SCOUTING GAMES, COMPETITIONS, AND PLAYS.
WORDS TO INSTRUCTORS.
FOREWORD FOR INSTRUCTOR.
[_N.B.--Remarks printed in italics are, throughout the book,
addressed to the Instructor._]
_By the term "Instructor" I mean any man or lad who takes up the
training of either a Patrol_ (i.e., _six to eight boys_), _or a Troop_
i.e., (_several Patrols joined together_).
_By means of this book I hope that anyone, even without previous
knowledge of scouting, may be able to teach it to boys--in town just as
well as in the country._
_The system is applicable to existing organisations such as schools,
boys' brigades, cadet corps, etc., or can supply a simple organisation
of its own where these do not exist. But in all cases I would strongly
commend the "Patrol" system: that is, small permanent groups, each under
responsible charge of a leading boy, as the great step to success._
_The reasons for this, the objects of the training and full hints to
Instructors I have already published in a pamphlet called "The Boy
Scouts Scheme." Price Twopence. Published by Bradbury, Agnew, Bouverie
Street, London, E.C. They will be further set forth in Part VI. of the
present book._
_I recommend the Instructor to begin with a Patrol of eight boys if
possible, and when these have qualified as "First-class Scouts" to
select the best five or six to raise each a patrol of his own and
instruct it under his (the Instructor's) supervision._
_A great step is to obtain, if possible, a room, barn, or school to
serve as a Club, especially for work on long winter evenings. It must be
well-lit and warmed. And to have a camp-out in the summer._
_There need be no great expense in working a troop of Boy Scouts._
_Finance must largely depend on the efforts of the Scouts themselves.
Methods for making money will be indicated in Part IV. I do not hold
with begging for funds if it can possibly be avoided._
_Any further information or advice will readily be given on application,
and I shall be glad to have any suggestions or informal reports of
progress and numbers trained. But I have no desire to trouble
Instructors with red-tape returns, and so on._
_Scouts' Badges, Medals, Patrol Flags, and Crests, Tracking Irons, and
such articles of scouts' equipment, can be obtained at low rates on
application here._
_All communications should be addressed, not to me by name, but to:_
_THE MANAGER,_
_Boy Scouts,_
_Goschen Buildings,_
_Henrietta Street,_
_London, E.C._
_R. S. S. B.-P.
January, 1908._
PART I.--CONTENTS.
SCOUTCRAFT.
NOTES FOR INSTRUCTOR.
CAMP FIRE YARNS.
1.--SCOUTS' WORK: The Mafeking Cadets. "Kim."
2.--SUMMARY OF COURSE OF INSTRUCTION: The Elsdon Murder.
3.--BOY SCOUTS' ORGANISATION: Officers; Test for Scouts; Scout's
Badges, Medals, etc.; Scout's Oath; Secret Signs and Calls; Dress.
4.--SCOUT LAW.
GAMES AND PRACTICES.
BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT.
CHAPTER I.
SCOUTCRAFT.
NOTE FOR INSTRUCTOR.
_The following is a suggestion for the distribution of the work for the
first week. It is merely a suggestion and in no sense binding._
FIRST EVENING:
INDOORS.
_Address the boys on "Scoutcraft," giving a summary of the whole scheme,
as in this chapter, with demonstrations or lantern slides, etc._
_Swear in the Scouts, form Patrols, and give shoulder knots._
FOLLOWING DAY:
MORNING AND AFTERNOON.
_Practical work, outdoors if possible, as follows:--_
_Alternatives according to whether in town or country, indoors or out._
MORNING.
_Parade, hoist Union Jack and salute it._
_Scouting game: e.g., "Scout Meets Scout." (See page 53)._
_Practise salutes, secret signs, patrol calls, scouts' chorus, etc._
_Practise drawing scout-signs on ground or walls with stick or chalk._
_Tie knots._
_Make ration bags, leather buttons, etc._
MORNING.
_Parade. Prayers or Church Parade (if Sunday)._
_Physical Exercises._
_Drill._
_Self-measurement by each scout of span, cubit, finger joint, stride,
etc._
_Send out scouts independently or in pairs to do a "good turn," to
return and report how they have done it._
_March out the Patrol to see the neighbourhood._
_Make them note direction of starting by compass, wind, and sun._
_Notice and question them on details seen, explain "land marks," etc._
_Make Scout's Marks on ground or chalk them on pavement or walls._
_Practise Scout's pace._
_Judge distances._
AFTERNOON.
_Play an extended Scouting Game. (See "Games," P. 51)._
_Or indoors if wet--"Ju-Jitsu," "Scouts' War Dance," Boxing, Scouts'
Chorus and Rally, etc._
EVENING.
_Camp Fire Yarns from this book or from books recommended (see p. 19)._
_Or rehearse a Scout play, or hold Debate, Kim's Game, etc._
_Patrols to continue practice in these throughout the week in their own
time or under the scout master, with final games or exercise on the
following Saturday afternoon._
_If more evenings than one are available in the week one of the subjects
might be taken in turn more fully each evening, and rehearsals carried
out of a display such as "Pocahontas."_
CAMP FIRE YARN.--No. 1.
MAFEKING BOY SCOUTS.
We had an example of how useful Boy Scouts can be on active service,
when a corps of boys was formed in the defence of Mafeking, 1899-1900.
Mafeking, you may remember, was quite a small ordinary country town out
on the open plains of South Africa.
Nobody ever thought of its being attacked by an enemy any more than you
would expect this town (or village) to be attacked--the thing was so
improbable.
But it just shows you how you must be prepared for what is _possible_,
not only what is _probable_ in war; and so, too, we ought to be prepared
in Britain against being attacked by enemies; for though it may not be
probable, it is quite as possible as it was at Mafeking; and every boy
in Britain should be just as ready as those boys were in Mafeking to
take their share in its defence.
Well, when we found we were to be attacked at Mafeking, we told off our
garrison to the points that they were to protect--some 700 trained men,
police, and volunteers. And then we armed the townsmen, of whom there
were some 300. Some of them were old frontiersmen, and quite equal to
the occasion; but many of them, young shopmen, clerks, and others, had
never seen a rifle before, and had never tried to learn to drill or to
shoot, and so they were hopelessly at sea at first. It is not much fun
to have to face an enemy who means to kill you, when you have never
learned to shoot.
Every boy ought to learn how to shoot and to obey orders, else he is no
more good when war breaks out than an old woman, and merely gets killed
like a squealing rabbit, being unable to defend himself.
Altogether, then, we only had about a thousand men all told to defend
the place which contained 600 white women and children, and about 7,000
natives, and was about five miles round.
[Illustration: Lord Edward Cecil and Boy Scouts in Mafeking.]
Every man was of value, and as their numbers gradually got less, owing
to men getting killed and wounded, the duties of fighting and keeping
watch at night got harder for the rest. It was then that Lord Edward
Cecil, the chief staff officer, got together the boys in the place and
made them into a cadet corps, put them in uniform and drilled them; and
a jolly smart and useful lot they were. We had till then used a large
number of men for carrying orders and messages and keeping look-out, and
acting as orderlies and so on. These duties were now handed over to the
boy cadets, and the men were released to go and strengthen the firing
line.
And the cadets, under their serjeant-major, a boy named Goodyear, did
right good work, and well deserved the medals which they got at the end
of the war. Many of them rode bicycles, and we were thus able to
establish a post by which people could send letters to their friends in
the different forts, or about the town, without going out under fire
themselves; and we made postage stamps for these letters which had on
them a picture of a cadet bicycle orderly.
[Illustration: Stamp.]
I said to one of these boys on one occasion, when he came in through
rather a heavy fire: "You will get hit one of these days riding about
like that when shells are flying." And he replied: "I pedal so quick,
sir, they'd never catch me." These boys didn't seem to mind the bullets
one bit; they were always ready to carry out orders, though it meant
risk to their life every time.
Would any of you do that? If an enemy were firing down this street, and
I were to tell one of you to take a message across to a house on the
other side, would you do it? I am sure you would. But probably you
wouldn't much like doing it.
But you want to prepare yourself for it beforehand. It's just like
taking a header into cold water; a fellow who is accustomed to bathing
thinks nothing of it; he has practised it over and over again, but ask a
fellow to do it who has never practised it and he will funk it.
So, too, with a boy who has been accustomed to obey orders at once,
whether there is risk about it or not; the moment you order him to do a
thing on active service, no matter how great the danger is to him he
does it, while another chap who has never cared to obey would object,
and would then be despised as a coward even by his former friends.
But you need not wait for war in order to be useful as a scout. As a
peace scout there is lots for you to do any day, wherever you may be.
SCOUTS' WORK.
I suppose every British boy wants to help his country in some way or
other.
There is a way, by which he can do so easily, and that is by becoming a
scout.
A scout, as you know, is generally a soldier who is chosen for his
cleverness and pluck to go out in front of an army in war to find out
where the enemy are, and report to the commander all about them.
But, besides war scouts, there are also peace scouts, _i.e._, men who in
peace time carry out work which requires the same kind of abilities.
These are the frontiersmen of all parts of our Empire. The "trappers" of
North America, hunters of Central Africa, the British pioneers,
explorers, and missionaries over Asia and all the wild parts of the
world, the bushmen and drovers of Australia, the constabulary of
North-West Canada and of South Africa--all are peace scouts, real _men_
in every sense of the word, and thoroughly up in scout craft, _i.e._,
they understand living out in the jungles, and they can find their way
anywhere, are able to read meaning from the smallest signs and
foot-tracks; they know how to look after their health when far away from
any doctors, are strong and plucky, and ready to face any danger, and
always keen to help each other. They are accustomed to take their lives
in their hands, and to fling them down without hesitation if they can
help their country by doing so.
They give up everything, their personal comforts and desires, in order
to get their work done. They do not do all this for their own amusement,
but because it is their duty to their King, fellow-countrymen, or
employers.
The History of the Empire has been made by British adventurers and
explorers, the scouts of the nation, for hundreds of years past up to
the present time.
The Knights of King Arthur, Richard Coeur de Lion, and the Crusaders,
carried British chivalry into distant parts of the earth.
Raleigh, Drake, and Capt. John Smith, soldiers and sailors of Queen
Elizabeth's time, faced unknown dangers of strange seas, as well as the
known dangers of powerful enemies, to take and hold new lands for the
expansion of our small kingdom.
Capt. Cook in Australia, Lord Clive in India, opened up new countries.
Speke, Baker, and Livingstone pushed their way through the savage
deserts and forests of Africa; Franklin and Ross braved the ice and
snows of the Arctic regions.
In the present time Selous, the great hunter, and Lieut. Boyd Alexander,
who last year crossed Africa, are peace scouts.
These are just a few names out of many hundreds of the scouts of the
nation who have from all times down to the present spread the good name
and power of our country in all parts of the world.
And there have been women scouts of the nation, too: such as Grace
Darling, who risked her life to save a shipwrecked crew; Florence
Nightingale, who nursed sick soldiers in the Crimean War; Miss Kingsley,
the African explorer; Lady Lugard, in Africa and Alaska; and many
devoted lady missionaries and nurses in all parts of our Empire. These
have shown that girls as well as boys may well learn scouting while they
are young, and so be able to do useful work in the world as they grow
older.
It is a grand life, but it cannot suddenly be taken up by any man who
thinks he would like it, unless he has prepared himself for it
beforehand.
Those who succeed best are those who learnt scouting while they were
still boys.
Scouting also comes in very useful in any kind of life you like to take
up, whether it is soldiering or even business life in a city. Sir
William Crookes says it is even valuable for a man who goes in for
science, and finding out little things about air, and light, and so on.
So I am going to show you how you can learn scout-craft for yourself and
can put it into practice at home.
It is very easy to learn and very interesting when you get into it. You
can best learn by joining the "Boy Scouts."
"KIM."
A good example of what a Boy Scout can do is to be found in Rudyard
Kipling's story of "Kim."
"Kim," or, to give him his full name, Kimball O'Hara, was the son of a
sergeant of an Irish regiment in India. His father and mother died while
he was a child, and he had been left to the care of an aunt who lived in
an humble way in India.
His playmates were all natives, so he got to talk their language and to
know their ways better than any European. He became great friends with
an old wandering priest who was tramping about India, and with whom he
travelled all over the north part of that country. At last, one day he
chanced to meet his father's old regiment on the line of march, and in
visiting the camp he was arrested on suspicion of being a thief. His
birth certificate and other papers were found on him, and the regiment,
seeing that he had belonged to them, took charge of him, and started to
educate him. But whenever he could get away for holidays he dressed
himself in Indian clothes, and went again among the natives as one of
them.
After a time he became acquainted with a Mr. Lurgan, a dealer in old
jewellery and curiosities, who, owing to his knowledge from dealing with
natives, was also a member of the Government Intelligence Department.
[_Explain this._]
This man, finding that Kim had such special knowledge of native habits
and customs, saw that he would make a useful agent for Government
Intelligence work, that is, a kind of detective among the natives. But,
first of all, before employing him, he put him to one or two tests to
see whether he was sufficiently brave and strong-minded.
As a trial of his strong-mindedness he attempted to mesmerise him, that
is to say, he tried to make Kim's thoughts obey what was in his own
mind. It is possible for strong-minded men to do this with those of
weaker mind. The way he attempted it was by throwing down a jug of water
so that it smashed to pieces; he then laid his fingers on the boy's
neck, and wished him to imagine the jug mended itself again. But, do
what he would to make his thought reach the boy's brain, he failed; Kim
saw the jug was broken, and would not believe it was mended, although at
one time he nearly obeyed him, for he saw a kind of vision of the jug
being mended, but it faded away again.
Most boys would have let their mind and eyes wander, and would not have
been able to keep them on the one subject, and would so have easily
become mesmerised by the man.
Lurgan, finding him strong-minded and quick at learning, then gave him
lessons at noticing small details and remembering them, which is a most
important point in the training of a scout--it is a thing that he should
learn and be practising every hour of the day wherever he may be. Lurgan
began it with Kim by showing him a tray full of precious stones of
different kinds--he let him look at it for a minute, and then covered it
with a cloth, and asked him to state how many stones and what sort were
there. At first he found he could only remember a few, and could not
describe them very accurately, but with a little practice he soon got to
remember them all quite well. And so, also, with many other kinds of
articles which were shown to him in the same way.
Then Kim travelled about the country a great deal with a fine old Afghan
horse-dealer to whom he was much attached, who was also an agent of the
Intelligence Department. On one occasion Kim was able to do him a good
turn by carrying an important message for him secretly; and another time
he saved his life by overhearing some natives planning to murder him
when he came along. By pretending to be asleep and then having a
nightmare which caused him to move from his position, Kim got away from
the neighbourhood of the would-be murderers, and was able to give
warning to his friend in good time.
At last he was made a member of the Secret Service, and was given a
secret sign--namely, a badge to wear round his neck and a certain
sentence to say, which, if said in a peculiar way, meant he was one of
the service. Scouts generally have secret signs by which they can
communicate with each other.
The members of the Intelligence Service are very numerous in India, and
do not know each other by sight, so they have to have a secret sign by
which they will recognise each other among other people who may be their
enemies.
Once when travelling in the train Kim met another member whom he did not
know. This was a native, who when he got into the carriage was evidently
in a great state of alarm, and was rather badly cut about the head and
arms. He explained to the other passengers that he had met with an
accident from a cart whilst he was driving to the station, but Kim, like
a good scout, noticed the cuts were sharp and not grazes such as you
would get by falling from a cart, and so did not believe him. While the
man was tying up a bandage over his head, Kim noticed he was wearing a
locket like his own; so Kim let his own be seen. Directly the man saw it
he brought into conversation some of the secret words, and Kim answered
with the proper ones in reply. So then the stranger got into a corner
with Kim and explained to him that he was carrying out some secret
service work, and had been found out and hunted by some of the enemies
of the Government who had nearly killed him. They probably knew he was
in the train and would therefore telegraph down the line to their
friends that he was coming. He wanted to get his message to a certain
police officer without being caught by the enemy, but he could not tell
how to do it if they were already warned of his coming. Kim thereupon
hit upon the idea of disguising him.
[Illustration: Kim disguising the native spy.]
In India there are a number of holy beggars who go about the country.
They wear next to no clothing and smear themselves with ashes, and paint
certain marks on their faces; they are considered very holy, and people
always help them with food and money. So Kim made a mixture of flour and
wood ashes, which he took from the bowl of a native pipe, and he
undressed his friend and smeared these all over him, and finally, with
the aid of a little paint-box which he carried, he painted the proper
marks on the man's forehead. He smeared the man's wounds with flour and
ashes, partly so as to heal them, and also so that they did not show;
and he brushed his hair down to look wild and shaggy like that of a
beggar, and covered it with dust so that the man's own mother would not
have known him. Soon afterwards they got to a big station where on the
platform they found the police officer to whom the report was to be
made. The imitation beggar pushed up against him and got abused by the
officer in English; the beggar replied with a string of native abuse
into which he introduced the secret words. The police officer, although
he had pretended not to know Hindustani, understood it quite well, and
at once recognised from the secret words that this beggar was an agent;
and so he pretended to arrest him and marched him off to the
police-station where he could talk to him quietly. It was thus done
without anyone on the platform knowing that they were in league with
each other, or that this native beggar was the escaped Intelligence
agent.
Finally, Kim became acquainted with another agent of the department--an
educated native or Babu as they are called in India--and was able to
give him great assistance in capturing two Russian officers who were
acting as spies against the British on the north-west frontier of India.
[_Note.--Point out on map respective positions of British and
Russians._]
The Babu pretended to the Russians that he was the manager for a local
native prince who did not like the English, and travelled with them for
some time as representative of this prince. In this way he got to know
where they kept their secret papers in their baggage. At last he got up
trouble between them and a holy priest, whom they struck; this caused
great excitement among the natives, who rushed off with the baggage and
got lost in the darkness. Kim, who was among the natives, opened the
luggage and found the secret papers which he took out and carried to
headquarters.
These and other adventures of Kim are well worth reading, because they
show what valuable work a boy scout could do for his country if he were
sufficiently trained and sufficiently intelligent.
BOOKS.
The following books, which may be got from a Lending Library or from
friends, may be found useful in connection with Chapter I.:--
"Rob the Ranger," by Herbert Strang, price 6s. (Published by Hodder &
Stoughton), describes the exciting adventures of boy scouts in Canada in
the early days, including tracking and backwoods life.
Also,
* "Kidnapped," by R. L. Stevenson.
* "Kim," by Rudyard Kipling.
"Siege of Mafeking," by Major F. Baillie.
* "Two Little Savages," by E. Thompson Seton.
"Parents and Children," by Miss Charlotte Mason.
"The Romance of Every Day," by L. Quiller Couch,
gives inspiring instances of heroism in everyday life.
5s.
"Heroes of Pioneering," by Edgar Sanderson. 5s.
(Published by Seeley & Co.)
CAMP FIRE YARN.--No. 2.
SUMMARY OF SCOUT'S COURSE OF INSTRUCTION.
To become a Boy Scout you join a patrol belonging to your Cadet Corps,
or Boys' Brigade or club.
If you are not a member of one of these, or if it does not as yet
possess a patrol of scouts, you can raise a patrol yourself by getting
five other boys to join. They should, if possible, be all about the same
age. One boy is then chosen as Patrol Leader to command the patrol, and
he selects another boy to be the Corporal or second in command. Several
patrols together can form a "Troop" under an officer called a
"Scoutmaster."
You all take the scout's oath, that is you promise, _on your honour_,
three things, namely:
1. To be loyal to God and the King.
2. To help other people at all times.
3. To obey the scout law.
You learn the scout sign of the scouts (see page 40), and also the call
of your patrol (see page 45).
Every patrol is named after some animal, and each scout in it has to be
able to make the cry of that animal in order to communicate with his
pals, especially at night. Thus you may be "the Wolves," "the Curlews,"
"the Eagles," or "the Rats" if you like. No scout may ever use the call
of another patrol. The second law binds you to be loyal, kind, obedient,
and cheerful. Most of your work then consists in playing scouting games
and practices by which you gain experience as scouts. When you have
learned sufficient to pass the test you can win the badge of either a
first class or second class scout.
That of the first class scout consists of a brass arrow head with the
motto on it "BE PREPARED."
That of the second class scout is merely the motto without the arrow
head.
The meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by
previous thinking out and practising how to act on any accident or
emergency so that he is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what
to do when anything unexpected happens.
The following subjects are what you have to know about to pass the test
as a scout:--
WOODCRAFT means knowing all about animals, which is gained by following
up their foot-tracks and creeping up to them so that you can watch them
in their natural state, and learn the different kinds of animals and
their various habits. You only shoot them if in want of food; but no
scout wilfully kills an animal for the mere sake of killing, unless it
is a harmful creature.
A good story is told of a soldier in the South African War who killed a
harmless animal, namely a sheep, when the order had been given out that
nobody was to kill any animal except a "savage wild beast."
But the soldier wanted some mutton, and he found a sheep round at the
back of a house; so he started to make it into mutton with his bayonet.
Just as he was doing so an officer happened to come round the corner.
The soldier saw the danger that he was in for disobeying the order, but
he did not lose his head. Pretending not to see the officer, he again
plunged his bayonet into the wretched sheep, shouting at the same time,
"Ah, you would bite me, would you? You 'savage wild beast'!"
By continually watching animals in their natural state one gets to like
them too well to shoot them.
The whole sport of hunting animals lies in the woodcraft of stalking
them, not in the killing.
Woodcraft includes, besides being able to see the tracks and other small
signs, the power to read their meaning, such as at what pace the animal
was going, whether he was frightened or unsuspicious, and so on. It
enables the hunter also to find his way in the jungle or desert; it
teaches him which are the best wild fruits, roots, etc., for his own
food, or which are favourite food for animals, and, therefore, likely to
attract them.
In the same way in scouting in civilised countries you read the tracks
of men, horses, bicycles, etc., and find out from these what has been
going on; noticing by small signs, such as birds suddenly starting up,
that someone is moving near, though you cannot see them.
By noticing little things on the ground you will often find lost
articles, which you can then restore to their owners.
By noticing details of harness, and so on, you can often save a horse
from the pain of an ill-fitting strap or bit.
By noticing the behaviour or dress of people, and putting this and that
together, you can sometimes see that they are up to no good, and can
thus prevent a crime, or you can often tell when they are in distress
and need help or sympathy--and you can then do what is one of the chief
duties of a scout, namely, help those in distress in any possible way
that you can.
Remember that it is a disgrace to a scout if, when he is with other
people, they see anything big or little, near or far, high or low, that
he has not already seen for himself.
Kim, when learning to be scout, was taught to notice small things
quickly and to remember them, by being shown a tray full of small
articles for a few moments and then having to state what he had seen.
[_Play Kim's game. See page 54._]
CAMPAIGNING.--Scouts must, of course, be accustomed to living in the
open; they have to know how to put up tents or huts for themselves; how
to lay and light a fire; how to kill, cut up, and cook their food; how
to tie logs together to make bridges and rafts; how to find their way by
night, as well as by day, in a strange country, and so on.
But very few fellows learn or practise these things when they are living
in civilised places because they get comfortable houses and beds to
sleep in, their food is prepared and cooked for them, and when they want
to know the way "they ask a policeman."
Well, when those fellows go out to a colony, or try to go scouting, they
find themselves helpless duffers.
Take even the captain of your cricket eleven and put him down on the
South African veldt alongside the young Colonial, and see which can look
after himself. High averages and clean flannels are not much good to him
there. He is only a "tenderfoot," and would be the object of continual
chaff until he got some scoutcraft into him.
And scoutcraft, mind you, comes in useful in any line of life that you
like to take up. Cricket doesn't matter a hang--though it is a jolly
good game to play, and comes in useful to a certain extent in training a
fellow's eye, nerve, and temper. But, as the American would say, "it
isn't a circumstance" to scouting which teaches a fellow to be a man.
[_Make each boy lay a fire in his own way and light it. After
failures, show them the right way (i.e., delicate use of dry chips
and shavings, and sticks in a pyramid), and make them do it again.
Also teach them how to tie knots._ _See Part III._]
CHIVALRY.--In the old days the knights were the scouts of Britain, and
their rules were very much the same as the scout law which we have now.
And very much like what the Japs have, too. We are their descendants,
and we ought to keep up their good name and follow in their steps.
They considered that their honour was the most sacred thing to uphold;
they would not do a dishonourable thing, such as telling a lie or
stealing: they would really rather die than do it. They were always
ready to fight and to be killed in upholding their king, or their
religion, or their honour. Thousands of them went out to Palestine (the
Holy Land) to maintain the Christian religion against the Mahommedan
Turks.
Each knight had a small following of a squire and some men-at-arms, just
as our patrol leader has his corporal and four or five scouts.
The knight's patrol used to stick to him through thick and thin, and all
carried out the same idea as their leader--namely:
Their honour was sacred.
They were loyal to God, and their king, and to their country.
They were particularly courteous and polite to all women and
children and infirm people.
They were helpful to everybody.
They gave money and food where it was wanted and saved up their
money in order to do so.
They taught themselves the use of arms in order to protect their
religion and their country against enemies.
They kept themselves strong and healthy and active in order to be
able to do these things well.
You scouts cannot do better than follow the example of your forefathers,
the knights, who made the tiny British nation into one of the best and
greatest that the world has ever known.
One great point about them was that every day they had to do a good turn
to somebody, and that is one of our rules. When you get up in the
morning remember that you have got to do a good turn to someone during
the day; tie a knot in your handkerchief or necktie, and leave the tail
of your necktie outside your waistcoat to remind yourself of it; and
when you go to bed at night think who you did the good turn to.
If you should ever find that you had forgotten to do it, you must do two
good turns the next day instead. Remember that by your scout's oath you
are on your honour to do it.
A good turn need only be a very small one; if it is only to put a
halfpenny into a poor box, or to help an old woman to cross the street,
or to make room on a seat for someone, or to give water to a thirsty
horse, or to remove a bit of banana skin off the pavement where it is
likely to throw people down, it is a good turn. But one must be done
every day, and it only counts as a good when you do not accept any
reward in return.
[_Make each scout tie knot in his necktie to remind him to do a good
turn next day._]
[Illustration: A Boy Scout's Necktie.]
SAVING LIFE.--You have all heard of the Victoria Cross--the little
bronze cross given by Queen Victoria to soldiers who specially
distinguish themselves in action under the fire of the enemy.
But there is the companion medal to it, and that is the Albert Medal for
those who are not soldiers, and who distinguish themselves in saving
life in peace time.
And I think the man who wins this medal, as he does in the sudden
appalling accidents which occur in big cities, mines, and factories, in
everyday life, is no less a hero than the soldier who rushes into the
thick of the fight to rescue a comrade amid all the excitement and
glamour of the battle.
My great hope is that many of you scouts will in time to come win for
yourselves the high honour of receiving the Albert Medal.
It is certain that very many of you will at one time or another get the
chance of it if you are prepared to seize the opportunity. That is, you
must be _prepared_ for it; you should know what to do the moment an
accident occurs--and do it then and there.
It is not enough to read about it in a book and think that you know how
to do it--but you must actually practise, and practise pretty often, the
actual things to be done; such as how to cover your mouth and nose with
a wet handkerchief to enable you to breath in smoke, how to tear a sheet
into strips and make a rope for escaping from fire, how to open a
manhole to let air into a gassy sewer, how to lift and carry an
insensible person, how to collar, save, and revive apparently drowned
people, and so on.
When you have learnt all these things you will have confidence in
yourself, so that when an accident happens and everybody is in a state
of fluster, not knowing what to do, you will quietly step out and do the
right thing.
Remember the case at the Hampstead Ponds last year when a woman drowned
herself in shallow water before a whole lot of men, who were too
frightened to do anything but shout to her. It was a disgrace to our
nation that there was not a real man amongst them. It would have been a
grand opportunity for a Boy Scout, had there been one there, to go in
and fetch her out. As it was, these cowards stood there clamouring and
chattering on the bank--not one of them daring to go in because the
others did not. And she was drowned before their eyes.
[_Teach the scouts how to lift and carry an insensible man. Also how
to drag an insensible man through smoke, gas, etc. Also how to cover
nose and mouth with wet handkerchief. Divide them off into pairs,
and let each in turn act as insensible patient to be rescued by his
comrade._]
ENDURANCE.--To carry out all the duties and work of a scout properly a
fellow has to be strong, healthy, and active. And he can make himself so
if he takes a little care about it.
It means a lot of exercise, like playing games, running, walking,
cycling, and so on.
A scout has to sleep very much in the open, and a boy who is accustomed
to sleep with his window shut will probably suffer, like many a
tenderfoot has done, by catching cold and rheumatism when he first tries
sleeping out. The thing is always to sleep with your windows open,
summer and winter, and you will never catch cold. Personally I cannot
sleep with my window shut or with blinds down, and when living in the
country I always sleep outside the house, summer and winter alike. A
soft bed and too many blankets make a boy dream bad dreams, which weaken
him.
A short go of Swedish or ju-jitsu exercises every morning and evening is
a grand thing for keeping you fit--not so much for making showy muscle
as to work all your internal organs [_Explain_], and to work up the
circulation of the blood in every part of you.
A good rub down daily with a wet rough towel, even if you cannot get a
bath, which of course is preferable, is of the utmost importance.
Scouts breathe through the nose, not through the mouth; in this way they
don't get thirsty; they don't get out of breath so quickly; they don't
suck into their insides all sorts of microbes or seeds of disease that
are in the air; and they don't snore at night, and so give themselves
away to an enemy.
"Deep breathing" exercises are of great value for developing the lungs,
and for putting fresh air (oxygen) into the blood, provided that they
are carried out in the open air, and are not overdone so as to injure
the heart, etc. For deep breathing the breath must be taken in slowly
and deeply through the nose, not through the mouth, till it opens out
the ribs to the greatest extent, especially at the back; then, after a
time it should be slowly and steadily, breathed out again without
strain. But the best deep breathing after all is that which comes
naturally from plenty of running exercise.
Alcohol is now shown to be quite useless as a health-giving drink, and
it is mere poison when a man takes much of it. A man who is in the habit
of drinking wine or spirits in strong doses every day is not the
slightest use for scouting, and very little use for anything else.
Similarly a man who smokes much. The best war scouts don't smoke because
it weakens their eyesight; it sometimes makes them shaky and nervous; it
spoils their noses for smelling (which is of great importance at night),
and the glow of their pipe, or even the scent of tobacco carried on them
at night gives them away to watchful enemies. They are not such fools as
to smoke. No boy ever began smoking because he liked it, but because he
thought it made him look like a grown-up man. As a matter of fact it
generally makes him look a little ass.
[_Show ju-jitsu or Swedish extension motions--one or two exercises
only to begin with. Also deep breathing._]
PATRIOTISM.--You belong to the Great British Empire, one of the greatest
empires that has ever existed in the world.
[_Show on the map._]
From this little island of Great Britain have sprung colonies all over
the world, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Canada.
Almost every race, every kind of man, black, white, or yellow, in the
world furnishes subjects of King Edward VII.
This vast empire did not grow of itself out of nothing; it was made by
your forefathers by dint of hard work and hard fighting, at the
sacrifice of their lives--that is, by their hearty patriotism.
People say that we have no patriotism nowadays, and that therefore our
empire will fall to pieces like the great Roman empire did, because its
citizens became selfish and lazy, and only cared for amusements. I am
not so sure about that. I am sure that if you boys will keep the good of
your country in your eyes _above everything else_ she will go on all
right. But if you don't do this there is very great danger, because we
have many enemies abroad, and they are growing daily stronger and
stronger.
Therefore, in all that you do, remember to think of your country first;
don't spend the whole of your time and money on games and tuck shops
merely to amuse _yourself_, but think first how you can be of use in
helping your empire, and when you have done that you can justly and
honestly sit down and enjoy yourself in your own way.
"Country first, self second," should be your motto. Probably, if you ask
yourself truly, you will find you have at present got them just the
other way about.
I hope if it is so that you will from this moment put yourself right and
remain so always, Patriot first, player second. Don't be content, like
the Romans were, and some people now are, to pay other people to play
your football or to fight your battles for you. Do something yourself to
help in keeping the flag flying.
If you take up scouting in that spirit you will be doing something; take
it up, not merely because it amuses you, but because by doing so you
will be fitting yourself to help your country. Then you will have in you
the true spirit of patriotism, which every British boy ought to have if
he is worth his salt.
[_Show the Union Jack. Explain its history and composition, and
which is the right way for flying it._ (_See Part V._)]
[Illustration: HOW TO FLY BRITAIN'S FLAG: Right way up.]
[Illustration: HOW NOT TO FLY BRITAIN'S FLAG: Upside down.]
WINTER'S STOB; OR, THE ELSDON MURDER.
[_Note: The following story, which in the main is true, is a sample
of a story that should be given by the Instructor illustrating
generally the duties of a Boy Scout._]
A brutal murder took place many years ago in the North of England; and
the murderer was caught, convicted, and hanged chiefly through the
scoutcraft of a shepherd boy.
WOODCRAFT.--The boy, Robert Hindmarsh, had been up on the moor tending
his sheep, and was finding his way home over a wild, out-of-the-way part
of the hills, when he passed a tramp sitting on the ground with his legs
stretched out in front of him eating some food.
OBSERVATION.--The boy in passing noticed his appearance, and especially
the peculiar nails in the soles of his boots.
CONCEALMENT.--He did not stop and stare, but just took these things in
at a glance as he went by without attracting much attention from the
man, who merely regarded him as an ordinary boy not worth his notice.
[Illustration: Observing the murderer's boots.]
DEDUCTION.--When he got near home, some five or six miles away, he came
to a crowd round a cottage, where they had found the old woman (Margaret
Crozier) who inhabited it lying murdered. All sorts of guesses were
being hazarded as to who had done the deed, and suspicion seemed to
centre on a small gang of three or four gipsies who were going about the
country robbing and threatening death to anyone who made any report of
their misdeeds.
The boy heard all these things, but presently he saw some peculiar
footprints in the little garden of the cottage; the nailmarks agreed
with those he had seen in the boots of the man on the moor, and he
naturally deduced from these that the man might have something to do
with the murder.
CHIVALRY.--The fact that it was a helpless old woman who had been
murdered made the boy's chivalrous feelings rise against the murderer,
whoever it might be.
PLUCK AND SELF-DISCIPLINE, ALACRITY.--So, although he knew that the
friends of the murderer might kill him for giving information, he cast
his fears on one side and went at once and told the constable of the
footmarks in the garden, and where he could find the man who had made
them--if he went immediately.
HEALTH AND STRENGTH.--The man up on the moor had got so far from the
scene of the murder, unseen (except by this one small boy), that he
thought himself safe, and never thought of the boy being able to walk
all the way to the scene of the murder and then to come back, as he did,
with the police. So he took no precautions.
But the boy was a strong, healthy hill-boy, and did the journey rapidly
and well, so that they found the man and captured him without
difficulty.
The man was Willie Winter, a gipsy.
He was tried, found guilty, and hanged at Newcastle. His body was then
brought and hung on a gibbet near the scene of the murder, as was the
custom in those days, and the gibbet still stands to this day. Two of
the gipsies who were his accomplices were caught with some of the stolen
property, and were also executed at Newcastle.
KIND-HEARTEDNESS.--But when the boy saw the murderer's body hanging
there on the gibbet he was overcome with misery at having caused the
death of a fellow-creature.
[Illustration: The gibbet at Stang's Cross.]
SAVING LIFE.--However, the magistrate sent for him and complimented him
on the great good he had done to his fellow-countrymen--probably saving
some of their lives--by ridding the world of such a dangerous criminal.
DUTY.--He said: "You have done your duty although it caused you
personally some danger and much distress. Still you must not mind
that--it was your duty to the King to help the police in getting justice
done, and duty must always be carried out regardless of how much it
costs you, even if you had to give up your life."
EXAMPLE.--Thus the boy did every part of the duty of a boy scout without
ever having been taught.
He exercised--
Woodcraft.
Observation without being noticed.
Deduction.
Chivalry.
Sense of duty.
Endurance.
Kind-heartedness.
He little thought that the act which he did entirely of his own accord
would years afterwards be held up as an example to you other boys in
teaching you to do your duty. In the same way you should remember your
acts may be watched by others after you, and taken as an example too. So
try to do your duty the right way on all occasions.
Since writing down the above story I have visited the place, Stang's
Cross, where the gibbet, with a wooden head hanging from it, still
stands as a warning to evildoers. Some foolish people used to believe
that toothache could be cured by rubbing the teeth with chips of wood
cut from this gibbet, and used to come from miles round to get them.
Mrs. Haldane, the mother of our present Secretary of State for War,
remembers seeing the effigy of Winter hanging on the gibbet, and recalls
with horror the doleful rattling of the chains on which it swung in the
night wind on the lonely moor. The gibbet is known as "Winter's Stob."
Winter belonged to a notable family. He was not the only one who
distinguished himself, for his father and his brother were also hanged
for different offences. Another brother, feeling the disgrace of
belonging to such a family, changed his name from Winter to Spring, and
became--a prize-fighter.
CAMP FIRE YARN.--No. 3.
BOY SCOUTS' ORGANISATION.
It is not intended that boy scouts should necessarily form a new corps
separate from all others, but the boys who belong to any kind of
existing organisation, such as schools, football clubs, Boys' or Church
Lads' Brigades, factories, district messengers, Telegraph Service, Cadet
Corps, etc., etc., can _also_ take up scouting in addition to their
other work or play--especially on Saturdays and Sundays.
But where there are any boys who do not belong to any kind of
organisation--and there is a very large number of such boys about the
United Kingdom--they can form themselves into Patrols and become Boy
Scouts.
For this purpose officers are necessary.
_Officers_: The head officer of all the boy scouts in the world is
called the _Chief Scout_.
_A Scout Master_ is an officer who has charge of a troop. A troop
consists of not less than three patrols. Scouts address the scout
master as "Sir."
_A Patrol Leader_ is a scout appointed to command a patrol. A patrol
consists of six scouts. Any lad or young man who learns scouting
from this book can make himself a patrol leader and collect and
train five or seven boys to be scouts.
_A Corporal_ is a scout selected by the patrol leader to be his
assistant, and to take command of the patrol when he himself is
away.
_A Scout_ is of two kinds--first-class and second-class.
First-class scout is one who has passed certain tests to show that
he is able to scout.
Second-class scout is one who has passed certain easy tests in
scouting.
_A Tenderfoot_ is a boy who is not yet a scout.
_A Court of Honour_ is formed of the scout master and two patrol
leaders, or in the case of a single patrol by the patrol leader and
the corporal. It decides rewards, punishments, and other questions.
_Tests_: To become a second-class scout and gain the motto badge, a boy
must satisfy his scout master in the following details:
1. Tie four of the following knots in less than thirty seconds each
knot: Bowline, fisherman's bend, reef knot, clove hitch, sheet bend.
2. Track a deer's "spoor" (made with tracking irons) or a horse's
track for a quarter of a mile in not more than fifteen minutes; or,
in a town, to describe satisfactorily the contents of one shop
window out of four observed for one minute each.
3. Go at scout's pace for one mile in not more than thirteen
minutes.
4. Know the scout's laws and signs.
5. Know the composition of the Union Jack, and the right way to fly
it.
To become a first-class scout and gain the whole scout's badge, a boy
must pass the following test--in addition to those for second-class
scout (above)--before a Court of Honour. (_N.B._--In the case of a new
troop the Scout Master can act as the Court of Honour.)
6. Point out the direction of different points of the compass where
he stands.
7. Make a journey alone of not less than fifteen miles from point to
point by walking, riding, boat, or bicycle.
8. Describe or show the proper means for saving life in case of one
(selected by the Court) of the following accidents: fire, drowning,
runaway carriage, sewer gas, ice-breaking; or bandage an injured
patient, or revive apparently drowned persons.
9. Be able to read and write.
10. Have at least sixpence in the savings bank.
11. Show that he has brought a recruit to the Boy Scouts, and has
taught him to tie the six principal knots.
12. To lay and light a fire, using not more than two matches, and
cook a quarter of a pound of flour and two potatoes without cooking
utensils.
_Badges and Medals_: The scout's badge is this:
[Illustration: Scout Badge.]
The scout's badge is the arrow head, which shows the north on a map or
on the compass. It is the badge of the scout in the Army, because he
shows the way: so, too, a peace scout shows the way in doing his duty
and helping others.
The motto on it is the scout's motto of
BE PREPARED.
(B. P., my initials), which means that a scout must always be prepared
at any moment to do his duty, and to face danger in order to help his
fellow-men. Its scroll is turned up at the ends like a scout's mouth,
because he does his duty with a smile and willingly.
The knot is to remind the scout to do a good turn to some one daily.
A scout's badge represents and is called his "life." It is given him
when he passes the tests in scout-craft necessary to make him a scout.
He will be called on at some time or the other to risk his life, that is
to perform some difficult task, and if he fails in it he loses his
life--that is his badge. In such case a Court of Honour may allow him to
remain in the patrol, but he cannot have his badge again, unless he
performs some very specially good work.
If he breaks his word of honour, or otherwise disgraces himself, his
life is taken (that is his badge), and he is expelled from the patrol.
The badge is worn by scout masters on the left side of the hat or cap.
The badge is worn by patrol leaders on front of the hat or cap.
The badge is worn by corporal on the left arm above elbow with a strip
of white braid below it.
The badge is worn by scouts on the left arm above the elbow.
The badge worn by first-class scouts is the whole badge.
Only the motto part of the badge is worn by second-class scouts.
_Badges of Honour_ are also given for certain tests. These are worn on
the right arm below the elbow.
Signalling: ability to read and send Morse or semaphore message,
twenty letters a minute.
First Aid: for passing the St. John Ambulance tests in First Aid.
Stalking: series of twelve photos of wild animals taken from life by
the scout and developed and printed by himself.
Merit: for twenty good marks for various good deeds.
_Medals_ are worn on the right breast, and are as follows:
Bronze medal with red ribbon: For gallantry in saving life, or
attempting to save life at risk of own life.
Silver medal with red ribbon: For saving and helping to save life
without risk of own life, but where life might have been lost.
Silver medal with blue ribbon: Meritorious service, or assisting
police at personal risk.
These are only granted by the chief scout on special recommendation from
the patrol leader or scout master, who should send in a full account of
the case when applying.
_Marks_ are awarded by scout masters, from their own knowledge or on
recommendation of patrol leaders, or as marks for competition.
Two marks are given to any scout who brings a recruit whom he has
already taught to tie the regulation knots. Such recruit must be in
addition to the one who enabled him to qualify for his scout's badge.
"_The Wolf._"--The Red Indians of North America call their best scout
"Grey Wolf," because the grey wolf is a beast that sees everything and
yet is never seen.
And the fighting tribes in South Africa in the same way speak of a scout
as a wolf.
In the Matabele War, 1896-1897, the enemy called me "The Wolf" for that
reason.
Mr. Thompson Seton, the head of the "Red Indian" Boy Scouts in America,
is called "Grey Wolf."
So in the Boy Scouts a special badge and title of "Wolf" will be given
as a reward for very special distinction in scouting; not more than one
will be granted in a year.
All medals and badges are only worn as above when scouts are on duty or
in camp. At other times they should be worn on the right breast of the
waistcoat, underneath the jacket.
A small arrow-head badge may be worn at all times in the button-hole.
THE SCOUT'S OATH.
Before he becomes a scout a boy must take the scout's oath, thus:
"On my honour I promise that--
1. I will do my duty to God and the King.
2. I will do my best to help others, whatever it costs me.
3. I know the scout law, and will obey it."
(For Scout Law, see page 40.)
While taking this oath the scout will stand, holding his right hand
raised level with his shoulder, palm to the front, thumb resting on the
nail of the little finger, and the other three fingers upright, pointing
upwards:--
[Illustration: Scout's Salute and Secret Sign.]
This is the scout's salute and secret sign.
When the hand is raised shoulder high it is called the "Half Salute."
When raised to the forehead it is the "Full Salute."
SCOUT'S SALUTE AND SECRET SIGN.
The three fingers held up (like the three points of the scout's badge)
remind him of his three promises in the scout's oath.
1. Honour God and the King.
2. Help others.
3. Obey the Scout Law.
When a scout meets another for the first time in the day, whether he is
a comrade or a stranger, he salutes with the secret sign in the half
salute.
He always salutes an officer--that is, a patrol leader, or a scout
master, or any officer of His Majesty's forces, army, navy, or police in
uniform--with the full salute.
Also the hoisting of the Union Jack, the colours of a regiment, the
playing of "God Save the King," and any funeral.
A scout who has the "Wolf" honour is entitled to make the sign with the
first finger and thumb opened out, the remaining fingers clenched, thumb
upwards.
A man told me the other day that "he was an Englishman, and just as good
as anybody else, and he was blowed if ever he would raise a finger to
salute his so-called 'betters': he wasn't going to be a slave and
kow-tow to them, not he!" and so on. That is a churlish spirit, which is
very common among fellows who have not been brought up as scouts.
I didn't argue with him, but I might have told him that he had got hold
of the wrong idea about saluting.
A salute is merely a sign between men of standing. It is a privilege to
be able to salute anyone.
In the old days the free men of England all were allowed to carry
weapons, and when they met each other each would hold up his right hand
to show that he had no weapon in it, and that they met as friends. So
also when an armed man met a defenceless person or a lady.
Slaves or serfs were not allowed to carry weapons, and so had to slink
past the freemen without making any sign.
Nowadays people do not carry weapons; but those who would have been
entitled to do so, such as knights, esquires, and men-at-arms, that is
anyone living on their own property or earning their own living, still
go through the form of saluting each other by holding up their hand to
their cap, or even taking it off.
"Wasters" are not entitled to salute, and so should slink by, as they
generally do, without taking notice of the free men or wage-earners.
To salute merely shows that you are a right sort of fellow and mean well
to the other; there is nothing slavish about it.
If a stranger makes the scout's sign to you, you should acknowledge it
at once by making the sign back to him, and then shake hands with the
LEFT HAND. If he then shows his scout's badge, or proves that he is a
scout, you must treat him as a brother-scout, and help him in any way
you can.
SCOUT'S UNIFORM.
[Illustration: SCOUT'S UNIFORM. Patrol Leader with Scout.]
If you already belong to a corps which has a uniform, you dress in that
uniform; but on passing the tests for a scout given here you wear the
scout badge, if your commanding officer allows it, in addition to any of
your corps' badges that you may have won.
A scout does not use a showy uniform, because it would attract
attention; but scouts in a patrol should, as far as possible, dress
alike, especially as regards hats, or caps, and neckerchief.
If your patrol does not belong to any uniformed corps, it should dress
as nearly as possible thus:
Flat brimmed hat if possible, or wide-awake hat.
Coloured handkerchief tied loosely round neck.
Shirt: Flannel.
Colours: A bunch of ribbons of patrol colour on left shoulder.
Belt, with coat rolled tight and strapped or tied on it behind.
Haversack: To carry food, etc., slung on back across the shoulders.
Shorts: Trousers cut short at knee. A kilt if you are a Scotsman.
Stockings, with garters made of green braid, with one end hanging
down one inch.
Boots or shoes.
Staff as high as scout's shoulder. Not shod, as it is for feeling
the way at night quietly.
Badge on left arm above elbow.
Whistle, with cord round neck for patrol leader.
N.B.--The colour of the neckerchief, or necktie and shoulder knot should
be the colour of the patrol.
Corporal has a white stripe of braid three inches long stitched across
his sleeve below the badge.
SCOUT'S WAR SONGS.
1. _The Scout's Chorus._
To be shouted on the march, or as applause at games, meetings, etc. Must
be sung exactly in time.
Leader: Een gonyama--gonyama.
Chorus: Invooboo.
Yah bobo! Yah bo!
Invooboo.
The meaning is--
Leader: "He is a lion!"
Chorus: "Yes! he is better than that; he is a
hippopotamus!"
THE SCOUTS' CHORUS.
[Illustration: THE SCOUTS' CHORUS.]
2. _The Scout's Rally._
To be shouted as a salute, or in a game, or at any
time.
Leader: Be Prepared!
Chorus: Zing-a-Zing!
Bom! Bom!
(Stamp or bang something at the "Bom! Bom!")
THE SCOUTS' RALLY.
[Illustration: THE SCOUTS' RALLY.]
THE SCOUTS' CALL.
[Illustration: THE SCOUTS' CALL.]
For scout master to call together his troop by bugle; or for scout to
whistle to attract attention of another scout.
PATROL SIGNS.
Each troop is named after the place to which it belongs. Each patrol in
that troop is named after an animal or bird. Thus the 33rd London Troop
may have five patrols which are respectively the Wolves, the Ravens, the
Curlews, the Bulls, the Owls.
Each scout in a patrol has his regular number, the patrol leader being
No. 1, the corporal No. 2, and the scouts have the consecutive numbers
after these. Scouts usually work in pairs as comrades, Nos. 3 and 4
together, Nos. 5 and 6 together, and Nos. 7 and 8.
SIGNS AND CALLS OF DIFFERENT PATROLS.
(For each patrol, the sign, name, call, and colours are given.)
[Illustration: Curlew.] CURLEW. _Whistle_-- GREEN. "_Curley_."
[Illustration: Owl.] OWL. _Whistle_-- BLUE. "_Koot-koot-kooo_."
[Illustration: Wolf.] _Wolf._ _Howl_-- YELLOW. "_How-oooo_."
[Illustration: Bull.] BULL. _Lowing_-- RED. "_Um-maouw_."
[Illustration: Raven.] RAVEN. _Cry_-- BLACK. "_Kar-kaw_."
[Illustration: Hound.] HOUND. _Bark_-- ORANGE. "_Ba-wow-wow_."
[Illustration: Ram.] RAM. _Bleat_-- BROWN. "_Ba-a-a_."
A white shoulder knot is worn by Officers and Umpires at games.
Each scout in the patrol has to be able to make the call of his
patrol-animal--thus every scout in the "Ravens" must be able to imitate
the croak of the raven. This is the sign by which scouts of a patrol can
communicate with each other when hiding or at night. No scout is allowed
to imitate the call of any patrol except his own. The patrol leader
calls up the patrol at any time by sounding his whistle and uttering the
call of the patrol.
Also when a scout makes signs on the ground for others to read he also
draws the head of the patrol animal. Thus if he wants to show that a
certain road should not be followed he draws the sign across it "Not to
be followed," and adds the head of his patrol animal to show which
patrol discovered that the road was no good, and his own number to the
left of the head to show which scout discovered it, thus:
[Illustration: Sign.]
[Illustration: Patrol Leader's Flag of "The Wolves Patrol" of the 1st
London Troop.]
Each patrol leader has a small white flag on his staff with the head of
his patrol animal shown in green cloth stitched on to it on both sides.
Thus the "Wolves" of the 1st London Troop would have the flag shown on
the opposite page.
[_Patrol flags can be got on payment of fourpence
each by applying to_
_The Manager_,
_Boy Scouts_,
_Goschen Buildings_,
_Henrietta Street_,
_London, W. C._]
All these signs scouts must be able to draw according to the patrol to
which they belong.
[_Practise with chalk on floor or walls, or with a stick on the sand
or mud._]
Scout signs on the ground or wall, etc.:
[Illustration: Road to be followed.]
[Illustration: Letter hidden three paces from here in the direction of
the arrow.]
[Illustration: This path not to be followed.]
[Illustration: I have gone home.]
[Illustration: (Signed) Patrol Leader of the Ravens Fifteenth London
Troop.]
At night sticks with a wisp of grass round them should be laid on the
road in similar forms so that they can be felt with the hand.
[_Practise this._]
CAMP FIRE YARN.--No. 4.
SCOUT LAW.
Scouts, all the world over, have unwritten laws which bind them just as
much as if they had been printed in black and white.
They come down to us from old times.
The Japanese have their Bushido, or laws of the old Samurai warriors,
just as we have chivalry or rules of the knights of the Middle Ages. The
Red Indians in America have their laws of honour, the Zulus, the natives
of India, the European nations--all have their ancient codes.
The following are the rules which apply to Boy Scouts, and which you
swear to obey when you take your oath as a scout, so it is as well that
you should know all about them.
The scouts' motto is founded on my initials, it is:
BE PREPARED,
which means, you are always to be in a state of readiness in mind and
body to do your DUTY;
_Be Prepared in Mind_ by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to
every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or
situation that might occur, so that you _know_ the right thing to do at
the right moment, and are willing to do it.
_Be Prepared in Body_ by making yourself strong and active and _able_ to
do the right thing at the right moment, and do it.
THE SCOUT LAW.
1. A SCOUT'S HONOUR IS TO BE TRUSTED.
If a scout says "On my honour it is so," that means that it _is_ so,
just as if he had taken a most solemn oath.
Similarly, if a scout officer says to a scout, "I trust you on your
honour to do this," the scout is bound to carry out the order to the
very best of his ability, and to let nothing interfere with his
doing so.
If a scout were to break his honour by telling a lie, or by not
carrying out an order exactly when trusted on his honour to do so,
he would cease to be a scout, and must hand over his scout badge,
and never be allowed to wear it again--he loses his life.
2. A SCOUT IS LOYAL to the King, and to his officers, and to his
country, and to his employers. He must stick to them through thick and
thin against anyone who is their enemy, or who even talks badly of them.
3. A SCOUT'S DUTY IS TO BE USEFUL AND TO HELP OTHERS.
And he is to do his duty before anything else, even though he gives
up his own pleasure, or comfort, or safety to do it. When in
difficulty to know which of two things to do, he must ask himself,
"Which is my duty?" that is, "Which is best for other people?"--and
do that one. He must Be Prepared at any time to save life, or to
help injured persons. And _he must do a good turn_ to somebody every
day.
4. A SCOUT IS A FRIEND TO ALL, AND A BROTHER TO EVERY OTHER SCOUT, NO
MATTER TO WHAT SOCIAL CLASS THE OTHER BELONGS.
Thus if a scout meets another scout, even though a stranger to him,
he must speak to him, and help him in any way that he can, either to
carry out the duty he is then doing, or by giving him food, or, as
far as possible, anything that he may be in want of. A scout must
never be a SNOB. A snob is one who looks down upon another because
he is poorer, or who is poor and resents another because he is rich.
A scout accepts the other man as he finds him, and makes the best of
him.
"Kim," the boy scout, was called by the Indians "Little friend of
all the world," and that is the name that every scout should earn
for himself.
5. A SCOUT IS COURTEOUS: That is, he is polite to all--but especially to
women and children and old people and invalids, cripples, etc. And he
must not take any reward for being helpful or courteous.
6. A SCOUT IS A FRIEND TO ANIMALS. He should save them as far as
possible from pain, and should not kill any animal unnecessarily, even
if it is only a fly--for it is one of God's creatures.
7. A SCOUT OBEYS ORDERS of his patrol leader or scout master without
question.
Even if he gets an order he does not like he must do as soldiers and
sailors do, he must carry it out all the same _because it is his
duty_; and after he has done it he can come and state any reasons
against it: but he must must carry out the order at once. That is
discipline.
8. A SCOUT SMILES AND WHISTLES under all circumstances. When he gets an
order he should obey it cheerily and readily, not in a slow, hang-dog
sort of way.
Scouts never grouse at hardships, nor whine at each other, nor swear
when put out.
When you just miss a train, or some one treads on your favourite
corn--not that a scout ought to have such things as corns--or under
any annoying circumstances, you should force yourself to smile at
once, and then whistle a tune, and you will be all right.
A scout goes about with a smile on and whistling. It cheers him and
cheers other people, especially in time of danger, for he keeps it
up then all the same.
The punishment for swearing or using bad language is for each
offence a mug of cold water to be poured down the offender's sleeve
by the other scouts.
9. A SCOUT IS THRIFTY, that is, he saves every penny he can, and puts it
into the bank, so that he may have money to keep himself when out of
work, and thus not make himself a burden to others; or that he may have
money to give away to others when they need it.
SCOUTING GAMES.
FOR WINTER IN THE COUNTRY.
ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
Each patrol makes a bob sleigh with ropes, harness, for two of their
number to pull (or for dogs if they have them, and can train them to the
work). Two scouts go a mile or so ahead, the remainder with the sleigh
follow, finding the way by means of the spoor, and by such signs as the
leading scouts may draw in the snow. All other drawings seen on the way
are to be examined, noted, and their meaning read. The sleigh carries
rations and cooking-pots, etc.
Build snow huts. These must be made narrow, according to the length of
sticks available for forming the roof, which can be made with brushwood,
and covered with snow.
SNOW FORT.
The snow fort may be built by one patrol according to their own ideas of
fortification, with loop holes, etc., for looking out. When finished it
will be attacked by hostile patrols, using snowballs as ammunition.
Every scout struck by a snowball is counted dead. The attackers should,
as a rule, number at least twice the strength of the defenders.
SIBERIAN MAN HUNT.
One scout as fugitive runs away across the snow in any direction he may
please until he finds a good hiding place, and there conceals himself.
The remainder, after giving him twenty minutes' start or more, proceed
to follow him by his tracks. As they approach his hiding-place, he
shoots at them with snowballs, and everyone that is struck must fall out
dead. The fugitive must be struck three times before he is counted dead.
IN TOWNS.
Scouts can be very useful in snowy weather by working as a patrol under
their leader in clearing away the snow from pavements, houses, etc. This
they may either do as a "good turn," or accept money to be devoted to
their funds.
SCOUT MEETS SCOUT.
IN TOWN OR COUNTRY.
Single scouts, or complete patrols or pairs of scouts, to be taken out
about two miles apart, and made to work towards each other, either
alongside a road, or by giving each side a landmark to work to, such as
a steep hill or big tree, which is directly behind the other party, and
will thus insure their coming together. The patrol which first sees the
other wins. This is signified by the patrol leader holding up his patrol
flag for the umpire to see, and sounding his whistle. A patrol need not
keep together, but that patrol wins which first holds out its flag, so
it is well for the scouts to be in touch with their patrol leaders by
signal, voice, or message.
Scouts may employ any ruse they like, such as climbing into trees,
hiding in carts, etc., but they must not dress up in disguise.
This may also be practised at night.
DESPATCH RUNNERS.
A scout is sent out to take note of some well-known spot, say, the post
office in a neighbouring town or district. He will there get the note
stamped with the post mark of the office and return. The rest of the
scouts are posted by their leader to prevent him getting there by
watching all the roads and likely paths by which he can come, but none
may be nearer to the post office than two hundred yards. The despatch
runner is allowed to use any disguise and any method of travelling that
he can hit upon.
In the country the game may similarly be played, the scout being
directed to go to a certain house or other specified spot.
KIM'S GAME.
Place about twenty or thirty small articles on a tray, or on the table
or floor, such as two or three different kinds of buttons, pencils,
corks, rags, nuts, stones, knives, string, photos--anything you can
find--and cover them over with a cloth or coat.
Make a list of these, and make a column opposite the list for each boy's
replies. Like this:
List Adams Smith Long. Atkins Jones
Walnut
Button
Black button
Red rag
Yellow rag
Black rag
Knife
Red pencil
Cork
String knot
Plain string
Blue bead
Then uncover the articles for one minute by your watch, or while you
count sixty at the rate of "quick march." Then cover them over again.
Take each boy separately and let him whisper to you each of the articles
that he can remember, and mark it off on your scoring sheet.
The boy who remembers the greatest numbers wins the game.
MORGAN'S GAME.
(Played by the 21st Dublin Co. Boys' Brigade.)
IN TOWN.
Scouts are ordered to run to a certain hoarding where an umpire is
already posted to time them. They are each allowed to look at this for
one minute, and then to run back to headquarters and report to the
instructor all that was on the hoarding in the way of advertisements.
DEBATES, TRIALS, ETC.
A good exercise for a winter's evening in the clubroom is to hold a
debate on any subject of topical interest, the Instructor acting as
chairman. He will see that there is a speaker on one side prepared
beforehand to introduce and support one view of the subject, and that
there is another speaker prepared to expound another view. After hearing
them, he will call on the others present in turn to express their views.
And in the end he takes the votes for and against the motion.
At first boys will be very shy of speaking unless the subject selected
by the Instructor is one which really interests them and takes them out
of themselves.
After a debate or two they get greater confidence, and are able to
express themselves coherently; and also pick up the proper procedure for
public meetings, such as seconding the motion, moving amendments,
obeying chairman's ruling, voting, according votes of thanks to
chair--etc., etc.
In place of a debate a mock trial may be of interest as a change.
For instance, the story of the murder given in Part I. might form the
subject of trial.
The Instructor would appoint himself to act the judge, and detail boys
to the following parts:
Prisoner William Winter.
Witness Boy, Robert Hindmarsh.
" Police Constable.
" Villager.
" Old woman (friend of the murdered woman).
Counsel for prisoner.
" " prosecution.
Foreman and jury (if there are enough scouts).
Follow as nearly as possible the procedure of a court of law. Let each
make up his own evidence, speeches, or cross-examination according to
his own notions and imagination, the evidence to be made up on the lines
of the story, but in greater detail. Do not necessarily find the
prisoner guilty unless the prosecution prove their case to the jury.
In your summing up bring out the fact of the boy (Hindmarsh) having
carried out each part of the duty of a scout, in order to bring home its
lesson to the boys.
SCOUTS' WAR DANCE.
Scouts form up in one line with leader in front, each holding his staff
in the right hand, and his left on the next man's shoulder.
Leader sings the Ingonyama song. Scouts sing chorus, and advance to
their front a few steps at a time, stamping in unison on the long notes.
At the second time of singing they step backwards.
At the third, they turn to the left, still holding each other's
shoulders, and move round in a large circle, repeating the chorus until
they have completed the circle.
They then form into a wide circle, into the centre of which one steps
forward and carries out a war dance, representing how he tracked and
fought with one of his enemies. He goes through the whole fight in dumb
show, until he finally kills his foe. The scouts meantime still singing
the Ingonyama chorus, and dancing on their own ground. So soon as he
finishes the fight, the leader starts the "Be Prepared" chorus, which
they repeat three times in honour of the scout who has just danced.
Then they recommence the Ingonyama chorus, and another scout steps into
the ring, and describes in dumb show how he stalked and killed a wild
buffalo. While he does the creeping up and stalking the animal, the
scouts all crouch and sing their chorus very softly, and as he gets more
into the fight with the beast, they similarly spring up and dance and
shout the chorus loudly. When he has slain the beast, the leader again
gives the "Be Prepared" chorus in his honour, which is repeated three
times, the scouts banging their staffs on the ground at the same time as
they stamp "Bom! bom!"
At the end of the third repetition, "Bom! bom!" is repeated the second
time.
The circle then close together, turn to their left again, grasping
shoulders with the left hand, and move off, singing the Ingonyama
chorus, or, if it is not desired to move away, they break up after the
final "Bom! bom!"
SCOUTS' PLAY.
POCAHONTAS; or, THE CAPTURE OF CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH.
SCENE:
_In the jungle, Virginia, in 1607._
ENTER:
_A band of Red Indians,_ R., _scouting. The leading scout suddenly
signals to the others to halt and hide, and remains himself keenly
looking ahead. The_ PATROL LEADER _creeps nearer to him, and they
speak in a loud whisper_.
PATROL LEADER (Eagle's Wing). Ho! Silver Fox! What dost thou see?
SILVER FOX (the leading scout). My leader, I saw but just now a
strange figure ahead--but for the moment I see it not. There was an
Indian, one of the hated Assock tribe, and close by him was a being
who looked like a man yet not a man. He wore no feathers, no war
paint. But his body was all hidden in skins or cloths, and his head
was covered with a huge kind of protector. He had, it is true, two
arms and legs, but his face was of a horrible colour--not bronze
like ours, but an awful white, like that of a dead man, and half
covered with a bush of hair.
EAGLE'S WING. It must be either a medicine man or devil.
SILVER FOX (_still gazing ahead_). Look there, he moves! (PATROL
LEADER _springs forward and crouches near_ SILVER FOX.) Close to
yonder birch tree. What is it he carries? A heavy shining staff of
iron. See he is pointing at those ducks with it. Ah!
(_Report of gun in the distance._)
PATROL LEADER. Scouts! There is the devil before us. He spits fire
and smoke from an iron staff.
SILVER FOX. Aye, and see how the birds fall dead before him.
PATROL LEADER. Yes, he is a very devil. What a prize for us if we
can kill him and take his scalp.
SCOUTS. Nay, nay. He is a devil. He will kill us!
SILVER FOX. Yes, that is true. There is a saying, "Let dogs that
sleep lie sleeping, then they harm you not." Let us leave this devil
so he harm us not.
SCOUTS. Aye, aye.
EAGLE'S WING. Scouts! What woman's talk is this? Are ye no longer
scouts and warriors when ye see a foe? The worse the foe the greater
the glory of defeating him. Are four Sioux scouts afraid of one,
even though he be the devil himself? Begone to your lodges, but
never call yourselves warriors more. Ye be dogs! Curs but to harbour
such thoughts. For me I am going to have that scalp--devil or no
devil, I am going to have that scalp!
[Illustration: Princess Pocahontas.]
SILVER FOX. Pardon, my leader! I am no cur. Any man I will fight,
but a witch or the devil is more than I had thought on. But if you
mean to face him, why, then, so do I.
SCOUTS. Ay, and so do all of us.
EAGLE'S WING. 'Tis well, my scouts. But soft, he is coming this way.
What luck! Better than scalping him, we will catch him alive, and
present him living to our King. Hide. Hide yourselves. Lie close
around his path, and, when I give the call, then rush upon him and
secure him. (_All hide_, R.)
(_Enter_ CAPT. JOHN SMITH, L., _accompanied by Indian guide, who is
tied to_ SMITH'S _left arm by his wrist by means of a
garter--coloured tape_).
SMITH. How now, my untruthful friend? You have just told me that
there are no Indians in this part of the country, and here are
footmarks of several quite fresh, and see where the grass quite
newly trod down is still giving out juice. They must be quite close
by. Lucky that I have thee tied to me, else could you run away and
leave me guideless; but whatever befalls us now we share the risks
together. How like you that, my red cocksparrow? (_An arrow whizzes
past._) Ha! They're not far off. Behold, they come, but they'll find
one Briton is stouter stuff than the foes that they're accustomed
to.
(_The Red Indians are heard shouting their war cries without. Arrows
fly past._ JOHN SMITH _fires, loads, and fires again, talking all
the time, while his native guide crouches back alarmed_.)
SMITH (_laughing_). Ha! ha! They like not my rifle-fire. They run,
the dogs! Another bites the dust. (_Patting his rifle._) Well done,
thou trusty Bess--thou art a good lass! There! Have at them again.
(_Fires._) Good; another falls! But now they rally and come on
again--their leader gives them heart. Well, and we will give them
lead. (_Fires again. To his guide, who is very frightened._) Cheer
up. Gadzooks, but I like their leader--that last ball struck him,
still he fainteth not. He leads them on again. By my head! but we
shall yet have a decent fight of it. Aid me, St. George, and let me
show what stuff an Englishman is made of. (_As he presses forward
the guide in his fear slips down and accidentally drags_ SMITH _down
with him_.) How now--fool? You have undone me.
(_Indians rush in from all sides and spring on to_ SMITH, _and after
a severe struggle capture and bind his arms behind his back. He
stands panting and smiling. The Indians stand back to either side
while_ EAGLE'S WING--_with one arm bleeding--addresses him_.)
EAGLE'S WING. So, devil, we have thee caught at last. Four good
warriors hast thou sent to their happy hunting grounds, but our turn
has come and we have thee fast--a prize for kings--and for our King.
[Illustration: Captain John Smith.]
SMITH. Well, 'twas a good fight, and you deserve to win for facing
rifle-fire, which you had never seen before. I should like to shake
you by the hand had I a hand free to do it with. But by St. George,
had it not been for this white-livered knave who dragged me down,
there would have been more of you to join your hunting-party down
below. But who is this who comes?
(_Scouts chorus heard without "Ingonyama," etc. Scouts all raise
their hands and join in the chorus, looking off to the_ R.)
(_Enter_ KING POWHATTAN, R., _w'th his chiefs and warriors_.)
KING. How now! Eagle's Wing, what have you here?
EAGLE'S WING. My lord, we have just fought and foiled a very devil.
We killed him not in order that you, our liege, might have him to
see and question and to kill yourself. (_Brings gun._) He used the
lightning and the thunder of Heaven with this engine, so that he
killeth those he hateth. Four of us lie yonder stricken dead
therewith. He is a very devil.
KING to SMITH. So! What be you? Devil or witch or Indian painted
white? What do you here?
SMITH. Hail, King! I am no witch nor devil--nothing but a man--an
Englishman, which is something more than a mere man. I came across
the seas. Five moons it took me; so far away my country is. But here
I am, and where I am there follow others. And we come to tell you of
a greater King than thou. _Our_ King who is now to be your king
also.
KING (_very angry_). What! a greater King than I? Knave, how dare
you, whether devil or no--how dare thou speak like this?
KING. Aye, I have heard of these white folk. Art not afraid?
SMITH. Nay. I have faced the seas and storms, the anger of the
elements, beside which the rage of men is very small. (_Laughing._)
Forget not--I am an Englishman--an Englishman knows not fear.
KING. Ho! Say you so? We'll soon put that beyond all question by a
proof. (_Draws dagger, rushes on_ SMITH _with a yell, as if to stab
him, and stops the knife only as it touches_ SMITH'S _breast_. SMITH
_does not flinch_.) Ah!
SMITH. A joke was it. (_Laughs._) By St. George, I thought you meant
to kill me.
(_Enter_ PRINCESS POCAHONTAS (_the_ KING'S DAUGHTER.) R. _Aside._)
What is this strange being? A man, yet not a red man. He has a noble
look. Alas! that he should fall into my father's power, for he will
surely slay him.
KING to SMITH. And thou wert not afraid?
SMITH. Nay. Why should I be? I have long ago thought out how to meet
my fate. Death and I have looked at each other face to face before
now, and death has a kindly smile for anyone who has never wilfully
done ill to a fellow creature; to such an one he is no longer a
dreaded demon, but a kindly host.
[Illustration: King Powhattan.]
KING. Well! he'll have a guest before long now; for since you say he
is a friend of yours it proves that you are, as my people first told
me, some kind of witch or devil yourself. Therefore, it will be well
for the land that we do slay thee. Besides, I have not seen a man's
red blood for many days, and I am tired of the blood of the Assocks.
(POCAHONTAS _shrinks down, holding her ears_.) I shall dearly like
to see how looks the blood of a white half-man, half-devil. But
first I want to see him cower, and squeal for mercy; for therein
lies the joy of killing. (_Calls to his_ WARRIORS.) Ho! there!
Stretch out this devil on the ground, and let him learn that death
is not the joy he thinks it is. (_They drag_ SMITH _down, and lay
him on his back on the ground_, C. _One holds his feet, but the
rest, finding that he does not struggle, stand back; two prepare to
use their battle-axes on him, while the rest dance weird dances,
singing Ingonyama chorus round him. The executioners make false
blows at his head--but he never flinches._)
POCAHONTAS (_kneeling beside the_ KING. R.). Oh! King--I have not
often asked for gifts from you--and now I pray you, on my bended
knee, to grant me this request. I have no slave to guard me when I
walk abroad. It is not seemly that I take a young brave of our
tribe, and the old ones are so very old and slow. Now here; a slave
of whom one may be proud--one strange to see, yet strong and great
and brave. Ah! give him to thy child instead of unto death.
KING. Nay! nay! my child. If you don't like the scene, withdraw, for
he shall die. 'Tis sport for me to see how long he lasts before he
cries for mercy. And when he does he dies. (_To_ WARRIORS.) Now
stand him up, and try some new device to make him quail.
(POCAHONTAS _shrinks back. They raise_ SMITH, _and he stands boldly
facing them_.)
KING. Death now comes to thee, and thou hast no chance of escaping
him. Art thou not now afraid of him?
JOHN SMITH. Nay. Why should I be? We men are born not for ourselves
but as a help to others; and if we act thus loyally we know our God
will have us in his care both now and after death.
KING. But _after_ death you're dead!
JOHN SMITH. Not so. A Christian lives again.
KING to SMITH. Well now your hour has come. I know not what has
brought you to this land, but you shall know that witch or no, your
spells can have no power on me; and you will die, and I shall smile
to see you die.
SMITH. What brought me here was duty to my King and God and
countrymen; to spread his powerful sway over all the earth, that you
and yours may know of God, that trade may spread to carry peace and
wealth throughout the world. If you accept these views all will be
well; if you accept them not then do your worst, but use your haste;
our mission is to _clean_ the world! Kill me, but that will not
avail, for where I fall a thousand more will come. Know this, O
Savage King, a Briton's word is trusted over all the world; his
first care is for others--not himself; he sticks to friend through
thick and thin; he's loyal to his King. And though you threat with
death or pains, he'll do his duty to the end.
[Illustration: Warrior.]
KING (_springs angrily forward_). I'll hear no more. You offer terms
to ME, the King! Down, dog, upon your knees, and meet the death you
feign to smile at. (_To_ WARRIORS.) Strike, strike, and smash this
vermin from my path.
(PRINCESS POCAHONTAS, _who has been cowering in the background, runs
forward and places herself close in front of_ Capt. JOHN SMITH, _so
as to protect him from the_ WARRIORS, _who are preparing_, R. and
BACK, _to rush at him with their spears and axes_).
PRINCESS POCAHONTAS. Hold! Warriors--I am your Princess, and to get
at him you have to kill me first. (_To_ KING.) O King--I call you no
more "Father." O King your rule has been a time of blood and murder.
I was too young to think before, but now I know that all your works
are cruel, bad, not just. (WARRIORS _lower their weapons, and
whisper among themselves, as if saying, "Yes. She's quite right_.")
And I have been obedient as your child till now. But now my eyes are
opened, and I see that as King you are neither just nor kind towards
your tribe--or other men.
To bring it home to you, I swear that if you slay this man you also
slay your daughter! For I'll not leave him thus to die alone. (_To_
WARRIORS.) Now, braves, come on and do your work.
(_They hang back._)
How now--you never feared an enemy, so why fear me?
EAGLE'S WING (_bowing_). Nay, sweet Princess, it may not be. We care
not what of men we kill in fighting for our land, but this we cannot
do--to raise a hand against a woman, and she our own Princess.
KING (_furious_). How now! What talk is this? Ye speak as though you
had no King and no commands. Slay on--strike true, and spare not man
nor maid, for she no longer is a child of mine.
(_Braves still hesitate._)
Ye will not? Dogs, wouldst have me do it for myself? I will, and,
what is more, I'll slay you Eagle's Wing for this, and you too----
(_Enter a warrior scout_, L., _who rushes up to the_ KING _and
kneels while shots are heard outside_.)
SCOUT. O King! There be more white devils over there. They're
pressing on, and none can stand against them.
KING to WARRIORS. Stand firm, and kill these devils as they come. To
every brave who takes a white man's scalp I'll give the noblest
feather for his head. Stand firm! Bend well your bows.
(_While the_ KING _and_ WARRIORS _are looking off_ L. _towards the
fight_, POCAHONTAS _takes_ SMITH R., _draws a dagger and cuts_ JOHN
SMITH'S _arms lose. He shakes hands with her. Taking the dagger, he
rushes to the_ KING, _and seizing his hair with one hand, and
threatening him with the dagger with the other, he leads him_ C.)
SMITH. Now yield thee, King, as prisoner, or I will send thee quick
to other hunting grounds. (_To Warriors who rush forward to rescue
the_ KING.) Nay, stand you there: another step, and lo! your King
will die. (_A pause. All stand quite still._) I will not harm if he
lists to me. (_Leads_ KING _to front_, C., _and then lets go his
hold of him_. WARRIORS _remain at back. Distant noise of fighting,
cries and shots heard all the time_. WARRIORS _keep looking off to
see how the fight is going on_.)
(SMITH _standing_ L., _facing_ KING, C. POCAHONTAS, R., WARRIORS,
_back_.)
SMITH. If you would live in peace, your only way is now to join with
us. Our God is stronger than your idols, and our King is king of
many tribes far greater and more powerful than your own. But if you
join with us your wicked ways must cease; no more to kill your
people for no crime, no more to steal their goods or beasts, no more
to make them slaves against their will. Beneath the British flag all
men are free. (WARRIORS _whisper among themselves_. SMITH _turns to
them_.) What say you? Will you join and serve our King, and live in
peace, or will you go on being slaves of cruel chiefs, to live a
life of fear and poverty?
EAGLE'S WING. Nay. We should like to join you well, but we have aye
been faithful to our King, and what he says, why that is what we'll
do.
SMITH. You're right in being faithful to your King. Now, King, what
say you? Will you join our mighty King with all your braves, or will
you face his power and be destroyed?
KING (_sullenly_). You talk as though you were a king yourself and
conqueror, instead of but a prisoner in my hands. You must be mad or
very brave, since I could kill thee at one stroke.
SMITH. Well, mad or brave, it matters not; but there are others just
as mad or brave out there, who even now (_points off_ L.) are
pressing back your men; and were your men to kill off all of us, a
thousand more will come for each one killed, and in the end you too
would meet your fate. Know this, that Britain, once she puts her
hand to the plough for doing noble work, does not withdraw, but
presses on till peace and justice are set up, and cruel wrongs
redressed. You would yourself remain as King among your people, but
beneath the friendly wing of Britain's world-wide power.
KING to WARRIORS. My braves! I never asked your will before; but ye
have heard what this brave man has said. What think ye? Should we
yield or fight this white man's power?
EAGLE'S WING. My King, we all say "yield," and join this mighty
power, whereby we shall ourselves be strong.
POCAHONTAS (_kneeling to_ KING, R.). Once more I call thee Father,
and I pray, for all the wives and children of our tribe, that you
will take this noble man's advice, and bring true peace at last into
our land. (_Kisses_ KING'S _hands and remains kneeling while he
speaks_.)
KING. 'Tis well. Fair, sir, we yield; and on our oath we swear
allegiance to your King for aye and ever, weal or woe. We will be
true (_holding up right hand in scout's sign_).
WARRIORS (_holding up right hands in scout's salute_). We will be
true.
SMITH (_taking St. George's flag from under his coat, and tying it
on to a scout's staff, holds it aloft._) Behold your flag--the flag
of St. George and Merry England!
WARRIORS _salute and sing Ingonyama Chorus. Band plays "Rule
Britannia!"_
CURTAIN.
DRESSES.
WARRIORS.--Band or tape round head, with plait of hair over ear, and
four goose feathers with black tips.
Naked body coloured red brick dust colour.
Trousers: light-coloured if possible, with strips of coloured rag
and goose feathers stitched all down the outside seam of the leg.
Bare feet.
Bow and arrows and staff.
KING.--Like warriors, but with red blanket or shawl over one
shoulder, and headdress made of linen band with goose feathers, some
upright in it and continued down the back.
POCAHONTAS.--Headdress band of linen, with three upright goose
feathers and two drooping on each side; also a plait of hair over
each shoulder.
Brass curtain-rings tied with thread round each ear as earrings.
Necklace of beads, also bracelets.
A skirt.
Coloured short petticoat under it.
Bare feet.
JOHN SMITH.--Big hat with pheasant's tails feathers.
Beard and moustache and long hair of tow or crepe hair. Could all be
stitched to hat if desired. Steel gorget or wide soft linen collar;
long brown or yellow coat, with big belt.
Bagging knickerbockers.
Stockings.
Shoes with big buckles.
Old-fashioned flint-lock gun.
SCENERY.--Strips of brown paper, 1 ft. to 1-1/2 ft. wide, and 2 ft.
to 3 ft. wide at the bottom will represent trees if stuck up on the
back wall, and marked with charcoal and chalk to represent rough
bark.
SCOUTING FOR BOYS.
PART II.
will be published on January 30th, 1908.
_CONTENTS_:
CHAPTER II.--TRACKING.
HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS.
CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 5.
Observation of "Sign," or How Scouts
Find Out Things.
CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 6.
"Spooring" Men or Animals.
CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 7.
Reading "Sign": Sherlock Holmes-ism.
Stories, Games, and Practices in Tracking in
Town and Country.
CHAPTER III.--WOODCRAFT.
CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 8.
Stalking, Hiding, and Creeping up to
Animals or Men.
CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 9.
Habits of Animals, Birds, and Reptiles.
CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 10.
Plants, useful to Scouts.
CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 11.
Stars useful to Scouts.
Stories, Games, and Practices in Woodcraft in
Town and Country.
NOTE TO INSTRUCTORS AND LEARNERS.--It would be well not to
commence a course of instructions until you have this Part as
well as Part I. in your hands.
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