UNDAUNTED! (THAT'S PEE-WEE'S HEADING)
One thing about Harry Donnelle, he was a dandy fixer. When he fixed the
camouflage for us so we could watch a chipmunk, I knew he was a good
fixer. He said he learned how in France. He fixed the chimney on the
cooking shack, too. That fellow could fix anything.
But a scoutmaster isn't so easy to fix. Lots of times I tried to fix it
with Mr. Ellsworth and I just couldn't. He'd make me think that I wanted
to do his way. He's awful funny, he can just make you think that there's
more fun doing things his way. And I was trembling in my shoes-I mean I
was trembling in my bare feet-for fear Harry Donnelle wouldn't be able to
fix it with him. But that fellow could fix it with the sun to shine-that's
what Mr. Burroughs said.
Pretty soon he came strolling down to the spring-board where a lot of us
were having a dip in the lake.
"All right," he said, "how about you?"
"Did you fix it?" I asked him.
"All cut and dried," he said; "are you ready for the big adventure?"
That afternoon we had a special troop meeting, to find out how the
fellows felt about splitting the troop for the journey home. Because you
see our three patrols always hung together. Mr. Ellsworth made a speech
and said how Harry Donnelle had offered to lead the fierce and fiery
Silver Foxes through the perilous wilds of New York State. He said that
the journey would be filled with interest and data of scientific value
(that's just the way he talked) and how we hoped to cross the Ashokan
Reservoir and visit other wild places. He said that we planned to enter
the heart of the Artists Colony at Woodstock and see the artists in their
native state and stalk some authors and poets, maybe, and study their
habits.
Oh boy, you ought to have seen Harry Donnelle. He just sat there on the
edge of Council Rock (that's where we have important meetings at Temple
Camp) and laughed and laughed and laughed.
Mr. Ellsworth said, "It is hoped that these brave scouts may succeed in
capturing a poet and bringing him home as a specimen, and that they may
find other fossils of interest. Meanwhile, the Ravens and the Elks and
myself will drift down in our house-boat and endeavor to find someone to
tow us from Poughkeepsie to New York and up our own dear river to
Bridgeboro. The Ravens and the Elks wish me to offer the brave explorer,
Mr. Harry Donnelle, a vote of thinks for taking the Silver Foxes away. They
appreciate that he does this for the sake, not of the Silver Foxes, but as
a good turn to the Ravens and the Elks. The Ravens and the Elks hope to
have a little peace meanwhile. They thank him. In the familiar words of one
of our famous patrol leaders, _'we should worry.'_ And we wish you all good
luck in your daring enterprise."
I could see that he winked at Harry Donnelle and Harry Donnelle was
laughing so hard that he couldn't make a speech. So I climbed up on
Council Rock and shouted, "Hear, hear" Then I made a speech and this is
it, because afterwards I wrote it out in our troop book.
The Silver Foxes thank the Ravens and the Elks for their
kind wishes. I bequeath all my extra helpings of dessert to
Pee-wee Harris of the Ravens-up to three helpings. After that
it reverts to Vic Norris of the Elks. Reverts means _goes to_.
Who ever reaches Bridgeboro, New Jersey, first will send out a
searching part for the others. The searching party will bring
their own eats. If we're never heard of again, that's a sign
you won't hear from us. If we get to Bridgeboro and don't find
you, that'll be a sign that you're not there. If you are there
it won't be our fault. We should worry. We go forth for the
sake of prosperity-I mean posterity. So please tell posterity
in case we don't reach home safely. If our friends and parents
are anxious, tell them to wait at Bennett's on Bridge Street,
because that'll be the first place we go to.
The next day was Wednesday and we started early in the morning. The others
were going to start down in the house-boat on Saturday. I think the Ravens
and the Elks must have sat up all night making crazy signs on cardboard
just so as to guy us. And Mr. Ellsworth helped them, too. They had the
whole camp with them-even Uncle Jeb; he's manager. He used to be a trapper.
When we got out onto the main road, we saw signs tacked up on all the
trees and I guess even scout in camp was there. One of the signs read,
_Olive oil, but not good-bye_. Another one read _Day-day to the brave
explorers_. Another one read, _Don't forget to wear rubbers going through
the Newburgh morass_. Another one read, _Beware of the treacherous Ashokan
Reservoir_. A lot we cared. Didn't people even make fun of Christopher
Columbus?