CLEARING SKIES
Paul made no reply to this remark of his chum.
Having studied the charms of outdoor life always, he knew that he would
be placing his friends under a heavy handicap if he ever attempted to
compete with them in woodlore.
True, just as he said, Wallace was somewhat of an unknown quantity; for
he, too, seemed to have a deep love for everything connected with life in
the forest, and never tired of reading books that told of pioneers and
their ways.
The scout leader immediately started some of the boys along another tack.
They were given a chance to find a lost trail, to detect all manner of
signs such as would be apt to tell how long previously some one had
passed that way; and to discover where the tracks came out of the creek,
upon the bed of which the unknown had walked quite some distance.
Of course, Paul had made the trail himself in the morning, running out
here on his wheel so as to prepare the ground. And when they all failed
to find out just how the party had left the creek, since the marked
tracks did not seem to appear anywhere along the banks, he pointed to
where the limb of a tree hung down over the water.
"That's the ticket!" cried Bobolink, excitedly. "See, fellows, how it's
skinned where his shoes scraped along it."
"As sure as shooting he climbed up into that tree!" declared one,
excitedly.
"Then scatter, and examine the ground around the trunk!" said Paul.
A minute or so later a happy whoop announced that one of the searchers
had discovered the wished-for signs; and away the whole troop went on
a trot, following the leader.
Meanwhile the photographers managed to get in some of their efforts,
possibly unbeknown to the rest. Exposures where the subjects are
unconscious of their posing always turn out best; since they avoid
stiffness, such as ruins so many otherwise interesting pictures.
Here, with the woods for a background, Paul, acting by agreement as
temporary scout master, drilled his followers in scout law, sign, salute,
and the significance of the badges which they wore, all of them, of
course, of the tenderfoot type, since few had as yet started to qualify
for any higher plane.
Signal flags had been brought along; and a class in semaphore work proved
that some of the members of the troop were making rapid progress along
that line. They had mastered the Morse code, too; and had the occasion
arisen might have sent messages over the wire, although probably none
save Paul could have received the same, unless the words came painfully
slow.
The afternoon passed almost before they realized it; and more than a few
declared that the sun must have dropped like a plummet, when they found
twilight creeping upon the forest.
Both Ted and Ward had long since gone away, as though disgusted. They had
tried to sneer at the work of Stanhope Troop No. 1; but every one knew
this humor was assumed; and that secretly they were eating their very
hearts out for envy.
No doubt there would be a hot time among their followers, when the
leaders endeavored to drive them to beat the record Wallace Carberry
had set in his fire starting, and water-boiling test.
"Suppose you come to supper with me, Paul," suggested Jack, when they
were more than half way back to town, with the double column moving along
like clockwork, every right leg thrust out in unison, as though forming a
part of a well-regulated machine.
Paul looked quickly at him when Jack said this.
"Oh! I can see through a millstone, when it has a hole in it," he
remarked.
"Which is one way of saying that you can guess I have a motive in asking
you?" returned the other, smiling queerly; "well, I have, in fact,
several. In the first place my mother told me to ask you. I rather think
she wants to pump you about that affair last night. Father wouldn't tell
her all she wished to know. Then again I'm still all broken up about
those lost coins; and I thought perhaps you might have guessed the answer
to the riddle."
"What's that? More of them gone, Jack?" asked Paul, lowering his voice,
so that the two scouts at the tail end of the line might not hear.
"Don't know yet. Didn't have the nerve to go up into my den since this
morning. To tell the truth that place has lost all charm for me. Whenever
I find myself there I get to shivering, and looking around, just like I
half expected to see a ghost step out, and pick up one of those miserable
coins right before my very eyes--ugh! it's horrible to feel that way, and
I used to be so fond of my den, too."
"Oh! I hope and expect you will be again, Jack, when we've settled this
little thing. You say none of them were ever taken in the night?" said
Paul, earnestly; while his knitted brows told how much he felt concerned
over the mystery.
"Certainly not. Always in broad daylight. That's the queer part of it,"
returned the other, promptly.
"Sure, seeing that they always go in the daytime, and when you're away
from home, too. Anybody else going to be there to-night?"
"To supper--oh! no. Karl went off after breakfast, to visit our uncle for
a few days before school commences. I took him to the train myself, and
then mustered up enough courage to climb up there, and once more count
the coins," went on Jack.
"Six there then, eh?" asked Paul.
"Just as last night. And I purposely left the door unlocked."
"Both door and window open in the bargain?" asked the other; at which
Jack looked puzzled.
"Of course; though that wouldn't matter at all; for any fellow could turn
the knob, and walk in," he replied.
"But the door was open, just like a plain invitation to enter, should
anybody think of going up to see--say that again, please," continued
Paul.
"Well, I do say it again, though I can't understand why you should make
that a point worth mentioning. Still, I have confidence in you, Paul. If
anybody can get at the root of my trouble it's going to be you, old
fellow."
"I hope you prove a true prophet. As for myself I'm not saying anything
just yet, one way or another," smiled Paul.
"Yes, but I really believe that you've found out something that gives you
a pointer, Paul. Your face tells me that. You're a wonder about following
a trail in the woods. And I believe you see light in this darkness around
me!" and Jack looked eagerly into the face of his chum as he said this.
"All I'm going to confess is that I believe I'm on the trail, and that
it seems to be getting warmer the further I go. Just hold your horses
a little while longer, Jack, and perhaps I may be able to tell you
something."
"The way you smile gives me new courage, old fellow. Oh! I will be so
glad if only it turns out all right. But here we are at the smithy. Shall
you dismiss the troop here, Paul?"
"Yes. The boys must be pretty tired after last night's work, and this
hike; as well as the many stunts they went through with," and the
temporary master scout presently gave the order to break ranks, and head
for home.
"Drop in at my house so I can tell my folks not to expect me to dinner,"
said Paul, as they approached his home.
There was not the slightest objection to the programme as arranged. His
parents trusted Paul fully, knowing that, while as fond of fun as the
next lad, he never did things likely to get him into trouble.
"Now, first of all," remarked Paul, after they were indoors again; "let's
go up, and make sure that anything has happened."
The door to Jack's den stood wide open, inviting any one to enter.
Jack had a match lighted in his hand, and with this he quickly touched
the wick of a lamp. Paul heard him draw a long breath as he approached
the spot where the little box lay upon the table desk at which stood the
chair used by the owner of the den when taking his leisure here.
He bent over, and seemed to be counting the coins. They dropped back into
the receptacle one by one, and with such a ringing sound that even Paul
was able to keep tally. Then Jack turned an anxious and white face
around.
"Paul, there are only four here. Two more have gone!" he said.
"Yet you came up here and counted them; you are positive of that?"
demanded Paul.
"I counted them, and there were six. Five times I did it, to be sure; yet
you saw that there were only four just now?"
"You came up here after you saw Karl off on the train?" persisted his
chum.
"Yes, after I returned from the station. But what makes you ask that?
Tell me why you are grinning so, Paul? I know I'm awfully dull just now,
but who could blame me under the circumstances? Please speak up!" Jack
insisted.
"Why, don't you see, this clears Karl completely. Six here while he was
riding away on the train this morning; and two taken when he is fifty
miles away! Don't that satisfy you it wasn't your brother, after all,
Jack?"
And Jack dropped down in that chair, letting his head fall in his hands,
while a great joy overspread his face.