Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
THE BOY SCOUTS PATROL
BY RALPH VICTOR
ILLUSTRATED BY
RUDOLF MENCL
CHAPTER
I. A MONKEY TRICK
II. FINDING MONEY
III. TWO AND TWO
IV. UP THE RIVER
V. OUT OF THE RIVER
VI. THE ENEMY MAKES A RAID
VII. THE COLONEL
VIII. TALKING IT OVER
IX. THE PURSUIT
X. LOOKING FOR A CLUE
XI. FORMING THE PATROL
XII. ORGANIZED
XIII. A CHALLENGE
XIV. A DEFIANCE
XV. PEPPER TAKES A MESSAGE
XVI. WHERE WAS PEPPER?
XVII. THE MESSAGE
XVIII. IN THE JUDGE'S OFFICE
XIX. A NARROW ESCAPE
XX. A NIGHT ALARM
XXI. A SURPRISE
XXII. THE RACE
XXIII. CONCLUSION
THE BOY SCOUTS PATROL
CHAPTER I
A MONKEY TRICK
"I think--" began a tall, slenderly-built lad of sixteen, speaking
in a somewhat indolent way; then suddenly he paused to look down
through the trees to where the river gleamed below.
"What's on your mind now, Rand?" his companion queried, a boy of
about the same age, nearly as tall, but more stoutly built, and as
light in complexion as the other was dark. The two were standing at
the top of the road that wound down the side of the mountain from
the town of Creston, which was perched, like the nest of some great
bird, in a hollow of the Palisades.
"I think--" repeated the first speaker, pausing again.
"That's right, Randolph," approved his companion briskly, "always
think twice before you speak once."
"I always do, Donald Graeme," retorted Rand; "but what I was really
going to say when you interrupted me with your irrelevant remark,
was--"
"Hurrah!" broke in Donald, waving his cap in answer to the hail of
another boy who was just then seen hurrying down the road toward
them. "Here comes Pepper in a rush, as usual."
It was just after dawn of a June morning that the boys were
assembling. It was still dark and gloomy, for it had rained during
the night and the storm had not yet passed, but the boys having
planned a fishing trip for this morning were not to be deterred by
the fear of a wet jacket.
"Hello, fellows!" panted the newcomer, who was smaller and slighter
than either of the others, but who made up in activity and energy
what he lacked in size. His hair was a glowing red and with it
went a temper so quick that the nickname, Pepper, that some chum
had given him, was most appropriate. It is doubtful if any of his
comrades really knew his Christian name. Certainly he was always
"Pepper" to every one, even at home, although he was christened
Philip.
"I say, I was afraid you'd be gone when I got here."
"Well, we would have been," drawled Randolph, "only we knew you'd
be late, and we took our time."
"Now that isn't fair, Rand," laughed the other, "you know I'm not
always late."
"Well, maybe not ALWAYS," conceded Rand; "but almost always. What
was the matter this morning--breakfast late?"
"Now, you know I didn't wait for breakfast," protested Pepper,
adding rather reluctantly, "though I did stop for a bite. But even
if I am late I'm not last. Jack isn't here yet, and he left home
first."
"Oh, he's out on the trail somewhere, I suppose," surmised Donald.
"He's always chasing for news. He'll be coming along presently
with a whole budget. I believe he thinks the paper couldn't go on
if it weren't for him."
"'That reminds me,' as Dick Wilson says," interrupted Rand, taking
a pamphlet from his pocket and holding it out to his companions,
"speaking of trails, what do you think of that?"
"What is it?" asked Pepper, eying it suspiciously. "Looks as if
the cat had been walking on it." goodness, I hope not. I thought
you were always hungry, but if you are only beginning I foresee a
famine ahead of us. And to think of all the good food that is wasted
on you, Pepper," went on Donald reflectively. "Why, to look at you
any one might think that you never had had enough to eat."
"That shows how deceiving looks are," replied Pepper. "Though I
never did have enough," he added plaintively.
"Of course not," returned Donald, "there isn't as much as that
anywhere."
"As much what?" asked Rand.
"Food, grub, provisions, victuals," replied Donald, setting off
along the road at a pace that put a stop to any more talk.
They had gone perhaps about halfway down the hill toward the
boathouse when a big bay horse, drawing a light wagon in which were
three boys, came quickly around a turn in the road. It bore down
on them so suddenly that only by a rapid scramble up the bank by
the side of the road did Rand and Donald save themselves from being
bowled over.
The newcomers would have driven on with a jeering laugh only that
Pepper, angry at what obedience, neatness and order are Scout
virtues. Endurance, self-reliance, self-control and an effort to
help some one else are Scout objectives."
"Ah, cut it out!" protested Pepper. "As Alphonse says 'that makes
me the ennui.' It sounds like a boarding school prospectus. Tell
as what it's about."
"Well, then," replied Rand, "in words adapted to your comprehension,
it is about hunting, scouting, camping, tracking; and Colonel Snow
is interested in the organization. He says that it is fine."
"Speaking of tracking," interjected Donald, "in my opinion it were
no bad plan to be making tracks toward the boathouse if we are going
to get anywhere the day. It is getting bright in the east and it
looks like a clear day, after all. And I may also take occasion
to remark that I haven't had my breakfast yet, and this Boy Scout
business doesn't sound inviting on an empty stomach. We can discuss
it with more comfort when we have had a bite."
"That's the talk!" approved Pepper. "That suits me down to the
ground. I'm beginning to get hungry myself."
"Beginning!" exclaimed Donald. "My
"That isn't a bad guess," laughed Rand. "It is supposed to represent
the track of a bear."
"What are you going to do, Rand?" questioned Donald, "hunt bears?"
"Not at present," answered Rand, "though I should like to well
enough. This is a booklet about the Boy Scouts."
"The Boy Scouts!" demanded Pepper; "what's them?"
"Shades of Lindley Murray!" exclaimed Rand, "do I hear aright?
What's them! And you a graduate of number one. Really, Pepper Blake,
I don't believe we can let you in on this. What do you think about
it, Don?"
"I have my doubts about it," replied Donald gravely.
"But what is it?" persisted Pepper. "It sounds good to me."
"That is better," drawled Rand. "It not only sounds good, but it
is good, as you elegantly express it. IT, according to the pamphlet
that I have here, is an organization for boys between the ages of
twelve and eighteen to train them in self-reliance, manhood and
good citizenship. The movement is not essentially military," went
on Rand, "but the military virtues of discipline, looked like
a deliberate attempt to run over them, sprang to the horse's head
as it was passing, catching the bridle, and with a loud "whoa" he
brought the outfit to a stop.
"What are you t-t-trying to do, Jim Rae!" he shouted to the youthful
driver, "run over us?"
"Aw, g-g-go on, kiddie!" retorted Jim, a stout lad of about Rand's
age, with a freckled face and a shock of aggressive red hair,
mimicking Pepper, who, when excited, sometimes stuttered. "Aw,
g-g-go on. Little boys shouldn't play in the road."
"If you can't d-drive without getting all over the road," went on
Pepper, "why d-don't you let somebody d-drive that knows how--"
"Aw, g-g-go chase yourself," cried Jim. "You ought to bring youse
mamma along to take care of youse. Get up, Bill!" with a flourish
of the whip and a jerk on the lines.
The horse made a jump, but Pepper held firmly to the bridle and
brought it to a stop.
"Let go that horse!" shouted Jim.
"Hit him with the whip, Jim," urged one of the boys in the wagon.
"D-d-don't you dare hit me with that whip," warned Pepper as Jim
snapped the whip close to him, "or you will wish you hadn't."
"Aw, what would you do?" retorted Jim, tauntingly flourishing the
lash dangerously close to Pepper's face. "You ain't big enough to
scare me baby brother."
"You had better not try it, Jim Rae," asserted Pepper, "or I'll
pull you out of there so quick that you will think a cyclone struck
you."
"You mean a wind bag, don't you?" sneered Jim, aiming a blow at
Pepper, who now loosened his hold upon the horse's bridle to jump
toward the wagon, whereupon Jim changed his purpose and struck
the horse with the whip. With a loud "giddap" they started with a
bound, missing Pepper by a hair's breadth, and driving on down the
road at a rattling pace.
"That's a regular m-monkey trick, Jim Rae, all right!" shouted
Pepper. "but I'll get even with you yet!"
The only answer of the boys in the wagon was a taunting laugh
as they drove away. Randolph and Donald had taken no part in the
controversy, not exactly approving of Pepper's disputing with the
enemy, but they had stood at hand ready for any emergency should
one arise.