MORE RUMBLINGS OF COMING TROUBLE.
"WHEW! you don't say!" exclaimed Larry, frowning.
"Takes my breath away, that's what!" gasped Jasper.
"Seems to me that both of you look on the event in the light of what my
chum, Mark Cummings, would term a _catastrophe_!" chuckled Elmer.
"Well, I know that Matt pretty well," grumbled Larry. "To tell the
truth, him and me have had more'n a few battles inside the last five
years. And I owe more'n one black eye to his way of carrying his fists.
If Matt Tubbs has gone and organized a gang of scouts it spells trouble
with a big, big T for our fellows. Huh!"
"See here, why do you call the new troop a 'gang'? Is that respectful,
and the way to treat fellow scouts?" laughed Elmer.
"You know just as well as I do, Elmer," went on the indignant Larry,
"that with such a bully as Matt Tubbs at the head of it, no collection
of scouts could ever get a charter from Headquarters. Why, the tough
crowd he trains with couldn't begin to subscribe to the twelve cardinal
laws of the organization."
"Well, it makes me smile," said Jasper, though in reality he looked
disgusted. "Think of Matt Tubbs, the bully who uses more hard words than
any fellow I ever ran across, promising these things: To be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient to authority,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and last of all but hardest for Matt,
reverent! Oh! my, the world will come to an end before Tough Matt can
hold up his hand in a scout salute, and solemnly say that he believes in
that list."
"It does seem next to impossible," remarked Elmer; "and yet sometimes
miracles happen even in these days, fellows. Who knows but what we
Hickory Ridge scouts may be given the chance, and the privilege as well,
to open the eyes of Matt Tubbs?"
"That would sure be a miracle!" scoffed Larry, who believed that he
ought to know the subject of their talk better than Elmer, since the
latter had not been living in the neighborhood more than a year or so,
having come with his father from Canada, where Mr. Chenowith had had
charge of a great ranch and farm.
"All right, we'll wait and see," Elmer went on, evenly. "Anyhow, I've
had the news straight that they have two patrols enlisted, of eight
fellows each. That is doing better than the Hickory Ridge scouts;
because up to now our patrols are not completed, there being but six in
each."
"Say, that's always been a puzzle to me, why Jack Armitage and Nat Scott
were left out to start a new patrol to be called the Eagle," remarked
Jasper.
"I thought you knew about it," replied Elmer. "But you must have been
absent at the time it was talked over. You see, it's hardest to find
fellows qualified to be scout leaders, and assistant leaders. Plenty of
raw recruits can be enlisted on the other hand. Myself and Mark happened
to be selected for the first patrol, and Matty Eggleston, with Red
Huggins, came along and qualified for the second. That gave us just six
members for each patrol, you see."
"Yes, I'm following you, Elmer; please go on," said Jasper, eagerly.
"It just happened that the next two boys to enlist were Jack and Nat,
both of whom knew considerable about woodcraft, and were ambitious to
learn more. When Mr. Garrabrant and myself talked it over--for I was a
duly appointed assistant scout-master by that time, you know--we
concluded that it would be wise to start a third patrol, with those two
fellows at the head, and after that fill up our three patrols to the
limit of eight each."
"Thank you, Elmer; I get on to it now," Jasper remarked.
"And I understand that several good fellows have applied for membership
in our troop?" observed Larry.
"Yes, their names will be proposed at the next meeting, which by the way
comes this very night. Hope neither of you will be so leg tired that you
stay away. Before Fall comes around the church improvements will be
finished, and then we'll have a meeting room worth while. Just now that
old wheelwright's shop at the crossroads must serve our purpose."
"Oh! there, that's too bad!" suddenly ejaculated Jasper, coming to a
halt.
"What ails him now?" Larry remarked, surveying his companion queerly.
"I went and forgot something; how silly of me," Jasper went on.
"Oh! we'll agree with you, all right," grinned Larry; "but suppose you
tell us what it was? If you left anything back there where we hung our
clothes on a hickory limb, until it looked like a regular Irish washday,
why, the chances are you're out that much, because I for one decline to
cover all that ground again."
"And I wanted to know so much!" grumbled Jasper, as he raised one of his
feet and rubbed his shoe regretfully.
Elmer watched his actions and smiled. Evidently he had guessed what was
on the other's mind.
"Perhaps I might tell you what it was, Jasper," he said, quietly.
"I wish you would, Elmer," cried the other. "Did you peek in, and see
him? And was it a great big black bear, or a savage bobcat?"
"Neither, I think," came the answer. "You would be pretty safe to call
it a 'coon, and let it go at that."
"What, only a pesky little raccoon, and to pitch in for me like that?"
cried the other. "Why, I thought he was going to chew me all to pieces,
and I was sure it must be a wildcat at least."
"That may have been because you were excited," the scout leader pursued;
"and I've no doubt but what the rascal clawed at you, and used his sharp
teeth pretty freely, because he was badly frightened and concerned. Even
a rat will fight when at bay. And he thought you were coming in to get
him."
"But how do you know it was a raccoon?" demanded Jasper.
"I saw his tracks near the log, in a spot where the rain hadn't washed
them out," Elmer went on.
"Oh!" Jasper laughed, "I forgot that you showed us how different the
tracks of wildcats, raccoons, mink, possums, and muskrats were. I saw it
at the time, but just now they're all alike 'coons to me. But Elmer, I'm
going to study up on that subject. It seems to grip me more'n anything
else about the scout business, except p'raps that Injun picture writing.
I liked that; and me to be an artist. I can draw, if I can't excel in
other things."
"But when you get to drawing remember that every picture has got to tell
a story, so plain and simple that a child can read it. That's the beauty
of Indian picture writing. But look, fellows, what's ahead!"
Elmer pointed as he spoke, and the other scouts gave a hearty cheer.
"The road!" cried Larry.
"Now things look promising," Jasper observed; "and the walking will be
easier. But speaking of shoes, I suppose those scratches on mine will
prove my little yarn about the hollow log, when I tell it to the bunch.
If they try to make out I'm stretching things, you fellows have just got
to back me up."
"So long as you stick to facts we will," remarked Larry; "but take care
you don't go to calling it a bobcat, or a tiger. I'll throw up my hands
at that."
"A scout is truthful, even if it doesn't say anything about that in the
twelve articles we subscribe to," remarked Jasper, solemnly.
"Yes," Elmer broke in, "and now that Jasper knows it was only a 'coon
that had its den in that hollow log, he will never try to say it was a
wildcat; though if he wants he can declare he _thought_ at the time he
was being attacked by a panther."
"I somehow can't help thinking of that Matt Tubbs," Larry observed,
after they had been tramping along the road for half an hour or more,
and had covered nearly two miles of the five separating them from
Hickory Ridge.
"Yes," Elmer admitted, "I suppose there'll be more or less talk about
him to-night at the meeting. Now, if his crowd only went into this thing
the right way, what great times we could have competing with the
Fairfield troop! But as it is, as they find themselves debarred from
becoming affiliated with the regular Boy Scout organization, I'm afraid
Matt and his cronies will try to take it out on us, by giving us all the
trouble they can."
"Why, I wouldn't put anything past that mean chap," declared Jasper.
"It does seem as though Matt didn't have any redeeming qualities about
him," remarked Elmer, thoughtfully; "and yet, fellows, do you remember
that just one year ago when a house burned over at Fairfield, who was
it dashed recklessly into the building, when even the regular fire
laddies held back, and pulled an old woman out alive? Seems to me that
was Matt Tubbs, queer though it sounds."
"Right you are, Elmer," admitted Larry. "We all wondered about it at the
time, and were beginning to think Matt might be turning over a new leaf,
but the next time we met him he was just the same nasty scrapper as
ever."
"And you know," went on Jasper, "it turned out that the old woman was
his grandmother, and not a stranger."
"All the better," said Elmer, stoutly. "It proves that Matt must have
had some human feeling in that tough heart of his, to risk his life for
an old and infirm woman. But listen, fellows, I thought I heard somebody
shouting!"
The three scouts stood still, and strained their ears.
"Oh! help! help! won't somebody come to help us?" came a wailing cry, in
what seemed to be a woman's voice.
"Goodness gracious!" exclaimed Jasper, "somebody's in a peck of trouble
right around that bend in the road there!"
"Yes, and I remember there was a house along here somewhere," Larry
cried, as the three of them started on a sprint along the road.
When presently they turned the bend they came upon a scene that gave
them a severe shock. And even Jasper forgot all his recent thrilling
experiences in the warm impulse of his boyish heart to prove of some
assistance to those who seemed in such dire need of aid.