THE BLACK BEAR PATROL
It was a lively scene in the room under the church when the meeting was
called to order by Mr. Witherspoon, the civil engineer and surveyor. A
dozen boys were on hand, several having come from curiosity, and
meaning to join the scouts later on if they saw reason to believe it
would amount to anything.
Besides the boys there were present Judge Stone, his friend the
hermit-naturalist, Larry Henderson, and two fathers, who had dropped
around to learn whether this new-fangled movement for the rising
generation meant that the boys were to be secretly trained for
soldiers, as so many people believed.
Robert Witherspoon having once been a scout master knew how to manage a
meeting of this sort. After he had called it to order he made a neat
little speech, and explained what a wonderful influence for good the
organization had been in every community where it had been tested.
He read various extracts from the scout manual to show the lofty aims
of those who had originated this idea which was taking the world by
storm.
"The boys have been neglected far too long," he told them; "and it has
been decided that if we want a better class of men in the world we must
begin work with the boy. It is the province of this scout movement to
make duty so pleasant for the average lad that he will be wild to
undertake it."
In his little talk to the boys Mr. Witherspoon mentioned the fact that
one of the greatest charms of becoming scouts was that growing habit of
observing all that went on around them.
"When you're in town this may not seem to be much of a thing after
all," he had gone on to say; "but in the woods you will find it an ever
increasing fascination, as the wonders of nature continue to be
unfolded before your eyes. We are fortunate to have with us to-night a
gentleman who is known all over the country as a naturalist and lover
of the great outdoors. I think it will be worth our while to listen
while he tells us something of the charming things to be found in
studying nature. Mr. Henderson I'm going to ask you to take up as much
time as you see fit."
When Tom and Carl and some of the other boys did that little favor for
Mr. Larry Henderson they were inclined to fancy that he was rather
rough in his manner.
He had not been talking five minutes however, before they realized that
he was a born orator, and could hold an audience spell-bound by his
eloquence. He thrilled those boys with the way in which he described
the most trivial happening in the lonely wilds. They fairly hung upon
his every sentence.
"When you first commence to spend some time in the woods, boys," he
told them, "it will seem very big and lonesome to you. Then as you come
to make the acquaintance of Br'er 'Coon and Mr. Fox and the frisky
chipmunk and all the rest of the denizens, things will take on a
different color. In the end you will feel that they are all your very
good friends, and nothing could tempt you to injure one of the happy
family.
"Yes, it is true that occasionally I do trap an animal but only when I
find it a discordant element in the group. Some of them prey upon
others, and yet that is no excuse why man should step in and
exterminate them all, as he often does just for the sake of a few
dollars."
This sort of talk roused the enthusiasm of the boys, and when after a
while Mr. Witherspoon put the question as to how many of them felt like
immediately signing the roster roll so as to start the first patrol of
the intended troop, there was a good deal of excitement shown.
First of all Tom Chesney signed, and immediately after him came Carl,
Felix, Josh and George. By the time these five names had appeared Josh
had slipped his arm through that of Walter Douglass and brought him up
to the table to place his signature on the list.
"We need two more to make up the first patrol," announced Mr.
Witherspoon. "Unless eight are secured we cannot hope to get our
charter from scout headquarters, because that is the minimum number of
a troop. I sincerely hope we may be able to make so much progress
to-night at this meeting that I can write to-morrow to obtain the
necessary authority for acting as your scout master."
At that another boy who had been anxiously conferring with his father
walked forward.
"Good for you, Billy Button!" called out Josh. "That makes seven, and
we only need one more name. Horace, are you going to see this grand
scheme fall through for lack of just a single name? Your sig would look
mighty good to the rest of us at the end of that list." Then he ended
with an air of assumed dignity, "Horace, your country calls you; will
it call in vain?"
Horace Herkimer Crapsey was the boy who had been spoken of as a dainty
dude, who hated to soil his white hands. Tom had expressed it as his
opinion that if only Horace could be coaxed to join the troop it would
prove to be the finest thing in the world for him. He had the making of
a good scout only for those faults which other boys derided as silly
and girlish. He was neat to a painful degree, and that is always looked
on as a sort of crime by the average boy.
Horace evidently had been greatly taken by the combined talk of the
scout master and the old hermit-naturalist. To the great delight of
Josh, as well as most of the other boys, he now stepped forward and
placed his name on the list.
"That makes eight, and enough for the first patrol," announced Mr.
Witherspoon, with a pleased look; "we can count on an organization now
as a certainty. All of you will have to start in as tenderfeet, because
so far you have had no experience as scouts; but unless I miss my guess
it will be only a short time before a number of you will be applying
for the badge of second-class scouts."
"That's just what we will, sir!" cried Josh, brimming over with
enthusiasm.
"We cannot elect a patrol leader just now," continued Mr. Witherspoon,
"until there are some of you who are in the second class; but that will
come about in good time. But it is of considerable importance what name
you would like to give this first patrol of the new Lenox Troop of Boy
Scouts."
There was a conference among the boys, and all sorts of suggestions
were evidently being put forward. Finally Tom Chesney seemed to have
been delegated as usual to act as spokesman.
"Mr. Chairman," he said, rising from his seat, "my comrades of Lenox
Troop have commissioned me to say they would like to ask Mr. Henderson
to name the first patrol for them. They believe they will be perfectly
satisfied with any name he may think best to give them."
Judge Stone smiled, and nodded his head as though he considered this
quite a neat little compliment for his good old friend. And the
naturalist was also evidently pleased as he got upon his feet.
"After all, boys," he told them, "it is a matter of very little
consequence what you call this fine patrol. There are a dozen names
that suggest themselves. Since you have a Bear Mountain within half a
dozen miles of your town suppose you call it the Black Bear Patrol."
There was a chorus of approving assents, and it looked as though not a
single objection was to be offered.
"The black bear is an American institution, you might say," Mr.
Henderson continued, when this point had been settled, "and next to the
eagle is recognized as distinctive. From what I have heard said this
evening it seems to me also that the Boy Scouts of America differ from
any other branch of the movement in many ways."
"Above all things," exclaimed Mr. Witherspoon, "in that there is
nothing military about the movement over here. In Europe scouts are in
one sense soldiers in the making. They all expect to serve the colors
some day later on. We do not hold this up before our boys; though never
once doubting that in case a great necessity arose every full-fledged
scout would stand up for his country's honor and safety."
"Every time!" exclaimed the impetuous Josh.
Long they lingered there, discussing many things connected with the
securing of their uniforms, after the proper time had elapsed. Various
schemes were suggested whereby each boy could earn enough money to pay
for his outfit; because that was one of the important stipulations made
in joining a troop, no candidate being allowed to accept help in
securing his suit.
Before the meeting was adjourned it was settled that they were to come
together every Friday night; and meanwhile each member of the Black
Bear Patrol expected to qualify for the grade of second-class scout
just as soon as his month of membership as arranged under the bylaws of
the order had expired.