WHEN THE MOON WENT DOWN
"Did you know who it was, Paul?" asked Jack, after making sure none of
the others were noticing that he and the leader of the troop had engaged
in such a serious conversation.
"It was getting dusk, and I couldn't see very well on account of the
trees, you know; but something about the way he ducked made me think it
was Ward Kenwood."
"Well," chuckled Jack, "you've seen him duck often enough to know the
signs. Suppose it was Ward, then the rest of the bunch must have been
only a little way behind. He's got a motorcycle, you know, and would be
apt to pace them. But what became of him then?"
"I don't know," replied the patrol leader, rising. "Perhaps he left his
machine in the bushes, and crept away to warn the rest before they
exposed themselves. I'm going to find out if my eyes deceive me. Want to
go with me, Jack?"
"Count me in. Shall I get a lantern; and do you want any more along?"
asked his chum, preparing to get up from the ground.
"Two ought to be enough. Yes, bring a glim along; we may need it, for
that moon isn't very bright to-night, and the trees make considerable
shadow."
Speaking in this fashion Paul left his position, and sauntered away.
Possibly a few of the jolly company noticed his action, but took it for
granted that he was only intending to make the rounds, and see that the
sentries were on post; for they had already stationed a couple of scouts
to serve as guardians of the camp.
Paul walked over to where Dobbin was munching the tender grass, being
secured against straying by a long rope.
A minute later Jack joined him, carrying a lantern. Together they walked
to the road not far away, and turned back over the ground they had
covered late in the afternoon.
"There's the bend," whispered Jack presently.
"I see it," replied his comrade; "and it must have been somewhere close
to this spot I saw that wheel appear, and then vanish so suddenly."
"Which side of the road did he dive into?" queried Jack.
"On our left. We'll look there first, anyhow, though if we find no signs
I'll turn the other way, for I might have been mistaken. Watch sharp,
now, Jack."
The light of the lantern soon showed them what Paul had expected to
find. The plain print of a pneumatic rubber tire was seen, turning
abruptly off the road, and running into the scrub alongside.
"Here, what do you make of that?" he asked, a tinge of triumph in his
voice.
"The mark of tires as sure as anything," replied Jack, bending down the
better to examine the imprint. "From the way they show up you can see it
was no ordinary bicycle that made the trail, but something heavier. Yes,
it was Ward on his motorcycle. But you didn't hear the popping of the
machine, did you?"
"For a good reason," returned Paul, immediately. "You see the road
descends for some distance, and he had just got over a long coast when
he turned this bend. The engine was shut off."
"But the machine isn't here now?" continued Jack.
"Of course not," Paul admitted. "But any one with half an eye can see
where he rolled it along here back of the brush, returning to where he
came from. If we followed it a little way, we'd be sure to find that he
hurried back up the road, pushing his machine, and in time stopped the
rest of the bunch as they came along."
"Well, that proves one thing then; they know where we are in camp,"
observed Jack, with a serious expression on his face; for he understood
Ted Slavin's tactics of old, and could easily guess what might follow.
"It proves more than one thing to me," declared Paul. "If they didn't
mean to badger us in some way why should Ward hurry back to tell the
rest, and keep them from showing up here?"
"Then we'll have to get ready for an attack. Do you think they would
dare stone the camp, and try to smash our tents?" and Jack gritted his
teeth at the bare idea.
"Would you put it past them?" Paul asked; "haven't they proved
themselves ready to do any sort of mean trick in the past? All we can do
is to keep constantly ready, and live up to our motto."
"But suppose they do jump in on us; must we turn the other cheek, and
get it on both sides?" demanded Jack, with whom this was always a
disputed point.
"Not by any means," declared his chum, positively. "Boys may go a
certain distance in forgiving an enemy who is sorry, and asks to be let
off; but they never will stand for milk and water stuff like that, and
you know it, Jack. We seek no quarrel, and will go as far as the next
one to avoid it; but," and Paul's face took on a look of grim
determination while he was speaking, "if they push us too far, why we
must just sail in and lick the whole bunch. Sometimes peace can only be
had after fighting for it."
"Glad to hear you say so. Shall we go back to the camp now, Paul?" asked
his chum.
"Might as well, I reckon," came the answer; "because we have no idea of
following this trail back to where that crowd has camped. But I'm glad I
happened to glimpse that fellow as he came around the bend. It gives us
fair warning, and if we're caught napping, why we deserve to get the
worst of the argument, that's all."
"Huh! I'm glad we brought our staves along then," observed Jack.
They turned to retrace their steps. Paul half fancied he had seen a
flitting figure among the trees not far away; but the light was so
uncertain, he could not say positively that it had not been a passing
shadow, cast by one of the boys near by, crossing in front of the big
fire.
If Ted and his followers were in truth hovering around, it would not be
advisable for himself and Jack to wander any further away, lest they be
set upon, overpowered by superior numbers, and kidnapped.
That would be a sad beginning to the great tour, which was almost
certain to cause it to prove a failure from the start. Perhaps those
shrewd plotters meant that it should be so; and were laying all their
plans to that effect.
Unconsciously, then, Paul quickened his footsteps, and cast more than
one glance over his shoulder, not fancying being taken by surprise. Even
his companion noticed his uneasiness, and commented on it.
"Oh!" laughed Paul, "I imagine the idea must have come to me that they'd
like nothing better than to nab both of us, and carry us off. With no
head, the boys would soon get sick of staying up here, and scatter for
home."
"Well, then," declared Jack, positively, "they mustn't have a chance to
get you, if we can help it. But here we are close to the camp. Do you
mean to tell them now?"
"It might be just as well," answered the leader, seriously; "every
fellow would be put on his mettle then, knowing what was hanging over
his head. And the sentries will hardly dare go to sleep on post. I know
they realize the nature of such an offense; but many of these fellows
are only tenderfeet when it comes to actual service; and what would you
expect of boys anyway?"
Jud was the first to see that something was wrong. As he jumped up and
hurried over to confer, others took the alarm. Joking ceased, and a
look of real concern might be noticed upon many a face that, but a brief
time before, was wreathed in broad smiles.
Then Paul explained. The moment he mentioned the name of Ted Slavin
angry looks were exchanged between numbers of the scouts. They knew only
too well, whenever that bully was around, there was apt to be trouble.
"They're after our good grub, that's what!" suggested one, immediately.
"But they don't get it, if we know it," declared another, positively.
"We're for peace first, last and all the time, even if we have to fight
for it," observed William, showing his white teeth with one of his
famous grins.
"That's the ticket. We seek no quarrel with anybody; but we're like Paul
Jones' flag of the Revolution, with a rattlesnake coiled, and the motto,
'don't tread on me!' Isn't that it, fellows?" exclaimed Wallace
Carberry.
"Leave it to Paul here; he knows what to do," ventured Jack.
"Sure," called out Bobolink, lustily; "whatever Paul says goes with us.
Think up a good one, please, Paul, and teach those pirates a lesson
they'll remember. They've been wanting a good licking this long time
back."
"After what we did to them only last night?" demanded Jack. "If your
left leg was sore this morning, what d'ye think the other fellow's felt
like?"
"Thirty cents, I reckon," replied William, promptly.
Paul soon had his plan of campaign practically arranged. As it was
plainly the intention of the marauders to steal a portion or all of
their supplies, these were taken from the wagon and stored in the
duplicate mess tent. As this happened to be in the middle of the camp
the chances of any hostile force being able to reach it without
attracting attention from those on guard seemed too remote to cause
anxiety.
Other arrangements were made. Fires were laid ready for instant
kindling, so that in case of a midnight alarm the woods might be quickly
illuminated, and the enemy readily discovered.
Paul went about certain preparations on his own account, nor did he take
any one into his confidence, not even his chum.
"When does the moon set to-night, Wallace?" he asked, knowing that the
sober Carberry Twin always kept informed concerning such matters.
"Eleven twenty-seven," came the immediate reply, just as if Wallace
might be reading it from an almanac; and so he was, only it was figured
out in his wise old brain, and not printed upon book paper.
"Then if there's going to be any sort of row, believe me it will hold
off until after that time," remarked the patrol leader, positively.
"Yes, Ted is always copying after the Indians in those cheap library
stories he buys for his nickels," Wallace made reply. "Those five-cent
redmen never used to attack a camp until the moon had gone down.
Generally it was just before peep of day, because men, and boys too,
seem to sleep sounder then."
"All right. You and I will be on deck to receive them. I've fixed it so
our turn comes after eleven, for I knew the new moon would be gone by
then. That gives us a chance to snatch some sleep beforehand," remarked
Paul.
Once more, just before taps was sounded, he made the rounds of the
encampment in order to reassure himself that all was well.
At that time nothing suspicious caught his eye. If any of their foes
were hovering near by they knew well how to conceal themselves so as not
to be discovered.
Dobbin was still munching the sweet grass as far around him as his rope
would permit. Like most old raw-boned horses he seemed never able to get
enough to eat. Still, Paul thought that the expedition would be reduced
to more or less straits if deprived of old Dobbins' services; and so he
ordered that the animal be led up closer to the camp, being secured to
a tree where he could be watched.
With the warning call from the bugler there was an immediate dispersal
of the merry group around the campfire. These boys had been drilled in
the duties that devolve upon organized forces in the field. They
understood that without discipline nothing could ever be accomplished;
and all were ready to obey orders to the letter.
There was a little good-natured scrambling when the rude beds were made
up; but as soon as "taps" really sounded all activity ceased. No fellow
was anxious to be the first to get bad marks registered against him in
the record of the big hike.
Those selected for doing duty during the first part of the night paced
their posts, and exchanged low calls whenever they drew near one
another. They were expected to keep a vigilant watch over the entire
camp, and if the least suspicious thing caught their attention, a signal
had been arranged whereby Paul would be notified, even though he were
asleep at the time.
Two hours passed without the slightest alarm. Then came the time to
change sentries. Paul and Wallace were among the quartette that now came
on duty; for the acting scoutmaster insisted on sharing the duties of
his men. He refused to benefit by the circumstances that had conspired
to thrust him into the exalted position usually filled by Mr. Gordon.
Just as Wallace had predicted, the moon faded out of sight before
half-past eleven came around. After that it was certainly dark, and
perhaps it seemed more so on account of the contrast.
Believing that if any peril hung over them, now was the time for it to
make itself known, Paul redoubled his vigilance as he kept back in the
shadows among the trees and eagerly watched in the direction of the
camp.
For half an hour nothing happened. He heard the customary sounds in the
woods, with which he was so familiar, and which he so dearly loved.
Then, while he was gazing at the dying camp fire he suddenly made a
discovery that gave him quite a start.
Some moving object caught his eye, not upon the ground as might have
been expected, but up in the branches of a wide-spreading oak tree.