been less fun-loving and careless he might easily have -been one of the trusted leaders among the younger boys of the camp. -But Billy's impulsiveness was apt to lead him into situations -bordering on the reckless. He was always dreaming of doing big things -and inclined to act on the inspiration of the moment, heedless of -consequences. - -It is doubtful if another boy in camp had noticed that there were -honey-bees working among the wild flowers. Billy had kept his -discovery to himself until he had perfected a plan whereby to win -laurels for himself and score for the Delawares. It would not have -been Billy, however, not to have dropped mysterious hints of the great -coup in woodcraft which he was about to pull off, and, as he was never -taken seriously, it was soon dubbed "Buxby's buncombe" and became a -standing joke. - -Billy stood for all the good-natured chaff of his companions without a -protest. In fact he rather encouraged it that his final triumph might -appear the greater. He went about with an air of secrecy, and for one -whole day was engaged in making a mysterious something of which he -would allow no one a glimpse. This was nothing more or less than a bee -box, made after a plan once shown him by an old bee hunter from whom -Billy had learned many tricks in the gentle art of "lining" bees. - -The box was a very simple affair, but admirably adapted to its -purpose. It was made from an old cigar box and was perhaps three -inches square by three and one-half deep. Half-way down on one side -Billy made a slit just wide enough to admit a piece of ordinary window -glass cut to fit. Inside he tacked two little strips or guides on -which the glass rested. When the glass slide was in place it divided -the box into an upper and lower chamber. The cover had a half-inch -hole in the middle with a piece of glass fastened over it on the -inside. The whole thing was crude, but in a secret test Billy found -that it answered his purpose fully. It was then that he took Spud Ely -into his confidence and it was arranged that on the following -afternoon they would give Billy's plan a try-out. - -Preserving the utmost secrecy the two boys sought the old clearing, -where Billy had previously assured himself that the bees were also at -work. In the lower compartment he put a piece of bread on which he -poured a liberal amount of syrup, a two-ounce bottle of which he had -begged from the cook. Then he slipped the glass slide in place and was -ready for business. - -It was not long before his experienced eyes singled out a honey-bee -at work on a spray of goldenrod on the edge of the clearing. -Approaching softly with the box in one hand and the cover in the other -he held the box just beneath the busy little insect and gently brushed -her into it with the cover, immediately clapping this in place. - -"Gee, that was easy!" exclaimed the admiring Spud, who entertained a -wholesome respect for all insects with stings. - -"Pooh, that's nothin'! I've seen fellers pick 'em right up in their -fingers. If you ain't afraid of bees they won't bother you none. They -know when people are afraid of 'em and when they ain't," replied -Billy. - -The bee buzzed about angrily for a few minutes, but in her darkened -prison presently quieted down, the boys taking turns at peeping at her -through the glass in the cover. When she had taken to a quiet -examination of her narrow quarters Billy very gently pulled out the -glass slide. It did not take her long to discover the syrup and, -forgetful of everything but the unexpected store of sweets, she was -soon busy "loadin' up," as Billy expressed it. - -Carefully he lifted the box and placed it on a convenient stump, then -removed the cover. Presently, loaded with all she could carry, the bee -took wing. Rising heavily she circled overhead once or twice to get -her bearings, then shot away in a straight line across the clearing. - -"Now what do we do, chase along after her?" asked Spud. - -"Naw, wait for her to come back, you numskull," replied Billy. "And -while we're waiting let's catch another." - -This was soon done, and the second bee was liberated as the first had -been. To the surprise of the boys this one took a direction at right -angles to the course of the first. - -"Great snakes!" exclaimed Billy excitedly. "These woods are full of -bee trees!" - -Spud glanced at the box and just then a bee disappeared within. -"Another bee has found the syrup! I just saw it go in!" he exclaimed, -becoming more and more excited. - -"'Tain't another one; it's the first one come back, just like I told -you she would." Billy peeped into the box. "I thought so," he added; -"she's brought another bee with her. When they go back they'll bring -some more till the whole darn hive knows just where this little old -box is." - -It was even as Billy said. Presently the bees were clustering thick -around the box and were continually arriving and departing, forming a -double line straight to the hive in the hollow heart of some forest -giant beyond the clearing. In the meantime the second bee had carried -the good news home and rallied a force of workers, so that soon two -lines were established. - -"What will we do, split up and you follow one line while I follow the -other?" asked Spud. - -"How do you expect to follow the line if you ain't got the box? Think -a bee's goin' to take you by the hand and lead you?" asked Billy -sarcastically, forgetful that this was a wholly new experience to -Spud. "We'll stick together and work out the first line, and then if -we have time we'll try the other." - -He drew out his knife and blazed the stump on which the bee box sat. -Then squatting down he carefully sighted along the second line of bees -and cut a rough arrow with the point indicating the exact line of -flight. "Now," said he, "we can come back any old time and run down -that line." - -He next sighted along the line they proposed to follow out first till -his eye encountered a slender young spruce on the far side of the -clearing. With this for a marker he slipped the cover on the box while -several bees were within, and taking it with him walked straight to -the tree he had sighted. On the nearest stump he placed the box and -removed the cover. At once several laden bees reëstablished their -bearings and started for home. It was the quick return of one of these -which had drawn from Spud the exclamation exposing his ignorance of -the sex of working bees. - -The northern edge of the clearing marked "bounds" in that direction -for the camp, and only by special permission might the boys go beyond. -Spud, less reckless than Billy, or at all events less certain that -even a "barrel" of honey would buy Dr. Merriam's pardon for deliberate -infraction of the rules, hesitated. - -"Let's give it up now, and run the line out to-morrow," he suggested. -"We can tell the big chief and get his permission to go out of -bounds." - -Billy balked. "Oh, you quitter!" he growled. "Look at that line -runnin' now and you talkin' about givin' it up! Say, Spud, I picked -you to come in on this with me 'cause I thought you had some sand. You -can go on back, but I'm goin' to find that tree! It can't be more'n a -little ways in anyway, the bees are making such a short flight. -Anyhow, who's going to know if we do go out of bounds? We can find the -tree and then to-morrow ask permission to go out of bounds. Then we -can open up the tree and get the honey." - -The excitement of the hunt led Spud to lend an all too willing ear to -Billy's argument. "All right," he growled, "I'm with you, but let's -hurry up and get back." - -Imprisoning some bees as before they once more moved forward and after -a short advance into the woods stopped to reëstablish the line. This -time the bees were back so quickly that Billy knew that the tree was -close by, but the trees were so thick that it was difficult to watch -the bees and the amateur hunter was afraid that by continuing to -advance along the line they might pass the tree without seeing it. - -He therefore stationed Spud by the box and himself went forward along -the line of flight as far as Spud could see him, where he blazed a -tree. Returning he took the bee box with some captives and started off -at right angles. At about one hundred and fifty yards he stopped, set -his captives free and soon had a line started from that point. - -The locating of the tree was now simply a matter of each boy moving -forward along his line and where the two lines intersected the tree -would be found. They met at the foot of a huge pine. Some fifty feet -from the ground was a long gray strip from which the bark had fallen -away, denoting dead wood and a probable hollow. Studying this -carefully they finally made out a hole just beneath the stub of a dead -branch, and circling near this some tiny specks which Billy promptly -pronounced bees. - -"We've got it!" he whooped joyously. "We've got it! Who says there -isn't some class to us as scouts?" - -"Bet that hollow comes half-way down the tree. Must be a ton of honey -in it," said Spud examining the tree critically. "What you goin' to -do, Billy?" - -"Goin' up to have a look at it," said Billy, taking off his coat. - -"Aw, quit your kiddin'; you can't climb that!" replied Spud. - -Billy pointed to a young spruce growing close to it. "I can climb -that, though," said he, suiting the action to the word. - -"Well, hurry up," growled Spud. "It's gettin' darker'n blazes, and -we'll be in a pretty pickle if we don't get out of here mighty quick." - -In the excitement the boys had lost all track of time and the shadows -had begun to steal upon them unawares. Up above it was still bright, -but in the hollows it was already dusk. - -Billy had reached a point where he could see the entrance clearly. A -few belated stragglers were hurrying home with the last of the day's -spoils. Extending down from the entrance was a crack which widened -slightly just opposite Billy's position, and through it he got a -glimpse of weather-stained comb. The temptation was too great to be -resisted. Working out on a branch of the spruce he managed to reach -over to the tree and with his knife split off a sliver on one side of -the crack. Then things happened. - -Spud, impatiently waiting below, was startled by a wild yell. He -looked up to see Billy descending at a rate that at first led him to -think that the boy had lost his balance and was falling. In fact he -was literally dropping from branch to branch. How he did it he never -could tell. The last twenty feet he dropped clear, landing with a -thump that for a minute knocked all the wind out of him. - -Spud, genuinely concerned, hastened over to him and then for the first -time realized what had happened. Billy had not come down alone. A -sharp pain beneath one eye admonished Spud of the fact, and another on -his chin drove the fact home. Yes, Billy had company, and the company -was fighting mad. - -Spud reached for Billy's jacket and wildly fought the enemy, while -Billy scrambled to his feet. Then, heedless of direction, they fled, -their one thought to get as far as possible from the wrath which was -being visited upon them. Crashing through the underbrush, falling over -mouldering logs, barking their shins, bumping into trees in the fast -gathering dusk, they ran till breath gave out. - -The pursuit had been short, for the approach of night dampened the -ardor of the avenging insects, and the hive had quieted down long -before the boys stopped running. When finally they did stop and were -convinced that they had nothing more to fear from the hot-tempered -little fighters, they sat down to take account of injuries. Billy had -been stung in half a dozen places on the face, four places on his -hands and three on his legs. Spud had fared better, having but half a -dozen in all, the most painful being the one beneath the eye, which -was already puffed and swelling rapidly. Billy was considerably -bruised from his fall from the tree, and Spud had scraped the skin -from one shin. - -Spud's concern for Billy, excited by the latter's fall, had given -place to righteous wrath. "A pretty bee hunter you are!" he -sputtered. "What in blazes was you trying to do anyway? I've a good -mind to punch your head for getting me into this mess." - -He advanced threateningly. Then Billy's pathetic appearance, with his -bruised and swollen face, cooled his wrath as suddenly as it had -blazed up. - -"I guess you've got yours all right, all right, and don't need nothin' -more," he muttered. "Now let's get out of here. This blamed eye of -mine will be closed tight pretty quick. Gee, how those little duffers -can sting!" - -Billy had "got his." There was no doubt about that. The stings were -paining him acutely and he was stiff and sore from his bruises. But -underneath his happy-go-lucky, careless disposition was the stuff from -which true manhood is built. It showed now. - -"Spud," he said slowly, "it's my fault all the way through. It's my -fault that we came out of bounds, and it's all my fault that we got -stung. I'm sorry, and when we get back to camp I'm going straight to -the big chief and tell him that I'm to blame." - -"'Tain't your fault no more'n mine," growled Spud. "Come, get a move -on. Which way do we go?" - -Billy looked up startled, to see the same look reflected in Spud's -face. For the first time the boys realized that in their mad flight -they had given no thought to direction. Neither had the remotest idea -of where the camp lay or even the direction of the bee tree. And for -the first time they had become aware of how dark it had grown. - -"Billy, we're lost!" whispered Spud, a look of panic in his face. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -LOST - - -The test of manhood is the ability to meet an emergency squarely, to -put fear one side, think clearly and act sanely. The man who does not -know fear may make no claim to bravery. Courage he may possess, -courage that may lead to mighty deeds, but the spirit of true heroism -is not his until he has tasted of the bitterness of fear and conquered -it. - -Of the two boys sitting with blanched faces under the first shock of -realization that they were indeed lost in the great forest, with night -fast closing in, Spud was some two years the older, stocky in build, -well muscled, apparently fitted in every way to be the leader. Billy, -on the other hand, was rather under size, wiry, quick moving, with the -activity of nervous energy, and highly imaginative. The sudden fear -that whitened Spud's sun-browned face clutched at Billy's heart as -well and prompted him to leap to his feet and plunge after Spud in -response to the latter's panic shaken, "Come on! We better keep -going, and maybe we'll come out somewhere!" - -For a few minutes they tore along in frantic haste. Then Billy showed -the stuff of which he was made. "Stop, Spud!" he yelled sharply. - -It was the voice of authority. It cut through the terror of the -fleeing boy in front and brought him up short. Billy had taken -command. He began to speak rapidly. - -"We're a couple of idiots. This ain't goin' to get us nowhere unless -it's into more trouble, maybe. We're doin' just what always gets lost -people into trouble and gets 'em more lost. The thing to do is to sit -down and talk it over and try to decide just what we ought to do. -Pretty Scouts we are, running like a couple of silly hens at the first -scare! Wonder what the big chief would say if he could see us, after -all the lectures he's given on what to do when you get lost. Here we -are, and the question is, What are we going to do about it? What do -you say?" - -"I--I don't know," confessed Spud miserably. He was shaking a bit. -"They'll send out searching parties when we fail to show up to-night. -Do you s'pose they'll come over this way?" - -Billy made a wry face that instantly resolved into a grimace of pain -because of his swollen features. "No, I don't," he replied. "You see I -let some of the fellers think that we was goin' over toward Old Baldy, -and you know some of 'em saw us start out on the Baldy trail. They'll -go huntin' over that way. Spud, we might just as well make up our -minds right now that we've got to spend the night in the woods. In the -mornin' we can shin up a tall tree and p'raps get our bearings. What -we want to do now is to make ourselves as comfortable as we can, and -the first thing I'm goin' to do is to get some mud." - -"Mud! What for?" asked Spud in surprise. - -"To plaster on these blamed stings," replied Billy. "Jerusalem, how my -face aches! Just a little bit back there we came across a swampy -place. Come on and see if we can find it." - -Retracing their steps in the direction from which they had made their -last mad flight they soon found the place Billy had noticed. With -hasty fingers he dug up the wet black muck and plastered it thick over -his swollen face and on his hands and legs. Somewhat gingerly Spud -followed his example. The cool, moist plasters brought almost instant -relief, and with the easing of the smarting wounds a measure of -steadiness returned to the shaken nerves. Spud even so far forgot his -fears as to grin as he looked at Billy. - -"Gee, you are a sight! Say, the fellows wouldn't do a thing if they -could see you now! The wild man of Borneo would be a beaut 'side of -you." - -"Can't have much on you," replied Billy. "That eye of yours looks as -if it was about closed up, and mud ain't becoming to your style of -beauty. Now let's make camp before it gets so dark we can't see -nothin'." - -"Where'll we make it, right here?" asked Spud. - -"No," replied Billy decidedly. "It's too wet. We've got to get on -higher ground." - -He stooped and began to make a big ball of mud. - -"What's that for?" demanded the puzzled Spud. - -"First aid for the injured. These beauty plasters are goin' to dry -out pretty quick and we'll want some fresh ones. You'd better bring -along some too," replied Billy briefly. - -The advice seemed good, and Spud followed Billy's example. Then they -pushed on for drier ground, Billy in the lead. Already his active -imagination had seized upon their predicament as savoring of real -adventure. He pictured their return to camp the next day as heroes -rather than culprits who had disobeyed one of the most stringent rules -of the camp. He saw himself the center of admiring groups of his -fellows because of his superior scoutcraft in knowing just what to do -and how to do it in so severe a test as spending a night lost in the -woods. The anxiety which would be caused by their absence never -entered his head, or if it did was dismissed as of little consequence. -He would show them that he was a real Scout, able to take care of -himself under any conditions. - -Presently they became aware that the ground was gradually sloping up. -It was firm and dry under foot. By this time it was so dark that it -was with difficulty they could make out their surroundings. In front -of two trees standing some ten feet apart Billy stopped. - -"We'll camp here," he said. - -Carefully putting his precious ball of mud at the foot of one of the -trees he singled out a tall two-inch sapling. "Here, Spud, you bend -this over as far as you can," he commanded. - -"What for?" asked Spud. - -"Never you mind; just get busy!" replied Billy. - -By this time Spud had accepted Billy's leadership without question and -he meekly obeyed. With his stout scout knife Billy made a straight cut -across the sapling at the point where the strain was greatest. The -strained fibers of the wood yielded to the first pressure of the keen -blade and in less than half a minute he had the tree in his hands with -a clean square cut base. - -"You can cut down a big tree with a penknife if you can only bend the -tree over far enough," said he as he trimmed the sapling. When he had -finished he had a pole perhaps twelve feet long. Fishing some stout -twine from one of his capacious pockets he lashed the pole firmly to -the two trees about six feet from the ground. - -"Now hustle and get a lot of sticks 'bout ten feet long," he -commanded. - -These were not so easily obtained, but by dint of much feeling around -and effort on the part of the two boys enough sticks and young -saplings were secured to answer Billy's purpose. These were arranged -with butts on the ground and other ends supported on the cross-bar -between the two trees, all slanting evenly in the same direction. - -"Now heap up all the brush and leaves you can scrape up," commanded -the young architect, bringing up an armful of spruce boughs he had -obtained from a nearby windfall. Thatched in this way the rude lean-to -was soon completed. It was a rough but effective shelter, and with a -few balsam boughs spread on the ground beneath it Billy felt that they -could spend the night with a reasonable degree of comfort. - -"Now if we only had a fire this wouldn't be half bad," he muttered. -"Got any matches, Spud?" - -"What do you take me for? You know the rules," growled Spud. - -Billy knew. Matches were absolutely tabooed in Woodcraft Camp, that -there might be no chance of a forest fire from the carelessness of -just such reckless youngsters as Billy. - -"Wish I'd brought my fire stick," grumbled Billy. - -"I've got mine," said Spud. - -"What! You blink-eyed owl! Why didn't you say so before?" whooped -Billy. "Trot it out!" - -The cautious Spud demurred. "You know the rules, Billy, and that -building a fire without permission means expulsion," he protested. - -"Expulsion nothin'!" replied Billy. "Do you s'pose the big chief's -goin' to fire us for keepin' from freezin' to death? We'll be 'bout -frozen by morning without blankets nor nothin'. Here, you give it to -me. You needn't have anything to do with makin' the fire. I'll make -it, and tell the doctor so when we get in. There ain't any danger, -'cause one of us will be on watch all the time." - - [Illustration: BILLY'S APPARATUS FOR MAKING FIRE - FIRE-DRILL - DRILL-SOCKET - FIRE-BOARD OR BLOCK - LEATHER THONG - BOW - PUT TOGETHER IN USE] - -Reluctantly Spud produced from an inner pocket a little block of -wood having in the middle a shallow pit, already charred with use. -From this pit a V shape groove extended to the edge. From around his -neck under his coat he unslung a small bow having a slack leather -thong for a string. With this was a straight stick pointed at both -ends. Lastly he brought forth a small oval piece of wood having a -shallow pit in the center, and a little bag of finely ground cedar -bark. - -All of these things he turned over to Billy. The latter first -carefully cleared the ground of all leaves and rubbish for a -considerable space in front of the shelter. He then felt around until -he had gathered a little bundle of dry twigs and some shreds of bark -from a fallen birch nearby. - -Resting the block of wood or fire-board on a piece of bark he ordered -Spud to hold it steady. Taking up the straight stick already mentioned -he rested one pointed end in the hollow of the fire-board, looped the -bow thong around it and, fitting the oval piece to the upper end of -the straight stick by means of the hollow in the center, he was ready -for business. Holding the oval piece in his left hand he bore down -lightly, at the same time grasping the bow in his right hand and -moving it rapidly back and forth. This caused the straight stick or -drill, as Scouts call it, to revolve rapidly. - -It was too dark to see, but almost at once the boys smelled smoke, and -a few seconds later a tiny coal glowed on the piece of bark on the -edge of which the fire-board rested. Dropping his tools Billy picked -up the piece of bark, and covered the coal with cedar bark from Spud's -bag, while he gently blew upon it. The bark was really tinder, -prepared as the Indians prepared it before ever the white man brought -his own first crude fire-making methods to startle the Red Men. The -smoke increased in volume. A tiny flame flickered, disappeared, -flickered again, then hungrily licked at the edge of a strip of birch -bark that Billy held to it. - -Hastily setting down the piece of bark holding the tiny fire he -arranged the dry twigs over it in a loose pile and had the -satisfaction of seeing the blaze leap up merrily. Larger sticks were -laid over the pile, and in a few minutes the dancing flames were -making a circle of cheerful light that flooded the lean-to with -warmth and cast weird shadows among the trees. - -By the light from the fire the boys were able to gather a supply of -wood wherewith to keep it going through the night and under its -cheering influence their spirits rose wonderfully. - -"If we only had something to eat----" began Billy. - -"Shut up!" interrupted Spud. "I'll be chewin' pine-needles in a few -minutes." - -Billy had a sudden inspiration. Fishing the bee box from his coat -pocket he extracted the piece of syrup-soaked bread with which it had -been baited and eyed it critically. "There's just half a bite apiece, -and a swallow of syrup for each of us in the bottle," said he. "Shall -we have it now or wait till morning?" - -"I wouldn't trust you with it till mornin'. We'll have it now," -grunted Spud. - -The night had settled down still, and with a chill in the air that -made the warmth of the fire very welcome. Beyond the zone of the -firelight a wall of blackness hemmed them in. Now that camp had been -made and there was nothing to do but wait for daylight the loneliness -of their situation weighed upon their spirits. They drew closer -together on an old log which they had drawn before the fire for a -seat. Suddenly Billy raised a warning hand. - -"What is it?" whispered Spud, edging a bit nearer. - -"I thought I heard a shot," replied Billy. - -With straining ears the boys sat and waited what seemed an -interminable length of time before they caught the faint sound of -three shots fired in quick succession. Spud sprang to his feet. - -"They're lookin' for us, Billy. Let's give 'em a yell," he cried. - -First one, then the other, then both together they yelled at the top -of their lungs until their throats were strained and raw. Then they -realized the futility of wasting breath in this way. - -"'Tain't no use, not a bit. May as well save our breath. We can't hear -those shots plain enough to tell what direction they come from, so of -course nobody can hear us," said Billy, disconsolately resuming his -seat by the fire. - -For a while they heard shots from time to time, and somehow they -brought a certain amount of comfort. It seemed less lonely to know -that others were abroad in the forest looking for them, even though -they were miles away. But the shots ceased finally, and the brooding -mystery of the night settled over and took possession of them. They -said little, but sat absorbed each in his own thoughts or listening to -the strange sounds and uncanny voices of the night. - -A pathetic picture they presented had any one been there to see, -huddled together on the old log, their swollen, mud-smeared faces -still further distorted by the uncertain flicker of the firelight. A -stick snapping off in the darkness produced an answering jump in -overwrought nerves, and the sudden scurry of a rabbit brought a -startled "What was that?" from Spud. - -Presently the physical strain and excitement they had been under began -to tell, and despite their strange surroundings both boys began to -nod, while the fire died down to glowing embers. It was then that some -evil genius prompted a great horned owl to take up his watch on a dead -pine not fifty feet away and startle the woodland with his fierce -hunting call: - -"Whooo-hoo-hoo, whoo-hoo!" - -The sleepers awoke in a panic, frantically clutching each other. -"D-d-did you hear that?" whispered Spud, his teeth chattering. - -As if in reply again the fierce hunting call rang through the woods: - -"Whooo-hoo-hoo, whoo-hoo!" - -Billy gave vent to a hysterical little laugh of relief. "Nothin' but -an owl," said he as he heaped more wood on the fire. "He certainly got -my goat that first time, though. Say, Spud, we're a couple of ninnies -to both be sittin' out here asleep. What'd we build that lean-to for? -You turn in there and sleep for a couple of hours and then you watch -and I'll sleep. Ain't any need of either of us keepin' watch so far as -any danger is concerned, I s'pose, for there's nothin' in these woods -to harm us, but we ought not to leave the fire burnin' without some -one to watch it." - -This was sound advice, and Spud stretched out on the fragrant balsam -boughs in the lean-to and soon was sound asleep. Billy began his -lonely vigil. At first it was easy enough to keep awake. Later an -almost irresistible drowsiness took possession of him, and it was only -by tramping back and forth or hunting fire-wood within the circle of -light from the fire that he managed to keep awake. At the end of two -hours he roused Spud, and wearily threw himself in the latter's place -on the balsam bed. - -It seemed to him that he had hardly closed his eyes when he felt Spud -shaking him. "Go 'way," he murmured sleepily. "What you waking me up -now for?" - -"It's your turn again to watch," Spud growled, unceremoniously hauling -Billy off the boughs. - -If it had been hard and lonely work before it was doubly so now. It -was past midnight, at the hour when vital forces and courage are at -their lowest ebb. Billy was stiff and sore. Every movement was -painful. He had never felt so utterly miserable in all his life. As he -afterward expressed it, every bit of sand had run out. - -He piled fuel on the fire, and then sat down on the log and gave -himself over to his misery. How long he had sat there he could not -tell when he was brought out of a semi-drowse by a slight noise back -of the lean-to. In an instant he was wide awake, straining his ears -for a repetition of the sound. - -The fire had burned low and the circle of light had narrowed to a -faint glow of but a few feet in diameter. Billy held his breath. Had -he imagined it? No, there was a rustle of leaves back of the lean-to. -Something was moving there. Then there followed a decided and -pronounced sniff! Billy felt his scalp prickle as if each individual -hair was rising on end. With a wild yell he grabbed a glowing ember -from the fire and hurled it in the direction of the sound. There was a -startled "whoof," and the sound of a heavy animal lumbering off -through the brush. - -Spud came tumbling out of the lean-to white and shaky. "For heaven's -sake, Billy, what's the matter?" he gasped. - -Billy's teeth were chattering so that he could hardly speak. "I--I--I -th-think it wa-was a bear," he finally managed to get out. - -"Go on, what you givin' us!" said Spud. - -Billy had by now so far recovered himself that he could give a -connected account of what he had heard, and both agreed that their -visitor could have been nothing less than bruin. Needless to say there -was no more sleep for either that night. They piled fresh fuel on the -fire and kept watch together, starting nervously at the smallest -sound. - -It was with a sigh of profound relief that they noted the gray of dawn -stealing through the trees, and with the coming of the light their -spirits rose perceptibly. - -"What shall we do now, make a break out of here?" asked Spud when day -had fairly broken. - -"Not on your tintype!" replied Billy. "I'm lost all I'm goin' to be. -You get busy and build another fire over there about fifty feet. When -it gets goin' good heap on a lot of green leaves and rotten wood to -make a smoke. I'll do the same thing with this fire. There ain't a -breath of wind; those two smokes will go straight up, and you know two -smokes means 'lost.' Some one will be up at the lookout on the top of -Old Scraggy the first thing this morning, and he'll see the smokes. -Then he'll get word to camp and a party will come out and find us." - -Wise Billy. He had decided upon just the right course of action. After -the return of the unsuccessful searching parties Dr. Merriam had spent -an anxious night. Before daybreak he had dispatched Seaforth with one -of the guides to the top of Old Scraggy. They had seen the signal -smokes at once and heliographed the location of them to camp. A party -led by Big Jim and Louis Woodhull had started immediately, and as soon -as they reached the clearing where the boys had begun their bee hunt -they saw the smoke lazily curling above the tree tops about a mile -beyond. - -Firing signal shots and stopping every few minutes to send a whoop -ringing through the woods they pushed on and presently, guided by -answering whoops from the two victims, found the camp. - -"Mother of saints!" exclaimed Big Jim as he caught a glimpse of the -swollen and mud-stained faces of the two boys. - -Billy smiled feebly, for the effort was painful. "We found a bee -tree," he said. - -"Found a bee tree! Found a bee tree!" echoed the guide. "'Pears to me -thet them bees did some findin' on their own account." - -Then seeing what really pitiful condition the two youngsters were in -he called an abrupt halt to all jollying by the rescuers and at once -prepared for the return to camp. One of the party was sent on ahead to -relieve the doctor of his worry, and the rest slowly worked their way -out, for Billy was too stiff and sore to hurry much. - -At the first brook a halt was made and the faces of the two victims -were tenderly bathed and made a little more presentable to enter camp. -Billy's volatile spirits were already back to normal. He was full of -the bee tree and the bear and already laying plans for getting the -honey. - -At mention of the bear Big Jim smiled. "Folks thet git lost in th' -woods most generally meet up with a bar," he remarked dryly. "Didn't -give yer a lock o' his hair fer a soovineer, did he, son?" - -Billy tried to make a face at the guide, but winced with pain. "I tell -you there _was_ a bear, and he came right up to our lean-to," he -sputtered indignantly. - -And so they came into camp where in front of the office Dr. Merriam -stood gravely awaiting them. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE HONEY SEEKERS - - -Two very sober boys came forth from their interview with the big -chief. It was not that their punishment for infraction of the two most -rigidly enforced rules of the camp--jumping bounds and building -fires--was to be so severe. In fact they were getting off much lighter -than they had dared to hope for, being ordered to police camp for one -month and also being denied the privilege of joining any of the -various special parties going out with the guides for two and three -day trips. Dr. Merriam considered that their experience had been in -the nature of punishment, severe enough to warrant him in being -lenient in his dealings with the culprits. - -He had simply talked to them, quietly, kindly, with no shadow of -resentment, no suggestion of scolding. It was just a plain talk as man -to man, in which the doctor made clear to them how the welfare of all -is wholly dependent upon the individual, and that the breaking of -laws made for the community in no way harms those in authority, but is -an outrage upon the great body politic and in time is bound to react -upon the lawbreaker. - -"The honor of Woodcraft Camp as a whole is to be safeguarded only by -keeping unsullied the honor of each individual member. By your acts of -deliberate disobedience yesterday you not only besmirched your own -honor as Scouts under oath, but you blotted the honor of the entire -camp. Buxby, by your own confession you have sought to take upon your -shoulders the entire blame for this unfortunate affair. The motive -does you credit. But, my boy," he concluded, turning to Spud, "I want -you to realize that weakness which allows one to follow another in -wrongdoing is quite as blameworthy as the act of the leader, and that -therefore I hold you equally culpable with Buxby in this affair." - -His face lighted with one of his rare smiles. "I believe that from now -on I can trust both of you implicitly," he said, giving each the -Scout's grip. - -"The thing that hurts me most is the fact that the big chief won't -let the findin' of that bee tree score for the Delawares. There's -fifty points thrown away just because I wouldn't take your advice, -Spud, and wait till we got permission to go out of bounds," said -Billy, as half an hour later the two boys sat at one end of the mess -table making up for their prolonged fast. - -Spud stopped a huge slice of bread and butter half-way to his mouth. -"What about that second line we ain't run down yet?" he asked slowly. - -Billy stared at him for a minute, then suddenly choked over the cup of -hot cocoa he was drinking. When he had recovered his breath a broad -smile lighted his battered face. - -"Spud, old Scout, we win!" he exulted. "Here's where we beat the big -chief after all! Why didn't I think of it before? It's as easy as -picking up chips at a wood-pile. We haven't said a word about that -second line. We won't, except to Woodhull. We'll take him along and -run that line clear to bounds. Then we'll show Louis how to use that -bee box, and let him go on and find the tree. You know there are no -bounds for the tribe leaders. Fifty points for the Delawares---- Oh, -my lucky stars!" Billy finished with a whoop that brought the cook -running to see what the trouble was. - -In the meantime Dr. Merriam was having a conference with Big Jim at -the headquarters. "I tell yer, doctor, thet leetle scatterbrain hev -got more woods sense than three-fourths o' th' rest o' these -youngsters put together. Wish yer could see thet camp o' theirn. -Couldn't 'a' built it no better myself. An' then he had sense enough -t' stick right thar and send up them smoke signals. If he only hed th' -level top piece o' thet youngster thet went in t' Lonesome with me -he'd hev th' makin' o' one o' th' best leaders in camp, even if he did -hear a bar." The big guide chuckled. - -"So you don't take any stock in the bear?" asked the doctor. - -"Not th' least leetle mite," replied Jim. "Folks thet's lost allers -hears bars or wildcats. I been watchin' out some sharp an' I ain't see -no sign o' bar nigher'n ten mile o' this camp in th' last three -years." - -"Where did those bees come from?" asked the doctor. - -"Feller thet lived in this camp th' summer 'fore yer bought it had a -couple o' hives. Guess some o' 'em must hev got away from him. Thet -youngster cert'nly did run 'em down slick. Hadn't never noticed th' -leetle honey bugs myself." - -The doctor smiled. "I had," said he, "and I had intended to line them -out some day, but Billy got ahead of me, and as you say, he certainly -did the trick very cleverly. The thing that pleases me, however, is -the fact that he was observing enough to notice them. I don't believe -that there is another soul in camp beside myself who had discovered -them. Jim, that boy has got the right kind of stuff in him. We've got -to take him in hand and develop his bump of caution and sense of -responsibility." - -"If he could run with young Upton fer a while----" began the guide. - -"The very thing I had in mind," interrupted the doctor. "When Buxby's -period of probation is over I think we'll have to plan a trip for you -with those two youngsters, one that will put them on their mettle. It -will be an interesting experiment. What do you think about opening -that bee tree?" - -The guide grinned. "A leetle honey would kind o' sweeten things up -some," he ventured. - -"All right," replied the doctor. "Be prepared to take a small party in -to get it day after to-morrow." - -Big Jim's "honey party," as he called it, was drawn wholly from the -Delawares, in honor of the tree having been discovered by members of -that tribe. It included Woodhull, Tug Benson, Upton and Chip Harley. -Billy and Spud were denied the privilege of going out of bounds, so -could go no farther than the edge of the old clearing. Spud announced -that he had had enough of bees anyhow, and chose to stay in camp. But -Billy was heart-broken. However, he was fair minded enough to admit to -himself that he deserved all that was coming to him, and hiding his -chagrin led the expedition to the old clearing and gave the guide the -line from the stump on the upper edge. He watched the others disappear -into the woods in single file and then sat down to possess himself in -such patience as he could until they should return. He had no doubt of -their success in locating the tree and as Big Jim was no novice at -cutting bee trees, he anticipated no trouble on that score. All the -party wore gloves and carried mosquito netting to protect faces and -necks from the maddened bees. In fact both Tug and Chip had their -veils on when they entered the woods. The guide carried an axe, as did -Woodhull, while Walter and Tug each carried a galvanized iron water -pail for the expected honey. Billy knew that the guide would run no -risk of having his charges badly stung and would undoubtedly smoke the -hive well before laying it open. - -The minutes passed on leaden wings. What was the matter? Why didn't -Jim whoop when he found the tree as he had agreed to do? Could he have -overrun it? A slight rustle in the bushes on the edge of the clearing -some thirty yards to the right caught Billy's attention. Something was -moving there. To kill time he started to investigate. "Probably a -porcupine," he muttered to himself, as he softly stole forward. - -Creeping on hands and knees to the shelter of a fallen tree trunk he -cautiously raised his head and peeped over. Instead of the expected -porcupine he saw a little brown furry animal vainly trying to pull -over an old log, and emitting funny little discontented whines as it -tugged. At first glance it looked something like a clumsy puppy, and -then the truth flashed across Billy and made his eyes pop out. It was -a bear cub, a very little fellow at that. - -With impulsive Billy to act first and think afterward was ever the -governing principle. It was so now. Quietly dropping down behind the -tree trunk he hastily slipped off his jacket. Then rising to his feet -he reached forward and threw it over the head of the unsuspecting -little animal, recklessly throwing himself after it. For a few minutes -there was a desperate struggle accompanied by muffled squeals. Then -Billy succeeded in getting the wildly clawing fore-paws smothered in -the folds of the jacket and, pinning down the stout little hind-legs, -he had his victim helpless. - -"Gee, now I've got him what'll I do with him?" he panted. A sudden -inspiration came to him. He remembered noticing a huge hollow stump -in the middle of the clearing. If he could get him over to that and -drop him into it he could be held prisoner until the bee hunters -returned. Wrapping the enveloping jacket still tighter around the -imprisoned head and fore-paws Billy gathered the struggling bundle in -his arms and started for the stump. - -Just before he reached it pandemonium broke loose in the woods behind -him. There were wild yells in all keys from Big Jim's deep base to -Chip Harley's shrill falsetto. Billy chuckled. "Must have stirred them -bees up something awful," he muttered. "Funny I didn't hear 'em -choppin'. There, you little fiend!" He dropped the cub into the hollow -and spread the jacket over the top. Then for the first time he -realized that a baby as small as his captive must have a mother at no -great distance. His face went a trifle pale under its coat of tan. "I -wish them fellers would quit fightin' bees and come out," he muttered. - -Almost with the thought his wish was gratified. Chip came first. The -bee veil was still over his head and he looked not on the order of -his coming. He floundered out of the brush, caught a heedless toe -under a stick and fell headlong. He was up in a flash, blindly -struggled through a raspberry tangle that he might have gone around, -bumped into a half-hidden stump and went down again with a little -moan. Then he was on his feet again and passed Billy as if he was -trying to break the hundred yard sprint record. - -Tug was a good second, and he had little advantage over Chip in the -method of his coming. He seemed to have some pressing engagement back -at camp, and was "going strong" when he passed Billy. - -Walter and Woodhull appeared next, but as they were unencumbered by -veils they picked their footing with more discretion, and Louis -stopped as soon as he reached the open, Walter following his example -half-way to Billy. Lastly appeared Big Jim, who came out of the woods -leisurely, his axe still in his hand. Jim was grinning. It was clear -to Billy that something had happened, but that whatever it was the -guide considered the danger past now. - -Something had happened. Following the guide in single file they had -proceeded some distance when they became aware of a humming sound -which steadily increased in volume as they advanced. Suddenly Big Jim -abruptly halted and held up a warning hand. There was a puzzled look -on the guide's face. - -"Somethin' has made them bees plumb mad fer sartin," he whispered. - -The volume of sound increased. It was as if off in the tree tops -beyond a huge top was spinning. The brush was still too thick for them -to see the tree itself. Then into the steady hum of the bees there -broke a new note, half growl, half whine, followed by the ripping -sound of rent wood. - -The guide's face cleared. "You boys are goin' t' see somethin' in a -minute yer won't likely ever see agen. Now come on, and be mighty -careful about not makin' no noise," he whispered. - -A few feet further on the thick young growth opened up and they came -in full view of Billy's bee tree. What they saw drew a startled -exclamation from the three younger boys, at once silenced by a warning -hiss from Big Jim. There, fifty feet from the ground, gripping the -tree with hind legs and one huge fore arm, was an immense black bear. -The long claws of the paw that was free had been hooked into the -entrance hole and a long strip the length of the crack which had led -to Billy's undoing a few days previous had been torn out, exposing the -hollow packed with comb. Bruin was then occupied in scooping out great -pieces of comb dripping with honey and transferring them to her mouth, -whining and growling and stopping every other second to slap at the -bees clustered in an angry cloud about her head. - -What no one did see, because all eyes were turned up instead of on the -ground, were two little brown bundles of fur that scurried for the -shelter of a windfall. - -"Ain't a mite o' danger," whispered the guide, noting the panicky look -on some of the faces. "In 'bout a minute yer'll see th' worst scared -bar in the North Woods. Now don't run when she comes down if yer don't -want th' hull camp laughin' at yer," he warned, seeing Chip and Tug -already beginning to edge away. - -Had Jim been aware of the presence of the two cubs he would have -adopted a very different course of action. He was counting on the fact -that despite its great size and immense strength the black bear is one -of the most timid of all wild animals in the presence of man unless -wounded, cornered or called upon to protect its young. Perhaps -timidity is not quite a fair indictment. Let us say rather that of all -wild animals none has come to have a more wholesome respect for man, -and it is a well-known fact that not even a deer will bolt quicker at -man's approach than will this black comedian of the big woods. - -It was with this fact in mind that the guide advanced a few steps and -suddenly sent forth an ear-splitting whoop. Things happened then with -a rapidity that left no time for thought. Walter stoutly maintains to -this day that the bear neither slid nor climbed down--that she simply -let go and dropped. Certain it is that the echo of Jim's wild yell was -still ringing in the woods when she landed with a thump that brought -forth a grunt. Then, instead of the mad flight on which the guide had -counted, she reared on her haunches with her back to the tree, -growling savagely, her little pig eyes red with rage. - - [Illustration: "RUN!" HE YELLED] - -Big Jim took in the situation at a glance. "Run!" he yelled, himself -holding his ground and swinging aloft his double edged axe. - -Even as he uttered the warning the bear charged. Walter, who stood a -little to one side, unconscious of what he was doing, hurled the pail -he was holding full at the angry beast and turned to run. This proved -the salvation of Big Jim. The rolling clattering object distracted the -bear's attention for an instant. She paused long enough to give the -pail a vicious blow which by chance sent it clattering noisily into -the old windfall behind which the cubs had taken refuge. There was a -frightened squeal followed by the sound of scurrying feet among dead -leaves. - -Big Jim heard the squeal and understood. "Cubs, by gum!" he exclaimed. - -The bear heard too. She stopped, irresolute, half turned toward the -windfall, then faced the guide and reared, growling savagely. There -was another faint squeal from beyond the windfall. The bear dropped to -all fours and slowly retreated in the direction of her cubs, pausing -every few steps to turn and growl threateningly over her shoulder. - -It was the guide's opportunity to retire in good order and he made -haste to avail himself of it, reaching the clearing just in time to -see Chip and Tug disappear down the home trail on the far side. - -Now that the danger was over the humor of the situation tickled him -immensely and as he with Walter and Woodhull approached Billy all -three were finding relief in a hearty laugh. - -All at once they became aware that there was something unusual about -Billy. He was dancing around the old stump like a lunatic, yelling, -"I've got him, Jim! I've got him! I've got him!" He was without his -jacket and his shirt was in tatters. His face and arms were bleeding -from deep scratches. - -The guide gaped at him open mouthed. "Great smoke, sonny," he drawled, -"yer look as if yer was th' one thet had met a bar, not us." - -"I have, Jim, I have! It's in there!" yelped Billy. - -The guide peeped into the hollow, and a long drawn whistle of -astonishment escaped him. Then abruptly his face sobered and he cast -an apprehensive glance back at the forest. - -"Must hev been three cubs," he said, reaching in and catching the -whimpering little bear by the scruff of the neck. "Bars don't -generally hev but two, but I've heerd say thet sometimes they has -three. This leetle chap must hev strayed off while his mother was -a-clawin' fer thet honey. I reckon we better be movin' right along. It -ain't goin' t' be no ways healthy round these parts when Mrs. Bar -misses this leetle chap." - -Wrapping the cub in Billy's jacket once more Big Jim set the pace for -camp at a rate that kept the smaller boys on a dog trot, not without -many a fearful glance behind them. - -Camp was reached safely, where the news of Billy's capture spread like -wild-fire, and for once he found himself the hero he had so often -pictured himself; wherever he went he was the center of an admiring -group. - -The doctor was petitioned in a round robin signed by every member of -the camp for permission to keep the cub as a pet. This was granted, -and "Honey," as he was called, soon became one of the most important -members of Woodcraft, where his droll antics were a constant source of -amusement. - -The Delawares were jubilant, for Billy's prize scored them fifty -points, and when a few days later the second bee tree was successfully -lined out and this time the honey obtained without adventure, Billy's -popularity was secure for all time, for this also added fifty points, -as he had foreseen it would. - -"He was a harum-scarum before, and this sure will be the ruin of him," -Woodhull bewailed to his chum, Seaforth. - -But Woodhull was wrong. There was a change in Billy. He was the same -lovable, light-hearted boy as before, but the careless, reckless -spirit that had so often led him into mischief was lacking. For the -first time he seemed to have a serious purpose in life. And it dated -back to the morning after the lonely night in the forest. Billy was -finding himself. - -"I reckon he did hear a bar thet night," said Big Jim to the doctor as -they discussed Billy's episode with the cub. And Billy knows he did. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE SUPREME TEST - - -Half-way between Woodcraft and the Durant lumber camp the trail -crosses Speckled Brook, once a noted trout stream famed for the size -of the spotted beauties that lurked in the black depths of its pools, -or hung on the edge of its boiling rapids watching for the unfortunate -grub or fly struggling helplessly on the shimmering surface of its -swift current. Persistent whipping day in and day out through the open -seasons by anglers whose creed is little more than greed has robbed it -of its fame for big strings, and the ruthless destruction of cover on -its watersheds by the axe of the lumbermen has so reduced its water -supply that a note of pathos has crept into the sweetness of its song -and sadly marred the beauty of its forest setting. - -Yet even now there is an indescribable charm about Speckled Brook, and -in some of the deeper pools are finny warriors worthy the skill and -patience of lovers of the rod. Walter never could come within sound of -its purling song without experiencing an irresistible desire to -linger. - -It was calling to him now as with noiseless step he strode along the -trail toward the Durant camp. Since his trip to Lonesome Pond he had -continually practiced "still walking," whenever the opportunity -offered. It had been the chief incentive for many a morning tramp. He -had become fairly proficient by now, and on an ordinary trail walked -with freedom and ease without giving conscious thought to his feet. -Twice he had surprised deer and frequently approached smaller game to -within close range of observation before they became aware of his -presence. Each success brought with it a sense of growing skill, a -feeling that in time he might fairly hope to pit his trained knowledge -against the wonderful senses of the wild life around him with the -advantage not wholly on their side. - -Now as he came within sound of Speckled Brook he quickened his step -that he might linger for a few minutes on the log bridge over which -the trail ran. It was hidden from his view by a sharp turn so that he -was almost upon it before he became aware that someone was before him. - -Seated on a stringer of the bridge, his face buried in his arms, was a -khaki and flannel clad figure. An expensive split-bamboo rod lay -beside him unheeded, the tip jerking up and down in a way that -evidenced something more than the current tugging at the end of the -line. It was a pathetic figure, contrasting strangely with the joy of -the beautiful morning. Now and then there was a heave to the drooping -shoulders, while a muffled sob mingled with the song of the brook. - -Walter paused, irresolute. He had recognized Harrison at the first -glance, and his heart went out to the boy who had sought the sanctuary -of the wilderness to give way to his misery where none should see. -With an inborn delicacy of feeling Walter turned softly, and without a -sound stole back up the trail until the turn had effectually hidden -him from view. The bitterest thing in a boy's life is to be seen in -his hour of weakness by another boy. Somehow it seems to rob him of -something of his manhood. Without analyzing it in this way Walter felt -that it would be unfair to Hal to let him know that he had been seen -crying. - -At the end of a hundred yards or so Walter once more turned in the -direction of the bridge, whistling shrilly. This time when he rounded -the turn Hal was on his feet rebaiting his hook, while a ten-inch -trout flapped at his feet. His hat was pulled low over his face, but -on his cheeks were traces of tears hastily wiped away. - -"Hello, Hal! What luck?" called Walter cheerily as he approached. - -"I don't know as it's any business of yours. You see I'm not buying -'em, anyway," was the surly and bitter reply. - -Walter flushed, and an angry retort rose to his lips, but with it came -a vision of the picture of utter misery he had witnessed a few minutes -before. He stepped forward and held out his hand. - -"Don't, Hal," he pleaded. "Let's be friends." - -"You don't want me for a friend; nobody does," growled the other. - -"Hal, I came pretty near punching your head once, or trying to, -anyway. Now I am coming back at you. When you say that I don't want -you for a friend you are not telling the truth. Now, are you going to -punch my head or are you going to shake hands?" Walter once more -extended his hand, all his good humor restored. - -Slowly the other reached forth and gripped it. "I--I guess I'll -shake," he said, a sheepish smile twitching at the corners of his -mouth. Then he pushed back his hat and faced Walter squarely. "It's -mighty white of you, Walt," he blurted out hurriedly. "I do want you -for a friend. I guess I need friends if any fellow ever did. Nobody's -got any use for me back there," nodding in the direction of the camp, -"and I can't get away, because I haven't anywhere to go. You see, my -folks are all in Europe for the summer. I'm stuck here, and I've got -to stay." - -"I'm glad of it," said Walter heartily. - -"Wh-what do you mean?" demanded Hal. - -"Just what I say," replied the other. "I'm glad of it. You've got in -wrong here with the camp. If you went away now you'd always be in -wrong with the whole crowd. Maybe you think that if you got away and -never came back it wouldn't matter what the fellows think, but it -would. They'd always remember you, not for what you really are but for -what they think you are, and no matter how great a success you might -make when you grow up you'd know all the time that a lot of people -didn't believe in you. You've made a lot of mistakes. Now you've got a -chance to correct 'em right where you made 'em. You can't forget 'em -yourself, and don't want to, but you can make the other fellows forget -'em; and they will, too, if you'll give 'em a chance. - -"Your dad's got a lot of money, and I guess you've grown up to think -that money is the only thing that counts. I s'pose it does count for a -lot in the city, but out here in the woods it doesn't count a little -bit. It's the fellow himself, the stuff that's in him, and not what -he's got. You forget all about your dad, I mean his money, and sail in -for everything that's doin' here, and you'll find that the boys will -meet you more'n half-way. Gee, I'm getting to be a regular preacher!" - -Hal laughed, the first genuine laugh he had had for many a long day. -"It's the best sermon I ever heard, Walt," he said. His jaw suddenly -shot forward in set lines. "By George, I believe you are right, and -I'm going to fight it out right here!--If you'll help me," he added -wistfully. - -"Sure I'll help!" replied Walter heartily, "and so will the rest of -the fellows, if you'll give 'em a chance." - -Hal gazed at the brook thoughtfully for a few minutes. "I--I hardly -know how to begin," he said hesitatingly. - -"Go hunt up Chief Avery of the Senecas and tell him that you know -you've made a mess of things and that you want to square yourself with -the tribe and with the rest of the fellers. He'll help you out, and -tell you what to do. He's white all through," advised Walter. - -"I know he is," admitted Hal. "He's been mighty decent to me. I guess -if it hadn't been for him the other fellows would have refused to -speak to me at all. I wish--I wish there was some way I could make up -some of those points the tribe lost when I was found out. I can't do -it fishing, for honest, Walt, I don't know the fishing grounds at all. -I tried to bribe Pat Malone to tell me where he caught those big fish, -but he knew which side his bread was buttered. Said he'd catch 'em for -me, but I couldn't make him loosen up and show me where I could catch -'em myself. There's one fellow in the woods that money talks to all -right, all right! He knew that as long as I had to have the points I'd -pay for 'em, and he held me up a little stiffer each time. I don't see -what got into him to come peach on me. Did--did you put him up to it?" - -Hal had the grace to blush as he asked the question, and before Walter -could reply he hastened to apologize. "I know you didn't. At first I -was sure you did. I guess I was pretty sore. I thought you had it in -for me, and I wouldn't blame you a little bit if you had had. But I -don't see now what struck Pat. Do you know, I've always had more'n -half a suspicion that he stole Mother Merriam's pin. I guess he could -tell something about it if he was pinned right down to it." - -"Forget it, Hal," Walter broke in. "You and most of the other fellows -have got Pat sized up all wrong. I don't know who stole the pin, but I -do know it wasn't Pat Malone. I tell you that there isn't a Scout in -Woodcraft Camp that right down in his heart is whiter than Pat. Oh, -he's tough, but that's because he's never had half a show. I didn't -know a thing about his comin' into camp to see the big chief until it -was all over. He did it because he's just begun to learn a few things -about honor and what honor means. Fact is, Hal, I was up against it on -this honor business myself. I didn't want to blab on you, and yet it -wasn't fair to the other fellows to let you go on scoring when I knew -that you weren't getting the points on the level. I was fishing with -Pat that morning and he found what was troubling me. He didn't say a -word, but while I was off in the woods that afternoon he took a quick -sneak into camp, and you know the result." - -Hal nodded grimly. - -"I tell you, Pat did a big thing," continued Walter. "Money doesn't -grow on every bush in these woods, and those few dollars Pat got from -you meant more to him than a thousand dollar check would to you or me. -And I don't think he did it just for me, either. I think he saw that -you were playing it low down mean on the other fellows, and he began -to see that by keeping mum and taking the money he was a party to it. -Pat came in and told, to clear himself in his own mind. I tell you he -has the Scout idea all right, and he's got it straight. I don't -believe I'd have had the sand to do what he did." - -The expression on Hal's face had changed curiously as Walter spoke. He -was seeing things in a light that he had never seen them before, -getting a new perspective of life. - -"Walt, did Pat show you his fishing ground?" he asked abruptly. - -"No, I stumbled on it myself." - -The other laughed a little embarrassed laugh. "I just wanted to be -sure," he replied. "I've tried mighty hard to fool myself into -believing that you succeeded in bribing Pat where I failed, perhaps -not with money, but in some way. I heard all about how you licked him -the morning you got here and I thought that--that maybe you--you----" -he paused and flushed painfully. - -"You thought that I promised Pat another licking if he didn't show me -where the fish are," Walter finished for him. - -"Something of that sort," admitted Hal. "I didn't really believe it, -but I wanted to, and I guess I tried mighty hard. But all the time I -knew you were on the level and--and it made me sore to have you beat -me twice with fish when I'd risked so much to win the points." - -"Well, that's all past, and we'll let the past dig its own grave and -bury itself," said Walter. "We're both on the level now, and we're -goin' to stay there. I'd let you in on that fishin' ground, only when -I found it I found Pat there and I promised him not to tell a soul. -Isn't there somethin' else you're interested in that you can go in for -points on?" - -"I don't know," replied Hal thoughtfully. "I like to paddle pretty -well." - -"Great!" cried Walter. "Go in for it, and go in hard. You know I'm out -for the quarter-mile swim. Pluggin' at it every day. You do the same -thing with your paddling. Get next to Avery and tell him what you -want to do and that you really mean it. He'll get a coach for you -before you can turn 'round. The Senecas need every point they can get, -and Avery knows it. You see the Delawares are just naturally goin' to -trim you fellows," concluded Walter with a grin. - -"They sure would if there were any more Senecas like me," said Hal -mournfully. Then his face cleared, and he began to reel in his line. -"I'm goin' straight back to camp now and hunt up Avery and ask for a -chance to make good!" - -"That's the stuff!" cried Walter heartily. "Here's luck to you, old -man! I'm awfully glad we're friends at last. I'm off to the Durant -camp. Got a permit this morning. Never was in a real logging camp, and -Pat's goin' to show me the whole thing. Keep a stiff upper lip!" - -The boys shook hands warmly, and while Walter with a light step and -lighter heart hit the trail for the lumber camp Hal resolutely set his -face toward Woodcraft. It was not an easy thing that lay before him. -It was hard, bitterly hard. He had not realized how hard until he had -left Walter and faced the thing alone. Never in his whole pampered -life had he had to stand alone on his own feet. Now he faced the -severest test a boy can face. Dimly he realized that it was a crisis -in his life--a call to his manhood. Could he meet it? Could he? - -"I will! I will! I will!" he repeated over and over. "I will! I will! -I will!" Presently he began to run, fearing that his courage would -fail him before he could find Avery and make a clean breast of -matters. When he came in sight of the camp he slowed down. It was -going to be even harder than he had thought. Perhaps Avery wouldn't be -there. He found himself hoping that he wouldn't. Was it really -necessary after all to so humiliate himself? Perhaps if he waited a -little he could do some big thing that would win the fellows over to -him. Other fellows were all the time doing things, why shouldn't he? -There was Billy Buxby with his bee trees and bear. Why couldn't he do -something big like that? - -Hal was fighting a battle, the hardest battle that boy or man is ever -called to engage in--a battle with self, a fight to a finish for the -right to look himself in the face without blushing, a fight for his -manhood. Beads of cold perspiration broke out on his forehead. And -then he looked up and saw Avery standing in front of the wigwam. The -battle would be won or lost in the next few minutes. - -For an instant he faltered. Then his jaw shot forward in hard set -lines as it had back there in the woods with Walter. "I will! I will! -I will!" he muttered. Somehow with every repetition of those little -words the way seemed easier. And then in a flash came the idea for the -supreme test of the manhood within struggling to come into its own. He -began to run once more, to run away from the coward striving to hold -him back, from the Hal Harrison he had known so long, that the whole -camp knew. - -"Chief," he panted, saluting Avery, "may I--may I see you alone for a -few minutes?" - -Avery led the way into the deserted wigwam. What passed there is known -only to the two lads themselves. When they came out the face of the -younger boy was pale, but it bore a look of fixed resolve, and there -were lines of character which had wiped out much of the old weakness. - -"You are quite sure you want to do this thing, Hal? You know it is not -necessary," said the chief. - -"Yes it is necessary--for me," replied Hal firmly, "and I've simply -got to do it for--for myself." - -After evening mess Chief Avery requested the Senecas to remain for a -few minutes, and after the Hurons had filed out he briefly announced -that one of their number wished to say a few words. - -Hal rose and faced his comrades. His knees shook so that he could -hardly stand, and little streams of perspiration trickled down his -face. But there was that new set to the jaw, and though he gulped -painfully once or twice, he plunged into the task he had set himself. - -"Fellow Scouts," he began, "I--I want to apologize to all of you for -what I have done and for the disgrace I've brought on the tribe. I'm -sorry. I didn't realize what I was doin'. I knew that the fellows -didn't like me, and--and I wanted to be popular," he blundered on. "I -thought if I scored a lot of points for the tribe that maybe I should -be and--and I didn't see any other way. I've made an awful mess of -things, and I see it now. I'd like a chance to start over again, -and--and maybe really do something for the tribe. I--I--want to make -good and--and have some friends among the fellows," he ended lamely. - -He sat down weakly, and buried his face on his arms. At a sign from -the chief the tribe filed out quietly. When the last one had gone he -walked over and put his hand on the bowed head at the end of the -table. "Hal," he said gently, "you have made good. That was the -bravest act I've ever seen in Woodcraft Camp. We're prouder to have -you a Seneca than we would be to win that deer's head. That was the -supreme test, and we're proud, all of us, to have a fellow tribesman -with the sand to meet it as you have done. You'll find that you have -won your friends, boy." - -Later, when Hal had recovered his self-possession somewhat and went -out among his comrades, he found that it was as Avery had said. On all -sides were friendly hands to greet him, and in a quiet unobtrusive -way his fellow Scouts made it clear to him that at last he was one of -them. He had already made good. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -CRAFTY MIKE - - -When Walter parted from Hal at Speckled Brook he quickened his pace to -make up for lost time. Presently he came in sight of the Durant camp. -Pat Malone, whose official capacity at the camp was that of "chore -boy," was on his way to the spring with a couple of empty pails. His -usual good-natured grin lighted his face at Walter's approach. - -"Oi'd begun t' think ye was afther fergittin' ye had an ingagement wid -yer frind av th' woods," he called. - -"Hello, Pat! Sorry I'm late," replied Walter, offering to carry one of -the pails. - -Pat waved him aside. "Shure, wud ye be takin' th' bread an' butter out -av the mouth av a poor worrkin' man?" he demanded. "'Tis me job fer -which Oi draws me pay, an' now Oi've lost me market fer fish Oi'm -thinkin' Oi'd best be shure av me shtupendous sal'ry." - -He picked up the pails brimming with cold spring water and started -for the rear of the main cabin, whence the voice of "Cookie" could be -heard commanding him to hurry, and heaping anathemas upon him for a -lazy, good-for-nothing ne'er-do-well. - -Pat winked. "Dogs that bark be afther havin' poor teeth," said he. -"Oi'll be wid ye in a minute." - -He was as good as his word, and was soon ready to play the host. -Walter found the camp similar in arrangement to Woodcraft. It lacked -the refinements of the latter, but was snug and comfortable, exactly -adapted to the needs of the rough men to whom it was "home" the -greater part of the year. When they had thoroughly inspected the -cabins, stable and shop Pat suggested that they visit the present -"cutting." This Walter was most anxious to do, for he had never -witnessed actual logging operations. - -The trail was rough but well built, for upon the character of the -trail depends much of the lumberman's success in getting his logs to -the water. A poorly built trail means costly waste of time, energy and -strength of man and beast when the time comes for getting the cut -down to the driving point. Wherever the trail dipped to low or swampy -ground logs had been laid with their sides touching one another. This -is called a corduroy road, and is the only practical and effective -method of preventing horses and wagons miring in low, swampy ground. -Such a trail is rough traveling in dry weather, but when the heavy -snows of winter have covered it and have been packed down and iced it -forms an ideal slide for the lumber bobs with their huge loads of -logs. - -The trail gradually led up the lower slopes of Old Scraggy, and some -two miles from the camp the boys came upon one of the crews at work. -The crash of falling trees, the rasp of saws, the sharp ringing blows -of axes biting into hard wood, the shouting of rough voices and now -and then a snatch of rude song proclaimed that the work of destruction -was in full blast. - -The scene was one of intense interest to the city boy, and quite upset -his preconceived ideas of how trees are felled. "Why, I thought they -chopped trees down!" he exclaimed. - -"Not whin they've a good saw an' two good byes fer th' inds av it," -said Pat. - -They walked over to where a couple of saw men were preparing to cut a -great pine. There was a fascination in watching the huge cross-cut saw -with its double hand grasp at each end eat its way into the trunk of -the great tree, the two men swaying back and forth in perfect rhythm, -broken only when it became necessary to drive in the wedges that kept -the saw from binding and that would eventually send the tree crashing -down on the exact spot that they had picked out for it. - -Soon there came the warning snap of breaking fibers, the great tree -swayed slightly, leaned ever so little and then, as with a shout for -all hands to stand clear the saw men sprang back, it slowly and -majestically swung forward until, gathering speed, it fell with a -mighty crash, carrying down several small trees that stood in its -path, and shivering its upper branches as it struck the earth. - -It seemed to Walter as if it had hardly struck before the axemen were -upon it, their great double edged axes flashing in the sun as they -stripped off branch and stub until in an incredibly short time it lay -shorn of its glory, a huge bare pole fit to be the mast of one of the -Yankee clippers that were once the pride of the American marine. - -But no such honor awaited it. Another team of sawyers attacked it at -once, cutting it into mill lengths. Then came "Jim." Jim, so Pat -proudly claimed, was "some hoss." Clanking at his heels was a stout -chain ending in a sharp heavy hook. This was driven into one end of -one of the logs and then at a word from his master--one could hardly -say driver, for there were no reins--the big horse set his neck into -his collar and guided solely by the "gee" and "haw" of shouted command -dragged his burden down to the skidway where the logs were piled to -await the coming of snow. It was wonderful to see with what -intelligence the horse picked his way through the tangled brush, and -it was equally wonderful to see the lumber-jacks at the skidway catch -the great log with their peaveys and roll it up to the very top of the -huge pile already on the skids. - -A rough lot, these lumbermen, of many nationalities, English, Irish, -Scotch, French "canucks," a half-breed or two, and some who boasted -that they were pure "Yank." They were rough in looks and rough of -speech, ready to fight at the drop of a hat, but warm-hearted, loyal -to a fault to their employers, ever ready for work or frolic. Rough -indeed, but theirs is a rough life. They took a kindly interest in -Walter, explaining the many things he found so strange, and it was -with real regret that he finally took the back trail. - -And it was with something of sadness too, for he was a true lover of -nature and there was something tragic in the crashing of those great -trees and the despoiling of the great forest. - -But Pat left him little time for thoughts of this kind. Producing a -bag of the famous cookies of which Walter had once had a sample -through the agency of Chip Harley, Pat kept up a running fire of -comment on his camp mates, while they munched the crisp brown wafers. - -As they sighted the camp the cook was hanging a wash. Pat's eyes -twinkled with mischief. Motioning Walter to follow him he stole in -back of the stable. "Shure 'tis meself that clane forgot to -inthrodush ye to th' most important number av Durant camp," he -whispered. "Shtay here till yez see some fun." - -He slipped into the stable, and in a few minutes was back, leaving the -door open. Peeping around the corner Walter saw a crow walk out with -the stately step of his tribe. "'Tis Crafty Moike!" whispered Pat. - -The black rascal stood for a minute or two blinking in the sun. Then -he flew up on the stable roof, where he appeared to have no interest -in anything in the world save the proper preening and dressing of his -feathers. In the meantime the cook finished hanging out his wash to -dry and turned back to the cabin. Hardly was he inside the door when -Crafty Mike spread his wings and without a sound flew over to the -clothes-line, where he quickly and deftly pulled out every pin, giving -each a throw to one side. - -When the last pin was out and half the wash lay on the ground he flew -swiftly to a tall pine on the far side of the clearing, cawing -derisively as he went. It was plain that "Cookie" knew only too well -what the sound of that raucous voice meant. With a pot in one hand -and a dish towel in the other he rushed from the cabin pouring out a -perfect flood of vituperation and invective on his black tormentor, -while behind the stable Pat fairly hugged himself with glee. - -"Caw, caw, Billee, Billee! Caw, caw, caw!" shouted Mike, sidling back -and forth along a bare limb of the pine, evidently in huge enjoyment -of the joke. - -"Oi shplit his tongue so he talks a little, and Billy is the cook's -name," whispered Pat, noting the look of amazement on Walter's face -when he heard the crow speak. - -"Caw, caw, Billee, Billee!" Mike was quite beside himself with -enjoyment as he watched the angry cook pick up the fallen clothes, -which he was too wise to rehang while the black rascal was at liberty. -Besides, many of them must be returned to the tub. - -"I'll blow your blasted head off, that's what I will!" shouted the -cook furiously as he disappeared in the cabin with the last of the -wash. In a moment he was out again with a shotgun in his hands. Walter -grabbed Pat by one arm. "You're not going to let him shoot, are you, -Pat?" he asked in real alarm. - -Pat chuckled. "Don't yez worry about Moike," he said. "'Tis not fer -nothin' Oi named him Crafty. He knows a gun as well as Oi do, an' just -how far it will carry." - -The cook was now sneaking toward the pine, apparently quite -unconscious that he was all the time in plain view of his would-be -victim. Mike waited until he was half-way there, then spread his -wings. The cook threw up the gun and blazed away with both barrels, -though the range was hopelessly long, while Mike's derisive, "Caw, -caw, Billee, Billee!" floated back from the shelter of a thick clump -of hemlocks beyond. - -"But won't the cook get Mike when he comes back?" Walter asked with -real concern. - -"Moike won't come back to-night unless Oi call him," replied Pat. -"'Tis a woise burrd he be afther bein'! Whin Oi go in Oi'll tell -cookie how much the byes will enjoy th' joke whin they come in. He'll -shware a bit an' thin he'll be afther beggin' me not to say a wurrd -about it. Oi'll promise if he'll promise to lave Moike alone, an' -that'll be th' ind av it till nixt toime." It was evident that Pat and -Mike knew their man and were wise with the wisdom of experience. - -"Moike is a great burrd," continued Pat. "He's as full av tricks as a -dog is av fleas, an' th' wurst thafe in three counties, bad cess ter -him. He'd shtale th' shmoile off yez face if it was broight enough an' -he could pry it loose. He'd follow me into th' prisince av th' saints. -Oi have ter shut him up whiniver Oi lave th' camp or, glory be, he'll -be taggin' along an' mebbe gettin' me in all sorts av throuble. But Oi -love th' ould rascal just th' same." - -At Pat's mention of Mike's thieving proclivities a startling thought -flashed into Walter's mind. Had he at last found the long lost clue? - -"Pat," he broke in abruptly, "did Mike ever follow you to Woodcraft?" - -Pat scratched his head in an effort to remember. "Oi couldn't say," he -replied. "Oi think loikely, fer there's few places he hasn't followed -me." - -"Would he follow you there now if you'd let him?" asked Walter. - -"Shure! Oi couldn't lose him if he wance saw me hittin' th' trail." - -"Can you call him now?" pursued Walter. - -"Sure!" Pat answered promptly. - -"Listen, Pat," said Walter eagerly, and he hurriedly told Pat all -about the loss of Mother Merriam's pin, discreetly omitting all -reference to the suspicion against Pat himself so long entertained at -the camp. - -"Th' dirthy thafe!" broke in Pat indignantly. "Now who could it be, Oi -wonder! None av th' byes here wud do a thrick loike thot, and yez say -there was no sthrangers in camp. But what has all this got to do with -Moike?" - -"I'm coming to that," said Walter. "Maybe it hasn't anything to do -with him. That's what I want to find out. Maybe you don't remember -coming into camp on an errand that morning and visiting Dr. Merriam's -office, but you did. Now, if Mike had been following you, and had seen -that pin on the window sill would he have been likely to have picked -it up and carried it off?" - -"As sure as little pigs has curly tails," replied Pat with conviction. -"Oh, th' villain! It's mesilf will wring th' black neck av him with -me own hands wance Oi git thim on him!" he exclaimed, a realizing -sense of the situation and the position in which he had been placed -dawning on him. "'Tis a wonder yez didn't arrist me fer th' thafe, and -Oi wud not have blamed ye at all, at all! Just lave me get th' two -hands av me on that burrd! Sure his heart be as black as his coat!" - -Walter laughed. "Wait a while, Pat, wait a while," he said. "We don't -know yet that Mike had anything to do with it. Now here's my plan: You -call Mike so that he can see us start down the trail to Woodcraft. -Then you go with me until we get almost in sight of the camp. I'll -leave you there and go ahead. I'll get a bright button or something -and put it on the window sill of Mother Merriam's window and then get -out of sight. Then I'll whistle three times and you come along in as -if you had an errand at the office. Go right by the window and around -to the front door, where I'll meet you. Then we'll watch Mike and see -what he does." - -"Walter, me bye, 'tis a great nut yez have on the two shoulders av -yez!" exclaimed Pat admiringly. "We'll do ut." - -He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled shrilly. At once there -was an answering caw from the distant hemlocks, and Mike appeared -winging his way toward them but, with the canny wisdom which had -earned him his name, giving the cabin a wide berth. He dropped down to -Pat's shoulder at once, where he jabbered in crow talk as if telling -Pat all about his joke on the cook, all the time studying Walter with -eyes so bright and sharp as to make the boy almost uncomfortable. - -Without further delay they started for Woodcraft, the crow riding on -Pat's shoulder or occasionally flying a short distance ahead. At the -edge of the woods Pat sat down to wait while Walter hurried ahead. -Hunting through his ditty bag he found a bright brass button and -hurried over to the office. Fortunately no one was about. Putting the -button on the sill where the pin had been left the morning of its -disappearance he slipped around in front and gave Pat the signal. - -Pat came at once, but Mike, distrustful of the camp or perhaps -plotting mischief, lingered behind. Pat passed the window and joined -Walter in front of the office. Then they cautiously peeped around the -corner to watch Mike. As soon as he discovered that Pat was out of -sight he quickened his flight and winged his way directly toward the -rear of the office. The two boys watching could see him turn his head -from side to side as he flew, his bright eyes scanning everything in -sight. When he reached a point abreast of and above the window he made -an abrupt half circle, dropped down to the sill as silently as a -shadow, seized the button and then, mounting high, winged his way in -strong swift flight "as straight as the crow flies" for Durant camp. - -"The black scoundrel!" murmured Pat. "The black-hearted thafe!" - -It was too late for Walter to think of returning to the lumber camp -that afternoon, and he had an engagement the next morning at nine. - -"Lave it to me," said Pat. "Oi know ivery hidin' place av th' ould -thafe, an' if he shtole the pin 'tis in wan av thim this very minnut. -If thot robber took th' pin, an' Oi misthrust he did, 'tis Pat Malone -that will have it back here by half afther eight to-morrow marnin'." - -After evening mess Walter called Tug and Chip to one side. - -"I've got a clue," he announced with pardonable excitement. - -"What is it? Who is it?" they demanded as one. - -"I'll tell you to-morrow morning at half-past eight," replied Walter, -and that was all they could get out of him that night. - -Walter slept but poorly. He was burning with curiosity to know the -result of Pat's search, and he was alternately filled with joy at the -thought of being able to return the precious pin to Mother Merriam, -and torn with the fear that Crafty Mike might have lived up to his -name and hidden his prize beyond Pat's reach. - -By eight o'clock the next morning he could wait no longer and started -up the Durant trail. It was just before he reached Speckled Brook that -he heard Pat's shrill whistle, and by the sound of it he knew that -there was good news. A few minutes later Pat swung into view. Crafty -Mike, looking abject and bedraggled, was tucked securely under one -arm, while the free hand was jammed in a trousers pocket. Pat's -freckled face stretched into a broad smile as he caught sight of -Walter. He drew his hand from his pocket and spread it wide open. -There in the palm, side by side, lay Mother Merriam's pin and the -brass button which had proved Mike's undoing. Walter sent forth a -joyous whoop, and did a war dance that was expressive if not -dignified. - -Before going to the big chief Tug and Chip were taken into confidence -and shown the pin and the thief under pledge of secrecy. Then Pat and -Walter started for the office. In response to Dr. Merriam's cheery -"Come in," the two boys entered, Walter elated and Pat diffident. -Walter had carefully prepared a little speech, but in the excitement -of the moment it went completely out of his head. He did remember to -salute his chief, and then he blurted out the news so fast that the -words fairly tripped over each other: "We've found Mother Merriam's -pin, and we've found who the thief is, and----" - -"Wait a minute," interrupted the doctor, smiling. "What is this about -Mother Merriam's pin?" - -For answer Pat extended his hand with the pin on the broad palm. The -doctor's face lighted with pleasure as he reached out to take it. - -"But the thief?" he said. "I don't quite understand." - -"Here he is, sor," said Pat, thrusting forward the protesting Mike. -The doctor's face was a study as he bade the boys sit down and tell -him the whole story. When they had finished he quietly questioned them -until he had drawn from Walter all that he had hitherto kept from Pat, -how the latter had been suspected, how he had been sure that Pat was -innocent, how he had found the crow's feather caught in the screen, -and how this fact had come to his mind as soon as Pat had mentioned -Mike's thieving propensities. - -"Upton, I want you and Malone, and Mike, too," he added with a -whimsical smile, "to remain here until I return." - -He left the room, and a few minutes later Walter was startled to hear -the "recall" sounded. Many of the boys had not yet left camp, and the -others within hearing came hastening in. When they had all gathered -the doctor stepped out in front. - -"Some time ago," he began, "the 'recall' was sounded to tell you that -a thief had been in our midst, and to ask you to give of your services -in an effort to regain the pin which had been stolen. It seemed to me -that it was quite as important to again sound the 'recall' to tell you -that the pin has been recovered." - -He paused as a stir ran through the group of boys, and they broke out -in a hearty cheer. "And," he continued when quiet had been restored, -"the thief taken, and that this happy result has been accomplished by -one of your own members. Who that member is I am not going to tell -you, but I want you to know that I consider that in his whole course -of action he has displayed the very highest form of scoutcraft, for he -has not only apprehended the thief and recovered the plunder, but what -is of vastly more importance, he has removed unjust suspicion from one -whose good name not one of you has had real cause to doubt." - -He then briefly sketched the story of the search for and the finding -of the pin, no names being mentioned, and concluded by bringing forth -the pin and Crafty Mike for all to see. - -Sitting in the office Walter and Pat had heard every word, and -Walter's face glowed with pleasure at the doctor's praise. He felt -that his reward had been great indeed, and when the doctor concluded -by saying that fifty points would be credited to the Delawares in -recognition of his work, his joy was complete. - -An hour later Pat Malone paused on the trail to Durant camp to look -with shining eyes at a gold piece in his hand. "Caw," said Crafty -Mike, looking down from his shoulder with greedy eyes. - -"Shut up fer a black-hearted thafe!" growled Pat. "Sure, 'tis me ruin -an' me fortune that yez are loike ter be." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE POACHER OF LONESOME POND - - -Hal and Walter stood at the landing waiting for the launch with the -day's mail and express matter. There had been an unfortunate error in -ordering the needed photographic chemicals, and Walter was still in -ignorance of the results of his trip to Lonesome Pond. As the packages -were thrown out his eye caught the familiar label of the photographic -supply house. - -"Hurrah!" he shouted, pouncing on the long-looked-for package, "I'm -off to get first crack at that dark room. Want to come in with me -while I develop, Hal?" - -"I sure do," was Harrison's prompt response. "I'm almost as anxious as -you are to know what you've got on those films. The results may make a -big difference to us Senecas, you know. We can't give the Delawares -many more points." - -As they started toward the office Big Jim and a stranger passed them -talking earnestly. The latter had come in the launch. He was a man of -medium build. His hair and eyes were gray, the latter clear and keen. -There was nothing to especially distinguish him from the general run -of guides of that region. - -"Who is he?" asked Hal of Billy Buxby, who had saluted the stranger. - -"Game warden," replied Billy, briefly. "Been a lot of deer shootin' -round these diggings, so they say, and the big chief has been trying -for some time to get the warden up here. Now he's here I reckon -there'll be something doing." - -Walter thought of his experience at Lonesome Pond, and wondered if the -warden would go in there. As the boys passed through the office to the -dark room Dr. Merriam, Big Jim and the warden were in earnest -conversation. - -"Whom do you suspect, Jim?" It was the warden who spoke. - -"Red Pete," replied the guide promptly. "But yer understand I ain't -got a mite o' proof. Ain't seen hide nor har o' him, but I've seen -signs thet spells Red Pete t' me. O' course some o' th' boys up t' -th' camp will go out and get a piece o' meat once in a while, but thet -ain't doin' no great harm." - -"It ought to be stopped, Jim!" the doctor broke in sharply. "The law -is law, meant for the lumber-jack just as much as for the city -sportsman. I have no patience with this attitude of the natives that -the law is made for the other fellows, not for them. Either the laws -should be wiped off the statute books or they should be enforced to -the letter without discrimination or favor." - -"Thet may be so, doctor, but folks 'round here don't sense it thet -way," replied Big Jim. "Anyway, th' real harm thet's bein' done th' -deer is from some low down skunk thet's too lazy t' do honest work an' -is jes' shootin' fer th' lumber camps. An' if it ain't Red Pete may I -never sight another rifle! Nobody knows whar he is, or if they do they -won't tell. You git yer hands on Red Pete, and this deer shootin' will -stop." - -The boys passed into the dark room and heard no more. Walter at once -prepared his developer and also a fresh supply of hypo, for he was -resolved that no precaution should be neglected to get all that might -be in the negatives. - -"Going to use tank development?" asked Hal. - -"No," replied Walter, "I'm not. Ordinarily I should, but I'm going to -give each of these films separate treatment, and develop each for all -that it holds. You know I want another fifty points," he added. - -The daylight subjects were developed first and, with the exception of -one fogged across one corner, were all that could be desired. Walter -was particularly pleased with the results of his first successful -shots on the way in to Lonesome Pond, and as the image of the great -blue heron rapidly increased in strength under his skilful -manipulation of the developer he confided to Hal how his rattled -nerves had led him to miss two splendid chances previous to the -opportunity afforded by the heron. - -A portrait of Big Jim holding up Walter's double catch of trout would -have been hard to improve, and Hal, looking over the other's shoulder, -blushed as he recalled the big trout he had bought only to be beaten -by the catch of which he now saw the proof growing before his eyes. - -For the flashlights Walter prepared a special developer, and as it -washed over the first film both boys bent over the tray eagerly. -Almost at once three spots, one slightly above the other two, -appeared, and these rapidly took outline until the eager watchers -could see clearly the doe and three fawns of Lonesome Pond. - -"Hip, hip hurrah!" shouted Hal, slapping Walter on the back. "There -are your fifty points for the Delawares!" - -"Now for the last one of all," said Walter as, the others all in the -hypo, he picked up the negative made by the flash on the runway. "I -knew what ought to be on the others, but I don't know what ought to be -on this except that it ought to be a deer." - -He bent impatiently over the tray, gently rocking the developer back -and forth over the negative. Presently he looked up, and in the dim -ruby light Hal could see a puzzled frown wrinkling his forehead. -"That's the queerest thing I ever got up against!" he exclaimed. "I -can make out the horns of a big buck, but they seem to be all mixed up -with the figure of a man. If I hadn't taken such mighty good care of -these films I'd say that it was a case of double exposure. Must be -that I had another case of rattles, and forgot to pull the tab of the -one made just before the flashlight, and so made the latter right on -top of the former. Yet this doesn't act like an over-exposed negative, -and a double exposure would be an over-exposure. Oh, well, I give it -up! We'll see what it looks like when it comes out of the hypo. Here -it goes in. Now open that door, Hal, and I'll open the window. I'm -about roasted." - -Hal threw open the door and the two boys stepped out into the office. -The doctor was still there, but Big Jim and the warden were nowhere to -be seen. At the sound of the opening door the doctor looked up. - -"We beg your pardon, doctor, and hope that we haven't disturbed you," -said Walter. - -"Not in the least, Upton," he replied smilingly. "I presume you have -been developing those Lonesome Pond negatives, and to tell you the -truth I am almost as anxious to see them as you are yourself. You see -Big Jim has told me all about that trip, and he was positively -enthusiastic over the flashing of the three deer." - -The doctor came over to the dark room and stepped in. "I presume they -are about fixed by this time," he said, dipping his hand into the -fixing bath and taking out a negative. He held it to the light and -examined it critically. "Just a trifle over time, don't you think, -Upton? Still it is an excellent negative, and the composition is -admirable. Hello, what's this?" He had dropped the first one into a -tray of running water and had picked up a second which he was turning -round and round in his hands as if he hardly knew which was top and -which was bottom. "Ha, I have it!" An expression of perplexity passed -over his face and his brows puckered. "What's this, Upton?" he asked. -"I didn't hear anything about any such photo as this." - -Walter stepped behind him and looked at the negative the doctor was -holding to the light. At first he could make nothing of it but a -tangle of foliage. Then suddenly he saw against this background the -figure of a man stooping beneath the burden of the body of a deer -across his shoulders. Walter's mouth gaped foolishly as he studied -the negative. - -"What does it mean, Upton?" the doctor repeated, a twinkle in his eyes -as he saw the boy's vacant look. - -"I don't know, sir," replied Walter truthfully enough. - -"But the negative is yours, isn't it?" persisted the doctor. - -"Yes, sir. No, sir. That is--why, of course it must be mine," replied -Walter confusedly. "I don't understand it at all, sir." - -"How many flashlights did you make?" - -"Two; the one of the three deer and the one on the run. This----" He -paused as it flashed over him for the first time that this was a -flashlight negative. - -"Yes," said the doctor with a quizzical smile, "this is one of them. -And as it certainly isn't the one of the three deer it is the one on -the run." - -"But--but what does it mean?" asked Hal, looking over the shoulders of -the others. - -"It means," said the doctor gravely, "that Upton has secured the -evidence that will convict the poacher of Lonesome Pond." - -He dropped the film back in the fixing bath. "I see it is not quite -clear yet. Fix and wash it thoroughly and then if you can, Upton, I -wish you would make a print from this before Jim and the warden return -to-night. They have gone up to the Durant camp to look about a bit. I -must request you both to say nothing whatever about this matter until -I give you permission. And of course you understand that the -photograph is to be shown no one. Bring the prints to me as soon as -you have them made. If you have time make a print from each of your -other negatives. We'll entertain the warden on his return." - -By noon the films were dry and by three o'clock that afternoon a -complete set of prints was in Dr. Merriam's hands. Late in the -afternoon Big Jim and the warden returned, and shortly after the -doctor sent for Walter. - -"Warden," said he, "this is Upton, the lad who was with Jim at -Lonesome. I've called him in thinking you may like to question him a -bit as to conditions at Lonesome, and also that he may have the -pleasure of showing you some photos in which I know you will be -interested, as will Jim also. I tell you, warden, some of our boys are -doing great work here! It takes something more than mere knowledge of -photography to get such pictures as these! The man behind the camera -has got to be something of a woodsman, as I think you will admit when -you have looked these over." - -As he finished speaking he handed the package of prints to Walter face -down, and the boy, noting that they were numbered in consecutive -order, instantly realized that this was a cue for him to show them in -that order. As one by one the prints were laid on the desk Big Jim -bent over them with all the enthusiasm of a great overgrown boy, -telling the warden the story of each and making comments that made -Walter blush to the roots of his hair. When the beautiful picture of -the doe and her two fawns was put before him Jim's delight was without -bounds. - -The doctor smiled. "So you think that's pretty good, do you, Jim?" he -asked. - -"Good? It's the best I ever see!" exclaimed the guide. - -"Upton has one that will interest you still more, I think, Jim. Show -it, Upton." - -The warden and guide leaned forward eagerly as Walter placed the last -print on the desk. For a full minute there was absolute stillness as -the two men studied the print in surprised astonishment. Walter will -never forget the expression on the guide's face as he stared first at -the doctor, then at Walter and finally back at the print, while slowly -comprehension of what it meant dawned. - -"What did I tell yer?" he roared, smiting the desk with a huge fist. -"What did I tell yer? Didn't I say it was Red Pete? Is this evidence -enough for yer, warden?" - -"It's evidence enough, Jim; but say, I haven't got this through me -yet. You didn't tell me anything about seeing Red Pete, let alone -taking his photograph. It's a wonder he didn't put a knife in you for -that." - -Jim laughed. "I expect he would if he was sure what had happened," he -replied. "Yer see thet thar buck must hev taken one o' th' other runs -an' reached th' lake, where Pete was laying fer him. Pete potted him, -an' then waitin' just long enough t' bleed him an' take out his -innards (I found 'em th' next mornin') he dug out 'fore we should come -snoopin' round. He jes' happened t' hit th' run th' camera was on, an' -o' course he fired th' flash. Oh, glory! I wish I could hev seen his -face right after thet flash! I bet every black har on his head was -standin' on end an' thet Pete was reelin' off prayers t' every saint -he's ever heard o' as fast as his tongue could go!" - -"I notice that he held on to the deer," observed the warden dryly. - -"You bet he did!" replied Jim. "Thet flash jes' naturally blinded him -fer a few minutes, an' he couldn't see nothin'! Then he heered us -comin' on th' jump an' he didn't hev no time t' look fer th' camera -an' bust it. He jes' hit th' trail double quick a-trustin' t' luck -thet we didn't git nothin'." - -"This is all the evidence I want," said the warden. "Doctor, I want -you to let me have Jim for a couple of days. I need him, for Pete's a -slippery customer, and it'll need two of us to surprise him. We'll -start for Lonesome early to-morrow morning, and the less said about -our movements the better. Remember, boy, mum's the word," he added, -turning to Walter. - -Jim had been studying the photograph closely. "Whopping big buck -Pete's got thar!" he remarked, then added sharply, "Son, come here an' -tell me if this is a scratch on th' picter or if it's in th' picter!" - -The guide was pointing to a tiny white line on the shoulder of the -deer. Walter examined it closely. "It's in the picture," he said -slowly. Then, a startling idea slowly forming in his mind, he looked -up at the guide, who instantly read his thought. - -"Yes," said the big fellow with angry bitterness. "It's him. It's the -King o' Lonesome Pond, th' big buck you 'n' me trailed thet mornin', -murdered by a half-breed cutthroat who'd treat you 'n' me jes' th' -same if he dared, an' he could see a dollar in it. I'm ready t' start -when you are, warden, an' th' sooner I see his ugly mug behind th' -bars th' sooner I kin enjoy my vittles agin." - -When the name of Red Pete was first mentioned it had sounded strangely -familiar to Walter, but try as he would he could not place it. Now as -he studied the photograph he recognized the low-browed, surly axeman -who had been in the waiting room at Upper Chain the morning of his -arrival in the woods, and there flashed through his mind Big Jim's -characterization of Pete that morning as the "meanest man in th' -mountains." How little he had dreamed that their lines would ever -cross, and now--he shivered involuntarily as he wondered what the -outcome would be and what would happen if the outlaw should chance to -learn of the evidence Walter now held in his hand. - -"I--I guess you'd better keep the film and the prints," he said, -turning to Dr. Merriam, and breathed easier as the doctor took them. -Then excusing himself, he hurried out to find Hal and warn him not to -breathe a word about the second flashlight picture. - -Did Red Pete suspect? And if so what if he should happen to meet him -alone in the woods? For the next few days he seldom went far from -camp, and never alone. Even then he had the feeling of being watched, -and would turn suddenly half in fear and half in hope that he might -catch a glimpse of the breed's threatening face peering from some -leafy screen. Walter's nerves were playing him tricks. Nor did they -become any easier when the warden and Jim returned empty handed from -Lonesome Pond. They had found plenty of traces of the poacher, in fact -had found his camp, but it was evident that the outlaw had transferred -his headquarters elsewhere. - -Owing to other business the warden was obliged to postpone the search -for the time being, but left with a promise to return at an early date -to run Pete down. In the meantime Walter continued to feel uneasy, and -the lumber camp to enjoy fresh "veal." - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE HAUNTED CABIN - - -"What's on this afternoon?" - -"Nothin' much." - -"Come on, push it out! If it's nothin' much the sooner it's out of -your system the better." - -"Well, what's the matter with a visit to the haunted cabin? I guess we -can get a permit all right." - -The speakers were Hal Harrison and Walter. They had just met after -noon mess, and the proposal to visit the haunted cabin came from Hal. - -"Great idea," exclaimed Walter. "There's Chief Avery over there now! -You tackle him while I hunt up Woodhull. I'm pretty sure he'll let me -go." - -Permission was readily granted, and the two boys at once launched a -canoe, and pointing the bow up and across the lake soon left the camp -behind. The haunted cabin was the same to which Walter had heard -veiled allusions on his first day in camp, and to which he supposed he -had been carried for his initiation ordeal. Ever since then he had -intended to visit it, but until now there had never seemed a good -opportunity. It was located on the other side of the lake some three -miles up, and was a half mile back from the water some little distance -off to one side of a lumber trail. As it was out of bounds, it was -necessary to get permission from the chiefs in order to visit it. - -"What do you know about it, Walter?" asked Hal as they sent their -light craft swiftly over the water. - -"Not much except that there was a murder or a fight or somethin' of -the kind there years ago. Do you know anything about it?" - -"Only the stories that are floatin' 'round, and no two agree," replied -Hal. "I've been kind of interested, and have run down all the stories -I could get hold of. I guess there was a tragedy there all right, but -from all I can gather it was a fair fight, and not a cold-blooded -crime. The story that seems to be most generally accepted is that -there was a fight over a girl. The cabin was built by an old -half-breed trapper before there were any lumber trails through these -parts at all, and he lived there with his daughter, who was said to be -a mighty pretty girl. The old fellow's name was Duquesne, but he was -more Indian than French, and was commonly called Indian Joe. He was a -grouchy old fellow, and people didn't have any more to do with him -than they had to. - -"The girl was a beauty, and old Joe was so jealous of her that he -never would let her out of his sight when they came down to the -village to trade, and the young fellows of the region found that the -vicinity of old Joe's cabin was anything but healthy. Finally a young -Scotchman named Bruce moved down here from Canada and ran a line of -traps up in the region that Joe had come to consider his own special -preserve. This was bad enough, and roused all the Indian in him, but -when he discovered that young Bruce had fallen in love with the girl -and that she was in love with him his rage knew no bounds and he made -a lot of ugly threats, so that the friends of the young fellow warned -him to keep away from the cabin, and I guess the girl begged him to -also. - -"But Bruce was hot-headed and afraid of nothing and no one. When he -heard of the threats he rightly guessed that things were probably -mighty uncomfortable for the girl, so he jumps into a canoe and heads -straight for the cabin. When he got there old Joe was out on his trap -line and the girl begged Bruce to leave. But he wouldn't, and waited -till the old man came back. He was in the cabin when the old man -returned and the latter got inside before he discovered the visitor. -He started to throw his rifle up, but Bruce was too quick for him and -knocked it out of his hands. But the old man had a knife, and he -didn't waste any time. He was all Indian then, and was on Bruce like a -wildcat. - -"I guess Bruce saw it was kill or be killed, with the girl for the -stakes, so he whips out his own knife, and they turned that cabin into -a shambles. - -"The young Scotchman had the advantage of weight and youth, but Joe -was all Indian, with every trick known to that kind of fighting, and -with black hate in his heart. I guess it was some fight, all right, -and the girl seeing the whole thing. Finally Bruce got in a lucky -thrust that ended things and old Joe with it. He was cut up something -fierce himself and so weak from loss of blood that I guess he thought -he was going to cash in. But the girl managed to bind him up and get -him into the canoe, though how she did it no one knows, for the cabin -is half a mile back from the lake. Anyway, the first the village knew -of it she came paddling in with Bruce in the bottom of the canoe, more -dead than alive. - -"You know lumbermen and backwoods people are awfully superstitious, -and it wasn't long before they had the cabin haunted by Indian Joe's -spirit, moaning for his lost daughter. Hunters and trappers began to -tell all sorts of stories of queer sounds around the cabin and soon no -one would go near the old place. Superstition's a queer thing, isn't -it?" - -"You bet it is, and it isn't confined to lumbermen and backwoods -people by a long shot!" replied Walter. "What became of the girl?" - -"Oh, Bruce recovered, of course, and married her, and they moved up -into Canada. There's the landing at the lumber trail." - -A few minutes later they drew the canoe out on the shore. A -lumberman's batteau was drawn up at one side, and they could hear -voices ahead of them on the trail. - -"A party going up to the Brown camp, I guess. I understand they've -begun cutting about three miles back," said Walter. - -The boys set out at a brisk pace along the trail. "Avery says that the -trail to the cabin is so overgrown that it's hard to find, but that -there is a Scout sign where it turns off of this trail, and then a -line of old blazes," said Hal. "It's on the right a short half mile -from the lake." - -The boys slackened their pace, scanning the right hand side of the -trail as they advanced. Presently Walter stopped and pointed to a -little group of stones half hidden in the brush to the right. It -consisted of a stone of fair size with a smaller one resting on top of -it and a third on the ground to the right of the others. Both boys -recognized it as the old Indian sign which means "Trail to the right." - -Turning in they soon found a tree with a blaze so old that it was -nearly covered with bark. Getting the direction from this they were -able to sight the next blaze and so pick out the trail. - -"Doesn't look as if any one had been over this for an age," said Hal -as they carefully picked their way along. - -In about fifteen minutes they saw an opening in the tree tops ahead -and soon stepped out into what had once been a small clearing, but -which was now overgrown with brush and berry thickets, and in places -good stands of second growth birch and maple. In the midst of this -dreary waste stood the "haunted cabin." - -The boys stood at a little distance and looked at it in silence for a -few minutes, thinking of the tragedy which was said to have been -enacted there. It was the usual type of log cabin, a one room affair -with the remnants of a shed or small addition of some kind clinging to -the rear. The cabin had been well built, for it was in a good state of -preservation save that in places the roof had fallen, leaving black, -yawning holes. It had been turfed at some time in its existence, and -such parts as were intact were covered with a tangle of grass and -weeds. Altogether it was a desolate and dreary looking object. - -"Gee, I don't wonder they think it's haunted! Well, let's see what it -looks like inside," said Walter. - -They approached it from the front, and to their great surprise found -the door still intact and closed. When they attempted to open it they -were further mystified to find that it would not yield to their -combined efforts. It was locked on the inside. - -"What do you know about that!" exclaimed Hal. "Let's try the back -door." - -Here a further surprise awaited them, for their entrance was as -effectually barred as before. They stared at each other blankly. - -"Wouldn't that get your goat!" muttered Walter. "Must be that some -hunters have had nerve enough to use it, and have locked it up for -safe keeping," he added with a half-hearted laugh. His eyes idly -taking in the surroundings suddenly became fixed on a point a few feet -distant. "Say, Hal," said he abruptly, "there's a path, and it looks -to me as if it had been used lately. Let's follow it." - -It certainly was a path, and with every evidence that it had been -recently used. The boys followed it in puzzled silence until it -abruptly terminated at a spring. It required no very keen observation -to see that the spring had been cleaned out at no very distant day. As -by a common impulse they turned and stared back at the cabin, which -returned the stare with its gaping windows, as empty of life and -forlorn in appearance as could well be imagined. And yet there was -something sinister about the old ruin. It lay like a wet blanket on -the buoyant spirit of adventure with which they had entered the -clearing. - -Walter gave a little embarrassed laugh as he said, "It's queer, but -I've had a feeling of being watched ever since we struck the clearing. -There's no reason for it, and yet I can't get rid of the idea that -somebody's eyes are on us." - -"Must be the 'hant,'" said Hal with a laugh. But his face sobered as -he added, "I've had an awfully uncomfortable feeling myself, Walt. I -don't believe I'm keen to crawl in one of those windows. Reckon I've -seen all I want to of the old place. What do you say if we go back?" - -"I've had enough," agreed Walter. "I don't wonder they call the old -thing haunted. Guess that story got on our nerves all right. I never -thought I was superstitious, but I sure would hate to spend a night -here." - -The boys quickened their pace as they passed the ruin, throwing a -hasty glance in at the yawning windows, but in the darkness of the -interior they could make out little. - -"Ugh!" said Hal as they picked up the trail out, "I'm glad to leave -the blamed old place. I guess it's haunted all right!" - -Had he looked back and seen the venom in the pair of black eyes that, -through one of the windows they had so recently passed, watched them -disappear on the trail, he would have still further rejoiced that they -were leaving the old ruin behind. - -They found the canoe where they had left it, but the batteau was gone. -With Hal in the stern and Walter in the bow they soon had half a mile -of open water between them and the shore. It was then that Hal noticed -for the first time that there was considerable water in the canoe and -that it was increasing rapidly. His exclamation of dismay drew -Walter's attention to their predicament. The canoe had not leaked -before--what did it mean? - -A hasty examination of the interior showed that the water was coming -in slightly forward of Walter's seat, and that at the rate it was -gaining their little craft would soon be awash. There was nothing -wherewith to bail except their hands or sneaks, and these were wholly -inadequate in face of the fact that one must paddle. They did not dare -go back whence they had come, for instinctively they felt that the -source of their present difficulty lay there. Camp was still some two -and a half miles distant and the afternoon was growing late. It was a -situation to test their powers of resource and scoutcraft to the -fullest. - -Walter hurriedly stripped off his trousers and shirt. "What are you -going to do?" cried Hal. "You can't swim from here to camp!" - -"Don't intend to," responded Walter hurriedly. "I'm goin' to try to -find out what's happened to us. When I get out you get as far back on -the stern as you can. That will put her bow clear out of water and -give me a chance to see a good half of her bottom." - -With the words he plunged over, and Hal crawled back as directed. -Walter came up at once under the bow and found that, as he had -anticipated, he could examine easily the whole forward half of the -canoe's bottom. It took but a moment to locate the trouble, two long -gashes close to and parallel with the keel. - -"Some one's cut it!" cried Walter. "Must be one of those lumber-jacks -that was over there with the batteau did it. Never knew of them doing -anything like this before. They've played tricks on the fellows lots -of times for fun, but never anything low down mean like this, or -anything that meant danger. You stay back there and paddle a while, -Hal, and I'll swim. With her bow out that way she can't leak any more. -By and by you can swim and I'll paddle. Water's fine!" he added with a -grin. - -The water had rushed to the stern and Hal, sitting astride the canoe, -was able to bail much of it out with one of Walter's sneaks. Then -while Walter swam he slowly paddled so as to remain close to the -swimmer. The wind had begun to freshen a trifle and as they were -heading it came from a point off the port quarter, and Hal soon had -his hands full to keep on the course at all, for the high bow was -caught by every little gust and frequently he was spun around as if on -a pivot. - -Walter was swimming easily, but he realized that the distance to be -covered was beyond his powers, and he thought rapidly as he swam. Hal -was not a strong swimmer, but would be able to cover a short distance -while he had a breathing spell in the canoe. Gradually he came to a -realization of the struggle his comrade was having with the canoe, and -that the latter's arms would be strained and weary when it came his -turn to take to the water. They must try some other plan. Studying the -lines of the canoe he concluded that with both of them far back in the -stern the gashes would be partly out of water, and that with both -paddling they might make some distance before the water reached the -danger point. Then he could go overboard again and Hal could bail out -as before. - -This plan was at once tried and with both putting all their strength -to the paddles they gained a full mile before it became necessary for -Walter to go overboard again. This time they were near a small island, -and thither Hal drove the canoe and had beached and emptied it by the -time Walter arrived. After a thorough rest they prepared to start -again, when they spied a boat coming down the lake. One look was -sufficient to assure them that their troubles were at an end. There -was but one pair of shoulders in the woods like those sending the -light craft toward them with powerful strokes. - -"Jim! Jim! Oh, you Jim!" they yelled shrilly. - -The rower stopped and turned toward them, then altered his course, and -in a few minutes was resting on his oars alongshore while, both -talking at once, they poured out their story and showed him the gashed -canoe. The big fellow's face wore a look of perplexity as, with the -boys in his boat and the canoe in tow, he headed for camp. - -"Whar did ye say ye went when ye left th' canoe?" he asked. - -"Up to the haunted cabin," replied Walter. - -"Was the hant t' hum?" he inquired with a grin. - -"No," said Hal, "or if he was he was mighty seclusive. Both doors were -locked." - -"What's thet ye said, son?" demanded the guide sharply, as he stopped -rowing for a minute. - -"I said the doors were locked and we couldn't get in," replied Hal. - -"And there was a path down to the spring that looked as if some one -had been using it," added Walter. - -"Prob'ly some lumberman been in thar fer a drink," said the guide with -an assumption of carelessness, and then lapsed into such a state of -abstraction that the boys gave up trying to interest him further. He -came out of it as they approached the camp. - -"Don't say nothin' 'bout this; jes' leave it t' me," he advised. "I'll -explain it t' th' doctor. 'Tain't like th' boys o' th' lumber camps t' -do no sech trick as this, and I'd hate t' hev any feelin' stirred up. -You boys jes' keep mum." - -The boys were quite willing to do so, and bidding them a hasty -farewell Jim strode off toward headquarters. - -"Queer thing, the whole business," mused Walter as they watched the -guide disappear in the office. "I wonder what Jim's got on his mind." - -And he would have wondered still more if he could have heard the guide -exclaim, as he banged his big fist down on the desk at the end of a -fifteen minutes' talk with the doctor: - -"It's him as sure as shootin'! We'll git him this time, or my name -ain't Jim Everly!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -ON GUARD - - -On the bald top of Old Scraggy stood a slender figure in khaki. The -broad-brimmed regulation Scout hat was tilted back, revealing a -sun-browned face which was good to see. The eyes were clear and -steady. The mouth might have been called weak but for a certain set of -the jaw and a slight compression of the thin lips which denoted a -latent force of will which would one day develop into power. It was, -withal, a pleasant face, a face in which character was written, a face -which denoted purpose and determination. - -The boy raised a pair of field-glasses to his eyes and swept the -wonderful panorama of forest and lake that unfolded below him on every -side. Like mighty billows of living green the mountains rolled away to -fade into the smoke haze that stretched along the horizon. The smell -of smoke was in the air. Over beyond Mt. Seward hung a huge cloud of -dirty white against which rose great volumes of black, shading down to -dingy sickening yellowish tinge at the horizon. Through his glasses -the boy could see this shot through here and there with angry red. -There was something indescribably sinister and menacing in it, even to -his inexperienced eyes. It was like a huge beast snarling and showing -its teeth as it devoured its prey. On the back side of the Camel's -Hump another fire was raging. But neither of these seriously -threatened Woodcraft Camp, for a barrier of lakes lay between. - -"I'm glad they're no nearer," muttered the watcher half aloud. He -swung his glasses around to the camp five miles away by the trail, -though not more than three and a half in an air line, and his face -softened as he studied the familiar scene. There was a song in his -heart and the burden of it was, "They have got some use for me! They -have got some use for me! They have got some use for me!" It was Hal -Harrison. - -There had been a wonderful change in the boy in the few weeks since -his meeting with Walter Upton at Speckled Brook. It had been a hard -fight, a bitter fight; sometimes, it seemed to him, a losing fight. -But he had triumphed in the end. He had "made good" with his fellow -Scouts. He had friends, a lot of them. With only one or two was he -what might be called intimate, but on every side were friendly -greetings. From being an outcast he had become a factor in the camp -life. He was counted in as a matter of course in all the fun and -frolic. He had done nothing "big" to win this regard. It was simply -the result of meeting his fellows on their own ground and doing his -share in the trivial things that go to make up daily life. - -He was thinking of this now and his changed attitude toward life, -toward his fellow men. In a dim way he realized that a revolution had -been worked within himself, and that his present status in the little -democracy down there on the edge of the lake was due, not so much to a -change in the general feeling of his comrades toward him, but in his -own feeling toward them. His present position had always been his, but -he had refused to take it. - - [Illustration: THE BOYS WERE DRILLED IN WIG-WAG SIGNALING] - -Somehow money, which had been his sole standard whereby to judge -his fellows, had dropped from his thought utterly as he strove to -measure up his comrades. It had even become hateful to him as he -gradually realized how less than nothing it is in the final summing up -of true worth, of character and manhood. And with this knowledge all -his old arrogance had fallen from him like a false garment, and in its -place had developed a humility that cleared his vision and enabled him -to see things in their true relations. - -"My, what a cad I was when I hit Woodcraft, and how little I realized -what the Scout's oath means!" he murmured. "The fellows have been -awfully white to me. If--if I could only do something to show 'em that -I appreciate it, could only really and truly 'make good' somehow. -Seems to me this smoke is getting thicker." - -He turned once more toward Seward. The wind was freshening and the -smoke driven before it was settling in a great pall that spread and -gradually blotted out mountain after mountain. The blue haze thickened -in the valleys. When he turned again toward Woodcraft it had become a -blur. The sun, which had poured a flood of brilliant light from a -cloudless sky, had become overcast and now burned an angry red ball -through a murky atmosphere. His throat smarted from the acrid smoke. -There was a strange silence, as if the great wilderness held its -breath in hushed awe in the face of some dread catastrophe. - -Hal was on guard. It was Dr. Merriam's policy to always maintain a -watch on the top of Old Scraggy during dry weather that any fire which -should start in the neighborhood might be detected in its incipient -stages and a warning be flashed to camp. The boys were drilled in -wig-wag signaling, and in the use of the heliograph, the former for -use on a dull day and the latter on a bright day, the top of Old -Scraggy being clearly visible from camp, so that with glasses the -wig-wag signals could be read easily. At daybreak a watch was sent to -the mountain station, while another went on duty at the camp to -receive the signals. At noon both guards were relieved. Only the -steadiest and most reliable boys were detailed for this duty. This was -Hal's first assignment and, while he felt the responsibility, he had -hit the Scraggy trail with a light heart, for he realized the -compliment to his scoutcraft. And was not this evidence that he was -making good? - -The smoke thickened. The smart in his eyes and throat increased. -Uneasily he paced the little platform that had been built on the -highest point. Suddenly it seemed as if his heart stopped beating for -just a second. Why did the smoke seem so much thicker down there to -the east at the very foot of Scraggy itself? With trembling fingers he -focussed the glasses. The smoke was rising at that point, not settling -down! Yes, he could not be mistaken, there was a flicker of red! There -was a fire on the eastern slope! - -Hastily he sprang for the mirror with which to signal his discovery, -but even as his hand touched it he realized the futility of his -purpose. The sun was hopelessly obscured by the smoke. The flags! He -grasped them and turned toward the camp. Where was the camp? Vainly he -sought to locate it. The smoke had drawn a curtain over it through -which even his powerful glasses would not pierce. For a minute panic -gripped him. Then into the chaos of his mind broke the calm quiet -voice of Dr. Merriam in one of his weekly talks at the camp-fire: "The -man or boy to face an emergency is the one who keeps cool--who stops -to think." - -Deliberately Hal forced himself to sit down on the edge of the -platform and review the situation. It was five miles to camp. By the -time he could get there and a party be organized and return the fire -would have gained such headway that there would be no checking it. To -the west, nearer by at least a mile and a half, lay the Durant camp. -But there was no broken trail there, nothing but a blazed trail which -he had never even seen and which at best would be slow following. But -hold on! The loggers were at work this side of the camp, not over two -miles distant in a straight line! Perhaps they would discover the -fire. A moment's reflection, however, convinced him that this was -unlikely, at least until it was too late. A shoulder of the mountain -intervened. Was he Scout enough to hold his course for two miles -through that tangle of wilderness? - -It seemed the only thing to do if he was to get a warning through in -time. There was no time to lose! His lips tightened and he got up -abruptly and began to tighten his belt. He would try it. He would do -it! Turning for another look at the fire his glance was arrested by a -box half hidden beneath a corner of the platform. In a flash he was on -his knees, half sobbing with relief as he dragged it forth. Why hadn't -he remembered Jack Appleby's wireless outfit before? - -Jack had been on Old Scraggy the day before experimenting with -wireless messages to camp, and had left his apparatus on the mountain, -intending to return this afternoon to continue his experiments. How -Hal blessed the good fortune that had led him to take an interest in -wireless and join the little group of boys who were continually -experimenting with it in camp! There were several outfits there, and -one or another was in use most of the time. He prayed with all his -soul that such might be the case now, as, with hasty fingers, he -adjusted the apparatus and sat down to the key. One after the other he -sounded the private calls of all the stations in camp, between each -call listening for a reply. Would they never hear? Click, click, -click, click, over and over and over again he repeated the calls, -while the cold sweat stood out on his forehead. Would they never hear? -Would they never hear? Should he give it up and make the plunge for -the Durant cutting? No, this was his best chance. - -Click, click, click! What was the matter with them down there? Ha! Was -that Joe Brown's answering signal? With feverish haste he pounded out -in the Morse code, "Is this you, Brown?" The reply came promptly: -"Yes. Who are you?" With a sigh of relief Hal bent over the key and -forced himself to send his message slowly, that there might be no -confusion in receiving it: "This is Harrison, watch on Scraggy. Fire -just started on eastern slope. Warn Doctor." - -"Warn Doctor of fire. All right," spelled the receiver at his ear. - -Hal shouted aloud in his relief. Hastily repacking the apparatus he -turned to look down at the threatened danger. Already the fire had -gained great headway. Would the doctor be able to bring help in time? -A heavy stand of magnificent timber lay directly in the path of the -flames. It was one of the choicest holdings of the Durant company. - -The boy looked down at the Durant cutting on the other side. If he -could at once warn the men at work there they might reach the fire in -time. He would try. Carefully noting the direction with his pocket -compass he headed straight for the cutting. - -That trip down the mountain is a nightmare to Hal to this day. -Slipping, sliding down the steep upper slope, bruised by falls on -rocky ledges, crawling under and over fallen timber, struggling -through seemingly impassable windfalls, his shirt torn, his hat lost, -his face and hands bleeding from numerous scratches he struggled on, -running whenever the way was sufficiently open, stumbling, falling but -doggedly holding to the course set by the little compass in his hand. - -It seemed an eternity before the sound of voices mingled with ringing -blows of axes and the crashing of trees told him that he was almost -there. A few minutes later he staggered out among the astonished -loggers. His message was soon told, and almost before he had regained -his wind the fire gangs were organized and with axes and shovels, the -latter kept at hand for just such emergencies, were on their way to -the scene of trouble. - -Hal begged to go along, but the boss refused to let him. "You've done -your part, my boy," he said kindly. "You can be of no help there and -might be in danger. Rest here a bit and then you trot along down to -camp and tell Cookie to fix you up and give you something to eat. Son, -you may not know it, but you're all in." - -Hal did know it. Now that the excitement was over he began to realize -for the first time how utterly weary he was. He was weak and -trembling. He felt the smart of his bruises and the ache of strained -muscles. The boss was right. His place was in the rear, not on the -firing line. - -A long rest at the Durant camp and the friendly ministrations of -Cookie made him feel more like himself. Late in the afternoon he -hobbled into Woodcraft. The camp was nearly deserted, for all of the -older boys were on the fire line. Walter was the first to see him, and -hastened to congratulate him, for the whole camp knew by this time who -had sent the warning. Then others crowded around to shake hands and -insist on hearing his story from his own lips. This Hal told, -omitting, however, to mention his terrific cross country struggle, -explaining his bruises as the result of a tumble over a ledge. - -As soon as Walter got a chance he drew Hal to one side. "Say," he -began eagerly, "the game warden and a deputy started for the haunted -cabin early this morning." - -"What for? To get the 'hant'?" asked Hal. - -"Exactly!" replied Walter. "And the 'hant' is Red Pete! Big Jim -figured it all out when he picked us up on the lake the other -afternoon. You know they couldn't find Pete up at Lonesome Pond. He -probably got wise that Jim would be on his trail after that shootin' -while we were in camp there, and promptly vamoosed. When we told Jim -about the cabin's being locked and the path to the spring he tumbled -in a minute. That was the safest place in the woods for Pete, and he -was probably right in the cabin when we tried the doors. Jim went up -there the next day and did a little scouting. He found a blind trail -down to the lake a lot shorter than the trail we took. Pete was -probably afraid that we'd tell about the locked cabin and some one -would get wise, so as soon as we were out of sight he made a quick -sneak down to the lake ahead of us and slashed the canoe in the hope -that we'd sink and get drowned. Jim sent word to the warden, and now I -guess there'll be something doing at the haunted cabin!" - -"How did you find out all this?" asked Hal. - -"Jim told me this morning. He was going in with the warden, but when -your message came he had to go fight fire. He told me just before he -started." - -"Gee!" exclaimed Hal. "Some excitement to-day! Do the other fellows -know?" - -"No. Jim said I could tell you, but that we're to keep it to -ourselves." - -Just after sundown the fire fighters returned, weary but triumphant. -The fire had been gotten under control before serious damage had been -done, but this would have been impossible but for the timely arrival -of the Durant gang, who were trained fire fighters, and who had -reached the scene first. The boss had told the doctor of how he -received the warning. - -The latter's first action on reaching camp was to issue orders for the -preparation of a huge camp-fire to be started after evening mess. When -this was lighted and the whole camp gathered round Dr. Merriam stepped -into the circle for what the boys supposed was one of his usual -camp-fire talks. He began by a brief review of Scout principles and -the need of coolness and clear thinking in the face of sudden -emergency, and then briefly and forcefully he sketched Hal's exploit -of the day, ending by expressing his personal indebtedness to the boy -who had, by using his head and supplementing this by a courageous act, -saved property of great value. "It would not be inappropriate if there -should be some expression of the camp's feeling at this time," -concluded the doctor with a twinkle in his eyes. - -In a flash Woodhull was on his feet. "The Woodcraft yell for the -Seneca who has made good!" he shouted, and beating time with both arms -he led the long rolling "Whoop-yi-yi-yi! Whoop-yi-yi-yi! -Whoop-yi-yi-yi! Harrison!" - -Then despite his efforts to escape Hal was pushed to the center beside -the big chief while the four tribes circled the fire in the mad dance -of triumph. - -But the thing that was sweetest of all to the tired boy was the -discovery that the Senecas had been credited fifty points for his -feat. At last he had done something to wipe out the old score. His cup -was full. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -FOR THE HONOR OF THE TRIBE - - -All of Woodcraft who could get afloat were on the water, and those not -so fortunate were ranged on points of vantage along the pier and on -the shore. Dr. and Mother Merriam, with some of the guests of the -camp, parents of the boys in for the annual field day, occupied the -end of the pier, which commanded the whole course and was directly on -the finish line. Among the most interested of the onlookers were Mr. -Harrison and Mr. Upton, who had arrived that morning, taking their -sons by surprise. - -The shore events had been run off in the forenoon, with honors well -distributed. The Algonquins, under Chief Seaforth, had won the rifle -match. Chief Woodhull had scored heavily for the Delawares by winning -the trail finding contest, the stalking event and the mile -cross-country "hike" without compass or trail. The relay race, high -and broad jumps had gone to the Hurons, while the Senecas had taken -the hundred yard and two hundred and twenty yard dashes. The points -for the best individual work during the summer in the various branches -of nature study had been awarded, and the total score in the contest -between the two wigwams for the deer's head offered for the highest -total was Wigwam No. 1--1,460 points; Wigwam No. 2--1,450 points. - -For tribal honors the Delawares had a safe margin, but the -championship banner would go to the winning tribe in the successful -wigwam. Excitement was at fever pitch, for on the outcome of the -afternoon events hung the honors of the whole season. It was generally -conceded that the Hurons would take the swimming events handily, -unless the Delawares developed a dark horse. The Senecas were strong -in the canoe work, and they vowed that if the Hurons tied the score -with the swimming events they would win the canoe events. - -The swimming races were called first. Before the first event Chief -Woodhull called the Delawares together. "I haven't much to say," he -said as he looked into the eager faces of his tribe, "only this: I -expect every Delaware to do his best, not for his personal glory, but -for the honor of his tribe and the honor of his wigwam. It is a great -thing to win for yourself, but it is a greater thing to win for your -fellows. When you reach the point where it seems as if you hadn't -another ounce left just remember that the loss is not yours alone, but -of the tribe who are pinning their faith to you. Another thing; fight -for second and third places just as hard as for first. It's the small -points that are going to win that banner, and it's up to you -individually to get every point you can. And," he added with a smile, -"don't forget to cheer the other fellows when they win. If we must -lose let's be good losers, but--_don't lose!_ That's all." - -The conditions were perfect for the afternoon's sport. The lake lay -like a huge mirror, not a ripple breaking its glassy surface. -Clustered about the finish line were the camp canoes and boats and -several launches filled with guests from the hotels at the other end -of the lake. Several batteaux filled with lumber-jacks from the Durant -camp lined the course. - -"Gee, ain't it great?" said Tug Benson as he and Walter paddled out -to the raft from which the swimming races were to start. - -"You bet!" replied Walter enthusiastically. "How you feeling?" - -"Fine and dandy!" responded Tug. "I'm goin' to take that hundred yards -if I never swim another stroke!" - -"Wish I felt as sure of a place in my event," said Walter. - -"Look a-here, you're goin' to get more than place--you're goin' to win -that event! You've got to! What do you s'pose I've been coachin' you -for all summer?" said Tug savagely as he glared at his companion. - -They were to the raft by this time and as they hopped out and made -their canoe fast they heard the starter announcing the first event, -which was the hundred yard race. In all events for the afternoon first -would count ten points, second five points and third three points. - -There were eight entries for this event, three Hurons, two Delawares, -two Senecas and one Algonquin. - -"Are you ready?" Bang! There was one splash as the eight boys took -the water. At the very first Tug took the lead. The distance was too -short to take any chances. He was using the crawl stroke, and his -powerful muscles drove him through the water like a fish. But he had -need of every bit of strength and skill he possessed. Two of the -Hurons were pressing him close, and ten yards from the finish one of -them forged up until the two boys were neck and neck. Tug glanced -ahead to locate the finish line, and gulped his lungs full of air. -Then, burying his face, he tore through the water like some strange -amphibian, putting every last ounce of reserve strength into a supreme -effort. - -Bang! It was the finish gun, and the wild whoop of the Delawares told -him he had won, but he had hardly filled his strained lungs when the -second and third guns told him by how narrow a margin he had snatched -the victory. - -"Two points to the good, anyway," he said grimly as Woodhull helped -him into a boat. - -This made the wigwam score 1,470 to 1,458 and the Delawares and -Algonquins whooped deliriously. But their triumph was short lived. -The two hundred and twenty yard event gave the Hurons first and second -and the Senecas third. It was now the turn of the Hurons and Senecas -to break loose, and they made the most of it, for this gave Wigwam No. -2 a lead of six points. - -"It's up to you now," growled Tug in Walter's ear as they stood side -by side awaiting the starting gun in the quarter mile event. "I -haven't a look-in, for that hundred killed me. But I'm goin' to set -the pace for the first half, and you stick right to me. Don't you pay -any attention to the rest of 'em, but stick right to me. When I give -the word you dig out, and win. Remember, this is no sprintin' match!" - -The starting gun banged. When Walter had shaken the water from his -eyes and looked around he found Tug at his side, swimming easily with -a powerful overhand stroke. Off to the right two of the Hurons were -using the crawl and were rapidly forging ahead. Already they had a -lead that gave Walter a panicky feeling. Tug looked at him and -grinned. "Water's fine," he grunted, for all the world as if this was -nothing more than a pleasure swim. "Get your back into that stroke." - -Tug was still swimming easily, but he was putting more power into his -strokes. Walter followed his example and kept neck and neck with him. -They were now the last of the field. The sprint of the two Hurons had -given them a good lead, and this had had its effect on the other -swimmers, all of whom were putting forth every effort to overhaul the -leaders. Walter found that it took every bit of will power he -possessed not to do the same. The pace was beginning to tell on those -in front, but Tug never varied his strong easy stroke and presently -Walter noticed that they were slowly but surely closing up the gap -between them and the nearest competitors. - -They had now covered a third of the course and the leaders were still -a long way ahead. Would Tug never hit it up? What was he waiting so -long for? Perhaps he was, as he had said, "all in," and couldn't go -any faster. Ought he to stay back as Tug had told him to? If he should -lose out for place the blame would be laid to him, not to Tug. Ha! Tug -had quickened the stroke a bit! It was not much, but there was a -perceptible gain with each swing of the arms and kick of the legs. - -The half-way mark, and still Tug did not give the word. What was the -matter with him? He glanced at him anxiously, but the grin on that -astute young gentleman's face revealed nothing, certainly not anxiety. -Two or three of the swimmers had begun to splash badly, notably the -two Hurons in the lead. Walter had his second wind, and he found that -he was holding Tug with less effort than at first. He could hear the -shrill yells of the Hurons and Senecas at the finish line as they -urged on their braves, and there was an unmistakable note of triumph -in every yell. It gave him a sinking feeling in the pit of his -stomach. - -"Now go!" screamed a voice almost in his ear. Dimly he realized that -Tug had given him the word. Quickening his stroke he put in every -ounce of reserve strength, and at once the result began to show. One -after another he overtook and passed the other swimmers until there -was only one between him and the finish line. The two Hurons who had -led so long were splashing in manifest distress. They were behind him -now, their bolt shot, but still struggling gamely. But the swimmer -ahead was a Huron who had come up strongly in the last quarter. - -The pace was beginning to tell. Every muscle in his body ached, and -his straining lungs seemed to gasp in no air at all. He was neck and -neck with the leader now, but his tortured muscles seemed on the point -of refusing to act altogether. If he could only rest them just a -second! Ha, what was that? "Whoop! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whoop! -Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whoop! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Upton!" - -It was the long rolling yell of the Delawares. It seemed to put new -life into him. They were calling on him now for the honor of the -tribe! He was almost there. Could he make it? He would make it! He -gulped his lungs full of air, buried his face in the water and swung -into the crawl, and then it seemed to him that his movements were -wholly automatic. "For the honor of the tribe. For the honor of the -tribe. For the honor of the tribe." Over and over his brain hammered -that one phrase. - -The bang of the finish gun crashed into it, but for a minute he did -not sense what it meant. "For the honor of the tribe," he murmured, -weakly paddling the water with his hands. - -"And the honor of the boy!" cried a hearty voice, as strong hands -caught the slack of his jersey and pulled him into a boat. - -He looked up in a daze into the face of Woodhull. "Did I win?" he -gasped. - -"You sure did!" was the prompt response. - -"No, I didn't; Tug did it," muttered Walter to himself as he saw his -coach wearily finish at the tail end. - -Second place had gone to the Hurons and third to the Algonquins. The -score now stood Wigwam No. 1--1,483; Wigwam No. 2--1,481, and the -excitement of the visitors was hardly less than that of the tribes as -they waited for the canoe events. - -The fours were called first. There were four entries, one crew from -each tribe, four brawny boys in each canoe, captained by the four -chiefs. The distance was half a mile with a turn, start and finish -being opposite the pier. A pretty sight they made as they lined up -for the start, each boy on one knee, leaning well over the side of the -canoe, blade poised just over the water at his utmost reach. - -Almost with the flash of the gun the sixteen blades hit the water and, -amid a wild tumult of yells, the canoes shot away like greyhounds from -a leash. - -"Did you get on to that start of the Hurons--one long stroke, then -five short ones and then the regular long stroke!" yelled Billy Buxby, -whose sharp eyes seldom missed anything new. - -As a matter of fact this little trick had given the Hurons the best of -the start, the quick short strokes getting their boat under full -headway before the others. But their advantage was short-lived, and it -could be seen that as the turning buoys were approached they were -last. - -"Wonder if they'll spring something new on the turn," muttered Billy, -leaning forward until he threatened to upset his canoe. "Ah, I thought -so!" - -The Delawares had reached the turn first with the Senecas a close -second and the Algonquins third, but the leaders had not fairly -straightened out for home when the Hurons turned their buoy as if on a -pivot and actually had the lead. - -In silence the spectators watched the flashing blades draw up the -course. It was anybody's race, a "heart-breaker," as Spud Ely -expressed it. Like clockwork the blades rose and fell. The Algonquins -were using a long body swing. The Senecas swung their shoulders only, -and their stroke was shorter and faster. The Hurons had dropped a -little behind, but between the three leaders there was little to -choose. - -"It's quite primeval, isn't it?" said Mr. Upton as he returned the -binoculars which Mr. Harrison had loaned him. - -"That just expresses it," replied the latter as pandemonium broke -loose in shrill yells from the four tribes urging on their crews. "The -forest setting, the Indian craft--it's all like a picture out of early -history." - -The voices of the captains could now be heard calling for the final -spurt. The stroke in all four boats became terrific as, with heads -bent, hanging far over the sides, the paddlers drove their blades -through the water, recovered and drove them again, almost faster than -the eye could follow. Ten yards from the finish the Senecas, paddling -in perfect form, seemed fairly to lift their boat from the water. It -was magnificent, and as they shot over the line, winners by a scant -quarter length, all four tribes joined in giving them the Woodcraft -yell. - -The Algonquins were second, beating the Delawares by a scant half -length. The score was tied. - -The single event was next, and in this both Walter and Hal Harrison -were entered. It was an eighth of a mile straight away. This event was -confined to the younger boys, and Walter felt that he had an even -chance for place, though Tobey of the Hurons was generally picked to -win. Harrison was a dark horse. No one knew much about his paddling -save his chief, who had coached him in private, and was very chary of -his opinion to anxious inquirers. - -"I'm going to beat you, Walt," said Hal, as they paddled down to the -starting line. - -"Not if I can help it," replied Walter with a good-natured laugh, -"but if I'm going to be beaten there is no one I should rather have -win than you, Hal. But the Delawares need those points, and I'm going -to get 'em if I can." - -It was Hal's first race, his novice event, and he was plainly nervous -at the start, so that he got away poorly. But he soon recovered and -settled down to his work in a way that brought a smile of satisfaction -to the lips of Chief Avery watching from the finish line. - -Hal had not told his father that he was entered for any of the events. -Mr. Harrison had been talking with Dr. Merriam when the race was -called, and had paid no attention to the boys going down to the start. -It was not until the race was half over that he focussed his glasses -on the canoes. - -"Bless me, that looks like my boy out there!" he exclaimed, wiping his -glasses to be sure that he saw clearly. Then to the delight of the -spectators the man of millions showed that he was wholly human after -all. He whooped and shouted like an overgrown boy. "Come on, Hal! Come -on, boy!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. "He's winning! He's -winning! Come on, Hal! Hit her up! Hit her up!" And all the time he -was pounding the man in front of him, quite oblivious of the fact that -it was Dr. Merriam himself. - -Hal was hitting it up. After the first few minutes of dumb surprise -the Senecas had rallied to the support of their new champion, and as -the boy heard his name over and over again at the end of the Seneca -yell he ground his teeth and redoubled his efforts. Little by little -he forged ahead. - -Walter was putting up a game struggle, but he found that his grueling -swim earlier in the afternoon was telling now, and in spite of all he -could do open water was showing between his canoe and Hal's. "I'll get -second, anyway," he muttered, and then as before the old slogan, "For -the honor of the tribe. For the honor of the tribe," began hammering -in his brain. - -It was Hal's race, with Walter second, Buxby third, and Tobey, the -expected winner, a poor fourth. Wigwam No. 2 was two points to the -good. - -The suspense had become almost unbearable as the last event for the -afternoon was called. This was a "pack and carry" race, a novelty to -most of the spectators, and in some respects the most interesting of -all. Four canoes were placed side by side on the ground in front of -headquarters. Beside each was spread a shelter tent, blankets and -cooking outfit. The four chiefs took their places, each beside one of -the outfits. At the signal gun each began to pack his outfit. As soon -as he had finished he picked up his canoe, inverted it over his head -and carried it to the lake. Returning for his pack he placed it in his -canoe, paddled out around a buoy, back to shore, and carried canoe and -pack to the starting point. - -Woodhull won handily, but big Bob Seaforth, who got a good start and -was counted on for second at least, broke a paddle and was put -hopelessly out of it. This gave the Senecas and Hurons second and -third respectively. The score was once more tied. - -It was incredible! Never in the history of the camp had there been -anything like it. The field sports over and the championship -undecided! And now it hung on the outcome of a little woodcraft test -that hitherto had been simply a pleasant part of the ceremony of -lighting the last camp-fire--the test of the fire sticks. It was -agreed that the winner should not only have the usual honor of -lighting the fire, but that he should score five points for his tribe -and wigwam, and that second and third should not count. - -Evening mess was a hurried affair. There was too much excitement for -eating. Promptly at eight o'clock Dr. Merriam appeared with the other -members of the camp force and a few guests who had remained, and the -tribes gathered in a circle around the huge pile of fire-wood in front -of headquarters. Each chief selected five of his followers to -represent his tribe. These squatted in four groups with their fire -sticks before them on the ground. Behind each group stood an umpire to -announce the first bona fide flame. - -The silence was almost painful as Dr. Merriam raised his arm for the -starting shot. There was a momentary stir as the boys hastily reached -for their sticks, and then no sound save an occasional long breath and -the whirr of the fire drills. Twenty seconds, twenty-five, thirty, -thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three--"Buxby's fire!" cried a voice -sharply, and then a mighty yell arose from the Delawares and -Algonquins as Billy leaped forward and thrust his tiny blaze into the -tinder of the dark pile before him. Wigwam No. 1 had won! - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE HOME TRAIL - - -Walter stood on the pier at Upper Lake looking down the long stretch -of water. A mist gathered before his eyes and blurred his vision. For -the moment he was alone. His father and Mr. Harrison were over by -"Woodcraft Girl," which was made fast farther down the pier, and were -talking earnestly with Louis Woodhull. How beautiful it was, and how -hard to leave. What a glorious summer it had been! - -His thoughts ran back to the morning when he had stood in this same -place with Big Jim and felt for the first time the mystery of the -great wilderness. Was it possible that that was only eight weeks -before? What a lot had happened in that short time! What a tenderfoot -he had been! How much he had thought he knew of woodcraft, and how -little it had been compared with what he knew now. - -And yet even now he had learned little more than the elementary -lessons. Big Jim had been right; "Woodcraft never yet was larned out -o' books." And still how much he owed to those same books. In the -light of the knowledge obtained from them how much better he had been -able to apply the lessons learned from his practical experiences. Even -the big guide had come to see this, and had grudgingly admitted that -there might be some good in the despised books, after all. - -Walter stretched his arms out toward the lake and the mountains. "How -I hate to leave it all," he said, unconsciously speaking aloud. - -"Same here," said Hal Harrison, who had come up behind him unobserved. -"And a few weeks ago I would have given anything I possessed to get -away. Now I can't wait for next summer to come, so that I can get back -here. You'll be back, of course?" - -"I don't know. I want to. Seems as if I'd simply got to. It's all a -matter of whether Dad can afford to let me," replied Walter frankly. - -Just then there was a warning toot from the engine attached to the -single coach which was to take them over to Upper Chain to connect -with the New York express. Woodhull came up to say good-bye. He, with -some of the older boys, would remain in camp for the opening of the -hunting season. "I shall look for you back next year, Upton," he said -extending his left hand for the Scout grip. "The Delawares need him," -he added, as he shook hands with Mr. Upton. - -Then turning to Hal with his winning smile he said, "Hal, if we didn't -have so much regard for Avery the Delawares would certainly annex you -too." - -At Upper Chain there was a half hour wait, and the boys started out -for a final look at the sawmill village. Suddenly Walter caught sight -of a familiar figure. "Jim! Oh, you Jim!" he whooped in delight. - -At the sound the big guide turned and his face lighted with pleasure -as he strode over to the boys. "I was afraid I was goin' t' miss yer, -son," he drawled. "Jest got back from th' county seat, whar I've been -t' see th' last o' a friend o' yourn, leastwise fer some time, I -reckon." - -"Red Pete?" exclaimed both boys together. - -The guide grinned. "You've sure hit th' right trail," he said. "Pete's -on his way to whar he won't hev t' lock th' doors t' keep folks from -takin' a look at his shakedown. He'll be in a sort o' permanent camp -'fore sundown--ten years at hard labor. When thet picter o' yourn, -son, was sprung on him he broke down an' owned up t' a lot more -mischief than jest th' killin' o' th' King o' Lonesome. Th' warden got -him thet day o' the fire on Old Scraggy. When th' warden an' deputy -got t' the hanted cabin they found Pete wasn't ter hum. So they made -themselves comfortable an' waited. Long 'bout four o'clock in th' -afternoon Pete walked right into their arms, an' didn't seem none -pleased t' see 'em. - -"I hed a suspicion thet Pete knew somethin' 'bout thet fire on -Scraggy, an' when they charged him with it he owned up thet he hed set -it t' git even with Dr. Merriam fer puttin' the warden on his trail. I -reckon, son, thet if Pete had knowed what thet leetle picter box o' -yourn was goin' t' do t' him he'd 'a' smashed it plumb t' pieces th' -mornin' yer met up with him an' me over thar in th' deepo. Well," he -sniffed the sawdust-scented air, "seems t' me th' air in these old -woods will smell some sweeter now thet he ain't a-taintin' it no -more." - -When they returned to the railway station they found another familiar -face awaiting them. It was Pat Malone. A broad grin overspread his -freckled face as they approached. Walter was delighted. He had seen -nothing of Pat for the last week, and it was with real regret that he -had left Woodcraft without an opportunity to say good-bye. - -Pat came forward and rather sheepishly shook hands with Hal. The -latter blushed, and then manfully he apologized to the Irish lad for -his fault in the fish buying episode of the summer. The other's eyes -twinkled. - -"Sure, 'tis more than mesilf has larned how ter shpell honor, Oi be -thinkin'," he said. "Yez can buy no more fish av Pat Malone, but if ye -coom in nixt summer 'tis mesilf will show ye where ter catch thim." - -Turning to Walter he thrust into his hands a pair of snow-shoes. "Will -ye take these ter show Noo Yorrk th' latest shtoile in shoes?" he -asked hurriedly. "Oi made thim for ye mesilf so ye will remimber th' -bye in the woods ye licked--but thot ye can't lick now," he added, the -twinkle reappearing in his eyes. - -"An' say," he concluded as the heavy express drew in to the station, -"Oi be goin' ter shtart a Scout patrol av th' Upper Chain byes thot'll -make yez hustle fer honors when ye coom back nixt summer." - -The farewells were over. Lolling back in the luxury of a Pullman seat -Walter and Hal were rushing down through the mountains, back to the -busy world, a world of brick and stone and steel, of clang and roar, -of dust and dirt and smoke, of never ending struggle, the world to -which they had been accustomed, of which they had been a part all -their lives. Yet now it seemed a very dim and distant world, an unreal -world. - -They sat in silence, gazing out at the darkening forest, each buried -in his own thoughts, each vaguely conscious that he was not the same -boy who had taken this same iron trail into the wilderness a few short -weeks before; that there had been a change, a subtle metamorphosis -for which the mere passage of so brief a space of time could not be -accountable. Hal was the first to come out of the revery. - -"I guess," he said slowly and thoughtfully, "that I've just begun to -learn what life is. They really live it back there." - -In the seat in front of them the fathers of the two boys were in -earnest conversation, and Mr. Harrison was voicing almost the same -thought. "I tell you, Upton, that is real, genuine life up there! -Merriam's idea is right. It's great! That isn't a camp up there--it's -a 'man factory.' Why, look at that boy of mine! I sent him up there to -get him out of the way and keep him out of mischief. Sent him up there -a helpless infant in all but years. Been petted and coddled and -toadied to all his life. My fault, I admit it. And yet less my fault -than the fault of the unnatural and artificial conditions that wealth -produces. On the impulse of a moment I run up there to have a look at -him, and what do I find? A man, sir! - -"I tell you I never in my life put through a big financial deal with -one-half the pride that I watched that boy push his canoe over the -line yesterday! And when they told me about that fire exploit of his I -was happier than I'd be if I cornered the market to-day. I'm proud of -him, sir, just as you're proud of your boy! You've got to strip a man -down bare to know whether he can stand on his own feet or not. He's -got to, then, or go under. And Merriam is showing them how to do it. -Now I've been thinking of a plan for next summer for these two -youngsters, and perhaps a couple more from the camp, and the expense, -you understand, is to be wholly mine." - -He leaned forward and for half an hour the two men were absorbed in -earnest discussion. Finally Mr. Upton turned to the seat behind. - -"Walter," said he, "how should you like to spend next summer at -Woodcraft?" - -"Like it!" cried Walter. "There's nothing in all the world I'd like so -much!" - -Mr. Upton smiled. "Unless," said he, "you like equally well the plan -that Mr. Harrison has just proposed, which is a canoe cruise." - -"A canoe cruise!" - -"Yes, for you and Hal, and one of the older Woodcraft boys, and one -other, if you can get them to go with you. How should you like that -for the last two or three weeks of your vacation?" - -"Hurrah!" shouted Hal, throwing himself at his father, and giving him -a bear hug. "That's the bulliest plan you ever made! We'll get Louis -Woodhull to go with us, won't we, Walt?" - -"The very one I had in mind," said Mr. Harrison. - -The train rushed on through the gathering night. It roared over -bridges and rumbled through tunnels. It shrieked at lone crossings and -slowed to a jolting halt at busy stations. But unheeding, oblivious to -it all two happy boys sat in the Pullman section and excitedly -discussed who should be invited and where they should go when the next -summer should bring to them the promised opportunity to launch their -canoes on strange waters. - - -The Stories in this Series are: - - THE BOY SCOUTS OF WOODCRAFT CAMP - THE BOY SCOUTS ON SWIFT RIVER - THE BOY SCOUTS ON LOST TRAIL - THE BOY SCOUTS IN A TRAPPER'S CAMP - - - - -THORNTON W. BURGESS - - -THORNTON W. BURGESS was born in Sandwich, Massachusetts, January 14, -1874. He graduated from the Sandwich High School in 1891, afterward -taking a course in Comer's Commercial College, Boston. After a few -years in business life he entered the editorial field as one of the -editors of the Phelps Publishing and Orange Judd Companies and was for -several years one of the editors of Good Housekeeping Magazine, for -which he wrote extensively. - - [Illustration] - -For some years he has been a contributor to many of the leading -magazines. Over the name of W. B. Thornton he won recognition as a -writer on out-door life and nature topics. He is an ardent lover of -nature and since boyhood has spent his spare time in the woods and -fields. His vacations have been spent with rod, gun and camera, -camping and canoe cruising. - -Among his books are: - - The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp - The Boy Scouts on Swift River - The Boy Scouts on Lost Trail - The Boy Scouts in a Trapper's Camp - - - - -Transcriber's Note - -Minor punctuation errors have been repaired. - -Hyphenation has been made consistent. - -Page 39 has a reference to Mt. Sewell. Based on the rest of the book, -this should probably read Mt. Seward, but it is preserved as printed. - -The following amendments have been made: - - Page 150--wonered amended to wondered--He wondered if it could - be possible ... - - Caption to the illustration facing page 306--'WIGWAG SIGNALLING' - amended to 'WIG-WAG SIGNALING' for consistency with the rest of - the book. - -The frontispiece illustration has been moved to follow the title page. -Other illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are -not in the middle of a paragraph. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp, by -Thornton W. Burgess - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY SCOUTS OF WOODCRAFT CAMP *** - -***** This file should be named 54755-8.txt or 54755-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/7/5/54755/ - -Produced by Emmy, MFR, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive). Dedicated, with much affection, to our -friend Emmy, who "fell off the planet" far too soon. - - -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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere 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. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/54755-8.zip b/old/54755-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 01184d0..0000000 --- a/old/54755-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h.zip b/old/54755-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 5507df7..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/54755-h.htm b/old/54755-h/54755-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 221ee5c..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/54755-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10916 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> - -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp, by Thornton W. Burgess. - </title> - <style type="text/css"> - p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} - - h1 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 3em;} - h2,h3 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 2em;} - - div.centered table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} - - body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} - - a {text-decoration: none;} - - img {border: none;} - - em {font-style: italic;} - em.smallcap {font-variant: small-caps; font-style: normal;} - - .hidden {display: none;} - - .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-style: normal; - font-variant: normal; - font-weight: normal; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - } /* page numbers */ - - .bbox {border: 2px black solid; padding: 1em; margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 3em;} - - .center {text-align: center;} - .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - - .dropcap {float: left; width: auto; padding-right: 3px; font-size: 350%; line-height: 83%;} - /* Plain dropcaps */ - - .caption {text-align: center; font-size: 90%; padding-bottom: 2em;} - - .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em;} - - .figcenternocap {margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 2em;} - - .figright {float: right; clear: right; width: auto; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; - margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} - - .poemcenter {text-align: center;} - .poem {margin-left: 3%; margin-right: 3%; text-align: left; display: inline-block;} - .poem br {display: none;} - .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} - .poem div.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - .poem div.i0first {display: block; margin-left: -.4em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - - .tdlt {text-align: left; vertical-align: top; font-variant: small-caps; padding-right: 2em;} /* left top align cell */ - .tdrt {text-align: right; vertical-align: top;} /* right top align cell */ - .tdrb {text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;} /* right bottom align cell */ - - .smlfont {font-size: 90%;} - .vsmlfont {font-size: 80%;} - .tinyfont {font-size: 75%;} - - .titlep {margin-top: 2em;} - .author {text-align: center; margin-top: 2em; font-size: 140%;} - .booklist {text-align: center; font-size: 90%;} - .illustrator {text-align: center; margin-top: 2em; font-size: 120%;} - .publisher {text-align: center; margin-top: 3em; font-size: 140%;} - .dedication {text-align: center; margin-top: 5em; margin-bottom: 5em; font-style: italic; font-size: 150%;} - .sig {text-align: right; margin-right: 4em; font-variant: small-caps;} /* author signature aligned right */ - .reptitle {text-align: center; font-size: 180%; padding-top: 2em;} - .chapsub {font-size: 80%; line-height: 3em;} - .series {font-size: 90%; text-align: center; margin-top: 5em;} - .bookblock {max-width: 20em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} - .biolist {margin-left: 2em;} - .amends {margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} - -@media handheld -{ - .poem {display: block; margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%; text-align: left;} - .titlep {margin-top: 0em;} - .h1 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em;} - .author {text-align: center; margin-top: 1em; font-size: 140%;} - .illustrator {text-align: center; margin-top: 1em; font-size: 120%;} - .publisher {text-align: center; margin-top: 1em; font-size: 140%;} -} - -@media print, handheld -{ - body {margin-left: 2%; margin-right: 2%;} - h2, .bbox, .reptitle, .dedication {page-break-before: always;} - .titlep {page-break-before: always; page-break-after: always;} - .nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} - .break {page-break-before: always;} - .pagenum {visibility: hidden;} -} - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp, by Thornton W. Burgess - -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: The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp - -Author: Thornton W. Burgess - -Illustrator: C. S. Corson - -Release Date: May 21, 2017 [EBook #54755] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY SCOUTS OF WOODCRAFT CAMP *** - - - - -Produced by Emmy, MFR, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive). Dedicated, with much affection, to our -friend Emmy, who "fell off the planet" far too soon. - - - - - - -</pre> - - - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 502px;"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="502" height="800" -alt="Front cover of the book" /> -</div> - - - -<div class="titlep"> -<h1>The Boy Scouts<br /> -<span class="tinyfont">of</span><br /> -<span class="smlfont">Woodcraft Camp</span></h1> - -<p class="author"><span class="vsmlfont">By</span><br /> -Thornton W. Burgess</p> - -<p class="booklist">Author of<br /> -The Boy Scouts on Swift River<br /> -The Boy Scouts on Lost Trail<br /> -The Boy Scouts in a Trapper’s Camp</p> - - -<div class="figcenternocap" style="width: 159px;"> -<img src="images/crest.png" width="159" height="175" -alt="Eagle emblem" /> -</div> - -<p class="illustrator">Illustrated by C. S. Corson</p> - - -<p class="publisher">The Penn Publishing<br /> -Company Philadelphia<br /> -1922</p> -</div> - - - -<div class="figcenternocap" style="width: 165px;"> -<img src="images/copyright.png" width="165" height="300" -alt="COPYRIGHT 1912 BY THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY" /> -</div> - - - - - -<div class="break"> -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 511px;"> -<a name="illo01" id="illo01"></a> -<img src="images/bswc01.jpg" width="511" height="700" -alt="Walt and Woodhull meet" /> -<p class="caption">THE CHIEF GREETED HIM PLEASANTLY</p> -</div> -</div> - - - - -<p class="dedication"> -To my Wife<br /> -<br /> -whose faith and encouragement<br /> -have placed me in her debt<br /> -beyond my power to pay</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>5]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="introduction" id="introduction"></a>Introduction</h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> Boy Scout movement has appealed to -me from the very first as a long step in the -right direction. It stands for an organized -boyhood on a world-wide plan. It has in it -the essentials for a stronger and better manhood, -based on character building and physical -development. Clear and clean thinking -and self-reliance are its fundamental principles. -Its weakness has been and is the difficulty -in securing leaders, men with an understanding -of and sympathy with boys, who can -give the necessary time to active work in the -field with the patrols, and who are themselves -sufficiently versed in the lore of the woods and -fields.</p> - -<p>For years, before ever the Boy Scouts were -organized, I had dreamed of a woodcraft camp -for boys, a camp which in its appointments -and surroundings should make constant appeal -to the imagination of red-blooded, adventure-loving -boys, and which should at the -same time be a true “school of the woods” -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>6]</a></span> -wherein woodcraft and the ways of nature -should be taught along much the same lines -as those on which the Boy Scout movement -is founded.</p> - -<p>In this and succeeding volumes, “The Boy -Scouts on Swift River,” “The Boy Scouts on -Lost Trail,” “The Boy Scouts in a Trapper’s -Camp,” I have sought to portray the life of -such a school camp under Boy Scout rules. -“The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp” has -been written with a twofold purpose: To -stimulate on the part of every one of my boy -readers a desire to master for himself the -mysteries of nature’s great out-of-doors, the -secrets of field and wood and stream, and to -show by example what the Boy Scout’s oath -means in the development of character. Many -of the incidents in the succeeding pages are -drawn from my own experiences. And if, -because of reading this story, one more boy is -led to the Shrine of the Hemlock, there to inhale -the pungent incense from a camp-fire and -to master the art of tossing a flapjack, I shall -feel that I have not written in vain.</p> - -<p class="sig">The Author.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>7]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="contents" id="contents"></a>Contents</h2> -</div> - - -<div class="centered"> -<table border="0" summary="Table of contents"> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdlt">The Tenderfoot</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap01">11</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdlt">Woodcraft Camp</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap02">26</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">III.</td> - <td class="tdlt">First Impressions</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap03">39</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">IV.</td> - <td class="tdlt">The Initiation</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap04">56</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">V.</td> - <td class="tdlt">The Recall</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap05">71</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">VI.</td> - <td class="tdlt">The Specter in Camp</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap06">86</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">VII.</td> - <td class="tdlt">First Lessons</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap07">100</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">VIII.</td> - <td class="tdlt">Lonesome Pond</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap08">116</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">IX.</td> - <td class="tdlt">A Shot in the Dusk</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap09">136</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">X.</td> - <td class="tdlt">A Battle for Honor</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap10">161</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XI.</td> - <td class="tdlt">Buxby’s Buncombe</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap11">184</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XII.</td> - <td class="tdlt">Lost</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap12">199</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XIII.</td> - <td class="tdlt">The Honey Seekers</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap13">220</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XIV.</td> - <td class="tdlt">The Supreme Test</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap14">237</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XV.</td> - <td class="tdlt">Crafty Mike</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap15">254</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XVI.</td> - <td class="tdlt">The Poacher of Lonesome Pond</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap16">273</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XVII.</td> - <td class="tdlt">The Haunted Cabin</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap17">288</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XVIII.</td> - <td class="tdlt">On Guard</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap18">304</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XIX.</td> - <td class="tdlt">For the Honor of the Tribe</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap19">319</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XX.</td> - <td class="tdlt">The Home Trail</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap20">337</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8"><!-- blank page in original --></a></span></p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>9]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="illustrations" id="illustrations"></a>Illustrations</h2> -</div> - - -<div class="centered"> -<table border="0" summary="Table of contents"> - <tr> - <td class="tdlt">The Chief Greeted Him Pleasantly</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#illo01"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdlt">Diagram of Woodcraft Camp</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#illo02">41</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdlt">“Tell Him You Are to Be a Delaware”</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#illo03">51</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdlt">He Had Built a Fire</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#illo04">118</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdlt">Billy’s Apparatus for Making Fire</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#illo05">207</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdlt">“Run!” He Yelled</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#illo06">233</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdlt">The Boys Were Drilled in Wig-Wag Signaling</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#illo07">308</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10"><!-- blank page in original --></a></span></p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>11]</a></span></p> - -<p class="reptitle">The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft -Camp</p> - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak"><a name="chap01" id="chap01"></a>CHAPTER I<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">THE TENDERFOOT</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">In</span> the semi-darkness of daybreak a boy of -fourteen jumped from a Pullman sleeper and -slipped a quarter into the hand of the dusky -porter who handed down his luggage.</p> - -<p>“You are sure this is Upper Chain?” he -inquired.</p> - -<p>“’Spects it is, boss, but I ain’t no ways sho’. -Ain’t never been up this way afore,” replied -the porter, yawning sleepily.</p> - -<p>The boy vainly strove to pierce the night -mist which shrouded everything in ghostly -gray, hoping to see the conductor or a brakeman, -but he could see barely half the length -of the next Pullman. A warning rumble at -the head of the long train admonished him -that he must act at once; he must make up -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>12]</a></span> -his mind to stay or he must climb aboard -again, and that quickly.</p> - -<p>The long night ride had been a momentous -event to him. He had slept little, partly from -the novelty of his first experience in a sleeping -car, and partly from the excitement of -actually being on his way into the big north -woods, the Mecca of all his desires and daydreams. -Consequently he had kept a fairly -close record of the train’s running time, dozing -off between stations but waking instantly -whenever the train came to a stop. According -to his reckoning he should now be at -Upper Chain. He had given the porter strict -orders to call him twenty minutes before -reaching his destination, but to his supreme -disgust he had had to perform that service for -the darkey. That worthy had then been sent -forward to find the conductor and make sure -of their whereabouts. Unsuccessful, he had -returned just in time to hand down the lad’s -duffle.</p> - -<p>Now, as the preliminary jerk ran down the -heavy train, the boy once more looked at his -watch, and made up his mind. If the train -was on time, and he felt sure that it was, this -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>13]</a></span> -was Upper Chain, the junction where he was -to change for the final stage of his journey. -He would stay.</p> - -<p>The dark, heavy sleepers slowly crept past -as the train gathered way, till suddenly he -found himself staring for a moment at the red -and green tail lights. Then they grew dim -and blinked out in the enveloping fog. He -shivered a bit, for the first time realizing how -cold it was at this altitude before daybreak. -And, to be quite honest, there was just a little -feeling of loneliness as he made out the dim -black wall of evergreens on one side and the -long string of empty freight cars shutting him -in on the other. The whistle of the laboring -locomotive shrieked out of the darkness ahead, -reverberating with an eery hollowness from -mountain to mountain. Involuntarily he -shivered again. Then, with a boyish laugh -at his momentary loss of nerve, he shouldered -his duffle bag and picked up his fishing-rod.</p> - -<p>“Must be a depot here somewhere, and it’s -up to me to find it,” he said aloud. “Wonder -what I tipped that stupid porter for, anyway! -Dad would say I’m easy. Guess I am, -all right. Br-r-r-r, who says this is July?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>14]</a></span> -Trudging along the ties he soon came to -the end of the string of empties and, a little -way to his right, made out the dim outlines -of a building. This proved to be the depot. -A moment later he was in the bare, stuffy -little waiting-room, in the middle of which a -big stove was radiating a welcome warmth.</p> - -<p>On a bench at one side sat two roughly-dressed -men, who glanced up as the boy -entered. One was in the prime of vigorous -manhood. Broad of shoulder, large of frame, -he was spare with the leanness of the professional -woodsman, who lives up to the rule -that takes nothing useless on the trail and, -therefore, cannot afford to carry superfluous -flesh. The gray flannel shirt, falling open at -the neck, exposed a throat which, like his face, -was roughened and bronzed by the weather.</p> - -<p>The boy caught the quick glance of the -keen blue eyes which, for all their kindly -twinkle, bored straight through him. Instinctively -he felt that here was one of the -very men his imagination had so often -pictured, a man skilled in woodcraft, accustomed -to meeting danger, clear-headed, resourceful—in -fact just such a man as was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>15]</a></span> -Deerslayer, whose rifle had so often roused the -echoes in these very woods.</p> - -<p>The man beside him was short, thick-set, -black-haired and mare-browed. His skin was -swarthy, with just a tinge of color to hint at -Indian ancestry among his French forebears. -He wore the large check mackinaw of the -French Canadian lumberman. Against the -bench beside him rested a double-bladed axe. -A pair of beady black eyes burned their way -into the boy’s consciousness. They were not -good eyes; they seemed to carry a hint of -hate and evil, an unspoken threat. The man, -taking in the new khaki suit of the boy and -the unsoiled case of the fishing-rod, grunted -contemptuously and spat a mouthful of tobacco -juice into the box of sawdust beside the -stove. The boy flushed and turned to meet -the kindly, luminous eyes of the other man.</p> - -<p>“If you please, is this Upper Chain?” he -inquired.</p> - -<p>“Sure, son,” was the prompt response. -“Reckon we must hev come in on th’ same -train, only I was up forward. Guess you’re -bound for Woodcraft Camp. So’m I, so let’s -shake. My name’s Jim Everly—‘Big Jim’ -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>16]</a></span> -they call me—and I’m goin’ in t’ guide fer -Dr. Merriam th’ rest o’ th’ summer and try -to teach you youngsters a few o’ th’ first principles. -What might yer name be an’ whar be -yer from?”</p> - -<p>“Walter Upton, but the boys mostly call -me ‘Walt.’ My home is in New York,” replied -the boy.</p> - -<p>“Never hit th’ trail t’ th’ big woods afore, -did yer?” inquired the big guide, rising to -stretch.</p> - -<p>“No,” said Walter, and then added eagerly: -“But I’ve read lots and lots of books about -them, and I guess I could most find my way -along a trail even if I am a city tenderfoot. -I’ve paddled a canoe some, and I know all -about the habits of wild animals and how to -build a fire and——”</p> - -<p>“Son,” interrupted Big Jim, “stop right -thar! Forget it—all this rot you’ve been -a-readin’. Woodcraft never yet was larned -out o’ books, and it never will be. I reckon -you an’ me are goin’ t’ hitch up together fine, -an’ when yer go back t’ yer daddy this fall -yer’ll be able t’ take him out in th’ tall timbers -an’ show him a few stunts what ain’t -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>17]</a></span> -down in th’ program o’ city schools, but what -every cottontail born in the north woods -larns the second day he gets his eyes open. -Now yer jes’ fergit all this stuff yer’ve been -a-readin’ and stick t’ me; we’ll git along fine. -I’ll make a woodsman o’ yer yer dad will be -proud o’. Let’s have a look outside t’ see how -the weather is.”</p> - -<p>As he followed the big fellow out onto the -platform Walter felt his cheeks burn at this -wholesale condemnation of his treasured -books, one of which, “A Complete Guide to -Woodcraft,” was at that moment within easy -reach in the top of his duffle bag. Despite -his natural admiration for this big guide, to -whom the mountains, lakes and woods were -as an open book, and his unbounded delight -in having made a good impression, Walter -was not yet willing to overthrow his former -idols for this new one, and he was independent -enough to stand by his opinions until convinced -that he was wrong.</p> - -<p>“Have you ever read any of them, Mr. -Everly?” he inquired courteously.</p> - -<p>“Me? Read them books?” Big Jim’s -laugh rolled out infectiously. “What would -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>18]</a></span> -I read ’em for, sonny? I’ve seen some o’ -them book-writers in th’ woods, and thet’s -enough fer me. Lordy!” and again Jim’s -hearty laugh rolled forth.</p> - -<p>Walter laughed a little too, but deep in his -heart he resolved that he would yet show Big -Jim that there was some good in the despised -books. To change the subject he inquired -about the low-browed owner of the axe back -by the fire.</p> - -<p>“Him? Why, thet’s Red Pete, a French -canuck with some Indian in him, an’ th’ -meanest man in th’ mountains,” replied Big -Jim.</p> - -<p>The mist had begun to burn off. Even as -they watched they saw it roll in great tattered -masses up the side of the opposite mountain. -With the coming of the sun Walter was able -to take note of his surroundings, and his eager -eyes drank in the scene so strange to him but -so familiar to his companion. It was one of -those few moments which come to all of us, -when we experience sensations which so impress -themselves upon the memory that never -are they forgotten. Walter felt a thrill that -made him tingle from head to foot and, from -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>19]</a></span> -sheer delight, clinch his hands till the nails -nearly bit into the flesh. Since he was big -enough to read “Deerslayer” and “The Pathfinder” -and Captain Mayne Reid’s fascinating -tales of adventure in forest and on the plains -he had lived in an imaginary world of his own—a -wonderful world, where he penetrated -vast wildernesses, voyaged on great rivers and -climbed snow-capped mountains. Now he -was really in the great woods; his dreams -were coming true in a measure.</p> - -<p>Indeed, it was a scene to stir any red-blooded -boy. A gentle breeze, moving across -an unsuspected lake, rolled before it great billowing -masses of vapor. The sun, just rising -above the eastern hills, drew the mist swiftly -up the mountainsides in broken, detached -masses that eddied, separated, came together -and in an incredibly short time dissipated in -thin, clear air, till naught remained save in -the deepest hollows not yet penetrated by the -sun’s rays. Walter drew a long breath.</p> - -<p>“Oh!” he gasped, and again, “Oh!”</p> - -<p>Big Jim looked at him curiously, while a -sincere liking twinkled in his blue eyes.</p> - -<p>“Never see a sunrise in th’ mountains -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>20]</a></span> -afore, did yer, sonny?” he asked. “Jes’ -yer wait till yer see a sunup from th’ top of -old Baldy, and watch forty lakes throw off -their night clothes all at once.”</p> - -<p>Sordid enough was the scene now revealed -close at hand in the clear morning light, the -ulcer of so-called civilization, to be seen -wherever man has pushed the outposts of -commercialism into the great forests. A -dozen log houses and a few ugly frame buildings, -the latter unpainted for the most part, -but with one a glaring red and another a -washed-out blue, dotted an irregular clearing -on either side of the railroad. Close by, the -tail of a log jam choked a narrow river, while -the tall iron stack of a sawmill towered -above the rough board roof that afforded -some protection to the engine and saws. Off -to the right glistened the end of a lake of -which the river was the outlet, its margin a -mass of stark, drowned timber. The peculiar -odor of wet sawdust filled the air. A sawdust -road threaded its way among the scattered -buildings, and all about were unsightly -piles of slabs, heaps of bark and mill waste.</p> - -<p>But to Walter it was all fascinating. The -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>21]</a></span> -sky-scrapers of his native city seemed not half -so wonderful as these moss and clay chinked -cabins. He pinched himself to make quite -sure he was awake, that it was all real. An -engine and single dingy coach were backing -down a siding.</p> - -<p>“Thar’s our train, son,” said his companion. -“Better stow yer duffle aboard. It -won’t pull out for half an hour, and then it’ll -be a twenty-minute run over t’ Upper Lake. -I want to see Tim Mulligan over yonder t’ th’ -store, but I’ll join yer on th’ train.”</p> - -<p>Taking the hint, Walter put his duffle -aboard the train beside the pack basket of his -friend, and then, to kill time, started out to -form a closer acquaintance with the town. -From most of the houses thin columns of -smoke and the odor of frying bacon or pork -proclaimed that breakfast was being prepared. -Occasionally he had glimpses of weary-faced -women in faded calico gowns. One, standing -in the doorway of her cabin, was barefooted. -A frowzy-headed, dirty-faced little urchin -stared at him from the shelter of her skirts. -The men he met were for the most part rough, -good-natured fellows, dressed in the flannel -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>22]</a></span> -shirt of the woods, their trousers thrust into -high, laced, hobnailed boots. Several nodded -kindly or exchanged a “howdy” with -the bright-faced boy.</p> - -<p>On his way back, as he neared a cabin -somewhat apart from the others, he heard -voices in angry dispute. Turning a corner of -the cabin he was just in time to see a boy of -about his own age, but a good head taller, strike -a vicious blow at a whimpering hunchback. -In a flash Walter confronted the astonished -young ruffian, eyes flashing and fists doubled.</p> - -<p>“You coward!” he shouted. “You miserable -coward, to strike a boy smaller than -yourself, and a cripple!”</p> - -<p>For an instant the other stared. Then his -face darkened with an ugly scowl, and he advanced -threateningly.</p> - -<p>“Get out av here! This ain’t any av your -business, ye city dude!” he growled.</p> - -<p>“I’ll make it my business when you hit a -little fellow like that,” replied Walter, edging -between the bully and his victim.</p> - -<p>“Want ter foight?” demanded the other.</p> - -<p>“No, I don’t,” said Walter, “but I want -you to leave that little chap alone.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>23]</a></span> -“Huh, yez do, do yez?” responded the -other, and rushing in he aimed an ugly blow -at Walter’s face. The fight was on.</p> - -<p>And just here the young ruffian was treated -to the greatest surprise of his bullying career. -Instead of crushing his slight antagonist as he -had contemptuously expected to, he lunged -into empty space. The next instant he received -a stinging blow fairly on the nose. For -a moment he gasped from sheer surprise, then, -with a howl of pain and rage, he rushed -again.</p> - -<p>To all appearances it was a most unequal -match. The young backwoodsman was not -only taller, but was heavy in proportion; his -muscles were hardened by work and rough -outdoor life in a sawmill village, and hard -knocks had toughened him as well. In contrast, -the city boy seemed slight and hopelessly -at a disadvantage. But underneath -that neat khaki jacket was a well-knit, wiry -frame, and muscles developed in the home -gymnasium. Moreover, Walter’s father believed -in teaching a boy to take care of himself, -and it was not for nothing that Walter -had taken lessons in boxing and wrestling.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>24]</a></span> -As before, he avoided the rush by lightly -side-stepping, driving in a vigorous left to the -ear and following this with a right which -raised a lump just under his opponent’s left -eye. The latter backed away. Then he came -in again, but more cautiously. He was beginning -to respect this elusive antagonist who -hit so hard, yet managed to get away untouched. -It was all so new in his experience -that he was utterly at a loss to know what to -expect.</p> - -<p>Round and round they circled, each watching -for an opening. Suddenly Walter took -the offensive. As he started to rush he slipped -in the wet sawdust. His opponent saw his -advantage and swung hard, but Walter caught -the blow on his right forearm, and the next -instant they were locked in a clinch. This -was what the bully wanted. Now he would -throw his antagonist and, once he had him -down, that would end the battle, for his ethics -knew no quarter for a fallen foe.</p> - -<p>But again he reckoned without his host. -Scientific wrestling was an unheard-of art to -the young giant, while in the home gymnasium -Walter had twice won the championship -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>25]</a></span> -for his weight. For a few minutes they -swayed this way and that, then Walter secured -the lock he was trying for, there was an instant -of straining muscles, then the bully was -pinned flat on his back.</p> - -<p>A big hand fell on Walter’s shoulder. -“Son,” said Big Jim, “I hate t’ break into -yer morning exercise, but you an’ me hev an -engagement at Upper Lake, and we’ve got -jes’ two minutes t’ ketch thet train.”</p> - -<p>Walter jumped up at once, and then held -out his hand to the discomfited bully. “Will -you shake?” he asked.</p> - -<p>To the surprise of the delighted onlookers -the fallen terror of the village arose and in a -manly way, though sheepishly, shook the -outstretched hand, for at heart he had the -right stuff in him.</p> - -<p>“Ye licked me fair an’ square,” he mumbled. -“Oi wish ye’d show me some av thim thricks.”</p> - -<p>“I will if I ever have a chance. You ought -to be a Boy Scout,” shouted Walter as he and -Big Jim sprinted for the train.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>26]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap02" id="chap02"></a>CHAPTER II<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">WOODCRAFT CAMP</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> light breeze which had lifted the mist -at Upper Chain had dropped to a dead calm, -and when Walter followed the guide from the -train down to the landing on Upper Lake not -a ripple broke its placid surface. As far as -he could see it lay like a great magic mirror, -the heavily-wooded shores reflected so clearly -that the inverted forest appeared no less real -than the original, so marvelously counterfeited. -In every direction mountain succeeded -mountain, for the most part clothed -to their summits with the variegated green of -the mighty woodland growth, the somber -spruce of the higher slopes, black against the -lighter green of yellow and white birch, maple -and ash, which had reclaimed to the wilderness -the vast tracts ruthlessly laid bare by -reckless lumbering twenty years before. One -of the nearer mountains was crowned with -bare, exposed ledges to which clung a few -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>27]</a></span> -unsightly blasted trunks, mute witnesses to the -devastation wrought by fire.</p> - -<p>By a peculiar optical effect produced by the -angle of light in a dead calm at that time of -the day, floating objects appeared magnified -to many times their actual size, so that a -launch some two miles distant, whose rapid -put-put had drawn their attention when they -first stepped from the train, appeared to be -less than half that distance away.</p> - -<p>Big Jim looked at it long and steadily, -shading his eyes with a big hand.</p> - -<p>“Thet’s ‘Woodcraft Girl’ all right,” he said, -“and I reckon they’re comin’ down fer us. -Yer make yerself t’ home, son, while I run -back up yonder t’ th’ hotel and rastle up some -grub. We’ll be some hungry before we reach -camp if I don’t.”</p> - -<p>Walter seated himself on the end of the pier -and drank in the beauty of the exquisite scene. -Alongside a little mail boat was getting up -steam, her crew busily stowing away express -packages and supplies of all kinds for the -various camps and hotels scattered along the -lake. Half a dozen passengers were already -aboard. Two Adirondack skiffs, each pulled -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>28]</a></span> -by a brawny guide, a fisherman lolling at ease -in the stern, were just setting out for the fishing -grounds. All was hustle and activity, in -strange contrast with the quiet lake and the -majestic calm of the mountains.</p> - -<p>In a few minutes Big Jim returned with -some sandwiches, which they promptly disposed -of while they waited for the approaching -launch. It was now near enough for -Walter to make out the blue pennant with the -magic words “Woodcraft Camp” fluttering at -the bow, and a moment later there came a -joyous hail of “Oh, you Jim!” from the figure -in the bow, followed by a wild waving of -a small megaphone.</p> - -<p>“Oh, you Bob!” bellowed the big guide, -swinging his hat.</p> - -<p>The launch drew in rapidly and was deftly -laid alongside. From it sprang two young -fellows of seventeen or eighteen, in olive khaki -trousers, flannel shirts and soft-brimmed hats, -who straightway fell upon Walter’s companion -and pounded and thumped him and shook -both hands at once, and were pounded and -thumped in return.</p> - -<p>When their somewhat noisy demonstration -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>29]</a></span> -was over the one whom Jim had called Bob -turned to Walter and held out his hand. -“Guess your name is Upton, isn’t it?” he inquired -with a pleasant smile. “My name is -Seaforth, and this is Louis Woodhull, the best -fellow in Woodcraft Camp. Dr. Merriam sent -us down to look for you, but I see you were -already in good company. The doctor was -some worried for fear you might have missed -connections at Upper Chain, but if he’d known -that you were trailing in company with this -old son of the backwoods his mind would -have been easy. Jim, you great big stick of -seasoned timber, it sure does a fellow good -to look at you. Stow this young fellow -and the duffle in the launch while I get -the mail and do some errands, and we’ll be -off. The whole camp’s a-looking for you, -though they don’t expect you till to-morrow. -You’re sure needed. Ed Mulligan is -guiding over on Big Moose and won’t be -with us this year, but his younger brother, -Tom, is taking his place, and I guess he’ll -make good.”</p> - -<p>Bob’s errands were soon done, the supplies, -duffle and mail pouch stowed away in the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>30]</a></span> -launch, and her nose pointed down the lake. -Bob took the wheel, while Louis ran the engine. -Walter was up forward, “to be properly -impressed,” as Bob put it. And if that was -really the object in giving him the best post -of observation, its success left nothing to be -desired.</p> - -<p>With eager eyes he drank in the wonderful -panorama constantly unfolding—as the launch -sped swiftly over the lake. Here the lake -was less than half a mile wide, then abruptly -it opened up great bays which made it more -than twice that width from shore to shore. -How he longed to explore those bays and coves! -Two big summer hotels on commanding bluffs -were passed, showing but little life as yet, for -the season had not fairly opened. On rocky -points, or half hidden in sheltering coves, he -caught glimpses of summer “camps,” most of -them built of logs, but in many cases little -short of palatial, and the boy’s lips curled with -scorn at this travesty of wealth upon the -simple life. Gradually the camps became -fewer and farther apart until only an occasional -lean-to or a tent now and then, clinging on the -very edge of the forest, was evidence of man’s -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>31]</a></span> -invasion, and Walter felt that now in truth he -was entering the wilds.</p> - -<p>From the good-natured chaff and talk of -his companions he gathered that Big Jim had -been chief guide at Woodcraft Camp ever since -this famous school in the woods had been -started, and that the two young men had been -among his earliest pupils. With eager ears he -drank in their talk of fish and lures, of deer, -rifles and hunting lore. Occasionally, as they -skirted an island or ran around a sunken reef, -one or another would recall a famous catch of -bass or a big laker taken there.</p> - -<p>Of the two young men, Seaforth was the -more talkative. He was dark, with sparkling -black eyes and a merry, likable face, which, -for all its irrepressible good-humor, had in it -a strength and purpose which denoted a solid -foundation of character. He was broad-shouldered, -deep-chested, finely-developed, a splendid -type of young American manhood.</p> - -<p>His chum was rather slight in build, but -wiry, with light hair and a rather thin, -clean, serious face which gave the impression -of tremendous nervous energy habitually under -control. He took but little part in the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>32]</a></span> -conversation, but his quiet smile at the sallies -between Bob and the guide was of a peculiarly -winsome sweetness. His slight reserve drew -rather than repelled Walter, who instinctively -felt that the friendship of Louis Woodhull was -something well worth the winning.</p> - -<p>They had now come some twelve miles -down the lake, and presently Bob pointed out -a long pier jutting out from the eastern shore, -and beyond it, just to the left of a giant -pine, a flagstaff from which Old Glory was -fluttering limply in the light breeze just beginning -to ripple the surface of the lake.</p> - -<p>“There you are, Upton, your first glimpse -of Woodcraft,” he said. “I hope you’ll——”</p> - -<p>But what he hoped Walter never knew. A -shrill “Hy-i-i-i-i! We want that tenderfoot!” -cut him short, as a canoe manned by two -youngsters of about Walter’s own age shot out -from an island the launch was just passing. -Both boys were in trunks and jerseys and -paddling like mad to intercept the launch. -Suddenly the one in the stern caught sight of -the guide. For an instant he stopped paddling, -while a look of pleased surprise passed -over his face, and then with a wild yell of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>33]</a></span> -“Jim, oh, you Jim!” he redoubled his -efforts.</p> - -<p>Seaforth put the wheel over to port a couple -of spokes. “No you don’t, Billy!” he called -with a grin. “This boat carries Uncle Sam’s -mail, and it can’t stop to pick up tows.”</p> - -<p>“Aw, Louis, slow her down, won’t you?” -begged Billy.</p> - -<p>Louis smiled good-naturedly; but the engine -slowed down not a bit.</p> - -<p>“Ta-ta,” called Bob. “The Indian attack -is foiled, Billy. I’m ashamed of you! Your -paddling is abominable. Where’s that new -stroke that’s going to win the championship? -See you later.”</p> - -<p>And then it happened. One moment two -boys were frantically digging up the water -with their paddles and the next a canoe was -floating bottom up, one boy white-faced and -frightened, clinging to the bow, and the other, -with a malicious grin on his freckled face, -swimming at the stern.</p> - -<p>The instant it happened Seaforth put the -wheel hard over and, describing a short circle, -headed for the canoe. Walter’s heart had -been in his mouth, but the others seemed not -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>34]</a></span> -a bit disturbed. Louis stopped the launch, and -while the guide righted and emptied the canoe, -he and Seaforth hauled the victims aboard.</p> - -<p>“You little beggar!” growled Bob as he -grabbed Billy by the slack of his jersey, “I’ve -a mind to duck you until you howl for -mercy. You did that purposely.”</p> - -<p>Billy grinned. “You didn’t suppose I was -going to let you land Big Jim and I not be -there, did you?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“That’s all right, Billy, but this is going to -be reported,” broke in Louis.</p> - -<p>“Don’t, please don’t, Louis,” begged the -culprit.</p> - -<p>“Sorry, son, but it’s got to be. We love -you, Billy, and because we love you we’re going -to report. You addle-pated little scamp, -when will you ever learn that whatever risks -a man may run himself he has no right to involve -others in danger? How did you know -that Allen there would be able to take care of -himself, plunged unexpectedly into the water? -He’s been in camp only three days, so what did -you know of his powers of resource? No, my -son, we hate to tell tales, but we’ve a duty to -you to perform, so prepare to pay the penalty.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>35]</a></span> -The launch was now once more under way -with the canoe in tow. Walter was duly introduced -to the penitent Billy and his victim, -Harry Allen, like himself a new recruit and -therefore a tenderfoot.</p> - -<p>Several boys had gathered on the pier to -size up any newcomers the launch might bring, -and Walter felt himself the target for a battery -of eyes. The ordeal was light, however, compared -with what it would have been at nightfall -or earlier in the day, for it was now nine -o’clock and the boys were largely scattered in -the duties and pursuits of camp life.</p> - -<p>As the launch was made fast Billy whispered, -“Here comes Dr. Merriam; isn’t he a peach?”</p> - -<p>Walter looked up with just a little feeling -of awe to see the man of whom he had -heard so much—a scientist, explorer, author -and lecturer, honored by many scientific societies -and institutions of learning both at -home and abroad, and now content to bury -himself in the north woods as the founder and -head of the most unique school in the world—a -school with a purpose which was, as he himself -whimsically expressed it, “to make big -men of little boys.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>36]</a></span> -Woodcraft Camp was the outgrowth of -years of study and observation of boy life and -the needs of the tremendous army of youth -annually turned loose upon the country for -three months of idleness and mischief. It -was, in effect, a vacation school, so cleverly -masked in the guise of a camp that probably -not one among the pupils, save a few of the -older boys, recognized it as such. Its courses -were manliness, self-reliance, physical and mental -health, strength of character, simplicity -of desire and love of nature. The curriculum -embraced all forms of athletic sports, swimming, -canoeing, fishing, shooting, forestry, the rudiments -of civil engineering, woodcraft in all its -branches from the pitching of a tent or building -of a lean-to to the cooking of a good meal, -the shooting of a rapid and the way to live off -of the country in an unknown wilderness.</p> - -<p>Botany, ornithology, the rudiments of -physiology, as taught by a knowledge of first -aid to the injured—all these things and more -were taught, while the boys, all unconscious -that they were being systematically trained -and developed, thought only of the jolly good -times they were having. Timid, nervous, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>37]</a></span> -under-developed youngsters entering the camp -at the beginning of the summer vacation -went forth to their studies in the fall brown, -hearty, well muscled and with a quiet confidence -in themselves and their own abilities to -do things which won immediate recognition -among their fellows. And not one among -them but held in the secret places of his heart -as his ideal in life the man whom Walter now -saw approaching with a quick, elastic step.</p> - -<p>He was about fifty years of age, medium -height, thin, but sinewy, a human dynamo -of nervous energy. He was clean shaven, -slightly gray at the temples, with firm, square -jaw, rather large mouth, prominent nose and -eyes which seemed to see all things at once -yet from which a smile seemed ever ready to -leap forth. It was far from a handsome face, -save in the beauty of strength, but was a face -to love, a face once seen never to forget.</p> - -<p>It was now all alight with pleasure at the -sight of Big Jim. The guide leaped forward -to meet the doctor, and in the greeting there -was plainly evident a mutual respect and liking -between these men, so far apart in the social -scale, yet beneath the veneer produced by -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>38]</a></span> -circumstance, so closely bound in a common -brotherhood.</p> - -<p>Turning from the guide the doctor held out -his hand to Walter. “Upton,” he said with -a kindly smile, “let me welcome you as a -member of Woodcraft Camp. Buxby,” turning -to Billy, “you show Upton the way to Wigwam -No. 1 and where to stow his duffle and -wash up. By the way, Buxby, you and your -canoe look pretty wet. Have an accident?” -Then without waiting for Billy’s reply he -added, “You may police camp for the remainder -of the day, Buxby. Carelessness -and recklessness are equally reprehensible, -and neither should ever go unpunished. Upton, -please report at my office in an hour. -Buxby will show you where it is.”</p> - -<p>“And I never said a word; you can’t fool -the doctor,” whispered Woodhull to the discomfited -Billy, as the latter stooped to lift a -package from the launch.</p> - -<p>Billy made a wry face and then, good-naturedly -shouldering Walter’s duffle bag, started -up the trail toward a long log cabin.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>39]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap03" id="chap03"></a>CHAPTER III<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">FIRST IMPRESSIONS</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Woodcraft Camp</span> had originally been the -headquarters for one of the largest lumbering -crews operating in that section of the north -woods. The location had been chosen with -the same strategy a general in the field would -display in selecting headquarters for the direction -of important maneuvers. The site -was on a broad level of ground sufficiently -high to insure perfect drainage. A boiling -spring furnished a perpetual supply of pure -water. A logging road had been driven -straight east, tapping a heavy hardwood belt -on Little Knob, while branching from this -road to the south another opened up the -northwestern slopes of Mt. Sewell. A third, -swinging to the north, brought all of the -southeastern side of Old Scraggy under the -dominion of the axe and peavy. Thus the -operations of three crews could be directed -from the one central point, and the entire cut -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>40]</a></span> -of this region be put into the lake with a -minimum of effort. Moreover, it was a scant -half mile to the outlet of the lake, so that the -rafting of the logs into the swift waters of the -river was a comparatively easy matter.</p> - -<p>The magnitude of the operations and the -comparative permanency of the camp called -for substantial buildings, and the three log -bunk houses, stables, storehouse and blacksmith’s -shop were splendid examples of the -loggers’ skill with axe and peavy. A long -pier had been built into the lake, and the underbrush -cut out for a considerable distance -around the camp.</p> - -<p>With the despoiling of the once noble woodlands -completed the camp had been abandoned -to the occasional hunter or fisherman who -passed that way. The clearing had grown up -to a tangle of raspberry vines, and the deserted -buildings had begun to show signs of neglect -and decay, when Dr. Merriam chanced to -camp there. At once he saw the opportunity -to put into execution his long-cherished -dream of a woodcraft school camp for boys.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<a name="illo02" id="illo02"></a> -<img src="images/bswc02.png" width="500" height="462" -alt="" /> -<p class="caption"><span class="smcap">Diagram of Woodcraft Camp</span></p> -</div> - -<p>The property, with some five hundred acres -of adjoining land, was bought, the buildings -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>41]</a></span> -repaired, with only such changes made as -would adapt them to the needs of the proposed -school, the land in the immediate vicinity -cleared of underbrush, and the pier repaired. -It was Dr. Merriam’s idea to make -as little change in appearance and arrangement -as possible, that the camp might lose -nothing of the romantic charm which -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>42]</a></span> -surrounds every logging camp when seen for the -first time by eager boyish eyes.</p> - -<p>Walter, following Billy up the trail, was ushered -into the first of the three large cabins. -Inside it was almost as rough as the outside, -yet he was at once conscious of that indescribable -sense of comfort and security which the -log cabin in the forest alone possesses. The -low ceiling, which had originally divided the -loft from the main room, had been removed -to insure a better circulation of air. In a -double tier down the two sides were built -plain box bunks, each containing a tick filled -with straw. Sheets, gray blanket and a thin -pillow, filled with aromatic fir balsam, completed -the equipment. Each bunk was numbered -and a corresponding number appeared -on the bedding in each. In the rear of the -room was a huge fireplace capable of taking -in six foot logs, and on either side a tier of -lockers numbered to correspond with the -bunks.</p> - -<p>Tossing Walter’s duffle on to the nearest bunk, -Billy suggested that he open up for his soap, -towel, brush and comb. Supplied with these -necessary adjuncts to the toilet he meekly -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>43]</a></span> -followed Billy out to a long, low shed located to -the rear and midway between the cabin he had -just left and another, which was of the same -size and, as he later discovered, of precisely -the same interior arrangement.</p> - -<p>A broad shelf ran the entire length of this -shed. On this stood three pails of water, each -with a dipper hanging above it, while beneath -the shelf hung a row of graniteware wash-basins. -Big galvanized nails were driven at -convenient points for the towels and the folding -mirrors which were a part of every boy’s -equipment. It was primitive, very primitive, -but quite in accord with Dr. Merriam’s idea, -and Walter had to admit that it served his -purpose admirably.</p> - -<p>While Walter made himself presentable, -Billy plied him with questions. When he got -through Walter felt that he had been pumped -dry, and that the garrulous Billy knew his life -history. Finally he ventured a few questions -himself.</p> - -<p>“Is this your first year?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>“Me? My first year? Say, do I look like -a tenderfoot?” demanded the indignant Billy. -“Say, you are green. Never was off of Broadway -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>44]</a></span> -before, was you? No, sir, this is my -third year. Say, if you want to learn woodcraft, -just you trot with me a while.”</p> - -<p>“Said woodcraft consisting at the present -moment in policing camp,” broke in a quiet -voice just behind them. “Probably Upton -had rather be excused.”</p> - -<p>Both boys turned to find Louis Woodhull, -who, walking with the noiseless step of the -forest ranger, had come upon them unawares.</p> - -<p>“There’s a lot of chips around the wood-pile, -Billy, and cook wants them right now, -so trot along, son,” he continued.</p> - -<p>“Doctor told me to look out for Upton,” -protested Billy.</p> - -<p>“Upton is quite equal to taking care of -himself, from all I hear,” said Louis drily. -“Wood-pile’s waiting for a good, strong, able-bodied -forester who knows woodcraft, one of -the first essentials of which is knowledge of -how to swing an axe. Insubordination——”</p> - -<p>But Billy, with a grimace, had already -started for the chip basket.</p> - -<p>Louis laughed. “Billy is one of the best -hearted boys in camp, but he’s a reckless little -beggar, and he does hate work. Look out he -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>45]</a></span> -doesn’t lead you into mischief, Upton. By -the way, Big Jim tells me that you’ve already -started in to conquer the wilderness, and have -laid one of the savages low. Where did you -learn to use your fists?”</p> - -<p>“My father taught me how to protect myself -almost as soon as I could walk, and then -I took boxing lessons at the gym. That was -nothing this morning; I couldn’t have licked -him if he’d known what I know,” replied -Walter modestly.</p> - -<p>“My boy,” said the older lad earnestly, -“right there lies the difference between success -and failure—knowledge—the know how—the -know why—the know when. Knowledge is -power. It is better than bull strength. You -knew how to make the most of what muscle -you have got, and you won. You’ll find that’s -the answer all through life. The man with -knowledge and the power to apply it is top of -the heap every time. Take these big woods -here—how long do you suppose a greenhorn -from the city dropped in the middle of ’em -alone, with nothing but gun and blanket, -would live? But take a fellow like Big Jim, -with his knowledge of the wilderness and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>46]</a></span> -wilderness ways, and he’d hit the nearest settlement -in three days and live like a lord all the -way. Now, if you’re ready I’ll show you the -way to the office. By the way, I’m going to -ask Dr. Merriam to put you in my tribe; I -like your style.”</p> - -<p>The “office” was a small detached cabin -which had formerly been the headquarters of -the logging camp boss. It was divided into -two rooms by means of burlap curtains. In -the front room was a desk, a plain deal table, -three rustic chairs and book shelves occupying -two-thirds of the wall space. The head of -a magnificent ten-point buck looked down -from above the fireplace. Over the books were -mounted specimens of salmon, trout, bass and -muskelonge. Mounted specimens of rare -birds, a case of butterflies wholly unlike any -Walter had ever seen, and which he suspected -were from distant lands, specimen stones and -minerals from the surrounding mountains, -added to the fascination of the room. Before -the fireplace lay the skin of a huge bear, and -two tanned deer hides were spread on the -floor. In one corner stood a collection of -guns, rifles, paddles, fishing-rods and landing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>47]</a></span> -nets which caught the boy’s eager eyes the instant -he entered.</p> - -<p>Through the parted curtains he had a -glimpse of the same primitive sleeping arrangement, -namely a box bunk, that he had -found in the big cabin where he had left his -duffle. Could he have peeped farther within -he would have found a neat single iron bedstead -with a hair mattress and snowy counterpane, -a dainty white bureau, low, comfortable -rocking-chair, sewing-machine and other evidences -of feminine comfort, for, though Dr. -Merriam religiously insisted on having for -himself nothing more luxurious than he gave -his “boys,” the comfort of Mrs. Merriam—she -was “Mother” Merriam to the whole camp in -the affections of the boys—was another matter, -and no pains were spared to make things -pleasant and comfortable for her. In fact, -not only the boys, but the guides and others -attached to the camp vied with each other in -showing her little attentions and waiting upon -her.</p> - -<p>As Walter and Louis entered “Mother” -Merriam came forward at once to greet the -newcomer, and while Louis talked with the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>48]</a></span> -doctor for a few minutes this quiet, sweet-faced, -tactful little woman put the newcomer -so at his ease that when Louis finally bade his -superior good-morning and went out, Walter -turned to meet the head of the camp wholly -free from the awe with which he had entered -the door not five minutes before.</p> - -<p>“Upton,” said the doctor, “Woodhull has -just requested that you be assigned to his -‘tribe,’ an honor which you do not appreciate -now, but which you will later. The -camp is divided into four patrols or ‘tribes,’ -each under the leadership and direction of one -of our oldest and most trustworthy boys, -known as ‘chiefs.’ Woodhull is chief of the -Delawares, and Seaforth, whom you met with -the launch, is chief of the Algonquins, the two -tribes occupying the big cabin known as -Wigwam No. 1, to which Buxby showed you -on your arrival. Wigwam No. 2 is occupied -by the Senecas and Hurons, under Chiefs -Avery and Robertson. The rules of the camp -are few and simple and every boy is put on -his honor and is trusted to live up to them. -Reveille is sounded at five o’clock every -morning, except Sunday, when it is an hour -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>49]</a></span> -later. At five-thirty on week-days and six-thirty -on Sunday mess is served to two of the -tribes and half an hour later to the other two, -the wigwams alternating in the order of service.</p> - -<p>“A detail from each wigwam is assigned to -police the camp, that is, clear up all rubbish -and keep the camp in order, wash dishes and -chop fire-wood. Noon mess is served from -twelve to one o’clock and evening mess from -five-thirty to six-thirty. At nine o’clock -‘taps’ is sounded, which means ‘lights out’ -and every boy in bed.</p> - -<p>“Each boy is expected to look after the -making up of his own bed. There are certain -defined limits on shore and on the lake beyond -which no boy may go without a permit -from his chief, sanctioned by me.</p> - -<p>“The building of fires at any time or place -is strictly prohibited save when accompanied -by a guide or chief. Smoking is not allowed. -Violation of either of these two rules is sufficient -cause for expulsion from camp. Boys -who cannot swim are not allowed in the boats -or canoes unless accompanied by an older -competent person, until they have learned to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>50]</a></span> -care for themselves. The carrying or use of -firearms is forbidden except at the rifle range, -where instruction is given daily by one of the -guides. From time to time there will be -‘special duty’ squads, such as the surveying -squad, forestry squad, logging squad, and -others on which boys are expected to serve -willingly, and in the performance of these duties -they will be taught many of the essentials -of woodcraft.</p> - -<p>“You will report this afternoon to Mr. -Medcraft, our physical instructor, for examination, -and will be expected to follow his recommendations -for daily exercise. Big Jim -has told me of your encounter at Upper Chain. -My boy, I rejoice in the manliness and courage, -in the sense of fair play, which led to -your defense of the weak. Of all men the -bully is most contemptible. No bullies are -allowed in this camp, and, Upton, no fighting, -unless all other means of settling a quarrel -prove futile. Then it is fought out with -gloves in the presence of the whole camp and -with an unbiased referee. It has happened -but once; I hope it will not happen again. I -mention this now, for I fear that you will -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>51]</a></span> -find that you have established a reputation as -a fighter, and such a reputation often leads -one into difficulties which otherwise might be -avoided.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 513px;"> -<a name="illo03" id="illo03"></a> -<img src="images/bswc03.jpg" width="513" height="700" -alt="Dr. Merriam talks to Walt" /> -<p class="caption">“TELL HIM YOU ARE TO BE A DELAWARE”</p> -</div> - -<p>“We are glad to have you as a member of -Woodcraft Camp, and I hope we shall make -a first-class scout and a thorough sportsman -and woodsman of you. I will not add ‘gentleman,’ -for we feel that every boy is that -when he comes to us. If you are interested -in any special branch of nature study come -and consult me freely that I may aid you in -its pursuit.</p> - -<p>“Now you may report to Chief Woodhull, -and tell him you are to be a Delaware. He -will inform you as to the minor rules of the -camp and our methods of learning the most -from this close communion and association -with nature. We want you to go home in -the fall feeling that you have had the best -time a red-blooded boy could have, and that -the summer has been profitable as well.”</p> - -<p>With a pleasant smile the doctor shook -hands warmly once more and Walter started -for the wigwam, secretly elated that he was -to be under Woodhull, and that he was to be -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>52]</a></span> -a Delaware, the tribe of Uncas and Chingachgook. -He found Woodhull waiting for him. -The chief greeted him pleasantly.</p> - -<p>“So the big chief (that’s what we call the -doctor) has made a Delaware of you? I’m -glad of that.”</p> - -<p>“So am I,” responded Walter.</p> - -<p>“Now the first thing,” the other continued, -“is to get acquainted with the wigwam and -stow away your duffle. The Delawares have -the east side, and the Algonquins the west. -Your number is the skiddoo number, twenty-three, -for bunk and locker, and I hope you’ll -make it a lucky number for the tribe. Stow -your duffle in your locker, and I’ll show you -around the camp and make you acquainted -with some of the boys. By the way, Upton, -do you go in for athletics, besides boxing?”</p> - -<p>Walter admitted that he ran a little, being -best at the mile, was fairly good at the running -broad jump, had once won a boy’s canoe -race, and had practiced a lot at a short range -target with a small rifle.</p> - -<p>His chief received the information with -manifest pleasure. “You see,” he explained, -“we have a big field day in August, and there -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>53]</a></span> -is a lot of rivalry between the tribes, and especially -between the two wigwams. A mounted -deer’s head is offered this year to the wigwam -scoring the greatest number of points in woodcraft -during the summer and in the field day -sports, and we want it over our fireplace. The -biggest fish caught each day counts five points -and the biggest for the week fifteen points; -the best photograph of wild animals or birds -made during the summer counts twenty-five -points; fifteen points each are scored for the rarest -botanical specimen, best mineral specimen, -largest number of birds positively identified, -best collection of insects and largest number -of trees identified. Any exceptional feat of -woodcraft scores to the benefit of the wigwam. -The championship banner goes to the tribe -winning the largest number of points in the -successful wigwam. The Hurons won it last -year, but, son, the Delawares have got to get -it this year. Then there are individual prizes -well worth mentioning. We shall expect you -to miss no opportunity to score for the honor -of the tribe and wigwam. Our wigwam leads -now, but the Algonquins have twenty points -the best of the Delawares. It’s up to you to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>54]</a></span> -do your prettiest to help us get their scalps. -By the way, don’t be surprised if things are -made some interesting for you to-night. -Whatever happens, keep your nerve and -don’t show the white feather.”</p> - -<p>Beyond this mysterious hint Woodhull -would vouchsafe no information, and Walter -could only guess at what might be in store -for him.</p> - -<p>The tour of the camp included the big mess -cabin, with the cook house in the rear, where -they had a glimpse of Billy and the chip pile, -and the cabin of the three guides, where they -found Big Jim very much at home, the other -two being out with fishing parties, and where -Walter was introduced to Mr. Medcraft, the -physical director, and to Mr. Burnham, a -young Y. M. C. A. man who was Dr. Merriam’s -assistant. These shared the cabin with -the guides. They then went down to inspect -the boats and canoes. Several fishing -parties were just coming in, and Walter was -introduced to some of his fellow tribesmen, as -well as to members of the other tribes.</p> - -<p>As they turned back to the wigwam the -bugle sounded for noon mess, and boys -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>55]</a></span> -appeared as if by magic from every direction in -a mad rush for the wash-house. Presently -Walter found himself seated at a long table in -the mess room, an agate-ware plate and cup -before him, and an abundant supply of plain -but well cooked food, in which deliciously -browned trout were evidence of the practical -lessons taught at Woodcraft Camp.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>56]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap04" id="chap04"></a>CHAPTER IV<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">THE INITIATION</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Mess</span> over, Woodhull and Seaforth took -their stand at either side of the door, and -Walter noted that as each boy passed out he -saluted the two chiefs with the Scout’s salute, -and was saluted in return. It was a point of -etiquette which he learned was never omitted, -and which did much to maintain discipline -and to instil the principles of respect for -superior officers. Once outside the mess room -Walter was free to inspect the camp in detail -and at his leisure for, it being his first day, -he was not assigned to any of the duty squads.</p> - -<p>There were fifty-two boys in camp, including -the four leaders, or chiefs, and they were -from all quarters, two being from as far west -as Chicago. They represented all classes in -the social scale. A few were from homes of -extreme wealth and one, according to Billy, -was a Boston newsboy in whom the doctor -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>57]</a></span> -took a personal interest. But in accordance -with Scout ideals all were on equal footing in -the camp, and the most democratic spirit prevailed. -Achievement in scoutcraft alone furnished -a basis for distinction.</p> - -<p>The camp had been established three years -before the Boy Scouts of America came into -existence, but Dr. Merriam had been quick to -perceive the value of the new movement, the -principles of which are, in fact, the very ones -he had been seeking to inculcate in his -unique school. This year the camp had been -placed under Scout regulations, and it was -the doctor’s desire to send every one of his -boys home at the end of the summer as qualified -Scouts of the first class, fitted to take -the leadership of home patrols.</p> - -<p>Approaching from behind the wood-pile, -where Buxby’s assignment to duty was keeping -him busy, Walter heard his own name -and paused, uncertain whether to go on or -not. Billy was regaling the cook with an account -of Walter’s exploit of the morning as he -had wormed it out of Big Jim.</p> - -<p>“Pretty spry with his fists, they say,” concluded -the talkative Billy. Then he added -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>58]</a></span> -as an afterthought, “Bet they’ll get his goat -to-night, though.”</p> - -<p>Walter waited to hear no more. He had -not been wholly unconscious of the sly looks -and mysterious winks passed between some of -the boys he had met, and, though he did not -allow it to show outwardly, he was inwardly -not a little perturbed by the thought of the -initiatory ordeal he felt sure he must undergo. -Chief Woodhull’s hint, together with the frequent -exchange of meaning glances which he -had intercepted, could mean but one thing—that -his nerve and courage were to be put to -some strange and crucial test.</p> - -<p>Therefore it was with some trepidation that -with the sounding of taps that night Walter -sought his bunk and turned in. In five minutes -lights were out, and apparently the camp -had settled down for the night. Walter lay -listening in suspense for some sound which -would indicate that secret designs concerning -himself were afoot, but nothing but the regular -breathing of twenty-five healthy, tired -boys rewarded his vigilance. It had been a -long, strenuous day, with little rest the night -before, and in spite of himself he soon fell asleep.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>59]</a></span> -He was awakened by the sudden removal -of his blanket. Despite his struggles he was -bound and gagged. Then his arms were -loosed enough for his flannel shirt to be -slipped on. His trousers and shoes followed, -and then he was rolled in his blanket, picked -up bodily and carried forth into the night. -In absolute silence his captors bore him along -what appeared to be a rough, little used trail. -Occasionally a dew-damp twig brushed his -face. Through the tangle of interlacing -branches overhead he caught glimpses of the -stars. The number of his captors he had no -means of knowing. He was carried by relays, -and though there were frequent changes he -could not tell whether each time a new team -of bearers took him or two teams alternated.</p> - -<p>Once his bearers stumbled and nearly -dropped him. Once they seemed to lose the -trail, stopping to hold a whispered consultation -of which the victim could catch only a -word here and there. After what seemed like -an interminable length of time Walter heard -in the distance the tremolo of a screech-owl, answered -by a similar call close at hand. A few -minutes later they emerged in an opening.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>60]</a></span> -“Are the canoes ready?” asked a subdued -but sepulchral voice.</p> - -<p>“They are, chief,” was the guarded reply.</p> - -<p>“Then let them be manned,” was the -order.</p> - -<p>Walter was carefully placed in a canoe amidship. -He felt it gently shoved off, and then -it floated idly while, to judge by the sounds, -the other canoes were hastily put in the -water. Presently, at a low command from -the rear of his own craft, there was the dip of -many paddles and he felt the light craft shoot -forward.</p> - -<p>Flat on his back, he could see little but the -star-sprinkled heavens. It seemed to him -that never had he seen the stars so bright or -apparently so near. By straining up and -forward he caught the shadowy outline of the -bow man’s back, but the second time he tried -it he was warned to desist. Out of the tail of -his left eye he sometimes caught the arm and -paddle of the stern man on the forward reach. -But thus far there had been nothing to give -him the slightest idea whether he was in the -hands of members of his own tribe or a captive -of one of the rival tribes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>61]</a></span> -Swiftly, silently, save for the light splash of -paddles and the gurgling ripple at the bow, -the canoe sped on. Never will Walter forget -the spell of that mysterious night ride on that -lonely lake in the heart of the great north -woods. His gag had been removed and, but -for inability to move hand or foot, he was -not uncomfortable. All the witchery of night -in the forest was enhanced an hundredfold -by the mystery of his abduction and the unknown -trials awaiting him.</p> - -<p>A mighty chorus of frogs denoted low, -marshy land somewhere in the vicinity. -Strange voices of furtive wild things floated -across from the shore. Once a heavy splash -close to the canoe set his heart to thumping -fiercely until he rightly surmised that it was -made by a startled muskrat, surprised at his -nocturnal feast of mussels. Again, as they -slipped through the heavy shadows close along -shore, there was a crash in the underbrush -which might or might not have been a deer. -It was weird, uncanny, trying in the extreme, -yet sending little electric thrills of fascination -through the nerves of the city boy.</p> - -<p>How long the journey lasted Walter could -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>62]</a></span> -not tell, but he judged that it was at least half -an hour before there suddenly broke out ahead -a cry, so human yet so wild, that he felt the -very roots of his hair crawl. Once more it -rang over the lake, a high-pitched, maniacal -laugh that rolled across the water and was -flung back in crazy echoes from the shores. -In a flash it came to Walter that this must be -the cry of the loon, the Great Northern Diver, -of which he had often read. This time it was -answered from the rear. A few minutes later -the canoe grated on the shore. Walter was -lifted out, his eyes bandaged, the bonds removed -from his legs and, with a captor on -either side, he was led for some distance along -what seemed like an old corduroy logging road.</p> - -<p>On signal from the leader a halt was made -and the bandage was removed from the captive’s -eyes. Curiously he glanced about, but -in the faint light could make out little. Apparently -they were in the middle of a small -opening in the forest. On all sides a seemingly -unbroken wall of blackness, the forest, -hemmed them in. In a half circle before -him squatted some two dozen blanketed forms.</p> - -<p>One of these now arose and stepped forward. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>63]</a></span> -He was tall and rather slender. In the uncertain -light his features appeared to be those -of an Indian. A single feather in his scalp -lock was silhouetted against the sky. A -blanket was loosely but gracefully draped -about his figure. Standing in front of the -captive he drew himself up proudly to his full -height and, leveling a long bare arm at the -prisoner, addressed him in a deep guttural.</p> - -<p>“Paleface, dweller in wigwams of brick and -stone, it is made known to us that your heart -turns from the settlements to the heart of the -great forest, and that you desire to become a -child of the Lenape, whose totem is the tortoise, -to be adopted by the Delawares, the -tribe of Uncas and Chingachgook; that you -long to follow the trail of the red deer and to -spread your blanket beside the sweet waters; -to read the message of the blowing wind, and -interpret aright the meaning of every fallen -leaf.</p> - -<p>“You have come among us, paleface, not -unheralded. Our ears have been filled with a -tale of valor. It has warmed the hearts of the -Delawares and their brothers, the Algonquins. -Our young men have had their ears to the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>64]</a></span> -ground; they have followed your trail, and -they yearn to make a place for you at their -council fire. But, lest the tales to which they -have listened prove to be but the chirping of -a singing bird, it has been decided in secret -council that you must undergo the test of the -spirits.</p> - -<p>“Alone in the wigwam of the spirits, where, -it is said, on the fifth night in every month -the spirit of a departed brave, stricken in the -prime of his manhood, comes seeking the red -hand of his slayer,—here alone you shall keep -watch through the black hours of the night. -Thus shall we know if your heart be indeed -the heart of the Lenape; if you are of the -stuff of which Delaware warriors are made; -if our ears have heard truly or if they have indeed -been filled with the foolish chatter of a -Whisky Jack (Canada jay).</p> - -<p>“If you meet this trial as a warrior should, -making neither sign nor sound, whate’er befall, -then will the Delawares receive you with -open arms, no longer a paleface, but a true -son of the Tortoise, a blood brother, for whom -a place in the council chamber is even now -ready.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>65]</a></span> -Turning to the shadowy group squatting -in silence he threw out both arms dramatically.</p> - -<p>“Sons of the Lenape, do I speak truly?” -he demanded.</p> - -<p>A chorus of guttural grunts signified assent. -Turning once more to the captive the speaker -asked:</p> - -<p>“Paleface, are you prepared to stand the -test?”</p> - -<p>As the harangue had proceeded Walter recalled -that during the afternoon he had heard -vague references to a haunted cabin across -the lake. Now the conviction was forced -upon him that this was the place in which -he was to be left to spend the night alone. -In spite of himself a shiver of something -very like fear swept over him, for the mystery -of the night was upon him. But he had -firmly resolved not to show the white feather. -Then again he was possessed of a large bump -of sound common sense, and he felt certain that -if, when left alone, he gave way to fear, sharp -eyes and ears would be within range to note -and gloat over it. In fact he shrewdly suspected -that spies would be watching him, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>66]</a></span> -that his solitude would be more apparent than -real. He therefore replied:</p> - -<p>“I am ready.”</p> - -<p>Thereupon the leader gave some brief directions -to the band, of whom all but two trailed -off in single file and disappeared in the blackness -of the forest. Presently he heard the -faint clatter of paddles carelessly dropped in -canoes, and surmised that his late companions -were embarking for camp. A few minutes -later the hoot of a horned owl came from the -direction they had taken. This seemed to be -a signal for which his guard had been waiting. -Once more the bandage was placed over his -eyes, and he was led for some distance along -an old tote road.</p> - -<p>At length a halt was called. His legs were -bound and he was picked up and carried a -short distance. Although he could see nothing -he was aware by the change of air that -they had entered a building. He suspected -that this was the haunted cabin. He was deposited -on a rough board floor with what appeared -to be a roll of old burlap beneath his -head. He was told that his hands and feet -would be freed of their bonds, but he was put -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>67]</a></span> -upon his honor not to remove the bandage -from his eyes for half an hour.</p> - -<p>“Keep your nerve, son, and don’t sit up -suddenly,” was whispered in his ear.</p> - -<p>He could not be sure, but he had a feeling -that the speaker was Woodhull, and to himself -he renewed his vow that, come what -might, he would not show the white feather. -He heard his captors silently withdraw and -then all was silent.</p> - -<p>Cautiously he felt around him. Sticks and -bits of bark littered the floor. Rough hewn -logs shut him in on one side, but on the other -as far as he could reach was open space. Feeling -above he found that there was not room -to sit upright, and he thanked his unknown -friend for that last timely warning.</p> - -<p>The silence grew oppressive. It was broken -by a light thump on the roof, followed by -the rasp of swift little claws. “Squirrels,” -thought Walter, after the first startled jump. -Gradually he became aware of a feeling that -he was not the only tenant of the cabin. Once -he heard something that sounded very like a -long drawn sigh. He held his breath and -listened, but there was not another sound. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>68]</a></span> -What were those tales he had heard of the -cabin being haunted? He tried to recall them. -How far from the camp was he? Would -they come for him in the morning or would -he have to find his way in alone?</p> - -<p>In spite of his strange surroundings and -lively imagination Walter found difficulty in -keeping awake. Outraged nature was asserting -herself. There had been little sleep for -more than twenty-four hours, and now even -the uncertainty of his position could keep him -awake no longer. In fact he had not even removed -the bandage from his eyes when he fell -sound asleep.</p> - -<p>He was awakened by having this suddenly -snatched off. For a few minutes he blinked -stupidly while a mighty shout from the entire -wigwam greeted him:</p> - -<div class="poemcenter"> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="i0first">“Oh, warrior, tried and true,<br /></div> -<div class="i0">We hereby welcome you!<br /></div> -<div class="i0">We like your nerve!<br /></div> -<div class="i0">We like your sand!<br /></div> -<div class="i0">A place you’ve won<br /></div> -<div class="i0">Within our band.<br /></div> -<div class="i0">You’ve won your feather fair—<br /></div> -<div class="i0">You are a <em class="smallcap">Del-a-ware</em>!”<br /></div> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Then Walter was hauled forth and shaken -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>69]</a></span> -hands with and thumped and pounded on the -back by a whooping, laughing crew of boys in -all stages of undress. It was broad daylight -and, to his amazement, Walter found he was not -in the haunted cabin but in his own wigwam, -where he had spent the night on the floor underneath -his own bunk. The boys, noting -the expression of his face, shouted afresh and -mercilessly guyed him till presently, realizing -how completely he had been duped, he wisely -joined in the laugh at his own expense.</p> - -<p>Reveille had sounded. Buxby joined him -at the wash bench, and on the way to mess -explained how the initiation was worked. -When he had been placed in the canoe they -had simply paddled around near camp for half -an hour. He had then been led over an old -trail to an opening near, but out of sight of -the camp, and there Woodhull, in the character -of the Indian chief, had delivered the -harangue. At its conclusion all but the guard -had gone to the wigwam and at once turned in, -one of them first slipping down to the lake and -rattling the paddles, afterward giving the owl -signal. The guard had then led him back to -the wigwam and put him under his own bunk, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>70]</a></span> -where the floor had been strewn with chips -and bark to fool him when he felt around, as -they had foreseen he would.</p> - -<p>“You’re all right, Upton, and say, wasn’t -Louis a lulu?” concluded the garrulous Billy.</p> - -<p>At mess Walter realized that he had “made -good,” and was already accepted as one of -themselves by the merry crew of sun-browned -youngsters amongst whom he had come a -total stranger less than twenty-four hours before. -Most of all he prized Woodhull’s quiet -“Good boy,” as he saluted him at the door.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>71]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap05" id="chap05"></a>CHAPTER V<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">THE RECALL</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Oh</span>, you Delaware!”</p> - -<p>“Come tell us that tale of the singing bird!”</p> - -<p>“Looks pale; must have seen a haunt!”</p> - -<p>“Got your goat with you?”</p> - -<p>“Come join the young men at their council -fire!”</p> - -<p>Walter grinned at the good-natured chaff of -a group of boys squatting in front of a shelter -tent pitched on the shore of the lake.</p> - -<p>“Where’s the fire?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“What!” cried Tug Benson. “Is he coming -among us with the eyes of a paleface?” -He spread his hands above the ashes of a long -dead fire as if warming them. “And here,” -he added in an injured tone, “we’ve been sitting -for an hour roasting that loon he heard -last night, that he might feast with us. Now -he doesn’t even see the fire!” He gave an -exaggerated sniff. “He’s done to a turn.”</p> - -<p>“Which?” asked Billy Buxby innocently. -“Walt or the loon?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>72]</a></span> -“Both,” said Spud Ely with conviction. -“Say, Upton, tell us about that scrap.”</p> - -<p>“Nothing to tell,” replied Walter.</p> - -<p>“Modest, though mighty, as becomes a son -of the Tortoise,” commented Tug. “Say, -Walt, did he have light curly hair and a front -tooth missing?”</p> - -<p>“Now you mention it, I believe he did,” -replied Walter.</p> - -<p>“Pat Malone!” exclaimed Tug triumphantly. -“Sure thing. Say, fellows, Pat’s -been hanging ’round camp for the last three -or four days; what do you suppose he’s after?”</p> - -<p>“Looking for a chance to swipe something,” -said Billy.</p> - -<p>“Aw stow it, Billy! Pat’s tough all right, -but that doesn’t make him a thief,” said Chip -Harley.</p> - -<p>“I saw Pat talking with Hal Harrison up -on the Old Scraggy trail just at dusk the -other night,” broke in Ned Peasely. “They -seemed mighty ’fraid of being seen. Wonder -what’s up?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, probably Hal’s trying to impress on -the natives a sense of his own importance and -the power of the almighty dollar,” said Spud.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>73]</a></span> -“Cut it out, Spud,” advised Tug. “Hal’s -all right. Some day he’ll forget he’s the son -of a millionaire. He’s got good stuff in him.”</p> - -<p>“Sure thing,” said Chip. “Say, did you -know that he brought in another record fish -this morning? Six-pound small-mouth bass. -That’s what gets my goat. Here he is, a tenderfoot, -and yet he’s putting it all over the -fellows that have been here two or three years. -He’s rolling up points for the Senecas to beat -the band. Say, I’ll bet that Pat Malone has -put him next to some secret fishing ground or -new bait or something.”</p> - -<p>“Speaking of angels——” said Billy.</p> - -<p>Walter looked up with the others to see a boy -of perhaps fifteen passing on the trail up from -the lake. He wore the regulation camp dress, -but there was something in his bearing, a suggestion -of superiority, a hint of condescension -in his curt nod to the group around the tent, -that gave Walter the feeling that he considered -himself a little above his companions. -Yet, withal, there was something likable in -his face, despite a rather weak mouth and the -shifty glance of his eyes. Instinctively Walter -felt that Tug was right, and that beneath -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>74]</a></span> -the supercilious veneer there was the stuff of -which men are made, submerged now by self-indulgence -and the misfortune of being born -with a silver spoon in his mouth, as Tug expressed -it.</p> - -<p>“Hear you’ve put another over on us. Say, -Hal, put us wise to that private preserve of -yours, will you?” called the irrepressible -Billy.</p> - -<p>“Do a little scouting and find one for yourself,” -retorted Hal, passing on up the trail.</p> - -<p>“I have it! We will do a little scouting. -We’ll trail him ’til we find out where he -gets those big fish. What do you say, fellows?”</p> - -<p>“That we’ll do nothing of the kind.”</p> - -<p>The words were spoken quietly, but with a -note of authority and finality that admitted -of no contradiction. The boys turned to find -Woodhull in their midst. Unseen he had -come up just in time to hear Billy’s last -words. They all saluted the chief, and then -Billy, who never was known to let the chance -for an argument pass, took up the subject -again.</p> - -<p>“Why not, Louis?” he demanded. “I -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>75]</a></span> -thought it was a Scout’s duty to always keep -on the trail of an enemy.”</p> - -<p>“Meaning whom?” asked Woodhull.</p> - -<p>“Why, Harrison, of course. Isn’t he a -Seneca, and aren’t the Senecas the enemies of -the Delawares?”</p> - -<p>“Wrong again, Billy,” responded the -chief. “The Senecas are rivals, not enemies -of the Delawares, and we are going to beat -’em to it in fair and open contest—if we can. -But they are brother Scouts, members of -Woodcraft Camp as we are. Just pin that in -your hat. Of all contemptible beings the -most contemptible is a spy, save in actual warfare. -No, my son, if Hal has been smart -enough to beat us all at locating the hiding-places -of big fish he is entitled to the honors. -Put your powers as a Scout to work and find -the fish for yourself, my son; but no spying -on fellow Scouts.</p> - -<p>“Tug, suppose you take Upton out to the -swimming raft and try him out. You know -the Hurons drew a prize in Hampton, who -came in last week. Billy, I’ve got a bit of -surveying to do on the Little Knob trail, and -I need a rod man. Are you on?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>76]</a></span> -“You bet! you know I’d follow you to the -North Pole, Louis,” replied Billy, rising -with alacrity.</p> - -<p>Tug and Walter started for their tights, -while the others continued to sprawl lazily -around the tent.</p> - -<p>“The chief’s right,” said Spud meditatively. -“It wouldn’t be a square deal to spy -on Hal. Just the same I’d like to know -where he gets those fish. You don’t suppose——” -He broke off abruptly.</p> - -<p>“You don’t suppose what?” asked Chip.</p> - -<p>“Oh, nothin’!”</p> - -<p>“Come, Spud, out with it! What don’t you -suppose?”</p> - -<p>Spud clasped his hands about his knees -and gazed thoughtfully into the fireplace.</p> - -<p>“What does Hal do with all his spending -money?” he demanded abruptly.</p> - -<p>Chip looked up, startled. “You don’t -mean, Spud, that you think for a minute -he——”</p> - -<p>“No, I don’t,” Spud broke in. “I don’t -believe there’s a fellow in camp low down -mean enough to try to win points with -things he’d bought. But why couldn’t he -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>77]</a></span> -have hired some one to put him next—guide -for him?”</p> - -<p>The boys considered this in silence for a -few minutes.</p> - -<p>“Aw, forget it, Spud,” advised Chip. -“Hal wouldn’t do that. He’s got us going, -and we’re sore, that’s all. Let’s take a canoe -and try for that big laker you lost the other -day.”</p> - -<p>“I’m with you,” replied Spud promptly. -“Bet he don’t get away from me again!”</p> - -<p>Meanwhile Walter and Tug had paddled -out to the raft, where boys from both wigwams -were enjoying a morning swim. Walter was -a fair swimmer, but he soon found that Tug -quite outclassed him. As a matter of fact -Tug was the star swimmer of the tribe, and -in the water was as much at home as a fish. -He watched Walter critically for a few minutes.</p> - -<p>“You’ll do best at long distance,” he decided. -“We’ll put you in for the quarter -mile. You’re rotten on the crawl, and the -crawl’s the only thing for the hundred yards. -You’ve got something to learn on that overhand, -too. You fight the water too much. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>78]</a></span> -You don’t get in your full power, and when -you try to hit it up you waste your strength. -Here, let me show you!”</p> - -<p>With a clean-cut dive Tug left the raft, and -Walter watched with admiration, not unmixed -with envy, the powerful yet easy overhand -strokes that sent the swimmer through -the water without apparent exertion, yet at -a speed that made his own best efforts seem -hopeless. Tug regained the raft, and Walter -noted that he was breathing as easily as if he -had not been in the water at all.</p> - -<p>“Say, Tug, will you coach me?” he asked -eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Surest thing you ever knew! That’s -what I’m here for,” was Tug’s hearty reply. -“But you’ve got to keep at it every day. No -soldiering, and, kid, no getting mad when I -throw the hooks into you! If we can get even -a third in the quarter we’ll pretty near break -even with the Hurons. The Algonquins have -only one man we’re really afraid of, and the -Senecas don’t cut much ice in the water, but -are all to the good on it.”</p> - -<p>“Paddling?” asked Walter.</p> - -<p>“Yep,” replied Tug. “They’ve got a great -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>79]</a></span> -tandem team, and a four I’m afraid we can’t -touch at all. And then you know they’ve -got a long lead on points for fish, thanks to -Harrison. By Jove, I should like to know -where he gets those big fellows, and what bait -he uses. He’s mum as an oyster.”</p> - -<p>Just as they stepped into the canoe to paddle -back to camp the notes of a bugle rang clear -and full across the water.</p> - -<p>“Hello!” exclaimed Tug, pausing to look -over the camp. “That’s the ‘recall.’ Wonder -what’s up. That means everybody report at -once. Hit her up, kid!”</p> - -<p>As soon as the canoe touched shore the -boys sprang out and turned it bottom up on -the beach. As they hurried up to headquarters -boys were pouring in from all directions, -on every face a look of wondering -curiosity. The recall was sounded only in -case of an emergency.</p> - -<p>When the last straggler within sound of the -bugle had hurried in, Dr. Merriam stepped -from the office. His face was very grave as he -studied the expectant faces turned toward him. -An instant hush fell over the waiting boys.</p> - -<p>“Scouts of Woodcraft Camp,” began the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>80]</a></span> -doctor slowly, and it seemed as if he measured -each word as he spoke, “I have had the recall -sounded because of a discovery made an -hour since—a discovery unprecedented in the -annals of Woodcraft Camp. It is that there -is or has been a thief in our midst.” He -paused for an instant while his keen eyes -scanned the startled faces before him. Then -with one of his rarely beautiful smiles he -added, “But I do not believe that any member -of this camp is guilty.”</p> - -<p>Instantaneous relief rippled over the faces -before him and the doctor, noting it, smiled -again. Then once more his face grew grave -and stern, as he continued:</p> - -<p>“For some days little things have been -missed around headquarters. That they were -stolen we have not been willing to believe, -preferring to think that they had been mislaid. -But this morning occurred a loss which admits -of no doubt that there has been a thief -in camp. You all remember the little gold -clasp pin in the shape of a Maltese cross, set -with three small diamonds, which Mrs. Merriam -always wears at her throat?”</p> - -<p>The boys nodded. They would have been -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>81]</a></span> -poor Scouts indeed had they not noticed the -one bit of jewelry which “Mother” Merriam -allowed herself in camp.</p> - -<p>“This morning Mrs. Merriam laid the pin -on the sill of the north window of her room. -Five minutes later she went to get it, but it -was not there. Nor was it on the ground -outside or on the floor inside. The actual -value is not great but, because of sentimental -associations, the value is not to be computed -in dollars and cents. To Mrs. Merriam that -little pin is priceless. I have called you together -to tell you of this loss, believing that -there is not one among you but will gladly -give of his time and best endeavor to discover -the thief and secure if possible the return of -Mrs. Merriam’s valued keepsake. I ask each -one of you to report to me privately any suspicious -circumstances he may be aware of or -may discover. That is all.”</p> - -<p>The boys at once broke into excited groups. -That there could be a thief among them was -inconceivable. Still, there had been few -strangers in camp, two or three guides and -a few lumber-jacks passing through, and all -of these above suspicion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>82]</a></span> -Chip Harley joined Walter and Tug, and -the three walked on in silence. It was broken -by Chip.</p> - -<p>“Say, fellows,” said he, “you remember -what was said about Pat Malone this morning? -Well, he was in camp just afterward.”</p> - -<p>“How do you know?” asked Tug.</p> - -<p>“Saw him,” said Chip. “He came in -while you fellows were swimming. Left a -message for Tom Mulligan. When he left he -took the trail up past headquarters.”</p> - -<p>Tug and Walter considered this information -soberly.</p> - -<p>“Looks bad,” said Tug. “Shall you report -to the big chief?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” replied Chip. “It’s suspicious, -any way you look at it.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t do it yet,” said Walter. “You -haven’t got any real evidence, you know. -And let’s not say anything about it to the -other fellows. It does look mighty suspicious, -but I don’t believe that a fellow who -would take a licking and then get up and -shake hands the way Pat did with me would -steal. Let’s do a little scouting before we say -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>83]</a></span> -anything. What’s the matter with us three -working together on this thing?”</p> - -<p>“Good!” agreed Tug. “Each night we’ll -get together and report all clues discovered. -Gee, but I’d like to find that pin for Mother -Merriam!”</p> - -<p>“You bet!” said Walter. “And I’d like to -clear Pat, too,” he added to himself.</p> - -<p>The three shook hands on the compact, and -separated to look for clues. True to their -agreement, they said nothing about Pat. -But others had seen the sawmill boy in -camp, and by night there was a pretty general -conviction that Pat was the thief, so easy -is it for mere suspicion to pose as truth. A -few of the more hot-headed were for rounding -Pat up the next day and forcing him to confess, -but wiser council prevailed, and it was -agreed that Pat should be left alone until real -evidence against him was produced. After -evening mess Chip, Walter and Tug met in a -quiet corner to report.</p> - -<p>“Well?” said Tug.</p> - -<p>“Footprints,” said Chip sententiously. -“Found ’em leaving the regular trail just -north of the office, and pointing toward -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>84]</a></span> -Mother Merriam’s window. Just about Pat’s -size, they were. Prints of the hobnails in -the right showed clearly, and three are missing -on the ball. Sprinkled some dirt over the -tracks so that no one else would find them. -What did you find, Tug?”</p> - -<p>“Nothin’, except that Pat went from here -straight up to the Durant lumber camp,” replied -Tug.</p> - -<p>“And you, Walt?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing but this,” said Walter, drawing -the tail feather of a crow from his pocket. -“Found it caught in the window screen.”</p> - -<p>“Worse and more of it,” growled Tug. -“Pat usually has a feather sticking in that old -hat of his. Don’t you remember?”</p> - -<p>“Yep,” responded Chip.</p> - -<p>They sat in silence for a while, considering -the evidence.</p> - -<p>“Looks bad, doesn’t it?” said Chip gloomily.</p> - -<p>“It sure does,” assented Walter, “but footprints -and a feather are mighty small things -on which to brand a fellow a thief. Let’s -wait till we get something else before we say -anything.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>85]</a></span> -“Right-oh!” responded Tug, rising to -stretch. “I’m going to turn in. Nine o’clock -sharp at the raft to-morrow, Walt.”</p> - -<p>“Sure!” replied Walter.</p> - -<p>Then, with the sounding of “taps” the -boys sought their bunks.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>86]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap06" id="chap06"></a>CHAPTER VI<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">THE SPECTER IN CAMP</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">A shadow</span> lay over Woodcraft Camp. The -routine of daily life went on as before, but -there was something lacking. The fun-making -was not spontaneous. There was no enthusiasm -in work or play. The old time jollying -ceased. The rivalry between the tribes -seemed falling into hopeless apathy. Even -Spud Ely’s success in temporarily wresting -the fishing honors from Hal Harrison and the -Senecas by landing a twelve-pound lake trout -served to awaken no more than a passing interest.</p> - -<p>Suspicion, the grimmest of all specters, -strode back and forth through the camp. -Whenever a group of boys came together it -peered over their shoulders and with bony -fingers choked back laughter and song and -strangled the old freedom of speech. It sat -at mess, and the chill of its presence was felt -in the wigwams at night. Who had stolen -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>87]</a></span> -Mother Merriam’s pin? Who? Who? -Could it be that the thief was really one of -their number?</p> - -<p>For more than a week nothing was seen of -Pat Malone. To many, hasty of judgment, -eager to rid themselves of the specter, this was -construed as evidence of guilt. But still the -specter would not down. The strain was telling -not only on the spirits but on the tempers -of the boys. Under it they were becoming -irritable, quick to take offense.</p> - -<p>Every night Tug Benson, Chip Harley and -Walter met to report progress, or, rather, lack -of it. Finally, just a week after the sounding -of the “recall,” Chip was sent on an errand -to the Durant lumber camp. As soon as -evening mess was over he signaled Tug and -Walter to meet him back of the wood-pile. -There was a gleam of triumph in his eyes -that belied the studied gloom of his face as -he looked up to greet them.</p> - -<p>“Well?” said Tug.</p> - -<p>“It’s Pat, all right!” said Chip sententiously.</p> - -<p>“Are you sure? Absolutely sure?” Tug -and Walter cried together.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>88]</a></span> -“Sure as—as—sure as I be that skeeters -bite,” replied Chip, slapping viciously at his -neck.</p> - -<p>“Did you find the pin?” asked Walter -eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Naw! You don’t suppose he’d be such a -fool as to have it lying around in plain sight, -do you?” Chip’s tone indicated his supreme -disgust. “But,” he continued, “it’s a cinch -that he took it just the same. What’d we -better do about it?”</p> - -<p>“How the deuce do we know, when you -haven’t told us your story yet? Come, out -with it, you tantalizing blockhead!” growled -Tug impatiently.</p> - -<p>Chip shrugged his shoulders and grinned. -“Well,” he began, “you know the big chief -sent me over to the Durant camp with a message -this afternoon. After I’d delivered it I -thought I’d just look round a bit, and do a -little scoutin’. Pat wasn’t there. Fact is, the -whole gang was in the woods ’cept the boss -and the cook. Got kind of chummy with the -cook, and he opened up a nice little can of his -own private troubles and poured ’em out for -my special benefit.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>89]</a></span> -“Seems he ain’t got much use for boys, and -for Pat Malone in particular. Nothin’ special, -I guess, only Pat plays tricks on him and -raids his cooky box pretty often. They’re -good cookies, all right,” he added reminiscently.</p> - -<p>“Well, I jollied him along,” continued -Chip, “and went pokin’ ’round like I’d never -seen a lumber camp before. Pretty soon I -see a pair of spiked boots hanging on a nail. -‘What’ll you take for the boots, cookie?’ -says I. Cookie grinned. ‘Them ain’t mine,’ -says he. ‘They belong to that young rascal -Pat Malone. I reckon money wouldn’t buy -’em of him. Sets as much store by ’em as if -they was pure gold. Was give to him by one -of the fellers over to your camp.’”</p> - -<p>Tug looked up startled. “What’s that?” -he asked sharply. “You don’t suppose—you—say, -do you believe it could have been Hal -Harrison?”</p> - -<p>Chip grinned. “Sure thing,” said he. -“Found his name in the top of one of -’em.”</p> - -<p>Tug and Walter looked at each other -blankly, while Chip went on with his tale.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>90]</a></span> -“When cookie wasn’t looking I just naturally -examined those boots a little closer, and -measured ’em with a bit of string. They’re -just the size of those prints we found under -Mother Merriam’s window, and there’s three -nails missing from the soles of the right -one!” he concluded dramatically. “Now -what do you fellers think we’d better do?”</p> - -<p>Tug sat down and idly began to throw -chips. “Looks bad,” he ventured.</p> - -<p>“Bad!” snorted Chip, “I call it open -and shut, iron-bound, no-loophole evidence! -Pat’s the thief, or I’ll eat my shirt.”</p> - -<p>“Guess you’ll find Durant cookies better -eating,” said Walter drily.</p> - -<p>Chip looked a bit sheepish. Then he -slipped a hand into a capacious pocket and -brought forth three crisp brown discs. “They -are pretty good,” he admitted as he passed -one to each of the others. “Might as well -admit that I followed Pat’s lead. Brought -’em along just to prove that I really was -there, Walt’s such a doubter,” he explained -ingenuously.</p> - -<p>For a few minutes the boys munched the -cookies in appreciative silence. When the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>91]</a></span> -last brown crumb had disappeared Chip returned -to the subject.</p> - -<p>“Well, Walt, what ought we to do?” he demanded.</p> - -<p>“Nothing.”</p> - -<p>Chip got up from the chopping block and -dramatically planted himself in front of Walter. -“Say, what’s chewing you, anyway?” he -demanded. “You don’t mean to tell us that -you still think Pat innocent!”</p> - -<p>“I’m not going to think him guilty until -there is some proof,” replied Walter doggedly.</p> - -<p>“Proof!” Chip fairly yelped the word out. -“Proof! Haven’t I given you proof enough? -What more do you want?” Chip flung himself -down on the chopping block in sheer disgust.</p> - -<p>“It’s wholly circumstantial evidence, and—and——” -Walter hesitated.</p> - -<p>“And what?” demanded Chip. “Spit it -out!”</p> - -<p>“Why, the fact is——” Walter hesitated -again.</p> - -<p>“Come on! Come on! Out with it!” -Tug broke in.</p> - -<p>“Well, there is another pair of hobnailed -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>92]</a></span> -boots of the same size in our own camp, and -three nails are missing from the right one!”</p> - -<p>Chip and Tug stared at him blankly. Then -Tug gave vent to a long whistle of incredulity. -“Say,” he demanded, “what kind of a -bunco steer are you givin’ us, anyway? Say -that over again, you sawed off pocket edition -of Sherlock Holmes!”</p> - -<p>Walter was somewhat nettled and he replied -rather tartly, “I said that there is another -pair of boots in camp that might have -made those prints.”</p> - -<p>“Whose are they?” Chip demanded.</p> - -<p>Again Walter hesitated, and grew uncomfortably -red in the face. “What is the honor of -a Scout?” he asked abruptly. “Has one -Scout any right to cast suspicion on the honor -of another Scout? I don’t believe that the -owner of this second pair of boots knows any -more than we do about Mother Merriam’s -pin, but if I should tell you who he is you -couldn’t help but wonder, and wondering, -that kind of wondering, leads to suspicion. -You couldn’t help it. Until this thing is -cleared up you couldn’t look that fellow -straight in the face with quite the same feeling -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>93]</a></span> -you do now. I didn’t mean to say anything -about it, but I had to to show how little -real evidence Pat’s boots afford. By the way, -Chip, do you know just which nails are missing -from Pat’s boot, and which three were -lacking in those prints?”</p> - -<p>Chip confessed that this was a detail he had -wholly overlooked.</p> - -<p>“Then that’s where we all fall down on the -footprint clue,” said Walter. “Strikes me -we’re blamed poor Scouts. The prints are gone -now, and if we had both pairs of boots here -what good would they do us? Without -knowing which nails were missing in the -prints we couldn’t tell which boots made ’em, -and there you are! We’d simply be all the -more suspicious of the owner of the second -pair of boots.”</p> - -<p>Tug arose and impulsively held out his -hand. “Shake, old man! I for one don’t -want to know who owns those boots. My, -my, this business is bad enough as it is!” he -said.</p> - -<p>“Them’s my sentiments too,” Chip broke -in. “It’s bad enough to suspect one fellow -outside the camp, and I should hate awfully -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>94]</a></span> -to have that kind of feeling about a brother -Scout.”</p> - -<p>Walter’s face cleared as the three shook -hands. “I’m glad you fellows see it that -way,” he said. “We leave matters right -where they were then, do we?”</p> - -<p>“Sure thing!” Tug spoke emphatically. -“Mum’s the word. We’ll just keep up our -quiet little hunt and say nothin’. Gee, but I -would hate awfully to think that maybe some -of the fellers thought I was a thief! Of -course I’m naturally curious about that other -pair of boots, but I wouldn’t listen now if you -tried to tell me, for just as sure as little fishes -have tails I’d get to thinkin’ about that feller -in a way I wouldn’t want anybody to think of -me. Funny about those boots of Pat’s, ain’t -it? You don’t suppose Hal gave ’em to him -to pay for—— Oh, rats! There it is! It’s -with Hal just like it would be with the owner -of that second pair of boots. We don’t like him. -He’s licked us to a frazzle fishin’, and here we -are suspectin’ he ain’t on the level. Let’s cut -it out! Say, I’ve got an idea!”</p> - -<p>“Phew! You don’t say! I wouldn’t have -believed it of you, Tug,” drawled Chip. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>95]</a></span> -“Hold it down with both hands ’til Walter -can identify it.”</p> - -<p>Tug promptly back-heeled Chip and calmly -sat on his head while that unfortunate helplessly -thrashed on the ground and in smothered -tones begged to be released.</p> - -<p>“Think you can be respectful to your -elders?” inquired Tug, holding his seat by -pinning down both arms of his victim.</p> - -<p>A smothered mumble was translated to -mean assent, and Chip was released.</p> - -<p>Tug proceeded to explain his idea. “You -remember what Louis said to Billy the other -day? Well, what’s the matter with us three -hanging together to beat Hal at his own -game? We all like fishin’, and there’s just -as big fish in this little old lake as Hal has -yanked out of it. If he can find ’em we can. -We’ve been trustin’ too much to luck, same -as the rest of the fellers do. My idea——”</p> - -<p>Chip cleared his throat, and Tug turned to -glare at his erstwhile victim. But that young -gentleman looked so innocent as he inquired, -“What’s your idea, Tug?” that the latter relaxed -his belligerent attitude and resumed.</p> - -<p>“My idea is that we read up about the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>96]</a></span> -different kinds of fish around here, their habits, -what they eat, when they feed, the kind of -bottom they like best and all that sort of -thing. The big chief’s got a lot of books -about fish, and he’ll be tickled silly to have -us read ’em. Then we’ll pump Big Jim and -Tom Mulligan, and do some real scoutin’—for -fish instead of thieves. If Hal has anything -on us then we’ll just naturally take off -our hats to him and give him the high sign.”</p> - -<p>“Bully!” cried Walter. “We’ve got just -time before ‘taps’ to read up a little on small-mouth -black bass, and we’ll get away at daybreak -to-morrow mornin’ for our first scoutin’. -I’ll go right up t’ the big chief’s and borrow -the book. Tug, you go hunt up Louis and get -permission for the three of us to take a canoe -and leave before mess, and, Chip, you hustle -over and bamboozle cookie into puttin’ up a -lunch for us.”</p> - -<p>The others agreed, and the three boys separated -on their several errands. As they disappeared -in the gathering dusk a rough unkempt -figure crawled from behind the wood-pile -and watched them, an ugly frown darkening -his dirty but usually good-natured face.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>97]</a></span> -“Yez think Oi’m a thafe, do yez?” he -growled. “Oi don’t know what yez think Oi -shtole, fer Oi didn’t get here in toime ter hear -ut all, but if Oi iver get yez alone Oi’ll make -yez chaw thim wurrds and shwaller thim. -Oi’ll—Oi’ll——” He shook a grimy fist at -the retreating figures. His eyes rested a -moment on Walter’s square, sturdy figure and -he seemed to hear again the quiet voice: -“I’m not going to think him guilty ’til -there’s some proof.”</p> - -<p>Gradually his face softened. “Thot bye’s -all roight. He’s sound timber, he is,” he -muttered.</p> - -<p>He slipped into the blackness of the forest -and presently hit the Durant trail. For the -most part his thoughts were as black as the -shadows around him.</p> - -<p>“Thafe, is ut?” he muttered to himself. -“Oi guess ut ain’t healthy fer the loikes av -me around thot camp. What roight have th’ -loikes av thim ter be callin’ me a thafe jist -because Oi’m poor an’ live in the woods? -What roight have they to be callin’ me a thafe, -an’ me wid no chance ter say a wurrd? What -show’s a bye loike me got, anyway? Whin -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>98]</a></span> -thot Walt bye licked me he said Oi ought ter -be a Bye Scout, an’ Oi’d begun ter think ut -must be somethin’ foine. But if this is the -way they be afther doin’, callin’ a bye a thafe -widout him iver knowin’ what’s been shtole, -Oi want nothin’ ter do at all, at all wid Bye -Scouts. Oi wonder what thot honor bus’ness -is thot Walt bye talked so much about. Oi’ll -pump thot bye wid his pockets full av rocks -an’ see what he knows about ut.”</p> - -<p>Abruptly his thoughts reverted to the fishing -pact he had overheard and slowly a grin -crept among the freckles. “Goin’ ter bate -Harrison, be yez?” He slipped a hand into -a pants pocket and clinked some loose change -there. “Oi wonder now, have yez got the -price? Oi guess yez don’t know what yez be -up aginst. Jist the same Oi’d loike thot -Walt bye ter win out.”</p> - -<p>A sudden thought struck him. “Oi wonder -now wud he——” He took a silver -dollar from his pocket and held it up so that -a ray from the rising moon was thrown up -from it in a bright gleam. “No,” he said, -“no, Oi don’t belave he wud, though why -not Oi don’t see at all, at all.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>99]</a></span> -He rapidly strode forward to the bunkhouse, -and for once forgot to play a good-night -trick on the long-suffering cook.</p> - -<p>The moon crept higher and higher. It filtered -through the great forest and touched the -white birches with ghostly gleam. It looked -down upon a thousand tragedies among the -little people of the night. It bathed the two -camps in silvery light, and all unconscious of -the greater tragedy in the hearts of men, it -caressed into points of living flame the tiny -diamonds in Mother Merriam’s pin.</p> - -<p>But there was no one there to see, and for -a few hours even the specter in the wigwams -slept.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>100]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap07" id="chap07"></a>CHAPTER VII<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">FIRST LESSONS</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Walter’s</span> skill with his camera gradually -won for him the distinction of being the best -photographer in camp. When, therefore, he -somewhat diffidently told Chief Woodhull of -his ambition to secure some flashlight views -of deer the chief listened attentively to the -plans suggested for securing them, and promised -to lay them before Dr. Merriam. Imagine -Walter’s delight when on the following day -the big chief sent for him, and after close -questioning informed him that it was arranged -for him to make a two days’ trip to Lonesome -Pond with Big Jim for the purpose of trying -for the coveted photographs of wild deer in -their native haunts.</p> - -<p>It was an almost unprecedented honor for a -first year boy. The privilege of making such -an expedition alone with one of the guides -was reserved for the older boys, whose experience -and training fitted them for the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>101]</a></span> -“roughing” which such a trip usually involved. -Walter fairly walked on air when he left -Dr. Merriam to seek Big Jim and make the -necessary arrangements. He found the guide -tinkering with a jack-light.</p> - -<p>“Dr. Merriam says——” began Walter.</p> - -<p>“I know all about it, son,” interrupted the -guide. “You an’ me’ll be pardners for a -couple o’ days, and we’ll start before daylight -to-morrow morning. Rustle round now and -get your picter machine ready. I reckon Mr. -Peaked Toes will be a mighty unsartin subjec’, -a leetle mite bashful. If you don’t get him -th’ first shot, ’tain’t likely he’ll wait fer a second, -so it’s up to you t’ hev everythin’ in -workin’ order. Run over an’ tell cookie thet -I want two loaves o’ bread, a slab o’ bacon, -some butter in a wide-mouth jar, flour, salt, -cocoa an’ sugar fer a two days’ trip. We’re -goin’ light, so you won’t need t’ bring nothin’ -but yer fish rod, blankets, sneaks an’ an extra -handkercher. Better turn in early, fer we -want t’ start at four o’clock sharp. Hev cookie -put up a lunch. Now skip!”</p> - -<p>At quarter of four the next morning Walter -slipped out of the wigwam. The moon had -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>102]</a></span> -not yet set, while in the east appeared the -first faint flush of the coming day. The forest -lay black and still. For a moment or two he -shivered in the chill of the outer air after the -warmth of the wigwam. There was a light in -the guides’ cabin, and thither he made his -way at once.</p> - -<p>Just outside the door stood a pack basket, -a tightly rolled blanket lashed across it, and -the handle of a frying-pan protruding from -the top. Big Jim’s favorite paddle leaned -against it. As Walter approached, the door -opened and the guide stepped out.</p> - -<p>“Hello, pard!” said he. “I was jes’ comin’ -over t’ pull yer out o’ yer blankets. Come in -here an’ hev a cup o’ hot cocoa an’ stow thet -snack away; it’s easier t’ carry inside than -out.”</p> - -<p>When Walter had gulped down the hot -drink and eaten the lunch put up for him by -the cook he felt ready for anything.</p> - -<p>As they took their way down the trail to -the lake the hoot of a great horned owl suddenly -broke the silence and wakened startled -echoes on Old Scraggy.</p> - -<p>“Whooo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whooo-hoo-hoo!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>103]</a></span> -“Ole Fly-by-night must hev had poor -huntin’ last evenin’,” said the guide. “Do -you see him, son?”</p> - -<p>Walter searched the trees near at hand, but -could make out nothing that resembled a bird, -and his chagrin was deepened by the guide’s -next remark.</p> - -<p>“Them books may tell yer where t’ look, -but they don’t teach yer how t’ use th’ eyes -God give yer. Now any five-year-old born in -th’ woods would hev seen thet big swelled up -bunch o’ feathers fust thing. Look at thet -tall pine stump over thar t’ th’ right and——”</p> - -<p>“Whooo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whooo-hoo-hoo!” -rang the fierce cry again, and almost on the -instant the top of the stump resolved into a -huge, broad-winged bird, that swiftly and -noiselessly dropped behind a low hemlock. -A moment later it reappeared, a hare struggling -in its talons, and flew heavily over -toward a swamp. Big Jim promptly seized -upon the episode to drive home a lesson in -woodcraft.</p> - -<p>“Pard,” said he, “thar’s a better lesson in -the A B C o’ wood life than I could give yer -in a month o’ talkin’. If thet hare hadn’t let -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>104]</a></span> -its narves go on th’ jump, and had remembered -what she ought t’ hev knowed afore she -was born, thet to sit tight an’ not move a -muscle when yer don’t want t’ be seen is th’ -first law o’ th’ woods, she’d be sittin’ nice an’ -snug this very minute, instead o’ stuffin’ ole -Fly-by-night’s craw. Puss was narvous. The -hoot startled her an’ she moved jest a leetle -bit. Probably she rustled a leaf. Them big -owls is all ears. Fact, son; the whole side o’ -th’ head, pretty near, is an ear. He heared -thet leaf rustle, an’ he was Johnny-on-the-spot -in a jiffy. Yer saw what happened. -Never make a sudden move in th’ woods. Sit -tight if yer don’t want t’ be seen, or move so -slowly thet nothin’s goin’ t’ notice it. Don’t -never ferget it! Yer’ve jes’ seen what fergettin’ -may cost. When yer go in th’ woods -leave yer narves t’ hum.”</p> - -<p>The pack basket and duffle were stowed in -the middle of the canoe, Walter took the bow -seat and the guide, kneeling in the stern, for -he had never outgrown his early training -when canoes of his acquaintance had no seats, -shot the little craft out into the lake. As -they turned into the low marshy estuary -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>105]</a></span> -which marked the outlet of the lake, the first -rays of the rising sun glanced over Mt. Seward.</p> - -<p>Once in the main channel of the river they -felt the gentle force of the current, and under -Jim’s powerful stroke they swept swiftly on. -Walter had been doing his full share, for he -was a good paddler, but now the guide suggested -that he put up his paddle and hold his -camera ready for whatever they might surprise -along the river’s edge, or up some of the -numerous setbacks.</p> - -<p>The boy put his paddle aside and, slipping -a film pack into the camera, set the focus for -one hundred feet. Then with thumb and -forefinger of his right hand on the focussing -screw, ready to shorten the focus should they -get within less than one hundred feet of a -subject, he set himself to watch the shores.</p> - -<p>“Remember now, no talkin’ an’ no sudden -moves,” cautioned the guide.</p> - -<p>Alas for Walter! The lesson had yet to be -driven home. Not five minutes later the -canoe shot around a bend, and without a -sound glided into a setback. Almost instantly -a low warning hiss from Big Jim put -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>106]</a></span> -Walter on his guard. The canoe seemed -merely to drift, but if the boy could have seen -the guide he would have witnessed a magnificent -exhibition of the canoeman’s art as, with -paddle deep in the water and moving so -slowly as to make hardly a perceptible ripple, -he still kept the craft under perfect control.</p> - -<p>Walter, every nerve tense, scanned the -shores in a vain effort to discover the cause of -the guide’s warning. Inch by inch the canoe -crept on and still the boy saw nothing but the -placid, pad-strewn surface of the water, and -the forest-lined shore. Presently his eager -ears caught a faint splash off to his right. -Like a flash he turned, swinging his camera -with him. The next instant he realized his -mistake. With a sharp whistle of surprise -and alarm a doe noisily splashed shoreward -from a point not fifty yards distant, where she -had been standing among the lily-pads. -From the instant the canoe had first caught -her attention and excited her curiosity she -had remained so motionless that Walter had -failed utterly to pick her out from the background -with which her protective coloring -blended so marvelously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>107]</a></span> -But the moment the boy moved she whirled -for the shore, sending the water flying in a -shower of silver. As the boy, in open-mouthed -astonishment, watched her she lightly -leaped a fallen log, and with a parting flirt of -her white flag disappeared in the undergrowth.</p> - -<p>Walter’s chagrin was too deep for words. -Indeed, he was very near to tears as he realized -what a rare opportunity he had missed, -and how wholly his own fault it was. He -did not dare look at Big Jim, and there was no -comfort in the guide’s slow, sarcastic drawl:</p> - -<p>“A clean miss, pard. Did them books -teach yer thet lightnin’ whirl? ’Pears t’ me -thet you an’ puss back thar, keepin’ company -with ole Fly-by-night, belong in th’ same -class. Now if yer mem’ry had been as good -as yer fergittery we’d most likely hev drifted -right up t’ thet thar deer. No use wastin’ -more time in here. Some day when yer hev -larned a leetle more woodcraft mebbe we’ll -run down an’ try it agen.”</p> - -<p>This surely was rubbing it in, and Big -Jim meant it to be so. Right down in his -big heart he was almost as disappointed for -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>108]</a></span> -the boy as was the boy himself, but he felt -that this was the time to drive the lesson -home. Every word stung the chagrined -young photographer like a whip-lash, and he -could not trust himself to make reply. He -was mortified beyond expression, for he had -prided himself that he knew the value of -noiselessness and motionlessness, and that -when the test should come he would win -golden opinions from the guide for his display -of woodcraft. Now, at the very first opportunity, -he had failed miserably, acting like the -veriest tyro, and he felt himself humbled to -the last degree.</p> - -<p>Had he turned he might have caught a -kindly twinkle in the blue eyes watching the -dejected droop of his figure, but he kept his -face steadily to the front, gazing fixedly ahead, -yet seeing nothing, while automatically he -swung his paddle and gloomily lived over the -bitterness of his mistake.</p> - -<p>They were now once more in the current, -and in a matter-of-fact way the guide suggested -that Walter put his paddle up and be -ready for whatever else might offer. As he -adjusted the camera the boy resolved that -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>109]</a></span> -this time, come what might, he would show -Big Jim that he had learned his lesson.</p> - -<p>The opportunity came sooner than he had -dared hope it would. The canoe swerved -sharply toward the east bank, and presently -Walter made out a little brown bunch on the -end of a log. With a nod of the head he signaled -the guide that he saw, and then attended -strictly to his end of the matter in -hand. By this time the canoe was close in to -the bank, so deftly handled that it would approach -within twenty feet of the log before -emerging from the screen of a fallen tree -which the guide had instantly noted and -taken advantage of.</p> - -<p>Jim was paddling only enough for steerage -way, allowing the current to drift them down. -They were now close to the fallen tree, and -the guide began to silently work the little -craft around the outer end. Walter had reduced -the focus to twenty-five feet. As they -drifted nearer and nearer to the subject he began -to shake with nervous excitement, so that -it was only by the exercise of all his will -power that he could hold the camera steady. -Inch by inch they crept past the tree and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>110]</a></span> -Walter strained his eyes for a glimpse of the -old log with its little bunch of fur. He was -holding his breath from sheer excitement. -Ha! There was the outer end of the log, and -there, a foot or so back, sat a muskrat, wholly -oblivious to their presence.</p> - -<p>Slowly, with the utmost caution, Walter -turned in his seat, so slowly that it seemed -ages to him. The guide had checked the canoe -within less than twenty feet of the log -and Walter altered his focus accordingly. -Now in his reflecting finder he clearly saw -the little fur bearer, a mussel in his paws. -With a sigh of relief Walter heard the click -of the shutter in response to the squeeze of the -bulb, held in his left hand. Then as the rat -made a frightened plunge, he remembered -that he had forgotten to withdraw the slide -before making the exposure.</p> - -<p>It is an error the novice frequently makes -and that the expert is sometimes guilty of. -It was, therefore, not surprising that under -the stress of excitement Walter should suffer -this lapse of memory, but coming as it did -immediately after his other fiasco, it was almost -more than he could bear.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>111]</a></span> -Big Jim was chuckling delightedly over -the supposed success. “Reckon musky never -set fer his picter afore! Did he look pleasant? -Pard, yer sure did thet trick well. Had a bit -o’ buck fever fust along, I reckon. Thought -yer seemed kind o’ shaky. Don’t yer mind -thet none. I’ve seen a feller with a clean open -shot at a standin’ deer within fifty yards wobble -his rifle round so thet th’ safest thing in thet -neighborhood was thet thar deer. Now we’ll -go on fer th’ next.”</p> - -<p>Walter did not have the courage to tell the -guide then of his second blunder, but resolved -that when they got in camp that night he -would own up like a man. For the next -three miles nothing eventful occurred. Then -the boy got his third chance. It was a great -blue heron this time. It was standing on one -foot, the other drawn up until it was hidden -among the feathers of the under part of the -body. The long neck was laid back on the -shoulders, the sharp bill half buried in the -feathers of the breast. The big bird appeared -to be dozing. The light fell just right, and -as it was intensified by reflection from the -water, Walter felt sure of a good photograph.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>112]</a></span> -Little by little the canoe drifted in. Forty -feet, thirty, twenty, ten—click! This time -there was no mistake. Working quickly but -cautiously, with as little motion as possible, -he pulled out and tore off the tab, set the -shutter and, as the big bird spread its wings, -a second click caught it at the very start of its -flight. The shutter was set at the two hundredth -part of a second, so that despite the -nearness of the subject, Walter felt reasonably -certain that little movement would show in -the photograph.</p> - -<p>“Get him?” asked Jim.</p> - -<p>“Two of him,” replied Walter, a note of -pardonable pride in his voice.</p> - -<p>“Thet’s th’ stuff! Ye’re larnin’ fast,” said -the guide, once more shooting the canoe into -the current.</p> - -<p>This success went far to offset the previous -failures and the boy’s spirits rose. He began -to enjoy his surroundings as he had not been -able to since the episode with the deer. Mile -after mile slipped behind them, the limpid -brown water sliding between the unbroken -wilderness on either bank. Try as he would -he could not get over the impression of sliding -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>113]</a></span> -down-hill, such was the optical effect of the -swiftly-moving water.</p> - -<p>At last he heard a dull roar which increased -in volume with every minute. Then they -rounded a sharp turn, and before them the -whole river became a churning, tumbling -mass of white, with here and there an ugly -black rock jutting above the surface. The -canoe felt the increased movement of the -water and the boy’s heart beat faster as the -bow of the little craft still pointed straight -down the middle of the river. Could it be -that Big Jim would try to run those tumbling, -roaring rapids!</p> - -<p>“Sit tight and don’t move!” came the -guide’s sharp, terse command.</p> - -<p>The canoe all but grazed a great gray -boulder. Then dead ahead, not two inches -under water, Walter saw another. Surely -they must strike this, and then—he -closed his eyes for just a second. When he -opened them the canoe was just shooting -through the churning froth on the edge of the -rock, and that immediate danger was past. -He realized then how completely the man behind -him was master of the river and their -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>114]</a></span> -craft. With fascinated eyes he watched each -new danger loom up and pass almost before -he realized its ugly threat.</p> - -<p>The roar of the rapids was now so loud that -it drowned all other sounds. Presently he -became aware that they were no longer in -mid-stream. With a few powerful strokes the -guide shot the canoe into a back eddy and a -second later it grounded lightly on a tiny -sand beach where Jim held it until Walter -could leap out and pull it up securely.</p> - -<p>“How’d yer like thet?” shouted the guide -as he lifted his pack basket out.</p> - -<p>“Great!” replied the boy, his eyes shining -with excitement, as he helped take out the -duffle.</p> - -<p>Big Jim adjusted the basket to his back, -lashed the paddles across the thwarts of the -canoe so that when they rested on his shoulders, -with the canoe inverted over his head, -it balanced perfectly, and leaving Walter to -follow with the rest of the duffle plunged into -what seemed at first glance an almost impenetrable -thicket of maple, birch and moosewood.</p> - -<p>Walter found, however, that there was a -well-defined trail, albeit a rough one. It -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>115]</a></span> -followed the course of the river, over moss-grown -decaying tree trunks, across old skidways, -now firm to the foot and again a bed of oozy -black swamp muck in which he sank half-way -to his knees. After a mile of this they -came out on the bank of the river just at the -foot of the falls which marked the end of the -rapids. The canoe was launched at once and -in a few minutes they were again speeding -down-stream.</p> - -<p>Three and a half miles below they made -another portage. This put them in a lake at -the upper end of which a shallow stream connected -with a string of three small ponds. -The last of these was known as Lonesome -Pond, and this was their destination.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>116]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap08" id="chap08"></a>CHAPTER VIII<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">LONESOME POND</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Lonesome Pond</span> was well named. A mile -long by perhaps half a mile wide at its widest -point, it lay like a turquoise in an emerald -setting between two mountains whose upper -slopes were dark with a splendid stand of -spruce and pine. A magnificent growth of -birch, maple and ash with an occasional pine -or hemlock scattered among them grew to the -water’s edge, save along the southern end -where they had entered. Here for some distance -a sphagnum swamp, dotted with graceful -tamaracks, extended on either side of the -narrow outlet, in places forming a natural -open meadow.</p> - -<p>The pond was shallow at this end, with -great masses of lily-pads, both of the white -and the yellow or cow-lily. In contrast to -this the shore of the upper end was bold and -rocky, heavily wooded to the water’s edge. -Here on a tiny patch of shingle, the only -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>117]</a></span> -break in the rocky shore line, the canoe was -beached. A trail led up for a hundred yards -into a grove of hemlocks where, completely -hidden from the lake, was the camp which was -Big Jim’s objective point. Two comfortable -lean-tos had been built perhaps ten feet apart -and facing each other, with a stout windbreak -closing one side between the two. The lean-tos -were of hemlock bark, peeled from forest -giants and flattened to huge sheets. These -sheets formed the sides, back and steeply sloping -roofs, the entire front of each, after the -manner of all lean-tos, being left open. In the -middle, between the two, were the charred -embers of old fires, while the matted brown -needles of small hemlock and balsam twigs in -both lean-tos bore mute witness to the spicy, -comfortable beds of other campers. A rough -board table stood at one side of the fireplace.</p> - -<p>“Here we be, pard,” said Big Jim as he -swung his basket to the ground. “You take -this pail an’ follow thet trail yonder till you -find a spring, while I dig out th’ grub. Reckon -you must be hungry. We’ll hev a bit o’ bacon -now and a good square meal to-night.”</p> - -<p>It was long past noon, and now that the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>118]</a></span> -excitement of the journey was over Walter realized -how empty his stomach was. He found -the spring easily, and when he returned Big -Jim already had his basket unpacked and was -just starting the fire. He had cut two bed logs -about six feet long and eight or ten inches in -diameter. These he had flattened on top and -one side and had placed side by side, flat sides -opposite and some three inches apart at one -end, spreading to ten inches at the other. Between -these he had built a fire of hemlock bark -started with birch bark, which, by the way, is -as good as kerosene for starting a fire. In a -few minutes he had a bed of glowing coals -over which the frying-pan was soon sizzling, -and that most delicious of all odors, frying -bacon, mingled with pungent wood smoke, assailed -the boy’s eager nostrils.</p> - -<p>By making the fireplace and fire in this -way, Big Jim explained, the frying-pan rested -on an even surface, with a steady even heat -beneath it, and one could squat beside it in -comfort without becoming unduly heated. -At the same time the bacon was cooked -thoroughly without scorching.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 492px;"> -<a name="illo04" id="illo04"></a> -<img src="images/bswc04.jpg" width="492" height="700" -alt="Walt returns with water to find Big Jim cooking bacon" /> -<p class="caption">HE HAD BUILT A FIRE</p> -</div> - -<p>A kettle of water was set over the coals to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>119]</a></span> -wash the tin plates, knives and forks when the -meal was over. How good that bacon, bread -and butter did taste, washed down by clear cold -water! It seemed to the hungry boy that he -never had eaten such a meal, its one fault -being that there wasn’t enough of it. But Big -Jim laughed at him, telling him that that was -only a lunch, but that he should have a real -dinner at sundown.</p> - -<p>When the dishes were cleared away Big Jim -took his axe and went back into the woods returning -presently with half a dozen forked -sticks of green wood. Two of these about -four feet long were driven into the ground, -one at each end of the fireplace. Across them, -supported in the forks, was laid a straight -young sapling which the guide called a lug-pole. -Then he took one of the other sticks -and cut it off about three inches above the -fork or crotch, leaving a good hand grasp. -One branch was cut off some four inches from -the fork, the other branch being left long -enough so that when a small nail was driven -in the end on the opposite side from the short -part of the fork and the fork inverted over -the lug-stick a pail hung from the nail would -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>120]</a></span> -swing just over the coals. Other sticks were -made in the same way, but of varying lengths. -The camp range was then complete.</p> - -<p>The long sticks (they are called pot-hooks) -were for bringing a kettle close to the fire, -while the shorter ones would allow of keeping -things simmering without boiling or danger -of burning. Moreover, by simply taking up a -pot-hook by the hand grasp a kettle could be -moved anywhere along the lug-stick away -from the hottest part of the fire without burning -the hands. It was simple, quickly made, -yet for all top cooking as effective as the gas -range at home, and Walter felt that he had -learned an important lesson in woodcraft.</p> - -<p>After the dishes were cleared away Big Jim -led the way to a balsam thicket, taking with -him two straight sticks about four feet long, -hooked at the lower end. With his axe he -rapidly lopped over a mass of balsam twigs, -showing Walter how to slip them on to the -long sticks so that when he had finished they -had two big green spicy cylindrical piles of -balsam with a hand grasp at the top to carry -them by. Returning to camp Jim rapidly -made up two beds. Small boughs were laid -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>121]</a></span> -first, overlapping so that the butts were hidden. -A deep layer of the small twigs were then laid -on in the same way and behold! a bed a king -might covet!</p> - -<p>About four o’clock the guide told Walter to -rig his rod and they would go in quest of their -dinner. Paddling over to a cove where -several springs fed the lake they drifted idly -while the guide studied the various insects on -and above the water. Finally he told Walter -to rig two flies, a brown hackle for the tail -and a professor for the dropper. The boy had -already become fairly proficient in getting his -line out cleanly and dropping his flies with -that lightness which so closely simulates the -falling of the living insects on the water. As -yet he had seen no indications of fish, but he -was impatient to try his luck. Big Jim, however, -was lazily smoking, and Walter was -forced to be content with admiring the wonderful -panorama of lake and mountain spread -before him as they idly drifted. Presently -there was a splash on the edge of the shadows -inshore, and then Walter caught a gleam of -silver as another fish broke the mirror-like -surface. The fish had begun to rise.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>122]</a></span> -With the same noiseless stroke that Walter -had so much admired in the morning Big Jim -worked the canoe shoreward toward the widening -circle where the last fish had broken. -At his signal Walter cast, ten feet—twenty -feet—thirty feet. The flies dropped lightly -almost directly above the spot where they had -seen the fish. Hardly had the tackle touched -the water when there was a swift flash of silver -and with a deft twist of the wrist Walter -struck.</p> - -<p>With a rush the fish started for deep water, -while the reel sang merrily. Gently but -steadily Walter applied the pressure of the -rod, when the first rush was checked, reeling -in every inch of slack, until five minutes -later he led the tired captive within reach of -Big Jim’s eager fingers, which closed in his -gills and the prize was theirs, a shining half-pound -spotted beauty, which the guide -promptly and mercifully killed by slipping -a thumb into the mouth and bending the -head back till the spine broke at the neck.</p> - -<p>So they drifted alongshore, Walter taking -two more of about the size of the first one, -and several smaller ones. As they approached -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>123]</a></span> -a lone rock some fifty feet offshore he made -a long careful cast just to the edge of the -deepest shadow of the rock. The strike -which followed was so fierce and the strain on -the rod so great that but for the screaming of -the reel Walter would have been sure that he -had caught a snag. But there was no mistaking -the active form at the other end of the -line. Big Jim had waked to the battle royal -now in progress and was bringing to bear all -his skill in the handling of the canoe.</p> - -<p>Straight out into the lake shot the fish. -“Give him th’ butt, boy, give him th’ butt, -but be careful!” shouted the guide. This -Walter did, elevating the tip of the rod until -the springing little bamboo was bent almost -double, the fish pulling against the full spring -of the rod, clear from the butt. This served -to check the rush. A period of sulking in -deep water followed. Then the line slackened -until it hung limply from the end of the -straightened rod.</p> - -<p>“He’s off,” thought Walter, his heart sinking. -But the guide was not so easily fooled.</p> - -<p>“Reel, boy, reel!” he shouted, deftly turning -the canoe as on a pivot.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>124]</a></span> -Then Walter waked to the fact that the -fish had started a rush straight toward the -canoe, hence the slack line. Madly he reeled -until a sharp tug that pulled the tip of his rod -under water told him that he was still fast. -With a sigh of relief he gently increased the -pressure.</p> - -<p>“Must be a four pounder, sartin,” said the -guide, skilfully keeping the canoe bow on. -“Funny he don’t break water. He ought t’ -hev been in th’ air half a dozen times ’fore -this.”</p> - -<p>Thus far they had not had so much as a -glimpse of the finny warrior. Thrice he had -come almost to the surface, but instead of -the silver flash arching through the air, which -is the joy of the fisherman, there had been no -more than a sudden swirl of the placid surface, -and the fish had again sought the -depths.</p> - -<p>Walter’s wrist was feeling the strain. Despite -the excitement he was becoming tired. -His heart was pounding with conflicting emotions, -alternate hope of landing a record prize -and fear of losing it. Another fit of sulking -gave him a few minutes’ respite. When the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>125]</a></span> -next rush started he felt that it was weaker, -nor was it as long. Inch by inch he was recovering -his line, not for one instant relaxing -the steady strain on the fish.</p> - -<p>The rushes were short now and quickly -checked. Inch by inch, foot by foot the reel -took up the line. At last in the clear depths -he got a glimpse of a shadowy form as it -started another rush. Big Jim had seen too. -Indeed, he had seen more than Walter had.</p> - -<p>“Two o’ em, by gum!” he shouted. -“Steady now, pard! ’Twon’t be safe t’ try t’ -land ’em in th’ canoe without a landin’ net. -I’m goin’ t’ work in t’ thet bit o’ shingle over -yonder. Jes’ yer keep ’em comin’ an’ don’t -let up on ’em fer a minute.”</p> - -<p>The guide was right. Both flies had been -seized at once. By this time Walter could -occasionally see the two fish, and the sight -brought his heart into his throat. Could he -save both? What a chance to score for the -Delawares! And what a record to send home -to father! He understood now why there -had been no leaping; the fish had checkmated -each other.</p> - -<p>As the canoe grated on the pebbles the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>126]</a></span> -guide leaped over, knee-deep in the water. -Walter stood up and gently led the fish -toward the waiting guide. So tired were they -that they were almost passive, their broad -tails feebly winnowing as, getting the line in -his left hand, Big Jim drew them slowly to -him. Gently he sank his right arm in the -water that no sudden move should startle the -fish into a last frantic struggle. Would he -save them? Walter sat down weakly, trembling -with the strain and anxiety.</p> - -<p>Slowly the guide’s big hand slipped up the -length of the fish on the dropper. The stout -fingers locked in the gills, there was a deft -throw—Walter could never tell just how it -was done—and both fish were flapping on -the shore. Jim threw himself upon them a -second after, for his quick eye had seen that -the tail fly had torn out. When he stood up -he held out a fish in each hand, such fish! -The young angler could hardly believe the -evidence of his own eyes.</p> - -<p>“Smallest’ll weigh ’bout two an’ a half -pounds, an’ t’other ’bout a pound heftier,” -said Jim, eyeing them critically. “Pard, -thet’s goin’ some fer a beginner. Reckon yer -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>127]</a></span> -must carry a rabbit’s foot in yer pocket fer -luck.”</p> - -<p>Walter disclaimed any witch charms whatsoever -as he produced the neat little spring -scales which had been a parting gift from his -father. These proved the accuracy of Jim’s -guess, one being an ounce less and the other -an ounce and a half more than the weights -he had named. They were the true broad -tails or speckled trout, commonly called brook -trout (Salvilinus fontinalis) than which no -more beautiful fish swims.</p> - -<p>As he admired their exquisitely painted -sides something very like regret for a moment -subdued the boy’s elation and pride, for he -was one of the true nature lovers, to whom -the destruction of life must ever bring a feeling -of sadness.</p> - -<p>As the guide shoved off Walter started to -bend on a change of flies, but to this Big Jim -quickly put a stop.</p> - -<p>“Pard,” said he, “no true sportsman will -ever kill more’n he needs. We’ve got enough—all -we can use. The man who kills jes’ fer -th’ fun o’ killin’ ain’t nothin’ more’n a -butcher. He’d better get a job in one o’ -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>128]</a></span> -them big slaughter-houses. When I find I’m -guidin’ fer one o’ thet breed he most gen’rally -don’t hev no luck.”</p> - -<p>Walter felt the rebuke, but he was fair -minded enough to appreciate and not resent -it. Nor did he ever forget it.</p> - -<p>Back at camp Big Jim at once started preparations -for dinner. Going into the woods -he cut a small log of hard wood about two -feet long, out of which he split a slab about -three inches thick. One side of this he -rapidly smoothed. Under his direction -Walter had, in the meantime, built a fire of -small pieces of hard wood. This was soon a -bed of glowing coals which would retain their -heat for a long time, a property which soft -woods do not possess, as the guide took pains -to impress upon him. For this reason hardwood -coals are always preferable for cooking.</p> - -<p>When the slab was smoothed to Jim’s satisfaction -he propped it up in front of the coals. -Splitting the largest fish down the back its -entire length, taking care not to cut through -the belly, he cleaned it and wiped it dry. -When the slab was hot he tacked the fish to -it, skin side down, and spread full width. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>129]</a></span> -Then the slab was once more propped in front -of the fire and three strips of bacon were hung -across the top so that the fat would try out -and drip on the fish. When it became necessary -to reverse the ends of the slab so that the -fish would cook evenly the bacon was taken -off and impaled on the pointed end of a small -stick, it becoming Walter’s duty to hold this -so that the drip would continue to baste the -fish.</p> - -<p>While Walter tended the fish the guide -made a reflector according to an idea Walter -had given him. Lashing together two sticks -in the form of a T, one two and a half feet -long and the other a foot long, he tacked a -piece of birch about two feet wide to the ends -of the T, thus forming a segment of a circle. -The white side of the bark was turned in. A -flat piece of hemlock bark was fitted across -the sticks and a rough handle was lashed to -the whole. The result was a crude but effective -reflector to concentrate the light from a -flash in a given direction.</p> - -<p>By the time this was finished the fish -was done to a turn. A dash of salt and -pepper was added, and it was ready to serve -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>130]</a></span> -on the slab on which it was cooked. Have -you ever sat under the sweet smelling hemlocks, -careless of all else in the world save -securing your full share of the flaky pink -flesh of a trout cooked in this way? If you -have then your mouth is watering this very -minute. If you have not—ah, why try to -describe it? My advice to you is simply this: -Follow Walter’s example at the earliest opportunity.</p> - -<p>Bread with butter and hot cocoa (Dr. Merriam -tabooed coffee or tea for growing boys) -completed the menu. When the dinner was -finished, to the last shred of pink flesh clinging -to crisp brown skin, Walter felt that never before -in all his life had he eaten half so delicious -a meal.</p> - -<p>With dinner out of the way and camp made -ready for the night they prepared to put into -execution the plan which was the real object -of the trip. There was no moon, for the sky -was overcast, and the night promised to be -very dark. This was much to Jim’s liking, -for the blacker the night the less likelihood -that the deer would see ought but the baleful, -fascinating glare of the jack-light.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>131]</a></span> -It was nine o’clock when they left camp, -Walter in the bow as usual, but this time with -nothing to occupy his attention but his camera -and the jack-light strapped on his hat. The -reflector was within easy reach of the guide, -to whom Walter had given careful instructions -in its use. A flash, consisting of two -No. 2 cartridges, had been prepared and -wires connected from a couple of electric batteries. -Jim had merely to press a button to -fire the flash.</p> - -<p>It was agreed that Walter should set his -focus for one hundred feet and that, should -they be lucky enough to find the deer, the -judging of the distance and setting off of the -flash should be left to the guide.</p> - -<p>It was weird, uncanny, that paddle down -the lake, the black water beneath them and a -black formless void around and above them. -A dozen strokes from shore Walter felt as -utterly lost so far as sense of direction was -concerned as if blindfolded. But not so Big -Jim. He sent the canoe forward as confidently -as if in broad daylight. The jack was -lighted but not uncovered.</p> - -<p>Walter became aware presently that the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>132]</a></span> -canoe was moving very much more slowly -and he suspected that they were approaching -the lower end of the pond. At a whispered -word he turned on the jack. The narrow -beam of light cutting athwart the darkness -made the night seem blacker by contrast. -Very, very slowly they were moving, and -there was not so much as the sound of a ripple -against their light craft.</p> - -<p>The boy sat motionless, but listen as he -would he could detect no smallest sound to -denote the presence of his companion, much -less to indicate that he was paddling. But -paddling he was, and the canoe steadily crept -forward. A mighty chorus of frog voices in -many keys evidenced the close proximity of the -meadows surrounding the outlet. As the canoe’s -course was altered to parallel the shore -the boy cautiously turned in his seat so that -the rays from the jack were directed shoreward. -At that distance, even in the very center -of the beam of light, the shore was but a -ghostly outline, and Walter wondered how it -could be possible that they could see the eyes -of a deer.</p> - -<p>Once the heavy plunge of a muskrat made -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>133]</a></span> -him jump inwardly, for his nerves were keyed -to a high pitch. He was beginning to feel -cramped from so long maintaining one position. -One foot and leg had gone to sleep. -But he grimly ground his teeth and resolved -that, come what might, he would not move.</p> - -<p>A slight tremor on the port side of the canoe -attracted his attention and he realized -that Big Jim was shaking it, the signal agreed -upon should the guide see the deer first. -Walter forgot his discomfort. Eagerly he -stared at the shore. For a few minutes he -saw nothing unusual. Suddenly he became -conscious of two luminous points—the eyes of -a deer gazing in fixed fascinated stare at the -light. He could discern no faintest outline -of the animal, but the eyes glowed steadily, -unwinking.</p> - -<p>Inch by inch the canoe drifted in. Suddenly -the two glowing points disappeared. Walter’s -heart sank. Had the animal taken fright? -No, there they were again! The deer had -merely lowered its head for a moment. A -shake of the canoe warned the boy that there -was something more. Turning his own eyes -from the two burning there in the blackness -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>134]</a></span> -he presently became aware of two more, -smaller and lower down. A second later he -saw a third pair.</p> - -<p>What could it mean? Could it be that the -deer had enemies stalking it? What if it -should be a lynx or even a panther! His excited -imagination conjured up a thrilling -scene. What if he could photograph it! He -longed to ask the guide what it all meant, but -that was impossible.</p> - -<p>Slowly, slowly they drifted in toward the -three pairs of eyes. Walter kept his camera -pointed directly at them, the shutter open, -not knowing what instant the flash might go -off. Still they drifted in, Walter as fascinated -by the six glowing points as were the deer by -the jack. Inch by inch, inch by inch they -drew nearer. Would the flash never go? -Walter felt that he must turn and see what -Big Jim was doing. Could it be that Jim had -disconnected the wires and was unable to fire -the flash?</p> - -<p>Even as this dread possibility entered his -mind the water and shore directly in front of -him were lit by a blinding glare. He had an -instantaneous impression of a doe and two -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>135]</a></span> -fawns staring in curious alarm from near the -shore of a wild meadow flanked by ghostly tamaracks. -Quite automatically he squeezed the -bulb that closed the shutter. Then for a few -minutes he could see nothing. But he could -hear the plunging of the frightened animals -as they fled for the shelter of the forest, and -his heart leaped at thought of what that negative -in his camera must hold.</p> - -<p>“Git ’em, pard?” drawled the voice of the -guide.</p> - -<p>“I guess so. I don’t see how I could help -it. Anyway, I held the camera pointed right -at them,” replied Walter.</p> - -<p>“Guess thet’ll do fer to-night, son,” said -Jim, swinging the canoe about. “Shut off th’ -jack an’ git out yer paddle. It’s us fer th’ -blankets now!”</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>136]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap09" id="chap09"></a>CHAPTER IX<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">A SHOT IN THE DUSK</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Day</span> breaks in the great forest in a hushed -solemnity, as if all nature bowed in silent -worship. The very leaves hang motionless. -The voices of the night are stilled. The -prowlers in the dark have slunk back to their -lairs. The furred and feathered folk who -people the mighty woodland through all the -hours of light have not yet awakened. The -peace of the perfect stillness is at once a benediction -and a prayer.</p> - -<p>It was at just this hour that Walter awoke. -There was no sound save the heavy breathing -of Big Jim. For a few minutes he lay peering -out through a break in the bark wall of -the shack. Swiftly the gray light threaded -the forest aisles. A rosy flush touched the -top of a giant pine and instantly, as if this -were a signal, a white-throated sparrow softly -fluted its exquisite song from a thicket close -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>137]</a></span> -by the camp. Another more distant took up -the song, and another and another until the -woods rang with the joyous matins. A red -squirrel chirred sharply and his claws rattled -on the bark of the roof as he scampered across. -A rabbit thumped twice close at hand. -Cautiously raising himself on one elbow -Walter discovered the little gray-coated fellow -peering with timid curiosity into the opposite -lean-to.</p> - -<p>As if this were the morning alarm Big Jim -yawned, then sprang from his blankets. Brer -Rabbit dived headlong for the underbrush, -but the guide’s quick eyes caught the flash of -bunny’s white tail, and he laughed good-naturedly.</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you invite him t’ breakfast, -son?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>Walter grinned as he crawled out of his -blankets. “Felt too bashful on such short -acquaintance,” he replied.</p> - -<p>“Prob’ly them’s his feelin’s, too,” said the -guide, producing two rough towels from the -depths of his pack basket. “Now fer a wash -and then breakfast.”</p> - -<p>There was a sharp nip to the air that made -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>138]</a></span> -Walter shiver at the thought of what the -water must be like. He dreaded that first -plunge, but he said nothing, and followed Big -Jim’s lead down to the lake. To his surprise -he found the water warmer than the air, as if -the heavy blanket of mist in which the lake -was still shrouded was indeed a coverlid -provided to hold fast the warmth absorbed -from the sun of yesterday. A brisk swim -followed by an equally brisk rub-down -banished all thoughts of chill, and just as the -first low-flung rays of the rising sun burned a -hole through the slowly rising vapor they -started back for camp and breakfast.</p> - -<p>“You start th’ fire while I rastle round th’ -grub,” said the guide, as he once more dug -down into the pack. “How will flapjacks -and th’ rest o’ them trout hit yer fer a lining -fer yer stomach, pard?”</p> - -<p>While the guide prepared the batter Walter -showed how well he had learned his lesson in -fire building the night before. Between the -two big bed-logs he placed two fairly good-sized -sticks about a foot apart. Dry twigs -and splinters were laid loosely across, and on -these at one side some strips of birch bark. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>139]</a></span> -Two more sticks were now laid across the -twigs at right angles, then another layer of -small sticks. The next layer of larger sticks -was laid at right angles to the former. So the -pile was built up, log-cabin fashion, good-sized -split hard wood being used for the upper -layers.</p> - -<p>Touching a match to the birch bark he had -the satisfaction of seeing the whole mass leap -into flame in less than a minute because, -built in this way, air had immediate circulation -to the whole mass, free access of air being -essential to a brisk fire. Then again the whole -would burn down together to live coals, the -object to be obtained for successful cooking.</p> - -<p>In the meantime Big Jim had stirred up -the flapjack batter and gone in quest of the -trout, which had been left in a pail hung on -the stub of a dead branch of a pine near by. -He returned with a look of chagrin on his -good-natured face.</p> - -<p>“Reckon, pard, thet we’ve had more visitors -than thet leetle cottontail we ketched a -glimpse o’ this mornin’. If yer ain’t no ways -pertic’lar you an’ me will have bacon stid o’ -trout with them flapjacks. Ought t’ known -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>140]</a></span> -thet if leetle ole Mr. Mink really wanted them -fish he wouldn’t mind takin’ th’ trouble t’ -shin up a tree. If I’d hung thet pail by a -wire as I’d ought t’ hev, Mr. Mink wouldn’t -hev th’ laugh on us now.”</p> - -<p>Walter laughed at the rueful face of the -guide. “How do you know it was a mink?” -he asked.</p> - -<p>“’Cause thar’s no other critter in these here -woods likes fish well enough t’ use his wits thet -way t’ git ’em. Besides, he wasn’t pertic’lar -’bout coverin’ up his tracks. Left ’em ’round -most promiscus and insultin’. Say, son,” he -added, his face brightening with a sudden -thought, “you take thet tin dipper and hit th’ -trail past th’ big pine over yonder. Keep -a-goin’ till yer strike a patch o’ old burned-over -ground. Yesterday I see a lot o’ early -blueberries over thar. Pick th’ dipper full -and I’ll give yer somethin’ t’ tickle yer ribs -so thet yer’ll fergit all about them trout.”</p> - -<p>Walter took the dipper and following the -trail shortly reached the burned land. Sure -enough, there were the berries, so plentiful -that it took but a short time to fill the dipper. -Before he reached camp he smelt the bacon -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>141]</a></span> -and his mouth watered. A pot of steaming -cocoa hung from one of the pot-hooks, and a -plate of crisp bacon rested on one end of the -fore-log where it would keep warm.</p> - -<p>Big Jim took the dipper with a grin of satisfaction -and stirred the berries into his kettle -of batter. Then into the sizzling hot frying-pan, -well greased with bacon fat, he poured -enough batter to cover the bottom, and placed -it over the glowing coals before which he -squatted, watching the bubbling cake with a -critical eye. Suddenly he lifted the pan, and -with a dextrous twist of the wrist, so deftly -executed that Walter did not see how the trick -was done, the flapjack was sent into the air, -where it turned over and was caught in the -pan, brown side up as it came down. It was -returned to the fire all in the one motion and -two minutes later, buttered and sugared, was -on its way to “line Walter’s ribs.”</p> - -<p>“Well, pard, how do yer like ’em?” inquired -the cook, sending another spinning -over to Walter’s plate.</p> - -<p>“They’re just the best ever!” exclaimed the -boy enthusiastically. “I’m going to teach -cook to make ’em when I get home. Wish -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>142]</a></span> -dad could have one of these right now. Say, -Jim, it’s my turn to fry now.”</p> - -<p>The guide tossed one more to begin on -while Walter was frying the next, and then -turned the frying-pan over to the amateur -cook. Big Jim’s eyes twinkled as the boy -reached for a knife with which to turn the -cake. His big hand closed over the knife -first.</p> - -<p>“Nobody can be a side pardner o’ mine who -has t’ take a knife t’ turn a flapjack,” he -drawled, “and, son, I kind o’ think I’d like -you fer a side pardner. Thet bein’ so, up she -goes!”</p> - -<p>Walter grinned sheepishly and gave the frying-pan -an awkward toss. The required twist -of the wrist was wholly lacking and, instead -of turning a graceful somersault in the air, the -cake shot out at an angle and landed soft side -down on the very spot the guide had occupied -a second before. That worthy, with wisdom -born of experience, had shifted his base at the -first motion of the frying-pan, and was now -rolling on the ground in huge glee, his infectious -laugh rolling through the camp.</p> - -<p>Walter, his face crimson with more than -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>143]</a></span> -the heat of the fire, bit his lips in chagrin -which he could not hide, but being blessed -with a strong sense of humor he joined in the -laugh and straightway prepared to try again. -This time, under a running fire of comment -and advice from Big Jim, who solemnly assured -him that in his humble opinion “the -landscape ain’t really a-needin’ blueberry frescoes -t’ improve its beauty,” he succeeded in -sending the cake into the air within catching -distance of the pan, but it lacked the impetus -to send it high enough to turn completely -over, and fell back in the pan in a shapeless -mass.</p> - -<p>Big Jim cast an appraising eye at the batter -kettle and, evidently considering that his -chances of a square meal were in jeopardy, -reached for the pan and gave Walter a practical -demonstration. Holding the pan slanting in -front of and away from him he gave it a couple -of preliminary easy flaps to get the swing, -then flipped boldly and sharply. It seemed -the easiest thing in the world, and in fact it is -when you know how. Returning the pan to -Walter he had the latter go through the -motions several times until he was satisfied. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>144]</a></span> -Then he bade him pour in the batter and go -ahead.</p> - -<p>Slowly at first, then faster the bubbles broke -to the surface. Presently the edges stiffened -and with a little shake Walter felt that the -cake was loose and free in the pan. Getting -the preliminary swing he gave the pan a sharp -upward flip and a second later the cake was -back over the fire, brown side up.</p> - -<p>The guide nodded approvingly. “Reckon -yer goin’ t’ be a sure enough woodsman,” he -said. “Nobody what can’t toss a flapjack has -any business t’ think he’s th’ real thing in th’ -woods.”</p> - -<p>Breakfast finished it fell to Walter to wash -the dishes while the guide went out to look -for deer signs. Cleanliness is next to godliness -in camp as well as at home, and hot water -is as necessary to wash dishes in the one place -as in the other. Walter had finished his work -and was hanging the towel to dry when he -heard a queer noise behind him. Turning, he -was just in time to see a bird about the size of -a blue jay, but gray and white in color, making -off with the cake of soap which he had left on -a log.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>145]</a></span> -Flying to the nearest tree it started to sample -its queer breakfast. But one taste was -enough. With a harsh scream, which was a -ludicrous blending of disappointment, disgust -and rage, it dropped the soap and vigorously -wiped its bill on the branch on which it was -sitting. Then scolding and protesting in a -harsh, discordant voice, it flew to the next tree, -stopping long enough to give the bill another -thorough wiping on a convenient branch, only -to repeat the performance on the next tree, -and so on until it disappeared in the depths of -the forest.</p> - -<p>Walter laughed heartily, disgust was so -clearly manifest in every motion of the bird -and the torrent of invective being poured out -was so very plainly aimed at him personally -as the author of its discomfiture. The boy -had never seen a bird of this species before, -but he recognized it at once from its markings, -the fine silky plumage and certain unmistakable -characteristics in general appearance -and actions, as a member of the jay family. -It was, in fact, the Canada Jay, Perisoreus -canadensis, first cousin to the blue jay, and -a resident the year through of the north -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>146]</a></span> -woods, where it is often called the moosebird.</p> - -<p>Big Jim returned just in time to witness the -last of the performance.</p> - -<p>“Whisky Jack seems t’ think yer ain’t -been usin’ him just right, son,” said he. -“What yer been doin’ t’ rile him up so?”</p> - -<p>Walter told him the incident of the soap, -and the guide chuckled with enjoyment. -“Serves th’ old thief right,” said he. “Why, -I’ve had one of them fellers sit on my tent -just waitin’ fer me t’ go out so’s he could go -inside an’ steal somethin’. He’ll swipe a meal -out of yer plate while yer back’s turned. Just -th’ same, it’s kind o’ sociable t’ have him -neighborly if yer happen t’ be all alone in th’ -deep woods fifty miles from nowhar, ’specially -in winter.”</p> - -<p>“Where did he get the name of Whisky -Jack?” asked Walter.</p> - -<p>“Don’t know, son, unless it comes from an -Indian name I heered a half breed in a Canada -lumber camp use once. He called one o’ -these jays thet hed got caught tryin’ t’ steal -th’ bait from a mink trap he had set a ‘whis-kee-shaw-neesh.’ -When yer say it quick it -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>147]</a></span> -sounds something like ‘Whisky John,’ an’ I -reckon maybe thet’s where th’ trappers and -lumbermen got th’ name ‘Whisky Jack.’ -Anyhow, thet’s what they all call him. Ever -see one before?”</p> - -<p>“No,” replied Walter, “but I knew it was -a Canada Jay as soon as I saw it. You see I -had read all about it in a bird book,” slyly -putting just the least emphasis on the word -book.</p> - -<p>Big Jim grunted and then abruptly changed -the subject. “Been a-lookin’ fer signs o’ Mr. -Peaked Toes, an’ they ain’t none too plentiful. -If it was two months later I should say this -country hed been hunted hard. I wonder -now——” he paused abruptly to gaze into -the fireplace with an air of deep abstraction.</p> - -<p>“What do you wonder?” asked Walter when -the silence became oppressive.</p> - -<p>Big Jim reached for his pipe. “I wonder,” -said he slowly as with his fingers he deftly -transferred a hot coal from the embers to -the bowl of his pipe, “I wonder if some o’ -them sneakin’ low-lived poachers ain’t been -a-killin’ deer out o’ season right round these -here parts. Durant’s lumber camp has been -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>148]</a></span> -havin’ a right smart lot o’ fresh ‘veal’ all summer, -an’ some one’s been supplyin’ it. You -an’ me will have a look around on th’ ridges -this morning—take a kind o’ census, mebbe. -This afternoon we’ll have another try at th’ -trout t’ make up fer those Mr. Mink had fer -breakfast.”</p> - -<p>While the guide exchanged his heavy boots -for a pair of moccasins Walter slipped on a -pair of sneaks, for he realized that this was to -be a still hunt, the highest form of sportsmanship, -a matching of human skill against -the marvelous senses of the most alert and -timid of all the animals that live in the forest. -It was to be his first deer hunt, for the jacking -expedition of the night before could -hardly be dignified by the name of hunt, the -advantage lying so wholly with the hunters. -Now, however, the advantage would be reversed, -lying wholly with the hunted, with -ears trained to detect the smallest sound, suspicious -of the mere rustle of a leaf, and with -nostrils so acutely sensitive that they would -read a dozen messages in the faintest breeze.</p> - -<p>It was still early and Big Jim at once led -the way to the foot of a series of low ridges -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>149]</a></span> -above a swamp that flanked one side of the -pond, explaining as they went that deer are -night feeders, coming down to the lowlands -at dusk and spending the night in the swamps, -and along the watercourses. “’Bout now -they’ll be workin’ back t’ higher ground, till -along ’bout ten o’clock they’ll be well up on -th’ hardwood ridges where they’ll lay up fer -th’ day, snoozin’ behind a windfall or thick -clump o’ evergreens. Then ’long ’bout four -o’clock they’ll git movin’ agin, an’ pretty -quick begin t’ work back t’ low ground and a -drink,” said the guide.</p> - -<p>“Now, pard,” he continued, “yer watch -them feet o’ yourn, and put ’em down ’sif this -here ground was made o’ egg-shells. Look -out fer twigs and dead sticks. Snap one o’ -’em and it’s good-bye Mr. Peaked Toes! When -I stop jest you stop, freeze in yer tracks, till -I move on agin. Guess yer larned yer lesson -yesterday ’bout sudden movin’.”</p> - -<p>By this time they were skirting the foot of -one of the ridges and Big Jim moved forward -slowly, his keen eyes searching the ground -for signs, and sharply scanning the thickets. -It was wonderful to the boy a few feet behind -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>150]</a></span> -to note how without any apparent attention -to where he was stepping each foot was -planted surely and firmly without the rustle -of so much as a leaf. It seemed as if the big -moccasins were endowed with an intelligence -of their own, and picked their way among the -scattered litter of dead sticks without attention -from the man whose huge form and -heavy weight they bore so lightly.</p> - -<p>Walter himself found that it required every -bit of concentration of which he was capable -to watch his path and at the same time keep -an eye on his companion that he might be -prepared to “freeze” should the latter stop -suddenly. It was a nervous strain that rapidly -became fatiguing in the extreme. He -could not relax for an instant to look about -him, lest in an unguarded moment there -should be a fateful snap underfoot. He wondered -if it could be possible that he would ever -acquire that seemingly instinctive art of still -walking which is inborn in the Indian and -has become almost a sixth sense in the trained -woodsman.</p> - -<p>It was a relief when Big Jim suddenly -stopped and pointed to a bit of soft ground -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>151]</a></span> -just ahead of them. There, clearly defined, -were the V shaped imprints of sharp-edged -little cloven hoofs. The guide studied them a -moment.</p> - -<p>“Doe crossed here within five minutes,” -he whispered.</p> - -<p>“How do you know?” asked Walter, imitating -the guide’s guarded whisper.</p> - -<p>“Know it’s a doe by th’ size.” He stooped -and pointed to a slight film of moisture on -the edge of one of the prints and even as he -did so a tiny particle of wet soil loosened -and fell. Had more than five minutes elapsed -the edges would have slightly dried out, and -Walter was enough of a scout to realize this -and understand the significance of what he -saw. The guide scanned the side hill to the -right.</p> - -<p>“Watch that old windfall,” he whispered.</p> - -<p>Walter looked in the direction indicated -and studied the tangle of fallen timber a -hundred yards away, but for the life of him -he could make out nothing that in any way -resembled an animal. A slow smile dawned -on the good-natured, sun-browned face watching -him. Then slowly Big Jim stooped and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>152]</a></span> -picked up a good-sized stick, which he broke -in his hands with a sharp snap.</p> - -<p>Instantly there was a startled whistle, followed -by a sudden crash at one end of the -fall, and Walter caught a glimpse of two slim -reddish-brown legs and a white “flag” ridiculously -like a magnified edition of the little -bunch of cotton which had been his last -glimpse of Brer Rabbit early that morning. -There were two or three diminishing crashes -beyond the windfall and then all was still.</p> - -<p>Walter turned to look at the guide, whose -mouth was broadly stretched in a hearty but -noiseless laugh. “Did you see her all the -time?” he whispered.</p> - -<p>Big Jim nodded. “Sure,” he replied. -“Yer see, son, yer was lookin’ fer somethin’ -thet wasn’t thar—Mrs. Lightfoot right out on -full dress parade like yer’ve seen ’em in a -park, mebbe, and o’ course yer didn’t see her. -Now I was lookin’ fer jest a leetle patch o’ -red, which couldn’t nohow be leaves at this -season o’ year, and I see it right away. Yer -most generally see what you’re lookin’ fer—if -it’s thar. In the woods th’ thing is t’ know -what t’ look fer.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>153]</a></span> -His face clouded suddenly as he continued. -“I don’t nohow like th’ way she dusted out. -If it was th’ huntin’ season I wouldn’t think -nothin’ o’ it. But it ain’t, and she ought not -t’ hev run more’n a couple o’ hundred yards -afore she got so blamed curious thet she’d hev -stopped and then come a-sneakin’ back t’ see -what had given her thet sudden attack o’ -heart disease. She was sure scared, and she’s -been worse scared quite lately.”</p> - -<p>They resumed their tramp in the same cautious -manner as before, finding several old -tracks and two or three fresh ones, to none of -which Big Jim gave more than a moment’s -attention. Then they ran across a trail -which, from the size of the prints, Walter -knew must have been made by a big buck. -The guide wet a finger and carefully tested -the direction of the wind, which was so faint -as not to be perceptible to the dry skin. Satisfied -that the trail led directly into the wind -he started to follow it, explaining as they -went along that had the trail led down wind -it would have been useless to waste time following -it, for the game would have scented -them long before they were near it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>154]</a></span> -The course now led up to higher ground -and only such trained eyes as the guide’s -could have picked it out. As they approached -the top of the ridge Big Jim suddenly -left the trail and made a wide détour -to the left, then circled back to the top of the -ridge, along which he led the way with the -utmost caution, stopping at every step to -study the landscape in front and below. -Finally in the shelter of a young hemlock -he stopped and nodded for Walter to join -him.</p> - -<p>“Look in thet thicket o’ young hemlocks a -couple o’ hundred yards down from th’ top o’ -the ridge,” he whispered.</p> - -<p>Walter looked as directed, but for a few -minutes could make out nothing unusual. -Then he recalled his lesson earlier in the day -and looked for a “patch o’ red.” Almost at -once he saw it, low down under the hemlocks, -and by looking intently soon made out the -form of the buck lying down in unsuspicious -contentment.</p> - -<p>“Foxy old Mr. Peaked Toes has been clear -up on top o’ th’ ridge an’ then doubled back -and laid down whar he can watch his back -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>155]</a></span> -track,” whispered the guide. “But we’ve -fooled him this time.”</p> - -<p>For a few minutes they watched him. -Then the hush of the great forest was abruptly -broken by the alarm notes of a crow, -so close at hand that Walter instinctively -looked up, expecting to see the black mischief -maker above their heads. But no bird was to -be seen, and a glance at Big Jim’s grinning -face told him that the crow was none other -than the guide himself.</p> - -<p>When his glance once more returned to the -buck it was to behold a lordly animal standing -with his magnificent head, crowned with -ten point antlers still in the velvet, thrown -up, his sensitive nostrils testing the wind for -trace of possible danger. For a few minutes -he stood motionless, ears forward to catch the -least sound, big soft eyes searching the hillside, -delicate nostrils expanded and a-quiver -in the effort to read some warning in the air. -So the king stood, suspicious but not alarmed, -a royal animal in the full vigor of maturity.</p> - -<p>Satisfied that ears and eyes and nose could -detect no danger, but still suspicious, he suddenly -bounded behind the hemlocks, clearing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>156]</a></span> -a fallen tree with a leap which was a marvel -of lightness. The thicket shut him from -their view, but presently Big Jim called -Walter’s attention to a slight movement of -bushes far up along on the ridge.</p> - -<p>“He’s making a sneak t’ high ground whar -he can have a better look around. Then he’ll -make a big circle t’ try the wind from all -quarters. Did yer notice that scar on his -shoulder? He’s been burned thar by a bullet -or had an ugly tear in a scrap with another -buck. Son, you’ve seen th’ King o’ Lonesome -Pond. I’ve tried fer him for th’ last three -years in th’ open season, but th’ old rascal -knows as well as I do when th’ huntin’ season -begins and he’s too smart fer me. No -walkin’ up on him then like we did to-day! -I’d like t’ get him and yet—well, fact is I’d -hate t’ see him dead. He sure is a king! -Now fer camp an’ lunch an’ then a try fer -them trout. Son, yer’ll make a still hunter -one o’ these days, and, son, don’t yer never -fergit thet still huntin’ is th’ only real -sportin’, square deal way o’ huntin’ deer.”</p> - -<p>These few words of approval from his companion -amply rewarded the boy for his long -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>157]</a></span> -effort to “keep his feet in the way they should -go” and now as they tramped rapidly toward -camp he felt within him for the first time the -sense of mastery and self-reliance which is -ever the woodsman’s best reward.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon fishing Walter failed to -equal his record catch of the day before, but -nevertheless landed some handsome trout, -and they soon had all they could use. After -an early supper the guide led the way to a -deer run only a short distance from camp, -where, he said, the animals were in the habit -of coming down to drink. Here at one side -in a position to command an unobstructed -view of a part of the run Walter set up his -camera, masking it with branches broken from -the surrounding trees. A flash was arranged -to be exploded by an electric spark from two -dry cells which had been brought along for -the purpose. A stout thread was fastened -across the run in such a way that an animal -passing up or down must strike it and the -adjustment was such that the least pull would -make the necessary contact and set off the -flash.</p> - -<p>“Thar’s a couple o’ other runs close by, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>158]</a></span> -it’s all a chance whether a deer will take this -partic’lar run, but I think th’ chance is good,” -said the guide.</p> - -<p>Back at camp the guide put out the fire lest -the smell of smoke should alarm the game. -Then they sat down to wait, Big Jim whiling -away the time with stories of hunting and adventure -which set the boy’s pulses to faster -beating. Swiftly the shadows crept through -the woods and dusk settled over the landscape. -Through the tree tops Walter caught the gleam -of the first star.</p> - -<p>“Ought not t’ be long now ’fore thar’s somethin’ -doin’,” said the guide.</p> - -<p>Almost with the words the report of a rifle -rang out from the lake in the direction of the -run where the camera was set, and rolled in -heavy echoes along the mountain. Big Jim -was on his feet in an instant, his face contorted -with rage, while he shook a brawny -fist in the direction of the shot.</p> - -<p>“You hound, I’d wring yer blasted neck fer -two cents!” he muttered. Then he turned to -Walter and shook his head sorrowfully as he -said, “It ain’t a mite o’ use t’-night, son. Thet -shot hit th’ narves o’ every deer within two -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>159]</a></span> -miles o’ here. Might as well go bring in th’ -camera. I been sartin all day thet some such -mischief as this was afoot. We didn’t see half -th’ number o’ deer we’d ought to this mornin’ -and them was so skeery thet I suspicioned they -was bein’ hunted right along. Guess when -we git back t’ Woodcraft we’ll hev t’ notify -th’ game warden and do a little still huntin’ -fer bigger game than Peaked Toes. Reckon I -could guess who th’ feller is, but I ain’t got -no proof, not a mite. If yer was t’ leave thet -picter box out all night yer might ketch one -’long just ’fore daybreak,” he added as an -afterthought.</p> - -<p>Walter agreed to this, and they set about -preparing for the night, when both were -startled by a distant flare of light.</p> - -<p>“The flash!” cried Walter joyously. “You -guessed wrong that time, you old croaker!”</p> - -<p>Big Jim’s face was a study. “Reckon I -did, pard,” he drawled. “Must be one -deer round these parts what is plumb foolish -in her head. Well, we’ll go bring in th’ -camera.”</p> - -<p>In a few minutes they reached the run. -Sure enough the thread was broken and the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>160]</a></span> -flash sprung. Walter at once slipped in the -slide, and gathering up the apparatus they returned -to camp, the boy in high spirits, but -Big Jim in unwonted soberness.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>161]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap10" id="chap10"></a>CHAPTER X<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">A BATTLE FOR HONOR</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Reaching</span> Woodcraft late the next afternoon -Walter at once hurried to the dark room -adjoining Dr. Merriam’s office to develop his -plates. To his dismay he found that needed -chemicals for fresh developer were lacking, -and he was unwilling to risk his plates in the -old and necessarily weak developer on hand. -There was nothing for it but to possess himself -in such patience as he could until a fresh -supply could be obtained from the city. Dr. -Merriam promised to send at once. Leaving -Big Jim to report to the doctor the results of -their trip Walter sought the wigwam.</p> - -<p>He found Tug rewinding his split bamboo -and Billy Buxby assisting with a ceaseless -stream of unheeded advice.</p> - -<p>“Behold the mighty hunter!” exclaimed -Billy with an exaggerated bow of mock deference -as Walter entered.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>162]</a></span> -“What luck?” asked Tug, as he tied the -final knot and reached for the shellac.</p> - -<p>Walter rapidly sketched a brief account of -his two days at Lonesome Pond, but in his -enthusiasm over the deer hunt forgot to mention -his double catch of trout. “Anything -new here?” he asked finally.</p> - -<p>Tug shook his head. “Nothin’ much. -Harrison came in with a three-pound brook -trout this morning, and unless some one gets -in to-night with something better that will -give the Senecas the score for this week. Say, -the gloom in this little old shanty is something -fierce. If it was any one but Harrison -there’d be no kick comin’. He’s gettin’ such a -swelled head he can’t see anybody outside his -own tribe. I’d like to punch it for him,” -growled Tug savagely.</p> - -<p>“Say,” he added as he looked up, “what’s the -matter with you, you grinning Cheshire cat?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing much,” replied Walter, “only day -before yesterday I landed a double, for a total -of five pounds; brook trout, too.”</p> - -<p>Tug and Billy fell on him as one. “Say it -again! Say it again!” begged Tug as they -pinned Walter to the floor and sat on him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>163]</a></span> -“I got two trout at one cast, and they -weighed five pounds. Does that beat it?” -gasped Walter, giving up the struggle.</p> - -<p>“Counts same as one fish,” whooped Billy -joyously.</p> - -<p>“Well, we win anyway, for one of them -weighed over three and a half,” said Walter, -giving a sudden heave that sent Billy sprawling. -“Now what’s the matter, you old gloom -chaser?”</p> - -<p>“Walt, you ain’t foolin’, are you? Tell me, -you rabbit-footed tenderfoot, have you got -proof?” implored Tug.</p> - -<p>“Big Jim’s word for it, and a photo,” replied -Walter.</p> - -<p>Tug’s face cleared. “That’s good enough. -Oh, my eye, wait till that record is posted to-night!” -he chortled.</p> - -<p>Tug was not disappointed. The record held, -and the Delawares celebrated that night with -a bonfire and war dance in which Walter, to -his confusion, found himself the central figure. -Harrison’s chagrin was too evident -to escape notice, and his defeat was rubbed -in with a malice born of his growing unpopularity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>164]</a></span> -The next morning when Walter met him -and offered his hand Hal passed on as if the -other lad were a stick or a stone. The insult -was witnessed by several Delawares and by -members of Hal’s own tribe. That night a -meeting of indignation was held by the Delawares, -and in spite of Walter’s protest and the -efforts of Woodhull and one or two of the -older boys, it was voted to send Harrison to -Coventry so far as the Delawares were concerned, -that is, he was not to be spoken to or -recognized in any way.</p> - -<p>In his own wigwam Hal was only a degree -less unpopular. The leaders tried to induce -him to make an apology, pointing out to him -that he was violating both the spirit and word -of the Scout’s oath, but the effort was without -avail. The high-strung, undisciplined boy, -accustomed from babyhood to having his own -way, fawned upon by all with whom he had -hitherto come in contact because of his father’s -great wealth, was utterly unable to adjust -himself to the new conditions which surrounded -him, to the democracy of which he -was now a part yet of which he had no understanding. -So he went his headstrong way, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>165]</a></span> -and if in his heart were bitterness and misery -he made no sign.</p> - -<p>The Senecas stood by him with half-hearted -loyalty because he was a fellow tribesman, -but there was not one whom he could call -a friend. So he became more and more isolated, -spending his days fishing, the proudest, -loneliest boy in all the big camp. The -fact that he continued to score with big fish -gave him a measure of standing with his tribe, -and to maintain this became his chief object -in the daily life.</p> - -<p>Walter was thinking of this and wondering -what the outcome would be as early one -morning he headed his canoe for a setback -some three miles from camp, which he had -discovered the day before. The entrance was -so hidden in a tangle of alders and brush that -it was only with the greatest difficulty that -he could pick out the channel. He had -passed the spot dozens of times without suspecting -that anything lay beyond.</p> - -<p>Patiently and carefully he worked his way -through the tangle, once having to get out and -lift the canoe over a jam of a dozen stranded -logs. Beyond this the channel was comparatively -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>166]</a></span> -clear. Unexpectedly it abruptly opened -into a broad body of water perhaps half a mile -long, deep in the middle, and with the upper -end covered with an acre or more of lily-pads.</p> - -<p>Walter’s eyes sparkled. “Gee, I bet there’s -pickerel in here!” he exclaimed, unconsciously -speaking aloud.</p> - -<p>“Bet yer life thar is,” said a voice with a -chuckle.</p> - -<p>Walter turned to find a rude raft anchored -behind the half submerged top of a fallen hemlock, -and on it sat Pat Malone, catching young -striped perch for bait.</p> - -<p>“Hello!” exclaimed Walter. “What are -you doing here?”</p> - -<p>“Seem ter be fishin’,” replied Pat, a broad -grin spreading across his freckled face.</p> - -<p>Walter grinned in return. “Well, what -are you catching?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Mostly fish—some skeeters,” was the -prompt retort.</p> - -<p>Pat lifted a wriggling three-inch perch from -the water. “Do you call that a fish?” asked -Walter.</p> - -<p>“Mebbe it is an’ mebbe it isn’t,” said the -lumber boy as he dropped the victim into a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>167]</a></span> -battered old pail half filled with water. “How -about this?” He reached behind him and -held up at arm’s length a huge pickerel.</p> - -<p>Walter allowed a long low whistle of admiration -escape him. “Are there any more like -that in here?” he asked eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Shure,” replied Pat. “That’s nothin’ -but a minnie ’longside some old whopperlulus -in here.”</p> - -<p>“What’d you catch him with?”</p> - -<p>“Bait an’ a hook an’ line.”</p> - -<p>Walter laughed. “Pat, you win,” said he. -“I don’t want any of your secrets, but I -should like to catch just one fish like that -one.”</p> - -<p>A crafty look swept over the freckled face -grinning across at him. “Yez licked me once.”</p> - -<p>Walter nodded.</p> - -<p>“An’ yez said that if iver yez had the -chance yez’d show me some o’ thim thricks -what done it.”</p> - -<p>Again Walter nodded.</p> - -<p>“Will yez do it now if Oi’ll show yez where -thim big fish is an’ how ter ketch ’em?” -asked Pat eagerly.</p> - -<p>“I’ll do it anyway, and you don’t need to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>168]</a></span> -show me anything about the fish,” replied -Walter heartily, driving the canoe ashore as -he spoke.</p> - -<p>Together they forced their way through the -underbrush until they found a cleared place. -“This isn’t to be another fight?” asked -Walter, a sudden suspicion flashing into his -mind.</p> - -<p>“Course it ain’t! What kind av a low-down -hedgehog do ye take me fer, anyway?” -retorted his companion indignantly.</p> - -<p>Walter put out his hand and apologized -promptly, ashamed to think that he should -have been guilty of entertaining such a -thought. Then he began by briefly explaining -the rules governing boxing, pointing out -that a blow below the waist line constitutes a -foul, that a man knocked down is allowed ten -seconds in which to get on his feet again, and -during that time must not be touched by his -opponent; that wrestling is not allowed, and -that matches usually are conducted by rounds -of three minutes each, with a minute for rest -in between.</p> - -<p>“No true sportsman will ever hit a man -when he’s down,” concluded Walter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>169]</a></span> -This was difficult for the backwoods boy to -grasp, and it was equally hard for him to -understand why in a fight he should not -scratch, kick and gouge, even use his teeth if -opportunity offered, for in his hard life in the -lumber camps he had witnessed many a rough -and tumble fight where ethics are unknown, -and where fighting men sink to the level of -fighting beasts, employing every weapon with -which nature has endowed them, and giving -no mercy to a fallen foe.</p> - -<p>But Pat was blessed with a strong sense of -fair play, and when he had fully grasped the -meaning of the rules they appealed to him -instantly. “’Tis jist a square deal both byes -gits in a foight!” he exclaimed, a light breaking -over his puzzled face.</p> - -<p>Then Walter showed him a few of the -simplest guards, how to parry an opponent’s -blow with one arm while countering with the -other, how to protect the body with elbows -and forearms while the hands shield the face, -how to step inside, and how to duck under a -swing, how, by watching his opponent, to -anticipate the coming blow and be prepared -to avoid it. Lastly he showed him the art of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>170]</a></span> -side-stepping, the little shift of the feet which -while keeping the body perfectly poised allows -the blow to pass harmlessly to one side or the -other, at the same time opening an opportunity -to counter on the opponent.</p> - -<p>Naturally quick, and with an Irishman’s -inborn love of battle, Pat picked up the points -readily and when at the end of an hour Walter -flung himself on the ground for a breathing -spell Pat executed a double shuffle.</p> - -<p>“Shure it be the greatest dancin’ lesson av -me loife!” he whooped joyously, side-stepping, -ducking and lunging into empty space. -“Come on, bye, come on! Oi can lick yez -now! Come on, ye spalpeen! ’Tis Pat Malone -will give yez the greatest lickin’ av yer life!”</p> - -<p>Walter declined with thanks, lying back -weak from laughter, while the young giant -continued to dance around sparring, ducking -and countering on an imaginary foe. “’Tis -meself will clane out the Durant camp before -anither sun is up as shure as Oi be the eldest -son av me mither,” he chuckled, flinging himself -beside Walter from sheer exhaustion.</p> - -<p>When they had rested a bit Walter proposed -that they go try the fish, and that Pat come -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>171]</a></span> -in his canoe. In an instant the young woodsman -had forgotten his newly acquired accomplishments, -for a new idea had suddenly -possessed him.</p> - -<p>“Tell me, bye, what’s this about catchin’ -the biggest fish at Woodcraft Camp?” he asked -eagerly.</p> - -<p>Walter explained the contest fully, and told -how eager he was to score over the Senecas.</p> - -<p>“’Tis aisy,” broke in Pat.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” asked Walter, a bit -puzzled.</p> - -<p>Pat struck one side of his nose with a -dirty forefinger and winked solemnly. “Oi -wonder now, have yez forgot the big pickerel -yez have lyin’ down on the raft? ’Twill weigh -ten pounds if it weighs an ounce.”</p> - -<p>“But that isn’t mine!” exclaimed Walter. -“It’s yours.”</p> - -<p>“Is ut now?” said Pat, scratching his head. -“Shure Oi disremimber ketchin’ ut. Oi’m -thinkin’ yez must hev caught ut in yer shlape -an’ didn’t know ut.”</p> - -<p>Walter laughed and thanked his companion -heartily, while he refused the gift. Then seeing -the look of hurt disappointment on Pat’s -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>172]</a></span> -face he hastened to make clear why he could -not accept the fish. “You see,” he concluded, -“a Scout’s honor is always to be trusted, and it -would not be honorable to try to win with a -fish I did not catch myself. A man’s honor -is the greatest thing he possesses.”</p> - -<p>The other pondered this in silence for a few -minutes trying to adjust his mind to a new -idea. When he spoke it was slowly, as one -feeling his way.</p> - -<p>“Yez mane that ter score wid thot fish would -be loike hittin’ a man when he’s down, or -shtalin’ from a blind pup.”</p> - -<p>“Exactly,” replied Walter.</p> - -<p>“An’ do all the other byes feel the same -way?”</p> - -<p>“Of course they do.”</p> - -<p>“No they don’t! Anyway, there’s wan -that doesn’t.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?” cried Walter startled.</p> - -<p>“Oi mane thot there’s wan dirty blackguard -has been winnin’ points roight along -wid Pat Malone’s fish. Oi mane thot thot -spalpeen thot yez call Harrison, the wan with -his pockets lined with money, has been buyin’ -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>173]</a></span> -me big fish fer the last mont’ an’ payin’ me -good money fer ’em. Oi mane thot if yez -hadn’t happened in here this marnin’ yez -moight hev seen him luggin’ in thot big -pickerel this very noight. ’Tis his last fish -he’s had from me, the low-down blackguard.” -Then he added ruefully: “Sure ’tis a glad day -fer Pat Malone an’ a sorry wan fer his pockets -ter hev found out what honor manes.”</p> - -<p>The two boys returned to the canoe and -spent the remainder of the morning in a vain -attempt to land another big pickerel. When -they parted it was with a mutual respect and -liking and a promise on Walter’s part to return -the next day in quest of the big fellows. -“Oi’m goin’ ter hunt frogs fer bait this -afternoon an’ Oi’ll be waitin’ fer ye at sunup,” -were Pat’s parting words.</p> - -<p>It was a sober boy who paddled back to -Woodcraft that afternoon. What he had -learned that morning filled him with mingled -feelings of contempt and gladness—contempt, -for the fellow Scout who had so perjured himself -and violated his Scout’s oath, and gladness -that his faith in the unkempt boy of the woods -had been so fully justified. Any lingering -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>174]</a></span> -doubt of Pat Malone’s innocence of the theft -of Mother Merriam’s pin which he might have -entertained had been banished by what he -had learned of the boy that morning.</p> - -<p>And in his own mind the boy was fighting -a battle. Where lay the path of duty? What -did his honor as a Scout demand of him? To -go report what he had learned? To become a -bearer of tales? The very thought was -abhorrent to him! On the other hand had -he any moral right to allow his fellow tribesmen -to suffer through the dishonesty of which -he held the proof? And Hal’s own tribesmen, -was it fair to them to allow them to profit by -points to which, though no fault of theirs, -they had no right?</p> - -<p>It was a relief to see Harrison’s canoe approaching -the landing as he pulled his own -out. He would put it up to Hal to do the -square thing—redeem himself by playing the -man for once.</p> - -<p>“Hal,” said Walter in a low tone as the -other landed, “I know where you get your -fish.”</p> - -<p>Hal turned and faced him. “What are -you talking about?” he said roughly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>175]</a></span> -Walter flushed and instinctively his fists -doubled, but he kept a check on his temper. -“You have bought your record fish of Pat -Malone,” he said evenly.</p> - -<p>It was the other’s turn to flush, but he -maintained his air of bravado.</p> - -<p>“That’s silly,” he jeered.</p> - -<p>“No it isn’t, and you know it,” replied -Walter.</p> - -<p>“Well, what are you going to do about it?” -asked the other sulkily, seeing that denial was -useless.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” replied Walter sadly. -“Say, Hal, why don’t you go own up to Dr. -Merriam and ask him to try and put you -right with the fellows?”</p> - -<p>“What do you take me for? I’m in bad -enough now. If you don’t blab who’s going -to know it? And if you turn telltale I guess -my word’s as good as yours,” sneered Hal.</p> - -<p>“For two cents I’d punch——” began -Walter hotly, then pity for the unfortunate -boy before him calmed him. “Hal, I’m not -going to say anything to-night, anyway. Do -the right thing. Remember your Scout’s -oath,” he begged.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>176]</a></span> -“Remember it yourself,” growled Hal. -“There’s mighty little honor in telling tales.” -And with this parting shot he strode off to -the wigwam.</p> - -<p>Walter’s preoccupation and sober face were -bound to attract the attention of his mates, -and he came in for a lot of guying.</p> - -<p>“Who is she, Walt?”</p> - -<p>“Is her papa a big chief?”</p> - -<p>“Take us round and give us a knock-down, -Walt.”</p> - -<p>“Romance of the big woods! Walt, the -tenderfoot, falls in love with an Indian -princess!”</p> - -<p>Walter’s replies to all these sallies were -only half-hearted, and seeing that something -was really amiss with him the boys dropped -their banter. He retired to his bunk early, -only to twist and toss uneasily all night long. -Over and over till his brain grew weary he -kept repeating the perplexing question, -“Ought I to tell? Ought I to tell? Ought I -to tell?”</p> - -<p>The problem was no nearer a solution when -in the gray of dawn he slipped a canoe into -the water the next morning and turned her -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>177]</a></span> -bow toward the setback. Pat was waiting for -him on the old raft and, true to his word, he -had a pocket full of lively little frogs, which -were giving him no end of trouble in their -efforts to escape. Walter took him aboard, -and they were soon skirting the lily-pads at -the upper end.</p> - -<p>Here Pat bade Walter rig his rod and, producing -a lively green frog from his pocket, he -impaled it on the hook by thrusting the barb -through its lips, explaining that in this way -the frog’s swimming was not seriously interfered -with. He then took the paddle and -handled the canoe while Walter cast. The -frog had hardly struck the water before there -was a swirl at the very edge of a patch of lily-pads -followed by a strike that made the reel -sing. A couple of good rushes and then, as is -the way with pickerel, the fish was brought -alongside with hardly a struggle. Pat deftly -scooped it into the canoe and killed it with a -blow that broke its spine. It was fair for a -beginning, weighing perhaps four pounds, and -Walter prepared to try again.</p> - -<p>For half an hour they worked along the -pads, taking several smaller fish.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>178]</a></span> -At length they approached an outlying -patch of pads where the water was deep and -black. Two canoe lengths short of it Pat -stopped the canoe. Then he sorted over his -remaining supply of frogs till he found one -that suited his critical fancy. With this he -rebaited Walter’s hook. “Now, ye throw -roight over ter the very edge o’ thim pads, -and don’t ye be in no hurry,” he commanded.</p> - -<p>The first cast was short, but at the second -attempt the frog landed with a spat at the -very edge of the pads and began to swim -vigorously in an effort to reach and climb up -on them. Suddenly the water fairly boiled, -and Walter all but lost his balance and upset -the canoe, so sudden and vicious was the -strike.</p> - -<p>“Ye have him! Ye have him! Shure ’tis -the king av thim all, an’ ’tis mesilf that -knows ut, for ’tis tree times thot the ould -feller has walked off wid me line and hooks!” -yelled Pat excitedly. “Don’t let him get -foul o’ thim pads!”</p> - -<p>Walter soon found that he had the fight of -his life on to keep the wary old warrior in -clear water, but inch by inch he worked the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>179]</a></span> -fish away from the pads until finally he felt -that the danger was past and that it was only -a matter of time when the prize would be his. -A few more heavy lunges, which threatened -by the mere weight of the fish to break the -slender rod, and the battle was over. Softly -Pat slid his hand along till his stout fingers -closed in the gills and the prize was in the -canoe, where Pat speedily put an end to the -snapping of its cruel looking jaws by severing -the spinal cord with his knife.</p> - -<p>Walter brought out his scales, and could -hardly believe that he read them aright. -“Thirteen pounds and a half!” he gasped.</p> - -<p>“An’ there’s two av me hooks in his -mouth, bad cess ter him,” said the matter-of-fact -Pat, deftly extracting his property.</p> - -<p>Pat was for trying for another big fellow, -but Walter had had enough for that morning. -Besides, he was anxious to show his prize at -camp, so reeling in his line they started for -the mouth of the backset.</p> - -<p>“Pat, did Harrison ever have much luck -in here?” asked Walter.</p> - -<p>Pat stared at his companion for a minute -before he found speech. “What, do ye mane -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>180]</a></span> -ter tell me ye be thinkin’ Oi iver showed him -where Oi was ketching the fish he bought?” -demanded Pat. “Not he nor any ither o’ the -Woodcraft byes knows about this setback. -’Tis lucky ye was ter be findin’ the way in yer -own self. Ye will kape ut ter yerself now, -will ye not?”</p> - -<p>Walter promised that he would.</p> - -<p>“Say, bye, did ye tell the docther av the -low-down thrick this Harrison has been -afther playin’?” Pat suddenly inquired.</p> - -<p>Walter confessed that he had not. Then in -a sudden burst of confidence he told the Irish -lad all about the dilemma in which he had -become involved. “What would you do, -Pat?” he concluded.</p> - -<p>“Me? Shure Oi dunno at all, at all. Oi’m -thinkin’ Oi’d side-step,” replied Pat, with a -twinkle in his eyes.</p> - -<p>“But that’s the trouble, I can’t side-step,” -responded Walter.</p> - -<p>The freckled face of the woods boy sobered. -“’Tis a quare thing, this honor ye be tellin’ -about, but Oi’m thinkin’ ’tis a moighty foine -thing too,” he said. Then, his Irish humor -rising to the surface, he added: “There be -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>181]</a></span> -wan thing Oi wud do; Oi’d knock the block -clane off av that blackguard that’s made all -the throuble.”</p> - -<p>Walter laughed. “I’d like to,” he confessed.</p> - -<p>They were now at the entrance and setting -Pat ashore Walter turned his canoe toward -camp. His arrival with the big pickerel, to -say nothing of the smaller ones, created a -wave of excitement among the boys who -were in camp, and great jubilation among the -Delawares. It happened that Harrison was -among those present.</p> - -<p>“So,” he sneered when no one was near, -“you’ve tried the silver bait! How much -did you pay for the bunch?”</p> - -<p>Walter turned on his heel and walked -away. All the joy of the day had vanished. -He wanted to be alone to fight out to a finish -the battle of honor. So immediately after -noon mess he slipped away unseen, and -sought the cool depths of the forest to find in -the peace of the great woodland the solution -of his difficulty.</p> - -<p>Late that afternoon, his mind made up, he -turned toward camp. As he approached he -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>182]</a></span> -became aware of an air of suppressed excitement -about the camp. Buxby was the first -to see him.</p> - -<p>“Hi, Walt! Have you heard the news?” -he shouted.</p> - -<p>“No,” said Walter. “What is it?”</p> - -<p>“The Senecas’ records have been wiped out; -Harrison’s been buying those fish,” whooped -Billy.</p> - -<p>Walter’s first thought was that Hal had -done the right thing and had confessed, and a -great load fell from his shoulders. But Billy’s -next words brought him up short.</p> - -<p>“Pat Malone came in this afternoon and -told the big chief that he’d been selling fish -to Hal right along. Brought in what money -he had left, and said he guessed it wasn’t -quite the square thing for him to keep it. -What do you think of that?”</p> - -<p>“What did the doctor do?” asked Walter.</p> - -<p>“Told Pat that as he had sold the fish in -good faith the money was his, especially as the -camp had had the benefit of them. Then he -called Hal in and paid him back all that he -had given Pat. Then he wiped out from the -Senecas’ score all of Hal’s records. Don’t -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>183]</a></span> -know what he said to Hal, but the word’s -been passed that the incident is closed. Gee, -but I’d hate to feel the way Hal must! I -guess Pat’s squared himself with the bunch on -that pin business. A feller that would do -what he did wouldn’t steal.”</p> - -<p>After the first burst of indignation the feeling -of the camp settled into contempt, mingled -with pity, for the boy who had so besmirched -his honor. No reference was ever -made to his disgrace, but for the most part he -was left severely alone, only a few, of whom -Walter was one, endeavoring to hold out a -helping hand. So the camp settled down to -the usual routine once more.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>184]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap11" id="chap11"></a>CHAPTER XI<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">BUXBY’S BUNCOMBE</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> late afternoon sun shone warmly on a -little clearing some two miles from Woodcraft. -It flooded with soft golden light the scar on -the face of the great forest which nature, ever -abhorrent of the ugly, was trying to mask under -a riot of fireweed and early goldenrod. -Blackened stumps were half hidden under -tangled canes of the red raspberry. In the -more open places low bush blueberries carpeted -the ground. At the upper end of the -clearing two boys squatted beside the charred -stump of a great pine.</p> - -<p>“There he comes, Billy. Line’s started -again,” whispered one.</p> - -<p>“’Tain’t a he, it’s a she,” replied Billy disgustedly. -“Don’t you know that all worker -bees are females? Males don’t make no -honey; they’re the drones.” Billy was strong -on facts, if weak on grammar. “There comes -another and another right behind. They’re -making a mighty short flight. We must be -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>185]</a></span> -pretty close to the tree. Gee, Spud, I bet the -eyes of some of the fellers will stick out when -they see us luggin’ in a barrel of honey!”</p> - -<p>“Ain’t got it yet,” replied Spud sententiously. -“That tree is sure out of bounds, too. -What we goin’ to do about that?”</p> - -<p>“Go on,” said Billy decidedly. “’Tain’t -far out, and I reckon the big chief won’t say -nothin’ when he sees that honey. Gee, but -this will score some for the Delawares!”</p> - -<p>The two boys were Billy Buxby and Spud -Ely. Billy had been responsible for what he -called the “big idea,” which was to line out -a bee tree, and Spud had closed with it at -once. With all his happy-go-lucky carelessness -Billy was well versed in outdoor life and -by his powers of observation was continually -surprising even those who knew him best. -Had he been less fun-loving and careless he -might easily have been one of the trusted -leaders among the younger boys of the camp. -But Billy’s impulsiveness was apt to lead him -into situations bordering on the reckless. He -was always dreaming of doing big things and -inclined to act on the inspiration of the moment, -heedless of consequences.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>186]</a></span> -It is doubtful if another boy in camp had -noticed that there were honey-bees working -among the wild flowers. Billy had kept his -discovery to himself until he had perfected a -plan whereby to win laurels for himself and -score for the Delawares. It would not have -been Billy, however, not to have dropped mysterious -hints of the great coup in woodcraft -which he was about to pull off, and, as he was -never taken seriously, it was soon dubbed -“Buxby’s buncombe” and became a standing -joke.</p> - -<p>Billy stood for all the good-natured chaff of -his companions without a protest. In fact he -rather encouraged it that his final triumph -might appear the greater. He went about -with an air of secrecy, and for one whole day -was engaged in making a mysterious something -of which he would allow no one a -glimpse. This was nothing more or less than -a bee box, made after a plan once shown him -by an old bee hunter from whom Billy had -learned many tricks in the gentle art of -“lining” bees.</p> - -<p>The box was a very simple affair, but admirably -adapted to its purpose. It was made -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>187]</a></span> -from an old cigar box and was perhaps three -inches square by three and one-half deep. -Half-way down on one side Billy made a slit -just wide enough to admit a piece of ordinary -window glass cut to fit. Inside he tacked two -little strips or guides on which the glass rested. -When the glass slide was in place it divided -the box into an upper and lower chamber. -The cover had a half-inch hole in the middle -with a piece of glass fastened over it on the inside. -The whole thing was crude, but in a -secret test Billy found that it answered his -purpose fully. It was then that he took Spud -Ely into his confidence and it was arranged -that on the following afternoon they would -give Billy’s plan a try-out.</p> - -<p>Preserving the utmost secrecy the two boys -sought the old clearing, where Billy had previously -assured himself that the bees were also -at work. In the lower compartment he put -a piece of bread on which he poured a liberal -amount of syrup, a two-ounce bottle of which -he had begged from the cook. Then he -slipped the glass slide in place and was ready -for business.</p> - -<p>It was not long before his experienced eyes -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>188]</a></span> -singled out a honey-bee at work on a spray of -goldenrod on the edge of the clearing. Approaching -softly with the box in one hand and -the cover in the other he held the box just beneath -the busy little insect and gently brushed -her into it with the cover, immediately clapping -this in place.</p> - -<p>“Gee, that was easy!” exclaimed the admiring -Spud, who entertained a wholesome -respect for all insects with stings.</p> - -<p>“Pooh, that’s nothin’! I’ve seen fellers -pick ’em right up in their fingers. If you -ain’t afraid of bees they won’t bother you none. -They know when people are afraid of ’em and -when they ain’t,” replied Billy.</p> - -<p>The bee buzzed about angrily for a few minutes, -but in her darkened prison presently -quieted down, the boys taking turns at peeping -at her through the glass in the cover. -When she had taken to a quiet examination -of her narrow quarters Billy very gently -pulled out the glass slide. It did not take her -long to discover the syrup and, forgetful of -everything but the unexpected store of sweets, -she was soon busy “loadin’ up,” as Billy expressed -it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>189]</a></span> -Carefully he lifted the box and placed it on -a convenient stump, then removed the cover. -Presently, loaded with all she could carry, the -bee took wing. Rising heavily she circled -overhead once or twice to get her bearings, -then shot away in a straight line across the -clearing.</p> - -<p>“Now what do we do, chase along after -her?” asked Spud.</p> - -<p>“Naw, wait for her to come back, you numskull,” -replied Billy. “And while we’re waiting -let’s catch another.”</p> - -<p>This was soon done, and the second bee was -liberated as the first had been. To the surprise -of the boys this one took a direction at -right angles to the course of the first.</p> - -<p>“Great snakes!” exclaimed Billy excitedly. -“These woods are full of bee trees!”</p> - -<p>Spud glanced at the box and just then a bee -disappeared within. “Another bee has found -the syrup! I just saw it go in!” he exclaimed, -becoming more and more excited.</p> - -<p>“’Tain’t another one; it’s the first one come -back, just like I told you she would.” Billy -peeped into the box. “I thought so,” he -added; “she’s brought another bee with her. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>190]</a></span> -When they go back they’ll bring some more -till the whole darn hive knows just where this -little old box is.”</p> - -<p>It was even as Billy said. Presently the -bees were clustering thick around the box and -were continually arriving and departing, forming -a double line straight to the hive in the -hollow heart of some forest giant beyond the -clearing. In the meantime the second bee -had carried the good news home and rallied a -force of workers, so that soon two lines were -established.</p> - -<p>“What will we do, split up and you follow -one line while I follow the other?” asked -Spud.</p> - -<p>“How do you expect to follow the line if -you ain’t got the box? Think a bee’s goin’ -to take you by the hand and lead you?” -asked Billy sarcastically, forgetful that this -was a wholly new experience to Spud. “We’ll -stick together and work out the first line, -and then if we have time we’ll try the other.”</p> - -<p>He drew out his knife and blazed the stump -on which the bee box sat. Then squatting -down he carefully sighted along the second -line of bees and cut a rough arrow with the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>191]</a></span> -point indicating the exact line of flight. -“Now,” said he, “we can come back any old -time and run down that line.”</p> - -<p>He next sighted along the line they proposed -to follow out first till his eye encountered a -slender young spruce on the far side of the -clearing. With this for a marker he slipped -the cover on the box while several bees were -within, and taking it with him walked straight -to the tree he had sighted. On the nearest -stump he placed the box and removed the -cover. At once several laden bees reëstablished -their bearings and started for home. It was -the quick return of one of these which had -drawn from Spud the exclamation exposing -his ignorance of the sex of working bees.</p> - -<p>The northern edge of the clearing marked -“bounds” in that direction for the camp, -and only by special permission might the -boys go beyond. Spud, less reckless than -Billy, or at all events less certain that even a -“barrel” of honey would buy Dr. Merriam’s -pardon for deliberate infraction of the rules, -hesitated.</p> - -<p>“Let’s give it up now, and run the line out -to-morrow,” he suggested. “We can tell the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>192]</a></span> -big chief and get his permission to go out of -bounds.”</p> - -<p>Billy balked. “Oh, you quitter!” he -growled. “Look at that line runnin’ now -and you talkin’ about givin’ it up! Say, -Spud, I picked you to come in on this with -me ’cause I thought you had some sand. -You can go on back, but I’m goin’ to find -that tree! It can’t be more’n a little ways in -anyway, the bees are making such a short -flight. Anyhow, who’s going to know if we -do go out of bounds? We can find the tree -and then to-morrow ask permission to go out -of bounds. Then we can open up the tree -and get the honey.”</p> - -<p>The excitement of the hunt led Spud to -lend an all too willing ear to Billy’s argument. -“All right,” he growled, “I’m with you, but -let’s hurry up and get back.”</p> - -<p>Imprisoning some bees as before they once -more moved forward and after a short advance -into the woods stopped to reëstablish the line. -This time the bees were back so quickly -that Billy knew that the tree was close by, -but the trees were so thick that it was difficult -to watch the bees and the amateur hunter was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>193]</a></span> -afraid that by continuing to advance along -the line they might pass the tree without seeing -it.</p> - -<p>He therefore stationed Spud by the box and -himself went forward along the line of flight -as far as Spud could see him, where he blazed -a tree. Returning he took the bee box with -some captives and started off at right angles. -At about one hundred and fifty yards he -stopped, set his captives free and soon had a -line started from that point.</p> - -<p>The locating of the tree was now simply a -matter of each boy moving forward along his -line and where the two lines intersected the -tree would be found. They met at the foot of -a huge pine. Some fifty feet from the ground -was a long gray strip from which the bark -had fallen away, denoting dead wood and a -probable hollow. Studying this carefully -they finally made out a hole just beneath the -stub of a dead branch, and circling near this -some tiny specks which Billy promptly pronounced -bees.</p> - -<p>“We’ve got it!” he whooped joyously. -“We’ve got it! Who says there isn’t some -class to us as scouts?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>194]</a></span> -“Bet that hollow comes half-way down the -tree. Must be a ton of honey in it,” said Spud -examining the tree critically. “What you -goin’ to do, Billy?”</p> - -<p>“Goin’ up to have a look at it,” said Billy, -taking off his coat.</p> - -<p>“Aw, quit your kiddin’; you can’t climb -that!” replied Spud.</p> - -<p>Billy pointed to a young spruce growing -close to it. “I can climb that, though,” said -he, suiting the action to the word.</p> - -<p>“Well, hurry up,” growled Spud. “It’s -gettin’ darker’n blazes, and we’ll be in a pretty -pickle if we don’t get out of here mighty -quick.”</p> - -<p>In the excitement the boys had lost all -track of time and the shadows had begun to -steal upon them unawares. Up above it was -still bright, but in the hollows it was already -dusk.</p> - -<p>Billy had reached a point where he could -see the entrance clearly. A few belated -stragglers were hurrying home with the last -of the day’s spoils. Extending down from -the entrance was a crack which widened -slightly just opposite Billy’s position, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>195]</a></span> -through it he got a glimpse of weather-stained -comb. The temptation was too great to be resisted. -Working out on a branch of the spruce -he managed to reach over to the tree and with -his knife split off a sliver on one side of the -crack. Then things happened.</p> - -<p>Spud, impatiently waiting below, was -startled by a wild yell. He looked up to see -Billy descending at a rate that at first led him -to think that the boy had lost his balance -and was falling. In fact he was literally -dropping from branch to branch. How he -did it he never could tell. The last twenty -feet he dropped clear, landing with a thump -that for a minute knocked all the wind out -of him.</p> - -<p>Spud, genuinely concerned, hastened over -to him and then for the first time realized -what had happened. Billy had not come -down alone. A sharp pain beneath one eye -admonished Spud of the fact, and another on -his chin drove the fact home. Yes, Billy had -company, and the company was fighting -mad.</p> - -<p>Spud reached for Billy’s jacket and wildly -fought the enemy, while Billy scrambled to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>196]</a></span> -his feet. Then, heedless of direction, they -fled, their one thought to get as far as possible -from the wrath which was being visited -upon them. Crashing through the underbrush, -falling over mouldering logs, barking -their shins, bumping into trees in the fast -gathering dusk, they ran till breath gave -out.</p> - -<p>The pursuit had been short, for the approach -of night dampened the ardor of the -avenging insects, and the hive had quieted -down long before the boys stopped running. -When finally they did stop and were convinced -that they had nothing more to fear -from the hot-tempered little fighters, they sat -down to take account of injuries. Billy had -been stung in half a dozen places on the face, -four places on his hands and three on his -legs. Spud had fared better, having but half -a dozen in all, the most painful being the one -beneath the eye, which was already puffed -and swelling rapidly. Billy was considerably -bruised from his fall from the tree, and -Spud had scraped the skin from one shin.</p> - -<p>Spud’s concern for Billy, excited by the -latter’s fall, had given place to righteous -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>197]</a></span> -wrath. “A pretty bee hunter you are!” he -sputtered. “What in blazes was you trying -to do anyway? I’ve a good mind to punch -your head for getting me into this mess.”</p> - -<p>He advanced threateningly. Then Billy’s -pathetic appearance, with his bruised and -swollen face, cooled his wrath as suddenly as -it had blazed up.</p> - -<p>“I guess you’ve got yours all right, all right, -and don’t need nothin’ more,” he muttered. -“Now let’s get out of here. This blamed eye -of mine will be closed tight pretty quick. -Gee, how those little duffers can sting!”</p> - -<p>Billy had “got his.” There was no doubt -about that. The stings were paining him -acutely and he was stiff and sore from his -bruises. But underneath his happy-go-lucky, -careless disposition was the stuff from which -true manhood is built. It showed now.</p> - -<p>“Spud,” he said slowly, “it’s my fault all -the way through. It’s my fault that we came -out of bounds, and it’s all my fault that we -got stung. I’m sorry, and when we get back -to camp I’m going straight to the big chief -and tell him that I’m to blame.”</p> - -<p>“’Tain’t your fault no more’n mine,” -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>198]</a></span> -growled Spud. “Come, get a move on. -Which way do we go?”</p> - -<p>Billy looked up startled, to see the same -look reflected in Spud’s face. For the first -time the boys realized that in their mad flight -they had given no thought to direction. -Neither had the remotest idea of where the -camp lay or even the direction of the bee tree. -And for the first time they had become aware -of how dark it had grown.</p> - -<p>“Billy, we’re lost!” whispered Spud, a look -of panic in his face.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>199]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap12" id="chap12"></a>CHAPTER XII<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">LOST</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> test of manhood is the ability to meet -an emergency squarely, to put fear one side, -think clearly and act sanely. The man who -does not know fear may make no claim to -bravery. Courage he may possess, courage -that may lead to mighty deeds, but the spirit -of true heroism is not his until he has tasted -of the bitterness of fear and conquered it.</p> - -<p>Of the two boys sitting with blanched faces -under the first shock of realization that they -were indeed lost in the great forest, with -night fast closing in, Spud was some two years -the older, stocky in build, well muscled, apparently -fitted in every way to be the leader. -Billy, on the other hand, was rather under -size, wiry, quick moving, with the activity of -nervous energy, and highly imaginative. -The sudden fear that whitened Spud’s sun-browned -face clutched at Billy’s heart as well -and prompted him to leap to his feet and -plunge after Spud in response to the latter’s -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>200]</a></span> -panic shaken, “Come on! We better keep -going, and maybe we’ll come out somewhere!”</p> - -<p>For a few minutes they tore along in frantic -haste. Then Billy showed the stuff of which -he was made. “Stop, Spud!” he yelled -sharply.</p> - -<p>It was the voice of authority. It cut -through the terror of the fleeing boy in front -and brought him up short. Billy had taken -command. He began to speak rapidly.</p> - -<p>“We’re a couple of idiots. This ain’t goin’ -to get us nowhere unless it’s into more trouble, -maybe. We’re doin’ just what always gets -lost people into trouble and gets ’em more -lost. The thing to do is to sit down and talk -it over and try to decide just what we ought -to do. Pretty Scouts we are, running like -a couple of silly hens at the first scare! -Wonder what the big chief would say if he -could see us, after all the lectures he’s given -on what to do when you get lost. Here we -are, and the question is, What are we going to -do about it? What do you say?”</p> - -<p>“I—I don’t know,” confessed Spud miserably. -He was shaking a bit. “They’ll send -out searching parties when we fail to show up -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>201]</a></span> -to-night. Do you s’pose they’ll come over -this way?”</p> - -<p>Billy made a wry face that instantly resolved -into a grimace of pain because of his swollen -features. “No, I don’t,” he replied. “You -see I let some of the fellers think that we was -goin’ over toward Old Baldy, and you know -some of ’em saw us start out on the Baldy -trail. They’ll go huntin’ over that way. -Spud, we might just as well make up our -minds right now that we’ve got to spend the -night in the woods. In the mornin’ we can -shin up a tall tree and p’raps get our bearings. -What we want to do now is to make ourselves -as comfortable as we can, and the first thing -I’m goin’ to do is to get some mud.”</p> - -<p>“Mud! What for?” asked Spud in surprise.</p> - -<p>“To plaster on these blamed stings,” replied -Billy. “Jerusalem, how my face aches! -Just a little bit back there we came across a -swampy place. Come on and see if we can -find it.”</p> - -<p>Retracing their steps in the direction from -which they had made their last mad flight -they soon found the place Billy had noticed. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>202]</a></span> -With hasty fingers he dug up the wet black -muck and plastered it thick over his swollen -face and on his hands and legs. Somewhat -gingerly Spud followed his example. The -cool, moist plasters brought almost instant -relief, and with the easing of the smarting -wounds a measure of steadiness returned to -the shaken nerves. Spud even so far forgot -his fears as to grin as he looked at Billy.</p> - -<p>“Gee, you are a sight! Say, the fellows -wouldn’t do a thing if they could see you -now! The wild man of Borneo would be a -beaut ’side of you.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t have much on you,” replied Billy. -“That eye of yours looks as if it was about -closed up, and mud ain’t becoming to your -style of beauty. Now let’s make camp before -it gets so dark we can’t see nothin’.”</p> - -<p>“Where’ll we make it, right here?” asked -Spud.</p> - -<p>“No,” replied Billy decidedly. “It’s too -wet. We’ve got to get on higher ground.”</p> - -<p>He stooped and began to make a big ball -of mud.</p> - -<p>“What’s that for?” demanded the puzzled -Spud.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>203]</a></span> -“First aid for the injured. These beauty -plasters are goin’ to dry out pretty quick and -we’ll want some fresh ones. You’d better -bring along some too,” replied Billy briefly.</p> - -<p>The advice seemed good, and Spud followed -Billy’s example. Then they pushed on for -drier ground, Billy in the lead. Already -his active imagination had seized upon their -predicament as savoring of real adventure. -He pictured their return to camp the next -day as heroes rather than culprits who had -disobeyed one of the most stringent rules of -the camp. He saw himself the center of -admiring groups of his fellows because of his -superior scoutcraft in knowing just what to -do and how to do it in so severe a test as -spending a night lost in the woods. The -anxiety which would be caused by their -absence never entered his head, or if it did -was dismissed as of little consequence. He -would show them that he was a real Scout, -able to take care of himself under any conditions.</p> - -<p>Presently they became aware that the -ground was gradually sloping up. It was -firm and dry under foot. By this time it was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>204]</a></span> -so dark that it was with difficulty they could -make out their surroundings. In front of -two trees standing some ten feet apart Billy -stopped.</p> - -<p>“We’ll camp here,” he said.</p> - -<p>Carefully putting his precious ball of mud -at the foot of one of the trees he singled out a -tall two-inch sapling. “Here, Spud, you bend -this over as far as you can,” he commanded.</p> - -<p>“What for?” asked Spud.</p> - -<p>“Never you mind; just get busy!” replied -Billy.</p> - -<p>By this time Spud had accepted Billy’s -leadership without question and he meekly -obeyed. With his stout scout knife Billy -made a straight cut across the sapling at the -point where the strain was greatest. The -strained fibers of the wood yielded to the first -pressure of the keen blade and in less than -half a minute he had the tree in his hands -with a clean square cut base.</p> - -<p>“You can cut down a big tree with a penknife -if you can only bend the tree over far -enough,” said he as he trimmed the sapling. -When he had finished he had a pole perhaps -twelve feet long. Fishing some stout twine -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>205]</a></span> -from one of his capacious pockets he lashed -the pole firmly to the two trees about six feet -from the ground.</p> - -<p>“Now hustle and get a lot of sticks ’bout -ten feet long,” he commanded.</p> - -<p>These were not so easily obtained, but by -dint of much feeling around and effort on the -part of the two boys enough sticks and young -saplings were secured to answer Billy’s purpose. -These were arranged with butts on the -ground and other ends supported on the cross-bar -between the two trees, all slanting evenly -in the same direction.</p> - -<p>“Now heap up all the brush and leaves you -can scrape up,” commanded the young architect, -bringing up an armful of spruce boughs -he had obtained from a nearby windfall. -Thatched in this way the rude lean-to was soon -completed. It was a rough but effective shelter, -and with a few balsam boughs spread on the -ground beneath it Billy felt that they could -spend the night with a reasonable degree of -comfort.</p> - -<p>“Now if we only had a fire this wouldn’t -be half bad,” he muttered. “Got any -matches, Spud?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>206]</a></span> -“What do you take me for? You know the -rules,” growled Spud.</p> - -<p>Billy knew. Matches were absolutely tabooed -in Woodcraft Camp, that there might -be no chance of a forest fire from the carelessness -of just such reckless youngsters as Billy.</p> - -<p>“Wish I’d brought my fire stick,” grumbled -Billy.</p> - -<p>“I’ve got mine,” said Spud.</p> - -<p>“What! You blink-eyed owl! Why -didn’t you say so before?” whooped Billy. -“Trot it out!”</p> - -<p>The cautious Spud demurred. “You know -the rules, Billy, and that building a fire without -permission means expulsion,” he protested.</p> - -<p>“Expulsion nothin’!” replied Billy. “Do -you s’pose the big chief’s goin’ to fire us for -keepin’ from freezin’ to death? We’ll be -’bout frozen by morning without blankets nor -nothin’. Here, you give it to me. You -needn’t have anything to do with makin’ the -fire. I’ll make it, and tell the doctor so -when we get in. There ain’t any danger, -’cause one of us will be on watch all the time.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 417px;"> -<a name="illo05" id="illo05"></a> -<img src="images/bswc05.png" width="417" height="700" -alt="Showing a fire-drill and bow, and how they are put together for use" /> -<p class="caption"><span class="smcap">Billy’s Apparatus for Making Fire</span></p> -</div> - -<p>Reluctantly Spud produced from an inner -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207"><!-- original location of illustration --></a></span> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>208]</a></span> -pocket a little block of wood having in the -middle a shallow pit, already charred with -use. From this pit a V shape groove extended -to the edge. From around his neck -under his coat he unslung a small bow having -a slack leather thong for a string. With -this was a straight stick pointed at both ends. -Lastly he brought forth a small oval piece of -wood having a shallow pit in the center, and -a little bag of finely ground cedar bark.</p> - -<p>All of these things he turned over to Billy. -The latter first carefully cleared the ground of -all leaves and rubbish for a considerable space -in front of the shelter. He then felt around -until he had gathered a little bundle of dry -twigs and some shreds of bark from a fallen -birch nearby.</p> - -<p>Resting the block of wood or fire-board on -a piece of bark he ordered Spud to hold it -steady. Taking up the straight stick already -mentioned he rested one pointed end in the -hollow of the fire-board, looped the bow thong -around it and, fitting the oval piece to the upper -end of the straight stick by means of the -hollow in the center, he was ready for business. -Holding the oval piece in his left hand -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>209]</a></span> -he bore down lightly, at the same time grasping -the bow in his right hand and moving it -rapidly back and forth. This caused the -straight stick or drill, as Scouts call it, to revolve -rapidly.</p> - -<p>It was too dark to see, but almost at once -the boys smelled smoke, and a few seconds later -a tiny coal glowed on the piece of bark on -the edge of which the fire-board rested. -Dropping his tools Billy picked up the piece -of bark, and covered the coal with cedar bark -from Spud’s bag, while he gently blew upon -it. The bark was really tinder, prepared as -the Indians prepared it before ever the white -man brought his own first crude fire-making -methods to startle the Red Men. The smoke -increased in volume. A tiny flame flickered, -disappeared, flickered again, then hungrily -licked at the edge of a strip of birch bark that -Billy held to it.</p> - -<p>Hastily setting down the piece of bark holding -the tiny fire he arranged the dry twigs -over it in a loose pile and had the satisfaction -of seeing the blaze leap up merrily. Larger -sticks were laid over the pile, and in a few -minutes the dancing flames were making a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>210]</a></span> -circle of cheerful light that flooded the lean-to -with warmth and cast weird shadows among -the trees.</p> - -<p>By the light from the fire the boys were -able to gather a supply of wood wherewith to -keep it going through the night and under -its cheering influence their spirits rose wonderfully.</p> - -<p>“If we only had something to eat——” began -Billy.</p> - -<p>“Shut up!” interrupted Spud. “I’ll be -chewin’ pine-needles in a few minutes.”</p> - -<p>Billy had a sudden inspiration. Fishing the -bee box from his coat pocket he extracted the -piece of syrup-soaked bread with which it had -been baited and eyed it critically. “There’s -just half a bite apiece, and a swallow of syrup -for each of us in the bottle,” said he. “Shall -we have it now or wait till morning?”</p> - -<p>“I wouldn’t trust you with it till mornin’. -We’ll have it now,” grunted Spud.</p> - -<p>The night had settled down still, and with -a chill in the air that made the warmth of the -fire very welcome. Beyond the zone of the -firelight a wall of blackness hemmed them -in. Now that camp had been made and there -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>211]</a></span> -was nothing to do but wait for daylight the -loneliness of their situation weighed upon their -spirits. They drew closer together on an old -log which they had drawn before the fire for -a seat. Suddenly Billy raised a warning hand.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” whispered Spud, edging a -bit nearer.</p> - -<p>“I thought I heard a shot,” replied Billy.</p> - -<p>With straining ears the boys sat and waited -what seemed an interminable length of time -before they caught the faint sound of three -shots fired in quick succession. Spud sprang -to his feet.</p> - -<p>“They’re lookin’ for us, Billy. Let’s give -’em a yell,” he cried.</p> - -<p>First one, then the other, then both together -they yelled at the top of their lungs until their -throats were strained and raw. Then they realized -the futility of wasting breath in this way.</p> - -<p>“’Tain’t no use, not a bit. May as well -save our breath. We can’t hear those shots -plain enough to tell what direction they come -from, so of course nobody can hear us,” said -Billy, disconsolately resuming his seat by the -fire.</p> - -<p>For a while they heard shots from time to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>212]</a></span> -time, and somehow they brought a certain -amount of comfort. It seemed less lonely to -know that others were abroad in the forest -looking for them, even though they were -miles away. But the shots ceased finally, and -the brooding mystery of the night settled over -and took possession of them. They said little, -but sat absorbed each in his own thoughts or -listening to the strange sounds and uncanny -voices of the night.</p> - -<p>A pathetic picture they presented had any -one been there to see, huddled together on the -old log, their swollen, mud-smeared faces still -further distorted by the uncertain flicker of -the firelight. A stick snapping off in the -darkness produced an answering jump in overwrought -nerves, and the sudden scurry of a -rabbit brought a startled “What was that?” -from Spud.</p> - -<p>Presently the physical strain and excitement -they had been under began to tell, and -despite their strange surroundings both boys -began to nod, while the fire died down to -glowing embers. It was then that some evil -genius prompted a great horned owl to take -up his watch on a dead pine not fifty feet -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>213]</a></span> -away and startle the woodland with his fierce -hunting call:</p> - -<p>“Whooo-hoo-hoo, whoo-hoo!”</p> - -<p>The sleepers awoke in a panic, frantically -clutching each other. “D-d-did you hear -that?” whispered Spud, his teeth chattering.</p> - -<p>As if in reply again the fierce hunting call -rang through the woods:</p> - -<p>“Whooo-hoo-hoo, whoo-hoo!”</p> - -<p>Billy gave vent to a hysterical little laugh -of relief. “Nothin’ but an owl,” said he as -he heaped more wood on the fire. “He certainly -got my goat that first time, though. -Say, Spud, we’re a couple of ninnies to both -be sittin’ out here asleep. What’d we build -that lean-to for? You turn in there and sleep -for a couple of hours and then you watch and -I’ll sleep. Ain’t any need of either of us -keepin’ watch so far as any danger is concerned, -I s’pose, for there’s nothin’ in these -woods to harm us, but we ought not to leave -the fire burnin’ without some one to watch it.”</p> - -<p>This was sound advice, and Spud stretched -out on the fragrant balsam boughs in the -lean-to and soon was sound asleep. Billy -began his lonely vigil. At first it was easy -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>214]</a></span> -enough to keep awake. Later an almost -irresistible drowsiness took possession of him, -and it was only by tramping back and forth -or hunting fire-wood within the circle of light -from the fire that he managed to keep awake. -At the end of two hours he roused Spud, and -wearily threw himself in the latter’s place on -the balsam bed.</p> - -<p>It seemed to him that he had hardly closed -his eyes when he felt Spud shaking him. -“Go ’way,” he murmured sleepily. “What -you waking me up now for?”</p> - -<p>“It’s your turn again to watch,” Spud -growled, unceremoniously hauling Billy off -the boughs.</p> - -<p>If it had been hard and lonely work before -it was doubly so now. It was past midnight, -at the hour when vital forces and courage are -at their lowest ebb. Billy was stiff and sore. -Every movement was painful. He had never -felt so utterly miserable in all his life. As he -afterward expressed it, every bit of sand had -run out.</p> - -<p>He piled fuel on the fire, and then sat down -on the log and gave himself over to his misery. -How long he had sat there he could not tell -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>215]</a></span> -when he was brought out of a semi-drowse by -a slight noise back of the lean-to. In an instant -he was wide awake, straining his ears -for a repetition of the sound.</p> - -<p>The fire had burned low and the circle of -light had narrowed to a faint glow of but a -few feet in diameter. Billy held his breath. -Had he imagined it? No, there was a rustle -of leaves back of the lean-to. Something was -moving there. Then there followed a decided -and pronounced sniff! Billy felt his scalp -prickle as if each individual hair was rising -on end. With a wild yell he grabbed a glowing -ember from the fire and hurled it in the -direction of the sound. There was a startled -“whoof,” and the sound of a heavy animal -lumbering off through the brush.</p> - -<p>Spud came tumbling out of the lean-to white -and shaky. “For heaven’s sake, Billy, what’s -the matter?” he gasped.</p> - -<p>Billy’s teeth were chattering so that he -could hardly speak. “I—I—I th-think it -wa-was a bear,” he finally managed to get -out.</p> - -<p>“Go on, what you givin’ us!” said -Spud.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>216]</a></span> -Billy had by now so far recovered himself -that he could give a connected account of what -he had heard, and both agreed that their visitor -could have been nothing less than bruin. -Needless to say there was no more sleep for -either that night. They piled fresh fuel on -the fire and kept watch together, starting -nervously at the smallest sound.</p> - -<p>It was with a sigh of profound relief that -they noted the gray of dawn stealing through -the trees, and with the coming of the light -their spirits rose perceptibly.</p> - -<p>“What shall we do now, make a break out -of here?” asked Spud when day had fairly -broken.</p> - -<p>“Not on your tintype!” replied Billy. -“I’m lost all I’m goin’ to be. You get busy -and build another fire over there about fifty -feet. When it gets goin’ good heap on a lot -of green leaves and rotten wood to make a -smoke. I’ll do the same thing with this fire. -There ain’t a breath of wind; those two smokes -will go straight up, and you know two smokes -means ‘lost.’ Some one will be up at the -lookout on the top of Old Scraggy the first -thing this morning, and he’ll see the smokes. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>217]</a></span> -Then he’ll get word to camp and a party will -come out and find us.”</p> - -<p>Wise Billy. He had decided upon just the -right course of action. After the return of -the unsuccessful searching parties Dr. Merriam -had spent an anxious night. Before daybreak -he had dispatched Seaforth with one -of the guides to the top of Old Scraggy. They -had seen the signal smokes at once and heliographed -the location of them to camp. A -party led by Big Jim and Louis Woodhull -had started immediately, and as soon as they -reached the clearing where the boys had -begun their bee hunt they saw the smoke -lazily curling above the tree tops about a mile -beyond.</p> - -<p>Firing signal shots and stopping every few -minutes to send a whoop ringing through the -woods they pushed on and presently, guided -by answering whoops from the two victims, -found the camp.</p> - -<p>“Mother of saints!” exclaimed Big Jim as -he caught a glimpse of the swollen and mud-stained -faces of the two boys.</p> - -<p>Billy smiled feebly, for the effort was painful. -“We found a bee tree,” he said.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>218]</a></span> -“Found a bee tree! Found a bee tree!” -echoed the guide. “’Pears to me thet them -bees did some findin’ on their own account.”</p> - -<p>Then seeing what really pitiful condition -the two youngsters were in he called an -abrupt halt to all jollying by the rescuers and -at once prepared for the return to camp. One -of the party was sent on ahead to relieve the -doctor of his worry, and the rest slowly worked -their way out, for Billy was too stiff and sore -to hurry much.</p> - -<p>At the first brook a halt was made and the -faces of the two victims were tenderly bathed -and made a little more presentable to enter -camp. Billy’s volatile spirits were already -back to normal. He was full of the bee tree -and the bear and already laying plans for getting -the honey.</p> - -<p>At mention of the bear Big Jim smiled. -“Folks thet git lost in th’ woods most generally -meet up with a bar,” he remarked dryly. -“Didn’t give yer a lock o’ his hair fer a soovineer, -did he, son?”</p> - -<p>Billy tried to make a face at the guide, but -winced with pain. “I tell you there <em>was</em> a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>219]</a></span> -bear, and he came right up to our lean-to,” he -sputtered indignantly.</p> - -<p>And so they came into camp where in front -of the office Dr. Merriam stood gravely awaiting -them.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>220]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap13" id="chap13"></a>CHAPTER XIII<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">THE HONEY SEEKERS</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Two</span> very sober boys came forth from their -interview with the big chief. It was not -that their punishment for infraction of the two -most rigidly enforced rules of the camp—jumping -bounds and building fires—was to be -so severe. In fact they were getting off much -lighter than they had dared to hope for, -being ordered to police camp for one month -and also being denied the privilege of joining -any of the various special parties going out -with the guides for two and three day trips. -Dr. Merriam considered that their experience -had been in the nature of punishment, severe -enough to warrant him in being lenient in his -dealings with the culprits.</p> - -<p>He had simply talked to them, quietly, -kindly, with no shadow of resentment, no -suggestion of scolding. It was just a plain -talk as man to man, in which the doctor made -clear to them how the welfare of all is wholly -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>221]</a></span> -dependent upon the individual, and that the -breaking of laws made for the community in -no way harms those in authority, but is an -outrage upon the great body politic and in -time is bound to react upon the lawbreaker.</p> - -<p>“The honor of Woodcraft Camp as a whole -is to be safeguarded only by keeping unsullied -the honor of each individual member. By -your acts of deliberate disobedience yesterday -you not only besmirched your own honor as -Scouts under oath, but you blotted the honor -of the entire camp. Buxby, by your own -confession you have sought to take upon -your shoulders the entire blame for this -unfortunate affair. The motive does you -credit. But, my boy,” he concluded, turning -to Spud, “I want you to realize that weakness -which allows one to follow another in wrongdoing -is quite as blameworthy as the act of -the leader, and that therefore I hold you -equally culpable with Buxby in this affair.”</p> - -<p>His face lighted with one of his rare smiles. -“I believe that from now on I can trust both -of you implicitly,” he said, giving each the -Scout’s grip.</p> - -<p>“The thing that hurts me most is the fact -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>222]</a></span> -that the big chief won’t let the findin’ of that -bee tree score for the Delawares. There’s fifty -points thrown away just because I wouldn’t -take your advice, Spud, and wait till we got -permission to go out of bounds,” said Billy, -as half an hour later the two boys sat at one -end of the mess table making up for their -prolonged fast.</p> - -<p>Spud stopped a huge slice of bread and -butter half-way to his mouth. “What about -that second line we ain’t run down yet?” he -asked slowly.</p> - -<p>Billy stared at him for a minute, then suddenly -choked over the cup of hot cocoa he -was drinking. When he had recovered his -breath a broad smile lighted his battered -face.</p> - -<p>“Spud, old Scout, we win!” he exulted. -“Here’s where we beat the big chief after all! -Why didn’t I think of it before? It’s as easy -as picking up chips at a wood-pile. We haven’t -said a word about that second line. We won’t, -except to Woodhull. We’ll take him along -and run that line clear to bounds. Then we’ll -show Louis how to use that bee box, and let -him go on and find the tree. You know there -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>223]</a></span> -are no bounds for the tribe leaders. Fifty -points for the Delawares—— Oh, my lucky -stars!” Billy finished with a whoop that -brought the cook running to see what the -trouble was.</p> - -<p>In the meantime Dr. Merriam was having -a conference with Big Jim at the headquarters. -“I tell yer, doctor, thet leetle scatterbrain -hev got more woods sense than three-fourths -o’ th’ rest o’ these youngsters put -together. Wish yer could see thet camp o’ -theirn. Couldn’t ’a’ built it no better myself. -An’ then he had sense enough t’ stick right -thar and send up them smoke signals. If he -only hed th’ level top piece o’ thet youngster -thet went in t’ Lonesome with me he’d hev -th’ makin’ o’ one o’ th’ best leaders in camp, -even if he did hear a bar.” The big guide -chuckled.</p> - -<p>“So you don’t take any stock in the bear?” -asked the doctor.</p> - -<p>“Not th’ least leetle mite,” replied Jim. -“Folks thet’s lost allers hears bars or wildcats. -I been watchin’ out some sharp an’ I -ain’t see no sign o’ bar nigher’n ten mile o’ -this camp in th’ last three years.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>224]</a></span> -“Where did those bees come from?” asked -the doctor.</p> - -<p>“Feller thet lived in this camp th’ summer -’fore yer bought it had a couple o’ hives. -Guess some o’ ’em must hev got away from -him. Thet youngster cert’nly did run ’em -down slick. Hadn’t never noticed th’ leetle -honey bugs myself.”</p> - -<p>The doctor smiled. “I had,” said he, “and -I had intended to line them out some day, -but Billy got ahead of me, and as you say, he -certainly did the trick very cleverly. The -thing that pleases me, however, is the fact -that he was observing enough to notice them. -I don’t believe that there is another soul in -camp beside myself who had discovered them. -Jim, that boy has got the right kind of stuff -in him. We’ve got to take him in hand and -develop his bump of caution and sense of -responsibility.”</p> - -<p>“If he could run with young Upton fer a -while——” began the guide.</p> - -<p>“The very thing I had in mind,” interrupted -the doctor. “When Buxby’s period -of probation is over I think we’ll have to plan -a trip for you with those two youngsters, one -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>225]</a></span> -that will put them on their mettle. It will -be an interesting experiment. What do you -think about opening that bee tree?”</p> - -<p>The guide grinned. “A leetle honey -would kind o’ sweeten things up some,” he -ventured.</p> - -<p>“All right,” replied the doctor. “Be prepared -to take a small party in to get it day -after to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>Big Jim’s “honey party,” as he called it, -was drawn wholly from the Delawares, in -honor of the tree having been discovered by -members of that tribe. It included Woodhull, -Tug Benson, Upton and Chip Harley. -Billy and Spud were denied the privilege of -going out of bounds, so could go no farther -than the edge of the old clearing. Spud announced -that he had had enough of bees anyhow, -and chose to stay in camp. But Billy -was heart-broken. However, he was fair -minded enough to admit to himself that he -deserved all that was coming to him, and hiding -his chagrin led the expedition to the old -clearing and gave the guide the line from the -stump on the upper edge. He watched the -others disappear into the woods in single file -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>226]</a></span> -and then sat down to possess himself in such -patience as he could until they should return. -He had no doubt of their success in locating -the tree and as Big Jim was no novice at cutting -bee trees, he anticipated no trouble on -that score. All the party wore gloves and -carried mosquito netting to protect faces and -necks from the maddened bees. In fact both -Tug and Chip had their veils on when they -entered the woods. The guide carried an axe, -as did Woodhull, while Walter and Tug each -carried a galvanized iron water pail for the -expected honey. Billy knew that the guide -would run no risk of having his charges -badly stung and would undoubtedly smoke -the hive well before laying it open.</p> - -<p>The minutes passed on leaden wings. -What was the matter? Why didn’t Jim -whoop when he found the tree as he had -agreed to do? Could he have overrun it? A -slight rustle in the bushes on the edge of the -clearing some thirty yards to the right caught -Billy’s attention. Something was moving -there. To kill time he started to investigate. -“Probably a porcupine,” he muttered to himself, -as he softly stole forward.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>227]</a></span> -Creeping on hands and knees to the shelter -of a fallen tree trunk he cautiously raised his -head and peeped over. Instead of the expected -porcupine he saw a little brown furry -animal vainly trying to pull over an old -log, and emitting funny little discontented -whines as it tugged. At first glance it looked -something like a clumsy puppy, and then the -truth flashed across Billy and made his eyes -pop out. It was a bear cub, a very little -fellow at that.</p> - -<p>With impulsive Billy to act first and think -afterward was ever the governing principle. -It was so now. Quietly dropping down behind -the tree trunk he hastily slipped off his -jacket. Then rising to his feet he reached -forward and threw it over the head of the unsuspecting -little animal, recklessly throwing -himself after it. For a few minutes there was -a desperate struggle accompanied by muffled -squeals. Then Billy succeeded in getting the -wildly clawing fore-paws smothered in the -folds of the jacket and, pinning down the stout -little hind-legs, he had his victim helpless.</p> - -<p>“Gee, now I’ve got him what’ll I do with -him?” he panted. A sudden inspiration -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>228]</a></span> -came to him. He remembered noticing a -huge hollow stump in the middle of the clearing. -If he could get him over to that and -drop him into it he could be held prisoner -until the bee hunters returned. Wrapping -the enveloping jacket still tighter around the -imprisoned head and fore-paws Billy gathered -the struggling bundle in his arms and started -for the stump.</p> - -<p>Just before he reached it pandemonium -broke loose in the woods behind him. There -were wild yells in all keys from Big Jim’s -deep base to Chip Harley’s shrill falsetto. -Billy chuckled. “Must have stirred them -bees up something awful,” he muttered. -“Funny I didn’t hear ’em choppin’. There, -you little fiend!” He dropped the cub into -the hollow and spread the jacket over the top. -Then for the first time he realized that a baby -as small as his captive must have a mother at -no great distance. His face went a trifle pale -under its coat of tan. “I wish them fellers -would quit fightin’ bees and come out,” he -muttered.</p> - -<p>Almost with the thought his wish was gratified. -Chip came first. The bee veil was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>229]</a></span> -still over his head and he looked not on the -order of his coming. He floundered out of -the brush, caught a heedless toe under a stick -and fell headlong. He was up in a flash, -blindly struggled through a raspberry tangle -that he might have gone around, bumped into -a half-hidden stump and went down again -with a little moan. Then he was on his feet -again and passed Billy as if he was trying to -break the hundred yard sprint record.</p> - -<p>Tug was a good second, and he had little -advantage over Chip in the method of his -coming. He seemed to have some pressing -engagement back at camp, and was “going -strong” when he passed Billy.</p> - -<p>Walter and Woodhull appeared next, but -as they were unencumbered by veils they -picked their footing with more discretion, and -Louis stopped as soon as he reached the open, -Walter following his example half-way to -Billy. Lastly appeared Big Jim, who came -out of the woods leisurely, his axe still in his -hand. Jim was grinning. It was clear to -Billy that something had happened, but that -whatever it was the guide considered the danger -past now.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>230]</a></span> -Something had happened. Following the -guide in single file they had proceeded some -distance when they became aware of a humming -sound which steadily increased in volume -as they advanced. Suddenly Big Jim -abruptly halted and held up a warning hand. -There was a puzzled look on the guide’s face.</p> - -<p>“Somethin’ has made them bees plumb mad -fer sartin,” he whispered.</p> - -<p>The volume of sound increased. It was as -if off in the tree tops beyond a huge top was -spinning. The brush was still too thick for -them to see the tree itself. Then into the -steady hum of the bees there broke a new note, -half growl, half whine, followed by the ripping -sound of rent wood.</p> - -<p>The guide’s face cleared. “You boys are -goin’ t’ see somethin’ in a minute yer won’t -likely ever see agen. Now come on, and be -mighty careful about not makin’ no noise,” he -whispered.</p> - -<p>A few feet further on the thick young growth -opened up and they came in full view of -Billy’s bee tree. What they saw drew a startled -exclamation from the three younger boys, -at once silenced by a warning hiss from Big -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>231]</a></span> -Jim. There, fifty feet from the ground, gripping -the tree with hind legs and one huge -fore arm, was an immense black bear. The -long claws of the paw that was free had been -hooked into the entrance hole and a long strip -the length of the crack which had led to -Billy’s undoing a few days previous had been -torn out, exposing the hollow packed with -comb. Bruin was then occupied in scooping -out great pieces of comb dripping with honey -and transferring them to her mouth, whining -and growling and stopping every other second -to slap at the bees clustered in an angry -cloud about her head.</p> - -<p>What no one did see, because all eyes were -turned up instead of on the ground, were two -little brown bundles of fur that scurried for -the shelter of a windfall.</p> - -<p>“Ain’t a mite o’ danger,” whispered the -guide, noting the panicky look on some of the -faces. “In ’bout a minute yer’ll see th’ worst -scared bar in the North Woods. Now don’t -run when she comes down if yer don’t want -th’ hull camp laughin’ at yer,” he warned, -seeing Chip and Tug already beginning to -edge away.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>232]</a></span> -Had Jim been aware of the presence of the -two cubs he would have adopted a very different -course of action. He was counting on the -fact that despite its great size and immense -strength the black bear is one of the most -timid of all wild animals in the presence of -man unless wounded, cornered or called upon -to protect its young. Perhaps timidity is not -quite a fair indictment. Let us say rather -that of all wild animals none has come to -have a more wholesome respect for man, and -it is a well-known fact that not even a deer -will bolt quicker at man’s approach than will -this black comedian of the big woods.</p> - -<p>It was with this fact in mind that the guide -advanced a few steps and suddenly sent forth an -ear-splitting whoop. Things happened then -with a rapidity that left no time for thought. -Walter stoutly maintains to this day that the -bear neither slid nor climbed down—that she -simply let go and dropped. Certain it is that -the echo of Jim’s wild yell was still ringing in -the woods when she landed with a thump that -brought forth a grunt. Then, instead of the -mad flight on which the guide had counted, -she reared on her haunches with her back to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>233]</a></span> -the tree, growling savagely, her little pig eyes -red with rage.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 504px;"> -<a name="illo06" id="illo06"></a> -<img src="images/bswc06.jpg" width="504" height="700" -alt="Big Jim stands firm against the bear" /> -<p class="caption">“RUN!” HE YELLED</p> -</div> - -<p>Big Jim took in the situation at a glance. -“Run!” he yelled, himself holding his ground -and swinging aloft his double edged axe.</p> - -<p>Even as he uttered the warning the bear -charged. Walter, who stood a little to one side, -unconscious of what he was doing, hurled the -pail he was holding full at the angry beast and -turned to run. This proved the salvation of -Big Jim. The rolling clattering object distracted -the bear’s attention for an instant. -She paused long enough to give the pail a -vicious blow which by chance sent it clattering -noisily into the old windfall behind which -the cubs had taken refuge. There was a -frightened squeal followed by the sound of -scurrying feet among dead leaves.</p> - -<p>Big Jim heard the squeal and understood. -“Cubs, by gum!” he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>The bear heard too. She stopped, irresolute, -half turned toward the windfall, then faced -the guide and reared, growling savagely. -There was another faint squeal from beyond -the windfall. The bear dropped to all fours -and slowly retreated in the direction of her -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>234]</a></span> -cubs, pausing every few steps to turn and -growl threateningly over her shoulder.</p> - -<p>It was the guide’s opportunity to retire in -good order and he made haste to avail himself -of it, reaching the clearing just in time to see -Chip and Tug disappear down the home trail -on the far side.</p> - -<p>Now that the danger was over the humor -of the situation tickled him immensely and as -he with Walter and Woodhull approached -Billy all three were finding relief in a hearty -laugh.</p> - -<p>All at once they became aware that there -was something unusual about Billy. He was -dancing around the old stump like a lunatic, -yelling, “I’ve got him, Jim! I’ve got him! -I’ve got him!” He was without his jacket and -his shirt was in tatters. His face and arms -were bleeding from deep scratches.</p> - -<p>The guide gaped at him open mouthed. -“Great smoke, sonny,” he drawled, “yer look -as if yer was th’ one thet had met a bar, not -us.”</p> - -<p>“I have, Jim, I have! It’s in there!” -yelped Billy.</p> - -<p>The guide peeped into the hollow, and a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>235]</a></span> -long drawn whistle of astonishment escaped -him. Then abruptly his face sobered and he -cast an apprehensive glance back at the forest.</p> - -<p>“Must hev been three cubs,” he said, reaching -in and catching the whimpering little bear -by the scruff of the neck. “Bars don’t generally -hev but two, but I’ve heerd say thet -sometimes they has three. This leetle chap -must hev strayed off while his mother was -a-clawin’ fer thet honey. I reckon we better -be movin’ right along. It ain’t goin’ t’ be no -ways healthy round these parts when Mrs. -Bar misses this leetle chap.”</p> - -<p>Wrapping the cub in Billy’s jacket once -more Big Jim set the pace for camp at a rate -that kept the smaller boys on a dog trot, not -without many a fearful glance behind them.</p> - -<p>Camp was reached safely, where the news -of Billy’s capture spread like wild-fire, and -for once he found himself the hero he had so -often pictured himself; wherever he went he -was the center of an admiring group.</p> - -<p>The doctor was petitioned in a round robin -signed by every member of the camp for -permission to keep the cub as a pet. This -was granted, and “Honey,” as he was called, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>236]</a></span> -soon became one of the most important -members of Woodcraft, where his droll antics -were a constant source of amusement.</p> - -<p>The Delawares were jubilant, for Billy’s -prize scored them fifty points, and when a -few days later the second bee tree was successfully -lined out and this time the honey -obtained without adventure, Billy’s popularity -was secure for all time, for this also added -fifty points, as he had foreseen it would.</p> - -<p>“He was a harum-scarum before, and this -sure will be the ruin of him,” Woodhull bewailed -to his chum, Seaforth.</p> - -<p>But Woodhull was wrong. There was a -change in Billy. He was the same lovable, -light-hearted boy as before, but the careless, -reckless spirit that had so often led him into -mischief was lacking. For the first time he -seemed to have a serious purpose in life. -And it dated back to the morning after the -lonely night in the forest. Billy was finding -himself.</p> - -<p>“I reckon he did hear a bar thet night,” -said Big Jim to the doctor as they discussed -Billy’s episode with the cub. And Billy -knows he did.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>237]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap14" id="chap14"></a>CHAPTER XIV<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">THE SUPREME TEST</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Half-way</span> between Woodcraft and the -Durant lumber camp the trail crosses -Speckled Brook, once a noted trout stream -famed for the size of the spotted beauties that -lurked in the black depths of its pools, or -hung on the edge of its boiling rapids watching -for the unfortunate grub or fly struggling -helplessly on the shimmering surface of its -swift current. Persistent whipping day in -and day out through the open seasons by -anglers whose creed is little more than greed -has robbed it of its fame for big strings, and -the ruthless destruction of cover on its watersheds -by the axe of the lumbermen has so reduced -its water supply that a note of pathos -has crept into the sweetness of its song and -sadly marred the beauty of its forest setting.</p> - -<p>Yet even now there is an indescribable -charm about Speckled Brook, and in some -of the deeper pools are finny warriors worthy -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>238]</a></span> -the skill and patience of lovers of the rod. -Walter never could come within sound of its -purling song without experiencing an irresistible -desire to linger.</p> - -<p>It was calling to him now as with noiseless -step he strode along the trail toward the -Durant camp. Since his trip to Lonesome -Pond he had continually practiced “still -walking,” whenever the opportunity offered. -It had been the chief incentive for many a -morning tramp. He had become fairly proficient -by now, and on an ordinary trail -walked with freedom and ease without giving -conscious thought to his feet. Twice he had -surprised deer and frequently approached -smaller game to within close range of observation -before they became aware of his presence. -Each success brought with it a sense -of growing skill, a feeling that in time he -might fairly hope to pit his trained knowledge -against the wonderful senses of the wild -life around him with the advantage not -wholly on their side.</p> - -<p>Now as he came within sound of Speckled -Brook he quickened his step that he might -linger for a few minutes on the log bridge -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>239]</a></span> -over which the trail ran. It was hidden -from his view by a sharp turn so that he was -almost upon it before he became aware that -someone was before him.</p> - -<p>Seated on a stringer of the bridge, his face -buried in his arms, was a khaki and flannel -clad figure. An expensive split-bamboo rod -lay beside him unheeded, the tip jerking up -and down in a way that evidenced something -more than the current tugging at the end of -the line. It was a pathetic figure, contrasting -strangely with the joy of the beautiful -morning. Now and then there was a heave -to the drooping shoulders, while a muffled -sob mingled with the song of the brook.</p> - -<p>Walter paused, irresolute. He had recognized -Harrison at the first glance, and his -heart went out to the boy who had sought the -sanctuary of the wilderness to give way to his -misery where none should see. With an inborn -delicacy of feeling Walter turned softly, -and without a sound stole back up the trail -until the turn had effectually hidden him -from view. The bitterest thing in a boy’s life -is to be seen in his hour of weakness by another -boy. Somehow it seems to rob him of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>240]</a></span> -something of his manhood. Without analyzing -it in this way Walter felt that it would be -unfair to Hal to let him know that he had -been seen crying.</p> - -<p>At the end of a hundred yards or so Walter -once more turned in the direction of the -bridge, whistling shrilly. This time when he -rounded the turn Hal was on his feet rebaiting -his hook, while a ten-inch trout flapped at -his feet. His hat was pulled low over his -face, but on his cheeks were traces of tears -hastily wiped away.</p> - -<p>“Hello, Hal! What luck?” called Walter -cheerily as he approached.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know as it’s any business of yours. -You see I’m not buying ’em, anyway,” was -the surly and bitter reply.</p> - -<p>Walter flushed, and an angry retort rose to -his lips, but with it came a vision of the picture -of utter misery he had witnessed a few -minutes before. He stepped forward and held -out his hand.</p> - -<p>“Don’t, Hal,” he pleaded. “Let’s be -friends.”</p> - -<p>“You don’t want me for a friend; nobody -does,” growled the other.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>241]</a></span> -“Hal, I came pretty near punching your -head once, or trying to, anyway. Now I am -coming back at you. When you say that I -don’t want you for a friend you are not telling -the truth. Now, are you going to punch my -head or are you going to shake hands?” -Walter once more extended his hand, all his -good humor restored.</p> - -<p>Slowly the other reached forth and gripped -it. “I—I guess I’ll shake,” he said, a sheepish -smile twitching at the corners of his -mouth. Then he pushed back his hat and -faced Walter squarely. “It’s mighty white of -you, Walt,” he blurted out hurriedly. “I do -want you for a friend. I guess I need friends -if any fellow ever did. Nobody’s got any use -for me back there,” nodding in the direction -of the camp, “and I can’t get away, because -I haven’t anywhere to go. You see, my folks -are all in Europe for the summer. I’m stuck -here, and I’ve got to stay.”</p> - -<p>“I’m glad of it,” said Walter heartily.</p> - -<p>“Wh-what do you mean?” demanded Hal.</p> - -<p>“Just what I say,” replied the other. “I’m -glad of it. You’ve got in wrong here with -the camp. If you went away now you’d -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>242]</a></span> -always be in wrong with the whole crowd. -Maybe you think that if you got away and -never came back it wouldn’t matter what -the fellows think, but it would. They’d always -remember you, not for what you really -are but for what they think you are, and no -matter how great a success you might make -when you grow up you’d know all the time -that a lot of people didn’t believe in you. -You’ve made a lot of mistakes. Now you’ve -got a chance to correct ’em right where you -made ’em. You can’t forget ’em yourself, and -don’t want to, but you can make the other -fellows forget ’em; and they will, too, if you’ll -give ’em a chance.</p> - -<p>“Your dad’s got a lot of money, and I guess -you’ve grown up to think that money is the -only thing that counts. I s’pose it does count -for a lot in the city, but out here in the woods it -doesn’t count a little bit. It’s the fellow himself, -the stuff that’s in him, and not what he’s -got. You forget all about your dad, I mean -his money, and sail in for everything that’s -doin’ here, and you’ll find that the boys will -meet you more’n half-way. Gee, I’m getting -to be a regular preacher!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>243]</a></span> -Hal laughed, the first genuine laugh he had -had for many a long day. “It’s the best sermon -I ever heard, Walt,” he said. His jaw -suddenly shot forward in set lines. “By -George, I believe you are right, and I’m going -to fight it out right here!—If you’ll help me,” -he added wistfully.</p> - -<p>“Sure I’ll help!” replied Walter heartily, -“and so will the rest of the fellows, if you’ll -give ’em a chance.”</p> - -<p>Hal gazed at the brook thoughtfully for a -few minutes. “I—I hardly know how to begin,” -he said hesitatingly.</p> - -<p>“Go hunt up Chief Avery of the Senecas -and tell him that you know you’ve made a -mess of things and that you want to square -yourself with the tribe and with the rest of the -fellers. He’ll help you out, and tell you what -to do. He’s white all through,” advised -Walter.</p> - -<p>“I know he is,” admitted Hal. “He’s -been mighty decent to me. I guess if it -hadn’t been for him the other fellows would -have refused to speak to me at all. I wish—I -wish there was some way I could make up -some of those points the tribe lost when I was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>244]</a></span> -found out. I can’t do it fishing, for honest, -Walt, I don’t know the fishing grounds at -all. I tried to bribe Pat Malone to tell me -where he caught those big fish, but he knew -which side his bread was buttered. Said he’d -catch ’em for me, but I couldn’t make him -loosen up and show me where I could catch -’em myself. There’s one fellow in the woods -that money talks to all right, all right! He -knew that as long as I had to have the points -I’d pay for ’em, and he held me up a little -stiffer each time. I don’t see what got into -him to come peach on me. Did—did you -put him up to it?”</p> - -<p>Hal had the grace to blush as he asked the -question, and before Walter could reply he -hastened to apologize. “I know you didn’t. -At first I was sure you did. I guess I was -pretty sore. I thought you had it in for -me, and I wouldn’t blame you a little bit if -you had had. But I don’t see now what -struck Pat. Do you know, I’ve always had -more’n half a suspicion that he stole Mother -Merriam’s pin. I guess he could tell something -about it if he was pinned right down -to it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>245]</a></span> -“Forget it, Hal,” Walter broke in. “You -and most of the other fellows have got Pat -sized up all wrong. I don’t know who stole -the pin, but I do know it wasn’t Pat Malone. -I tell you that there isn’t a Scout in Woodcraft -Camp that right down in his heart is -whiter than Pat. Oh, he’s tough, but that’s -because he’s never had half a show. I didn’t -know a thing about his comin’ into camp to -see the big chief until it was all over. He -did it because he’s just begun to learn a few -things about honor and what honor means. -Fact is, Hal, I was up against it on this honor -business myself. I didn’t want to blab on -you, and yet it wasn’t fair to the other fellows -to let you go on scoring when I knew that -you weren’t getting the points on the level. -I was fishing with Pat that morning and he -found what was troubling me. He didn’t say -a word, but while I was off in the woods that -afternoon he took a quick sneak into camp, -and you know the result.”</p> - -<p>Hal nodded grimly.</p> - -<p>“I tell you, Pat did a big thing,” continued -Walter. “Money doesn’t grow on every bush -in these woods, and those few dollars Pat got -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>246]</a></span> -from you meant more to him than a thousand -dollar check would to you or me. And I -don’t think he did it just for me, either. I -think he saw that you were playing it low -down mean on the other fellows, and he began -to see that by keeping mum and taking the -money he was a party to it. Pat came in and -told, to clear himself in his own mind. I tell -you he has the Scout idea all right, and he’s -got it straight. I don’t believe I’d have had -the sand to do what he did.”</p> - -<p>The expression on Hal’s face had changed -curiously as Walter spoke. He was seeing -things in a light that he had never seen them -before, getting a new perspective of life.</p> - -<p>“Walt, did Pat show you his fishing -ground?” he asked abruptly.</p> - -<p>“No, I stumbled on it myself.”</p> - -<p>The other laughed a little embarrassed -laugh. “I just wanted to be sure,” he replied. -“I’ve tried mighty hard to fool myself -into believing that you succeeded in -bribing Pat where I failed, perhaps not with -money, but in some way. I heard all about -how you licked him the morning you got -here and I thought that—that maybe -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>247]</a></span> -you—you——” he paused and flushed painfully.</p> - -<p>“You thought that I promised Pat another -licking if he didn’t show me where the fish -are,” Walter finished for him.</p> - -<p>“Something of that sort,” admitted Hal. -“I didn’t really believe it, but I wanted to, -and I guess I tried mighty hard. But all the -time I knew you were on the level and—and -it made me sore to have you beat me twice -with fish when I’d risked so much to win the -points.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s all past, and we’ll let the past -dig its own grave and bury itself,” said Walter. -“We’re both on the level now, and we’re -goin’ to stay there. I’d let you in on that -fishin’ ground, only when I found it I found -Pat there and I promised him not to tell a -soul. Isn’t there somethin’ else you’re interested -in that you can go in for points on?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” replied Hal thoughtfully. -“I like to paddle pretty well.”</p> - -<p>“Great!” cried Walter. “Go in for it, and -go in hard. You know I’m out for the quarter-mile -swim. Pluggin’ at it every day. You -do the same thing with your paddling. Get -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>248]</a></span> -next to Avery and tell him what you want to -do and that you really mean it. He’ll get a -coach for you before you can turn ’round. -The Senecas need every point they can get, -and Avery knows it. You see the Delawares -are just naturally goin’ to trim you fellows,” -concluded Walter with a grin.</p> - -<p>“They sure would if there were any more -Senecas like me,” said Hal mournfully. Then -his face cleared, and he began to reel in his -line. “I’m goin’ straight back to camp now -and hunt up Avery and ask for a chance to -make good!”</p> - -<p>“That’s the stuff!” cried Walter heartily. -“Here’s luck to you, old man! I’m awfully -glad we’re friends at last. I’m off to the -Durant camp. Got a permit this morning. -Never was in a real logging camp, and Pat’s -goin’ to show me the whole thing. Keep a -stiff upper lip!”</p> - -<p>The boys shook hands warmly, and while -Walter with a light step and lighter heart hit -the trail for the lumber camp Hal resolutely -set his face toward Woodcraft. It was not an -easy thing that lay before him. It was hard, -bitterly hard. He had not realized how hard -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>249]</a></span> -until he had left Walter and faced the thing -alone. Never in his whole pampered life had -he had to stand alone on his own feet. Now -he faced the severest test a boy can face. -Dimly he realized that it was a crisis in his -life—a call to his manhood. Could he meet -it? Could he?</p> - -<p>“I will! I will! I will!” he repeated -over and over. “I will! I will! I will!” -Presently he began to run, fearing that his -courage would fail him before he could find -Avery and make a clean breast of matters. -When he came in sight of the camp he slowed -down. It was going to be even harder than -he had thought. Perhaps Avery wouldn’t be -there. He found himself hoping that he -wouldn’t. Was it really necessary after all to -so humiliate himself? Perhaps if he waited -a little he could do some big thing that would -win the fellows over to him. Other fellows -were all the time doing things, why shouldn’t -he? There was Billy Buxby with his bee -trees and bear. Why couldn’t he do something -big like that?</p> - -<p>Hal was fighting a battle, the hardest battle -that boy or man is ever called to engage in—a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>250]</a></span> -battle with self, a fight to a finish for the -right to look himself in the face without -blushing, a fight for his manhood. Beads of -cold perspiration broke out on his forehead. -And then he looked up and saw Avery standing -in front of the wigwam. The battle would -be won or lost in the next few minutes.</p> - -<p>For an instant he faltered. Then his jaw -shot forward in hard set lines as it had back -there in the woods with Walter. “I will! I -will! I will!” he muttered. Somehow with -every repetition of those little words the way -seemed easier. And then in a flash came the -idea for the supreme test of the manhood -within struggling to come into its own. He -began to run once more, to run away from the -coward striving to hold him back, from the -Hal Harrison he had known so long, that the -whole camp knew.</p> - -<p>“Chief,” he panted, saluting Avery, “may -I—may I see you alone for a few minutes?”</p> - -<p>Avery led the way into the deserted wigwam. -What passed there is known only to -the two lads themselves. When they came -out the face of the younger boy was pale, but -it bore a look of fixed resolve, and there were -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>251]</a></span> -lines of character which had wiped out much -of the old weakness.</p> - -<p>“You are quite sure you want to do this -thing, Hal? You know it is not necessary,” -said the chief.</p> - -<p>“Yes it is necessary—for me,” replied Hal -firmly, “and I’ve simply got to do it for—for -myself.”</p> - -<p>After evening mess Chief Avery requested -the Senecas to remain for a few minutes, and -after the Hurons had filed out he briefly announced -that one of their number wished to -say a few words.</p> - -<p>Hal rose and faced his comrades. His knees -shook so that he could hardly stand, and little -streams of perspiration trickled down his -face. But there was that new set to the -jaw, and though he gulped painfully once or -twice, he plunged into the task he had set -himself.</p> - -<p>“Fellow Scouts,” he began, “I—I want to -apologize to all of you for what I have done -and for the disgrace I’ve brought on the tribe. -I’m sorry. I didn’t realize what I was doin’. -I knew that the fellows didn’t like me, and—and -I wanted to be popular,” he blundered -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>252]</a></span> -on. “I thought if I scored a lot of points for -the tribe that maybe I should be and—and I -didn’t see any other way. I’ve made an awful -mess of things, and I see it now. I’d like a -chance to start over again, and—and maybe -really do something for the tribe. I—I—want -to make good and—and have some friends -among the fellows,” he ended lamely.</p> - -<p>He sat down weakly, and buried his face on -his arms. At a sign from the chief the tribe -filed out quietly. When the last one had -gone he walked over and put his hand on the -bowed head at the end of the table. “Hal,” -he said gently, “you have made good. That -was the bravest act I’ve ever seen in Woodcraft -Camp. We’re prouder to have you a -Seneca than we would be to win that deer’s -head. That was the supreme test, and we’re -proud, all of us, to have a fellow tribesman -with the sand to meet it as you have done. -You’ll find that you have won your friends, -boy.”</p> - -<p>Later, when Hal had recovered his self-possession -somewhat and went out among his -comrades, he found that it was as Avery had -said. On all sides were friendly hands to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>253]</a></span> -greet him, and in a quiet unobtrusive way his -fellow Scouts made it clear to him that at last -he was one of them. He had already made -good.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>254]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap15" id="chap15"></a>CHAPTER XV<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">CRAFTY MIKE</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Walter parted from Hal at Speckled -Brook he quickened his pace to make up for -lost time. Presently he came in sight of the -Durant camp. Pat Malone, whose official -capacity at the camp was that of “chore boy,” -was on his way to the spring with a couple of -empty pails. His usual good-natured grin -lighted his face at Walter’s approach.</p> - -<p>“Oi’d begun t’ think ye was afther fergittin’ -ye had an ingagement wid yer frind av -th’ woods,” he called.</p> - -<p>“Hello, Pat! Sorry I’m late,” replied -Walter, offering to carry one of the pails.</p> - -<p>Pat waved him aside. “Shure, wud ye be -takin’ th’ bread an’ butter out av the mouth -av a poor worrkin’ man?” he demanded. -“’Tis me job fer which Oi draws me pay, an’ -now Oi’ve lost me market fer fish Oi’m -thinkin’ Oi’d best be shure av me shtupendous -sal’ry.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>255]</a></span> -He picked up the pails brimming with cold -spring water and started for the rear of the -main cabin, whence the voice of “Cookie” -could be heard commanding him to hurry, and -heaping anathemas upon him for a lazy, good-for-nothing -ne’er-do-well.</p> - -<p>Pat winked. “Dogs that bark be afther -havin’ poor teeth,” said he. “Oi’ll be wid ye -in a minute.”</p> - -<p>He was as good as his word, and was soon -ready to play the host. Walter found the -camp similar in arrangement to Woodcraft. -It lacked the refinements of the latter, but -was snug and comfortable, exactly adapted to -the needs of the rough men to whom it was -“home” the greater part of the year. When -they had thoroughly inspected the cabins, -stable and shop Pat suggested that they visit -the present “cutting.” This Walter was most -anxious to do, for he had never witnessed -actual logging operations.</p> - -<p>The trail was rough but well built, for upon -the character of the trail depends much of the -lumberman’s success in getting his logs to the -water. A poorly built trail means costly -waste of time, energy and strength of man and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>256]</a></span> -beast when the time comes for getting the cut -down to the driving point. Wherever the -trail dipped to low or swampy ground logs had -been laid with their sides touching one another. -This is called a corduroy road, and is -the only practical and effective method of -preventing horses and wagons miring in low, -swampy ground. Such a trail is rough traveling -in dry weather, but when the heavy snows -of winter have covered it and have been packed -down and iced it forms an ideal slide for the -lumber bobs with their huge loads of logs.</p> - -<p>The trail gradually led up the lower slopes -of Old Scraggy, and some two miles from the -camp the boys came upon one of the crews at -work. The crash of falling trees, the rasp of -saws, the sharp ringing blows of axes biting -into hard wood, the shouting of rough voices -and now and then a snatch of rude song proclaimed -that the work of destruction was in -full blast.</p> - -<p>The scene was one of intense interest to the -city boy, and quite upset his preconceived -ideas of how trees are felled. “Why, I -thought they chopped trees down!” he exclaimed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>257]</a></span> -“Not whin they’ve a good saw an’ two good -byes fer th’ inds av it,” said Pat.</p> - -<p>They walked over to where a couple of saw -men were preparing to cut a great pine. -There was a fascination in watching the huge -cross-cut saw with its double hand grasp at -each end eat its way into the trunk of the -great tree, the two men swaying back and -forth in perfect rhythm, broken only when it -became necessary to drive in the wedges that -kept the saw from binding and that would -eventually send the tree crashing down on the -exact spot that they had picked out for it.</p> - -<p>Soon there came the warning snap of breaking -fibers, the great tree swayed slightly, -leaned ever so little and then, as with a shout -for all hands to stand clear the saw men sprang -back, it slowly and majestically swung forward -until, gathering speed, it fell with a -mighty crash, carrying down several small -trees that stood in its path, and shivering its -upper branches as it struck the earth.</p> - -<p>It seemed to Walter as if it had hardly struck -before the axemen were upon it, their great -double edged axes flashing in the sun as they -stripped off branch and stub until in an -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>258]</a></span> -incredibly short time it lay shorn of its glory, a -huge bare pole fit to be the mast of one of the -Yankee clippers that were once the pride of -the American marine.</p> - -<p>But no such honor awaited it. Another -team of sawyers attacked it at once, cutting -it into mill lengths. Then came “Jim.” Jim, -so Pat proudly claimed, was “some hoss.” -Clanking at his heels was a stout chain ending -in a sharp heavy hook. This was driven -into one end of one of the logs and then at a -word from his master—one could hardly say -driver, for there were no reins—the big horse -set his neck into his collar and guided solely -by the “gee” and “haw” of shouted command -dragged his burden down to the skidway -where the logs were piled to await the coming -of snow. It was wonderful to see with what -intelligence the horse picked his way through -the tangled brush, and it was equally wonderful -to see the lumber-jacks at the skidway -catch the great log with their peaveys and -roll it up to the very top of the huge pile already -on the skids.</p> - -<p>A rough lot, these lumbermen, of many -nationalities, English, Irish, Scotch, French -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>259]</a></span> -“canucks,” a half-breed or two, and some who -boasted that they were pure “Yank.” They -were rough in looks and rough of speech, -ready to fight at the drop of a hat, but warm-hearted, -loyal to a fault to their employers, -ever ready for work or frolic. Rough indeed, -but theirs is a rough life. They took a kindly -interest in Walter, explaining the many things -he found so strange, and it was with real regret -that he finally took the back trail.</p> - -<p>And it was with something of sadness too, -for he was a true lover of nature and there -was something tragic in the crashing of those -great trees and the despoiling of the great -forest.</p> - -<p>But Pat left him little time for thoughts of -this kind. Producing a bag of the famous -cookies of which Walter had once had a sample -through the agency of Chip Harley, Pat kept -up a running fire of comment on his camp -mates, while they munched the crisp brown -wafers.</p> - -<p>As they sighted the camp the cook was -hanging a wash. Pat’s eyes twinkled with -mischief. Motioning Walter to follow him -he stole in back of the stable. “Shure ’tis -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>260]</a></span> -meself that clane forgot to inthrodush ye to -th’ most important number av Durant camp,” -he whispered. “Shtay here till yez see some -fun.”</p> - -<p>He slipped into the stable, and in a few -minutes was back, leaving the door open. -Peeping around the corner Walter saw a crow -walk out with the stately step of his tribe. -“’Tis Crafty Moike!” whispered Pat.</p> - -<p>The black rascal stood for a minute or two -blinking in the sun. Then he flew up on the -stable roof, where he appeared to have no -interest in anything in the world save the -proper preening and dressing of his feathers. -In the meantime the cook finished hanging -out his wash to dry and turned back to the -cabin. Hardly was he inside the door when -Crafty Mike spread his wings and without a -sound flew over to the clothes-line, where he -quickly and deftly pulled out every pin, giving -each a throw to one side.</p> - -<p>When the last pin was out and half the -wash lay on the ground he flew swiftly to a -tall pine on the far side of the clearing, cawing -derisively as he went. It was plain that -“Cookie” knew only too well what the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>261]</a></span> -sound of that raucous voice meant. With a -pot in one hand and a dish towel in the other -he rushed from the cabin pouring out a perfect -flood of vituperation and invective on his -black tormentor, while behind the stable Pat -fairly hugged himself with glee.</p> - -<p>“Caw, caw, Billee, Billee! Caw, caw, -caw!” shouted Mike, sidling back and forth -along a bare limb of the pine, evidently in -huge enjoyment of the joke.</p> - -<p>“Oi shplit his tongue so he talks a little, -and Billy is the cook’s name,” whispered Pat, -noting the look of amazement on Walter’s -face when he heard the crow speak.</p> - -<p>“Caw, caw, Billee, Billee!” Mike was -quite beside himself with enjoyment as he -watched the angry cook pick up the fallen -clothes, which he was too wise to rehang -while the black rascal was at liberty. Besides, -many of them must be returned to the -tub.</p> - -<p>“I’ll blow your blasted head off, that’s what -I will!” shouted the cook furiously as he disappeared -in the cabin with the last of the -wash. In a moment he was out again with -a shotgun in his hands. Walter grabbed Pat -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>262]</a></span> -by one arm. “You’re not going to let him -shoot, are you, Pat?” he asked in real alarm.</p> - -<p>Pat chuckled. “Don’t yez worry about -Moike,” he said. “’Tis not fer nothin’ Oi -named him Crafty. He knows a gun as well -as Oi do, an’ just how far it will carry.”</p> - -<p>The cook was now sneaking toward the pine, -apparently quite unconscious that he was all -the time in plain view of his would-be victim. -Mike waited until he was half-way there, then -spread his wings. The cook threw up the gun -and blazed away with both barrels, though the -range was hopelessly long, while Mike’s derisive, -“Caw, caw, Billee, Billee!” floated back -from the shelter of a thick clump of hemlocks -beyond.</p> - -<p>“But won’t the cook get Mike when he -comes back?” Walter asked with real concern.</p> - -<p>“Moike won’t come back to-night unless Oi -call him,” replied Pat. “’Tis a woise burrd -he be afther bein’! Whin Oi go in Oi’ll tell -cookie how much the byes will enjoy th’ joke -whin they come in. He’ll shware a bit an’ -thin he’ll be afther beggin’ me not to say a -wurrd about it. Oi’ll promise if he’ll promise -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>263]</a></span> -to lave Moike alone, an’ that’ll be th’ ind av it -till nixt toime.” It was evident that Pat and -Mike knew their man and were wise with the -wisdom of experience.</p> - -<p>“Moike is a great burrd,” continued Pat. -“He’s as full av tricks as a dog is av fleas, an’ -th’ wurst thafe in three counties, bad cess ter -him. He’d shtale th’ shmoile off yez face if -it was broight enough an’ he could pry it -loose. He’d follow me into th’ prisince av th’ -saints. Oi have ter shut him up whiniver Oi -lave th’ camp or, glory be, he’ll be taggin’ -along an’ mebbe gettin’ me in all sorts av -throuble. But Oi love th’ ould rascal just th’ -same.”</p> - -<p>At Pat’s mention of Mike’s thieving proclivities -a startling thought flashed into Walter’s -mind. Had he at last found the long lost clue?</p> - -<p>“Pat,” he broke in abruptly, “did Mike -ever follow you to Woodcraft?”</p> - -<p>Pat scratched his head in an effort to remember. -“Oi couldn’t say,” he replied. “Oi -think loikely, fer there’s few places he hasn’t -followed me.”</p> - -<p>“Would he follow you there now if you’d -let him?” asked Walter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>264]</a></span> -“Shure! Oi couldn’t lose him if he wance -saw me hittin’ th’ trail.”</p> - -<p>“Can you call him now?” pursued Walter.</p> - -<p>“Sure!” Pat answered promptly.</p> - -<p>“Listen, Pat,” said Walter eagerly, and he -hurriedly told Pat all about the loss of Mother -Merriam’s pin, discreetly omitting all reference -to the suspicion against Pat himself so long -entertained at the camp.</p> - -<p>“Th’ dirthy thafe!” broke in Pat indignantly. -“Now who could it be, Oi wonder! -None av th’ byes here wud do a thrick loike -thot, and yez say there was no sthrangers in -camp. But what has all this got to do with -Moike?”</p> - -<p>“I’m coming to that,” said Walter. “Maybe -it hasn’t anything to do with him. That’s -what I want to find out. Maybe you don’t -remember coming into camp on an errand -that morning and visiting Dr. Merriam’s -office, but you did. Now, if Mike had been -following you, and had seen that pin on the -window sill would he have been likely to have -picked it up and carried it off?”</p> - -<p>“As sure as little pigs has curly tails,” -replied Pat with conviction. “Oh, th’ -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>265]</a></span> -villain! It’s mesilf will wring th’ black neck av -him with me own hands wance Oi git thim on -him!” he exclaimed, a realizing sense of the -situation and the position in which he had -been placed dawning on him. “’Tis a wonder -yez didn’t arrist me fer th’ thafe, and Oi -wud not have blamed ye at all, at all! Just -lave me get th’ two hands av me on that -burrd! Sure his heart be as black as his -coat!”</p> - -<p>Walter laughed. “Wait a while, Pat, wait -a while,” he said. “We don’t know yet that -Mike had anything to do with it. Now here’s -my plan: You call Mike so that he can see -us start down the trail to Woodcraft. Then -you go with me until we get almost in sight -of the camp. I’ll leave you there and go -ahead. I’ll get a bright button or something -and put it on the window sill of Mother -Merriam’s window and then get out of sight. -Then I’ll whistle three times and you come -along in as if you had an errand at the office. -Go right by the window and around to the -front door, where I’ll meet you. Then we’ll -watch Mike and see what he does.”</p> - -<p>“Walter, me bye, ’tis a great nut yez have -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>266]</a></span> -on the two shoulders av yez!” exclaimed Pat -admiringly. “We’ll do ut.”</p> - -<p>He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled -shrilly. At once there was an answering caw -from the distant hemlocks, and Mike appeared -winging his way toward them but, with the -canny wisdom which had earned him his -name, giving the cabin a wide berth. He -dropped down to Pat’s shoulder at once, -where he jabbered in crow talk as if telling -Pat all about his joke on the cook, all the time -studying Walter with eyes so bright and sharp -as to make the boy almost uncomfortable.</p> - -<p>Without further delay they started for -Woodcraft, the crow riding on Pat’s shoulder -or occasionally flying a short distance ahead. -At the edge of the woods Pat sat down to wait -while Walter hurried ahead. Hunting through -his ditty bag he found a bright brass button -and hurried over to the office. Fortunately -no one was about. Putting the button on the -sill where the pin had been left the morning -of its disappearance he slipped around in front -and gave Pat the signal.</p> - -<p>Pat came at once, but Mike, distrustful of -the camp or perhaps plotting mischief, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>267]</a></span> -lingered behind. Pat passed the window and -joined Walter in front of the office. Then -they cautiously peeped around the corner to -watch Mike. As soon as he discovered that -Pat was out of sight he quickened his flight -and winged his way directly toward the rear -of the office. The two boys watching could -see him turn his head from side to side as he -flew, his bright eyes scanning everything in -sight. When he reached a point abreast of -and above the window he made an abrupt half -circle, dropped down to the sill as silently as -a shadow, seized the button and then, mounting -high, winged his way in strong swift flight -“as straight as the crow flies” for Durant -camp.</p> - -<p>“The black scoundrel!” murmured Pat. -“The black-hearted thafe!”</p> - -<p>It was too late for Walter to think of returning -to the lumber camp that afternoon, -and he had an engagement the next morning -at nine.</p> - -<p>“Lave it to me,” said Pat. “Oi know ivery -hidin’ place av th’ ould thafe, an’ if he shtole -the pin ’tis in wan av thim this very minnut. -If thot robber took th’ pin, an’ Oi misthrust -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>268]</a></span> -he did, ’tis Pat Malone that will have it -back here by half afther eight to-morrow -marnin’.”</p> - -<p>After evening mess Walter called Tug and -Chip to one side.</p> - -<p>“I’ve got a clue,” he announced with pardonable -excitement.</p> - -<p>“What is it? Who is it?” they demanded -as one.</p> - -<p>“I’ll tell you to-morrow morning at half-past -eight,” replied Walter, and that was all -they could get out of him that night.</p> - -<p>Walter slept but poorly. He was burning -with curiosity to know the result of Pat’s -search, and he was alternately filled with joy -at the thought of being able to return the -precious pin to Mother Merriam, and torn with -the fear that Crafty Mike might have lived up -to his name and hidden his prize beyond Pat’s -reach.</p> - -<p>By eight o’clock the next morning he could -wait no longer and started up the Durant trail. -It was just before he reached Speckled Brook -that he heard Pat’s shrill whistle, and by the -sound of it he knew that there was good news. -A few minutes later Pat swung into view. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>269]</a></span> -Crafty Mike, looking abject and bedraggled, -was tucked securely under one arm, while the -free hand was jammed in a trousers pocket. -Pat’s freckled face stretched into a broad smile -as he caught sight of Walter. He drew his -hand from his pocket and spread it wide open. -There in the palm, side by side, lay Mother -Merriam’s pin and the brass button which had -proved Mike’s undoing. Walter sent forth a -joyous whoop, and did a war dance that was -expressive if not dignified.</p> - -<p>Before going to the big chief Tug and Chip -were taken into confidence and shown the pin -and the thief under pledge of secrecy. Then -Pat and Walter started for the office. In -response to Dr. Merriam’s cheery “Come in,” -the two boys entered, Walter elated and Pat -diffident. Walter had carefully prepared a -little speech, but in the excitement of the moment -it went completely out of his head. He -did remember to salute his chief, and then he -blurted out the news so fast that the words -fairly tripped over each other: “We’ve found -Mother Merriam’s pin, and we’ve found who -the thief is, and——”</p> - -<p>“Wait a minute,” interrupted the doctor, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>270]</a></span> -smiling. “What is this about Mother Merriam’s -pin?”</p> - -<p>For answer Pat extended his hand with the -pin on the broad palm. The doctor’s face -lighted with pleasure as he reached out to -take it.</p> - -<p>“But the thief?” he said. “I don’t quite -understand.”</p> - -<p>“Here he is, sor,” said Pat, thrusting forward -the protesting Mike. The doctor’s face -was a study as he bade the boys sit down and -tell him the whole story. When they had -finished he quietly questioned them until he -had drawn from Walter all that he had hitherto -kept from Pat, how the latter had been -suspected, how he had been sure that Pat was -innocent, how he had found the crow’s feather -caught in the screen, and how this fact had -come to his mind as soon as Pat had mentioned -Mike’s thieving propensities.</p> - -<p>“Upton, I want you and Malone, and Mike, -too,” he added with a whimsical smile, “to -remain here until I return.”</p> - -<p>He left the room, and a few minutes later -Walter was startled to hear the “recall” -sounded. Many of the boys had not yet left -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>271]</a></span> -camp, and the others within hearing came -hastening in. When they had all gathered -the doctor stepped out in front.</p> - -<p>“Some time ago,” he began, “the ‘recall’ -was sounded to tell you that a thief had been -in our midst, and to ask you to give of your -services in an effort to regain the pin which -had been stolen. It seemed to me that it was -quite as important to again sound the ‘recall’ -to tell you that the pin has been recovered.”</p> - -<p>He paused as a stir ran through the group -of boys, and they broke out in a hearty cheer. -“And,” he continued when quiet had been -restored, “the thief taken, and that this -happy result has been accomplished by one -of your own members. Who that member is -I am not going to tell you, but I want you to -know that I consider that in his whole course -of action he has displayed the very highest -form of scoutcraft, for he has not only apprehended -the thief and recovered the plunder, -but what is of vastly more importance, he has -removed unjust suspicion from one whose -good name not one of you has had real -cause to doubt.”</p> - -<p>He then briefly sketched the story of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>272]</a></span> -search for and the finding of the pin, no -names being mentioned, and concluded by -bringing forth the pin and Crafty Mike for -all to see.</p> - -<p>Sitting in the office Walter and Pat had -heard every word, and Walter’s face glowed -with pleasure at the doctor’s praise. He felt -that his reward had been great indeed, and -when the doctor concluded by saying that -fifty points would be credited to the Delawares -in recognition of his work, his joy was -complete.</p> - -<p>An hour later Pat Malone paused on the -trail to Durant camp to look with shining -eyes at a gold piece in his hand. “Caw,” -said Crafty Mike, looking down from his -shoulder with greedy eyes.</p> - -<p>“Shut up fer a black-hearted thafe!” -growled Pat. “Sure, ’tis me ruin an’ me -fortune that yez are loike ter be.”</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>273]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap16" id="chap16"></a>CHAPTER XVI<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">THE POACHER OF LONESOME POND</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Hal</span> and Walter stood at the landing waiting -for the launch with the day’s mail and -express matter. There had been an unfortunate -error in ordering the needed photographic -chemicals, and Walter was still in -ignorance of the results of his trip to Lonesome -Pond. As the packages were thrown -out his eye caught the familiar label of the -photographic supply house.</p> - -<p>“Hurrah!” he shouted, pouncing on the -long-looked-for package, “I’m off to get first -crack at that dark room. Want to come in -with me while I develop, Hal?”</p> - -<p>“I sure do,” was Harrison’s prompt response. -“I’m almost as anxious as you are -to know what you’ve got on those films. The -results may make a big difference to us Senecas, -you know. We can’t give the Delawares -many more points.”</p> - -<p>As they started toward the office Big Jim -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>274]</a></span> -and a stranger passed them talking earnestly. -The latter had come in the launch. He was -a man of medium build. His hair and eyes -were gray, the latter clear and keen. There -was nothing to especially distinguish him -from the general run of guides of that region.</p> - -<p>“Who is he?” asked Hal of Billy Buxby, -who had saluted the stranger.</p> - -<p>“Game warden,” replied Billy, briefly. -“Been a lot of deer shootin’ round these -diggings, so they say, and the big chief has -been trying for some time to get the warden -up here. Now he’s here I reckon there’ll be -something doing.”</p> - -<p>Walter thought of his experience at Lonesome -Pond, and wondered if the warden -would go in there. As the boys passed -through the office to the dark room Dr. -Merriam, Big Jim and the warden were in -earnest conversation.</p> - -<p>“Whom do you suspect, Jim?” It was -the warden who spoke.</p> - -<p>“Red Pete,” replied the guide promptly. -“But yer understand I ain’t got a mite o’ -proof. Ain’t seen hide nor har o’ him, but -I’ve seen signs thet spells Red Pete t’ me. O’ -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>275]</a></span> -course some o’ th’ boys up t’ th’ camp will go -out and get a piece o’ meat once in a while, -but thet ain’t doin’ no great harm.”</p> - -<p>“It ought to be stopped, Jim!” the doctor -broke in sharply. “The law is law, meant for -the lumber-jack just as much as for the city -sportsman. I have no patience with this attitude -of the natives that the law is made for -the other fellows, not for them. Either the -laws should be wiped off the statute books or -they should be enforced to the letter without -discrimination or favor.”</p> - -<p>“Thet may be so, doctor, but folks ’round -here don’t sense it thet way,” replied Big Jim. -“Anyway, th’ real harm thet’s bein’ done th’ -deer is from some low down skunk thet’s too -lazy t’ do honest work an’ is jes’ shootin’ fer -th’ lumber camps. An’ if it ain’t Red Pete -may I never sight another rifle! Nobody -knows whar he is, or if they do they won’t -tell. You git yer hands on Red Pete, and -this deer shootin’ will stop.”</p> - -<p>The boys passed into the dark room and -heard no more. Walter at once prepared his -developer and also a fresh supply of hypo, for -he was resolved that no precaution should be -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>276]</a></span> -neglected to get all that might be in the negatives.</p> - -<p>“Going to use tank development?” asked -Hal.</p> - -<p>“No,” replied Walter, “I’m not. Ordinarily -I should, but I’m going to give each of -these films separate treatment, and develop -each for all that it holds. You know I want -another fifty points,” he added.</p> - -<p>The daylight subjects were developed first -and, with the exception of one fogged across -one corner, were all that could be desired. -Walter was particularly pleased with the results -of his first successful shots on the way in -to Lonesome Pond, and as the image of the -great blue heron rapidly increased in strength -under his skilful manipulation of the developer -he confided to Hal how his rattled nerves -had led him to miss two splendid chances -previous to the opportunity afforded by the -heron.</p> - -<p>A portrait of Big Jim holding up Walter’s -double catch of trout would have been hard -to improve, and Hal, looking over the other’s -shoulder, blushed as he recalled the big trout -he had bought only to be beaten by the catch -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>277]</a></span> -of which he now saw the proof growing before -his eyes.</p> - -<p>For the flashlights Walter prepared a special -developer, and as it washed over the first film -both boys bent over the tray eagerly. Almost -at once three spots, one slightly above the other -two, appeared, and these rapidly took outline -until the eager watchers could see clearly the -doe and three fawns of Lonesome Pond.</p> - -<p>“Hip, hip hurrah!” shouted Hal, slapping -Walter on the back. “There are your fifty -points for the Delawares!”</p> - -<p>“Now for the last one of all,” said Walter -as, the others all in the hypo, he picked up -the negative made by the flash on the runway. -“I knew what ought to be on the others, -but I don’t know what ought to be on this -except that it ought to be a deer.”</p> - -<p>He bent impatiently over the tray, gently -rocking the developer back and forth over the -negative. Presently he looked up, and in the -dim ruby light Hal could see a puzzled frown -wrinkling his forehead. “That’s the queerest -thing I ever got up against!” he exclaimed. -“I can make out the horns of a big buck, but -they seem to be all mixed up with the figure -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>278]</a></span> -of a man. If I hadn’t taken such mighty good -care of these films I’d say that it was a case of -double exposure. Must be that I had another -case of rattles, and forgot to pull the tab of the -one made just before the flashlight, and so -made the latter right on top of the former. -Yet this doesn’t act like an over-exposed negative, -and a double exposure would be an over-exposure. -Oh, well, I give it up! We’ll see -what it looks like when it comes out of the -hypo. Here it goes in. Now open that door, -Hal, and I’ll open the window. I’m about -roasted.”</p> - -<p>Hal threw open the door and the two boys -stepped out into the office. The doctor was -still there, but Big Jim and the warden were -nowhere to be seen. At the sound of the -opening door the doctor looked up.</p> - -<p>“We beg your pardon, doctor, and hope that -we haven’t disturbed you,” said Walter.</p> - -<p>“Not in the least, Upton,” he replied smilingly. -“I presume you have been developing -those Lonesome Pond negatives, and to tell -you the truth I am almost as anxious to see -them as you are yourself. You see Big Jim -has told me all about that trip, and he was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>279]</a></span> -positively enthusiastic over the flashing of the -three deer.”</p> - -<p>The doctor came over to the dark room and -stepped in. “I presume they are about fixed -by this time,” he said, dipping his hand into -the fixing bath and taking out a negative. He -held it to the light and examined it critically. -“Just a trifle over time, don’t you think, Upton? -Still it is an excellent negative, and the -composition is admirable. Hello, what’s this?” -He had dropped the first one into a tray of -running water and had picked up a second -which he was turning round and round in his -hands as if he hardly knew which was top and -which was bottom. “Ha, I have it!” An -expression of perplexity passed over his face -and his brows puckered. “What’s this, Upton?” -he asked. “I didn’t hear anything -about any such photo as this.”</p> - -<p>Walter stepped behind him and looked at -the negative the doctor was holding to the -light. At first he could make nothing of it -but a tangle of foliage. Then suddenly he -saw against this background the figure of a -man stooping beneath the burden of the -body of a deer across his shoulders. Walter’s -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>280]</a></span> -mouth gaped foolishly as he studied the -negative.</p> - -<p>“What does it mean, Upton?” the doctor -repeated, a twinkle in his eyes as he saw the -boy’s vacant look.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know, sir,” replied Walter truthfully -enough.</p> - -<p>“But the negative is yours, isn’t it?” persisted -the doctor.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir. No, sir. That is—why, of -course it must be mine,” replied Walter confusedly. -“I don’t understand it at all, sir.”</p> - -<p>“How many flashlights did you make?”</p> - -<p>“Two; the one of the three deer and the -one on the run. This——” He paused as it -flashed over him for the first time that this -was a flashlight negative.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said the doctor with a quizzical -smile, “this is one of them. And as it certainly -isn’t the one of the three deer it is the -one on the run.”</p> - -<p>“But—but what does it mean?” asked -Hal, looking over the shoulders of the others.</p> - -<p>“It means,” said the doctor gravely, “that -Upton has secured the evidence that will convict -the poacher of Lonesome Pond.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>281]</a></span> -He dropped the film back in the fixing -bath. “I see it is not quite clear yet. Fix -and wash it thoroughly and then if you can, -Upton, I wish you would make a print from -this before Jim and the warden return to-night. -They have gone up to the Durant -camp to look about a bit. I must request -you both to say nothing whatever about this -matter until I give you permission. And of -course you understand that the photograph is -to be shown no one. Bring the prints to me -as soon as you have them made. If you have -time make a print from each of your other -negatives. We’ll entertain the warden on his -return.”</p> - -<p>By noon the films were dry and by three -o’clock that afternoon a complete set of prints -was in Dr. Merriam’s hands. Late in the -afternoon Big Jim and the warden returned, -and shortly after the doctor sent for -Walter.</p> - -<p>“Warden,” said he, “this is Upton, the lad -who was with Jim at Lonesome. I’ve called -him in thinking you may like to question -him a bit as to conditions at Lonesome, and -also that he may have the pleasure of showing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>282]</a></span> -you some photos in which I know you will be -interested, as will Jim also. I tell you, -warden, some of our boys are doing great -work here! It takes something more than -mere knowledge of photography to get such -pictures as these! The man behind the -camera has got to be something of a woodsman, -as I think you will admit when you have -looked these over.”</p> - -<p>As he finished speaking he handed the -package of prints to Walter face down, and -the boy, noting that they were numbered in -consecutive order, instantly realized that this -was a cue for him to show them in that order. -As one by one the prints were laid on the -desk Big Jim bent over them with all the -enthusiasm of a great overgrown boy, telling -the warden the story of each and making -comments that made Walter blush to the -roots of his hair. When the beautiful picture -of the doe and her two fawns was put before -him Jim’s delight was without bounds.</p> - -<p>The doctor smiled. “So you think that’s -pretty good, do you, Jim?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Good? It’s the best I ever see!” exclaimed -the guide.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>283]</a></span> -“Upton has one that will interest you still -more, I think, Jim. Show it, Upton.”</p> - -<p>The warden and guide leaned forward -eagerly as Walter placed the last print on the -desk. For a full minute there was absolute -stillness as the two men studied the print in -surprised astonishment. Walter will never -forget the expression on the guide’s face as he -stared first at the doctor, then at Walter and -finally back at the print, while slowly comprehension -of what it meant dawned.</p> - -<p>“What did I tell yer?” he roared, smiting -the desk with a huge fist. “What did I tell -yer? Didn’t I say it was Red Pete? Is this -evidence enough for yer, warden?”</p> - -<p>“It’s evidence enough, Jim; but say, I -haven’t got this through me yet. You didn’t -tell me anything about seeing Red Pete, let -alone taking his photograph. It’s a wonder -he didn’t put a knife in you for that.”</p> - -<p>Jim laughed. “I expect he would if he -was sure what had happened,” he replied. -“Yer see thet thar buck must hev taken one -o’ th’ other runs an’ reached th’ lake, where -Pete was laying fer him. Pete potted him, -an’ then waitin’ just long enough t’ bleed him -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>284]</a></span> -an’ take out his innards (I found ’em th’ next -mornin’) he dug out ’fore we should come -snoopin’ round. He jes’ happened t’ hit th’ -run th’ camera was on, an’ o’ course he fired -th’ flash. Oh, glory! I wish I could hev seen -his face right after thet flash! I bet every -black har on his head was standin’ on end an’ -thet Pete was reelin’ off prayers t’ every saint -he’s ever heard o’ as fast as his tongue could -go!”</p> - -<p>“I notice that he held on to the deer,” observed -the warden dryly.</p> - -<p>“You bet he did!” replied Jim. “Thet -flash jes’ naturally blinded him fer a few -minutes, an’ he couldn’t see nothin’! Then -he heered us comin’ on th’ jump an’ he didn’t -hev no time t’ look fer th’ camera an’ bust it. -He jes’ hit th’ trail double quick a-trustin’ t’ -luck thet we didn’t git nothin’.”</p> - -<p>“This is all the evidence I want,” said the -warden. “Doctor, I want you to let me have -Jim for a couple of days. I need him, for -Pete’s a slippery customer, and it’ll need two -of us to surprise him. We’ll start for Lonesome -early to-morrow morning, and the less -said about our movements the better. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>285]</a></span> -Remember, boy, mum’s the word,” he added, -turning to Walter.</p> - -<p>Jim had been studying the photograph -closely. “Whopping big buck Pete’s got -thar!” he remarked, then added sharply, -“Son, come here an’ tell me if this is a -scratch on th’ picter or if it’s in th’ picter!”</p> - -<p>The guide was pointing to a tiny white line -on the shoulder of the deer. Walter examined -it closely. “It’s in the picture,” he said -slowly. Then, a startling idea slowly forming -in his mind, he looked up at the guide, -who instantly read his thought.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said the big fellow with angry -bitterness. “It’s him. It’s the King o’ -Lonesome Pond, th’ big buck you ’n’ me -trailed thet mornin’, murdered by a half-breed -cutthroat who’d treat you ’n’ me jes’ -th’ same if he dared, an’ he could see a dollar -in it. I’m ready t’ start when you are, -warden, an’ th’ sooner I see his ugly mug -behind th’ bars th’ sooner I kin enjoy my -vittles agin.”</p> - -<p>When the name of Red Pete was first mentioned -it had sounded strangely familiar to -Walter, but try as he would he could not -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>286]</a></span> -place it. Now as he studied the photograph -he recognized the low-browed, surly axeman -who had been in the waiting room at Upper -Chain the morning of his arrival in the -woods, and there flashed through his mind -Big Jim’s characterization of Pete that morning -as the “meanest man in th’ mountains.” -How little he had dreamed that their lines -would ever cross, and now—he shivered involuntarily -as he wondered what the outcome -would be and what would happen if the outlaw -should chance to learn of the evidence -Walter now held in his hand.</p> - -<p>“I—I guess you’d better keep the film and -the prints,” he said, turning to Dr. Merriam, -and breathed easier as the doctor took them. -Then excusing himself, he hurried out to find -Hal and warn him not to breathe a word -about the second flashlight picture.</p> - -<p>Did Red Pete suspect? And if so what if -he should happen to meet him alone in the -woods? For the next few days he seldom -went far from camp, and never alone. Even -then he had the feeling of being watched, and -would turn suddenly half in fear and half in -hope that he might catch a glimpse of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>287]</a></span> -breed’s threatening face peering from some -leafy screen. Walter’s nerves were playing -him tricks. Nor did they become any easier -when the warden and Jim returned empty -handed from Lonesome Pond. They had -found plenty of traces of the poacher, in fact -had found his camp, but it was evident that -the outlaw had transferred his headquarters -elsewhere.</p> - -<p>Owing to other business the warden was -obliged to postpone the search for the time -being, but left with a promise to return at an -early date to run Pete down. In the meantime -Walter continued to feel uneasy, and the -lumber camp to enjoy fresh “veal.”</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>288]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap17" id="chap17"></a>CHAPTER XVII<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">THE HAUNTED CABIN</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“<span class="smcap">What’s</span> on this afternoon?”</p> - -<p>“Nothin’ much.”</p> - -<p>“Come on, push it out! If it’s nothin’ -much the sooner it’s out of your system the -better.”</p> - -<p>“Well, what’s the matter with a visit to -the haunted cabin? I guess we can get a -permit all right.”</p> - -<p>The speakers were Hal Harrison and -Walter. They had just met after noon mess, -and the proposal to visit the haunted cabin -came from Hal.</p> - -<p>“Great idea,” exclaimed Walter. “There’s -Chief Avery over there now! You tackle -him while I hunt up Woodhull. I’m pretty -sure he’ll let me go.”</p> - -<p>Permission was readily granted, and the two -boys at once launched a canoe, and pointing the -bow up and across the lake soon left the camp -behind. The haunted cabin was the same to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>289]</a></span> -which Walter had heard veiled allusions on -his first day in camp, and to which he supposed -he had been carried for his initiation -ordeal. Ever since then he had intended to -visit it, but until now there had never seemed -a good opportunity. It was located on the -other side of the lake some three miles up, -and was a half mile back from the water some -little distance off to one side of a lumber trail. -As it was out of bounds, it was necessary to -get permission from the chiefs in order to -visit it.</p> - -<p>“What do you know about it, Walter?” -asked Hal as they sent their light craft swiftly -over the water.</p> - -<p>“Not much except that there was a murder -or a fight or somethin’ of the kind there years -ago. Do you know anything about it?”</p> - -<p>“Only the stories that are floatin’ ’round, -and no two agree,” replied Hal. “I’ve -been kind of interested, and have run down -all the stories I could get hold of. I guess -there was a tragedy there all right, but from -all I can gather it was a fair fight, and not -a cold-blooded crime. The story that seems -to be most generally accepted is that there -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>290]</a></span> -was a fight over a girl. The cabin was built -by an old half-breed trapper before there were -any lumber trails through these parts at all, -and he lived there with his daughter, who -was said to be a mighty pretty girl. The old -fellow’s name was Duquesne, but he was more -Indian than French, and was commonly -called Indian Joe. He was a grouchy old -fellow, and people didn’t have any more to do -with him than they had to.</p> - -<p>“The girl was a beauty, and old Joe was so -jealous of her that he never would let her out of -his sight when they came down to the village -to trade, and the young fellows of the region -found that the vicinity of old Joe’s cabin was -anything but healthy. Finally a young -Scotchman named Bruce moved down here -from Canada and ran a line of traps up in the -region that Joe had come to consider his own -special preserve. This was bad enough, and -roused all the Indian in him, but when he -discovered that young Bruce had fallen in love -with the girl and that she was in love with -him his rage knew no bounds and he made a -lot of ugly threats, so that the friends of the -young fellow warned him to keep away from -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>291]</a></span> -the cabin, and I guess the girl begged him to -also.</p> - -<p>“But Bruce was hot-headed and afraid of -nothing and no one. When he heard of the -threats he rightly guessed that things were -probably mighty uncomfortable for the girl, so -he jumps into a canoe and heads straight for the -cabin. When he got there old Joe was out -on his trap line and the girl begged Bruce -to leave. But he wouldn’t, and waited till -the old man came back. He was in the cabin -when the old man returned and the latter -got inside before he discovered the visitor. -He started to throw his rifle up, but Bruce was -too quick for him and knocked it out of his -hands. But the old man had a knife, and he -didn’t waste any time. He was all Indian -then, and was on Bruce like a wildcat.</p> - -<p>“I guess Bruce saw it was kill or be killed, -with the girl for the stakes, so he whips out -his own knife, and they turned that cabin into -a shambles.</p> - -<p>“The young Scotchman had the advantage -of weight and youth, but Joe was all Indian, -with every trick known to that kind of fighting, -and with black hate in his heart. I guess -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>292]</a></span> -it was some fight, all right, and the girl seeing -the whole thing. Finally Bruce got in a -lucky thrust that ended things and old Joe -with it. He was cut up something fierce -himself and so weak from loss of blood that I -guess he thought he was going to cash in. -But the girl managed to bind him up and get -him into the canoe, though how she did it no -one knows, for the cabin is half a mile back -from the lake. Anyway, the first the village -knew of it she came paddling in with Bruce -in the bottom of the canoe, more dead than -alive.</p> - -<p>“You know lumbermen and backwoods -people are awfully superstitious, and it wasn’t -long before they had the cabin haunted by -Indian Joe’s spirit, moaning for his lost -daughter. Hunters and trappers began to tell -all sorts of stories of queer sounds around the -cabin and soon no one would go near the old -place. Superstition’s a queer thing, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“You bet it is, and it isn’t confined to -lumbermen and backwoods people by a long -shot!” replied Walter. “What became of -the girl?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Bruce recovered, of course, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>293]</a></span> -married her, and they moved up into Canada. -There’s the landing at the lumber trail.”</p> - -<p>A few minutes later they drew the canoe -out on the shore. A lumberman’s batteau -was drawn up at one side, and they could hear -voices ahead of them on the trail.</p> - -<p>“A party going up to the Brown camp, I -guess. I understand they’ve begun cutting -about three miles back,” said Walter.</p> - -<p>The boys set out at a brisk pace along the -trail. “Avery says that the trail to the cabin -is so overgrown that it’s hard to find, but that -there is a Scout sign where it turns off of this -trail, and then a line of old blazes,” said Hal. -“It’s on the right a short half mile from the -lake.”</p> - -<p>The boys slackened their pace, scanning the -right hand side of the trail as they advanced. -Presently Walter stopped and pointed to a little -group of stones half hidden in the brush -to the right. It consisted of a stone of fair -size with a smaller one resting on top of it -and a third on the ground to the right of the -others. Both boys recognized it as the old -Indian sign which means “Trail to the right.”</p> - -<p>Turning in they soon found a tree with a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>294]</a></span> -blaze so old that it was nearly covered with -bark. Getting the direction from this they -were able to sight the next blaze and so pick -out the trail.</p> - -<p>“Doesn’t look as if any one had been over -this for an age,” said Hal as they carefully -picked their way along.</p> - -<p>In about fifteen minutes they saw an opening -in the tree tops ahead and soon stepped -out into what had once been a small clearing, -but which was now overgrown with brush and -berry thickets, and in places good stands of -second growth birch and maple. In the midst -of this dreary waste stood the “haunted -cabin.”</p> - -<p>The boys stood at a little distance and looked -at it in silence for a few minutes, thinking of -the tragedy which was said to have been enacted -there. It was the usual type of log -cabin, a one room affair with the remnants of -a shed or small addition of some kind clinging -to the rear. The cabin had been well -built, for it was in a good state of preservation -save that in places the roof had fallen, leaving -black, yawning holes. It had been turfed at -some time in its existence, and such parts as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>295]</a></span> -were intact were covered with a tangle of grass -and weeds. Altogether it was a desolate and -dreary looking object.</p> - -<p>“Gee, I don’t wonder they think it’s -haunted! Well, let’s see what it looks like -inside,” said Walter.</p> - -<p>They approached it from the front, and to -their great surprise found the door still intact -and closed. When they attempted to open it -they were further mystified to find that it -would not yield to their combined efforts. It -was locked on the inside.</p> - -<p>“What do you know about that!” exclaimed -Hal. “Let’s try the back door.”</p> - -<p>Here a further surprise awaited them, for -their entrance was as effectually barred as before. -They stared at each other blankly.</p> - -<p>“Wouldn’t that get your goat!” muttered -Walter. “Must be that some hunters have -had nerve enough to use it, and have locked -it up for safe keeping,” he added with a half-hearted -laugh. His eyes idly taking in the -surroundings suddenly became fixed on a -point a few feet distant. “Say, Hal,” said he -abruptly, “there’s a path, and it looks to me -as if it had been used lately. Let’s follow it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>296]</a></span> -It certainly was a path, and with every evidence -that it had been recently used. The -boys followed it in puzzled silence until it abruptly -terminated at a spring. It required no -very keen observation to see that the spring -had been cleaned out at no very distant day. -As by a common impulse they turned and -stared back at the cabin, which returned the -stare with its gaping windows, as empty of -life and forlorn in appearance as could well be -imagined. And yet there was something -sinister about the old ruin. It lay like -a wet blanket on the buoyant spirit of adventure -with which they had entered the -clearing.</p> - -<p>Walter gave a little embarrassed laugh as -he said, “It’s queer, but I’ve had a feeling of -being watched ever since we struck the clearing. -There’s no reason for it, and yet I can’t -get rid of the idea that somebody’s eyes are -on us.”</p> - -<p>“Must be the ‘hant,’” said Hal with a -laugh. But his face sobered as he added, “I’ve -had an awfully uncomfortable feeling myself, -Walt. I don’t believe I’m keen to crawl in -one of those windows. Reckon I’ve seen all I -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>297]</a></span> -want to of the old place. What do you say if -we go back?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve had enough,” agreed Walter. “I -don’t wonder they call the old thing haunted. -Guess that story got on our nerves all right. -I never thought I was superstitious, but I sure -would hate to spend a night here.”</p> - -<p>The boys quickened their pace as they -passed the ruin, throwing a hasty glance in at -the yawning windows, but in the darkness of -the interior they could make out little.</p> - -<p>“Ugh!” said Hal as they picked up the -trail out, “I’m glad to leave the blamed old -place. I guess it’s haunted all right!”</p> - -<p>Had he looked back and seen the venom in -the pair of black eyes that, through one of the -windows they had so recently passed, watched -them disappear on the trail, he would have -still further rejoiced that they were leaving the -old ruin behind.</p> - -<p>They found the canoe where they had left -it, but the batteau was gone. With Hal in the -stern and Walter in the bow they soon had -half a mile of open water between them and -the shore. It was then that Hal noticed for -the first time that there was considerable -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>298]</a></span> -water in the canoe and that it was increasing -rapidly. His exclamation of dismay drew -Walter’s attention to their predicament. The -canoe had not leaked before—what did it -mean?</p> - -<p>A hasty examination of the interior showed -that the water was coming in slightly forward -of Walter’s seat, and that at the rate it was -gaining their little craft would soon be awash. -There was nothing wherewith to bail except -their hands or sneaks, and these were wholly -inadequate in face of the fact that one must -paddle. They did not dare go back whence -they had come, for instinctively they felt that -the source of their present difficulty lay there. -Camp was still some two and a half miles distant -and the afternoon was growing late. It -was a situation to test their powers of resource -and scoutcraft to the fullest.</p> - -<p>Walter hurriedly stripped off his trousers -and shirt. “What are you going to do?” -cried Hal. “You can’t swim from here to -camp!”</p> - -<p>“Don’t intend to,” responded Walter hurriedly. -“I’m goin’ to try to find out what’s -happened to us. When I get out you get as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>299]</a></span> -far back on the stern as you can. That will -put her bow clear out of water and give me a -chance to see a good half of her bottom.”</p> - -<p>With the words he plunged over, and Hal -crawled back as directed. Walter came up at -once under the bow and found that, as he had -anticipated, he could examine easily the whole -forward half of the canoe’s bottom. It took -but a moment to locate the trouble, two long -gashes close to and parallel with the keel.</p> - -<p>“Some one’s cut it!” cried Walter. “Must -be one of those lumber-jacks that was over -there with the batteau did it. Never knew of -them doing anything like this before. They’ve -played tricks on the fellows lots of times for -fun, but never anything low down mean like -this, or anything that meant danger. You -stay back there and paddle a while, Hal, and -I’ll swim. With her bow out that way she -can’t leak any more. By and by you can -swim and I’ll paddle. Water’s fine!” he -added with a grin.</p> - -<p>The water had rushed to the stern and Hal, -sitting astride the canoe, was able to bail much -of it out with one of Walter’s sneaks. Then -while Walter swam he slowly paddled so as to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>300]</a></span> -remain close to the swimmer. The wind had -begun to freshen a trifle and as they were -heading it came from a point off the port -quarter, and Hal soon had his hands full to -keep on the course at all, for the high bow was -caught by every little gust and frequently he -was spun around as if on a pivot.</p> - -<p>Walter was swimming easily, but he realized -that the distance to be covered was beyond his -powers, and he thought rapidly as he swam. -Hal was not a strong swimmer, but would be -able to cover a short distance while he had a -breathing spell in the canoe. Gradually he -came to a realization of the struggle his comrade -was having with the canoe, and that the -latter’s arms would be strained and weary when -it came his turn to take to the water. They -must try some other plan. Studying the lines -of the canoe he concluded that with both of -them far back in the stern the gashes would be -partly out of water, and that with both paddling -they might make some distance before -the water reached the danger point. Then he -could go overboard again and Hal could bail -out as before.</p> - -<p>This plan was at once tried and with both -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>301]</a></span> -putting all their strength to the paddles they -gained a full mile before it became necessary -for Walter to go overboard again. This time -they were near a small island, and thither -Hal drove the canoe and had beached and -emptied it by the time Walter arrived. After -a thorough rest they prepared to start again, -when they spied a boat coming down the lake. -One look was sufficient to assure them that -their troubles were at an end. There was but -one pair of shoulders in the woods like those -sending the light craft toward them with -powerful strokes.</p> - -<p>“Jim! Jim! Oh, you Jim!” they yelled -shrilly.</p> - -<p>The rower stopped and turned toward -them, then altered his course, and in a few -minutes was resting on his oars alongshore -while, both talking at once, they poured out -their story and showed him the gashed canoe. -The big fellow’s face wore a look of perplexity -as, with the boys in his boat and the canoe in -tow, he headed for camp.</p> - -<p>“Whar did ye say ye went when ye left th’ -canoe?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Up to the haunted cabin,” replied Walter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>302]</a></span> -“Was the hant t’ hum?” he inquired with -a grin.</p> - -<p>“No,” said Hal, “or if he was he was -mighty seclusive. Both doors were locked.”</p> - -<p>“What’s thet ye said, son?” demanded the -guide sharply, as he stopped rowing for a -minute.</p> - -<p>“I said the doors were locked and we -couldn’t get in,” replied Hal.</p> - -<p>“And there was a path down to the spring -that looked as if some one had been using it,” -added Walter.</p> - -<p>“Prob’ly some lumberman been in thar -fer a drink,” said the guide with an assumption -of carelessness, and then lapsed into such -a state of abstraction that the boys gave up -trying to interest him further. He came out -of it as they approached the camp.</p> - -<p>“Don’t say nothin’ ’bout this; jes’ leave it t’ -me,” he advised. “I’ll explain it t’ th’ doctor. -’Tain’t like th’ boys o’ th’ lumber camps t’ -do no sech trick as this, and I’d hate t’ hev any -feelin’ stirred up. You boys jes’ keep mum.”</p> - -<p>The boys were quite willing to do so, and -bidding them a hasty farewell Jim strode off -toward headquarters.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>303]</a></span> -“Queer thing, the whole business,” mused -Walter as they watched the guide disappear -in the office. “I wonder what Jim’s got on -his mind.”</p> - -<p>And he would have wondered still more if -he could have heard the guide exclaim, as he -banged his big fist down on the desk at the -end of a fifteen minutes’ talk with the -doctor:</p> - -<p>“It’s him as sure as shootin’! We’ll git -him this time, or my name ain’t Jim -Everly!”</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>304]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap18" id="chap18"></a>CHAPTER XVIII<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">ON GUARD</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the bald top of Old Scraggy stood a -slender figure in khaki. The broad-brimmed -regulation Scout hat was tilted back, revealing -a sun-browned face which was good to -see. The eyes were clear and steady. The -mouth might have been called weak but for -a certain set of the jaw and a slight compression -of the thin lips which denoted a latent -force of will which would one day develop -into power. It was, withal, a pleasant face, -a face in which character was written, a face -which denoted purpose and determination.</p> - -<p>The boy raised a pair of field-glasses to his -eyes and swept the wonderful panorama of -forest and lake that unfolded below him on -every side. Like mighty billows of living -green the mountains rolled away to fade into -the smoke haze that stretched along the -horizon. The smell of smoke was in the air. -Over beyond Mt. Seward hung a huge cloud -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>305]</a></span> -of dirty white against which rose great -volumes of black, shading down to dingy -sickening yellowish tinge at the horizon. -Through his glasses the boy could see this -shot through here and there with angry red. -There was something indescribably sinister -and menacing in it, even to his inexperienced -eyes. It was like a huge beast snarling and -showing its teeth as it devoured its prey. -On the back side of the Camel’s Hump -another fire was raging. But neither of these -seriously threatened Woodcraft Camp, for a -barrier of lakes lay between.</p> - -<p>“I’m glad they’re no nearer,” muttered the -watcher half aloud. He swung his glasses -around to the camp five miles away by the -trail, though not more than three and a half -in an air line, and his face softened as he -studied the familiar scene. There was a song -in his heart and the burden of it was, “They -have got some use for me! They have got -some use for me! They have got some use -for me!” It was Hal Harrison.</p> - -<p>There had been a wonderful change in the -boy in the few weeks since his meeting with -Walter Upton at Speckled Brook. It had been -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>306]</a></span> -a hard fight, a bitter fight; sometimes, it -seemed to him, a losing fight. But he had -triumphed in the end. He had “made good” -with his fellow Scouts. He had friends, a lot -of them. With only one or two was he what -might be called intimate, but on every side -were friendly greetings. From being an outcast -he had become a factor in the camp life. -He was counted in as a matter of course in -all the fun and frolic. He had done nothing -“big” to win this regard. It was simply the -result of meeting his fellows on their own -ground and doing his share in the trivial -things that go to make up daily life.</p> - -<p>He was thinking of this now and his -changed attitude toward life, toward his fellow -men. In a dim way he realized that a -revolution had been worked within himself, -and that his present status in the little democracy -down there on the edge of the lake was -due, not so much to a change in the general -feeling of his comrades toward him, but in his -own feeling toward them. His present position -had always been his, but he had refused -to take it.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<a name="illo07" id="illo07"></a> -<img src="images/bswc07.jpg" width="500" height="700" -alt="A boy holds up a signal flag" /> -<p class="caption">THE BOYS WERE DRILLED IN WIG-WAG SIGNALING</p> -</div> - -<p>Somehow money, which had been his sole -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>307]</a></span> -standard whereby to judge his fellows, had -dropped from his thought utterly as he strove -to measure up his comrades. It had even become -hateful to him as he gradually realized -how less than nothing it is in the final summing -up of true worth, of character and manhood. -And with this knowledge all his old -arrogance had fallen from him like a false -garment, and in its place had developed a -humility that cleared his vision and enabled -him to see things in their true relations.</p> - -<p>“My, what a cad I was when I hit Woodcraft, -and how little I realized what the -Scout’s oath means!” he murmured. “The -fellows have been awfully white to me. If—if -I could only do something to show ’em that -I appreciate it, could only really and truly -‘make good’ somehow. Seems to me this -smoke is getting thicker.”</p> - -<p>He turned once more toward Seward. The -wind was freshening and the smoke driven before -it was settling in a great pall that spread -and gradually blotted out mountain after -mountain. The blue haze thickened in the -valleys. When he turned again toward Woodcraft -it had become a blur. The sun, which -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>308]</a></span> -had poured a flood of brilliant light from a -cloudless sky, had become overcast and now -burned an angry red ball through a murky -atmosphere. His throat smarted from the -acrid smoke. There was a strange silence, as -if the great wilderness held its breath in -hushed awe in the face of some dread catastrophe.</p> - -<p>Hal was on guard. It was Dr. Merriam’s -policy to always maintain a watch on the top -of Old Scraggy during dry weather that any -fire which should start in the neighborhood -might be detected in its incipient stages and a -warning be flashed to camp. The boys were -drilled in wig-wag signaling, and in the use of -the heliograph, the former for use on a dull day -and the latter on a bright day, the top of Old -Scraggy being clearly visible from camp, so -that with glasses the wig-wag signals could be -read easily. At daybreak a watch was sent to -the mountain station, while another went on -duty at the camp to receive the signals. At -noon both guards were relieved. Only the -steadiest and most reliable boys were detailed -for this duty. This was Hal’s first assignment -and, while he felt the responsibility, he -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>309]</a></span> -had hit the Scraggy trail with a light heart, -for he realized the compliment to his scoutcraft. -And was not this evidence that he was -making good?</p> - -<p>The smoke thickened. The smart in his -eyes and throat increased. Uneasily he -paced the little platform that had been built -on the highest point. Suddenly it seemed as -if his heart stopped beating for just a second. -Why did the smoke seem so much thicker -down there to the east at the very foot of -Scraggy itself? With trembling fingers he -focussed the glasses. The smoke was rising at -that point, not settling down! Yes, he could -not be mistaken, there was a flicker of red! -There was a fire on the eastern slope!</p> - -<p>Hastily he sprang for the mirror with which -to signal his discovery, but even as his hand -touched it he realized the futility of his purpose. -The sun was hopelessly obscured by the -smoke. The flags! He grasped them and -turned toward the camp. Where was the -camp? Vainly he sought to locate it. The -smoke had drawn a curtain over it through -which even his powerful glasses would not -pierce. For a minute panic gripped him. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>310]</a></span> -Then into the chaos of his mind broke the -calm quiet voice of Dr. Merriam in one of his -weekly talks at the camp-fire: “The man or -boy to face an emergency is the one who keeps -cool—who stops to think.”</p> - -<p>Deliberately Hal forced himself to sit down -on the edge of the platform and review the -situation. It was five miles to camp. By the -time he could get there and a party be organized -and return the fire would have gained -such headway that there would be no checking -it. To the west, nearer by at least a mile -and a half, lay the Durant camp. But there -was no broken trail there, nothing but a -blazed trail which he had never even seen and -which at best would be slow following. But -hold on! The loggers were at work this side -of the camp, not over two miles distant in a -straight line! Perhaps they would discover -the fire. A moment’s reflection, however, -convinced him that this was unlikely, at least -until it was too late. A shoulder of the mountain -intervened. Was he Scout enough to hold -his course for two miles through that tangle of -wilderness?</p> - -<p>It seemed the only thing to do if he was to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>311]</a></span> -get a warning through in time. There was -no time to lose! His lips tightened and he -got up abruptly and began to tighten his belt. -He would try it. He would do it! Turning -for another look at the fire his glance was arrested -by a box half hidden beneath a corner -of the platform. In a flash he was on his -knees, half sobbing with relief as he dragged -it forth. Why hadn’t he remembered Jack -Appleby’s wireless outfit before?</p> - -<p>Jack had been on Old Scraggy the day before -experimenting with wireless messages to -camp, and had left his apparatus on the mountain, -intending to return this afternoon to continue -his experiments. How Hal blessed the -good fortune that had led him to take an interest -in wireless and join the little group of -boys who were continually experimenting with -it in camp! There were several outfits there, -and one or another was in use most of the -time. He prayed with all his soul that such -might be the case now, as, with hasty fingers, -he adjusted the apparatus and sat down to the -key. One after the other he sounded the private -calls of all the stations in camp, between -each call listening for a reply. Would they -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>312]</a></span> -never hear? Click, click, click, click, over -and over and over again he repeated the calls, -while the cold sweat stood out on his forehead. -Would they never hear? Would they never -hear? Should he give it up and make the -plunge for the Durant cutting? No, this was -his best chance.</p> - -<p>Click, click, click! What was the matter -with them down there? Ha! Was that Joe -Brown’s answering signal? With feverish -haste he pounded out in the Morse code, “Is -this you, Brown?” The reply came promptly: -“Yes. Who are you?” With a sigh of relief -Hal bent over the key and forced himself to -send his message slowly, that there might be -no confusion in receiving it: “This is Harrison, -watch on Scraggy. Fire just started on -eastern slope. Warn Doctor.”</p> - -<p>“Warn Doctor of fire. All right,” spelled -the receiver at his ear.</p> - -<p>Hal shouted aloud in his relief. Hastily -repacking the apparatus he turned to look -down at the threatened danger. Already the -fire had gained great headway. Would the -doctor be able to bring help in time? A -heavy stand of magnificent timber lay directly -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>313]</a></span> -in the path of the flames. It was one of the -choicest holdings of the Durant company.</p> - -<p>The boy looked down at the Durant cutting -on the other side. If he could at once warn -the men at work there they might reach the -fire in time. He would try. Carefully noting -the direction with his pocket compass he -headed straight for the cutting.</p> - -<p>That trip down the mountain is a nightmare -to Hal to this day. Slipping, sliding down -the steep upper slope, bruised by falls on rocky -ledges, crawling under and over fallen timber, -struggling through seemingly impassable -windfalls, his shirt torn, his hat lost, his face -and hands bleeding from numerous scratches -he struggled on, running whenever the way -was sufficiently open, stumbling, falling but -doggedly holding to the course set by the little -compass in his hand.</p> - -<p>It seemed an eternity before the sound of -voices mingled with ringing blows of axes and -the crashing of trees told him that he was almost -there. A few minutes later he staggered -out among the astonished loggers. His message -was soon told, and almost before he had -regained his wind the fire gangs were organized -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>314]</a></span> -and with axes and shovels, the latter kept at -hand for just such emergencies, were on their -way to the scene of trouble.</p> - -<p>Hal begged to go along, but the boss refused -to let him. “You’ve done your part, my boy,” -he said kindly. “You can be of no help there -and might be in danger. Rest here a bit and -then you trot along down to camp and tell -Cookie to fix you up and give you something -to eat. Son, you may not know it, but you’re -all in.”</p> - -<p>Hal did know it. Now that the excitement -was over he began to realize for the first time -how utterly weary he was. He was weak and -trembling. He felt the smart of his bruises -and the ache of strained muscles. The boss -was right. His place was in the rear, not on -the firing line.</p> - -<p>A long rest at the Durant camp and the -friendly ministrations of Cookie made him -feel more like himself. Late in the afternoon -he hobbled into Woodcraft. The camp was -nearly deserted, for all of the older boys were -on the fire line. Walter was the first to see -him, and hastened to congratulate him, for -the whole camp knew by this time who had -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>315]</a></span> -sent the warning. Then others crowded -around to shake hands and insist on hearing -his story from his own lips. This Hal told, -omitting, however, to mention his terrific -cross country struggle, explaining his bruises -as the result of a tumble over a ledge.</p> - -<p>As soon as Walter got a chance he drew -Hal to one side. “Say,” he began eagerly, -“the game warden and a deputy started for -the haunted cabin early this morning.”</p> - -<p>“What for? To get the ‘hant’?” asked -Hal.</p> - -<p>“Exactly!” replied Walter. “And the -‘hant’ is Red Pete! Big Jim figured it all -out when he picked us up on the lake the -other afternoon. You know they couldn’t -find Pete up at Lonesome Pond. He probably -got wise that Jim would be on his trail -after that shootin’ while we were in camp -there, and promptly vamoosed. When we -told Jim about the cabin’s being locked and -the path to the spring he tumbled in a minute. -That was the safest place in the woods for -Pete, and he was probably right in the cabin -when we tried the doors. Jim went up there -the next day and did a little scouting. He -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>316]</a></span> -found a blind trail down to the lake a lot -shorter than the trail we took. Pete was -probably afraid that we’d tell about the locked -cabin and some one would get wise, so as soon -as we were out of sight he made a quick -sneak down to the lake ahead of us and -slashed the canoe in the hope that we’d sink -and get drowned. Jim sent word to the -warden, and now I guess there’ll be something -doing at the haunted cabin!”</p> - -<p>“How did you find out all this?” asked -Hal.</p> - -<p>“Jim told me this morning. He was going -in with the warden, but when your message -came he had to go fight fire. He told me just -before he started.”</p> - -<p>“Gee!” exclaimed Hal. “Some excitement -to-day! Do the other fellows know?”</p> - -<p>“No. Jim said I could tell you, but that -we’re to keep it to ourselves.”</p> - -<p>Just after sundown the fire fighters returned, -weary but triumphant. The fire had -been gotten under control before serious damage -had been done, but this would have been -impossible but for the timely arrival of the -Durant gang, who were trained fire fighters, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>317]</a></span> -and who had reached the scene first. The -boss had told the doctor of how he received -the warning.</p> - -<p>The latter’s first action on reaching camp -was to issue orders for the preparation of a -huge camp-fire to be started after evening -mess. When this was lighted and the whole -camp gathered round Dr. Merriam stepped -into the circle for what the boys supposed was -one of his usual camp-fire talks. He began -by a brief review of Scout principles and the -need of coolness and clear thinking in the -face of sudden emergency, and then briefly -and forcefully he sketched Hal’s exploit of -the day, ending by expressing his personal -indebtedness to the boy who had, by using -his head and supplementing this by a courageous -act, saved property of great value. “It -would not be inappropriate if there should be -some expression of the camp’s feeling at this -time,” concluded the doctor with a twinkle -in his eyes.</p> - -<p>In a flash Woodhull was on his feet. “The -Woodcraft yell for the Seneca who has made -good!” he shouted, and beating time with -both arms he led the long rolling -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>318]</a></span> -“Whoop-yi-yi-yi! Whoop-yi-yi-yi! Whoop-yi-yi-yi! -Harrison!”</p> - -<p>Then despite his efforts to escape Hal was -pushed to the center beside the big chief while -the four tribes circled the fire in the mad -dance of triumph.</p> - -<p>But the thing that was sweetest of all to -the tired boy was the discovery that the -Senecas had been credited fifty points for his -feat. At last he had done something to wipe -out the old score. His cup was full.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>319]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap19" id="chap19"></a>CHAPTER XIX<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">FOR THE HONOR OF THE TRIBE</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">All</span> of Woodcraft who could get afloat were -on the water, and those not so fortunate were -ranged on points of vantage along the pier -and on the shore. Dr. and Mother Merriam, -with some of the guests of the camp, parents -of the boys in for the annual field day, occupied -the end of the pier, which commanded -the whole course and was directly on the -finish line. Among the most interested of -the onlookers were Mr. Harrison and Mr. -Upton, who had arrived that morning, taking -their sons by surprise.</p> - -<p>The shore events had been run off in the -forenoon, with honors well distributed. The -Algonquins, under Chief Seaforth, had won -the rifle match. Chief Woodhull had scored -heavily for the Delawares by winning the -trail finding contest, the stalking event and -the mile cross-country “hike” without compass -or trail. The relay race, high and broad -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>320]</a></span> -jumps had gone to the Hurons, while the -Senecas had taken the hundred yard and -two hundred and twenty yard dashes. The -points for the best individual work during the -summer in the various branches of nature -study had been awarded, and the total score -in the contest between the two wigwams for -the deer’s head offered for the highest total -was Wigwam No. 1—1,460 points; Wigwam -No. 2—1,450 points.</p> - -<p>For tribal honors the Delawares had a safe -margin, but the championship banner would -go to the winning tribe in the successful wigwam. -Excitement was at fever pitch, for on -the outcome of the afternoon events hung the -honors of the whole season. It was generally -conceded that the Hurons would take the -swimming events handily, unless the Delawares -developed a dark horse. The Senecas -were strong in the canoe work, and they vowed -that if the Hurons tied the score with the -swimming events they would win the canoe -events.</p> - -<p>The swimming races were called first. Before -the first event Chief Woodhull called the -Delawares together. “I haven’t much to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>321]</a></span> -say,” he said as he looked into the eager faces -of his tribe, “only this: I expect every Delaware -to do his best, not for his personal glory, -but for the honor of his tribe and the honor of -his wigwam. It is a great thing to win for -yourself, but it is a greater thing to win for -your fellows. When you reach the point -where it seems as if you hadn’t another ounce -left just remember that the loss is not yours -alone, but of the tribe who are pinning their -faith to you. Another thing; fight for second -and third places just as hard as for first. It’s -the small points that are going to win that -banner, and it’s up to you individually to get -every point you can. And,” he added with a -smile, “don’t forget to cheer the other fellows -when they win. If we must lose let’s be good -losers, but—<em>don’t lose!</em> That’s all.”</p> - -<p>The conditions were perfect for the afternoon’s -sport. The lake lay like a huge mirror, -not a ripple breaking its glassy surface. -Clustered about the finish line were the camp -canoes and boats and several launches filled -with guests from the hotels at the other end of -the lake. Several batteaux filled with lumber-jacks -from the Durant camp lined the course.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>322]</a></span> -“Gee, ain’t it great?” said Tug Benson as -he and Walter paddled out to the raft from -which the swimming races were to start.</p> - -<p>“You bet!” replied Walter enthusiastically. -“How you feeling?”</p> - -<p>“Fine and dandy!” responded Tug. “I’m -goin’ to take that hundred yards if I never -swim another stroke!”</p> - -<p>“Wish I felt as sure of a place in my event,” -said Walter.</p> - -<p>“Look a-here, you’re goin’ to get more than -place—you’re goin’ to win that event! You’ve -got to! What do you s’pose I’ve been coachin’ -you for all summer?” said Tug savagely as he -glared at his companion.</p> - -<p>They were to the raft by this time and as -they hopped out and made their canoe fast -they heard the starter announcing the first -event, which was the hundred yard race. -In all events for the afternoon first would -count ten points, second five points and -third three points.</p> - -<p>There were eight entries for this event, three -Hurons, two Delawares, two Senecas and one -Algonquin.</p> - -<p>“Are you ready?” Bang! There was one -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>323]</a></span> -splash as the eight boys took the water. At -the very first Tug took the lead. The distance -was too short to take any chances. He -was using the crawl stroke, and his powerful -muscles drove him through the water like a -fish. But he had need of every bit of strength -and skill he possessed. Two of the Hurons -were pressing him close, and ten yards from -the finish one of them forged up until the -two boys were neck and neck. Tug glanced -ahead to locate the finish line, and gulped his -lungs full of air. Then, burying his face, he -tore through the water like some strange -amphibian, putting every last ounce of reserve -strength into a supreme effort.</p> - -<p>Bang! It was the finish gun, and the wild -whoop of the Delawares told him he had won, -but he had hardly filled his strained lungs -when the second and third guns told him by -how narrow a margin he had snatched the victory.</p> - -<p>“Two points to the good, anyway,” he said -grimly as Woodhull helped him into a boat.</p> - -<p>This made the wigwam score 1,470 to 1,458 -and the Delawares and Algonquins whooped -deliriously. But their triumph was short -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>324]</a></span> -lived. The two hundred and twenty yard -event gave the Hurons first and second and -the Senecas third. It was now the turn of -the Hurons and Senecas to break loose, and -they made the most of it, for this gave Wigwam -No. 2 a lead of six points.</p> - -<p>“It’s up to you now,” growled Tug in -Walter’s ear as they stood side by side awaiting -the starting gun in the quarter mile event. -“I haven’t a look-in, for that hundred killed -me. But I’m goin’ to set the pace for the first -half, and you stick right to me. Don’t you -pay any attention to the rest of ’em, but stick -right to me. When I give the word you dig -out, and win. Remember, this is no sprintin’ -match!”</p> - -<p>The starting gun banged. When Walter -had shaken the water from his eyes and looked -around he found Tug at his side, swimming -easily with a powerful overhand stroke. Off -to the right two of the Hurons were using the -crawl and were rapidly forging ahead. Already -they had a lead that gave Walter a -panicky feeling. Tug looked at him and -grinned. “Water’s fine,” he grunted, for all -the world as if this was nothing more than a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>325]</a></span> -pleasure swim. “Get your back into that -stroke.”</p> - -<p>Tug was still swimming easily, but he was -putting more power into his strokes. Walter -followed his example and kept neck and neck -with him. They were now the last of the field. -The sprint of the two Hurons had given them -a good lead, and this had had its effect on the -other swimmers, all of whom were putting -forth every effort to overhaul the leaders. -Walter found that it took every bit of will -power he possessed not to do the same. The -pace was beginning to tell on those in front, -but Tug never varied his strong easy stroke -and presently Walter noticed that they were -slowly but surely closing up the gap between -them and the nearest competitors.</p> - -<p>They had now covered a third of the course -and the leaders were still a long way ahead. -Would Tug never hit it up? What was he -waiting so long for? Perhaps he was, as he -had said, “all in,” and couldn’t go any faster. -Ought he to stay back as Tug had told him -to? If he should lose out for place the -blame would be laid to him, not to Tug. Ha! -Tug had quickened the stroke a bit! It was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>326]</a></span> -not much, but there was a perceptible gain with -each swing of the arms and kick of the legs.</p> - -<p>The half-way mark, and still Tug did not -give the word. What was the matter with -him? He glanced at him anxiously, but the -grin on that astute young gentleman’s face revealed -nothing, certainly not anxiety. Two -or three of the swimmers had begun to splash -badly, notably the two Hurons in the lead. -Walter had his second wind, and he found that -he was holding Tug with less effort than at -first. He could hear the shrill yells of the -Hurons and Senecas at the finish line as they -urged on their braves, and there was an unmistakable -note of triumph in every yell. It -gave him a sinking feeling in the pit of his -stomach.</p> - -<p>“Now go!” screamed a voice almost in his -ear. Dimly he realized that Tug had given -him the word. Quickening his stroke he put -in every ounce of reserve strength, and at once -the result began to show. One after another -he overtook and passed the other swimmers -until there was only one between him and the -finish line. The two Hurons who had led so -long were splashing in manifest distress. They -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>327]</a></span> -were behind him now, their bolt shot, but still -struggling gamely. But the swimmer ahead -was a Huron who had come up strongly in the -last quarter.</p> - -<p>The pace was beginning to tell. Every -muscle in his body ached, and his straining -lungs seemed to gasp in no air at all. He was -neck and neck with the leader now, but his -tortured muscles seemed on the point of refusing -to act altogether. If he could only rest -them just a second! Ha, what was that? -“Whoop! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whoop! -Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Whoop! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! -Upton!”</p> - -<p>It was the long rolling yell of the Delawares. -It seemed to put new life into him. They -were calling on him now for the honor of the -tribe! He was almost there. Could he make -it? He would make it! He gulped his lungs -full of air, buried his face in the water and -swung into the crawl, and then it seemed to -him that his movements were wholly automatic. -“For the honor of the tribe. For the -honor of the tribe. For the honor of the -tribe.” Over and over his brain hammered -that one phrase.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>328]</a></span> -The bang of the finish gun crashed into it, -but for a minute he did not sense what it -meant. “For the honor of the tribe,” he murmured, -weakly paddling the water with his -hands.</p> - -<p>“And the honor of the boy!” cried a hearty -voice, as strong hands caught the slack of his -jersey and pulled him into a boat.</p> - -<p>He looked up in a daze into the face of -Woodhull. “Did I win?” he gasped.</p> - -<p>“You sure did!” was the prompt response.</p> - -<p>“No, I didn’t; Tug did it,” muttered -Walter to himself as he saw his coach wearily -finish at the tail end.</p> - -<p>Second place had gone to the Hurons and -third to the Algonquins. The score now -stood Wigwam No. 1—1,483; Wigwam No. 2—1,481, -and the excitement of the visitors was -hardly less than that of the tribes as they -waited for the canoe events.</p> - -<p>The fours were called first. There were -four entries, one crew from each tribe, four -brawny boys in each canoe, captained by the -four chiefs. The distance was half a mile -with a turn, start and finish being opposite -the pier. A pretty sight they made as they -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>329]</a></span> -lined up for the start, each boy on one -knee, leaning well over the side of the canoe, -blade poised just over the water at his utmost -reach.</p> - -<p>Almost with the flash of the gun the sixteen -blades hit the water and, amid a wild tumult -of yells, the canoes shot away like greyhounds -from a leash.</p> - -<p>“Did you get on to that start of the Hurons—one -long stroke, then five short ones and -then the regular long stroke!” yelled Billy -Buxby, whose sharp eyes seldom missed anything -new.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact this little trick had -given the Hurons the best of the start, the -quick short strokes getting their boat under -full headway before the others. But their -advantage was short-lived, and it could be -seen that as the turning buoys were approached -they were last.</p> - -<p>“Wonder if they’ll spring something new -on the turn,” muttered Billy, leaning forward -until he threatened to upset his canoe. “Ah, -I thought so!”</p> - -<p>The Delawares had reached the turn first -with the Senecas a close second and the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>330]</a></span> -Algonquins third, but the leaders had not -fairly straightened out for home when the -Hurons turned their buoy as if on a pivot -and actually had the lead.</p> - -<p>In silence the spectators watched the flashing -blades draw up the course. It was anybody’s -race, a “heart-breaker,” as Spud Ely -expressed it. Like clockwork the blades rose -and fell. The Algonquins were using a long -body swing. The Senecas swung their shoulders -only, and their stroke was shorter and -faster. The Hurons had dropped a little behind, -but between the three leaders there was -little to choose.</p> - -<p>“It’s quite primeval, isn’t it?” said Mr. -Upton as he returned the binoculars which -Mr. Harrison had loaned him.</p> - -<p>“That just expresses it,” replied the latter -as pandemonium broke loose in shrill yells -from the four tribes urging on their crews. -“The forest setting, the Indian craft—it’s all -like a picture out of early history.”</p> - -<p>The voices of the captains could now be -heard calling for the final spurt. The stroke -in all four boats became terrific as, with heads -bent, hanging far over the sides, the paddlers -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>331]</a></span> -drove their blades through the water, recovered -and drove them again, almost faster -than the eye could follow. Ten yards from -the finish the Senecas, paddling in perfect -form, seemed fairly to lift their boat from the -water. It was magnificent, and as they shot -over the line, winners by a scant quarter -length, all four tribes joined in giving them -the Woodcraft yell.</p> - -<p>The Algonquins were second, beating the -Delawares by a scant half length. The score -was tied.</p> - -<p>The single event was next, and in this both -Walter and Hal Harrison were entered. It -was an eighth of a mile straight away. This -event was confined to the younger boys, and -Walter felt that he had an even chance for -place, though Tobey of the Hurons was generally -picked to win. Harrison was a dark -horse. No one knew much about his paddling -save his chief, who had coached him in -private, and was very chary of his opinion to -anxious inquirers.</p> - -<p>“I’m going to beat you, Walt,” said Hal, as -they paddled down to the starting line.</p> - -<p>“Not if I can help it,” replied Walter with -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>332]</a></span> -a good-natured laugh, “but if I’m going to be -beaten there is no one I should rather have -win than you, Hal. But the Delawares need -those points, and I’m going to get ’em if I -can.”</p> - -<p>It was Hal’s first race, his novice event, -and he was plainly nervous at the start, so -that he got away poorly. But he soon recovered -and settled down to his work in a -way that brought a smile of satisfaction to -the lips of Chief Avery watching from the -finish line.</p> - -<p>Hal had not told his father that he was -entered for any of the events. Mr. Harrison -had been talking with Dr. Merriam when the -race was called, and had paid no attention to -the boys going down to the start. It was not -until the race was half over that he focussed -his glasses on the canoes.</p> - -<p>“Bless me, that looks like my boy out -there!” he exclaimed, wiping his glasses to -be sure that he saw clearly. Then to the delight -of the spectators the man of millions -showed that he was wholly human after all. -He whooped and shouted like an overgrown -boy. “Come on, Hal! Come on, boy!” he -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>333]</a></span> -bellowed at the top of his lungs. “He’s -winning! He’s winning! Come on, Hal! -Hit her up! Hit her up!” And all the -time he was pounding the man in front of -him, quite oblivious of the fact that it was -Dr. Merriam himself.</p> - -<p>Hal was hitting it up. After the first few -minutes of dumb surprise the Senecas had -rallied to the support of their new champion, -and as the boy heard his name over and over -again at the end of the Seneca yell he ground -his teeth and redoubled his efforts. Little by -little he forged ahead.</p> - -<p>Walter was putting up a game struggle, but -he found that his grueling swim earlier in the -afternoon was telling now, and in spite of all -he could do open water was showing between -his canoe and Hal’s. “I’ll get second, anyway,” -he muttered, and then as before the old -slogan, “For the honor of the tribe. For the -honor of the tribe,” began hammering in his -brain.</p> - -<p>It was Hal’s race, with Walter second, Buxby -third, and Tobey, the expected winner, a poor -fourth. Wigwam No. 2 was two points to the -good.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>334]</a></span> -The suspense had become almost unbearable -as the last event for the afternoon was -called. This was a “pack and carry” race, a -novelty to most of the spectators, and in some -respects the most interesting of all. Four -canoes were placed side by side on the ground -in front of headquarters. Beside each was -spread a shelter tent, blankets and cooking -outfit. The four chiefs took their places, each -beside one of the outfits. At the signal gun -each began to pack his outfit. As soon as he -had finished he picked up his canoe, inverted -it over his head and carried it to the lake. -Returning for his pack he placed it in his -canoe, paddled out around a buoy, back to -shore, and carried canoe and pack to the starting -point.</p> - -<p>Woodhull won handily, but big Bob Seaforth, -who got a good start and was counted -on for second at least, broke a paddle and was -put hopelessly out of it. This gave the Senecas -and Hurons second and third respectively. -The score was once more tied.</p> - -<p>It was incredible! Never in the history of -the camp had there been anything like it. -The field sports over and the championship -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>335]</a></span> -undecided! And now it hung on the outcome -of a little woodcraft test that hitherto -had been simply a pleasant part of the ceremony -of lighting the last camp-fire—the test -of the fire sticks. It was agreed that the winner -should not only have the usual honor of -lighting the fire, but that he should score five -points for his tribe and wigwam, and that second -and third should not count.</p> - -<p>Evening mess was a hurried affair. There -was too much excitement for eating. Promptly -at eight o’clock Dr. Merriam appeared with -the other members of the camp force and a -few guests who had remained, and the tribes -gathered in a circle around the huge pile of -fire-wood in front of headquarters. Each chief -selected five of his followers to represent his -tribe. These squatted in four groups with -their fire sticks before them on the ground. -Behind each group stood an umpire to announce -the first bona fide flame.</p> - -<p>The silence was almost painful as Dr. Merriam -raised his arm for the starting shot. -There was a momentary stir as the boys hastily -reached for their sticks, and then no sound -save an occasional long breath and the whirr -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>336]</a></span> -of the fire drills. Twenty seconds, twenty-five, -thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three—“Buxby’s -fire!” cried a voice sharply, and -then a mighty yell arose from the Delawares -and Algonquins as Billy leaped forward and -thrust his tiny blaze into the tinder of the -dark pile before him. Wigwam No. 1 had -won!</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>337]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="chap20" id="chap20"></a>CHAPTER XX<br /> - -<span class="chapsub">THE HOME TRAIL</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Walter</span> stood on the pier at Upper Lake -looking down the long stretch of water. A -mist gathered before his eyes and blurred his -vision. For the moment he was alone. His -father and Mr. Harrison were over by “Woodcraft -Girl,” which was made fast farther down -the pier, and were talking earnestly with -Louis Woodhull. How beautiful it was, and -how hard to leave. What a glorious summer -it had been!</p> - -<p>His thoughts ran back to the morning when -he had stood in this same place with Big Jim -and felt for the first time the mystery of the -great wilderness. Was it possible that that -was only eight weeks before? What a lot had -happened in that short time! What a tenderfoot -he had been! How much he had -thought he knew of woodcraft, and how little -it had been compared with what he knew -now.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>338]</a></span> -And yet even now he had learned little -more than the elementary lessons. Big Jim -had been right; “Woodcraft never yet was -larned out o’ books.” And still how much -he owed to those same books. In the light -of the knowledge obtained from them how -much better he had been able to apply the lessons -learned from his practical experiences. -Even the big guide had come to see this, and -had grudgingly admitted that there might be -some good in the despised books, after all.</p> - -<p>Walter stretched his arms out toward the -lake and the mountains. “How I hate to -leave it all,” he said, unconsciously speaking -aloud.</p> - -<p>“Same here,” said Hal Harrison, who had -come up behind him unobserved. “And a -few weeks ago I would have given anything I -possessed to get away. Now I can’t wait for -next summer to come, so that I can get back -here. You’ll be back, of course?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. I want to. Seems as if -I’d simply got to. It’s all a matter of whether -Dad can afford to let me,” replied Walter -frankly.</p> - -<p>Just then there was a warning toot from the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>339]</a></span> -engine attached to the single coach which was -to take them over to Upper Chain to connect -with the New York express. Woodhull came -up to say good-bye. He, with some of the -older boys, would remain in camp for the opening -of the hunting season. “I shall look for -you back next year, Upton,” he said extending -his left hand for the Scout grip. “The -Delawares need him,” he added, as he shook -hands with Mr. Upton.</p> - -<p>Then turning to Hal with his winning smile -he said, “Hal, if we didn’t have so much regard -for Avery the Delawares would certainly -annex you too.”</p> - -<p>At Upper Chain there was a half hour wait, -and the boys started out for a final look at the -sawmill village. Suddenly Walter caught -sight of a familiar figure. “Jim! Oh, you -Jim!” he whooped in delight.</p> - -<p>At the sound the big guide turned and his -face lighted with pleasure as he strode over to -the boys. “I was afraid I was goin’ t’ miss -yer, son,” he drawled. “Jest got back from th’ -county seat, whar I’ve been t’ see th’ last o’ a -friend o’ yourn, leastwise fer some time, I -reckon.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>340]</a></span> -“Red Pete?” exclaimed both boys together.</p> - -<p>The guide grinned. “You’ve sure hit th’ -right trail,” he said. “Pete’s on his way to -whar he won’t hev t’ lock th’ doors t’ keep -folks from takin’ a look at his shakedown. -He’ll be in a sort o’ permanent camp ’fore -sundown—ten years at hard labor. When -thet picter o’ yourn, son, was sprung on him -he broke down an’ owned up t’ a lot more -mischief than jest th’ killin’ o’ th’ King o’ -Lonesome. Th’ warden got him thet day o’ -the fire on Old Scraggy. When th’ warden -an’ deputy got t’ the hanted cabin they found -Pete wasn’t ter hum. So they made themselves -comfortable an’ waited. Long ’bout -four o’clock in th’ afternoon Pete walked right -into their arms, an’ didn’t seem none pleased -t’ see ’em.</p> - -<p>“I hed a suspicion thet Pete knew somethin’ -’bout thet fire on Scraggy, an’ when they -charged him with it he owned up thet he hed -set it t’ git even with Dr. Merriam fer puttin’ -the warden on his trail. I reckon, son, thet if -Pete had knowed what thet leetle picter box -o’ yourn was goin’ t’ do t’ him he’d ’a’ smashed -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>341]</a></span> -it plumb t’ pieces th’ mornin’ yer met up with -him an’ me over thar in th’ deepo. Well,” he -sniffed the sawdust-scented air, “seems t’ me -th’ air in these old woods will smell some -sweeter now thet he ain’t a-taintin’ it no -more.”</p> - -<p>When they returned to the railway station -they found another familiar face awaiting -them. It was Pat Malone. A broad grin -overspread his freckled face as they approached. -Walter was delighted. He had -seen nothing of Pat for the last week, and it -was with real regret that he had left Woodcraft -without an opportunity to say good-bye.</p> - -<p>Pat came forward and rather sheepishly -shook hands with Hal. The latter blushed, -and then manfully he apologized to the Irish -lad for his fault in the fish buying episode of -the summer. The other’s eyes twinkled.</p> - -<p>“Sure, ’tis more than mesilf has larned how -ter shpell honor, Oi be thinkin’,” he said. -“Yez can buy no more fish av Pat Malone, -but if ye coom in nixt summer ’tis mesilf will -show ye where ter catch thim.”</p> - -<p>Turning to Walter he thrust into his hands -a pair of snow-shoes. “Will ye take these ter -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>342]</a></span> -show Noo Yorrk th’ latest shtoile in shoes?” -he asked hurriedly. “Oi made thim for ye mesilf -so ye will remimber th’ bye in the woods -ye licked—but thot ye can’t lick now,” he -added, the twinkle reappearing in his eyes.</p> - -<p>“An’ say,” he concluded as the heavy express -drew in to the station, “Oi be goin’ ter -shtart a Scout patrol av th’ Upper Chain byes -thot’ll make yez hustle fer honors when ye -coom back nixt summer.”</p> - -<p>The farewells were over. Lolling back in -the luxury of a Pullman seat Walter and Hal -were rushing down through the mountains, -back to the busy world, a world of brick and -stone and steel, of clang and roar, of dust and -dirt and smoke, of never ending struggle, the -world to which they had been accustomed, of -which they had been a part all their lives. -Yet now it seemed a very dim and distant -world, an unreal world.</p> - -<p>They sat in silence, gazing out at the darkening -forest, each buried in his own thoughts, -each vaguely conscious that he was not the -same boy who had taken this same iron trail -into the wilderness a few short weeks before; -that there had been a change, a subtle -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>343]</a></span> -metamorphosis for which the mere passage of so -brief a space of time could not be accountable. -Hal was the first to come out of the -revery.</p> - -<p>“I guess,” he said slowly and thoughtfully, -“that I’ve just begun to learn what life -is. They really live it back there.”</p> - -<p>In the seat in front of them the fathers of -the two boys were in earnest conversation, -and Mr. Harrison was voicing almost the -same thought. “I tell you, Upton, that is -real, genuine life up there! Merriam’s idea -is right. It’s great! That isn’t a camp up -there—it’s a ‘man factory.’ Why, look at -that boy of mine! I sent him up there to -get him out of the way and keep him out of -mischief. Sent him up there a helpless infant -in all but years. Been petted and coddled -and toadied to all his life. My fault, I -admit it. And yet less my fault than the -fault of the unnatural and artificial conditions -that wealth produces. On the impulse of a -moment I run up there to have a look at him, -and what do I find? A man, sir!</p> - -<p>“I tell you I never in my life put through -a big financial deal with one-half the pride -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>344]</a></span> -that I watched that boy push his canoe over -the line yesterday! And when they told me -about that fire exploit of his I was happier -than I’d be if I cornered the market to-day. -I’m proud of him, sir, just as you’re proud -of your boy! You’ve got to strip a man -down bare to know whether he can stand on -his own feet or not. He’s got to, then, or go -under. And Merriam is showing them how -to do it. Now I’ve been thinking of a plan -for next summer for these two youngsters, -and perhaps a couple more from the camp, -and the expense, you understand, is to be -wholly mine.”</p> - -<p>He leaned forward and for half an hour -the two men were absorbed in earnest discussion. -Finally Mr. Upton turned to the -seat behind.</p> - -<p>“Walter,” said he, “how should you like -to spend next summer at Woodcraft?”</p> - -<p>“Like it!” cried Walter. “There’s nothing -in all the world I’d like so much!”</p> - -<p>Mr. Upton smiled. “Unless,” said he, “you -like equally well the plan that Mr. Harrison -has just proposed, which is a canoe cruise.”</p> - -<p>“A canoe cruise!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>345]</a></span> -“Yes, for you and Hal, and one of the older -Woodcraft boys, and one other, if you can get -them to go with you. How should you like -that for the last two or three weeks of your -vacation?”</p> - -<p>“Hurrah!” shouted Hal, throwing himself -at his father, and giving him a bear hug. -“That’s the bulliest plan you ever made! -We’ll get Louis Woodhull to go with us, -won’t we, Walt?”</p> - -<p>“The very one I had in mind,” said Mr. -Harrison.</p> - -<p>The train rushed on through the gathering -night. It roared over bridges and rumbled -through tunnels. It shrieked at lone crossings -and slowed to a jolting halt at busy -stations. But unheeding, oblivious to it all -two happy boys sat in the Pullman section -and excitedly discussed who should be invited -and where they should go when the -next summer should bring to them the promised -opportunity to launch their canoes on -strange waters.</p> - - -<p class="series">The Stories in this Series are:</p> - -<p class="bookblock">THE BOY SCOUTS OF WOODCRAFT CAMP<br /> -THE BOY SCOUTS ON SWIFT RIVER<br /> -THE BOY SCOUTS ON LOST TRAIL<br /> -THE BOY SCOUTS IN A TRAPPER’S CAMP</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><a name="author_biography" id="author_biography"></a>THORNTON W. BURGESS</h2> -</div> - - -<div class="figright" style="width: 170px;"> -<img src="images/bswc08.png" width="170" height="250" -alt="Pen drawing of the author at work" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HORNTON W. BURGESS -was born in Sandwich, -Massachusetts, January -14, 1874. He graduated from -the Sandwich High School in 1891, -afterward taking a course in -Comer’s Commercial College, -Boston. After a few years in -business life he entered the editorial -field as one of the editors -of the Phelps Publishing and -Orange Judd Companies and -was for several years one of the -editors of Good Housekeeping -Magazine, for which he wrote extensively.</p> - -<p>For some years he has been a contributor to many -of the leading magazines. Over the name of W. B. -Thornton he won recognition as a writer on out-door -life and nature topics. He is an ardent lover of -nature and since boyhood has spent his spare time in -the woods and fields. His vacations have been spent -with rod, gun and camera, camping and canoe cruising.</p> - -<p>Among his books are:</p> - -<p class="biolist">The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp<br /> -The Boy Scouts on Swift River<br /> -The Boy Scouts on Lost Trail<br /> -The Boy Scouts in a Trapper’s Camp</p> - - - - -<div class="bbox"> -<p><b>Transcriber’s Note</b></p> - -<p>Minor punctuation errors have been repaired.</p> - -<p>Hyphenation has been made consistent.</p> - -<p>Page <a href="#Page_39">39</a> has a reference to Mt. Sewell. Based on the rest of the book, this should probably -read Mt. Seward, but it is preserved as printed.</p> - -<p>The following amendments have been made:</p> - -<div class="amends"> -<p>Page <a href="#Page_150">150</a>—wonered amended to wondered— He wondered if it could be possible ...</p> - -<p>Caption to the illustration facing page <a href="#illo07">306</a>—WIGWAG SIGNALLING amended to -WIG-WAG SIGNALING for consistency with the rest of the book.</p> -</div> - -<p>The frontispiece illustration has been moved to follow the title page. Other illustrations -have been moved where necessary so that they are not in the middle of a paragraph.</p> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp, by -Thornton W. Burgess - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY SCOUTS OF WOODCRAFT CAMP *** - -***** This file should be named 54755-h.htm or 54755-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/7/5/54755/ - -Produced by Emmy, MFR, Sam W. and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive). Dedicated, with much affection, to our -friend Emmy, who "fell off the planet" far too soon. - - -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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere 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. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - -</pre> - -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/bswc01.jpg b/old/54755-h/images/bswc01.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b0adf43..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/bswc01.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/bswc02.png b/old/54755-h/images/bswc02.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cfac506..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/bswc02.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/bswc03.jpg b/old/54755-h/images/bswc03.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 28464b8..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/bswc03.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/bswc04.jpg b/old/54755-h/images/bswc04.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 533daa1..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/bswc04.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/bswc05.png b/old/54755-h/images/bswc05.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 933f877..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/bswc05.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/bswc06.jpg b/old/54755-h/images/bswc06.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 10f415a..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/bswc06.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/bswc07.jpg b/old/54755-h/images/bswc07.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 254e29b..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/bswc07.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/bswc08.png b/old/54755-h/images/bswc08.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cafec0d..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/bswc08.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/copyright.png b/old/54755-h/images/copyright.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 9876a9f..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/copyright.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/54755-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4f6705d..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54755-h/images/crest.png b/old/54755-h/images/crest.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 31193ec..0000000 --- a/old/54755-h/images/crest.png +++ /dev/null |
