THE PROWLER
There had been considerable of a change in connection with the big
open field where the boys of Scranton were allowed by the town council
and mayor to play baseball, and also football, since summer waned.
Somehow the success that attended the work of Scranton High in
the battles of the Three Town League, as narrated in an earlier
volume of this series, seemed to have stirred up many of the leading
citizens. Besides, Mr. Leonard, the efficient under-principal of the
high school, with a genuine love and sympathy for all boys in his heart,
had kept things at boiling pitch.
Consequently there was, first of all, a move made to lease that splendid
field for a long term of years, from the owner, so that the young people
of Scranton might have some central place to gather for all sorts of
outdoor games and sports.
So subscriptions were started looking to collect a fund with which not
only to erect some sort of decent grandstand, but a building that would
contain a number of conveniences such as most athletic grounds and
similar institutions can boast.
This building had now been completed, and the boys were in full
possession. It contained, among other things, a score and more of
lockers, where the one who paid a small fee could keep his "fighting
togs," as Thad Stevens was wont to term his baseball clothes, or it
might be the scanty raiment he wore when exercising on the athletic
field, running, or boxing, or wrestling.
Each boy who hired such a locker, of course, carried the key to the
same; and when engaged in practice work rested easy in the belief that
his street garments were securely taken care of.
There was also a shower-bath and a pool in the building, as well as
several other conveniences that could be used in the summer time during
the hot weather. The boys arranged to take turns in shifts with regard
to keeping the building clean, and thus far the scheme had worked very
well; for the town did not care to go to the extra expense of hiring
a custodian.
Besides this, a high fence was ordered to be built around the entire
grounds, for most other towns had their athletic fields enclosed. It
would keep the rowdy element from disturbing the players when any
game was in progress; and, as a small admission fee might often be
asked, having one or two gates through which admission to the grounds
could be obtained would facilitate matters greatly.
But this was not all. Scranton had awakened to the fact that nature
had been rather unkind to her young people, in that there was no large
lake, or even so much as a small river close by her borders. When the
boys and girls of the town felt inclined to skate after a sharp freeze
along about New Year's Day, they had to walk all the way out to
Hobson's mill-pond, situated between half and two-thirds of a mile away.
This was not so bad for some of the sturdy chaps, but there were others
who disliked taking such long tramps, especially after violent
exercising for hours, it might be, on the ice.
So, after mature deliberation, and receiving valuable suggestions from
Mr. Leonard, as well as others who had seen similar things successfully
carried out in various places, it had been arranged to flood the field
after winter had fully set in. Then, during the time of severe weather,
the young folks would have a splendid sheet of ice right at their doors,
a comfortable retreat into which they could go to warm up, or to put
on and remove their skates.
Here various games were expected to be indulged in, as the weather
permitted; and already a fine hockey Seven had been organized, under
the leadership of Hugh Morgan, with a promise of many exciting games
against rival teams.
The high board fence was being erected, but would hardly be completed
before Spring; still, it gave an air of business to the grounds, and
the boys had already begun to congratulate themselves over the great
stride forward Scranton had taken in the way of catering to her rising
population.
Of course, there were those in the town---you can always find a few in
every community---who seriously objected to so much "good money being
wasted," as they termed it, on such trivial things, when Scranton
really needed an up-to-date library building in place of the poor
apology for one that had to serve.
These people, doubtless from worthy motives, though they were
short-sighted in their opposition, lost no opportunity for running down
the entire enterprise. The person who, perhaps, had more influence
than any of the others, and was more vehement in deriding the "foolish
expenditure of funds along such silly lines, instead of trying to
elevate the standard of reading among Scranton's young people," was
the rich widow, Mrs. Jardine.
She had a son named Claude, whose life was rendered miserable by the
lofty ambition of his mother to make him a genius. She never ceased
talking upon all sorts of elevating subjects; and where other boys
were allowed to lead normal lives, and have lots of innocent if
strenuous fun during vacations, and holidays, poor Claude led a life
of bondage.
He was rather an effeminate-looking boy, tall and slender, with a
face entirely destitute of color such as would indicate abounding
spirits and good health; but it was no wonder, everyone knew how he
was being made such a "sissy" of by his doting "mamma." despite all
this there seemed to be a spark of ordinary boyish spirits concealed
under Claude's superior airs. He sometimes stood and watched the
other fellows engaged in playing prisoner's base, or some such
rough-and-tumble game, with envy. Once upon a time his mother,
chancing to pass along the street in her fine car, was horrified to
discover her darling Claude actually taking part in some "rowdy game,"
in which he scrambled with the rest just as vehemently, and was,
moreover, even worse off than the other boys with regard to soiled
garments and disheveled hair. Evidently the long suppressed spirit
of the lad had broken bounds, and for once he allowed himself to be
natural.
The other fellows never tired of telling how she had called to him
almost frantically, as though she believed he had become inoculated
with some deadly germ, and must be contaminated, bundling the boy into
the car, and actually crying with dismay when she found that he
actually had a scratch upon his nose, which had been bleeding. But it
was also noticed that Claude grinned at his late fellow wrestlers as
he was borne triumphantly away, as though to emphasize the fact that
he had, at least, enjoyed one real period of excitement in his life,
to remain as a bright spot for many days.
Hugh had often wondered whether there might not be some way through
which this deluded mother might be shown what a terrible error she
was making in bringing up her boy to be so inane and useless. He
needed physical development more than any other fellow in Scranton
High. Constant feeding upon lofty ideas, and never given a chance
to develop his muscles, was wrecking his health. Mr. Leonard had
even gone to Mrs. Jardine and entreated her to let him undertake a
moderate programme of athletic exercises with Claude; but he might
as well have tried to lift the high-school building as to make her
change her set ideas.
Hugh and Thad had been out on a particular night after supper, visiting
another boy who chanced to live on the outskirts of town. He had
received a wonderful collection of curios from an uncle living out in
India, after whom he had been named; and upon being especially invited
over to view these things, which included a wonderful assortment of
rare postage stamps, the two chums had made it a point to accept, being
greatly interested in all boyish "hobbies."
That was how they happened to be passing along the road close to the
athletic grounds about half-past nine o'clock that same night.
There was a fair moon shining, but objects appeared more or less
misty, as often occurs under such conditions. The boys had about
exhausted their vocabulary of words that express delight, in examining
the many things of interest shown by "Limpy" Wallace, who was a
cripple, and had to use a crutch, he being also a great admirer of
Hugh Morgan, whom he considered in the light of a hero.
Besides this, both boys were unusually tired after the exertions of
the day, and Thad frequently yawned in a most terrific fashion, as he
walked homeward. Probably these were the main reasons for their
unnatural silence, as they stalked along side by side; since it is
seldom that two lads will refrain from exchanging opinions on some
object or other, when in company.
Afterwards, in the light of what happened, they were inclined to
believe that it was exceedingly fortunate they had lapsed into this
queer condition of silence, for, otherwise, they would have missed
something that proved unusually interesting, as well as afforded them
more or less excitement.
It was Thad who discovered it first. Perhaps he chanced to be looking
that way while Hugh was star-gazing. At any rate he gripped his chum
suddenly by the arm.
"Sh! Hugh, what's that yonder, a skulking dog, or a fellow half bent
over?" was what Thad whispered in the ear of his chum.
Both of them had come to a full stop, under the impulse of the moment;
and Thad was pointing a little to the right, which was where the
building erected on the athletic grounds stood, dimly seen in the
mysterious moonlight.
So Hugh, staring quickly, made out the object indicated by his companion.
Really, he could hardly blame Thad for asking such a question, because
at first it was next to impossible to determine whether it was a
four-footed creature, or a human being who, for some good reason, was
trying to make himself appear as small as possible.
But as Hugh continued to look he saw the other raise himself to his
full height, as though to take a cautious survey of his surroundings.
Then he knew that it was no canine prowling around to discover scraps
thrown aside by the carpenters working on the board fence, as they ate
their noon lunch.
"It's a human being all right, Thad," Hugh whispered, in such a low
tone that even the sharpest pair of ears going could never have caught
the sound ten feet away.
"Man, or boy, Hugh?" asked Thad, copying the example set by the other,
and even bending his head so that his lips might come closer to Hugh's
right ear.
"Can't make that out," he was told.
"But what in the wide world is he trying to do?" pursued Thad, his
curiosity now fully aroused, as the unknown again started to move
forward, pursuing the same strange cautious tactics as before.
"That's what we ought to find out," Hugh told him. "I don't like the
way he's sneaking around here. It looks as if he might be up to some
game."
"Oh! perhaps it's a tramp," suggested Thad, as the idea dawned upon his
brain.
"He may be meaning to break into the building, to sleep there to-night.
I wouldn't put it past a hobo to steal anything he could find left in
the lockers. Hugh, it's up to us to put a kink in his rope. Let's
chase after him before he disappears."