A RED LETTER DAY IN THE WOODS
Both Hugh and Ralph looked serious when their comrade made this
announcement.
"That's a tough deal on you, old fellow!" said the latter, feeling
that it must mean considerable to Bud to have his idea stolen just
when it was giving promise of being a signal success.
"Sure you left them there on the pile of blankets, are you?" asked
ever practical Hugh.
"That's right, he did," Ralph volunteered. "I remember seeing some
papers there when I went out, and I was the last to leave, you know.
And you say that they've clean disappeared, have they, Bud?"
"Come on in and see if either of you have sharper eyes than I seem to
have," the other scout demanded.
Accepting the invitation, Hugh and Ralph bustled about for several
minutes, hunting all through the interior of the shack, but without
any success.
"Nothing here, that's sure," admitted the patrol leader. "It was
careless of you to leave your precious plan behind when you went to
try the model out."
Bud scratched his tousled head as though endeavoring to collect his
wits.
"Let me see," he started to say, slowly; "don't blame me if I'm all
mixed up over this business. I've waited so long for this time to
come that I'm sure rattled, that's what's the matter. What did I
lay down here? Some parts of the plans for the model, that goes
without saying; but seems like I've got a paper in my pocket right
now. Let's see, I honestly believe that it's the key to the
invention. Just what it is, boys; and without this, nobody'd ever
know what all those markings on the other papers were meant for."
"Then it's all right, after all?" asked Hugh, smiling again when he
saw that suggestive grin on his comrade's face.
"It seems that I can make an aeroplane fool proof, when all the
time the fool killer ought to get hold of me," Bud confessed contritely.
"It was certainly careless of me to leave any part of my precious
papers floating around, and only good luck has saved me from being
left high and dry. But perhaps those fellows will think they've
got hold of some remarkable design. They might crack their brains
trying to make it out, and then not learn a single thing. When
a fellow laughs last, he's going to laugh best, believe me."
"Well, next time be more careful, that's all," advised Ralph. "You
can't always count on being so lucky. An inventor ought to keep his
secrets locked up, and not let them lie around loose. You'll find
that there are plenty of sly thieves ready to steal ideas, as well
as money and jewels. An idea that's worth a fortune can be cribbed
a heap easier than the coin itself."
"Only a part of the morning's gone," announced Hugh. "How shall we
put in the rest of the day?"
"Oh! I'll be pretty busy making repairs to my model," Bud replied.
"You two fellows can find plenty to interest you both. Only don't
roam too far afield in looking up interesting things. With that
mysterious pair hanging out around here, I won't feel any too easy
in my mind. My idea may be worth a cool million, you know."
While Bud was working diligently, the other two amused themselves
first of all by closely examining the ground just before the door of
the cabin.
"Here you can see several imprints of that fine pair of shoes," Ralph
said almost immediately; "and that makes it look as though the man
who wore them really did slip inside while we were away. Chances are,
he wonders what boys wearing khaki suits like the regular soldiers of
the army are up here for. You agree with me, don't you, Hugh?"
"It looks that way," admitted the other. "Here you see one of the
impressions has stopped short only a few inches from the door, as if
the man stood here listening before stepping in, after carefully
removing the piece of rope we fixed to hold the door shut from the
outside."
"But how do you know that that impression wasn't made twenty-four
hours ago?" asked Bud, who was sitting cross-legged close by and
listening to their talk, even while he worked at his broken wing tip.
"Nothing could be easier," replied Hugh. "Here's the foot mark I
purposely made when I came out of the cabin last, and you can see
that he stepped into the same place. That tells us he was here
_afterward_. Get that, don't you, Bud?"
"I'd be a donkey if I didn't, and not worthy of being called a scout,"
the other boy remarked with scathing emphasis. "Fact is, if my mind
wasn't so much wrapped up with this aeroplane stability device, I
couldn't have missed seeing that little trick myself if I'd looked
the ground over; because that happens to be one of the first things
I ever learned about tracking and trailing."
"Even if the sneak didn't get anything worth while," Ralph continued
indignantly, "the fact that they seem to be hanging out around here
seems to tell that they must have a good reason for it all. The more
I get to thinking about it, the less I feel like saying we'd better
let the thing alone because it doesn't concern us. When things come
to such a pass that unknown persons even sneak into your cabin in
your absence and steal what they believe to be valuable papers, it's
high time to take a hand in the business. And if while we're
wandering around here we happen to run across those two men, I'll
feel like asking what they mean by poking their noses into Bud's
private business."
"Hear! hear!" said Bud, pretending to clap his hands; "that's the
sort of a chum to stack up with. Ralph's the kind to stick to a
fellow through thick and thin. And please inform that taller
walking mystery for me, Ralph, that I feel like telling him to
his face that he's a thief. Will, too, if ever I get half a chance."
Pretty soon Hugh and Ralph changed the subject of conversation and
wandered off together, talking earnestly about the habits of
muskrats and mink and otter. It was pretty late in the year to do
much in the way of tracking, but Ralph knew several places along a
nearby stream where he had often caught mink that were using the
burrows; and he was anxious to show his friend certain things in
connection with the habits of the sleek animals, the skins of which
were always in such good demand for furs.
They had a joyous time together, because both were animated by the
same sort of desire to know all that could be learned of wild animal
life. Hugh's scout education had given him a pretty good insight
into these things; but he knew the relative value of book learning
and practical experience, and never let an opportunity to see for
himself slip past.
At no time did they wander far afield. And as certain signals had
been arranged with Bud, whereby he could summon them to his assistance
in case there was any symptom of impending trouble, there did not seem
to be any need of worry.
Once in so often they would walk back to the near vicinity of the
shack; and on discovering Bud there, busily engaged in mending his
disabled aeroplane model, they considered that they could saunter
off again to investigate further into the secrets of wood and swamp,
the latter now half frozen over in the cold late November atmosphere.
That was a day Hugh Hardin would long remember. He picked up a stack
of practical information on topics that had always interested him
greatly. Ralph was the best kind of a chum with whom to be wandering
through the forest. He knew many things in connection with these
subjects and was always ready to impart information to others, as
well as to demonstrate what he was discussing.
At noontime they cooked dinner. Bud was not nearly through his
repairs, though he declared that he was making satisfactory progress
and would have the model in as good shape as ever long before
evening set in.
"To-morrow we'll have another and convincing test!" he declared
positively, with something of the air of a conqueror about him. Hugh
noticed this with a smile, though he thought there was some excuse
for Bud's displaying a disposition to "crow."
All of the boys showed that they had their appetites along with them
on this trip, to judge by the rapid way in which the great heap of
splendid flapjacks made by Ralph disappeared, until only the empty
platter remained. But then, they were up here to enjoy themselves,
and what better way could they find of doing this than by feasting
on real camp cooking?
During the afternoon, Ralph and Hugh spent some more of their time
in making discoveries. The former young trapper had a host of
reminiscences to fall back on, now that he was located close to the
scenes of many of his previous excursions in search of fur and feather.
"See that tree lying there chopped down?" he asked Hugh, as they came
upon a pretty fairsized specimen of the forest monarch, which, after
being put to the ax, had broken many limbs off when it crashed down.
"Well, I did that little job all by myself. Want to know why?"
"I might give a guess, as I see traces of old honeycomb around here.
I'll warrant you discovered a hive of bees in this tree and meant to
get gallons and gallons of their fine stores. How about that, Ralph?"
"You struck the right nail on the head," laughed the other, "just as
I felt certain you would when I saw you look around that way. Yes, I
felt amply repaid for all my work after cutting through the tree,
because two years ago times were a bit hard with the Kenyons, and
all that nice honey proved a treat in our family circle, you'd
better believe."
"How did you find the honey tree,---by tracking the bees up the usual
way?" Hugh asked.
"That was how I did it," Ralph replied. "I once saw a regular bee
hunter do the stunt, and so I knew how; and it worked right well,
too. I started out with a little honey and coaxed a wandering bee
to fill himself up. Then with a pair of old opera glasses, I watched
his flight just as far as I could see him. Going over to that point,
I repeated the experiment. After doing it for about six times I saw
my loaded bee rise, and make for this tree. Then, as it was a warm
noon, I discovered a swarm of young bees trying their wings away up
in the air, and I knew I had located the tree hive. It is an easy
job, once you get on to it, Hugh."
"Some time I'd like to come out with you and try for another hive,"
observed the other scout. "But it's too late this year, because,
unless a very warm day happens to come along, the bees will stick
close to their hives."
In this sort of fashion the afternoon did not hang heavy on the hands
of the two boys. It never does with scouts who are alive to their
opportunities along the line of investigation. Time passed so
quickly and pleasantly that, almost before either of them suspected
it, the sun started to go down. And about the same moment they
heard Bud giving the Wolf signal, not in a fashion to indicate any
pressing necessity for their presence at the shack, but just to tell
them he was getting lonely and that they had better come home.
They found that Bud had started supper, being in a joyous frame of
mind because of the glittering prospects for success in connection
with his new invention. Bud was a novice in the business. He would
doubtless learn in due time how many bitter disappointments attend
the fortunes of all those who spend their waking hours in trying to
conjure up startling innovations.
After the evening meal had been enjoyed to its limit and everything
cooked by Bud had vanished, the three chums again sat around and
talked on all sorts of interesting subjects.
Bud, however, seemed to be uneasy. Perhaps it was on account of his
anxiety to have the morrow come, when he could improve on the trial
of his model aeroplane. Then again it might have been that the
attempted larceny of his precious plan wore upon his mind.
Be that as it may, every little while he would go to the door and
step outside.
It might have been the fourth time he did this that he thrust his
head inside again and called to the others to join him.
"That clatter of machinery is hanging around again, Hugh!" he said,
excitedly. "Perhaps you'll be able to tell me whatever it means,
and if we could really hear the working of the mills all these miles
away!"