NO SURRENDER
"It looks like a set-up job to me!" declared Josh Kingsley, with a ring
of honest indignation in his voice.
"They've been hearing so much talk about what a great time we meant to
have, it's just made them green with envy; that's what I think,"
ventured Horace Crapsey.
"Yes, but why pick out Big Bear Mountain," Felix wanted to know;
"unless they meant to spy on the scouts, and give us all the trouble
they could?"
There were signs of anger visible on every side. Scouts may be taught
that it is noble to forgive those who wrong them, but all the same they
are human, and deep down in their boyish hearts is the resentment any
one with spirit feels at being imposed upon.
"We haven't lifted a finger to interfere with anything that crowd
wanted to do," said Walter Douglass, aggressively; "and they have no
business to upset our plans."
"Huh! just let them try it, that's all!" grunted Josh, shaking his
head.
"We had an experience something like this over in Winchester, where I
belonged to the scouts before moving to Lenox," remarked Rob Shaefer,
one of the two new boys.
"Do you mean some rowdies tried to make trouble for you?" asked Carl.
"In every way they could," the new boy replied. "We stood it as long as
we could, and then acted."
"What did you do to them?" asked Mr. Witherspoon, with an amused smile,
for he liked to see these wide-awake lads figure out their own plans,
and was greatly interested in listening to their discussions as they
worked them out.
"When it became unbearable," said Rob, gravely, though his eyes
twinkled, "we ducked the whole five in a frog pond, and after that they
let us alone."
"Cooled 'em off, eh?" chuckled Josh, whom the account seemed to amuse
very much. "Well, that isn't a bad idea, fellows. Frog ponds have their
uses besides supplying messes of delicious frog-legs for eating.
Anybody know of a pond that's got a nice green coating of scum on the
top? That's the kind I'd like to see Tony and his bunch scrambling
around it."
"Oh! the pond will crop up all right when the time comes," asserted
Felix Robbins, confidently; "they always do, you know."
"But what are we going to do about this thing?" asked Tom, as the
chairman of the meeting. "Motions are in order. Somebody make a
suggestion, so we can get the sense of the troop."
"One thing certain," observed George, "we've got to give up the plan
we've mapped out, and change our programme--or else count on running
foul of Tony and his crowd. Which is it going to be?"
A chorus of indignant remonstrances immediately arose.
"Why should we take water when we laid our plans first?" one demanded.
"There are only four of them, all told, while we expect to number ten,
perhaps a full dozen!" another scout announced.
"I don't believe in knuckling down to any ugly lot of fellows that
chooses to knock up against us," and Josh must have expressed the
feelings of most of those present when he said this, for there was a
chorus of "my sentiments exactly," as soon as he finished.
Then, somehow, all eyes began to turn toward the scout master. They had
come to think a great deal of Mr. Witherspoon. He seemed to have a
great love for boys implanted in his heart, and was thus an ideal
scout master; for there was always an exchange of sympathy between him
and his charges.
"You want to know what I think of it, boys?" he started to say.
"It would have a heap of influence on our actions, sir--even if we did
hate to play second fiddle to that crowd," admitted Felix.
"But I can see no reason why we should do that," the scout master
immediately told them, and at this the anxious look on many faces gave
way to one of satisfaction.
"Then you don't want us to give up the Big Bear Mountain hike, and make
up another programme; is that it, Mr. Witherspoon?" asked Tom, who had
not been quite so much concerned as some of the others, because he
believed he knew the nature of their efficient scout master, and that
he was not one of the "back-down" kind.
"Why should we do that?" replied the other, quietly. "We are not
supposed to be aware of the fact that these four rowdies have gone off
in that direction. Our plain duty is to follow out our original plans,
go about our own business, interfering with no one, and at the same
time standing up for our rights."
At hearing this some of the boys turned and exchanged expressive grins;
others even shook hands with each other. Fair play was something they
admired above all things; and this manly stand on the part of their
scout master pleased them immensely.
"We're all glad to hear you say that, Mr. Witherspoon," the chairman of
the meeting told him. "I'm sure I voice the sentiments of every scout
present when I say that while we'll try to avoid trouble up to a
certain point, there's going to be a limit to our forbearance."
"And the frog-pond cure is always available as a last resort," added
the new boy from Winchester.
"Now let us try to forget all about this disagreeable topic, and go on
with the discussion concerning the things we should take with us," the
scout master suggested. "Scouts should always be able to meet an
emergency, no matter how suddenly it is forced on them. We'll be
prepared, but at the same time not borrow trouble."
Accordingly all mention of Tony Pollock and his scapegrace cronies was
avoided as they once more entered into a warm but perfectly friendly
argument.
There was one among them, however, who seemed to still look troubled.
This was no other than Carl Oskamp. Glancing toward his chum several
times, Tom could see the lines on his forehead, and he was also able
to give a pretty good guess why this should be so.
Of course, it was all on account of the fact that when George made his
announcement concerning the movements of Tony Pollock he had stated
that Dock Phillips was one of the group that had left town, bent on
spending a week on Big Bear Mountain.
This meant that the new scheme which Carl had expected to "try out" on
the coming Saturday night could not be attempted, because the object of
his attention would be far away.
Tom meant to comfort his chum after the meeting, when they were walking
home together. He could see further than Carl, and would be able to
find more or less encouragement in the way things were working.
Scout affairs were certainly picking up in Lenox of late. Perhaps the
coming to town of Rob Shaefer and Stanley Ackerman, who had both
belonged to troops in the past, may have had considerable to do with
it.
At any rate the new Wolf Patrol numbered five, and other boys were
showing a disposition to make application for membership. Rob Shaefer
was booked for the patrol leader, because of his previous experience
along those lines, as well as the fact that he was becoming well liked
in Lenox boy circles.
The other new boy, while a pretty fair sort of fellow, did not have the
same winning qualities that Rob did. Some of them even thought he felt
envious because of Rob's popularity, though if this were true, he took
the wrong means to supplant his rival in the affection of their new
friends.
As this would be the last chance to talk things over, every little
detail had to be settled before the meeting broke up. Each boy who
expected to accompany the expedition starting out to explore Big Bear
Mountain was directed what to carry with him.
"And remember," Mr. Witherspoon told them as a final caution, "we
expect to do much tramping under a hot June sun, so that every ounce
you have to carry along will tell on your condition. Limit your pack to
the bare necessities as we've figured them out, and if necessary the
strong will assist the weak. That's about all for to-night, boys. Seven
sharp on Monday morning outside the church here, unless it's stormy.
The church bell will ring at six if we are going."
The boys gave a cheer as the meeting broke up. And it was a
merry-hearted lot of lads that started forth bound for various homes
where there would be more or less of a bustle and excitement until the
hour of departure arrived on Monday morning.
Tom and Carl walked home together.
"I could see what ailed you, Carl," the patrol leader was saying as he
locked arms with his chum; "you felt as though things were going
against you when George announced that Dock had left town."
"Because now I'll not have a chance to try out that second plan we'd
arranged for, and which I had great hopes might succeed," complained
Carl, gloomily.
"Cheer up," urged the other, in his hearty fashion; "perhaps things are
working your way after all. How do we know but that a glorious chance
may come up and that you can win out yet? Dock has gone to Big Bear
Mountain, where we expect to camp. In a whole week or more we're apt to
run across him maybe many times. And Carl, something seems to tell me
your chance is going to come while we're off on this hike. Dock hasn't
settled with Mr. Culpepper yet, that's certain; and he's got that paper
hidden away still. Keep up your hopes, and it's sure to come out all
right yet. Besides, think what a grand time we're going to have on our
outing!"