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THE BANNER BOY SCOUTS SNOWBOUND
Or
A Tour on Skates and Iceboats
by
GEORGE A. WARREN
Author of "The Banner Boy Scouts,"
"The Musket Boys of Old Boston," Etc.
Illustrated
[Illustration: "LOOK OUT! THE SECOND CAT!" YELLED PAUL.
_The Banner Boy Scouts Snowbound Page 161_]
The Saalfield Publishing Co.
Akron, Ohio--New York
Made In U. S. A.
Copyright, 1916, by
Cupples & Leon Company
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. On the Frozen Bushkill 1
II. When the Old Ice-House Fell 8
III. The Rescue 15
IV. A Quick Return for Services Rendered 23
V. A Startling Interruption 30
VI. A Gloomy Prospect for Jud 38
VII. Paul Takes a Chance 46
VIII. Bobolink and the Storekeeper 54
IX. "Fire!" 62
X. The Accusation 69
XI. Friends of the Scouts 76
XII. The Iceboat Squadron 84
XIII. On the Way 91
XIV. The Ring of Steel Runners 98
XV. Tolly Tip and the Forest Cabin 105
XVI. The First Night Out 112
XVII. "Tip-Ups" for Pickerel 119
XVIII. The Helping Hand of a Scout 126
XIX. News of Big Game 134
XX. At the Beaver Pond 141
XXI. Setting the Flashlight Trap 149
XXII. Waylaid in the Timber 157
XXIII. The Blizzard 165
XXIV. The Duty of the Scout 172
XXV. Among the Snowdrifts 180
XXVI. Dug Out 187
XXVII. "First Aid" 194
XXVIII. More Startling News 202
XXIX. The Wild Dog Pack 211
XXX. A Change of Plans 219
XXXI. Good-Bye to Deer Head Lodge 227
XXXII. The Capture of the Hobo Yeggmen 235
XXXIII. Conclusion 243
PREFACE
DEAR BOYS:--
Once more it is my privilege to offer you a new volume wherein I have
endeavored to relate further interesting adventures in which the
members of Stanhope Troop of Boy Scouts take part. Most of my readers,
I feel sure, remember Paul, Jud, Bobolink, Jack and many of the other
characters, and will gladly greet them as old friends.
To such of you who may be making the acquaintance of these manly young
chaps for the first time I can only say this. I trust your interest in
their various doings along the line of scoutcraft will be strong
enough to induce you to secure the previous volumes in this series in
order to learn at first hand of the numerous achievements they have
placed to their credit.
The boys comprising the original Red Fox Patrol won the beautiful
banner they own in open competition with other rival organizations.
From that day, now far in the past, Stanhope Troop has been known as
the Banner Boy Scouts. Its possession has always served as an
inspiration to Paul and his many staunch comrades. Every time they see
its silken folds unfurled at the head of their growing marching line
they feel like renewing the vows to which they so willingly subscribed
on first joining the organization.
Many of their number, too, are this day proudly wearing on their
chests the medals they have won through study, observation, service,
thrift, or acts of heroism, such as saving human life at the risk of
their own.
I trust that all my many young readers will enjoy the present volume
fully as much as they did those that have appeared before now. Hoping,
then, to meet you all again before a great while in the pages of
another book; and with best wishes for every lad who aspires to climb
the ladder of leadership in his home troop, believe me,
Cordially yours,
GEORGE A. WARREN.
THE BANNER BOY SCOUTS SNOWBOUND
CHAPTER I
ON THE FROZEN BUSHKILL
"Watch Jack cut his name in the ice, fellows!"
"I wish I could do the fancy stunts on skates he manages to pull off.
It makes me green with envy to watch Jack Stormways do that trick."
"Oh, shucks! what's the use of saying that, Wallace Carberry, when
everybody knows your strong suit is long-distance skating? The fact is
both the Carberry twins are as much at home on the ice as I am when I
get my knees under the supper table."
"That's kind of you to throw bouquets my way, Bobolink. But, boys,
stop and think. Here it is--only four days now to Christmas, and the
scouts haven't made up their minds yet where to spend the glorious
holidays."
"Y-y-yes, and b-b-by the same token, this year we're g-g-going to
g-g-get a full three-weeks' vacation in the b-b-bargain, b-b-because
they have t-t-to overhaul the f-f-furnaces."
"Hold on there, Bluff Shipley! If you keep on falling all over
yourself like that you'll have to take a whole week to rest up."
"All the same," remarked the boy who answered to the odd name of
Bobolink, "it's high time we scouts settled that important matter for
good."
"The assistant scout-master, Paul Morrison, has called a meeting at
headquarters for to-night, you understand, boys," said the fancy
skater, who had just cut the name of Paul Morrison in the smooth, new
ice of the Bushkill river.
"We must arrange the programme then," observed Bobolink, "because it
will take a couple of days to get everything ready for the trip, no
matter where we go."
"Huh!" grunted another skater, "I can certainly see warm times ahead
for the cook at _your_ house, Bobolink, provided you've still got that
ferocious appetite to satisfy."
"Oh! well, Tom Betts," laughed the other, "I notice that you seldom
take a back seat when the grub is being passed around. As for me I'm
proud of my stowage ability. A good appetite is one of the greatest
blessings a growing boy can have."
"Pity the poor father though," chuckled Wallace Carberry, "because he
has to pay the freight."
"Just to go back to the important subject," said Bluff Shipley, who
could speak as clearly as any one when not excited, "where do you
think the scouts will hike to for their Christmas holidays?"
"Well, now, a winter camp on Rattlesnake Mountain wouldn't be such a
bad stunt," suggested Tom Betts, quickly.
"For my part," remarked Bobolink, "I'd rather like to visit Lake
Tokala again, and see what Cedar Island looks like in the grip of Jack
Frost. The skating on that sheet of water must be great."
"We certainly did have a royal good time there last summer," admitted
Jack, reflectively.
"All the same," ventured Tom, "I think I know one scout who couldn't
be coaxed or hired to camp on Cedar Island again."
"Meaning Curly Baxter," Bobolink went on to say scornfully, "who
brazenly admits he believes in ghosts, and couldn't be convinced that
the place wasn't haunted."
"Curly won't be the only fellow to back out," suggested Jack. "While
we have a membership of over thirty on the muster roll of Stanhope
Troop, it isn't to be expected that more than half of them will agree
to make the outing with us."
"Too much like hard work for some of the boys," asserted Tom.
"I know a number who say they'd like to be with us, but their folks
object to a winter camp," Wallace announced. "So if we muster a
baker's dozen we can call ourselves lucky."
"Of course it must be a real snow and ice hike this time," suggested
Bluff.
"To be sure--and on skates at that!" cried Wallace, enthusiastically.
"Oh! I hope there's a chance to use our iceboats too!" sighed Tom
Betts, who late that fall had built a new flier, and never seemed
weary of sounding the praises of his as yet untried "Speedaway."
"Perhaps we may--who knows?" remarked Jack, mysteriously.
The others, knowing that the speaker was the nearest and dearest chum
of Paul Morrison, assistant scout-master of Stanhope Troop of Boy
Scouts, turned upon him eagerly on hearing this suggestive remark.
"You know something about the plans, Jack!"
"Sure he does, and he ought to give us a hint in the bargain!"
"Come, take pity on us, won't you, Jack?"
But the object of all this pleading only shook his head and smiled as
he went on to say:
"I'm bound to secrecy, fellows, and you wouldn't have me break my word
to our patrol leader. Just hold your horses a little while longer and
you'll hear everything. We're going to talk it over to-night and
settle the matter once for all. Now let's drop the subject. Here's a
new wrinkle I'm trying out."
With that Jack started to spin around on his skates, and fairly
dazzled his mates with the wonderful ability he displayed as a fancy
skater.
While they are thus engaged a few words of explanation may not come in
amiss.
Stanhope Troop consisted of three full patrols, with another almost
completed. Though in the flood tide of success at the time we make the
acquaintance of the boys in this volume there were episodes in the
past history of the troop to which the older scouts often referred
with mingled emotions of pride and wonder.
The present status of the troop had not been maintained without many
struggles. Envious rivals had tried to make the undertaking a failure,
while doubting parents had in many cases to be shown that association
with the scouts would be a thing of unequalled advantage to their
boys.
Those who have read the previous books of this series have doubtless
already formed a warm attachment for the members of the Red Fox Patrol
and their friends, and will be greatly pleased to follow their
fortunes again. For the benefit of those who are making their
acquaintance for the first time it may be stated that besides Jack
Stormways and the four boys who were with him on the frozen Bushkill
this December afternoon, the roster of the Red Fox Patrol counted
three other names.
These were Paul Morrison, the leader, the other Carberry twin, William
by name, and a boy whom they called "Nuthin," possibly because his
name chanced to be Albert Cypher.
As hinted at in the remarks that flew between the skaters circling
around, many of the members of the troop had spent a rollicking
vacation the previous summer while aboard a couple of motor boats
loaned to them by influential citizens of their home town. The strange
adventures that had befallen the scouts on this cruise through winding
creeks and across several lakes have been given in the pages of the
volume preceding this book, called "The Banner Boy Scouts Afloat; Or,
The Secret of Cedar Island."
Ever since their return from that cruise the boys had talked of little
else; and upon learning that the Christmas holidays would be
lengthened this season the desire to take another tour had seized upon
them.
After Jack so summarily shut down upon the subject no one ventured to
plead with him any longer. All knew that he felt bound in honor to
keep any secret he had been entrusted with by the assistant
scout-master--for Paul often had to act in place of Mr. Gordon, a
young traveling salesman, who could not be with the boys as much as he
would have liked.
Jack had just finished cutting the new figure, and his admirers were
starting to give vent to their delight over his cleverness when
suddenly there came a strange roaring sound that thrilled every one of
them through and through. It was as if the frozen river were breaking
up in a spring thaw. Some of the boys even suspected that there was
danger of being swallowed up in such a catastrophe, and had started to
skate in a frenzy of alarm for the shore when the voice of Bobolink
arose above the clamor.
"Oh! look there, will you, fellows?" he shouted, pointing a trembling
finger up the river. "The old ice-house has caved in, just as they
feared it would. See the ice cakes sliding everywhere! And I saw men
and girls near there just five minutes ago. They may be caught under
all that wreckage for all we know! Jack, what shall we do about it?"
"Come on, every one of you!" roared Jack Stormways, as he set off at
full speed. "This means work for the scouts! To the rescue, boys!
Hurry! hurry!"