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diff --git a/76477-0.txt b/76477-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..91971c0 --- /dev/null +++ b/76477-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5506 @@ + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76477 *** + + + + + + + +[Frontispiece: HE GROPED BLINDLY FOR THE PROJECTING TREE. +_Skinny McCord_. _Frontispiece_ (_Page_ 61)] + + + + + SKINNY McCORD + + + _By_ + + PERCY KEESE FITZHUGH + + _Author of_ + THE TOM SLADE BOOKS + THE ROY BLAKELEY BOOKS + THE PEE-WEE HARRIS BOOKS + THE WESTY MARTIN BOOKS + + + + ILLUSTRATED BY + HOWARD L. HASTINGS + + + + GROSSET & DUNLAP + PUBLISHERS NEW YORK + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY + GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC. + + Made in the United States of America + + + + + CONTENTS + + CHAPTER + + I Skinny Loses Something + II Shadows + III Ears that Hear + IV By the Dead Fire + V Face to Face + VI In the Dim Light + VII Dark Plans + VIII Stealth + IX For Danny + X Won + XI If + XII Scout Law Number Two + XIII Alias Danville Bently + XIV The Pioneer Scout + XV The Serenade + XVI The Accused + XVII The Masquerader + XVIII To Pastures New + XIX The New Arrival + XX Skinny's Protégé + XXI Temple Camp Takes Notice + XXII Partners + XXIII Henny's Cave + XXIV Missing + XXV From Above + XXVI With the Smoke + XXVII Skinny's Hero + XXVIII It Runs in the Family + XXIX Just as Easy-- + XXX Fixed + XXXI Holly Hollis + XXXII The Night Before + XXXIII Victory and Then-- + XXXIV The Price + + + + +SKINNY McCORD + + + +CHAPTER I + +SKINNY LOSES SOMETHING + +There was great excitement around the camp-fire. Skinny McCord had +lost his compass. He had dropped it and it had rolled away, and all +the boys were making a great show of helping him to find it. They +did this not wholly from kindness. + +Skinny was a sensitive boy and it gave his comrades great delight to +see him embarrassed, as he always was when made the subject of group +talk or the center of interest. Not that they would have hesitated a +moment to assist Skinny. For they liked him immensely and would have +done anything in the world for him. But they were a mirthful lot, +these scouts of Temple Camp, and felt a certain bantering enjoyment +in seeing him uneasy, as he always was when the spotlight was thrown +on him. They liked that diffident way of his--that bashful smile. +This was his second summer at camp and still he was shy; he would +probably always be shy.... + +It was not much of a compass that he had lost; just a little tin +affair. He was sorry that he had chosen to transfer it from one +pocket to another, for now he found himself the star attraction of +the camp-fire throng. "It--it isn't much good anyway," he said; +"don't bother." + +But they did bother. They had Skinny where they wanted him and they +could not let the occasion go by. He would have to go through with +this torture. He often suffered such torture at the hands of these +scouts who would have knocked any one down who dared to harm him. + +"Everybody hunt for Skinny's compass!" called Roy Blakeley. (He was +easily the worst of the lot.) "Get out of the way," he said as he +rolled Pee-wee Harris over on the ground, and made great pretense of +scrutinizing the spot. "Don't sit around gaping when Skinny's +compass is lost. Correct imitation of boy scouts hunting for a lost +compass that didn't know which way it was rolling." + +"Would you mind getting up, Uncle Jeb, so we can look under that log +for Skinny McCord?" said another boy. Poor Skinny looked almost +frightened to see the old western trapper, master of woods lore in +camp, smilingly arise while a dozen scouts searched under the log +seat, to the accompaniment of a clamorous chorus. + +"All fall to and hunt for Skinny's compass!" + +"Hey, Skinny, we'll find it!" + +"Go and get a couple of scoutmasters and a few councilors." + +"Tell them Skinny McCord lost his compass." + +"We'll form a posse," said Roy. + +"Don't worry, Skinny, we'll find it." + +"Everybody hunt for the compass of Skinny McCord." + +"Sit still, Skinny; your thousands of friends will find it for you." + +He sat still, his face as red as the end of the big iron poker which +lay in the fire. He might have served as a model for a statue of +embarrassment as he sat on his old grocery box fearfully +contemplating the rumpus he had caused. Timidly he glanced at +Councilor Barrows as if to assure that smiling official that he had +not intended to interrupt the proceedings with all this hubbub. + +In company Skinny never permitted himself to occupy a whole seat. He +sat on the edge of a chair or box or boat seat; this was the +invariable sign of his embarrassment. "Sit back and make yourself at +home, Skinny," they would say. But that was the one thing poor +Skinny could never do--make himself at home. His getting into the +scouts was the great thing in his young life and he had been in a +sort of trance ever since. He had never got over the shock. They +had told him that pretty soon he would be a patrol leader. His +elevation to that height would certainly have killed him. + +A scout from Indiana (one of those robust jolliers who enliven camps) +jumped upon a rough seat, cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted +like a fish pedler, "Ooooooh! Everybody! Scout McCord of +Bridgeboro--First Bridgeboro Troop--has lost his compass! Come one, +come all, and help find it!" + +They were all crawling about on their hands and knees, fifty or more +of them, upturning boxes and throwing camp stools about in hilarious +exaggeration of helpfulness. And there sat poor Skinny smiling +bashfully. If a pack of lions had suddenly taken it into their heads +to roar their tribute to a kitten as a member of their family, the +kitten's attitude would have been comparable to that of poor Skinny. + +But the spasm of raillery was soon over. They were more concerned +with Skinny's discomfiture than with finding the fugitive compass. +And they did not find it; it had rolled gayly off and baffled all +these trackers and pathfinders. Skinny did not let his uproarious +comrades know how much he really did want to find it. He was even +glad when the excitement was over. He hoped they would resume +camp-fire yarns and forget all about it. He had suffered quite +enough this agony of being in the public eye. + +But the fire was burning low now and there were no more camp-fire +yarns. There was a continuous exodus from the spot. Sitting there +one might see scouts, singly and in groups, moving into the darkness, +up the hill or along Cabin Lane or toward Tent Village, as they +called it, to their quarters. Slowly the reflection of the fire in +the lake near by diminished until there was nothing but a tiny red +glow on the black water. + +"So long, see you in the morning," was repeated again and again as +patrols went their several ways off into the solemn stillness of the +big scout community, It was more than a camp, this lakeside +foundation started by Mr. John Temple; it was a sort of scout city in +the wilderness. One could be quite alone and unnoticed there, if he +so chose, even as one may be a hermit in the metropolis. + +Soon only half a dozen or so of the merry, lolling throng remained, +and these sat meditating as they waited for the fire to die. There +were always a few to linger like this; a few who had that gentle +sentiment that likes to see the old year go out, or watch beside a +dying fire. Old Uncle Jeb and Tom Slade, camp assistant, always +waited to trample out the last embers. With them sat two or three of +the older boys. + +"Poor kid, it's a lot of fun to see him all flustered," one said. + +"He's even got a regular scout suit," said another. "He drove down +to Kingston with Curry in his Ford and bought it and now he's afraid +to wear it. Somebody told me he's been saving up for it ever since +last summer. And now he's afraid to wear it." + +"Curry told me it's about forty-'leven sizes too big," drawled lanky +Brent Gaylong. "But I s'pose Skinny figures on growing up to it. +Probably he means to wear it when he's National Scout Commissioner. +A scout has to be prepared as I understand." + +"Look out, you'll burn your shoe," said Tom. "If _you_ dressed more +like a scout it wouldn't hurt you any." + +"I have the soul of a scout," drawled Brent. "I don't need the +tinseled regalia. What do you suppose would happen," he said +meditatively after a pause, "if Skinny were to be awarded the Gold +Cross and all the high dinkums of scouting were here to pull the +presentation stuff to the plaudits of the multitude! What do you +think he'd do if old man Temple made one of his speeches about him!" + +"I think he'd drop dead," said Tom. "But Skinny is no coward; he's +just bashful and sensitive." + +"Huh, funny," mused Brent. "He doesn't seem to be any more at home +with the Elks than when he first joined them." + +"He's happy," said Tom. + +"Thar's cowardly animals, and thar's timid animals," said old Uncle +Jeb, "n' they ain't the same by no manner o' means. That thar +youngster's all right, I reckon. On'y he's shy." + +Two of those who had lingered went away; they were silhouetted as +they passed the big lighted window of Benson Dormitory, then were +swallowed by the darkness. Still the trio waited by the dying fire, +silent, meditative. Tom was watching a particular patch of embers as +one by one little particles went out and the tiny area of red +diminished. He could have stamped this out with one foot, but he +took a certain idle pleasure in waiting till it vanished in the black +night. "Why don't the Elks get after Skinny about his new suit?" he +mused aloud. + +"I suppose they don't know anything about it," drawled Brent. + +"Hmph, poor kid," said Tom. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +SHADOWS + +Tom, Brent and Uncle Jeb were not the only persons who waited that +night for the camp-fire to die. All unknown to each other two boys +lingered in the darkness. One was a slim little fellow with big, +staring eyes, a queer gnome of a boy, who stole out of the Elks +patrol cabin and stood with his gaze fixed on the dying embers, +listening and eagerly waiting for the last watchers to withdraw. He +intended to steal back alone and search for his precious compass. +For this little trinket meant more to him than he had been willing +for that hilarious company to believe. + +Now that he had at last achieved the glory of a real scout suit he +could wear this little appurtenance dangling from his scout belt in +the flaunting manner of Pee-wee Harris. In the store at Kingston he +had bashfully tried this suit on (to the great amusement of his +companion, Curry) and he had looked like a bolster in it. But no +size seemed to fit him. Poor Skinny would never look trim. As he +waited there in the darkness, watching the last faint glow of the +fire, he had not a little the appearance of an hour glass, with his +belt drawn so absurdly tight that his clothing seemed to bulge above +and below it. + +The other boy who waited for the fire to die was not a scout. He sat +on a rough bench up at the roadside just where the path led down +through the woods into camp. Approaching along this road one reached +a sign with an arrow pointing down into the woods and with the words +_To Temple Camp_ printed on it. A trail wound down the wooded slope +to the sprawling scout community at the lakeside. At this point +where the trail left the road stood the old bench and close by it a +post surmounted by a huge letter-box where the rural carrier left the +camp mail. + +The spot was a pleasant loitering place as was evidenced by the many +carved initials on the bench and the post. No part of the camp was +visible from this spot though sometimes a little glint of silvery +water was discoverable through the trees. But at night two distinct +glowing areas could be seen from the wayside seat. Many a new scout +had been fooled by these. It was one of the popular jokes of camp to +take a new arrival up to the road at night, and then send him forth +to find the northern-most glow, which was only the reflection of the +camp-fire in the distant lake. Even so good a scout as Bert Winton, +who was a Vermont Eagle, had gone hiking down into the dark woods in +search of this fire and had gone clear around the camp and come out +up at the end of the lake where Tenderfoot Cove is, only to see the +glow reduced to a little glinting patch on the water. + +The boy who was not a scout had come along the road looking for the +camp. At Leeds, the nearest village, he had been told where to turn +down into the woods. But now that he had reached the spot he +hesitated, for the two bright areas down there in the woods told him +that the camp people were still about. It was his intention to enter +the camp unseen. He was very weary and was not averse to sitting on +the bench and waiting. Now and then he glanced furtively up and down +the dark road as if fearful that he might be discovered, and once +when an auto sped by, throwing a momentary glare over the spot, he +cringed and breathed quickly. + +He was about sixteen, this boy, and tall of stature with a litheness +about him which suggested the cautious stealth of an animal. His +eyes were gray and large, but he kept them half closed and used them +with a kind of darting agility. When he arose and stepped across the +road for a better look at the glowing areas, there was a certain +elasticity in his step, a silent springiness, very suggestive of wild +life and extraordinarily graceful. He laid his hands against his +hips and narrowed his eyes in studious concentration on those distant +spots of light. It was a fine, unconscious posture. + +The path of least resistance for a boy's hands at this moment would +have been his trousers pockets, but the trousers worn by this boy had +no pockets. They were gingham trousers and afforded their wearer not +one single carrying facility. This boy had grown used to pocketless +trousers and accustomed himself to that picturesque way of standing +with his hands against his hips. + +For several minutes he gazed steadily at those distant glowing +patches. His narrowed eyes became steely in this concentration. A +fine, inspiring figure of a scout, baffled and yet resolved, he made +as he stood there. Suddenly some little creature of the woodland +made a sound in its nightly prowling and the boy turned with +lightning rapidity, listening fearfully. Then he resumed his study +of the distant patches of light. He was vivisecting them at long +distance, comparing the flickering movements one with another. + +"I'll be--Those aren't two fires," said he. "There's only one. The +other's just a reflection. The two of them move alike." + +It was not so bad for a boy who was not a scout. Still, when this +boy set about doing a thing he usually succeeded. The very night +before he had essayed to do a daring thing, a dreadful thing. And he +had succeeded. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +EARS THAT HEAR + +It was a desperate business, but he had succeeded--so far. He was +not going to jeopardize his success now by an ill-considered move. +So he resolved to rest on the bench till the last distant flicker +disappeared and he could feel certain that every one in camp had +retired. Then he would follow the path down through the woods. + +He removed his hat and took an empty cigarette box from inside the +crown. There were no cigarettes left in it, but a certain devilish +instinct of caution had prompted him to save the little pasteboard +folder with removable matches that had accompanied his forbidden +purchase. Then he took off a shoe and withdrew from it a damp and +soiled slip of paper containing a memorandum which he read by the +light of a match. _Martha Norris Memorial Cabins. Up path from fire +turn left--second cabin_. He knew the words by heart, but scanned +them finally before crumpling the paper and throwing it away. + +As he dropped it under the bench he saw a little square of white +lying on the ground and picking it up found it to be an unopened +letter. It was close to one of the legs of the bench and almost at +the foot of the post supporting the mail box. He struck another +match and read the typewritten address on the envelope: _Temple Camp, +Black Lake, Greene Co., New York_. In the corner was an imprint: +_Bently's Family Hotel, Wave Crest City, Florida_. + +He now made a discovery which was destined to give a turn to his +fortunes and start an altogether singular series of adventures. He +found that the heavy dew had dampened the envelope and melted the +glue of the flap so that the envelope lay limp and open in his hand. +He could not forbear to examine a missive which lay thus exposed. +The thought occurred to him that the letter could not have lain long +on the ground without being discovered by those who frequented the +spot. It had probably been brought by the rural carrier that very +afternoon and dropped by the messenger who had emptied the box to +take its contents down to camp. In the dim light of his few +remaining matches, he read the letter. + + + Wave Crest City, Fla., + June 27th, 1927. + + Board of Councilors, + Temple Camp, + Black Lake, N.Y. + +Gentlemen: + +This is to notify you that my son, Danville Bently, who was to have +spent the month of July at your camp will not be able to begin his +vacation with you until August second. He is to accompany his mother +and myself to Europe. + +We are closing our place here for the summer season to travel abroad +and I have taken the liberty of assuring our boy that the reservation +made for him for July (for which check was sent to cover) may be +shifted to August without prejudice to your summer arrangements. + +He is looking forward with high anticipations to his promised month +at your famous camp and we have arranged for him to return with his +older brother on a steamer which will arrive in New York on August +first, so that his trip with us may not interfere with his scouting +activities. + +Will you kindly wire me upon receipt of this whether the check +forwarded in recent communication may be applied to accommodation for +August instead of July? If that is satisfactory he will report on +August second. + +I sincerely hope that this will be agreeable to you as he would +suffer a very keen disappointment if compelled to forego this first +season at a scout camp. + + Very truly yours, + Roswell T. Bently. + + +As he followed the path down into the woods he had no other thought +in regard to this letter than to see that it was delivered into the +proper hands. He knew well enough how he was to accomplish this +without making his presence known to these strangers. The faintest +glow of the distant fire still burned and by this tiny beacon he saw +that to reach the site of the camp-fire he must leave the beaten +path. He now began to pass isolated cabins, the scattered advance +guard of the growing camp. They were all in darkness, but in one he +heard laughter and singing. Now he passed a row of tents; there was +a dim light in one of them and a figure silhouetted on the canvas. +As he passed the light went out. He moved silently, cautiously +pausing now and again. There was no sign of life. + +Presently he was shockingly made aware of the need of stealth. +Pausing before a cabin in front of which was planted a staff with a +white pennant he saw a figure appear suddenly in the doorway. + +"No, you don't," said the apparition. + +"Did he get away with it?" some one within asked. + +"Not so you'd notice it," said the figure in the doorway. + +"What's the idea!" the newcomer asked. + +"The idea is you didn't get away with it," laughed the boy in the +doorway. "Just keep away from that pennant." And he disappeared +within. + +Here was a strange business. They evidently slept with one ear open +at Temple Camp. But why should they think he intended to take +something! Why should they suspect him? Was there anything about +him that enabled strangers to discern his secret? At all events he +must be careful in this uncanny place. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +BY THE DEAD FIRE + +Of course no one suspected him of trying to steal. He had just had a +glimpse of a little nocturnal game that was popular in camp. Whoever +could remove this pennant was welcome to it and might plant it in +front of his patrol cabin. These midnight raids were very common and +not infrequently successful. Our stealthy visitor had chanced to +pause before the pennant cabin. + +He now came to the main body of the camp and saw the whole expanse of +the dark lake with the great bulk of wooded hills beyond. He glanced +about at the cluster of rustic buildings, the main pavilion, the +storehouse and cooking shack, the "eats" pavilion, Administration +Shack. Cautiously (for now he was fearful of the slightest sound) he +approached the lake and stood on the float looking off across the +black water. Close by him the rocking boats knocked one against +another; there was the metallic sound of clanking oar-locks now and +then. How strange seemed all these evidences of life when deserted +and wrapped in darkness! + +The diving board pointed out into the lake like a big, ghostly +finger. Slanting upward as it did, it seemed to be pointing at the +precipitous hills across the lake which cast their inverted shadow in +the water, making the dark surface still darker. At night there +seemed always to be two shades of blackness on that enclosed lake, +caused by the vast shadow of the rugged heights beyond. Scouts had +tried to row out to where this deeper gloom in the water began, but +they could never find it. + +The prowling stranger examined one of the boats to see if it was +locked. He lifted the chain as gingerly as one would handle a snake. +No, the boats were not locked. He might take one, if he could find +the oars, and row across and baffle pursuit among those +wilderness-clad hills. He could push the boat back into the lake +again and they would just think it had drifted away from its mooring. +He was altogether too clever, this strange boy. + +But just now he had business in the camp; then he would consider how +best to proceed on his fugitive way. This was a ticklish matter that +he had now to transact. Then all would be well. So far he believed +he had done well--if you call it doing well to do what he had done. +At least good luck had smiled upon him. + +He must now find the camp-fire spot. From this point (according to +the only hint he had) he would see a hill and up that hill _to the +left_, would be the Martha Norris Memorial Cabins. But how to find +and awaken a particular sleeper in that group was a puzzle. If these +boy scouts (he called them boy scouts notwithstanding that he was +himself a boy) were all like the one who had appeared in the cabin +doorway, he would have to practice super-human stealth. He could do +that. He had, in perverted form, every physical quality dear to +scouting. + +If he had not been absorbed by very pressing business, he might have +spared a moment to flatter himself that not many boys could prowl +around a sleeping scout camp undiscovered. He was beating them at +their own game. But his only thought about this remote scout +community was that it was to serve his purpose. Two days previously +he had never thought about it. Then he had had an inspiration, two +days hence he would forget that there such a place as Temple Camp. + +He found the camp-fire spot, a circle of low masonry, about eight +inches high and ten feet in diameter. It was well removed from the +nearest building. As he looked at it, it reminded him of a tiny +circus ring. It was all strewn with gray ashes and charred bits of +log. He was in the very heart of Temple Camp. For as the camp had +grown larger and extended up the wooded hillside away from the lake, +this nightly gathering place had come to be more than just a +camp-fire. Scouts who seldom met at other times, met here. It was +the market-place of camp. + +The roaring blaze which nightly painted its counterpart in the dark +lake, embodied the very essence of scouting. And the romance of this +enchanted spot lingered in the daytime when only ashes remained +within the stone circle, and only upturned boxes and ramshackle +benches and pieces of canvas lay about outside, giving silent +testimony of the throngs that gathered there when the day was done. +The roaring fire is a feature of every camp. At Temple Camp it was +an institution. + +But our stealthy visitor had no sentiment about this merry ceremonial +of scouting. He approached the hallowed spot with caution and +glanced about. There seemed to be a hill, or spreading knoll, rising +from the neighborhood, but he could see no cabins on this rising +ground. There was a trail, however, which seemed to come from around +the cooking shack and peter out on this slight eminence. He hardly +knew what to do. He had not fancied the camp to be anything like +this, a community made up of cabin groups and rustic avenues and tiny +isolated abodes far removed from the body of the original camp. It +was like a little city with tiny suburbs. Even with the information +he had, he was hunting for a needle in a haystack. + +His foot caught in a loop of rope attached to a square of old tent +canvas on which several scouts had sprawled. He stumbled, fell over +a bench, scrambled to his feet, and was instantly aware of a dark +figure on the opposite side of the circle. It seemed to have risen +simultaneously with him, almost like his shadow. He was startled, +every nerve on edge. Was this another of those uncanny beings +appearing to challenge him? The dark figure said not a word, only +stared at him. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +FACE TO FACE + +For a few moments the stranger scrutinized the figure. It moved, and +he seemed relieved. + +"That you, Tiny?" he ventured hesitatingly. + +"It's--it's _Danny_!" said the other, aghast. + +"_Hsh_, not so loud. Yes, it's Danny. I'm in luck." + +He stepped across the circle and put his arm around the younger boy. +"What are you doing here--this time of night?" he whispered. + +"I was hunting for my compass. They were making fun of me so I came +back alone to hunt for it. Did they--Danny, did they let you out?" + +"_Shh_--ut up. No, I gave them the slip. I hiked it all the way +here to see you. I'm on my way--now don't get excited and don't talk +loud." + +"You mean--you--mean you _escaped_?" + +"Yep, and you're going to pay me back for licking Dick Kinney. Don't +you know how you said you would?" + +"Yes, only I'm scared." + +"I'm the one to be scared--only I'm not." + +"Yes, but Danny," Skinny pleaded as he nervously gripped the other's +shirt with both hands, "listen--Danny--" (he almost pulled the shirt +up over the other's belt in his nervous excitement) "you, you stepped +right in the ashes and now you'll make tracks." + +"You little devil of a boy scout," laughed the taller boy in a +good-humored whisper. "Come on, where can we go and talk? This +blamed place sleeps with its ears open." + +"Are they--Danny, are they coming after you?" Skinny asked in panic +fright. "Are they coming here, Danny?" + +"Not to-night, kid." + +"But to-morrow--Danny?" + +"I'll be gone before to-morrow." + +"Yes, but they'll get you, Danny," Skinny said, jerking in a panic of +fear at the shirt he still gripped. "I know how you licked Dick +Kinney, but----" + +"Come ahead, where can we talk, kid?" + +"Maybe they don't know you've got a brother here, hey?" Skinny said +hopefully. + +"Naah, they don't know that. They're a bunch of yimps." + +"Yes, but--all right, come on up this way." + +You would never have supposed that the diffident, bashfully smiling +little fellow who had blushed scarlet at the rumpus he had caused at +camp-fire was the same as he who now hurried silently up the wooded +hillside away from the main body of camp, expressing nervous +excitement in every look and move. Little did his scout comrades +know of the fire that burned in the soul of this forlorn little scout +whose quaint discomfiture they so much enjoyed. + +"Come on up here," he breathed excitedly, looking fearfully back +toward the area of peril. "Now I'm glad they jollied me--you bet; +I'm glad I went back there. Come on up this way and don't speak when +we go past that cabin. There's a scout in there that's got the one +eye cup. That's for sleeping with one eye open. It don't mean that +exactly--shhh. He's the one makes fun of me, because I didn't have a +scout suit----" + +"He'd sleep with both eyes black if I was here," said Danny. This +was quite a boast, but I dare say he would have made it good. + +"Hsh, we have to be good and scared of that feller." + +It was no wonder that this dubious brother treated Skinny with a kind +of protective kindness. Such an odd, likable, temperamental little +bundle of nerves he seemed, when aroused. It was his fate never to +be at his best in public; his sadder fate to be at his very best with +this fugitive adventurer when secrecy was imperative. A queer little +hobgoblin of a boy he seemed without one single evidence of the scout +in his appearance. + +He led the way up the hill till their progress was interrupted by an +old railroad cut, which at that point was so overgrown that it seemed +a natural hollow. Clambering down the side with the aid of trees and +brush, Skinny stood triumphantly beside a tiny shanty which had once +been a shelter for a switchman. It was now quite fallen to pieces, +but its board roof had been propped up, and the dense brush that +tumbled over it effectually concealed it and kept it from leaking too +freely. As a romantic retreat there was much to be said for it. +Skinny had discovered it and made it his own; it was his private +retreat. + +Within there was nothing but a shelf and an old red lantern hanging +on a rusty nail. But there was oil inside the lantern which Skinny +had once fetched thither in a tomato can. The smell of this lantern +when lighted was like unto no stench that ever assailed human +nostrils. To this remote refuge Skinny was wont to repair when he +wanted to pretend that he was a pioneer, and when the banter at camp +was too vociferous for him. + +The very sight of this place was a relief to Danny, and he perched on +the shelf while Skinny lighted the lantern. "Listen here, Tiny," +said he. "Do you remember when you was just a little bit of a shaver +and you said I was half a brother----" + +"I didn't mean it that way--honest----" + +"I know you didn't, you thick little dub. Do you remember how pop +told you I was _half-brother_, not half a brother! Then when Dick +Kinney said you were only about a quarter of a brother and he took +your ball away, do you remember how I landed him one? Knocked him +goofy? And you said you'd pay me back?" + +"Sure, I do, Danny, only----" + +"Naah, there's no _only_ about it kid. I got a letter from pop and +he said how he sent you fifteen dollars--I got it at Blythedale. He +says when I get out next year he hopes I'll work. Get a picture of +me sticking around a reformatory till next year! Listen, kid, they +had me out fixing a grape-vine over an arbor, tying it up. They even +give me a ball of cord, the poor simps! So listen to what I did. I +picked out a nice long stem of grape-vine--_a nice long one_. Nice +and long--and thick. And that one I didn't wind around the new +arbor; I only laid it nice and easy on top. You'd think it was all +wound up like the other branches and things but it wasn't. +Camouflage! About--oh thirty or forty feet, maybe, of the cord I +rolled up and put in my pocket. Of course those wise guys had to +have their ball of cord back. + +"Well--don't get scared. Any one would think it was _you_ doing +this. Well, as----" + +"I'm not _scared_, only----" + +"Wait till you hear, kid; it's good. It was so easy I'm sorry now I +didn't go and say good-by to Punkhead; he's got charge of my floor." + +Skinny's expression seemed to say that he thought it just as well his +half-brother had not done that. + +"After supper I did my little job carrying ice in from the ice-house +and dumping it in the box in the outside pantry. Then I went +upstairs with the ice-tongs--don't laugh at them, kid, they're simps. +At Blythedale Home all those managers need is a mother's care." + +Skinny was far from laughing at this dreadful recital. + +"So I put the ice-tongs under my mattress. Then I stayed awake till +I heard the church clock in Blythedale ring two. Then I tied the +ice-tongs to the cord and dropped it down out of the window and +pulled up the grape-vine and tied it good and fast to the shutter +hinge. Zip goes the fillum. I wrote on a piece of paper, _Get two +hunks of ice to-morrow so you can cool down. So long_. Then I slid +down the grape-vine. + +"I had some stuff I kept from my supper and I got as far as Tonley's +Corners before it got light. Then I hid under a lunch wagon that was +all boarded up till last night and then I started hiking again. I +grubbed some eats and got a hitch with a wop in a flivver--he can't +even speak English. So here I am and it's just exactly fifty-one +miles from Blythedale Home to Temple Camp and you're looking great, +kid. + +"All I want is that fifteen bucks so I can get a good start. I was +thinking I'd bang down to New York and get a job on a ship. But I +can't chase around in these blamed calico things, I'll get pinched +_sure_. Say, kid, how about that lake; what's on the other side! +Could I get through to Catskill that way without going on a road? +Hsh--_listen_." + +"That's only a bird house that kinder creaks in a tree when the wind +blows. Collie Edwards put it there; he's a Star Scout." + +"Didn't you hear voices--men?" + +"No, it wasn't voices, Danny. Now I'm sorry I bought a scout suit +and some things, because I haven't got that money. I only got eleven +cents of it now--that's all I got." + +"You got a suit and things?" Danny asked, aghast. + +"Yes, because I never had any and they kept saying how I have to have +one, because I'm a scout. Honest Danny, I'm sorry." + +The elder boy sat on the shelf dangling his legs and contemplating +his half-brother in a daze. + +"If you're mad I don't blame you, but it isn't my fault," said Skinny. + +"Now what am I going to do? _Now_ what in blazes am I going to do?" +was all that Danny could say. + +"Could--maybe you could wear the suit," Skinny ventured. "Then +people wouldn't know you got out of a reform school. You can have it +if you want it; anyway, it's too big for me. Curry had to laugh at +me in it. They don't make them like the shape I am." + +Something in this last wistful remark touched the brother. Even in +his troubled preoccupation he reached out and ruffled the younger +boy's hair. "Who's Curry? Did you tell him what I did to Kinney for +making fun of you?" + +"No, because he's a nice fellow; he's an assistant scoutmaster. They +all kinder laugh at me, but just the same I'm good friends with them." + +"I couldn't pay railroad fares with a scout suit, kid." + +"Maybe you could hook a ride, you're so smart. I guess you could do +it if you wanted to like the way you do 'most everything. I never +told them about you 'cause I couldn't." + +Danny only gazed at him in a kind of blank abstraction. Sometimes +great anxiety finds relief in a trifling, irrelevant act. "Here," +said he impulsively, "here's a letter I picked up. You better chuck +it on the counter or somewhere. Who's Danville Bently; did you ever +hear of him?" + +"There's lots of fellers come here I never heard of," said Skinny. +"Anyway, most of them don't bother with me; even my own patrol +doesn't." + +"Well that's a guy that isn't coming," said Danny. "He's giving them +a stall till August. Maybe I might be him, huh?" He laughed at the +absurdity of the idea. "Hide inside of somebody else. Ever hear of +that? Go ahead, read it, it's open." + +It was then that Skinny, all in innocence, made a remark much deeper +than his wit had intended. He was great for blundering remarks. His +sober and literal answers were one of the jokes of camp. "You can't +hide inside of a scout if you're not a scout; you can't do that," he +said, looking wide eyed at his half-brother. + +Danny reached forward and ruffled his hair again. Skinny was +accustomed to that. It was done to him twenty times a day. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +IN THE DIM LIGHT + +"Just the same I think I can," said Danny. "And just the same I +think I will." + +It was in just that casual, reckless spirit that Danny McCord first +proposed the impersonation of Danville Bently at Temple Camp. He +thought of it as a joke, and then the idea captivated him. He was +amused by Skinny's terror at the very thought. It would be hard to +say just when or how he passed from humorous to serious consideration +of this preposterous enterprise. But once decided, the terrified +Skinny could not dissuade him. He had unbounded confidence in +himself, this fugitive boy, and he knew nothing whatever about +scouting. + +Skinny's disbursement of his funds had dashed the brother's hopes. +He had not the wherewithal to make good his escape. But he might +remain at camp, pretending to be this boy whose coming was postponed +for a month. It was such a bit of daredevil effrontery as left +Skinny speechless with fear and apprehension. + +"You'll--you'll be sorry," was all he could stammer, as he stood, a +pathetic little figure, in the dim glow of the smelly old red +lantern. "Remember what I said when you were going to take Mr. +Burt's Ford for a joy ride--remember what I said." + +"You said you wouldn't tell," said Danny, ruffling the little +fellow's hair in that fraternal way he had. I dare say the best +thing about this dubious brother was his condescending but genuine +fondness for Skinny. He trusted him. "And you didn't either, +because you're a little brick." + +"Even if they had _killed_ me," said Skinny emphasizing the word with +nervous tension; "even then I wouldn't tell. Even if they had +_killed_ me!" + +"Don't get excited, Tiny," Danny laughed, pulling Skinny toward him +and unclenching the little fellow's fist; he had even dug his nails +into the palms of his hands. "Sure you didn't tell. And am I +blaming you because they chased me up to Blythdale? And I'm not sore +because you haven't got any money, kid." + +"No, but now you're going to get into more trouble. If you stay here +they'll come and find you." + +"Not if I'm Danville Bently, kid. Do you want me to start away from +here without any money? I was going to go and get a job on a ship. +How can I do that now? This is my only chance, Teeny-weeny; don't +worry." + +"That's what you said before and you went to reform school." + +"And I got away from there, too." + +Skinny gazed at his half-brother, admiringly, trustful, but +panic-stricken. "You're going to get in a lot of trouble, Danny," he +said in fearful agitation. "I know you licked Kinney and he was +bigger than you, and you climbed over the fence of Garrett's Field +with me so I could peek under the circus tent, and I know you got +away from the Home----" + +"Hey, don't call it a home, kid." + +"I don't blame you for it," said Skinny loyally, "only now you're +going to get found out, because being a scout is--kinder you got to +know all about it, how they do and everything. I know you're all the +time laughing at them, Danny, but anyway, you got to know how they do +and everything." His panic apprehension was pitiful, but Danny only +laughed. + +"Give us the letter, kid, and I'll burn it up. Now I tell you what +you do; you're going to be a bully little kid and stand by me like +you always did; hey?" + +"Yes, but----" + +"You chase down and get that primer or whatever you call it, that you +kids use." + +"That's the Scout Handbook, it ain't a primer." + +"Yere, you get that. How much oil is there in this blamed magic +lantern; will it burn a couple of hours? Gee, it makes your face +look red kid----" + +"I gained two pounds, Danny, up here." + +"_Yere_? The blamed thing makes us look like a couple of Indians----" + +"Now I got a thought, Danny. A red light means danger. There's +danger waiting for you Danny." + +"All right, tell it to wait. Now you chase down and see if you can +sneak in and get your book and your new suit and bring them up here. +Bring anything you've got that you don't need. Go on, chase yourself +now and if you wake them up I'll know you're a ham scout. That gosh +blamed bird-house--are you sure that's what it is?" + +They both listened. In the stillness of the night was a creaking +sound followed by another like the breaking of twigs. "Is it +somebody walking!" Danny whispered. + +"I never heard it just like that before," Skinny whispered in terror. +"Shall we look out?" + +"If I start running, don't you say who I am," said Danny. "They +might have dogs out, I don't know. _Shh--ut up_." + +Skinny McCord had many times been hurt by boys who meant him no harm. +Occasionally his pride had been touched when bantering comrades had +referred to his humble origin and poor abode in Bridgeboro. But when +Danny mentioned the possibility of dogs being on his trail, something +in that narrow chest of little Skinny McCord rose and he flushed with +anger. Instinctively he felt what officialdom does not feel, the +degrading character of setting a beast to catch a human being. +Truly, indeed, human nature can sink no lower than this. To the +powers of law enforcement belongs the contemptible distinction which +places them below the level of the vilest criminal. + +"_They wouldn't do that!_" whispered Skinny. + +"Oh, wouldn't they, though!" + +"I'll do what you want me to," Skinny said. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +DARK PLANS + +There came a time when they said of Skinny that he had been +frightened into participation in his half-brother's bizarre and +daring plan. But that was not true of him. He tried, as we have +seen, to dissuade Danny. When the worst came to the worst and he +knew that he could not dissuade him, he was loyal. He was loyal in a +dastardly business. + +This wonderful big brother of his could not teach him anything in the +matter of stealth; he was a little demon at that. He had accustomed +himself to stepping carefully and making no noise in the days when he +went barefoot in the slummy east end of Bridgeboro whence he had +emanated one day to stare wide eyed at the scouts practicing archery. +There happened to be a vacancy in Connie Bennett's patrol (Elks), so +they took him in. He was their mascot. They didn't even mind his +not having a scout suit. He had a winsome smile when they jollied +him and they liked him immensely. He was not only glad, but proud to +run on errands. + +When the McCords moved to Bridgeboro and hired three rooms in +Corkscrew Alley down near the marsh that bordered the river, Danny +was not with them. He had already taken his departure, under escort, +to Blythedale Boys' Home, which he was right in saying was not a home +at all. He had been sent thither because of his escapade with Mr. +Burt's Ford, though this had by no means been his first escapade. +But it was the crucial one. So the scouts of the First Bridgeboro +Troop, of which Skinny was an obscure and lowly member, had never +seen the enterprising Danny. His colorful career came to a halt in +Irontown and soon afterward the hapless family moved to Bridgeboro, +where Mr. McCord had secured a job in the paper mill. Danny's mother +was dead and Skinny was the child of Mr. McCord's second wife. +Whatever else may be said of Danny, he had always afforded Skinny all +the sturdy advantages of a big brother. + +Skinny missed him when he moved to Bridgeboro. The hoodlums down in +Corkscrew Alley called him _Owleyes_ and _Jumbo_ and other piquant +appellations. Once or twice he was moved to tell them that things +would be different when Danny returned. When he got in with the +scouts he never mentioned Danny. He had too much pride and these +strange, wonderful boys of the upper world would not understand. +They would not appreciate the knock-out blow administered to the +unhappy Kinney. And now, at last, when Skinny had attained to the +glory of a real scout suit, here was this brother come to Temple +Camp, a fugitive, and with all his wonted assurance proposing a +scheme for hiding which struck poor Skinny dumb with terror. + +Silently he sped through the woods back to camp and stealthily, ever +so stealthily, up to the Martha Norris Memorial Cabins, where his +troop was quartered that season. A splendid organization was the +First Bridgeboro Troop, with four full patrols, and they held sway in +these four cabins which represented one of the camp endowments. In +the Elks' cabin all was still. + +With every nerve on edge, Skinny crept to the rustic lockers at the +end of the building. He was so fearful that he jerked his foot up in +nervous excitement as he turned the key of his own locker. He paused +after the slight click, listening. His heart beat like a +trip-hammer. No sound, no stir. Only the audible breathing of Vic +Norris. One of the other boys turned over and settled down in deeper +slumber. Somewhere outside an owl hooted. Skinny stood stark still. + +The plaguey hinges! He eased the swing of the locker door as he +opened it inch by inch. There was his old pasteboard suit-case; he +was the only boy in the patrol who had not a duffel bag. On top of +it lay the bundle containing his scout suit and hat just as he had +brought the treasured purchase back from Kingston. He had not dared +to wear this flaunting regalia nor even to tell his patrol about it. +He did not know whether or not they knew about it. Would the paper +rustle as he lifted the bundle? No; he lifted it out carefully. +Then he opened his suit-case and got his Handbook. So far, so good. +Softly he closed the door and locked it. Then with his precious +Handbook and the bundle he crept stealthily over to the trail which +led up through the woods. + +Now his heart beat more easily. Action is always stimulating, and +being launched on this perilous business it was not so hard to go +ahead. He had not done much so far, but what he had done had been +successful. He had done what Danny had told him to do and it had +been easy. It seemed to Skinny that this was a dreadful thing his +brother was about to attempt, but Danny must know what he was about. + +"Why it's going to be a cinch," his brother assured him when he had +donned the suit; it fitted him much better than it fitted poor +Skinny. When he tossed the hat on, he looked like a scout indeed and +poor Skinny was even moved to feel a certain pride in him. He was a +fine looking boy, there was no denying that, with an easy nonchalance +about him that was captivating. + +"You--you won't be a really truly scout," Skinny warned him. The +warning seemed to include a confession that Danny did look like one. +"And what are you going to do when he comes--that other feller?" + +"I'll be on my way," said Danny lightly. + +"You'll be using up the money that's going to pay his board, too," +Skinny said. + +The answer did not comfort him. "Sure, he'll be out of luck," said +Danny. + +Skinny gazed at this daring brother of his in mingled admiration and +terror. "Will you--Danny, will you--if I get fifteen dollars, will +you _not_ do it?" + +"Where would you get fifteen bucks, kid? You should worry," he +added. "Let's take a look at that book. Does it tell all about it +and everything? How you drill and everything?" + +"_Now you see_, you don't know anything about it," Skinny said +excitedly, in a pitiable way of triumph. "They don't drill at all; +they track and stalk and all like that, and win merit badges, and all +like that. Now you're going to get in trouble." He clenched his +little hands nervously and almost cried as he spoke. "You're going +to get in trouble Danny. They're smart, scouts are, and they'll find +out. Just because _I'm_ not so smart and they make fun of me like; +and just because _I_ can't do all the things they do, you needn't +think they're not smart. That's where you're all the time wrong, you +think boy scouts----" + +"Who makes fun of you?" Danny asked with a queer scrutiny in his eyes. + +"Now you're going to get into scraps, too," poor Skinny said. +"You're going to call them kids and everything. Even if they make +fun of me they're not mad at me." + +There was a grim look in Danny's eyes and a menacing sneer in his +voice as he said, "_Is--that--so!_" In the lowering comment was real +feeling for Skinny and a high contempt for Temple Camp and all its +scouts. + +"You should worry, kid," he said. "Go on back and go to bed. All +you've got to do is not notice me. Don't be coming around. Act just +like if you didn't know me. All I want to do is just lay low for +three or four days; I'll get away with it that long, don't worry. If +you had the money I'd beat it, but I can't bang out of here without a +red, and that bunch after me. What am I going to do? I know what's +troubling you, kid. You think it's kind of like stealing, using up +that what's-his-name's board money. You're a little brick, kiddo. +But I'll only be here two or three days. And when he gets here next +month--why these guys won't know till then there was anything phony +about me! And _you_ won't be hooked up with it at all. Now trot +along and turn in, Tiny, old pal." + +"Won't I see you any more after you go away from here? Maybe you'll +go all the way around the world on a ship, hey?" + +"_Suuuuure_, you'll see me again. And you'll get paid back for your +suit too. Don't I line up pretty nice as a boy scout. How do you do +that--what is it, a salute they've got?" He wriggled his thumb +against his ear in a funny way and laughed at Skinny and gave him an +affectionate shove. "Go on back now or you'll be walking in your +sleep," said he. "And whatever you do, don't let on when you see me +again." + +"I can look at you, can't I?" said poor Skinny. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +STEALTH + +Well, if it was for only two or three days it would not be so bad, +poor Skinny reflected as he went back through the darkness. Still +his conscience troubled him and he was beside himself with fear. The +only gleam of light he saw in this sorry business was that Danny did +have a way of succeeding in the things he undertook. He trusted +Danny to avert the catastrophe which would naturally ensue in such a +daring and perilous business. + +He hoped that during those dreadful two or three days the scouts at +camp would not overstep their prerogative of banter where he was +concerned. Or at least that Danny might not see them in full swing +with their raillery. The historic Kinney of Irontown had got over +the licking that Danny had given him. But poor Skinny had never got +over it. + +As he wandered, fearful and conscience-stricken, down the wooded +slope a thought came to him. There was a rich boy in camp, Helmer +Clarkson. That boy wanted a canoe and had tried for the Hiawatha +Prize--a fine canoe to win which a scout must swim across the lake. +Helmer had started (according to rule) with a rowboat escort, and +like many another hopeful candidate had returned in the boat. So +Helmer had decided to fall back on the less heroic plan of asking his +father to buy him a canoe. If he had not already done this, then +Skinny had a plan. He would swim across the lake, win the canoe, and +sell it to Helmer Clarkson. Then he would give the money to his +erring brother. + +He knew the camp people would regard him contemptuously for selling a +prize, but at least he could help Danny, and put an end to this +dreadful thing that Danny was doing. All this might be done +immediately--the next morning. The only difficulty would be that his +comrades would laugh at him as soon as he proposed the heroic +enterprise. Alas, they would not know how heroic it was! They would +make a great joke of his trying for a prize--especially this prize. +They would decline to accompany him with a boat. They would probably +tell him, as they had so many times told him, that if he had to be +taken into the boat it would probably sink it. Skinny weighed +sixty-four pounds, not counting his heart, which weighed tons just +now. + +Well, he thought as he trudged along, if Danny could do such +wonderful (albeit dreadful) things, he, Skinny could do this. And it +would straighten everything out. Perhaps he could even do it before +Danny presented himself to the powers in Administration Shack and +signed up. That would be between ten and eleven in the morning. He +wondered if Helmer Clarkson had any ready money; surely he must have +some. Fifteen dollars was all that Danny had demanded. He would +sell the prize canoe to Clarkson for fifteen dollars. Well, that was +settled and things were not so bad. + +As he passed down through the dark woods, he thought of his fugitive +brother hiding in that little dank switchman's shanty. What would be +the first thing he would do in the morning? Thus preoccupied with +his thoughts, Skinny found himself approaching the cabin before which +the white pennant flew. In there they would be sleeping with one eye +open, as the saying is. If he could--if he only _could_--"lift" that +pennant. What a glory for the Elks! It would raise him in their +esteem; they might take him seriously. Then perhaps they would +listen when he talked about trying for the Hiawatha Prize. He was +elated; he believed that the whole situation was in his hands; Danny, +all unknown to the camp, might be on his way in the morning. This +whole business was not so bad after all. + +Never in all his trembling little life had Skinny moved with such +stealth and caution as when he now approached that coveted pennant, +He was about to try to do what Warde Hollister had failed to do; what +Ellis Carway (who was an Eagle) had failed to do. He retreated a few +yards, and sat down on a stump. He knew that he was out of his +sphere, that this sort of thing was not expected of him. He felt +that he was intruding into the heroic field where he had no business. +He removed his shoes, tied the laces together, and hung the shoes +around his neck. They were almost worn out; you could have stuck a +finger through the soles. + +Now, trembling in every nerve, he approached the cabin. The door +stood ajar. He advanced a pace and paused listening. No sound. He +took another step. No sound. He could reach out now and lift the +staff. He paused, fearful to move. Straining his eyes he looked all +about the staff. Then, ever so cautiously, he stooped, and shuddered +as the clasp on his belt clinked. He felt all around on the ground, +for he had heard scouts speak of cord attached to the staff and tied +to the arm of some drowsy slacker on his cot. That was not +considered good scouting, but it had been done. + +But here there was no cord; these unknown scouts were playing the +game right. The usual way with the patrol holding the white pennant +was to sleep in turns, with one scout always awake to listen. In a +full patrol no one scout would have to remain awake very long. + +Skinny stood up and with trembling hand reached out and grasped the +staff. Still no sound. There was a cricket chirping and he wished +it would keep still. He had heard of rocks laid against the staff so +that when it was lifted one would fall upon another. But nothing +happened as he slowly raised the staff up, up, up---- + +What a queer little goblin of a boy he seemed, as he reached one foot +far forward so as to cover all the ground he could with every pace. +With each grotesque straining of a leg his face unconsciously assumed +an aspect of demoniac fear. Then all of a sudden he started to run, +his shoes flapping back and forth against his chest and shoulders +like an outlandish bulky necklace. He held the white pennant in his +trembling hand. + +[Illustration: SKINNY STARTED RUNNING WITH THE WHITE PENNANT.] + +He had done it! + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +FOR DANNY + +He would have been proud of his achievement in any case, but he was +doubly elated now, for it simplified the matter of Danny. With this +"really and truly" scouting triumph to his credit, the Elks could not +take him otherwise than seriously. They would escort him in his swim +for the Hiawatha Prize and perhaps that very next morning Danny, his +secret hero, would be on his way. The criminal and dangerous +character of what Danny was going to do at Temple Camp impressed +Skinny, but his conscience was not troubled about Danny's final +exploit at the reform school. + +When he reached the Elks' cabin, he found his patrol leader, Connie +Bennett, waiting for him. It was well that he returned with the +white pennant for this saved him the embarrassment of explaining his +absence. The white pennant was always an excuse. It was a midnight +passport even with the powers of Administration Shack. + +"_I got it, I got it!_" he said excitedly. "_Look what I got!_" + +"You little demon," said Connie. "So that's what you went after." + +"_I got it, I got it!_" was all that Skinny could say. + +"They didn't chase you?" + +"They didn't hear me--even." + +Connie softly closed the cabin door so as not to awaken the sleepers +and together he and Skinny stood outside. + +"Calm down," said Connie; "you're all excited. Bully for you, but +calm down." + +"Wait--wait a minute and I'll calm down. I--can't do it all of a +sudden. Now--now I'm going to do something else--wait till I tell +you----" + +Connie put his arm over the quivering form of the little Elk mascot +who seemed now to be launched upon a wild debauch of heroism. "Hsh, +all right, Shorty. You did fine; gee, I have to laugh. The patrol +won't believe you did it." + +"Now you got to help me do something else," said Skinny, gulping with +excitement and satisfaction. + +"Surest thing." + +"You got to--to-morrow morning early I'm going to swim across the +lake and get the Hiawatha Prize." + +"Goodness me!" + +"Yop--I'm going to swim across and get it. So will you get all the +patrol up early so some of you can row across while I swim?" + +"Listen, Shorty," said Connie. "You did one peach of a stunt; the +patrol will go crazy when they hear it. Why Hunt Ward tried for +that; you remember. The Silver Foxes tried for it--Roy Blakeley. +That was the time he didn't do all the laughing." + +"And maybe now they won't make fun of me, hey?" + +"Listen, Shorty; go in and go to sleep now. And don't be thinking +you can do everything just because you did this." + +"I'm going to, I'm going to----" + +"No you're not. You're not going to try for the Hiawatha canoe, +because that isn't in your line. See? You little sneaky devil, you! +Went in your bare feet, huh? Go on in and go to bed now and don't +talk ragtime. What's the matter, aren't you satisfied?" + +"I got to go----" + +"Yes, you _got to go_--to bed. To-morrow we'll go over to +Administration Shack and have them take your picture. You can put on +your new togs, dress up in your regular scout suit, all dolled up +like a Christmas tree. You know they want pictures for _Boys' Life_, +fellows that win awards and do stunts and all that. You go to bed +now and when you get up in the morning put on your new scout duds. +What the dickens are you afraid of? Nobody's going to kid you. And +we'll go over and let Mr. Wainwright take a snapshot of you holding +the pennant. _Alfred McCord of the Elk Patrol, Bridgeboro, New +Jersey, holding the white pennant taken from a cabin where it was +supposed to be guarded at Temple Camp, New York_. How does that +sound? Go on in now, and remember when you get up in the morning put +on your scout suit. That's your patrol leader's order. You're all +right, Shorty, you're a little winner!" + +So this was the sequel of his triumph. "_Put on your scout suit._" +A fine mess he had made of it. He knew Connie Bennett for a sober, +sensible boy, who more than most patrol leaders had some notion of +leadership and discipline. So Connie had known about the scout suit +and had just not pushed him in the matter of wearing it. But now +there was to be no more nonsense. Here was the penalty of heroism. +What was he to do? It was clear from the way Connie spoke that the +try for the Hiawatha Prize was quite out of the question; they did +not regard him as a swimmer. What he would be expected to do, would +be compelled to do, was put on his new scout suit and go to +Administration Shack with his patrol and have his picture taken as +the capturer of the white pennant. And all his fine plan of helping +Danny to get out from the shadow of fearful peril would go for +naught. This was Skinny's first experience in being a "really truly" +hero. + +There was a vein of something running in the McCord family. I don't +know whether you would call it a vein of the heroic or just a vein of +recklessness and rebelliousness. Diffident and sensitive little +Skinny had a touch of it. Perhaps it was this that bound him to +Danny. At all events there was this about him. His temperament was +one of sweet diffidence, of a smiling shyness which made him a +subject both for banter and affection. At the other extreme in his +strange make-up was the capacity for utter frenzy. I suppose you +might say that he was highly strung and afraid to show it until +something tipped the scales of his delicate nature. There was no +such thing as authority then. + +They would not take this capturer of the white pennant seriously. +Well then, he did not care. There was only one person in the world +who could have dominated him then, and that was Danny. But it was +for Danny that he was now possessed by a will so strong that it made +his poor little body tremble. Danny could not help him; he was going +to help Danny. He was possessed, inspired, this little fellow who +smiled quaintly when they made fun of him. He did not sleep that +night; he lay trembling with a towering resolve. + +Early in the morning, while still his comrades were sleeping, he +crept out of bed, pulled on the only clothes he had and started out. +The grass was all covered with sparkling dew; the air was crisp and +clear, the birds were making a great chorus in the trees as if they +had over-slept and were in a hurry. Skinny had a queer little trot, +something between a walk and run, that boys took delight in +imitating. He did not look in the least like the scout on the cover +of the Handbook. + +He went down the hill on which the memorial cabins stood, casting a +glance up through the woods to the point where the little shanty was. +So clear was the morning that he might even have glimpsed it through +the trees, only it was in the overgrown cut and below the line of +vision. He wondered what sort of a night Danny had spent. The +thought recurred to him (it had recurred many times in that eventful, +sleepless night) that maybe bloodhounds had found him--found his +half-brother who had knocked Kinney senseless--and had barked their +beastly exultation to human pursuers. But that could not be; +Blythedale Reform School was too far way for that sort of pursuit. +Nevertheless Skinny's blood tingled at the thought. + +He was barefoot, for the business he was on required no shoes. He +trotted down around the main pavilion, cut through the big open +"grub" shed and pattered along the board walk to Administration +Shack. This was the holy-of-holies of Temple Camp, sanctum of +officials, where there was a safe and a counter and a young man +forever playing away at a typewriter machine. Skinny had never +before ventured upon the veranda of this official lair, and he trod +with reverence. Above the bulletin board near the door was a framed +set of rules for the information of guests. Skinny wanted to confirm +his knowledge by one of these and he read it with delight: + + XI The office will be open for the + transaction of general business + from 10 to 11 o'clock A.M. and + from 2 to 3 o'clock P.M. + + +So Danny could not enroll as Danville Bently until ten o'clock. He +hoped that Danny had not yet destroyed the letter and that it might +still reach the office. He went around to the side of the building +and tried to look through the window, but it was too high. So he +dragged a bench over from the "grub" shed and stood on that. + +Within was a large glass case filled with forest trophies. And there +in a corner (he had seen it before) stood the Hiawatha Prize canoe. +He just wanted to make sure that it was there. Down he jumped and +off he ran toward the float where the boats were knocking and +clanking their chains. The water was rough and looked cold. He +pulled off his faded shirt and shabby trousers and walked out to the +end of the springboard. Even his light weight caused its metal parts +to squeak; it always squeaked in the morning owing to the dampness of +the night and the few hours of disuse. For just a moment he paused, +then plunged into the lake. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +WON + +Over near the opposite shore of the lake there was a man fishing from +a boat that morning. He sat motionless in the early solitude, a +lonely figure against the somber background of wooded shore. Across +the lake was a ribbon of light, like a silvery stream flowing in the +dark water. It seemed to scatter into bits of tinsel where it +touched the base of the densely covered heights. The lone fisherman +was not in its path. + +Suddenly he raised his rod, swinging the long line far off from the +opposite side of his boat, and just then something caught his eye. +About fifty yards distant an object was moving across the shimmering +band. At first he thought it was a freakish manifestation of this +glimmering sheen. Then he saw that it was a foreign object, +progressing slowly, steadily. It reached the clearly defined border +of this shining area; then he lost it for a few moments. + +Now it appeared again coming straight toward him; by-times he caught +a glimpse of a face; an arm appeared and disappeared regularly. On, +on the swimmer came with slow, unswerving progress. The fisherman +heard a distant bell; like an answering peal it echoed from the +solemn heights near by. Distant voices could be heard, thin and +spent. The man could not hear what they said as they seemed to +dissolve in the air. But the bell continued ringing. He felt rather +than heard distant excitement. The ringing and the voices were +mellowed by the intervening space, yet he sensed that something was +wrong over at the big camp. + +The swimmer was now in plain view of the fisherman--close at hand. +He did not seem to be in trouble, but a swim across Black Lake was by +no means an easy feat, and the man hauled in his line and sculled +over to intercept him. + +"Don't touch me--keep away!" Skinny fairly yelled. + +"Don't you want to come aboard?" + +"No, you keep away from me!" + +The boy seemed in a frenzy; it was evident that he was nearly +exhausted with only his will power to keep him going. The man, +apprehensive of disaster, sculled alongside him. Soon the little +fellow's feet were on the bottom and as he staggered through the +shallow water it was evident that he was at the point of collapse. +"_Keep away, don't touch me!_" he kept saying. Then he groped +blindly for the branch of a projecting tree, and so guided his +tottering way to the steep bank, where he sank down unconscious. He +could not quiver in every nerve as he did in his former triumph, for +oblivion came and he knew not that he, Skinny McCord, had won the +Hiawatha prize canoe! + +The fisherman did not know that this drenched and ghostly pale boy +had done anything more than a rash stunt. He lifted him gently and +laid him in the boat and started to row across toward camp. But he +did not have to go far. Across the lake at top speed the camp launch +came chugging, filled with eager, shouting passengers. + +"Is he all right?" a voice called. "Isn't drowned, is he?" + +"No, but he's fainted," the man called back. + +"Did you pick him up?" + +"No, he made the shore." + +Up she came to the old flat-bottomed boat that rocked in the swell as +Councilor Wallace caught hold of the unpainted rail while two scouts +lifted Skinny into the launch. All the Elks were there, and Doc +Carson, first aid scout of the Ravens, and Tom Slade, the young camp +assistant. Yes, the little devil was all right. He opened his eyes +and closed them again. Connie Bennett, his patrol leader, brushed +the soaked hair away from the small white forehead, and the eyes +opened again and the quivering lips smiled at Connie. "You're all +right, kid!" said he gently. He pulled away a bit of water-weed that +was plastered across the little fellow's face. "Want to try to sit +up?" + +"I see him a comin'," said the fisherman, "an' I kinder surmised +somethin's wrong. He wuz swimmin' all ragged--I never see nuthin' +like it. But he yells to me not ter touch 'im. Just screeches at +me. Then he goes reelin' up the shore 'n' grabs hold on a tree 'n' +goes twistin' roun' 'n' down he goes. Maybe he wuz escapin' thinks +I." + +"No, he wasn't escaping," said Connie. "He just had a kind of a +craze on. He did a stunt and he thought he'd like to try a still +bigger one." + +"He's a lucky kid," said the fisherman as he rowed away. + +"Lucky patrol," said one of the boys. + +They took him over to camp and into Administration Shack and laid him +on the couch there. And in a little while he was quite restored and +able to go up the hill to his patrol cabin. His slim little form +looked funny in a bathrobe as he trudged along, tripping now and +again. The Elks clustered all about him proudly. Stut Moran +playfully pulled the tasseled cord tight about him and tied it in a +knot; it made him look still funnier, and he smiled that bashful +smile of his to see them amused at his expense. "Looks like a +champion prize-fighter on his way to the ring," said Stut. + +"Well you've got a nice new dry suit anyway," said Connie. "And +you're going to put it on and have your picture taken for both things +that you did. Jumping jiminies, kid, you sure did break loose! What +are you going to do next? Why, you crazy little midnight sneak! How +the dickens did you suppose you were going to prove you swam across +the lake when you got up at about fourteen-twenty A.M. and started +off without any escort. Suppose that man hadn't been there. It's +all right, kid, we're not kicking; we've got the Hiawatha canoe, gee +we've got no kick. I'll say that. But cut out the hero stuff for a +couple of days. Why, you skinny little grasshopper, you've been +running wild!" + +"Can I get it right away?" Skinny asked. "The canoe, can I get it +right away quick? Right away now, can I get it?" he persisted, +tripping over the bathrobe which was as much too big for him as his +lost scout suit. "Can I honest and true get it right away _now_?" + +"Who's going to stop us!" laughed Connie. + +"We'll be out paddling in it this afternoon," said Vic Norris. + +"Do you know what I was thinking?" Bert McAlpin asked. + +"Skinny doesn't think, he acts," said Connie. + +"No, but on the level," said Bert. "I never took such an awful lot +of interest in it before--I mean the regatta--but, _jiminies_, as +long as we've got the Hiawatha canoe why can't a couple of us train +up and go in for the Mary Temple Cup? Skinny's too small, but it's +all in the patrol anyway. You know what Roy Blakeley's all the time +saying--united we stand, divided we sprawl. I say let's a couple of +us train for the canoe races. Skinny's got us started now and we'll +do big things. _Oh boy_, the white pennant! And now the canoe. Oh +boy, Skinny's the big noise in camp." + +He did not make much noise as he sat down on the edge of his cot, his +clamorous comrades all about him. He had never tasted glory before. +He had not only made a sensational hop, slap and jump into fame; he +had aroused in his patrol the thirst for still greater achievement. +He was bewildered, frightened. + +"Listen here, kid," said Connie, "I'm so blamed excited I can hardly +talk straight. Listen here. The breakfast horn will be sounding in +a few minutes. We're not washed up yet, we got called up in such a +hurry. While we're getting ready for breakfast you get on your new +scout suit and we'll meet you over at 'eats.' Now no more blamed +nonsense, you do what I tell you and put on your scout suit, and come +over to 'eats' all dolled up right so the bunch will know the fellow +that did these things is a scout. Understand?" + +Skinny understood, and he just sat on the edge of his cot, nervous +and anxious to be left alone. To these enthusiastic, planning +comrades, his achievement was a climax. But it was no climax to him; +it was just one step in what he intended to do. He was bewildered +and nervous at their talk about future triumphs with the prize canoe. +Connie's order to him about the new scout suit troubled him. You +see, Skinny had not intended to be a hero. He was a hero worshipper, +and his hero was Danny. He had never thought to complicate matters +by being a hero himself. Now he saw that being a hero was a nuisance. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +IF + +Skinny knew that Danny was wise, that he would not appear in camp +before half past nine, because there was no boat or train which would +permit his arrival before that time. Danny's attention to detail in +his free and lawless progress commanded admiration if not respect. +He never committed a silly blunder. Also Skinny knew that this +runaway brother of his could not commit the perilous act of false +registration until the office opened at ten o'clock. So there was +time enough for what he had planned to do. + +Hurriedly opening his old suit-case, he pulled out the only extra +shirt and trousers that he had and put them on. Then he locked the +suitcase again so that no prying comrade might discover that the new +suit was not there. Just as he started from the cabin the breakfast +horn sounded. He hurried along with that funny shuffling sideways +gait of his and paused at the cooking shack to get an apple and a +sandwich from Chocolate Drop, the colored chef. Any scout +contemplating a short hike was welcome to this customary refreshment. +He wanted it for Danny. He wondered how Danny had spent the night +and hoped he had not been aroused by all the fuss caused by his early +swim. At cooking shack he took occasion to ask Chocolate Drop if he +knew where Helmer Clarkson stayed. + +"He dat boy wots folks done send 'im big grapefruit 'n' boxes wi' dem +figs. Sho he done sleep up dere yonder in one dem woods cabins. You +know dat cabin wi' de skunk skin tacked on de do'? Lor' Massa +Skincord, dat boy am rich! Him folk send him _great big_ crate full +of fruit. Dat ain't good fer no young boy, dat ain't. Bein' +diffrent, _dat am bad_. I say ter Massa Slade, I say, dat ain't no +camp scout business. Share one, share all, in dis yer camp, dat's +wot I say. You gwine straight up dat path, you'll find it." + +It was little enough that poor Skinny knew about the unwise procedure +of rich parents with their sons at camp. I dare say Chocolate Drop +was right; there was too much pampering. Certainly no one had ever +sent Skinny a grapefruit or a box of figs. Something in the little +fellow's wistful look touched the kindly heart of Chocolate Drop, who +reigned unquestioned monarch in the fragrant cook shack, and he made +up an extra sandwich and handed it to him together with four cookies. +"You watch out you don' get bit by dem rattlesnakes," he warned. +Rattlesnakes were the terror of Chocolate Drop's life. "You jes' +good as dat Clarkson son. Now you scamper off ter breakfast." + +But Skinny did not go to breakfast. He started up the hill, +encouraged, elated. He was going to do business with a boy who had +expressed a desire for a canoe, and whose people were so rich that +they sent him figs and grapefruit. He did not know just exactly how +he would approach such a boy; he dreaded this more than he had +dreaded his swim across the lake. But, of course, rich boys could be +talked to. + +He was not exactly afraid; he felt that luck had favored him thus +far. He had lifted the white pennant and had been able thereby to +conceal the real purpose of his absence at night. He had won the +Hiawatha canoe. And now he was going to sell it to a boy who was so +rich that he received delicacies by parcel post. That would be easy. +Then he would hurry on up to the old shanty in the cut and give Danny +the food and the money. After that he would, of course, worry about +Danny's escape from the reform school. But at least the dangers at +Temple Camp would be averted. + +On arriving at the cabin with the skunk skin tacked on the door, +Skinny was astonished to find that it was the very cabin from which +he had taken the white pennant. The place looked different in the +daylight. He had not seen the skunk skin on his nocturnal raid, nor +the quaintly worded sign above the door which read: + +THE ALLIGATORS OF ALLEGHANY + +But he saw clearly the hole from which he had so stealthily lifted +the pennant staff. The Alligators had not gone down to breakfast; +there were voices inside. He wondered whether his little +masterstroke would leave them prejudiced against him. Hardly that, +he realized, for scouts are good sports and cheerful losers. Perhaps +they would even give him credit, as the saying is. He was not +doubtful about scouts, but he was a little afraid of a rich boy. + +The voices inside were loud and angry; the occupants of the cabin +seemed all talking at once and excitedly. + +"Awh, forget it, and come ahead down to eats, will you?" + +"I'm through," said another boy. + +"If you're talking of breakfast I haven't even started yet," said +still another. "For the love of Mike, will you cut it out and come +on down." + +"I'm through," said the boy who had made this pronouncement before. + +"All right, we're satisfied," another said. + +"Do you take back what you said?" + +"No, I don't take back what I said." + +There was a pause and Skinny tremblingly knocked on the door. It was +opened by a tall scout whom he had seen before. + +"Does Helmer Clarkson live here!" he asked, his voice shaking a +little. He had quickly decided that he would not mention the affair +of the white pennant. + +"Sure, you're welcome to him," said a boy from within. "We give six +coupons free to anybody who'll take him." + +"Cut that out," said another boy. + +"Here, put him in your pocket and take him home," said still another +as he pushed a rather small boy through the open door. It was +evident that the victim of this hearty eviction was the Rockefeller +of Temple Camp, Helmer Clarkson. He was an effeminate looking boy; +rather sissified, Skinny thought. It was easy to believe that he was +of a sort to be the recipient of dainties from home. + +Skinny, in his simplicity, went straight to the point. "Do you want +to buy a canoe!" he asked. + +"What canoe?" asked a boy from inside. + +"The Hiawatha Prize canoe," said Skinny, addressing Clarkson, as they +all gathered about the doorway staring and listening. "I heard you +wanted to buy a canoe and I'll sell you that one for as much--I +mean--only fifteen dollars." He was too simple to place the price at +a little more than Danny needed. The canoe was actually worth +seventy dollars. + +"What's the big idea?" somebody asked. + +"_You!_" laughed another. "What are _you_ doing with the prize +canoe? You mean that one in the headquarters building?" + +"I won it by swimming across the lake," said Skinny, blushing to the +roots of his hair, "and I don't want it because--because it's my own +business why I don't want it. So do you want to buy it for fifteen +dollars? I heard you wanted one." + +"I'm leaving this camp and I don't want it," said Helmer Clarkson. + +"He hasn't got the price," a boy taunted. + +For answer Helmer Clarkson displayed the contents of a neat wallet +which almost staggered poor Skinny. "I've had enough of this camp," +he said, "and I'm going home on the noon train from Catskill." + +"It's only fifteen dollars," poor Skinny said. "Maybe I'd take ten." + +"If you gave me the canoe for nothing I wouldn't stay here," said +Helmer Clarkson in a very mincing manner. "If you'd come around two +or three days ago--even yesterday--I might have given you twenty-five +dollars for it. I can spend fifty dollars for one if I want to. But +I've had enough of this crowd, thank you. I'm going home." + +Poor Skinny's hopes were dashed. He cast a forlorn look at the +scouts, who were laughing heartily. They were not laughing at him; +for once he was not the victim. They were laughing (and that with a +kind of tolerant contempt) at Helmer Clarkson. + +"Yes, we got no canoes to-day," one boy sang. + +"I don't want to play in your yard," sang another. + +"Tell him why you're going home, Ellie," a third shouted. + +"I'll tell him," another volunteered. "You know we had the white +pennant up here--we took it away from that Virginia troop over near +Turtle Cove. Each one of us is supposed to stay awake forty minutes +every night and listen. Last night our little sleeping +beauty--_that's him_--falls asleep at the switch. Somebody walked +away with the pennant. We even knew somebody was hanging around, +because just a little while before that I sneaked out and caught a +fellow nosing about. On top of that Sweet-dream Ellie has to go to +sleep when his turn was on. And--listen, get this--when we jump very +gently on his neck he gets sore and says he won't play any more." + +During the recital of this indictment, Helmer Clarkson held himself +aloof in silent dignity. "I'm through with the scouts for good," +said he. "It was only an experiment anyway. But I certainly do love +canoing----" + +"Sure, in the bathtub," interrupted one of the boys. + +"_Chief Dead-to-the-world_ sailing down the Alleghany River," mocked +another. + +"If it wasn't for my leaving," said Helmer, ignoring them, "I'd be +only too glad to buy your canoe. I'd have given you more than +fifteen dollars for it." + +Skinny looked from one to the other of this cheery group; they seemed +an interesting patrol, notwithstanding their family disturbance. +Then his eyes fell on Helmer Clarkson in a woebegone, incredulous +gaze. He realized that by his own act of "lifting" the pennant he +had effectually prevented the sale of the canoe. If he had not +stolen up in the dead of night, so softly that the dozing Helmer +never heard him, he might now have fifteen dollars--thirty +perhaps--with which to speed his erring brother forth to safety. + +What a tragic word is IF! + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +SCOUT LAW NUMBER TWO + +He had taken the white pennant. He had won the Hiawatha Prize. He +had brought glory to his patrol. But all he had to give Danny was +two sandwiches and four cookies. Hero though he was, he could not +face his colleagues, for he had no scout suit to put on. So long as +there was hope of selling the canoe, he had not considered what his +patrol would think of this. He had thought only of Danny. But now, +as he trudged on up through the woods, a forlorn little fellow, he +wondered what Connie and the others would say when they heard that he +had tried to sell the prize canoe. They would certainly hear that, +and he could not tell them why he had attempted such an unscoutlike +business. There was never any buying and selling of prizes at Temple +Camp. + +He trudged up through the woods, cautiously looking back now and +then. It seemed to him a very long time since he had seen Danny, so +much had happened in the meantime. He found him sitting on the shelf +in the shanty, his knees drawn up to form a reading desk on which the +Scout Handbook lay open. + +"Hey, Tiny, this is some book," said he. "Honest, do they do all +these things, or is it just bunk? Here's a good one on +page--page--here it is, sixty-six. This is the one for me. Here's a +gold medal you get for saving a guy's life, only you've got to risk +your own. If you lose your life you're out of luck. If you get away +with it they hand you this----" + +"I know all about it," said Skinny. + +"That ain't so worse," said Danny, idly running over the pages. +"Wait till I find--oh here it is, here's a pippin! Here's where a +guy makes out he's a smuggler--page four hundred and thirty--and the +bunch has to track him. If he gets to the nearest town he's K.O. I +ought to be able to get away with that, Tiny." It was certainly in +his line. "They got some good dope here, all right," he added. "You +can even be one if you're not in with a bunch." + +"That's a pioneer scout," said Skinny. + +"Here's a nifty--listen to this one. They got a lot of badges you +can win. Here's one on riding a horse----" + +"I know all about them," Skinny repeated. + +It was evident that scouts had merits which Danny could admire, but +had no desire to imitate. His rather nonchalant attitude toward +scouting troubled poor Skinny. He had spent the whole night in +nervous tension, planning and striving to save Danny from his own +folly. And here was Danny leisurely inspecting the Scout Handbook, +commenting upon its features with eminent fairness, and apparently +without a care in the world. It must be admitted that so far as +looks were concerned there was not a boy at Temple Camp more +scoutlike than he. Poor Skinny's suit fitted him to perfection; it +was in line with this blithesome young scapegrace's luck that his +ungainly little half-brother had in his innocence bought the suit too +large. Though, indeed, poor Skinny would never in any suit look as +natty as this self-sufficient brother of his. The only false note in +Danny's ensemble was a rakish tilt of the scout hat, which gave him a +rather too easy-going and sophisticated air. + +"I brought you something to eat," said poor Skinny. "I was afraid +they'd find you, those reform school people, but I'm glad they +didn't. There's two sandwiches here, and four cookies. I bet you +didn't sleep much--I bet." + +"You lose your bet," said Danny. "I was dead to the cruel world. +Some blamed bird or other, that was screaming like Hail Columbia, +woke me up." + +"Those are blue jays," said Skinny. + +"They'd be black and blue jays if I caught them," said Danny. "I +went over there to a spring and washed up. Then I came back and +started giving this book the once-over. What time is it anyway? Can +I go and do my act yet?" He ate the sandwiches while Skinny talked. + +"I tried to get fifteen dollars for you so you wouldn't have to stay +here and I swam across the lake so as to win the prize canoe; I did +it early this morning, Danny, and I won it. But the feller I tried +to sell it to because he's rich and has grapefruit sent him and +everything--that feller wouldn't buy it, because he's mad at his +patrol and he's going home, because they're sore at him on account of +his not staying awake so nobody could take the pennant. I'm the one +that took it. So I'm the one to blame, because I can't give you +fifteen dollars." + +Danny was a boy who was always ready to do anything. Consequently +nothing that any other boy did astonished him. He was interested in +propositions to do things. He was not so interested in things that +had been done. So all he said was, "You should worry." + +"I got to worry," said poor Skinny. + +"And I've got to stay here and I might as well have some fun," said +Danny. + +Poor Skinny was aghast at Danny's utter inability to perceive the +peril in which he stood. This impersonation of another boy at Temple +Camp was to be merely another casual adventure in the blithesome +career of Danny. He had lost no sleep over it, he apprehended no +complications. He would cross bridges when he came to them. He was +not annoyed by Skinny's near success in the matter of the canoe. +What Skinny had done did not seem to impress him as an exploit. +Since he was not able to supply fifteen dollars, Danny accepted +scouting as a means of escape. And he was not going to worry about +it. + +"Will you promise--cross your heart--that you won't say I told you to +do it?" Skinny asked, with panic fear in every feature. "Will you +promise--honest and true, cross your heart--that you won't ever even +look at me?" + +"Go on down and get your breakfast, kid," said Danny. + +"I tried to get you the money so you could go away." + +"Sure, you should worry; go down and eat, Tiny." + +"And you won't go to the office till about half past ten, because on +account of the train?" + +"Leave it to me, kid." + +"You're going to get in a lot of trouble," Skinny warned, +pathetically apprehensive. + +Poor little fellow, he had done the best he could to avert this +bizarre and perilous undertaking of Danny's. He had risked his life. +He was doomed to trouble with his comrades because of the missing +scout suit, and because of his attempt to sell the reward of his +heroism. They would not even laugh at him and make fun of him any +more. He wondered if he had better go ask the Alligators of +Alleghany not to mention the offer he had made at their cabin. But +that would only discredit him with them; it would look sneaky. + +Such troubles to arise from good intentions and deeds of skill and +prowess! Poor Skinny, his excursion into the field of heroism had +not been propitious. And pressing down upon him more heavily than +all these perplexities was the terrifying thought of Danny. What +might happen there made Skinny shudder. Such an act of effrontery as +his half-brother was launched upon quite unnerved this poor little +scout who had been so humble and obscure. Yet he was staunch in +loyalty to Danny. He would bear the scornful taunts (as he had +always borne the humorous taunts) of Temple Camp if that were +necessary. And when the worst came to the worst he would be loyal to +Danny. It was odd that through all this disheartening mess, he did +not once recall with pride and elation that he was the winner of the +Hiawatha Prize. He had forgotten all about the canoe. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +ALIAS DANVILLE BENTLY + +He hurried along with his queer, shuffling gait to the big shed where +meals were served in pleasant weather. He was always insignificant +looking unless you looked straight into his eyes. There was +something indescribable about those eyes that haunted one. They +bespoke a latent frenzy that could carry that homely little frail +body to any heights of heroism. But all you saw as he hurried along +was a little codger who somehow reminded you of the slums. He had +the scared look so familiar in homeless dogs. + +As he moved between the long tables a few scouts who had never +noticed him before, turned and stared at him. "Honest!" one scout +asked his neighbor. "Sure, that's him," said another; "that's the +one." By no means all of them knew of his triumphant swim. At one +table they were talking about the "lifting" of the white pennant, but +no one seemed to know that he was the hero of that affair. One would +have to be a pretty big hero to divert the attention of the Temple +Camp scouts while they were eating breakfast. One remark he did +overhear as he made his way to the tables of his own troop. "Special +bargain sale in prize canoes," he heard a boy say. "Business is not +so good today," another boy answered. Skinny flushed but did not +glance at the authors of this cheap sarcasm. + +The Bridgeboro Troop occupied two tables, the Ravens and the +Chipmunks at one, the Silver Foxes and the Elks at the other. As +Skinny edged into his seat only one voice greeted him. The exuberant +Roy Blakeley of the Silver Foxes called. "Hey Skinny, you were in +the swim all right, but not here. + + Sticks and stones can break your bones, + But looks can never hurt you." + + +But there Roy Blakeley was mistaken. Looks did hurt Skinny; they +were like blows to his sensitive nature. And now nothing but black +looks greeted him. Something was wrong evidently; something very +serious. For there was no criticism, no half-humorous slurs and +sallies. The members of his patrol passed him things at the table, +and once or twice asked such service from him, and it was pitiful to +see him respond with such alacrity. But no one talked with him--with +this boy who had "lifted" the white pennant and won the Hiawatha +canoe. He thought it must be because he had not donned his scout +suit. + +After breakfast he went off by himself and wandered up into the +woods. He often did that to get away from the bantering scouts, but +this morning he was beset with forebodings. Something was wrong, +everything was wrong. The atmosphere he had felt at breakfast +pervaded the whole quiet woodland. Something played on the strings +of his delicate nature, causing them to vibrate with strange +apprehension. He felt nervous, ill at ease; he knew something was +going to happen. Up in the woods was an oriole's nest which he had +been watching, for he intended to take it when it was deserted and +claim the Audubon Prize. He sat down on a stump and looked at it +now, hanging up in the tree like a dried rag. He had no more +interest in the prizes. He had won the hardest one of all to win, +and it had brought him nothing but trouble. + +After a little while, he wandered back to camp again, haunted by that +strange sense of foreboding. A lonesome, forlorn little waif he +seemed; hopelessly an odd number; not one single sign of the scout +about him. Just a little codger from Corkscrew Alley. Passing a few +yards from Administration Shack he saw the usual coming and going by +which he knew that the office was open. There were the usual +loiterers on the porch, scoutmasters hurrying in and out, new boys +glancing around as they emerged and pausing to read the notices. + +Suddenly a rather tall boy with his scout hat tilted at a rakish +angle came out, folding a paper. That was the set of rules that they +gave to every new arrival. He also held a red card and Skinny knew +what that meant, It meant he was registered as a scout without troop +affiliation and was assigned to the big dormitory which, with several +group cabins, formed what was called Pioneer Row.* So Danny had come +through the routine of enrollment without trouble. Skinny was even +proud of him, he looked so natty, so self-assured, so different from +those bewildered looking new arrivals who glanced bashfully about +seeming not to know what to do with themselves. There was one whole +patrol of them and they seemed as helpless as a pack of sheep. + + +* A pioneer scout is one without a troop or patrol. See page 24 of +the Scout Handbook. + + +As Danny stepped down off the porch he passed between two scouts who +were catching ball and he raised his arm in an offhand way +intercepting the ball and throwing it to a third boy. How proud +Skinny would have been of this charmingly nonchalant brother, except +for that frightful secret! Even as it was he felt relieved and a +little proud, Danny was so attractive and seemed so safe--so equal to +any emergency. + +Skinny hardly knew where to go so he went down to the springboard. +Still that vague feeling of presentiment beset him and made him +nervous. Sitting on the springboard were Connie Bennett, his patrol +leader, and several of the Elk Patrol. Seeing Skinny approaching, +Stut Moran and Vic Norris strolled away. "Cut that out," Connie said +to them, but they paid no attention. + +Skinny could not bear the tension; his little frame was trembling +with nervous excitement. "What's the matter?" he forced himself to +ask. "If I don't want to wear my--a--scout suit I don't have to, do +I? If I don't want to have my picture taken in it, I don't have to." + +Hearing him speak, Stut and Vic turned and paused, Vic calling, "Come +on, you scouts, let him alone. Don't you know what we said?" + +The others started from the springboard to join Stut and Vic. Skinny +remained on the springboard, scarlet with embarrassment. Like a +little statue of lonely poverty he stood there on the board from +which he had plunged for his sensational swim. + +"Can't you tell me if it's about the suit?" he called almost +imploringly. + +They seemed to be conferring and he waited. Then Connie beckoned and +he went to them, like a dog doubtful of its welcome. Thus it +happened that one of the most memorable events of Temple Camp +occurred on the grassy patch near the shore, just under the big +willow tree where they painted the boats before launching them. +Scouts will show you the spot now. + +"I'm going to give you the chance to deny it, that's only fair," +Connie said. "Did you try to sell the Hiawatha Prize to a patrol +from out in Pennsylvania?" + +"Yes, I did," Skinny said. He was trembling, not in fear, but in the +pride of his frankness. + +"You did!" + +"Yes, I did--I said I did." + +There was a tense pause. + +"A prise! You tried to sell it for money," exclaimed Vic Norris +incredulously. + +"Didn't you know those scouts are going in for the canoe races the +same as we are!" + +"No, I didn't know that," Skinny protested, breathing heavily. + +Such an altercation could not fail to attract lookers-on and perhaps +a dozen boys were now standing about listening. + +"Well, you knew we were going in the races with it," Connie said. +"And you knew that prizes kind of go to patrols. You ask anybody in +Temple Camp--ask Tom Slade--if he ever _heard_ of a scout trying to +_sell_ a camp award. Jimmies, I didn't believe it when I heard it. +You sneaked up to those fellows' cabin and asked them if they wanted +to buy the Hiawatha canoe for fifteen dollars. Did you or didn't +you?" + +"If you can prove you didn't, we won't chuck you out," Bert McAlpin +said. + +"I said I did," said Skinny, standing his ground, but with a tremor +in his voice, "but I didn't sneak." + +"Good night!" groaned Hunt Ward disgustedly. + +"What did you want to do it for?" Connie asked. He alone seemed +disposed to be considerate. + +"Because--it's none of anybody's business what I did it for," Skinny +said. + +"Why it's like the gold medal; would you sell that?" + +"Yes, I would if I thought--if I was sure it was right to do it," +Skinny said. + +Perhaps some of the onlookers sympathized with him, he was so small, +so insignificant looking; and withal so eager and earnest. Tears +were rolling down his cheeks now and he raised his shabby little +sleeve to wipe his eyes and still stood his ground in trembling +defiance. "I would and it's none of nobody's business," he said. + +"_Oh, is that so?_" sneered Stut Moran. "If you wanted money as bad +as all that why couldn't you steal it like you did apples from +Schmitter's Grocery when you'd have got in trouble if Mr. Ellsworth +hadn't taken you into the troop?" + +Skinny trembled, but said nothing. "Did I--I--did I act all right +since I was in the troop?" he finally managed to get out. + +"Sure, trying to sell prizes," Vic Norris shot at him angrily. "Gee +we've had enough of Corkscrew Alley in our troop. You don't belong +in the troop anyway, you dirty little slum rat, you----" + +There was a slight stir in the group and there in front of Victor +Norris stood a boy he had never seen before, a boy whose scout hat +was tilted at a rakish angle and whose half-closed eyes were like +cold steel. + +"Do you take that back?" said he. + +"You mind your own business; I take nothing back," said Vic. + +The blow fell so swiftly that he was sprawling on the ground before +the onlookers knew what had happened. They will tell you now at +Temple Camp that that blow sounded as if it fell on a wooden surface, +so terrific was the force of it. The dazed victim rubbed his eye +half-consciously and made as if to rise. Like lightning his +assailant brushed aside an interfering spectator and looked behind +him to see if any official might be approaching. "Don't get up till +you take it back," he said in quick, businesslike fashion. "You'll +just go down again. Keep away, you fellers. Well?" + +"I take it back," cried Vic Norris. + +"Tell him, don't tell me," said the strange boy, indicating Skinny. + +And he strolled away as if the matter no further concerned him. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE PIONEER SCOUT + +But it was not Vic Norris who was hurt; it was Skinny. He would not, +he could not, tell them the truth. He must live in the shadow of +their cruel thoughts. Mr. Ellsworth, scoutmaster of the troop, +arrived in camp on Friday for the week end, and tried to smooth over +the difficulty. But Skinny would not tell him why he had made his +astonishing offer to the departed Helmer Clarkson. Nor would he say +why he would not wear his scout suit. He was as stubborn as a little +mule in those matters. Mr. Ellsworth told the Elks that they would +just have to take Skinny as they found him, that there was no +explaining him. He reminded them that at all events they had the +canoe, and the white pennant. + +So they took Skinny as they found him, and they found him different. +He seemed worried and preoccupied, and took little interest in the +patrol. They never asked him to wear his scout suit and he continued +to be, what he had always been in camp, an odd little figure in a +faded blouse. Those in the Bridgeboro troop who were most discerning +noticed how he seemed always in fear. But when they made fun of him, +as they were wont to do at camp-fire, he smiled bashfully in the same +old way and was delightfully ill at ease. + +He occasionally went out in the prize canoe with scouts of his patrol +and sat wedged into one end like a funny little figurehead. You +would never have dreamed that he was the boy who had won that trim +craft which skimmed so lightly in the water. But he seemed to +appreciate being taken out in it. Perhaps after all it was not +Skinny who had won the canoe. It was the frenzied and despairing +soul of Skinny which had done that. Anyway, they often took him out +in it and he sat very still and upright as he was told to do. + +The Elks soon lost the white pennant; a scout in a Vermont troop +walked away with it one night during Vic Norris' watch, so Vic had +two black eyes in a way of speaking. Bert McAlpin tried to get it +back and was caught red-handed. Then Connie himself tried and got a +good laugh from the Vermonters. Skinny was not particularly +interested in these attempts; he was too much worried about Danny to +concern himself with patrol exploits. He saw Danny every day and +occasionally spoke with him, but they were not much together. The +terrible thing that Danny was doing made Skinny afraid of him; he +stood in awe of such daring and effrontery. + +As for Danny, he was not in the least troubled. On the very day of +his arrival he hiked to Catskill, keeping off the highway, and sent a +telegram collect, in the name of Temple Camp, advising the father of +Danville Bently that his son would be expected on August Second. +Having come safely through the formality of enrollment, no +embarrassing questions were asked him and indeed he had no further +intercourse with the management. Temple Camp is a big place and he +was soon absorbed in its life. Nobody cared where he lived or +anything else about him; they were all too busy with scouting. + +And he was busy with scouting too. He might have taken his second +class tests, he might even have qualified for the first class, but he +cautiously refrained from any step which might bring him face to face +with trustees and councilors. Since he did not seek the first class +ranking he could not try for merit badges. He became, in short, one +of those nondescript scouts who are to be found in every summer camp, +boys who have taken the scout oath and put on scout suits and let it +go at that. He was too large to be thought of as a tenderfoot; +moreover his prowess and skill lifted him out of that class. He was +good at everything, but he did not fit his exploits into the scout +program. + +He bunked in Pioneer Row with that miscellaneous company whose +members had come to Temple Camp without troop or patrol. Many of +them were instances of the one lucky boy in some homekeeping scout +unit. Some of them were active and clever, but they were deprived of +the advantages of group spirit. A boy scout is better off with his +patrol in a vacant lot than alone at the best of scout camps. The +big sleeping quarters of Pioneer Row had more the atmosphere of a +boarding school dormitory than of a scout camp. In a sense they did +form one big troop--too big. + +After the first few days of his life in this rather inglorious +department of the spreading community, Danny lost all fear of being +found out at camp. The whole thing had been so easy! And Temple +Camp was so embracing and friendly! He was an adaptable boy and he +felt quite at home. He still feared the grim authorities of the +reform school, for he knew that he had been committed to that hated +institution by the State and that the long arm of the law was +reaching out for him. But as the days passed and nothing happened, +his fear subsided. He was so cozy and remote that discovery from +either quarter seemed an altogether unlikely sequel of his good +fortune. And August Second was so far away! + +Once or twice he feared that Skinny might inadvertently, or in a +spasm of outraged conscience, say something. But nothing happened +and whatever fears he had were lulled to sleep. Yet there was one +person there whom he should have feared and that was himself. But he +not only did not fear himself; he did not fear anybody. The only +trouble was that he would have to sneak away before August Second. +Well, he thought, the authorities would have ceased their search for +him by that time, and he would go away on a ship. + +All the boys in Pioneer Dormitory liked Danny. He was more +sophisticated than most of them and they stood somewhat in awe of +him. He seemed to know a good deal about the world and they +respected him for it. His rather nonchalant attitude toward scouting +had something engaging in it; but there was one serious boy who was +not too ready to fall under his spell. + +This was Holman Sharpe, a pioneer scout from a farm in New Hampshire. +He was not summering away from his troop; he had no troop. Nor was +he, as so many of those boys were, the single remaining member of a +disintegrated troop. He was a registered pioneer. In the lonely +section where he lived there were no boys to form a troop. So he had +sent to National Headquarters for blanks and had been enrolled as a +pioneer scout, which was a very different thing from the unattached +scouts of Pioneer Row. + +This boy went in for scouting with both hands and feet and the +easy-going Danny was greatly amused by him. He was one of those boys +who take themselves very seriously. Such boys are found in schools +and colleges, wrestling with their studies to the exclusion of +everything else, forgetting life in the interest of learning. +Scouting is not a good field in which to do this. There is nothing +about scouting to study; it is just a form of life. But this boy +conceived it as a sort of curriculum and the Handbook as a sort of +text book. He was certainly born to be a student. It is not so +certain that he was born to be a scout. + +To this serious New England boy, Temple Camp was a sort of +university, the merit badges all representing study courses. He was +out for promotion; he did not care so much about fun. His Handbook +was all marked up with memorandums of his progress and notes of his +plans. He was a canny boy and did not forget about the future. He +even took into consideration the time when he would be too old for +scouting and had his plans all made for joining the _Veteran Scout +Association_. In an envelope he had three dollars laid away with +which to buy the veteran pin several years hence. + +Everything in the Handbook was law and gospel to him and he had set +about the strenuous labor of squeezing it dry. He would get his +money's worth at Temple Camp by doing every single thing that was +even casually suggested in the scouting program. He had never had +any give and take with other boys and he could not conceive of +scouting being carried lightly and airily, as Roy Blakeley of the +Silver Foxes, carried it. He went in for scouting with a vengeance. + +What Danny did, he did easily, and he was highly entertained by the +way Holman would come in carrying his Handbook and some maps and +papers, and sit down on his cot, which was next to Danny's, to go +over them and enter notes in his field book. + +"Busy with your homework?" Danny would quiz. + +"I've just hiked fourteen miles," Holman answered him one day. "I'm +going to write it up to-night, and there's test four all finished on +the first class badge. If you took all the miles you've used up +flopping around in the woods to-day, I bet they'd run over fourteen +and you'd have a seven mile double to lay up on your first class +tests. I mixed some dough and cooked my dinner, too, while I was +off, so I'm claiming the cooking badge on that. I don't know whether +I'll get it or not." + +"Did you ever study algebra!" Danny queried. + +"Well, it's not exactly a part of scouting," said Holman. + +Danny, sitting on Holman's cot with his knees drawn up, pulled his +hat down over his forehead, which gave him a sophisticated, even a +tough, look. "But I had the fun of flopping around in the woods," +said he. "You hike so fast you never see anything." + +"Make hay while the sun shines," said Holman in his businesslike way. +"Why, you were telling me about following those marks and you came +plunk on a rattlesnake; he's a pretty big one, I guess." + +"He was; he isn't any more," said Danny. + +"You've got to look out how you kill those fellows. But what I was +going to say was, you could use that stuff on the stalking test if +you wanted to. Did you have any witnesses?" + +"Only the rattlesnake and he's dead," said Danny. + +"I'm only telling you how you waste your chances," said Holman. "You +can do things, all right, only you don't think. I heard a scout over +at the Kit Carson tents say you jumped over Outlet Brook." + +"Yere?" + +"I've got it planned out so I can use one stunt on two tests." + +"Wholesale only, huh! What's that red book?" Danny asked, kicking it. + +"That? That's the English Handbook. I'll wager you that's the only +one in camp. I guess you never even read the American one, do you?" + +"Oh, I gave it the once over; there's some pretty good dope in it. +Ever think you'd like to make a stab for the Gold Cross?" + +"Life saving with imminent risk?" (Holman quoted accurately). +"That's something pretty high up; that's out of the ordinary." + +"I was thinking I'd grab it--just for a stunt," said Danny. + +Holman shook his head, "That's one of the big things--that's the very +biggest," said he. He knew all about it. + +"That's the one for me," said Danny. + +"I sort of don't like the way you refer to it," + +"That's the snappiest one in the book," said Danny. + +"Talking about books," said Holman, "you ought to look over this +English Handbook; it's by General Baden-Powell. There's a section in +it about deduction; deducing facts from clues and signs. Why you can +even look at a scout's shoes and tell where he has been if you know +how." + +"I don't care where's he's been," said Danny. + +"It's an interesting phase of scouting just the same." + +"Phase, huh? That's just detective stuff. You don't want to be one +of those guys, do you?" + +"Oh, that's part of scouting--mental effort." + +"Yere?" + +"Now, for instance, I've noticed something. I even made a note of +it." + +"I bet you did." + +"I don't believe there's a scout in this camp ever noticed that +tattoo mark on your arm." + +Danny started. + +"Surprises you, eh!" Holman laughed. He did not often laugh. "Yes +sir," he said in a way of small triumph, "I noticed it when you +rolled up your sleeve; the time you reached down in the water after +the compass that little big-eyed youngster is always losing. You +rolled it away up--remember! I noticed. I said, 'That boy has known +a sailor.' Now am I right?" + +"Right--the first time." + +"I wondered why the letters were D. M. since I knew your name was +Danville Bently. But I hit on it. Now tell me if I'm right." + +"Sure, you're always right." + +"They name ships the _Molly B_ and all like that. If a ship is +called after a woman named Molly B. Smith, they just call it the +_Molly B_. I'll wager that M is your middle initial--Danville M. as +you might say." + +"_Geeee_, that's wonderful!" said Danny. "That's _simp_-ly +wonderful! I bet you're going to keep it to yourself too." + +"Oh, trust me for that," said Holman Sharpe. + +Their talk was interrupted by the little tenderfoot office boy from +Administration Shack who called from the open doorway at the end of +the long row of cots. + +"Danville Bently, you're wanted in the office," said he. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE SERENADE + +Danny was nervous, but he did not show it. He had never before been +summoned to the office. He had thought that by keeping out of scout +activities he would be safe in the refuge of self-imposed obscurity. +Lost in the nondescript company of the big dormitory, and keeping as +much as he could out of touch with the management he had hoped and +believed that his daring stunt of impersonation would succeed. + +Now, as he made his way up toward the main body of the camp, he +wondered, almost tremblingly, what was amiss. Had poor little +Skinny's conscience given way under the strain? No, he knew better +than that. The thin cord would never break. Would he find himself +face to face with the warden of Blythedale School? Or perhaps with +the real Danville Bently? There is many a slip.... + +The usual group was lolling about the steps of the official building. +From his place on the railing, Roy Blakeley called, "Hey what are you +doing up here at the hole of holes? (meaning holy of holies). And +how are things down in Pie Row? How is Sophomore, Senior, +Post-graduate Sharpe these beautiful days! I hear he's going to hire +a bookkeeper. Hey Bent, why don't you come up to camp once in a +while so we won't forget what you look like? Don't remember to do +your good turn daily." + +In the office the young clerk in khaki showed Danny into the sanctum +of the powers, where he waited nervously while Councilor Wainwright +finished reading a letter. "Well my boy," said that official, +glancing up pleasantly; "how do you think you like camp?" + +"It's one camp, all right," said Danny. "It's big enough, I'll say." + +"We thought perhaps we'd hear from you--see your name up on the board +or something, glorifying Florida." + +Danny winced a bit at this. "We've got a scout down there that takes +care of all those things for us," said he. It was this good-humored +nonchalance of his which drew people to him. Discerning men +construed his slightly sneering attitude to mean that he was +impatient of little people and little things. The councilor chuckled +appreciatively. "It takes all kinds to make a square mile of camp," +he said. + +"Now, Bently," he continued, deliberately going to the matter in +hand, "this is what I wanted to see you about. Sometimes things get +around to headquarters rather late. I understand you punched a boy +the first day you were here." + +"Did he tell you?" + +"Of course he didn't. That was a good scout you punched." + +"It was a good punch I gave him." + +"I heard it was. But, of course, he had just lost his temper." + +"I did a good turn, I helped him to find it." + +"Well, my boy, we won't go into that now. We usually find up here +that a boy who is free with his fists is--well, it's a kind of a +habit with him. There are those who hit and those who don't. I +think I can't recall a single instance up here of a boy hitting +another boy who didn't before the season was over do the same thing +again. Now, honor bright, you've slugged fellows before, haven't +you?' + +"Sure, a guy named Kinney back in----" + +"So you see. Now I just want to warn you not to do that sort of +thing again. If you do, you'll go right back to Florida, Bently. +This camp isn't the Madison Square Garden or the Chicago Stadium. We +don't expect our guests to take the law in their own hands--ever. Of +course, what I say to you applies to every boy here, and there's +going to be a notice out there on the board so none of you young Jack +Dempseys can come back at us. Any boy that uses his fists leaves +this camp--quick. Just you read what it says in the Handbook on +being a gentleman. You ever get any hints out of the Handbook?" + +"There's some pretty good dope in that," said Danny. + +"I'll say there is." + +"And there's a lot of play-in-the-backyard stuff too." + +Councilor Wainwright laughed heartily at this frank young critic. +"Well, let's hear from you on some of the good stuff," said he. "You +scouts down in the dormitory,--we hardly know you're alive up here. +All right, my boy, no hard feelings." + +Danny went out, greatly relieved. More than that, he inhaled a kind +of fresh assurance that everything would be all right. Loyal little +Skinny was like the Rock of Gibraltar. Blythedale Reform School was +so far away. Danny felt more secure than ever in this woodland +refuge. And Danville Bently, the real Danville Bently was--why, by +this time he was in Europe with his people. The only person that +Danny had to fear was himself. Well, that would be all right, he +would keep his fists where they belonged. No danger. He even felt +that he had gained something; Councilor Wainwright seemed to like him. + +But there was a black cloud on the horizon. You would not think of +calling Roy Blakeley a black cloud, yet he was the black cloud in +this instance. He was a boy who would sit contentedly on a fence +thinking of nothing in particular, then suddenly be aroused to +mirthful enterprise as by an inspiration. Surely he was one of the +spirits of Temple Camp. Boys returned home in the autumn and talked +of him all winter. His patrol, the Silver Foxes, shone by his own +reflected light. They were (to quote the voice of Temple Camp) a +bunch of jolliers. + +If Danny had not been called to the office it is probable that Roy +would never have conceived the mischievous idea of descending with +his bantering cronies upon the defenseless Pioneer Row. But his +piquant sallies to Danny upon his visit to the seat of the powers +reminded him that he had neglected Pie Alley, which was his name for +that lowly suburb. Roy invariably acted upon every random +inspiration. + +"Come on, let's go down to Pie Alley and kid the life out of +Sophomore Senior, the Student Prince of scouting," said he. + +"We'll tell him he's awarded a typewriter machine," said Warde +Hollister. + +"We'll tell him all the tests for merit badges have been changed," +said Ralph Warner. + +They would have been accompanied by a clamorous escort except that it +was rest hour and most scouts were either asleep or reading in +reclining postures in their cabins. So no one went upon this +memorable expedition but Roy and two of his patrol, Ralph Warner and +Warde Hollister. Reaching the big, sprawling, shingled dormitory, +they serenaded the subject of their call like knights of old. They +knew that Holman Sharpe would be resting. Holman did everything that +was on the scout program. He was getting his money's worth. + +Roy was something of a balladist and he saluted the victim with a +minstrel lay: + + "Oh Sharpy, dear Sharpy, come out of the door + The badge list is changed and there's ninety-six more." + + +This failing to arouse him they tried again. + + "Oh Sharpy, dear Sharpy, get up and come out + And the fourth test on plumbing we'll tell you about." + + +Still again they tried to lure him with soft melody. + + "Oh Sharpy, dear Sharpy, come out with scout stealth + And we'll hand you the medal for personal health." + + +Holman Sharpe did not come out, but he looked out through the open +window. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE ACCUSED + +"Don't you scouts know it's rest hour?" said Holman. "You'd better +look in your handbooks and see what's on page three thirty-seven. +What are you scouts doing down here at this time of day?" + +"It's a lie!" said Roy. "You can't believe a word the Handbook +says--you can't even believe the punctuation. It says you can find +comfort in the woods and we looked all around and didn't find any--we +even used our searchlights, I'll leave it to Warde. Hey, Sharpy, +come on out, the National Council has decided that a hobby-horse +isn't an animal so you can't name a patrol after it. Honest, I'll +leave it to Ralph Warner. You can't press the leaves of a hat-tree +either--there's a new rule--so if you have any you better throw them +away. The rules are all changed, you can't get the printing badge by +finding footprints any more. Hey, come on out, Sharpy." + +Holman did not immediately respond to this merry summons, but Danny +who was in the dormitory strolled out smiling and sat on the steps. +Holman's methodical activities amused him, but he had never poked fun +at him. + +"Hey, Florida," said Roy; "how 'bout it--isn't it true they're going +to give crutches for veteran scouts? You better put in your +application while you're young, Sharpy. You better start saving up." + +Holman emerged upon the porch. There was nothing sissified about +this boy; it was not for that reason that they took delight in +"jollying" him. It was that he was so terribly sober and earnest. +He was going to be a scout by the book; he thought that if he could +pass an examination in scouting he would be a scout. He was studying +it, cramming, and he thought that boys who were just naturally scouts +and did not study it very hard, were slackers. + +Roy had fifteen merit badges and had enjoyed the fun of getting them. +But this serious boy was not having the time of his life being a +scout. He should have been at boarding school, where he would have +won honors. Handbooks and tests and awards will help, of course, but +scouting is a matter of fine spirit. The scout who thinks only of +getting ahead, of swimming fifty yards because the book prescribes +it, is apt to forget about his comrade scouts. A curriculum is a +pretty poor sort of a pal. + +"I should think you scouts would know this is rest hour," said +Holman. "If you want to get anywhere in scouting you've got to +relax. You come around here with your nonsense when I'm supposed to +be storing up a little energy." + +"Tell us all about that," encouraged Ralph Warner, winking at Danny, +who was highly amused. + +"On account of your yelling I'll have to make it up to-morrow when I +ought to be stalking," said Holman. + +"There may be some truth in that," teased Warde. "Hey, Sharpy, why +don't you go out on a hike with your friend and neighbor some night +for no reason at all?" + +"With Bently, you mean? I'd never accomplish much. I guess he's a +sort of more of a tramp than a scout. I'd never learn much from him. +I've only got eight weeks here." + +"You let him say that about you, Florida?" Warde asked. + +"Sure, let him go as far as he likes," laughed Danny. "I don't claim +to be a scout." + +"I don't see what you're here for then?" said Holman. + +"I can tell you the reason," said Roy. "He's here because he's here. +Am I right, Florida?" + +"Surest thing," laughed Danny. He was hugely entertained as he sat +on the steps watching this show. + +"He's wasting his father's money," said Holman. "If that's any +comfort to him." + +"How do you know his father's got any money!" Warde shot back. + +"He deduced it by deduction," said Danny. + +"If he'll let me help him on scout stuff, I'll be glad to do it," +said Holman. + +"There's your chance, Florida," Warde and Ralph shouted together. + +"I don't believe I could make the grade," said Danny. + +"You could if you tried; you don't try," said Holman. + +"Hey, Sharpy," said Roy, "there's something we came here to see you +about. Let's quit fooling. These two silver-plated foxes and myself +were appointed a committee to come here and ascertain--did you get +that word, _ascertain_? We have to find out if it's true what all +the fellows are saying that you went down to Catskill with Tom Slade +in his Ford and then came back and said that you crossed Valley Creek +by means of a ford and then claimed the _new discovery prize_ on +account of finding a way to get over Valley Creek not by the bridge. +If you did that it was dishonest and conduct unbecoming to a scout. +Are you claiming that prize or not? Yes or no--or both. Did you +deliberately accidentally deceive the Council or not?" + +"You'd better look out how you talk about dishonesty and deceiving," +said Holman rather heatedly. + +"I call your attention to law one on page something or other of the +Scout Handbook," Roy persisted. + +"That's the wrong page," said Warde. + +"Then it's page sumpty-sump," said Roy. "A scout's honor is to be +toasted--trusted. If he violates his honor by telling a +lie--comma--or cheating--comma--he may be directed otherwise told to +hand over his scout badge--period. Holman Sharpe of Pie Alley, if +you did that we demand that you hand over your scout badge to this +committee of solid-silver foxes. Lying cannot be tolerated in Temple +Camp--unless you're lying down so as to relax and store up energy." + +By this time Danny was laughing aloud; there was just the faintest +suggestion of Skinny about his countenance when he laughed. But +Holman Sharpe was clearly ruffled and he advanced, not exactly +menacingly, but with something in his manner which showed that he did +not at all catch the humor of their reference to dishonesty and +deception. He was a serious and literal boy and construed the use of +these words in any case as a slur and an insult. + +"You said something about a scout's honor," he said. "It's on page +thirty-four if you want to know where it is. You better look out how +you talk about mine. The first thing you scouts know, one of you +will get what he good and plenty deserves." Granted, this boy knew a +good deal about scouting; but he did not know much about scouts. + +"If I said anything I'm sorry for, I'm glad of it," said Ralph. + +"Well you said--your leader said that lying isn't tolerated at this +camp. That's as much as calling me a liar." Now he did advance, +flushed and angry. + +"Cut it out," said Roy good-naturedly, seeing which way the tide was +setting. + +"As long as you spoke of a scout's honor--" Holman began. + +"Cut it out, you blamed simp," said Ralph, his tone changing suddenly +to disgust. + +"I'll remind you of law ten,* too," said Holman. + + +* This law refers to bravery and standing up for the right. + + +"Yere, we know all about it," said Ralph. "Don't tell us about +scouting. We were here before you ever heard of this camp. You +better learn to take a joke----" + +"Sure, that's another law," said Roy. + +"And as long as you're making such a fuss about lying," said Ralph +contemptuously, "if you want me to make you out a liar, I'll do it. +How about calling Florida a tramp? Who the dickens do you think you +are, calling scouts tramps? _Wasting his father's money_; can you +beat that? _Gee_, as long as you want to be serious, I'll say you +were lying." + +This was intended more as a compliment to Danny, whom they all seemed +to like, than as a slur to Holman. Certainly nothing was further +from the minds of these young Silver Foxes than to start a quarrel. +But the serious Holman always carried his "honor" around with him as +he did his field book. He chose to take Ralph's remark as an insult +and he struck him more from a sense of duty than from anger. + +Scarcely did the astonished Ralph realize what had happened when +Danny sprang between, spreading his arms to separate the two. +"That's enough, cut it out," he said. But indeed there was no chance +of a fight. Holman having done his duty stalked into the dormitory. +Warde and Roy, highly aroused by his act, followed him protesting. +So there for the moment stood Ralph, his hand against his face with +Danny standing before him saying, "That's enough, no more." + +Just at that moment Councilor Wainwright, carrying his big flat chart +book and inspection record, came around the corner of the building +and paused suddenly. + +"At it again, Bently?" he queried with grim cordiality. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +THE MASQUERADER + +The councilor did not wait for an answer. "Not hurt much?" he +commented rather than asked. "Suppose you come along to the office +with me, Bently." + +To Ralph Warner's astonishment, Danny accompanied the councilor +without so much as a word. When Warde and Roy presently reappeared, +there stood Ralph recovering from his surprise rather than from the +hurt, which was not serious. + +"He won't come out," said Warde, referring to Holman. "He did his +duty--can you beat it? Where's Florida?" + +"Gone with Wainey," said Ralph. "He went before I knew it. I guess +Wainey thinks he did it." + +"What did he want to go for?" Roy asked. + +"Search me," Ralph answered. + +"Come on, don't bother about Sharpy," said Warde. "Gee, I'm sorry +Wainey had to come along just then. Honest, isn't that just like +him?" + +"Can you beat it?" Roy asked. "If the world should come to an end, +he'd sure be the first one there. Jiminies, Ralph, don't be sore, it +wasn't Sharpy hitting you, it was the Scout Handbook." + +"Sure," laughed Warde. + +"I understand," Ralph agreed. "Gee, that feller must be crazy." + +"He's troubled with static," said Roy; "come on, let's beat it." + +None of the three of them had the least notion that Florida, as they +called him, was deliberately posing as the culprit. Councilor +Wainwright's threatened warning had never appeared on the bulletin +board and the three Silver Foxes did not apprehend any very serious +sequel to the little affair. They supposed that the councilor did +not intend to take notice of it; certainly not to act upon it at that +time. They inferred that he wished to see Danny about something +else, and encountering him by chance, had asked him to go along. +That was the way they saw it, and they thought no more about it. Or +if they did, it was in a way of humorous dismay at Holman Sharpe's +unexpected conduct. You may say they were not ideal scouts. You +may, if you choose, say that Holman was a true scout. Those are +matters of opinion. In any event, Roy and his comrades cherished no +malice. "Only there ought to be a badge for that," said Roy; "the +slugger's badge. Otherwise, Sharpy will think he wasted his time. +Forget it. He saw his duty and he did it nobly. I hope young +Snoopy, the boy councilor, forgets it." + +But Councilor Wainwright was very far from forgetting it. En route +to Administration Shack he said what he had to say and it was a model +of cordial brevity. "Well, my boy, you'd better pack up and get +started; you know what I told you. And we won't have any +explanations, eh? It seems you and I don't understand each other--no +hard feelings. Maybe we'll hear of you as a heavyweight champion +some day. Let's see, you were paid up for the month, I think?" + +"That'll be O.K," said Danny. + +"What was it, another one on the eye?" the councilor asked cheerily, +as he hurried along. You would have thought him a fight fan. + +"N--not so good," said Danny, "I've done better." + +"Well, now you see Temple Camp can make good its threats too." + +"Fifty-fifty," said Danny. "Don't aim unless you'll shoot." + +"That's the idea," said the Councilor, in great good humor. Danny +rather liked this man who was as good as his word; he had a +sportsman's respect for him. For Danny was always as good as his +word. Scout or not, he was that. + +In the office the business was very brief. Up to the point of +judgment Temple Camp was easy-going. But after that the procedure +was summary. The board of the absent Danville Bently had, as we +know, been paid by check for the month of July. The letter from +Florida which Danny had found and destroyed, shifted this payment to +cover the month of August. It was now the middle of July and Danny +had used up two weeks' value of Mr. Roswell Bently's money. The +unused balance of thirty dollars together with forty dollars to make +up the amount of his transportation home, was given to him, and this +extra forty was billed to his supposed parent. + +Thus, after two weeks of masquerading, this escaped inmate of a +reform school stood expelled from Temple Camp wearing a scout suit +and with seventy dollars in his pocket. + +With the same nonchalant air that had made him a leader at Blythedale +School he ambled out of the office and back toward Pioneer Row. +Seeing Roy and his two companions near the wig-wag tower he strolled +over to them. His pace was random, his general demeanor idle. He +had that about him which seemed to say that nothing was of very much +importance; a kind of sneering sophistication. By the record he was +certainly not a good boy. When he did a good thing it was with a +certain appearance of mockery at goodness. He had not much use for +the fuss and feathers of scouting. + +"Hey, you guys," said he, pausing in a kind of half-interested way. +"Can you all keep your mouths shut? That little racket is all over; +see? Keep away from the office and those bosses. No matter +what--keep your mouths shut." + +"Was Wainey talking to you about it?" Warde asked. + +"Now what did I say about keeping your mouth shut?" + +"Is he going to jump on Sharpy?" Ralph asked. "Gee whiz, I don't +want him to." + +"For what?" Danny asked. "Sharpy didn't slam you, you only dreamed +it. Forget it. None of us know anything about it. Nobody's going +to talk to you and you don't have to talk to anybody. It's all +settled. If you want to pull the scout stuff now's your chance. +Nobody's going to talk to you about it, so just keep your mouths +shut. Go on down to the lake and kid somebody along and forget it." + +It was odd how silent and respectful they were, these boys who were +never able to keep still. They did not even pester him with +questions. Somehow they felt that this boy, who had not a single +scout achievement to his credit, was their superior. "Sure we +won't," Warde said. + +"Don't make a lot out of nothing," said Danny, as he walked away. + +He ambled down to Pioneer Row and into the big dormitory. He had +been told to get his things, but of course, he had no things to get. +He strolled down the aisle between the cots till he came to the one +on which Holman Sharpe was propped up, reading. In the interval +since the altercation the bell had rung and the rest period being +over the place was rapidly deserted. Only Holman remained in the big +bare place, engrossed with his clerical labors. Danny rather +disrespectfully threw a book or two out of the way and kicked another +to the floor, clearing a place so that he could sit on the foot of +the cot and talk. + +"That the English one?" he asked, poking Sir Baden-Powell's book idly +with his foot. "Never mind, let it alone; won't hurt it to be on the +floor. How you feeling, Harpo-Sharpo?" + +"I'm just finishing; I'm going to take my twenty yard swim this +afternoon." + +"Can't swim the lake yet, huh?" + +"No, but I will." + +"Sure you will. Listen here, professor. They've got some kind of +darn crazy rule in this summer resort about scrapping. Not that +you're a scrapper, because you don't know how to hit. They're +putting up a notice about it, I understand. If they find out you +passed one to that feller--what's his name--they'll can you. It's +not a part of the game. You can stick out your tongue at a scout, +but you can't paste him. That's the only thing I know about +scouting, but I know that. You can take that one lesson from me. So +as long as I'm not a boy scout anyway--I mean a regular feller like +you--I'm going to be the one that hit foxy silver polish or whatever +his name is. You get the idea? I'm only here for two weeks more +anyway, and you've got work enough on hand to keep you here till New +Year's. On the dead level I don't see how you're ever going to get +away with it unless you cash in on that astronomy stuff and eat your +meals by deduction. So I'm starting----" + +"You mean you're going to take the blame?" + +"Sure, I haven't got anything else to take away with me. I suppose +I'm entitled to a little disgrace if I want it. Now--now, just a +minute! You have to do your good turn, don't you? All right, now +don't go shouting about your upper cut--it was a punk hit anyway--and +you're all hunk here till they close the show or your health breaks +down from over study. You see I'm not losing anything, because I'm +not booked up for rewards. Now I've got those silver gold dust +triplets or whatever you call 'em, fixed. All you have to do is just +remember that you had a dream about slugging a boy scout. So long, +Sharpy, old scout, and good luck to you." + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +TO PASTURES NEW + +One might suppose that such a boy as Danny would have at least the +quality of understanding himself; he was nonchalant and self-assured; +so easily the master of a situation. But strangely enough, now that +he had plenty of money and could go upon his way with comparative +safety, he felt neither safe nor comfortable. He had suffered no +scruples at masquerading at the expense of an unknown scout, but now +that the unused balance of this board money was handed him, he felt +like a thief. Such is the strange quality of money! There are those +who will accept favors of every sort, except money. As long as he +had been a guest (?) at camp he had not thought of himself as doing +anything dishonest. Risky no doubt, but not stealing. But now his +act was reduced to its common denominator. He held the money, not +simply what the money represented. And he felt exactly as if he had +stolen it. It needed only these crisp bills to remind him of the +outrageous fraud he had been perpetrating.--Money to return to +Florida. + +This climax of affairs troubled him, for it showed him that he was +not so sure of himself. In a way, Temple Camp had found him out, or +at least revealed him to himself. He had avoided scouting so as to +keep under cover. Then he had deliberately sauntered to his own +destruction by accepting the dismissal which should have been Holman +Sharpe's. That is, he had done a good turn, which of course, is +scouting. In the course of this renunciation he had found himself in +possession of seventy dollars. And he could not keep it. He was +thoroughly annoyed with himself at this. He was found out--he had +found himself out. He had tracked himself and found himself. He +alone had done the whole business! + +"They must think I'm joy riding in a baby carriage, needing money," +he said to himself. He was not willing to put his act of returning +the money on the somewhat weak and "kiddish" grounds of honesty. +Such a resourceful, skillful boy as he, could travel without money. +And so forth and so on. Anyway, he sauntered with his finest +nonchalant air into Administration Shack, giving a little sneery look +at the stuffed birds and snake skins displayed there. He could +never, never go in for scouting. Oh no! He pulled out one of the +chairs around the big writing table, sat down, pulled a Temple Camp +envelope to him, put the money into it and addressed it, "To the +Managers of Temple Camp." + +He scaled it over to the young clerk at the desk as he went out. +"Here's a love letter for Wainey and the bunch," he said. "Tell 'em +I didn't need it." + +"Sorry you're going, Scout Bently," said the young scout clerk. + +"That's all right, so long, old man." + +"You'll find it pretty hot in Florida this time of year, won't you?" + +"I'm not there yet." + +"You going down on the bus?" + +"No, I'm going to hike down and get the six thirty-two." + +"Well, hope to see you again." + +One thing he wanted to do and that was to find Skinny. Poor Skinny, +he would be relieved by the departure of this unconcerned young +masquerader. In that two weeks he had obeyed Danny's order and not +sought him out. He had smiled shyly on the two or three occasions +when they had passed each other by and once at night, when all the +scouts were at campfire, he had ventured down to the deserted Pioneer +Row to have just a few words with his dubious hero if Danny were +there. But he could not find him. "He's scared, because he thinks +maybe I look like him," Skinny said to himself. As if he, Skinny, +could look like that resourceful and daring adventurer! He had +thought much about Danny, and worried about him, in those two weeks. +Once he had seen a strange man coming along the path west of the +storehouse holding a boy by the collar and he had been seized with +panic fear that it was Danny in the clutch of the Blythedale +authorities, until he saw that it was just a visiting parent +indulging in pleasantries with his son. + +But Skinny was not to be found on that afternoon of Danny's sudden +departure, and Danny took the trail around the lake without seeing +him. He went that way because he wished to avoid villages and the +open roads. The route was longer and much more difficult than that +via the highroad, but he could get to Catskill without passing +through Leeds. His intention was to hook a ride on a train to New +York and then, having no money, to use his wits. But, of course, +Danny never knew from one minute to another what he would do. + +So Holman Sharpe was able to proceed uninterrupted with his strenuous +cramming in the interest of scouting. We should not be too severe +with Holman. Realizing what Danny was doing for his sake, he tried +to find him and insist that they tell Councilor Wainwright the truth. +But Danny had already gone. That was the great thing about Danny, he +was always as good as his word and acted promptly. Whether it was +hitting a boy in the eye or making a sacrifice, it was all the same. +He hated talk and posing. + +Thus baffled in his effort to make amends, Holman contented himself +with the comfortable view that after all his "studies" were more +important than the unprofitable loitering of a boy like Danny. +Making good use of one's time was surely the paramount virtue, +greater than generosity and sacrifice. We shall meet Holman again +some day and it will be interesting to note how his studious +concentration worked out. He cared more for scouting than he did for +scouts. + +Nor should we be too lenient with Danny. He had a kind of +sophisticated contempt for the prescribed routine of scouting and it +was not exactly in the spirit of self-sacrifice that he saved Holman +from summary dismissal. It amused him and annoyed him to see this +smug candidate for scout honors delving in books and planning to do +things which he, Danny, could do so easily. As long as Holman liked +that sort of baby play, Danny was quite ready to assure him his +continuance of it. But it was with a tolerant sneer that he did it. +And generous acts are not done with a sneer. + +Moreover, Danny knew that in a couple of weeks the real Danville +Bently would arrive and a crisis occur. He had done his stunt of +masquerading, and had been able thus to lie low in the perilous days +following his escape from the reform school. He went away owing +Temple Camp (or the real Bently) the amount of two weeks board, but +he had balked at taking the cash that had been proffered him, and had +gone penniless. + +It may be added that he succeeded in finding the trail through the +mountain pass across the lake, which Holman Sharpe had tried four +times to follow in doing test four for the first class scout badge. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +THE NEW ARRIVAL + +Perhaps poor little Skinny's big eyes stared a little more than usual +on his hearing of Danny's departure. But he did not fear for Danny. +He knew that Danny was equal to anything, that he led a charmed life. +He did not know why Danny had left (nobody seemed to know that) but +he was not greatly surprised. Back home, Danny had always been the +true free lance, coming and going at will. He had followed a circus +as far as Ohio and come safely home. To Skinny he was superhuman. +Down in that stout little heart, Danny, with all his dubious +qualities, was the real hero. He could do anything he wanted to do. +All that troubled Skinny was that he wanted to do such dreadful +things. + +Early on the afternoon of August Second he trembled as a little group +of new arrivals came down the woods path from the road where the bus +had set them down. He stood, a poor, shabby little figure, on the +porch of Administration Shack watching those khaki clad boys with +suit-cases and duffel bags, as they were piloted into the office. He +was just the queer little mascot of camp, a law unto himself, and no +longer bothered because he did not wear the scout regalia. They took +him around with them, rowing and hiking, because of a superstition +that he brought good luck. Sometimes they took him out in the canoe +that he had won in an insane frenzy, and he was always shyly pleased +to go. Ask any scout in camp about that phenomenal exploit and he +would tell you that Skinny did it in a fit and could never do it +again. But he was always on hand on Administration porch to gaze at +new arrivals. He was the court fool, the camp pet, always in +evidence, staring in amazement at the great world. + +Among these new arrivals on that day was a tall, merry faced boy, +whose natty scout suit set off his trim, slender form. He was +distinguishable from the others (a patrol and a two patrol troop) by +a spotless white scout scarf which, instead of being tied in a knot +was drawn through a wide silver ring. His belt was white, too, a +noticeable variation in the scout raiment. He climbed to the porch +rather hesitatingly behind the others, but he was not embarrassed at +the patrol of authority, for he gave Skinny a funny wink which +aroused the little fellow to eager laughter. When Skinny laughed the +skin of his thin face tightened about his mouth, giving the +appearance of an older person's smile, but his big eager eyes +redeemed this rather pitiful effect. + +"What's the white scarf for?" he ventured to ask upon the strength of +that pleasant wink. + +"Polar Bears of Florida," said the boy. + +"They don't have polar bears in Florida," Skinny ventured. + +"No, that's the funny part of it," the boy laughed. + +Skinny did not realize till this boy had gone inside that he was the +real Danville Bently of Wave Crest City, Florida. He did not venture +into the office for there was a rug on the floor and somehow he was +always timid where there were rugs. But he stood at the window +looking in. He wondered if something involving himself would now +happen. His nerves were all on edge. There would be an explosion, +he thought. The tall boy stood aside waiting till the others were +enrolled. Skinny felt that this was for a purpose. The boy looked +very conspicuous in there with his white scarf and belt in striking +contrast to his khaki attire. Skinny now noticed that the hat he +held had a white cord on it also. He seemed to be waiting just from +politeness, but Skinny's little hands trembled in panic excitement. + +The others emerged, singly and in groups, and now the tall boy was at +the counter. There was evidently some trouble and the clerk began +running through a card catalogue. Councilor Tenny was called and +together the three talked at the counter. Then Tom Slade, the young +camp assistant, appeared among them. Pretty soon he began laughing +and Skinny was relieved. The new boy laughed too. But Councilor +Tenny did not laugh. He shook his head as if puzzled. Then they got +a letter and read it. Pretty soon the new boy came out laughing. + +"Well you don't have to worry," Tom called after him. "But it's +blamed funny we never got that letter." + +"I know my name if I don't know anything else," laughed the boy. "I +wish I was as sure of my first class badges as I am of my--what d'you +call it--identity?" + +"Beats me," said Tom, pausing on the steps. "All right, Bently, +don't worry; we like mysteries here." + +"I'll write to my dad and he'll straighten it out," the boy said. + +"This is a great place, Bent, we have dark and bloody mysteries," +said Tom. "Long as you know who you are, you're all right. Get +busy--eats at six." That was just his off-hand, hearty way with new +arrivals. + +So the worst was over and Skinny had not been torn to pieces or +struck dead. Temple Camp survived the dreadful fraud. Tom Slade had +even laughed; he loved so to have a joke on the office. + +"Will you let me show you where you're going to go?" Skinny asked. +"Are you going to the dormitory? I'll show you. 'Cause my patrol +went on a hike, so I'll show you." + +"I'm going to Tent Village, wherever that is?" + +"I'll show you--it's dandy there. Is your name--what's your name?" +he asked, hurrying along by the new boy's side. + +"Danville Bently." + +"Have you got a patrol?" + +"Sure, but I don't carry it around with me; I just came from Europe. +A chap was here for a couple of weeks and gave my name, that's what +all the fuss was about. Nobody seems to know anything about him." + +"Will--they won't catch him, will they?" + +"If he was slick enough to do that, I guess they won't if you're +asking me." + +"He was smart, hey? Even if he wasn't maybe kind of a hero, he was +smart, hey?" + +"There have been lots of worse ones; look at Robin Hood." + +"Even he was bad, but he was a hero, hey?" + +"I'd kind of like to know who he was. I hope I'll turn out to be as +smart as he is." + +"You're not mad at him?" Skinny asked. + +"I never get mad at anybody. My dad's the one that loses, and he'll +have a good laugh over it." + +"Why do you wear white? It looks awful different?" + +"Why do kids ask questions?" + +"You're a second class scout?" Skinny asked, noticing the badge. + +"I'll be a first class one in a few days or I'll kick myself. Have +you got seven miles around here that you're not using, so I can hike +it?" + +"That's in test four," Skinny said. "Do you want me to go for a +witness?" + +"Sure, you're always welcome." + +"I know a good test four hike and I can always go, because mostly my +patrol are away doing all kinds of things. I can always go--if you +want me to. I won the Hiawatha canoe for swimming across the lake; +I'll show it to you, but most of the time it's out." + +"Ever hear of Dutch Henny's Cave?" + +"Sure I did. I bet you read about it in the Temple Camp booklet, +hey? It's just seven miles. I'll show you Spook Falls too, because +they make a noise like crying at night. That's a good test five hike +for second class, because it's just a mile; they go scout pace." + +"How 'bout twelve on the first?" + +"You mean getting a new scout? That's hard, because they're all +scouts up here. If you ask me things, I can tell you." + +"Good." + +"Now we're coming to Tent Village," said Skinny. "It's good it's all +full in Pioneer Dormitory, so they don't put you there. Can I be +special friends with you? Are you going to get prizes and awards?" + +"Search _me_; I'm going to get a lot of fun," said Danville Bently. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +SKINNY'S PROTÉGÉ + +The next day a notice somewhat more lengthy and conspicuous than the +usual hastily written announcements appeared on the big bulletin +board at Administration Shack. It was typewritten and signed by the +two resident trustees. Skinny gazed at it, appalled. + + +The management of Temple Camp is mortified to make known that the +honorable uniform of scouting has been lately used to perpetrate a +gross and criminal fraud in this community. On July First a boy +representing himself to be a scout, enrolled and secured assignment +to quarters at this office. He registered the name of Danville +Bently of Florida, a scout who was expected at that time. This +unknown boy was lately dismissed from camp for sufficient reasons at +the end of two weeks enjoyment of the camp's hospitality. A letter, +deferring the arrival of the true Danville Bently, failed to be +received at this office and was probably intercepted. + +The management of this camp has regretfully had occasion to warn its +guests against canvassers representing themselves to be connected +with the movement, but never heretofore against any one wrongfully +impersonating a scout. + +Loyalty to this camp and jealousy for the honor of the scout uniform, +will prompt any one who has any knowledge or suspicions of the +whereabouts and identity of this miscreant, promptly to bring same to +the attention of the management. + + +This certainly set the matter forth in its true colors and Skinny was +aghast. What would they say if they knew that this "miscreant" was +also a fugitive from a reform school? But the affair was over and he +would not worry any more about it. The bulletin was just a random +shot in the dark and nothing happened. Danny was safe. No one knew +Danny as he did or they would not put out such notices. + +He became devoted to Danville Bently. The only way that Skinny could +make friends with a boy was to catch him early, before he was drawn +into the activities of the camp life. Every newcomer had a rather +slow day or two before becoming acquainted, and this was particularly +so with boys who came without their troops. After a new boy became +involved in the camp life, he saw Skinny simply as the little mascot +and was content to "jolly" him as every one else did. He was not +likely to take this queer little fellow seriously and to make a pal +of him. Skinny knew this from bitter experience and he capitalized +his knowledge of camp and the neighboring countryside with every new +arrival. New boys were glad enough to hobnob with this eager little +guide while there was nothing else to do and had no scruples about +deserting him as soon as they were drawn into the camp life. Skinny +knew that he must strike while the iron was hot, as the saying is, +and he was always to be found, a gaunt little figure, waiting on +Administration steps when the bus came in. No boy could possibly +dislike Skinny. But on the other hand no boy could possibly make a +permanent comrade of him. + +But Danville Bently did just that. The contrast between Skinny and +himself was ridiculous, but he seemed not to notice it. A boy who +deliberately chose Skinny's company was apt to get himself laughed +at. But no one dreamed of laughing. Perhaps no one dared to laugh +at this tall boy with the white scarf and belt who ambled about with +the cadaverous little gnome who took such conspicuous delight in his +company. Once again Skinny had done the unexpected and won a real +prize. Truly indeed he never did anything on a small scale. + +At first the camp paid no attention while this shabby little janitor +showed the new tenant around the enchanted place. That was Skinny's +customary job. But when Howell Cross, of the First Vermont Eagles +(and an Eagle Scout) asked Danville to go on a point hike and he +pleasantly declined, the big heroes of Temple Camp began to sit up +and take notice. + +"Sorry," said he, "but I'm going out on the lake with Alfred McCord. +Tell your patrol I appreciate their asking me." Howell and the +others who stood by were astonished not only because it was a +compliment to the new boy for the Eagle Patrol so to honor him, but +because none of them had ever before heard Skinny called by his real +name Alfred. They were to hear that name a good deal in the future. + +"Can't you go out on the lake with him any day?" one of these scouts +asked. + +"Sure, so why not to-day?" said Danville. + +"It's up to you." + +"How do you like it in Tent Village?" + +"All right." + +"If you don't like it with the singles you can be a season member of +my patrol," said Eagle Scout Cross. "I'm one short, he's away with +his folks. They let you do that up here, you know." + +"Oh, he knows," laughed another scout. "I guess little sqeedunk told +him everything." + +"He never told me he stole the white pennant," said Danville not +unpleasantly, but with just a touch of sharpness. + +It was the first time these well known scouts of camp had come face +to face with the tall boy with the soft southern accent, and they +observed him closely. They were all scouts of achievement; the +Vermont Eagles were a crack patrol and Howell Cross, their leader, +was a hero with a following. There were, alas, drones at camp, but +this circle was finely representative of scouting. They saw nothing +about Bently to suggest the laggard or slacker, or mere "guest" at +camp. He had what even Howell Cross had not, and that was a certain +picturesqueness; but it was of a sort that revealed no crink or +cranny where boyish ridicule could penetrate. An odd hat, or even +too much attention to ostentatious details of scout attire (shades of +Pee-wee Harris) was pretty sure to arouse mirth and banter in this +big community. But the full white scarf with belt and hat cord to +match, worn by this tall, self-possessed boy, excited no humorous +comment. They asked him respectfully about it. + +"Polar Bears," said he. "And I know there aren't any in Florida and +that's the funny part. I bet I've said that fifty times since I came +here." + +"We can sure tell you a long way off," said Howell pleasantly. "Does +the silver ring mean anything?" + +"It only means my sister gave it to me when I joined the scouts." + +"Gee, it's nifty all right. It's not a patrol ring?" + +"Yes it is, we all got them." + +"You don't have to tie it in a knot, gee that's good." + +Ordinarily the mention of a sister would have given Temple Camp just +the chance it loved. They would have used the sister to belittle +their victim. They would have said, "Oh joy, he's got a little +sister." But they just were not moved to do that. They looked at +his white scarf gathered into the shining silver ring, and at his +belt, and everything about him. They were interested, respectful. +And a trifle puzzled. That he should have an engagement with Skinny +McCord! And that he seemed to have every intention of keeping it, +just as if it were a real engagement. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +TEMPLE CAMP TAKES NOTICE + +They even lingered in group form, watching him as he ambled off down +toward the lake. He had been at camp nearly a week, and he was still +quietly devoted to Skinny. He had not exploited Skinny nor made any +ostentatious show of being his champion. Yet he was devoted to him +in an easy-going unpretentious sort of way. He had never said, nor +even thought, "I might as well be nice to the poor kid." Evidently +he did not know that Skinny was just a poor little codger--a mascot. +Somebody would have to tell him about that. The funny part of it was +that he did not get himself laughed at. + +Skinny's winning of the Hiawatha canoe had not brought him any +lasting glory. The white pennant had been lifted many times since he +had scampered off with it, eager and trembling. But now scouts began +to wonder how he had secured this permanent award of the tall, +polite, easy-going boy with the white scarf. They did not exactly +begin to take Skinny seriously, but they were puzzled. They tried to +find a weak point in Bently, some idle or effeminate quality, but +there was just nothing to get hold of. + +Skinny was waiting at the lake, eager and anxious. He lived in +perpetual dread that Bently would "fall down" on him. But Bently +never did. He came ambling down with that pleasant smile which +always reassured Skinny. + +"Did they ask you to go on bee-line with them?" + +"Point to point, you mean?" + +"Yes, they call it bee-line for short. I never went on one, but I +know all about how they do; you have to go across brooks and climb +over things and everything; you'd have a lot of fun. That feller +that was kidding me at camp-fire last night--you know that fat +feller?--he went through a house, even. Are you sure you're going to +go out with me?" + +"I ought to be the one to know," said Danville. + +"Did they try to get you to not do it?" + +"No, why? How are we going; in your canoe?" + +"Yes, but it's out, my patrol is using it. Maybe we better take a +boat, hey? That's it, over in the middle of the lake." + +"Seems to be coming in, let's wait for it." + +They sat down on the springboard to wait. The lake was dotted with +boats; every one seemed to be out fishing. + +"I couldn't swim across again, because I was crazy that time," said +Skinny. + +"You can do things when you're crazy," Danville said. + +"_I_ can," said Skinny, "but not any other time. I got to get all +crazy like. Do you? It don't count so much if you're crazy like. +That's why everybody forgot about it. They said I was lucky." + +"They said that about Lindbergh." + +"If I get good and mad, then I can do things. Only most of the time +I can't get mad. They're nice to me up here, that's sure." + +"Yes, that's good." + +"Are we going to stay friends like! I don't mean just jollying me, +but are we going to stay friends like this?" + +"Why not?" + +"Because I'm a mascot. Do you mind if I don't have a regular scout +suit?" + +"I never noticed." + +"Here they come now, they're coming in. That feller paddling in +front is Hunt Ward. That other one paddling is Connie Bennett, he's +my patrol leader. That other one belongs in a troop from Rhode +Island; he goes around with them a lot; he likes my patrol." + +The Hiawatha canoe, with its merry trio, glided toward the float, +Connie brought it around, and it paused rocking alongside. "H'lo +Skinny," Hunt called. + +"Can I go out in it now?" Skinny asked. "This feller's going with +me, can I use it?" + +They glanced at Danville who stood by, watching them. "You ought to +have been down here an hour ago," Hunt said to him, "and you could +have gone along. We've got some perch." + +"Now is just as good," said Danville. + +"She's all full of water, wait till we get her on the float and tip +her," Connie said. + +The three voyagers proceeded with the rather clumsy task of hauling +the canoe up on the float and turning it over. + +"You don't need to haul her up," Danville said. "Here, let me show +you." + +He kneeled on the float, and reached over, pulling the opposite +gunwale up and toward him. By a quick application of dexterity and +strength the canoe was tipped up sideways against the edge of the +float, and the water poured out of it. Then Danville eased it down +into the lake again. By this trick he did a two man job while the +others stood watching and feeling a little superfluous. Yet it was +more than a trick, for when Connie tried to do the same thing he +could not with all his strength raise the canoe to the necessary +angle. "That's some wrinkle," he said. He preferred to view it as a +trick rather than as an exhibition of extraordinary strength. "I +guess you've got to know how," he said. + +"Oh, yes," laughed Danville. + +They had intended to jolly Skinny and discourage his project of using +the canoe. The Elks thought a good deal of this canoe. They liked +to see it safely in its locker when they were not using it. They had +intended to say as usual, "Oh, you don't want to use it." But here +was an embarrassing complication. The tall, smiling boy with the +white scarf had modestly shown them a trick and a strength of arm not +to be ridiculed. This was no time or place for authority or banter. +He was quite master of the situation. It would be quite absurd to +remind Skinny of dangers. + +"I suppose it's all right for us to go out in his canoe, isn't it?" +Danville asked. There was no hint of sarcasm in his remark and his +handsome open face was wreathed in a friendly smile. But just the +same these Elks felt a rebuke. A strange, uncomfortable feeling was +upon them that this boy was their master, mentally and physically. +If they had been sure that he meant that pronoun Ids in a sneering +sense, they could have got back at him. But they did not know what +he meant, any more than they knew how he had tipped the canoe. They +were wise scouts and they made no mistake. Somehow or other no boys +ever made a mistake with Danville Bently. They sensed something. +They were embarrassed--and respectful. + +"Sure, it's his. Why can't he use it if he wants to?" Connie said. +He seemed inclined to be reasonable. + +"That'll be dandy," said Danville. + +Just as Howell Cross's group had watched him rather puzzled, so now +these three returning voyagers lingered there on the float watching +him as he paddled away with Skinny wedged up in the bow like an +uncanny little doll. He paddled, as he did everything else, without +the slightest fuss or effort. He had that about him which suggested +that he could make up his mind without the slightest fuss or effort, +that he would jump off a roof without the slightest fuss or effort. + +"I can't make _that_ guy out," said the scout from Rhode Island. +"Gee, that white scarf looks plain out on the water huh?" + +"Notice how he holds his left hand!" said Connie. "I think he +compensates with his right wrist, honest." + +"No, it's the long back sweep," said Hunt. "Geeeee! Look at the +reach he's got!" + +"He kind of reminded us it was Skinny's canoe," said Connie. "Did +you notice how nice he did that?" + +"Sure, and he paddles the same way," laughed Hunt. "He _does_ things +the same way he _says_ things. You never know what he means. Looks +easy till you try to do it." + +"Any other scout came up here with a bib around his neck they'd kid +the life out of him," said Connie. + +"Nothing about him looks like a bib to me," said the scout from Rhode +Island. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +PARTNERS + +"Just flop around, hey?" + +"Yes, that's the way I like to do," said Skinny. "If I was in the +bow of a rowboat I couldn't look at you, because you'd be facing +backwards. I like to look at you with your white scarf. I like +canoes better than rowboats, don't you?" + +"They're not so good for dancing or scrapping." + +"That's the way you talk, and it's why fellows can't make you out," +said the simple Skinny. + +"Well, as long as you can make me out it's all right," said Danville. +"How 'bout it, are you going to help me?" + +"Will you let me! You mean getting your first class badge? Are you +going to do it?" + +"Might as well, hadn't I?" + +"And that's all you've got to do? I mean just test four?" + +"N--no, I've got two things to do," said Danville as he paddled idly, +occasionally letting the paddle drip. "This scouting is a blamed +nuisance." + +"Now I can tell you're fooling. Kind of sometimes you remind me of +my brother, only he's only a half a brother. Anyway, you're not so +fresh like he is. He gets in a lot of trouble being reckless." + +"That's the way to do it," said Danville. "Where's the other half of +him?" + +"I mean we got different mothers," said Skinny. "Once a feller got +fresh with me and he knocked him kerplunk. Another feller----" + +He was about to stumble into a reference to Danny's pugilistic +exploit at camp, but caught himself just in time. He could not trust +himself talking about Danny, and it made him feel false and +dishonorable, so he changed the subject. + +"Only just one test you've got to take to be in the first class? +Two, you said two." + +"Yep, the other's missionary stuff, training a boy to be a +tenderfoot--twelve. I'm not so stuck on twelve except when it's +twelve gumdrops for a cent. You don't happen to know any boys that +want to be trained as tenderfoots or feets, whatever it is? I +suppose we might kidnap one from a farm. But first how about Test +Four? Tell me about that seven mile hike, or if it turns out to be +any more than seven miles the boy scouts will have to give me a +rebate. I've been climbing up the Alps this summer and I'm tired." + +"Those are in Europe, hey?" + +"And they're up in the air--in Switzerland. Where is this lion's den +or whatever you call it? Maybe I could go in a taxi. I've got to do +it before my dad comes up or I won't be able to stick him for a pony +next winter." + +"I can never make out whether you're honest and true for scouting or +not," poor Skinny said. + +"Oh, I'm honest and true," said Danville. "Tell me and let's plan it +out and get it over with." + +"You got to be serious about it," Skinny warned. + +"All right, I'll start crying if you say so. As I understand it I've +got to hike seven miles and seven miles back and write up an account +of it--all the time being serious. Now is this cave just exactly +seven miles? I don't want to make that hike and then find I didn't +go far enough. And if I should find I hiked farther than necessary +I'd be good and mad at you. I'm not going to give them any more than +they ask for; I'm a stingy chap." + +"Is it a real pony--a live one!" Skinny asked. + +"If it isn't I'll have my dad arrested for swindling." + +"Would you have anybody arrested?" + +"I might if I happened to think of it. Let's talk about something +pleasant. If I do that fourteen mile hike and close up on the first +class tests, will you find me a boy to train as a tenderfoot! +That'll be the only thing left to do. Maybe you could leave the +scouts and then I'd start in training you--no?" + +"They wouldn't let us do that. Just the same we'll find some feller +that's not a scout." + +"All right then, I guess I might as well take a hop, skip and jump +into the first class. Will you go with me to-morrow morning and hold +my hand?" + +"Sure I will; then I can tell them I was the one that went with you, +hey? I can be the one to prove it." + +"Sure thing; you tell 'em." + +"Are you all excited about it?" Skinny asked. + +"Oh I think I'll sleep to-night." + +"And to-morrow you can write to your father that you're a full first +class scout, hey?" + +"Don't forget about the boy I have to catch and train for a +tenderfoot." + +"Yes, but that isn't exactly a test, kind of." + +"Now if you weren't such a little peach of a scout I might use you." + +"And I could go in your patrol, maybe; hey? Because my patrol +wouldn't be mad if I did." + +"Oh, is that so? Well, we'll have to be careful not to make them +mad. I suppose they'd beat us up if they got mad; and they wouldn't +let us use your canoe." + +Skinny seemed to be thinking. "If you're breaking in a new feller +then maybe you won't bother with me any more; hey?" + +"Then again maybe I will." + +"I bet when you get your first class badge, then you'll start getting +a lot of merit badges; I bet you'll win a whole lot of them." + +"Six or eight at a time, huh?" + +"And when you've got your first class badge you can try for camp +specials too. Those are things that are not in the Handbook, like +the Mohawk Archery set for tracking; you get a target easel and a lot +of targets and a real Indian bow and arrows and everything. You've +got to track somebody, or an animal, five miles through the +woods--then you get it." + +"I kind of like that." + +"First you've got to find tracks--I'll help you. There's a feller up +here named Roy Blakeley; don't you let _him_ help you. He told one +scout where there were some tracks and they were nothing but railroad +tracks. So do you want to try for that prize after you get your full +badge?" + +"That's the one for me. Tell me about this canoe; how did you win +it?" + +"I was all kinder crazy like--kinder like my fingers were asleep. So +I even couldn't hold myself back. Do you say a feller can be kinder +good even if he's reckless. You don't have to be so terrible if +you're bad, do you?" + +"Guess not." + +"If you like me a lot----" + +"That's it." + +"If you like me a lot and I do something--kinder--maybe--if I'm kind +of not so good all of a sudden--then would you like me just the same?" + +Danville Bently gazed amusedly at the poor little fellow wedged into +the point of the canoe. There was something pathetic about Skinny's +very posture as he sat there, serious, eager, insignificant. He +looked out of place and uncomfortable in this beautiful canoe, as if +he did not yet comprehend how he had even won it. + +His own spectacular excursion into the field of heroic enterprise was +like a fairy tale to him now. But he was strong on hero worship. +Danville lifted the paddle and poked him with it; Skinny was used to +that sort of thing. + +"No, I only like Sunday School boys," said Danville. "They've got to +be perfect to suit me." + +Skinny looked at him as if he did not know whether to believe this or +not. + +"So if you've been committing any murders or robbing any banks, it's +all over between us. Shall we flop around toward camp again now, and +wash up for eats?" + +"To-morrow morning you'll go on Test Four!" + +"To-morrow morning. Then for the archery set and the new recruit." + +"Can I be partners with you while you're doing all that?" + +"Sure--or falling down on it." + +"Sometimes fellers forget when they have dates with me." + +"Well I've got a good memory." + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +HENNY'S CAVE + +Skinny did not quite comprehend this rather whimsical boy. But here +was a prize he had every intention of keeping. He no longer worried +about Danny. That dreadful affair which had cost him sleepless +nights was at last over. Danny had triumphed (if you call it +triumph) and gone upon his dubious way. All that remained of that +fearful nightmare was Skinny's love and admiration of the checkered +hero. + +Danny was far away and safe. His genius for beating any game would +carry him through every difficulty. There was one place where he +would always be safe and that was in the stout little heart that beat +beneath the the shabby and faded shirt of his little half brother. +There Danny dwelt, but nobody knew it. Only Skinny wished that they +would take that dreadful notice from the bulletin-board. + +But now he had a new worry. He feared that he would lose this scout +of the white scarf, just as he had lost his prize canoe. Because he +knew that prize canoes and tall scouts with white scarfs were not for +him. He made no complaint that his canoe had been absorbed into his +patrol, even if he himself had not been absorbed into it. He had +never quite comprehended the glittering romance of his induction into +scouting and that fine patrol. + +But he did want to "keep in" with Danville Bently. And he lived in +mortal fear of losing him, even as he had lived in mortal fear of +Danny's being found out during that awful fortnight of his presence +in camp. He saw that Danville was admired, that the whole camp was +puzzled at his choice and he feared that any moment this splendid, +picturesque boy would be lured into the maelstrom and be lost to him. +Particularly he was afraid of the Vermont Eagle, Howell Cross. What +had he, Skinny, to offer as against the delights of comradeship with +that crack patrol! He slept hardly an hour that whole night, fearing +that something might happen to ruin his sponsorship of Danville's one +remaining test for first class rank. His high strung nature was all +worked up with fear and expectancy. Again his "hands felt as if they +were asleep kinder, all tingly," the same as when he had plunged into +the lake, and when he had lifted the white pennant. Because, you +see, the whole thing was too good to be true. That night they +"kidded" him at camp-fire, but he did not mind. He went up to Elks' +cabin and lay restlessly all night, waiting for the morning. + +He did not dare to approach Danville at breakfast where he sat with a +group from Tent Village. But after breakfast he went down to the +lake and there was Danville waiting. Again his hero of the white +scarf had not failed him. + +"I thought maybe I only dreamed it," said Skinny. + +"I guess it will turn out to be a pretty strenuous dream," Danville +answered. "Well, are we all set?" + +"Sure, and I got Chocolate Drop to make me some sandwiches; see? +He's a good friend of mine." + +"One cook is better than a dozen scouts; huh?" + +"Sure, but are you going to join Howell Cross's patrol for the +season?" + +"Don't you know I've got a patrol of my own?" + +"That's what I can never remember, because kinder you seem all by +yourself, as if there weren't any fellers like you. Do they all wear +white scarfs and belts like you?" + +"Yep. Come on now, for the big parade." + +"I'll show you," said Skinny eagerly. + +Henny's Cave was an ideal destination for scouts making the fourteen +mile hike specified in Test Four. It was exactly seven miles distant +through the woods and supplied en route much material for the +required written description. An observant scout would not miss the +crooked willow tree with the two trunks a few yards east of the path. +If his hearing was keen he would find Spook Falls down in the hollow, +and note this crystal cascade as one of the things observed. But few +were the scouts who saw in the chewed and broken branches at one spot +a clue to the location of a beaver dam a quarter of a mile or so off +the trail. + +The cave itself was an interesting natural phenomenon with a rocky +entrance as well concealed as that of any pirate's lair. Inside it +was as large as a small room, dank and dark. But if you directed a +search-light here and there against its wet, rocky walls you would +see scores of names and initials scratched upon the surface to prove +that the weary artists had achieved their seven mile hike and might +claim credit for Test Four. The verification was usually enough for +the presiding powers. + +It was nearly noontime when Danville and Skinny approached this +romantic destination after their long hike over mountains and through +dense woods. "I'm glad I don't have to write up the account of it +with my feet," said Danville. "This is some spooky place; I bet +ghosts live here. Let's take a look inside and then we'll sit out +under this tree and eat." + +"You have to stoop down and crawl under that rock," said Skinny, "and +then you walk between those two others; it's really one big rock +that's split; then you're on the inside. In the middle it's water so +you have to step around the edge, but there's plenty of room where +it's dry. There's lots of little red lizards inside. If you catch +one by the tail it's good luck." + +"Not for the lizard." + +"No, for the feller that catches him by the tail." + +"You got a flash-light!" Danville asked. + +[Illustration: HE LED THE WAY, CRAWLING ON HANDS AND KNEES.] + +Of course Skinny had no flash-light; he had nothing mentioned in the +alluring scout equipment list. But he did try to "be prepared" in +his humble way and he had a metal shaving-stick box containing a few +matches. This gloomy cave was his exhibit and he proudly led the +way, crawling on hands and knees under the slab of overhanging rock +which was a sort of vestibule leading under an uprooted tree. Part +of this great root (enough to keep the fallen tree alive) still had +anchorage in the ground, but the sun-baked tentacles of the rest of +it hung in air like some outlandish whip-lash curtain and through +this mass the visitor must crawl, assailed by these lifeless, +dangling pendants. This grotesque approach opened upon a cleft +between great rocks, or the parted halves of one great rock, and here +the explorer could walk erect through a passage roofed by the great +tree that had fallen over the top of the cleft. It was an intricate +entrance to the dank, secluded chamber within, an earthly and rocky +dungeon where one's voice sounded strange to one's own ears. + +Probably the disturbance caused by the breaking apart of that great +rock had forced open this tiny apartment in the dense hillside, who +shall say how many years ago? Nor did any one know who Henny was, +whose name was perpetuated in this gloomy retreat. There was a +legend that he had lived on a farm and had been buried alive here in +a quick transformation of the uncertain walls. Enterprising scouts +had searched for his bones, but there seemed to be nothing left of +the unknown Henny save only his name. Of course, the place was one +of Captain Kidd's many safe deposit vaults, but no vestige of his +fabulous treasure was ever found by Temple Camp excavators. + +"_Great Scott!_" said Danville as he looked about in the darkness, +and gropingly felt for the dank walls. "Gives you the shudders; I +feel as if I were buried alive. Where are you anyway!" + +"Here I am," said Skinny, delighted at Danville's reaction to the +place. "Look out where you step, there's all water. The ground +slants up in one place and it's dry there. Wait till I light a +match." + +To Danville the feeling of confinement in this gruesome hole was all +but unnerving. It needed only the warning that it was not safe to +move in the darkness to give him the feeling that he was indeed +buried alive in this ghostly, stifling place. One little glint of +uncertain light he did see, cheerful reminder of the bright world +without, and this was the only beacon to show where the intricate +entrance was. It was a mere speck of light leaking through under +those weird tree roots and through the rocky passage. + +"Wait till I strike a match," said Skinny. + +"_Hsh, listen!_" whispered Danville. "Did you hear a sound?" + +"No, you always kind of hear noises in here," said Skinny. + +"No, but I heard something moving. I thought it was you, but you're +on the other side of me. Hurry up, your matches won't last anyway. +I wish we had a candle or something." + +Just as he said this there was a slight rustling near him like the +sound of paper being crumpled. He knew that Skinny had no paper. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +MISSING + +The startling thing that followed, happened suddenly. Skinny struck +a match and in its brief uncertain light Danville saw him stumble and +fall. For just a second he was aware of something that looked like a +log and he supposed that Skinny had tripped on this. Then he sniffed +smoke and in less than half a minute the tiny place was full of +suffocating fumes. Yet there was no blaze, only a little red glow +which shed no illumination. + +"Quick, get out of here," Danville gasped. "See that little streak +of daylight? Follow that, it's the entrance." + +"I know, you come too," Skinny said, as he began coughing. + +"Get down and crawl," Danville was just able to say; "keep near the +ground!" He was overcome by a paroxysm of coughing but he heard, +half-consciously, a sound which he thought to be Skinny crawling +away. "All right?" he asked, his senses reeling. He heard Skinny +answer, but the words were not clear. He did not know whether that +was because Skinny could not speak clearly or because of the drumming +in his own ears. His eyes were streaming and he fought for every +breath. + +He would have fallen unconscious if he had not lowered himself to a +crawling posture. Even so the ground seemed uncertain under him, +like a yielding mattress. But he was in muddy water and the wetness +reminded him to pull off his scarf and saturate it in the puddle. +Hardly conscious of what he did, he pulled the dripping scarf over +his head and face, gathering up the end of it between his teeth. + +His head swam, his hands trembled, but with his face swathed in the +dripping scarf he was measurably restored. He was conscious of the +gritty taste of thin mud in his mouth, and the stinging in his eyes +diminished. For a few seconds he was sufficiently master of his +senses to wish that he had reminded Skinny to wet his shirt and take +it in his teeth. He called but the word he uttered did not sound +like Skinny to his swimming brain. + +He was just conscious enough to know that he must act quickly. His +improvised mask afforded but incomplete and temporary relief, and he +knew that he was tottering on the brink of oblivion. But by pulling +the scarf away from his eyes he was able to see that little glint +which told of the fresh air and the bright, clear world outside. On +hands and knees he crawled toward it. Suddenly his hand lay against +something soft; he felt cloth, then hair, then a face. His senses +were reeling now, his head bursting. He gathered more of the wet +scarf into his mouth. In a vague way he realized that this soft +object was Skinny, that the little fellow had not escaped, but had +sunk unconscious. + +He could not speak to ask a question. What he did he seemed to be +doing in a trance. But he got his arm around the prostrate form and +hauled it with him toward the tiny beacon. To his ebbing senses the +fume-filled place seemed vast, he was oddly persuaded that he had +miles of suffocating area to cross, hauling his limp burden. Even +the little glint of light deserted him. It did not disappear, but +there were other lights, not real, but in his reeling brain. They +came and went like stars and he knew not which light to follow. + +Still he moved, slowly, uncertainly; one might say unconsciously. He +fell over his lifeless burden, let his throbbing head rest for just a +moment on the soft body, then gathered the wet scarf again into his +mouth and knew that he was still alive by the gritty, earthy taste in +his mouth. He could not keep his stinging eyes open, but he thought, +or rather felt (for his mind was not capable of thinking) that he was +near the entrance. Instinctively he reached out a clammy hand and +groped for the light, as if it were something tangible that he could +get hold of. His cold, trembling fingers closed upon a bit of root +in the rocky passage. The knowledge of this inner entrance had quite +passed from his mind, but instinctively he clutched the root and +pulled with all his might, dragging the body after him. He knew (as +one is conscious in a dream) that he was pulling with one hand, +dragging something with the other, and helping his progress with both +feet, in this final, supreme, spasmodic effort. + +And it brought him to where the air was a little clearer. Even here +in the passage it was thick and stifling, but it was mixed with the +pure air of heaven. He never knew how he groped his way out. But +there came a moment when he pushed the muddy, drenched scarf from his +mouth and breathed freely, though his head pounded and his eyes +stung. He was under the tilted root of the great tree, brushing the +dangling tentacles aside with his hand as he crawled through, +dragging his burden after him. Not until he emerged on the rugged, +green hillside did he pause. He heard a bird singing. Just as he +sank back in utter exhaustion he saw several crows in flight +overhead; their cawing sounded miles away. Idly, half-consciously, +he tried to count them. + +Hazily, he looked at the face of the boy he had dragged to safety. +It was streaked with blood and dirt from contact with the rocky +earth. The eyes were closed; the body lay limp, in a way to strike +terror, with an arm extended as if the prostrate thing were making a +speech. The victim wore a scout suit which was in shreds and covered +with mud. Danville blinked his stinging eyes, trying with his slowly +returning senses to comprehend this strange sequel to his harrowing +adventure. He did not know what to make of it; all that he knew was +that the boy was not Skinny. + +And Skinny was nowhere to be seen. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +FROM ABOVE + +At the moment when Skinny had crawled out of the cave an inspiration +had come to him. He had no idea what had caused the suffocating +fumes which had filled the place. The cave, as he remembered it, +contained nothing inflammable into which his lighted match could have +fallen; nor anything on which he could have tripped. Yet he had +stumbled on something of considerable bulk. However, he did not +pause to consider these mysteries. + +He emerged into the fresh air and daylight, coughing incessantly. He +called to make sure that Danville was following, but there was no +answer. Astonished and concerned, he re-approached the entrance, +calling. Not hearing any answer he was seized with panic fear. To +reënter the cave was quite impossible. Even the outer entrance under +the tree root was smoky, and the passage between the rocks was filled +with the dense fumes. That was at about the moment when Danville +thought to soak his scarf in the muddy water. Skinny shouted into +the volume of emerging smoke, but it stifled him, even where he stood +in the open, and he was compelled to withdraw from the entrance. + +It was then he had his inspiration. He remembered that very early +that summer he and Charlie Avery, a new boy from Long Island, had +seen a little speck of light in the low roof of the cave. Charlie +had poked his scout staff up through this and Skinny had gone out and +scrambled up to see if it had penetrated through to the open air. He +found that it had, and that by reason of a rather odd condition. +This cave was part of a jumble of dense brush and fallen trees; it +had probably been made in some terrific storm. A tree on the hillock +above the cave had been blown over, doubtless from the same cause +which had uprooted the one below that formed part of the intricate +entrance. Indeed the spot was a tangled jungle of rock and dense +brush and fallen trees, and the cave only a grotto caused by the +upheaval. + +In falling, this tree above the cave had wrenched part of its root up +and it was just in this depression, now soggy and overgrown, that +Charlie Avery's staff had gone through. If the little dungeon +underneath had been lighted one could have seen the disturbance +caused by that wrenching from above, and it was one of the standard +jokes of Temple Camp to tell a new boy there were snakes in the cave +and then direct his groping progress against a dangling end of root +that hung down into the dank, earthy vault. The startled visitor +usually reacted very satisfactorily to this. Here, you will +understand, the roof of the cave was thinnest, and the ground in the +excavation where the root had been was soft because of the water that +was continually collecting in it and seeping through into the cave. +Some day there would be a cave-in here, but no one ever worried about +it. + +Skinny knew about all this and now it occurred to him that he might +work open a hole in this soft depression and release the fumes more +rapidly than they would escape through the entrance. It was, indeed, +the only rescue work that he could do. He was already fearful that +it would be too late to save his friend. If his effort resulted in a +cave-in, even so that would release the smoke and probably not +completely engulf the victim. + +Breaking off a branch from a tree, he began churning it around in the +soft earth with feverish excitement. He became possessed, just as +when he had won the prize canoe. His emotional power (which no one +knew about) gave him strength, and he strove with maniacal effort to +get the stick down, pushing it, then working it in a circle. Soon it +broke and he secured another, so large that he could hardly handle +it. When it became blocked by rock or bits of root he actually cried +in nervous excitement and gave vent to his annoyance by screaming. +One cannot keep this sort of thing up very long; the nerves give out +if the strength does not. Skinny was on the verge of hysteria. But +still he strove like a little David with his great unwieldy Goliath +of a stick, pushing, twisting, pulling, crying, falling and rising +again, and hanging on it to pry open a hole into that stifling tomb +below. + +At last something happened. The stick plunged, Skinny lost his +balance and went sprawling into the depression. But he smelled +smoke. He had been successful, the long stick had penetrated into +the cave. Right beside him a thin column rose and dissolved in the +air. He rose, breathing excitedly, and holding a cut knee. But he +did not care. He grabbed hold of the stick again, pulling the end of +it around in a large circle to enlarge the tiny hole he had made. He +tripped, he stumbled, and again cut himself sorely when he went +sprawling on a bit of pointed rock. But he was up again, pulling, +hauling, wrenching. He was in a state of frenzy, this insignificant, +staring little fellow whom they "jollied." He seemed to be fighting +the whole universe, wrestling with the elements. Blood was streaming +from his cut leg, his face was dripping with sweat, his eyes were +wild. + +Suddenly the ground on which he stood settled, he heard a dim thud, +and the stick descended till only a few inches of it remained above +surface. Now the smoke came out freely; there was no cave-in, but +something had happened. In his small way, Skinny had changed the +face of nature. Frantic with joy he brushed the smoke away from his +face and tried to haul the stick up. Then he saw something which he +could hardly believe; it seemed like magic, and to conjure his whole +maniacal striving into a tumultuous dream. As he raised the long +stick a snake was coiled loosely about it. + +Slowly, almost mechanically the drowsy reptile included Skinny's leg +in its slow winding. It tightened around the stick and the little +thin limb binding them together like things bound around with cord. +The action of the snake was not belligerent, it seemed asleep and +made the horrible affair seem unreal. Its movement was like the +weirdly slow motion pictures sometimes shown so as to reveal detail +to the spectators. There was something appalling in its slow, drowsy +tightening. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI + +WITH THE SMOKE + +_Dreamy_, that was the way it seemed to the panic-stricken Skinny. +The thing was so unreal! Following immediately upon his frantic +striving, this loathsome thing had slowly emerged upon the stick and +by a kind of sluggish inevitable instinct incorporated Skinny's thin +leg in its unconscious coiling. There he was bound by this living +horror to the big limb hie had been using. + +So drowsily deliberate was the long snake that it would have seemed +not amiss to remind it of its ghastly error. But if its instinctive +action had been purposeless it was none the less effectual. It was +tightly coiled around these two dissimilar supports; it seemed as +free of malice and intention as so much binding rope. But even in +his astonishment and fright, Skinny saw that it was a great +rattlesnake; its bony appendage looked like a pine cone lying against +the branch. Bound to this branch as he was, he could not stand and +he sank down exhausted and terror-stricken in the depression. It was +the usual sort of climax to his heroic achievements. + +He was in no condition to ponder on the cause of this singular +happening, but the reader will surmise the facts. The snake was +probably in a stupor caused by the fumes below when Skinny's long +implement descended into the suffocating cave. Instinctively it had +coiled itself about the stick and was lifted out before its coiling +was complete. The depth of its stupor may be conceived by its drowsy +action of including the adjacent leg of its rescuer as it settled +into coiled inertness. + +If Skinny could have stood erect perhaps he would have had some +command of himself, would have thought of something to do. But he +was at the same disadvantage as a person is who has been knocked +down. He was powerless till he could rise; and he could not rise. +His whole little trembling body seemed involved in this ghastly +attack. If he had been bound and thrown into that little muddy +jungle, he would have felt less fearful, less at the mercy of a foe. +But this horrifying thing had occurred without a struggle on his +part. He had striven like one possessed, till his stout little heart +beat like a trip-hammer, and then, in the proud moment of his triumph +this deadly reptile had slowly, silently, probably unconsciously +coiled its slimy, clinging form around his leg, and he had gone down +in defeat--perhaps to death. + +But he got hold of his senses. Should he dare to call? If Danville +was alive and conscious, he would hear and perhaps rescue him. But +how? What could Danville do that he, Skinny, could not do? Anything +that either of them tried to do would be perilous, might precipitate +a fatal sequel. If he moved or shouted, he might arouse the torpid +thing whose clammy coldness he could feel against his torn stocking. +His leg was not bound for its whole length, but he dared not even +wriggle his foot. The reptile was so tightly coiled that the +circulation was embarrassed in his leg and his foot was asleep. Yet +he dared not seek relief by moving it about. His predicament was +appalling, unnerving, especially to a boy of his highly strung nature. + +He tried to bring himself to scream. That might either bring help or +death. Quick help or quick death. But probably Danville was already +dead. The smoke was pouring out like smoke out of a chimney; it was +a good job this little mascot had done. Why did not Danville shout, +or appear? Surely, if he was safe, he would not fail to see the +smoke rising from the jungly hillock; he would scramble up and +investigate. The thought of the smoke caused him to indulge the hope +that this mounting column he had released might be seen at camp; that +if he just lay motionless perhaps some one would come and rescue him +from this grotesque predicament. But in his heart he knew that it +would not be seen at camp, seven miles distant. + +The smoke was thinning out now and loathsome little bugs with many +legs crawled rapidly about, seeking their wonted shelter under damp +logs; they were part of the exodus from that stifling inferno, +hardier than humans in their battle with the deadly fumes. One of +them crawled aimlessly across Skinny's face, but he dared not move +his arm to brush it away. He saw one of his familiar little red +lizards making its way up the stick and across the rattlesnake as if +it did not mind this poisonous reptile in the least. + +Suddenly a thought came which startled him. This loathsome snake +would come out of its stupor now that it was in the pure, clear air. +It would realize where it was and would sting him. It would sting +him right where its horrible head lay, a little above his knee. He +strained his eyes, pressed his chin into his chest, and looked at +that frightful head. The little beady eyes were open; it was hard to +believe that the snake was stupefied. But at least it did not shoot +out its cruel, darting tongue. It remained quite motionless. It +seemed satisfied if he was. But why should it remain long inert when +these escaping denizens of the cave were able to make good their rush +to safety? + +Skinny knew that his only chance lay in prompt action; that when the +snake began to move, it would not release itself and crawl away. It +would bite him and he would die in an hour. That was what Uncle Jeb +Rushmore had said, about an hour "_more ner less_." Well, he was too +wrought up to lie there waiting for death; he must do something. The +thought occurred to him that if he had a jack-knife, he could stab +the snake. But you see he had no jack-knife, he had nothing that +scouts have. So he resolved to shout. Perhaps Danville was alive +and would hear him. And perhaps his voice would not arouse the +drowsy reptile to bite him. If it did and Danville came, then +Danville would know what had happened. He believed that if Danville +had not been stifled to death, he would be emerging into +consciousness by now. + +By rolling over just a little bit he might be able to look down into +the opening he had made. He had not directly made that opening; that +is, he had not worked it all out with his stick. He thought he must +have dislodged a stone that had fallen into the cave, and thus broken +the root-bound earth. Suppose he looked down into that dark +inferno--suppose there was light there. Something, he knew not what, +had caught fire there. And suppose the rock he had dislodged had +fallen on Danville lying prostrate and overcome.... + +Skinny had too much imagination. Well, he must not imagine things +now, but act. He made up his mind what he would do. He would shout. +That, of course, would agitate his body and probably arouse his +torpid foe to deadly action. If that occurred he would quickly +wrench his tattered shirt off, pull it around his skinny little leg, +and tie it in a knot. Then he would reach for a stick which he saw, +slip it under the encircling shirt and turn it, drawing the shirt +tighter and tighter around his wounded limb just above the point of +the deadly bite. He thought that the bite would be just about where +the head was, on the front of his leg just above the knee. He had +the stick all picked out. Suddenly the wild thought came to him of +reaching down and grabbing the serpent by the neck. But he was so +placed with relation to it that he could not apply the necessary +strength. Shouting was best, at least as a first recourse. + +So he shouted. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII + +SKINNY'S HERO + +Danville Bently was not fifty feet distant from Skinny. He was +bending over the boy he had rescued and was just recovering from his +consternation at finding him a stranger when he heard the shouting. +It was rather odd that Skinny's frantic call caused this prostrate +boy to open his eyes, by which Danville knew that he still lived. He +closed them again, as if he had been disturbed in slumber. + +Danville scrambled up through tangled brush to the summit of the +overgrown mound which enclosed the cave. Smoke was still coming from +the hole; the place looked like a miniature volcano in the crater of +which lay Skinny, the long branch which he had used tight against him +like a stilt. + +"Don't--don't touch me," he breathed almost in anguish; "keep +away--look--the snake." + +Danville could hardly believe his eyes. "He bit you?" he asked +quickly. + +"No he didn't--he's sort of asleep or something--don't scare him--he +came out where I made a hole so--so as to save you. He's dopy from +the smoke, I guess." + +"He's not so dopy," said Danville, as the reptile shot out his +tongue; "he's awake enough to do that. Lie still, that isn't what he +bites you with; don't get excited. I wish I had my scarf if we need +a twister."* + + +* Meaning a tourniquet, or bandage drawn tight by turning an inserted +stick. + + +For a moment he paused, thinking and glancing about. Skinny lay +trembling, not daring to stir. Somehow he was more fearful and +excited than he had been before his friend's arrival; something was +to be done and it might precipitate a fatal sequel. "Anyway you got +safe," he said. + +"Keep still--I know--now just, just a second," Danville said. + +He moved with lightning stealth now. Quickly he took out his +jack-knife, opened it, and held it between his teeth while he hurried +to the nearest tree and pulled off a large piece of bark which was +already warping away from the dried trunk. This was perhaps a foot +in diameter. He next pulled off his shirt, tore a strip from it and +looking about picked up a stick suitable for his purpose. Thus +completely prepared he stole up, motioning Skinny to lie still, and +laid the stick and the torn strip of shirt on the ground within easy +reach. Then with lightning dexterity he slipped the piece of bark +downward along Skinny's leg till it was stopped by the snake's coiled +body. But it lay between that cruel head and Skinny's flesh, and +being rounded to the curve of the tree, it fitted rather nicely. + +With another movement that can only be described as instantaneous, he +plunged his jackknife into the drowsy reptile's head. He was none +too quick, for even as he did so its horrid tongue was darting, and +scarcely had the knife touched its scaly head when its fangs were +plunged against the bark. But there ended its deadly power; it was +pinned to the protecting bark, and a trickle of blood flowed from +Skinny's leg where the knife had pierced through. There was a +spasmodic tightening of the coils around his little limb, then a +loosening bringing infinite relief. + +[Illustration: HE PLUNGED HIS JACK-KNIFE INTO THE REPTILE'S HEAD.] + +"Did he bite me?" Skinny asked pitifully. + +"No, he's gone out of that business," said Danville, lifting Skinny's +big implement of rescue with the snake hanging limply over it. "See? +Look at the size of him, will you! That was a blamed funny thing to +happen, hey! He got busy just too late." + +"Don't--don't drop him near me," Skinny pleaded, as his rescuer +dangled the loathsome body. "My leg stings, I think he bit me." + +"No he didn't, Alf; I just jabbed you with my knife. Look." He held +up the curving slab of bark and there upon it was a tiny wet spot, +appalling evidence of the deadly substance that had been ejected from +those deadly fangs. "He struck out, but it was meant for a home run +all right," Danville said. "Come on, don't be scared, come down and +see my new boy friend. I'm going to pass you up now, I've got a new +pal." + +Skinny did get up at that. "See where I made a hole?" he said. "All +the smoke came out here and maybe it saved you, hey?" + +"I think I must have been out when you started, Alf. I pulled +somebody out, I thought it was you; I guess I came blamed near +getting suffocated. I don't know how I got out, all I know is I got +out. I guess some scout from camp must have hiked here ahead of us; +he's still dopy. What the dickens happened anyway? There wasn't +anything that would burn in that damp place, was there?" + +"Whatever it was, it was damp," said Skinny; "that's what made the +smoke so thick; it was smudge smoke, like what scouts use for +signals. Even little bugs came out. I lit a match and then I +stumbled over something that was never there before. Anyway, one +thing sure, you'll get the Gold Cross. You'll get it for saving me, +and you'll get it for saving that other feller. I bet I know who it +is, too; it's Pompy Arliss in that Brooklyn troop, because he's out +for Test Four, and I was telling him about the cave. But I didn't +know he was on his test to-day. You know the feller I mean, that +wears his hair all sticking up? He's all the time kidding me." + +They scrambled down, working their way through the thick underbrush +and over rocks, making slow progress because of Skinny's bleeding +leg, which soon they had to bandage effectively before going on. + +"And how about you?" Danville asked. + +"As long as I know I didn't get bit by poison," Skinny said in his +quaint way; "as long as I know that I don't care." + +"I mean about the Gold Cross," Danville said. "Is that bandage too +tight--no? I mean about what you did." + +"I didn't save anybody, I only tried to," said Skinny. "You don't +get it for only trying. But maybe if you were still in there I'd +have saved you, hey? But you get it twice, kinder. And I'm just as +glad, too, because now I got a friend that's a hero. So are you +going to stay my friend even now I Even when you get the Gold Cross, +are you? I won't be mad if you don't--but are you? Because now +Howell Cross and all those scouts will _surely_ be after you! +Because the Gold Cross is the biggest, _specialest_ thing in +scouting. Even it's greater than being an Eagle--even. It's for +saving life when you risk your own, like you did--twice even. +Because that snake might have killed you, mightn't he? So now you'll +get your first class badge, and you'll get the Gold Cross, and will +you let me be the first one to see it? I bet you're proud, hey--that +you'll get it? Do you know who'll give it to you? Not anybody that +belongs at camp--not trustees even. A commissioner! A national one!" + +"No!" + +"Honest, I cross my heart. So will you go around with me kinder +steady, even after that?" + +"No, that's asking too much," Danville laughed. + +"I can tell you're joking." + +For answer Danville only drew the little, limping fellow close to +him, and so they picked their way down through the brambly thicket +off the eminence which enclosed the little cave. + +"Sure I'm proud, Alf," laughed Danville frankly. + +"Then why don't you act so?" + +"Do you want me to dance a jig in this jungle!" + +"You'll be the big hero of Temple Camp, that's what you'll be. Even +they print all about you in the newspapers, when you get the Gold +Cross." + +"And do you think I'm going to forget all about the pal that was with +me when I won it?" Danville asked, rather more earnestly than was his +wont. + +"Because," said Skinny with that nervous eagerness that Temple Camp +was so fond of mimicking, "now I got a friend that's a hero and I can +talk about him. Because my brother Danny, I couldn't talk about him +to fellers, but I can talk about you all I want--how you're a hero." + +"Take your time, I haven't got it yet," said Danville. + +"Sure, you've as much as got it." + +"Don't count your chickens till they're hatched. When I get it I'll +have it." + +They picked their way down by a circuitous route and around to the +entrance of the cave where Danville's rescued victim of the fumes sat +on the ground with hands clasped around his updrawn knees, blinking +and looking about in a dazed kind of way. Skinny stopped short, his +whole thin little body trembling. + +"Danny!" he cried. "It's Danny, it's my brother! It's Danny that +you pulled out of the cave! Danny, nobody knows where you are, and +they didn't catch you, hey? The reform school people--Danny?" + +"Who's the guy you've got with you?" Danny asked uneasily. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII + +IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY + +There was no chance of escape now. The simplicity and trustfulness +of Skinny's nature supervened and there, in the very presence of his +wretched half-brother, he told about the whole miserable affair of +Danny's masquerade at camp. Danville Bently, greatly astonished, sat +on a rock listening. He did not seem to be angry, his face was a +puzzle. He had picked up his dripping, muddy scarf and held it +dangling in the final pause when the two half-brothers had ceased +speaking. While still they talked he had glanced rather curiously +from one to the other, paying to each the tribute of friendly +attention. And now, when he spoke, his casual remark bore no +reference to Skinny's concealment, to Danny's fraud, or to his +dubious record. + +"You'd never guess that scarf used to be white, would you?" he asked, +looking at neither Skinny nor Danny. "That was white silk. Lucky +I've got a couple more of them." Then after a pause, "I'll bet you +found it pretty damp in that blamed rat-hole. What did you haul the +log in there for?" + +"So as to keep the leaves from spreading," Danny said. "I carried +them in and piled them between the log and the wall." + +"Some bed," said Danville. "You must have got good and tired of +eating fish. How'd you do, fry them?" + +"Yep, that's easy." + +"And that what's-his-name you took the blame for--Sharpe? He just +let it go at that, huh!" + +"I don't take any credit," Danny said. "I'd have been found out when +you showed up anyway. Sharpy's nothing but a flivver; let him have +his fun." + +"Look how I can wring the water out of this darned thing," Danville +said. "Lucky there was water in the cave, hey? I wish you could go +back to camp with us. It's a sticker, what we're going to do now. +We all came through with our lives fine and dandy, and now we don't +know what to do." + +"You're not mad at him?" Skinny asked. + +"I never get mad," said Danville. "Only I don't see how he's going +to go back to camp--I'm kind of mad about that. We could have some +fun." + +"Oh I'll go back," said Danny, desperately. "I'm out of luck; what's +the use trying to beat the game? You did the kid a good turn, and +you did me one too; you saved the both of us. I've got the camp +after me at one end and the school bunch after me at the other--I'm +through. Come on, we'll go back and you can get your Gold Cross, +we'll take care of that, won't we, Tiny? What do you think we +are--half-baked sports? Just because I pulled a slope* on the +reformatory? Hey, Tiny, tell him how I smashed Kinney, and that boy +scout for what he said." + + +* The elegant phrase meaning escaped. + + +"I did tell him, he knows," said Skinny. + +"Sure, I'll go back; all they can do is give me over to that bunch of +dopes at Blythedale and I'll get a couple of years extra, if I don't +pull another slope on them. They sleep standing up, that menagerie +of yaps. What I did for Sharpy, the boy detective, I can do for you. +I may be black, but I ain't yellow." + +"What color would you say I am--not counting the mud on me?" said +Danville. "I never said I wanted any Gold Cross. I saved Alf +because he's my side partner. And as long as I saved you I might as +well finish the job. I'm not going to say I came to this place at +all; I'm not going to say I saved either one of you. And I'm not +going to make a strike for the badge on this hike. It's all off. If +I say I saved Alf then there'll be a whole lot of questions, and nix +on lying. Nobody knows we came here and nobody needs to know it. +I've got twenty dollars and I'll give it to you--ten for smashing +Kinney, and ten for that other fellow for what he said. Will you +look at the mud on that twenty spot? It went right through my +clothes. You visited me for two weeks in camp only I didn't know it, +and my dad will pay the bill. Why don't you go back to reform +school?" + +"Would you?" Danny asked. + +"Hanged if I know; only won't they get you?" + +"Not if I can once get on a ship." + +"Well, you have to mind your business, and I have to mind mine. And +maybe I can't see my way clear to go by notices on bulletin boards. +Anyway, I forgot all about saving anybody's life and making the +fourteen mile hike, and you're a darned good scout only you don't +know it. I'd rather be you than Sharpy. I came up here to have a +good time and not to be a detective. I don't care a hang about the +Gold Cross. You can't prove anything by me." + +"You mean you're not going to tell--how you found him, and how you +saved us both?" Skinny asked excitedly. "You mean you're not going +to get the _Gold Cross_?" + +Danville Bently shook his head and made a wry face. "I don't like +it, it costs too much," said he. "I'm a stingy scout and I won't pay +the price. Come on, what do you say we eat! Tea for three. How the +dickens can you cut two sandwiches to make three helpings? There's a +sticker. Got a lead pencil and I'll see if I can do it by geometry." + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX + +JUST AS EASY---- + +Thus ended the adventures of Danny McCord in the neighborhood of +Temple Camp. He had been an expensive luxury during his brief and +colorful sojourn. He had cost poor Skinny much worry, and he had +cost Danville Bently the Gold Cross for heroism. He went forth upon +his way with Skinny's scout suit (much the worse for wear) and the +twenty dollars that Danville had insisted on his taking. His +unexpired term at reform school must also be charged against his +account. + +Yet I like Danny, even though I do not approve of him. The blow he +struck the historic Kinney, as also the blow he struck Vic Norris, +was rather to his credit; he was a pretty good big brother, even if +he was not such a very good boy. And the blow that he did not strike +Ralph Warner showed him capable of sacrifice. It was because of this +sacrifice that Holman Sharpe remained at Temple Camp and filled three +note books before the season was over. + +We shall meet Danny again in a future story and you are warned not to +expect to find angelic wings sprouting on his pugilistic shoulders. +He had, I think, the raw material of a scout, but it was very, very +raw. He should not be dismissed, however, without mention of an +incident which recalled him to Danville Bently after the lone Polar +Bear had returned to his beautiful home in Florida. It was in +November that Danville received an envelope enclosing ten dollars and +a slip of brown wrapping paper on which was scrawled, "Here's a ten +spot, see you later about the rest. Danny." The envelope was +postmarked Porto Rico, so it seemed likely that Danny had succeeded +in ingratiating himself with the captain of some ship or other. He +must have made a rather interesting cabin boy. + +On their way back to camp, Danville made no mention of Danny and he +closed the Gold Cross matter with a few words that his little +worshipper, Skinny, had cause to remember. "What's the use talking +about it?" said he. "If I won it, I won it. Only nobody knows it. +And nobody's going to know it. The Gold Cross is only kind of like a +receipt and I don't need any receipt." + +"It's people knowing that counts," said Skinny. + +"What they don't know won't hurt them," said Danville. + +On reaching camp they parted, Danville going to Tent Village to wash +up. When Skinny next saw him, he wore another scout suit, and a new +white scarf, its wavy and spotless folds falling loosely below where +it was gathered into the silver ring, which took the place of the +usual scout knot. You would never have supposed he had saved two +lives and almost lost his own. And lost the Gold Cross for heroism. +His easy-going self-possession was the most conspicuous thing about +him; that and the snowy scarf which was the badge of the distant +Polar Bear Patrol. Skinny thought he must be a "specially rich +feller." And so he was, indeed, with a richness that only +generations of gentle breeding can impart. + +As for Skinny, he was pretty dirty and he shuffled up to Martha +Norris Memorial Cabins in fear and trembling lest his sorry +appearance and sore knee cause embarrassing questions. But no +questions were asked, perhaps because Skinny always had a sorry look. +"Playing in the mud?" was all that Vic Norris asked of this little +fellow who had opened an outlet for the deadly fumes in Henny's Cave. +"Must have been tracking mud-turtles," said Hunt Ward. And that was +all that any of them said on the dangerous topic of Skinny's +adventures. + +Perhaps this was because they had something else to say to him. They +had something to ask him, and they asked it in ever so nice a way, so +that their questions furnished the answer. Connie Bennett, the Elk +leader, had told them to leave it to him, that he would "fix it." +And he did fix it. He knew just how to handle Skinny. + +"Hey kid," said he, "listen. I want to ask you something." + +Skinny was not accustomed to be consulted and he gazed at Connie with +pleased and eager eyes. + +"Listen kid, do you like it in Tent Village!" + +"I only go there because Danville Bently is there," said Skinny. + +"Sure, and I bet you have a lot of fun there too. Now listen, +Shorty; you know Holly Hollis back in Bridgeboro--lives up near where +Blakeley lives, on the hill?" + +Skinny did not know; he knew nothing about the grand upper world of +Bridgeboro. He had once pushed his ramshackle little wagon up to +Terrace Avenue with a clothes basket full of washing for one of the +gorgeous houses up there. But Holly Hollis he did not know. He +listened, wide-eyed, to this boy who was paying him the compliment of +conferring with him. + +"I'll tell you how it is, kid. You know the other Bridgeboro Troop +that busted up; the one they had in the brick church!" + +Skinny did not know, but he listened. + +"Well, anyway," said Connie, "they busted up; couldn't get a +scoutmaster, I guess. You know Holly, that--he's a sort of a slim +fellow? Sure you do! Well, he's an Eagle Scout and he wants to come +up here." + +"I don't think there's any room in Tent Village, or in Pioneer Row +either," said Skinny innocently. + +"Sure there isn't, not for a new scout. This is the middle of the +season. So we were thinking--now listen. We were thinking if you +wanted to stay over there in Tent Village with Bently, they'd put up +a cot for you--we'll fix that. Then we could do a good turn to Holly +Hollis and let him come up here and bunk in with us, as long as +you're having so much fun. And I'll say that Bently's one fine scout +all right. Hey, Vic?" + +"Sure thing," said Vic Norris. + +"You're a lucky kid," said Bert McAlpin. + +"Every scout in camp is after that guy," said Stut Moran. + +"I'd like to be you all right," said Connie. "Only trouble with him +is he's so darned hard to get in with; you never know how to take +him. But jiminies, you seem to have him buffaloed, you little +rascal." + +Skinny smiled, elated, and his wonderful, eager eyes were full of +pleasure and pride. + +"How do you do it, anyway?" Vic Norris asked. + +"Do you mean I won't be a member any more?" Skinny asked. + +"Well--no, not exactly that, as you might say," said Connie, as he +motioned to the others to let him do the fixing. "You wouldn't say +exactly that. But if we form two troops when we get home in the +fall, like Mr. Ellsworth says, jiminies, why you'll have your pick of +patrols, won't you?" + +"Y--yes," said Skinny doubtfully. + +"Why sure, why won't you? I'll see to it you stay in our troop if +you want. I'm only talking about now, up here at camp. Gee, I +thought you were so strong for doing good turns; didn't you, Vic?" + +"I sure did," said Vic Norris. + +"Skinny's all right, he's one little peach of a scout," said Stut +Moran. He did not explain why they did not cling to such a little +peach of a scout. + +"Why, look at the camps at Bear Mountain," Connie argued. "They bust +up troops and patrols just like with dynamite up there. It's all +like big families in a lot of those camps. Then when they go home +they get together again. You're having a dickens of a good time over +there in Tent Village. Where Bently is, that would be good enough +for me. _Jimmy crinkums_, I don't know how you got next to that +fellow, kid. White Scarf, that's what everybody's calling him." + +Skinny was proud, elated, to hear these comments on his hero. He was +too guileless to see that what these Elks wanted was an Eagle Scout. +He honestly believed, in his stout little heart, that they were keen +for a grand good turn. Moreover he did not aspire, he did not dare, +to confer on equal terms with these colleagues of his. Yet some +little quiver of pride caused him to say: + +"It isn't like as if I was expelled is it--so people will think you +threw me out?" + +"_Threw you out?_" gasped Vic. "Say, how do you get that way! Let +any scout say that in my presence--just let me hear him. _Threw you +out_--good night! No, but we thought you'd like the idea. We +thought we were giving you a big chance. Can't you see it?" + +"Y--yes," said Skinny. + +"And you'll be up here all the time, won't you?" + +"Yes, if you want me to." + +"_Want him to_, did you hear that?" said Connie. + +Skinny's simple honesty caused them some embarrassment. They were +doing this thing artistically, lulling their own consciences, and +loading their act onto the back of that willing beast of burden, the +good turn. They did not expect anything quite so logical and +pathetic as what Skinny now did. He pulled up from under his torn +white shirt a piece of string that hung round his neck, detached his +locker key from it and handed it to Connie. He was quite too +guileless to do this for effect, but it was a little masterpiece and +it made Connie feel mean. He was jarred by this perfectly honest +response to all he had been saying. + +"Oh, you needn't give us that," he said with brusque good-humor. +"You're not exactly what you might say getting out." + +"Holly Hollis will have to have a locker," said Skinny. "Anyway, I +haven't got anything in it much." + +It is rather to the credit of Bert McAlpin that he turned away, +rather ashamed, and pretended to be busy as Connie hesitatingly +accepted the key. + +The deed was done. It was not as good a piece of work as Skinny had +done that day. But of course, nobody knew about that. + + + + +CHAPTER XXX + +FIXED + +Skinny did not understand, but Danville Bently did. Still the little +outcast Elk had a certain feeling of humiliation. He knew he had not +been "let out," but it might look that way, and he was afraid that +Danville would think so. What Danville really did think, Skinny +never knew. + +But the diplomatic Elks knew, for Danville told them that very +evening. Having attended to certain other matters which pleasantly +evidenced the esteem in which he was held by the management, he +strolled up to Martha Norris Memorial Cabins just before supper, a +time when he thought the Elks would be at their patrol cabin. + +It was characteristic of Danville that he seemed never to take +particular notice of things that were unusually costly and +attractive. Perhaps this was because he had been brought up in +refined luxury. In any event he seemed always quite at home. He was +one of the very few boys at camp who could enter Administration Shack +with perfect ease and speak familiarly to the trustees and +councilors. So he did not take particular note of the three +beautiful large cabins which housed the First Bridgeboro Troop. He +did not even notice the big radio set in the Elks cabin as he stepped +inside, greeting the scouts who were hurriedly brushing up for +supper. He was thinking of Skinny and not the realm from which +Skinny had been so neatly ousted. + +"I wonder if you fellows want to give me the key to the boat-locker +where Alf keeps his canoe?" he asked in his easy-going way. "Seems +he forgot to ask you." + +If it had been some one else they would probably have challenged his +right to come on such an errand, but there was something about +Danville which made them all feel a trifle ill at ease. There was a +certain atmosphere about White Scarf, as they called him, which +caused them to respect him. + +"There's only one key," Connie said. + +"Yes, that's the one he wants," said Danville. + +"How are _we_ going to get in the locker then?" Vic Norris asked. +"That canoe is patrol property; that's a rule in our troop about +prizes." + +"Tent Village has got two boats assigned to it," said Bert McAlpin. +"Gee, what more do you fellows want?" + +"You mean the scouts in Tent Village? I don't know," said Danville, +shrugging his shoulders. "I'm talking about Alf's canoe. We're not +going to be in Tent Village, we're going up on the hill; Black Hill +you call it?" + +"You mean Overlook Cabin?" Connie asked in surprise. + +"Mmm, soon as they clear it out for us." + +"That'll cost money--twelve bucks a week not counting board," Connie +said. + +"Yep, so I understand." + +"The bosses will have something to say about that." + +"I've engaged it," said Danville, then he added rather oddly: "You +don't suppose I'm not acquainted with my own father, do you?" + +"Gee, that's some perch," said Connie. + +"Not so bad," said Danville. "How 'bout the key?" + +"You going to take the kid up there?" + +"N--no." + +"Bunk up there alone?" + +"No, Alf and I are going together." + +"That's what I mean," said Connie. + +"It isn't what you said," said Danville. "How about the locker key? +They tell me in Administration Shack you'll have to hand it over. In +fact, they wouldn't let you do this thing at all if I hadn't asked +them to let us have the cabin. You can't let out a member of your +patrol up here, without your scoutmaster. But as long as it's O.K. +with Alf I don't suppose anybody cares; I'm sure you don't. Only if +you don't let him have his prize canoe you'll get the management +interested and then you won't be able to have your Eagle Scout at +all. You fellows ought not to complain at handing over his canoe; +you're getting an Eagle Scout." + +"Hey, Bently," said Hunt Ward in a sudden burst of familiarity; "is +it true that you're an Eagle Scout? A lot of scouts say you are?" + +"No, I'm not." + +"Nobody seems to know about you," Vic said. + +"Tom Slade seems to think it's all right if Alf wants to go up on the +hill," said Danville, ignoring their personal queries. "Seems to me +you Elks are getting your own way pretty soft and easy. Only you'll +spoil everything if you don't hand over the locker key." + +"You told--you talked to Slady?" Connie asked. + +"Oh, yes. I don't think there'll be any trouble as long as I hire +the cabin and you hand over the canoe; 'long as Alf has a place to +stay." + +"Did they take your word for it before hearing from your father?" +Connie asked. + +"Why, sure; why not?" + +"Scouts can't do business with the management," Connie said. + +"So? Well, I must have caught them napping, I suppose," said Bently. +"How 'bout the key?" + +"Here it is, tell him we wish him luck and hope he won't get +drowned," said Connie. + +"If he does, I'll let you know," said Danville. "And I congratulate +you on getting an Eagle Scout; that's some nifty haul." + +"Can you blame us?" Bert McAlpin asked. + +"No, an eagle's an eagle," said Danville. + +"Poor kid, he's only a little mascot," Vic said. "I haven't been up +there on Black Hill since we were having signal tests last summer. +Are there two bunks in the cabin? I thought there was only one." + +"There are three," said Danville. "So we can each have one and a +half. Well, so long." + +"Gee williger, that guy has a way of managing things," said Connie. +"I only hope Wainwright doesn't put the kibosh on it. Gee, if we +can't get Holly now, good night, I'll be sore! There's only two +other Eagle Patrols in camp. An eagle has got wings, and when you've +got wings you can fly." + +"We'll fly all right," said Bert McAlpin. "That gives us a look in +on three awards, Yellowstone Park----" + +"The kid will be just as happy," said Connie. + +"Sure, he will," said several others in chorus. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI + +HOLLY HOLLIS + +Overlook Cabin had not been built for season occupancy. It had been +thrown up as a little storehouse for paraphernalia used on the hill, +which was called Black Hill because it rose above a treacherous marsh +and overlooked Black Lake. The reader will find helpful the +accompanying rough sketch of the locality. Black Hill, as will be +seen, lay to the east of the camp. The slope was gradual from the +south where the highroad passed. But on reaching the brow of the +hill one looked down from a dizzy precipice. + +Between this precipice and the lake was a marsh about which weird +stories were told, but the worst that was actually known of it was +that it was the foregathering place of a choral society of frogs +whose croaking made it seem weird enough at night. From the lake you +could pole a boat into this marsh, but not all the way to the base of +the cliff. Sometimes, after heavy or prolonged rains, the marsh +would be entirely submerged, but usually it was visible as a rank and +vivid green area with patches of scum. + +The cabin on the brow of the cliff had been built for the +accommodation of certain scout activities which had been conducted +there. Close to the edge was a rather odd contrivance, conspicuous +from the lake below, and newcomers seldom failed to ask about its +purpose, though now in its time of disuse and comparative +dilapidation, few took the trouble to ascend the hill and view it at +close range. This was a square wooden frame about eight or ten feet +in size, standing upright and held by means of braces in the ground. +It was loose and rickety from the force of heavy winds. Stretched in +this was a sheet of canvas, bound to the frame with windings of light +rope, by which it could be tightened. The canvas came to within a +few inches of the frame all the way round. + +[Illustration: Map of Scout camp and surrounding country] + +This affair was known as a signal easel and had been used for +practice in signalling. Illuminated at night by a bonfire at a safe +distance in back of it the screen was as brilliant as the silver +screen of the movies. Then a scout standing between it and the +precipice was revealed in striking silhouette as he manipulated +wigwag flags. From all the way across the lake he could be seen, a +weird and vivid sight in the night time, and in this way codes were +tried out and practiced. Once, on a memorable occasion, that +redoubtable showman, Pee-wee Harris, had given a motion picture +exhibit here with his prize outfit at the appallingly low admission +fee of ten cents. But there being no gate, the place was overrun by +deadheads and the exhibition ended in a riot. + +The cabin was filled with old signalling paraphernalia, flags and +smudge buckets. It had three bunks and some rough camping +necessities used by hunters in the winter. A ghost was also said to +live there, but if so he must have been of a retiring nature for he +was never seen. The rental charge which Connie Bennett had mentioned +was made so as to limit the use of the place to older visitors at +camp, field men and the like. Eagle Scouts may come and go, but it +is probably true that Danville Bently was the only boy of scouting +age at camp who could so easily have made arrangements to use the +place. + +It was here that he and Skinny settled down to a kind of frontier +life, to a companionship which Danville regarded in a humorous way, +but never so as to belittle his odd companion. They ate down at +camp, of course, and usually attended camp-fire, but otherwise they +led a life apart, stalking, tracking and hiking about the woods. +Danville did his fourteen mile hike, but there was no boy to train +for a tenderfoot, so there he remained for the time being; he seemed +not greatly interested in scouting progress merely for its own sake. +He was easy-going and casual, a good looker-on. He seemed never to +think about how near he had come to wearing the Gold Cross; so far as +Skinny could see, that badge of the highest heroism meant nothing to +him. Perhaps he did not care for things because it was so easy for +him to get them. The pomp and fuss and honors and awards did not +appeal to him. + +He showed no resentment toward the Elks for their shabby treatment of +Skinny, but the Elks knew that he had seen them at their worst and +they avoided him. Every scout in camp felt that here was a boy of +unlimited reserve power; a boy who would never do a thing simply for +a thrill or a badge, but who would prove invincible when aroused to +act for a purpose. They all respected him and there was no hint of +banter in the nickname of _White Scarf_ by which he came to be known. +That spotless white scarf was a familiar sight in camp and singled +him out from all other scouts and made him conspicuous. + +As for the Elks, they got what they wanted and basked in the glory of +it. An Eagle Scout is a wonderful thing, embodying all the heroic +romance of scouting. He is a glory to his patrol. And at Temple +Camp such a one was an asset to his patrol since only certain +endowment rewards were open to Eagle patrols. Holly Hollis came not +unheralded by his new patrol colleagues, and it must be admitted that +he filled his place with a becomingness never achieved by poor little +Skinny. On the evening of his arrival he attracted a good deal of +attention as he passed through the "eats" pavilion with the Elks on +his way to supper. A number of scouts arose and gave him the full +salute, and there was a rather discordant attempt on the part of a +few enthusiasts to sing + + "You can't go higher than an Eagle, + As every scout should know; + You have to stop when you get to the top, + It's as high as you can go." + +He wore his full regalia with his Eagle badge above his left breast +pocket, and his sleeve was covered with his twenty-one merit badges. +A slim boy he was, with very black hair and a look in his pleasant +face that bespoke something rather more than powers--a touch of the +venturesome. No stick-in-the-mud was this Eagle of the darting and +roaming black eyes. + +And those eyes did not fail to notice things, for no sooner had he +taken his place at table than turning to the proud Connie he asked, +"Who's that fellow over at the third table with the white scarf?" + +He was to know that fellow well before his season at Temple Camp was +over. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXII + +THE NIGHT BEFORE + +Again there was great excitement around the camp-fire. Again they +were making merry at the expense of Skinny. Again Skinny smiled +shyly, just as he did on that night when they made such ostentatious +show of helping him find his compass. Seeing him bashful and +discomfited, scouts who did not even know him (for now the big camp +was crowded) laughed, and added their bantering comments to the +general chorus. Few knew his last name; fewer still knew his first +name, or who he was or where he bunked. He was just the little camp +mascot. They were talking about the Eagle race, which was one of the +big events of camp, and some waggish scout had suggested Skinny to +accompany one or other of the three Eagle Scouts in this contest. +And another boy had scorned this suggestion, saying that Skinny was +too heavy. And so on, and so on. + +Each summer, at the height of the season, this gala contest was held. +It was dated to occur at that time because then there were likely to +be several Eagle Scouts at camp. Eagle Scouts are none too prevalent +and if rigid testing were the invariable rule, they would be even +less prevalent. It often happened that a whole season passed at +Temple Camp with only one or two Eagles present, and these not at the +same time. Once the race (most spectacular event of the season) had +not been held because there were no contestants. This event was the +world series of Temple Camp, establishing a supreme hero, an Eagle +Scout with a sensational triumph to top his glory. Despite the song, +one could get a little higher than an Eagle, and that was by a +thrilling victory over other Eagles. Such a victor was always the +great hero of camp. + +Just as no scout is eligible for merit badges until he is in the +first class, so no scout but an Eagle of twenty-one badges was +eligible to try for this Mary Temple Cup which carried with it a two +weeks' holiday at the Grand Canyon for the victor and his patrol. +Transportation papers were always inside the cup, a tempting beverage +indeed, proffered by the pretty hands of the young daughter of the +camp's founder. So you can hardly blame the Elks for coveting this +prize; they were not the first in this glorious republic to resort to +political maneuvers to acquire an eligible contestant. There were +just three such contestants now, Howell Cross, Ellis Carway and Holly +Hollis. + +Everything was set for the morrow and they were making merry at the +expense of Skinny. His shy smile illumined his pale, temperamental +face, and his characteristic embarrassment was amusingly evident in +the fitful glow of the mounting blaze. + +"Hey, Howell, don't you think if Skinny took off his shoes and shirt +he'd be light enough?" + +"How 'bout you, Eagle Carway? Skinny means good luck. I took him on +a hike and found an oriole's nest, honest. You can't lose with +Skinny." + +"Sure, if you should fall in a faint he'd take the oars right out of +your hands and glide to victory; he wouldn't stop till he got to the +Grand Canyon." + +"How 'bout you, Holly? Skinny used to be an Elk, honest. But he's +way above that now, he's up on Black Hill." + +"Trouble with Skinny is he'd sink the boat. If he started smiling it +would go right down. Why his smile alone weighs forty pounds, don't +it, Skinny? What are you blushing about, Skinny? What would you do +if you had to take the cup from Mary Temple?" + +"Yes, and suppose she should kiss you--good night!" + +"I'm going to have Skinny root for me," said Eagle Scout Cross. + +"Sure, the human megaphone. Stand up, Skinny, and let the three of +them draw lots for you; don't be afraid. Who wants Skinny to man the +tiller?" + +And so forth and so on. All three Eagles had chosen their steersmen +from their own patrols; they laughed pleasantly at the idea of Skinny +as steersman of a racing shell. Holly Hollis, who sat across the +fire, made a funny grimace at him. Danville Bently wondered how much +Hollis knew of Skinny's ups and downs in the scouting field, and +especially his fate in the hands of his honor seeking colleagues. +The funny grimace didn't mean much. + +"Never mind, Alf," said Danville as they walked up the hill. The +night seemed unusually black after the glare of the camp-fire. "If +you help them to have fun, what more do you want?" + +"I don't mind," Skinny said. He was perfectly at ease with Danville +and always talked freely. "Even I want them to win--my patrol, I +mean. He smiled at me, that Eagle Scout, did you see?" + +"Yep, I saw." + +"I can call it my patrol even now, can't I! Connie said I could." + +"Sure, if you want to; 'long as I don't have to call them mine." + +"Are you mad at them?" + +"No, no, Alf." + +"They're my patrol just like Danny is my brother, ain't they? I got +to be loyal." + +"Yes, sure, I understand, Alf." + +"Can I help liking Danny?" + +"No, I can't help liking him either. I have a sort of hunch that he +could win that race if he were an Eagle." + +"Then I'd have a lot of honor, hey!" + +"Sure would." + +"I bet you could win it, too." + +"I've got my job," said Danville. + +For a few minutes they walked on up the hill and neither spoke. +Then, noticing that Skinny's shoulders were shaking, Danville paused +abruptly. The little fellow was gulping. Danville broke his rule +and called him kid. + +"Alf--what's the matter, kid?" he asked feelingly. "Don't--what's +the matter, Alf! Can't you tell me?" + +Skinny couldn't tell him, because he didn't exactly know. + +"Anyway, they were right, because I didn't have any scout suit," he +sobbed. + +"Well, you've got me, haven't you? Aren't you satisfied?" + +"Yes, but I want them to win and go out there to the cannon,* because +they're my patrol and I'm not mad at them. Only I don't want to go +and see the race, because I'll get all excited like, because I want +them to win. Do you think they'll win?" + + +* He meant canyon. + + +"Who can tell who will win, kid? We'll stay up on the hill all by +ourselves and watch it from a distance. Will that be all right?" + +"Yes, but do you think they'll win?" + +"I think Hollis has got the stuff in him." + +"You've got to be an Eagle, haven't you?" + +"Yes, but you see there are three Eagles? And we can't tell who'll +be the big scream when the day is over." + +No indeed, no one could tell that. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII + +VICTORY AND THEN---- + +The precipice was not a bad place from which to view the finish. It +was not close enough to the excitement for most scouts, but it +afforded a good gallery seat. Danville was glad that no one came up +there. He had a big piece of charred wood with which he intended to +mark the name of the winner in big letters on the signal canvas as +soon as the race was over. Then he and Skinny would shout and draw +attention to it. He hoped for Skinny's sake that the name would be +Hollis. + +The race, as you will see by the map, began at the northwestern end +of the lake, followed a southeasterly course and ended where the +shells passed an anchored skiff in which were spectators, who had a +good view of the approaching shells. The lake was dotted with boats +and canoes and it required a constant zigzagging about of the camp +launch to keep them off the course. It was a gala scene. + +After a while the launch chugged away along the course and there were +fifteen or twenty minutes of tense waiting. Soon its shrill whistle +could be heard and Skinny was trembling with excitement as it +reappeared with its _clear the way_ pennant flying and its whistle +calling a warning to keep the course clear. + +Then they came in sight, the three shells, red and shining in the +bright sunlight. They seemed to be abreast, throwing out three white +V's of light spray as on, on, on they came. Every nerve in Skinny's +little body was on edge as he stood near the brow of the precipice +trying to identify the salmon colored pennant of the Elks. Then he +saw it--yes, he saw it. It was one of the two shells that glided +abreast; the other had fallen behind. He could see the form of the +rower bent forward and back, the long oars feathering, the slender +shell moving nearer, nearer, under the impetus of that steady, +increasing leverage. + +The third shell, manned by Ellis Carway, seemed now quite out of the +running. Its heroic Eagle was doing ragged and erratic work, never +getting the full benefit of his strokes. In that short course he +could never make up what he had lost. But the other two seemed +evenly matched. Suddenly Howell Cross's shell, with the blue pennant +of his patrol, shot ahead. Skinny trembled, his eyes stared, he +quivered with excitement. + +He might have saved his fears. Howell had his spurt, and having +spent his reserve energy, could only maintain his former speed. The +time for a spurt is at the end and Holly Hollis knew this. Easily he +shot ahead in an excess of effort that would surely carry him past +the skiff. He would not have to pause for breath till he could pause +for good. Now he was half a length ahead. Now a full length. And +then amid a wild chorus of cheers and the waving of hundreds of +flags, he swept forward past the skiff. The Eagle of the Elk Patrol +had won them the cup and the trip to the Grand Canyon, and the glory +of being the banner patrol of Temple Camp. Skinny's patrol. + +Then something happened which caused Danville Bently to run along the +cliff excitedly trying to make out just what the trouble was. There +was a sudden change in the tone of the shouting below. He came to a +point where he could descend with caution and as he did so, he +perceived the dreadful thing that had happened. Hollis had evidently +turned his victorious shell quickly so that the tremendous force of +its impetus would not carry it against the steep shore (see map) and +it had swept into the marsh and capsized. And there he was quite out +of reach of it, sinking in the treacherous rank growth. Danville +made out that he had tried to swim only to be caught in the mire. +From where Danville was descending cautiously the victim looked like +only half a boy, the upper half. He seemed standing up right in the +swamp. + +"Do your feet touch?" Danville heard some one call. + +"Help, help!" was the frantic answer. + +It had always been said that there was death in this marsh. There +was a story of a duck hunter who had been swallowed up in it. If +Hollis had not tried to swim and remained by his inverted shell, he +would have suffered nothing worse than an inglorious climax to his +spectacular triumph. But he had somehow got to the very center of +the horrible place where no boat could penetrate. The excitement on +the neighboring shore was frenzied. Some one tried to pole a boat +into the marsh; it got stuck in the thickening growth and could not +be moved either way. And meanwhile, Hollis' frantic cry for help +rose as he sank lower, lower.... + +Then suddenly a great white thing seemed to fill the sky. It +tumbled, shook, like some airplane run amuck. And with a loud sound +of splitting wood it settled flat upon the enveloping marsh. They +saw, but they hardly knew what they were witnessing. They stared +aghast. Then as they saw a little living form reach out from the +safe area of canvas that lay flat upon that frightful consuming mud a +cheer went up--and another, and another, until the heavens seemed +rent with a swelling chorus of mad acclaim. But it was not for the +victorious Eagle they were screaming their lungs out as their fears +subsided. It was just for the little outcast scout who, in such a +sublime frenzy as only his trembling body could experience, had torn +and wrenched the signal easel from its lodgment and crashed down with +this spreading parachute to the rescue of the boy who had brought +glory to the Elk Patrol. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV + +THE PRICE + +Given time they managed to get a boat in somehow, poling it this way +and that and finally taking the marsh, as one might say, by flanking +tactics. With the large area of resisting canvas lying upon the +yielding morass, there was no great need for hurry. The frame was +broken, but it could not sink. And the Eagle Scout, beneath whose +weight the loosened canvas sagged, was safe. No boat could have +saved him. No swimmer could have averted that imminent tragedy. But +the eager-eyed little fellow who squatted there on that outlandish, +sustaining rug, glancing at the Eagle Scout as if he were a god, had +done it. His shirt was in shreds; a great rent in his faded trousers +exposed his whole thin little leg. He did not look like a boy scout +at all; you could not find a picture on all of your scout posters +that bears the faintest resemblance to him. + +As the boat neared the canvas a tall boy with a white scarf gently +pushed a couple of scoutmasters aside and helped the bewildered +Skinny into the boat. He seemed to intimate that Skinny belonged to +him and the rest should take notice and keep their hands off. Then +he allowed them to help Holly Hollis aboard. And so they made slow +progress out of the dreadful place and nothing was left there but the +big broken frame with its soiled expanse of canvas. A very big +triumphant pennant for such a little boy! + +They were all crowding at the landing place and the diving board bent +dangerously under the weight of gaping scouts. The Elks were there. +Even Chocolate Drop, the darky cook, had come down in his white cap +and apron, gazing as if he saw a ghost. And no one said a word about +the race. + +"Can't I go up on the hill with you fellows?" Holly asked. + +"Sure, only you'll have to come down again," said Danville. "Wait +till you get your bathing trunks off and are all washed up and +rested, then come up and make us a call. Eagle Scouts are always +welcome." + +But Holly Hollis shook his head and brushed Connie Bennett aside and +interrupted Vic Norris, who seemed to have something to propose. + +"No, I mean to stay," said he. "You're the ones I belong with. I +resign from the Elk Patrol." + +"You can't do that, you're our Eagle Scout," said Connie. + +"And where would your Eagle Scout be if it wasn't for the little chap +that gave his place to him, and just now risked his life to save +him--_for you_!" said Danville Bently. "I don't know whether they +have diamond studded crosses; all I know is that the Gold Cross isn't +good enough for him. But he'll get it all right. And if your Eagle +wants to come with us, why just remember that the eagle is a free +bird; he flies high and goes where he pleases--he belongs up on +precipices and crags, with others who jump off cliffs. Do you get +that, Connie Bennett? And you're going to lose him! Look in his +face--you can tell what he's thinking. I guess he never knew that +he's filling Alf's place in your patrol. Tell him about it, why +don't you? How about you, Holly? Do you follow the Gold Cross--or +the Elk Patrol?" + +"I follow the Gold Cross," said Holly. "An Eagle is nothing but a +lot of merit badges." + +"So that's that," said Danville Bently. + + +Yes, that was that. They played for big stakes, Connie and his +patrol, and they lost. They lost both the Gold Cross and the Eagle +Scout. They paid the penalty. You dance and you pay the fiddler. +You may have what you crave, but you pay the price. And sometimes +the price is very large. You may play high for an Eagle Scout. And +the Eagle Scout may bow before the Gold Cross awarded for the heroism +that is made divine by the spirit of sacrifice. For it is not true, +as the song says, that an Eagle is as high as you can go. You can go +higher than that if there is an elemental frenzy in your soul. The +price of the Gold Cross is very, very high. For you must forget +yourself and then they will remember you. Even if you are a ragged +little codger out of Corkscrew Alley, they will scream your praises +to the sky. + +An Eagle is not as high as you can go. + + + +THE END + + + + + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76477 *** |