HOW THE LAND LAY.
Upon hearing Rob speak so favorably of the scheme, Tubby grinned, and
gave both of the other scouts a sly wink, as much as to say: "See how
you can get there by keeping everlastingly at it?" That was the fat
boy's best quality: persistence. If he failed to reach his aim twenty
times he was apt to proceed to try again and again until success
rewarded him.
"Then come along over home with me and have a talk with Uncle Mark!" he
told the patrol leader as he began to hunt all around for his hat, which
he often mislaid. He was finally informed coolly by Andy that it was
perched on his head, as he had forgotten to remove it when entering
Rob's den!
So the four hurried out. Signs of the late storm's fury could be seen in
every direction. Great limbs had been torn from some of Hampton's finest
trees; chimneys had been demolished in several places; and it was not
hard to believe that at the climax of the hurricane the new roof of the
Academy had been carried off.
First of all, Rob said they should satisfy themselves that this report
was true; so they joined the crowds that were heading for the school
grounds. When the boys saw what a wreck the storm had made of the
building, none of them doubted any longer that a vacation period was
bound to result. And strange to say, while some of the town fathers
walked around, viewing the damage with long faces, knowing how heavily
it would cost to repair the school, nobody saw a single boy looking
glum!
"That's one point settled, anyhow," Andy remarked gleefully, as they all
turned away, heading for the Hopkins' home.
"And say, Mexico looks a whole lot closer to me, don't you know?" Tubby
chirped, with such a happy look on his rosy face that any one might have
thought he was on the eve of starting on a picnic instead of a serious
undertaking. But, then, boys never see the dark side of things, such is
the enthusiasm and optimism of youth.
"Too bad about one thing, Tubby, if so be you get away on this journey,"
remarked Andy, giving Merritt a wink as he spoke.
"What's that, Andy, you're hinting about?" asked the other.
"It's going to knock your fine plans silly; about searching every tool
chest in town, you know, and finding the brace and nicked bit that
chawed a hole through the bottom of Rob's sailboat," the bugler of the
Eagles went on to say.
Tubby looked somewhat glum, and shrugged his plump shoulders ruefully.
"Say, that's a fact, fellers," he remarked dolefully; "and I'd sure set
my heart on finding out the miscreant, and exposing him to his face.
Such a smart idea of mine it was, too, finding that shaving with the
tell-tale mark! But if I don't get a chance to spy around between now
and the time we leave Hampton, I'll keep it in mind. And every time I
look at that incriminating bit of evidence, I'll renew my vow to place
the guilt on the shoulders where it belongs just as soon as I get back
home after a successful trip."
Tubby, when he wanted to, could appear very eloquent, and use some of
the longest words in the dictionary. Fortunately these periods did not
crop up very often, or his chums would not have stood for such airs.
Andy pretended to feel faint as it was, and begged Merritt to fan him.
"All I can say about the matter is that I'm sorry for the fellow who
bored that hole through my boat," Rob remarked; "because when once Tubby
sets his mind on anything it's bound to come, sooner or later. But here
we are at your house; and now to meet Uncle Mark."
Three minutes later they were all sitting around a small, dark-featured
gentleman, who wore a big pair of goggles and looked as though he might
be pretty sick. This was Uncle Mark. The fever he had contracted in the
hot depths of the African jungles had taken such a hold upon his system
that he began to despair of ever being able to travel again; and he had
sought his sister's home as a haven of refuge in his last days.
He seemed to guess about what the three scouts had come to see him;
which would indicate that Tubby had done considerable talking, even to
promising that he would coax the others to join him in making the trip
to the country south of the Rio Grande.
As Rob went over pretty much the same ground as when he was questioning
Tubby, it would hardly pay us to repeat what passed between Uncle Mark
and the boys for the first half hour of the conference. Of course the
old traveler was able to go further into details; and some of his
descriptions of those warm times when he first met Villa, the bandit,
thrilled his young hearers.
"Some people might think it a very unwise thing for me to try and induce
a party of mere lads to start down into that sorely distressed and
torn-up country just now on such a strange errand," Uncle Mark said
after a while; "but I've considered everything carefully, and I actually
believe you would have a far better chance for success than if I
entrusted the mission to a man, who would be sure to get mixed up with
some of the rival factions and lose out. Besides, I've become very much
interested in the aims of Boy Scouts since I've come to Hampton; and
some of the things you Eagles have done fairly made my heart go out to
you. I believe that if anybody can make a success of this errand you
can."
Naturally enough such words of warm praise made the scouts feel drawn
toward the broken down old traveler and explorer more than ever. Uncle
Mark had seen such a host of remarkable things during his roving life
that this fact alone would endear him to all boys who had red blood in
their veins. And scouts in particular, with their love for outdoors and
the myriad secrets of the wilderness, might be expected to feel warmly
toward one who had camped for months amidst the savage tribes of Africa,
hunted through the tropical forests of South America in search of new
orchids, and lived the free life of an explorer.
Still Rob went on asking questions, for he knew that they could not have
too much information concerning the country they meant to visit, and the
people they must meet there.
All of them examined the quaint ring that Uncle Mark passed around,
which, as he said, General Villa had given him years ago. At that time
the present leader of the rebel forces in Northern Mexico was looked on
as a hunted bandit, with a price set on his head by President Diaz.
"Should you conclude to undertake this mission, Rob," the old gentleman
went on to say, with an anxious, almost pleading look on his face,
"which I earnestly hope may be the case, I mean to put this ring on your
finger, because I suppose you are to be the leader. When you want to
prove to General Villa that you come direct from his old friend, Doctor
Matthews, all you have to do is to show him that; and if he is the man
of his word that I firmly believe him to be, there is nothing he can do
for you that he will refuse. But more than that, I expect to entrust you
with a letter to him, written in Spanish, but also translated for your
benefit. In it I shall ask him to dispose of all my cattle, if they are
still safe, to the best advantage possible, and to send me the proceeds
by you, as I am in a bad state and shall need the money. Is that plain,
boys?"
"It couldn't be more so, sir," Rob assured him.
"And now, after you have heard all that I can tell you, what do you
think about undertaking the expedition for me?" continued the other
eagerly. Tubby gripped the sides of his chair and held his breath,
waiting for Rob to settle the important question then and there.
Rob was too diplomatic to do so off-hand. He knew that several things
had to be taken into consideration before they could think of assenting.
"All I can say just now is this, Dr. Matthews," he remarked. "I'm for
going, now that I understand things better, and know that there is
really some sort of chance that your cattle have been guarded, because
of this friendship for you on the part of Villa; and you tell us that he
is a man who never forgets a friend. But before we can say positively
that we'll undertake the job, we shall have to see what the home folks
have to say about it."
"Of course. I expected that, Rob," the gentleman went on; "and if any of
you meet with opposition, please send the fathers or mothers over to see
me, and I'll try my best to win them to your way of thinking. It means
everything to me, because that ranch is all I've got left in the wide
world; and I put over a hundred thousand dollars into it."
"Oh! so far as my father is concerned, sir," Rob assured him, "I'm
pretty sure there'll be little talking needed to make him see it in the
right light; because he's the finest dad on all Long Island, and he
believes in me from the word go. Merritt, here, has a coaxing way about
him that generally gets what he wants from his father, who is the
jolliest big man you ever saw wield a sledge. About Andy I'm not so
sure; but if there is going to be no school for two months, and his
father learns that the rest of us are going, I have hopes that he will
say yes."
"And I know he will!" exclaimed the bugler of the troop positively.
"Because he believes that scouts can take care of themselves anywhere.
Since I joined the Eagles I've shown so much improvement, he says, that
there is really nothing he would refuse me that was in reason."
"Which shows that your father is a sensible man," remarked Uncle Mark;
"and I hope to meet him before long. But how soon can all this be
settled, Rob? Because every day counts terribly now. If my cattle have
been spared all these months, it may be that General Villa, believing I
never mean to return to Mexico, and needing money to buy supplies for
his troops, may feel that he has done all that could be asked of him,
and yield to the pressure. Yes, a day might turn the scales, and lose me
all my valuable stock. Make it as short a delay as you can, please,
Rob."
"Oh! we'll settle that this very night, sir," replied the patrol leader
promptly. "It has always been a habit of mine not to let the grass grow
under my feet. And if things turn out right, why, I can see no reason
why we shouldn't make a start--by, say, to-morrow afternoon!"
"Hurray!" cried Tubby, dancing around the room; while his mother, who
had come in to hear what was being said, hardly knew whether to look
pleased or worried. To have her only boy leave home on such an errand
was enough to cause any mother considerable anxiety.
Both Merritt and Andy grinned, as though the prospect pleased them
greatly. What scout could help feeling delighted over such a chance for
visiting a country about which they had been reading so much as they had
of Mexico lately? That the unhappy republic was in the throes of civil
war did not seem to appal them at all; for never having experienced any
of the horrors of such a conflict, they could not realize what it meant.
Uncle Mark could understand all about it, though; but he was so anxious
to find out about his ranch, and had such blind faith in the ability of
these clever scouts to take care of themselves under any and all
conditions, that he shut his eyes to the possibility of their coming to
harm.
And that was about the last word; for presently Rob and his chums said
good-bye to the sick man, who shook hands with each scout, and said he
would continue to hope they might decide to undertake the mission of
trying to save the last valuable possession he had in the wide world.
After which they went out to talk it all over again, and lay plans as to
what their program would be in case every obstacle were cleared away and
they saw an open door beyond them.
"Well," said Rob finally; "if we do go we'll have our hands full getting
ready to skip out to-morrow; so Merritt, you and Andy had better see how
the land lies with your fathers; while I wait for mine to come home at
noon. Here's hoping you'll have the best of luck!"