ON THE WAY
Amidst many hearty cheers and the clapping of hands the Boy Scouts
started off. Felix Robbins had been elected bugler of the troop, and as
there was no regular instrument for him, he had thought to fetch along
the fish horn the boys used in playing fox and geese.
This he sounded with considerable vim as the khaki-clad lads marched
away, with a flag at their head, the scout master keeping step
alongside the column.
Some of the older people had come to see them off. Others hurried to
the open doors and windows at the sound of the horn and the cheers, to
wave their hands and give encouraging smiles.
It was a proud time for those boys. They stood up as straight as
ramrods, and held their heads with the proud consciousness that for the
time being they were the center of attraction.
There were ten in all starting forth. More might have gone, only that
no scout not wearing the khaki could accompany the expedition; and
besides the members of the Black Bear Patrol, Rob Shaefer and Stanley
Ackerman were the only two who could boast of a uniform.
A number of boys accompanied them for a mile or so, to give them a good
send-off; after which they either returned home or else went over the
river fishing.
For the first two miles or so every one seemed to be standing the tramp
well. Then as it began to get warmer, and the pack, somehow, seemed to
increase in weight, several scouts lagged a little.
Seeing this, and understanding that it is always an unwise thing to
push a horse or a human being in the beginning of a long race, Mr.
Witherspoon thought it best to slacken their pace.
They were in no particular hurry to get anywhere; and once heels began
to get sore from the rubbing of their shoes, it would not be easy to
cure them again. The wise scout master was a believer in the motto that
"an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure."
Ahead of them loomed the lofty elevation that possibly from its shape
had long been known as Big Bear Mountain. The boys had tried to learn
just how it came by that name--and naturally this subject interested
them more than ever as they found themselves drawing steadily closer to
its foot.
"It doesn't look so _very_ much like a bear to me," George Kingsley
remarked, as the discussion waxed warmer. Though for that matter George
always did find some reason to object to almost everything.
"I was told by an old settler who ought to know," ventured Tom, "that
long ago numerous bears lived in the rocky dens of the mountain, and
that's how it came to be called as it is."
"Must have been years and years ago then," said Josh, "because I never
remember hearing about a bear being seen hereabouts. I often used to
look for bear tracks when I was out hunting, but of course I never
found one."
"Wouldn't it be a great thing if we did happen on a real bear while we
were out on this hike?" suggested Billy Button, who was rather given to
stretches of imagination, and seeing things where they did not exist.
So they beguiled the time away as they tramped along. Gradually they
approached the great gloomy looking mountain, and it was seen that by
the time they stopped for their noon meal they would probably be at its
foot.
Tom and Carl were walking together, for somehow the boys seemed to pair
off as a general thing. Carl was looking brighter now, as though in the
excitement of the start he might have temporarily forgotten his
troubles.
"There don't seem to be so many farms up this way as we thought," Tom
observed as they found themselves walking close beside a stretch of
woodland, with a gully on the other side of the road.
"That may make it harder for us to get the supplies we'll need, I
should think," suggested Carl, who knew the leaders of the expedition
had counted on finding hospitable farmers from time to time, from whom
they could purchase bread, butter, and perhaps smoked ham or bacon,
very little of which had been carried with them--in fact no more than
would be required for a few meals.
"Yes," admitted Tom readily enough. "But then it will afford us a
chance to show our ability as scouts--and if you look at it the right
way that counts for a lot. When everything goes according to the
schedule you've arranged there isn't much credit in doing things; but
when you're up against it good and hard, and have to shut your teeth
and fight, then when you accomplish things you've got a right to feel
satisfied."
Carl knew full well there was a hidden significance beneath these words
of his chum's--and that Tom was once more trying to buoy up his hopes.
Since they had struck a portion of country not so thickly populated,
the observing scouts had commenced to notice numerous interesting
sights that attracted their attention. Soon every boy was straining
his eyesight in the hope of discovering new things among the trees, in
the air overhead, or it might be amidst the shadows of the woodland
alongside the country road.
The scout master encouraged this habit of observation all he could. He
knew that once it got a firm hold upon the average boy he could never
again pass along a road or trail in the country without making
numberless discoveries. What had once been a sealed book to his eyes
would now become as an open page.
About this time there were heard inquiries as to when they expected to
stop and have a bite of lunch. Tom and the scout master had already
arranged this, and when the third scout was heard to say he felt as
hungry as a wolf, Tom took it upon himself to explain.
"If you look ahead," he remarked, so that all could hear, "you'll
notice where a hump of the mountain seems to hang over the road. That's
about where we expect to rest an hour or so."
"Must be something unusual about this particular place, I should say,
for you to settle on it ahead of time this way," remarked wise Josh in
his Yankee way.
"There is," Tom informed him. "According to my map here, and what
information I've been able to pick up, there's a fine cold spring
bubbles up alongside the road right there; and for one I'm feeling the
need of a good drink the worst kind."
After that it was noticed that even the laggards began to show unusual
energy, as if the prospect of soon being able to throw themselves down
and slake their thirst, as well as satisfy their hunger, appealed
forcibly to them.
It was close on to noon when finally, with a shout, they hurried
forward and dropped their packs close to where the ice-cold spring
flowed.
"Queer how heavy those old packs do get the longer you carry them,"
observed George, as he waited for his turn to lie down and drink his
fill of the spring water.
"You're a suspicious sort of fellow, George," declared Felix; "I've
seen you turn around as quick as a flash, just as if you thought some
other scout might be hanging his pack on to yours, so as to make you
carry double."
George turned redder than he had already become under the force of the
sun; but he did not deny the accusation.
It was decided not to light a fire at noon. They could eat a cold lunch
and wash it down with water.
"We'll keep our fire for this evening," said Mr. Witherspoon; "you know
it is generally quite a ceremony--the starting of the first campfire
when scouts go off on a long trip."
Waiting until the sun had started well on his way down the heavens,
and there had arisen a little breeze that made it more bearable, the
scout master finally had Felix sound his fish horn for the signal to
"fall in."
Some of the boys did not show quite as much animation as on that other
occasion. They were not accustomed to walking for hours, and would have
to get used to it through experience.
An hour later they were straggling along, some of them on the other
side of a wire fence that separated the road from the woods, as there
seemed to be a chance of making interesting discoveries there.
"Look at that red squirrel hanging head down to the bark on the trunk
of that tree!" exclaimed Billy Button; "I never noticed just how they
did that stunt before."
"Huh! lots of us are seeing things through a magnifying glass since we
joined the scouts," admitted Felix. "Seems as if the scales have been
taken from my eyes, and I find a thousand things worth looking at all
around me."
"Well, here comes one right now, Felix; and he's a bouncer at that!"
cried the third of the group that had invaded the woods beyond the
barbed-wire fence.
Even as he spoke there was a furious barking, and a savage-looking dog
came tearing swiftly toward them, evidently bent on doing mischief.