A STRANGE SUGGESTION
"Who goes there?"
"A scout of the Red Fox Patrol!"
"Advance scout, and give the countersign!"
A figure came shuffling forward, bent over, and whispered a word in the
ear of the sentinel at the door of the old tobacco barn.
"Correct! Pass in, scout!" said the one on guard, solemnly.
But William chose to loiter by the door, and watch the gathering of the
clans, for the boys arrived rapidly after that, usually in pairs.
"Where's the other twin?" asked Paul, seeing William alone.
"Unavoidably detained, Captain. May be on deck later. Here comes another
bunch," and William stepped aside to allow the sentry to halt Andy Flinn,
who had arrived in company with Jud Elderkin, the latter as tall and thin
as the former was fat and pudgy.
"Pass along, gentlemen," sang out William, after the pair had
successfully stood the test; "the animals went in two by two; the
elephant and the kangaroo!" and as usual there was a laugh at this
sally, which applied so aptly to the couple just entering.
"All here now, Paul," announced Jack Stormways, counting noses in the
light of half a dozen lanterns provided by Mr. Shipley, the owner of the
barn.
For an hour routine business was transacted.
There were just twenty-one names on the roll now, and all present saving
two, Wallace Carberry and another. It was decided to organize two patrols
at once, the first to be under the charge of Paul as scout leader, while
Jud Elderkin took the Gray Fox crowd.
The more the assembled lads learned concerning the duties and sports of
the Boy Scouts, the greater became their enthusiasm. As the evening
progressed they were fairly bubbling over with excitement, and it began
to look as though the success of the new movement were already assured.
But Paul knew that it must be a constant fight between the natural
rough-and-ready, give-and-take spirit which almost every boy inherits
from his ancestors, and the new idea that would have him a hero without
being a bully or a brawler.
And he was not surprised when, later on, just before they thought of
breaking up the meeting, William got the floor on the question of a
personal privilege, and threw a bombshell into the camp.
"I'm going to ask a favor of you fellows," he said; "and you can help me
break even with that old rooster as well as have some fun. D'ye think
you can stand the racket?"
The others crowded around, for they knew very well that when William had
anything to propose it usually meant some frolic. But Paul noticed to his
surprise that the joker seemed worked up far more than he could ever
remember seeing him before, and he scented trouble ahead.
"Who is it this time, William? Tell us about it, old fellow! Of course
we're bound to stand by you through thick and thin. That's one of the
first duties of a scout, you know. Speak up, and give us a tip!"
It was Jud Elderkin who said this; but that he voiced the sentiments
of pretty much the entire group could be judged from the chorus of
exclamations that greeted his aggressive speech.
"It's that old grumpy miser, Peleg Growdy," said the orator, waving his
hands to emphasize his words. "He never had any use for boys, you know,
and often says he wonders why the pests were ever born. I don't remember
doing him any mean thing in my life, but he's got it in for the whole
creation of boys, I expect."
"What did he do to you?"
"Yes, tell us, William. We'll stand by you, never fear."
"He needs a good lesson, the old skinflint. Tell us what happened!"
William grinned, for he saw that he had already captured the hearts
of his comrades, and had small need to fear they would let him seek
satisfaction alone.
Jack Stormways was as deeply interested in the outcome as his chum Paul.
He remembered all his father had said at the breakfast table on the
preceding day, in connection with this same man Growdy.
William was proceeding to thrill his hearers some more. To hear him talk
one might imagine his father was a celebrated lawyer instead of the town
blacksmith, for William had a smooth tongue.
"I guess all of you know by this time what some fellers did to Growdy's
pigs last Saturday night, painting 'em to beat the band? It's the talk
of the town, and lots of folks says that it serves the old crusty just
right. But I was tucked away in my little bed alongside t'other twin that
night, as snug as two bugs in a rug; and consequently had my little
_alibi_ ready to prove I wasn't in the bunch that paid him that sly
visit."
"Oh! we all know who did it, never fear!" cried Joe Clausin.
"He spells his name T-e-d!" echoed Bobolink.
"All right. Because some bad boys played that joke on old Growdy he seems
to have it in for every mother's son in Stanhope. I met him on the road
this afternoon when I was out with a light wagon after some feed. He was
on the way to town to deliver a big load of truck. Everybody's entitled
to half the road; ain't that the law, fellers?"
"Sure it is, William; but that mean man wouldn't budge for you, hey?"
said Jud.
"Not for an inch. Just hauled up there taking two-thirds of the road, and
started to light his pipe. I was in a hurry to get along, and thought
I could just squeeze by; but I made a mistake, and my wagon got upset in
the ditch. He went on, grinning at my trouble, and never offering to
raise a hand to help me out."
Exclamations of indignation arose on all sides.
"He needs another lesson, boys!"
"Say the word, William, and we're with you. Guess I might think up a few
ways for you to get even with the old skinflint!"
Paul saw that they were rapidly being swayed by their feelings of natural
resentment. He had no particular reason for liking Peleg Growdy any more
than the balance of the group; but the lesson of returning good for evil
had taken full possession of his soul.
Once he would have been only too ready to join in with his chums in
redressing what seemed to be a positive wrong; but somehow it was
different now.
Before he could speak, however, Jack had elbowed his way into the midst
of the excited lads, his face full of determination.
"Wait a bit, you fellows, before you decide what you're going to do.
I want to tell you something that ought to interest you."
"All right, Jack; speak up. Any objection to joining in with us and
having a little fun while we help a brother even up his score?" demanded
a voice.
Then Jack repeated as well as he was able the conversation that had taken
place at the breakfast table in his house. He went even further than
this, for it happened that he knew something about the old man's past.
"Peleg Growdy is a crabbed old chap, I admit; but perhaps you wouldn't
blame him so much if you knew the trouble he has had."
"What was that?" asked one boy.
"His wife and two children were burned to death when his house caught
fire many years ago. Another child grew up to be a man, and committed
some crime that made him run away. His last one, a daughter, was killed
in a railroad wreck. Ever since then the old man shuns people, and just
works as if he never wanted to know a living soul."
"That's tough, for a fact!" admitted one boy, slowly.
"But it don't excuse him for hating all boys. What business did he have
sitting there and taking two-thirds of the road, to let William upset in
the ditch trying to pass him?" demanded Jud, still rebelling.
"Oh! well, that's a rule of the road that isn't always carried out. For
instance, the loaded vehicle is generally given _more_ than its half; and
William admits he was going light, while the old man carried a heavy
load," said Jack.
"Yes, that's so," grunted William, unable to hold out against such logic.
"And perhaps, if he told the actual truth, William would admit that there
was room enough for him to pass, if he had been a little more careful!"
"Sure; but I was in a hurry, you understand; and didn't see that the edge
of the ditch was crumbly. But he laughed, I tell you, and that riled me!"
"And now you want to bring a dozen and more of your friends down on his
place to commit some prank that will make him dislike boys more than
ever. It's all wrong, I tell you, fellows, and for one I refuse to lend
a hand," and Jack folded his arms as though his mind were made up once
and for all.
Paul saw that they were very near a division that might be fatal to the
future good of the cause. He wondered whether he could swing the crowd
to the other side, like the pendulum of a clock. It would take
considerable eloquence, as well as all his powers of leadership to
accomplish it; but the crisis was upon them, and he would be false to
himself if he did not meet the issue squarely.
"Will you listen to me, fellows?" he said, quietly, stepping forward to
occupy the place just vacated by Jack, and managing to whisper to the
other in passing: "back me up for all you're worth, and we may win the
day!"
"Of course we will! You're the scout leader, Paul, and when you hatch up
any game it's sure to be worth the powder. Let her go!" came from Jud,
who seemed to be a sort of ringleader in this little rebellion in the
camp.
"All right, boys. I'm going to make a proposition that will take your
breath away; but I have strong hopes that after what you've listened to
from that manual to-night, you'll be ready to back me up," continued
Paul.
"We believe in you, Paul. You never fooled us yet; and you never will.
What's your queer game?" asked Bobolink, ready to swing over already,
such was his faith in the one they had elected their leader.
The boys crowded around Paul, more than eager to hear what his proposal
might turn out to be; for novelty always appeals to the average lad.
"All of you know that old Peleg keeps his dooryard in a horrible
condition. Why, my mother says she doesn't believe it has been cleaned
up in years; and he hardly ever takes the trouble to even put his wagons
and that old buggy in the shed. It's a disgrace to the town to have him
so near. I've heard that the women talked about asking him to do
something to make it look cleaner."
"He's a stubborn old man, and can't be driven, my dad says," remarked
Jud.
"Now here's what I'm going to propose. You know he's pretty deaf, and
can't hear much that goes on. He used to have a savage dog, but it died
a couple of weeks ago, and since then he's been trying to get another,
but so far without success. Get that?"
"Yes, but go on, Paul," demanded Bobolink.
"Let's go over to Peleg's in a body," continued the scout leader; "and
while he sleeps clean up that dooryard of his so that in the morning
he'll just rub his eyes and begin to think the fairies have paid him
a visit in the night. And when he learns who did it perhaps he may feel
something like you did, William. Don't you see, _it'll be rubbing it in
good and hard_!"
Paul waited to see how his suggestion took.
The boys stared at each other in amazement. It is doubtful whether a
parcel of wide-awake lads ever before had such a novel proposition made
to them. And perhaps it was the sensational character of the appeal that
stirred them more than any desire to return good for evil.
"Count me in that job, Paul," said Jack positively.
He had timed his interruption with exceeding cleverness. Boys are like
sheep, and given a bell wether they will follow blindly where the leader
goes.
"Me too!" cried Bobolink, quickly.
"Ditto! I'm for the game just as Paul says!" exclaimed Nuthin'.
And every one in the crowd followed suit, laughing at the idea of their
turning the tables on the old farmer in such an unheard-of fashion;
though several doubtless secretly scoffed at the project, and only agreed
because it seemed to be a necessary evil if they wanted to become Boy
Scouts.