A GOOD IDEA
That same day we hiked out through Woodstock. Harry Donnelle said we had to
be careful, because the woods were infested with poets and authors and
artists, but I should worry, who's afraid of a poet? We saw a lot of them
and they wore funny big neckties and long hair. But anyway, Harry said they
were harmless. They live in little shacks.
We went around the Ashokan Reservoir and then along the road down through
Atwood and Stone Ridge till we got to the Wallkill River, and that night we
camped near New Paltz. There's a great big abnormal school there, or a
normal school, or whatever you call it. I should worry. Anyway, there's one
thing I like about school, and that's vacation.
The next day we followed the Wallkill River and caught some perch and
cooked them "for supper", and that night, around the fire, we made Harry
tell us how he saved four privates on the West Front. The next morning we
started off again and passed a place named Great Bluff. It was a great
bluff all right, because it was so small you could send it by Parcels Post.
Pretty soon we came to a place named Tanner's Crossroads. I couldn't see
anything so cross about them. But anyway Mr. Tanner was cross enough to
make up. He wouldn't let us take a short cut across his land. What cared
we? I don't know how big the village was, because I didn't have a ruler
with me. I guess somebody must have dropped the village there and never
noticed it. That night we slept just inside of a village named _Slow_.
Anyway, that's what it said on a sign alongside the road. Harry said it
meant for autos to go slow. I made flapjacks that night. In two days we
came in sight of the Hudson. I knew it would be there. Oh boy, but we
climbed some hills. Pretty soon we could see Haverstraw, but we didn't go
near it. We camped in a dandy place outside the town. And that's the place
where we had our big adventure. Maybe you'll remember how I said our hike
got tied in a knot in one place. Well, that was the place.
So now I'm going to tell you about that adventure. It has girls in it and
everything. And it shows you how boy scouts can be heroes. It has two
heroines, so maybe if you don't like one, you'll like the other. One's an
emergency heroine, that's what Harry said.
Now maybe if you've read all about our adventures up at Temple Camp, you'll
remember that my sister Marjorie was going to have a birthday party. I told
Mr. Ellsworth that I would like to go home for that party and go back to
Temple Camp the next day. Maybe you will remember about it, on account of
my saying that she was going to have coconut frosted cake.
Now on that night that we were camping near Haverstraw, I happened to think
about it being my sister's birthday. I just happened to think of it while
we were sitting around our campfire.
I said, "This is my sister's birthday and she's going to have a party and
coconut frosted cake and things, and I'd like to be there. I wish I had
thought about it yesterday-I'd have sent her a postcard." Because, one
thing, I never forgot about my sister's birthdays.
Harry said, "Why don't you call her up?"
"Sure," Westy said, "they'll just about be having the eats now ."
I said, "What good will that do me?"
"Anyway, where's the telephone?" Dorry said.
"I bet there's a booth over in that little station," Harry said; "why don't
you go over and see? It would be a big surprise, hey?"
I said, "You bet it would. Come on over and we'll see if there's one there,
Westy." The station that Harry spoke about was a little dinky station that
we had passed about a half of a mile back. When we passed it, Harry said he
guessed maybe it was the West Haverstraw Station. It was all dark even
then. But anyway, Westy and I decided we would go back to it and see if it
was open and if there was a 'phone booth there.
"Let's wait till half-past nine before we start," I said; "and then we'll
call up at exactly ten o'clock, because that's the time they'll all be
going in for the eats and they'll be giving the presents then, too. It'll
kind of seem as if I were there just at the right minute."
So at half-past nine, Westy and I started down the road.
"Give her our best wishes," Harry called after us.
It was awful dark and we could hardly see our way going along the road. A
couple of times I went stumbling into the ditch. But, anyway, all the
while I kept thinking about Marjorie and how it would look at home with all
those people there and lots of presents and things.
"I'm mighty glad Harry thought about that," I said.
Westy said, "Jiminies, it will be great. Just when they're all sitting down
around the table, all of a sudden the 'phone will ring-"
"Yop," I said, "and Marjorie will answer it, because she always answers the
'phone, on account of Charlie Wentworth all the time calling her up. He's
in Philadelphia. That's what makes the 'phone service so bad, because he
keeps all the operators busy. Believe me, they ought to have a private
wire. Anyway, that's what my father says."
"I bet you won't be able to get her," Westy said.
"There you go," I told him; "Calamity Jane!"
"To call her up, you'll have to call Central down," he said.
"I should worry," I told him.