THE MEETING
"How are you, Paul?"
It was Mr. Jared Pender who came out of the post-office as Paul happened
to be passing the next day, and addressed the boy he had met on the
preceding evening at the house of the Stormways.
"Why, how do you do, Mr. Pender? Been at work, I see," replied Paul, with
a suggestive look in the direction of the post-office.
The tall dark gentleman looked a little perplexed, and followed Paul's
glance. Then an expression of understanding passed over his face.
"Ah! yes, I see, you are a good guesser, Paul. But please do not mention
the fact to any one. We Government officials sometimes have to work
_sub rosa_, as the saying is; that means without any one knowing what we
are at. You understand, Paul?"
"Yes, sir, I guess I do; but I hope there's nothing wrong here at our
post-office. We all think the world of Mr. Mygatt, and his clerks," said
Paul.
"Oh! don't mention such a thing. We have to investigate many times just
to discover how smoothly things are going on. Isn't that Jack's dog
coming out with a package of papers in his mouth? Has he actually been
down for the mail?" went on the gentleman.
"That's Carlo, all right. Sometimes they give him the mail when there are
no letters, as you see."
"And will he carry the bundles home safely, without stopping to play with
other dogs, or to fight?"
"Oh! Carlo knows his duty. He never forgets what is expected of him.
There, sir, look at him halting for a minute at the open door of the
butcher shop, to wag his tail, and peep in. It smells mighty inviting to
him, I wager; but will he go in? Not much. See, there he goes along,
heading straight for home. If another dog picked a fight with him, Carlo
would lay that package down, give the cur a good licking, then pick the
papers up again, and trot along."
"I see you know his traits well, Paul," remarked the gentleman, smiling.
"Some of them, but not all. He's a great dog, all right, and Jack's fond
of him."
"I suppose money couldn't buy him, then?" suggested Mr. Pender.
"It would be useless to try it, sir, I think. Will you stay long with Mr.
Stormways?"
"That I cannot say. My business may be completed in a day, and it may
keep me in this vicinity for a week. That depends on circumstances. You
have been around more or less, Paul; do you happen to remember seeing a
large red touring car, with a khaki-colored cover, and occupied by two
men, one of whom has a glass eye?"
Paul stared at the tall gentleman, as though he thought at first the
other might be joking him; but seeing not a ripple of a smile on the dark
face, he changed his mind.
"Why, no, sir; I can't seem to remember seeing that particular car. Of
course red ones are common; but most of them have black tops, if any at
all. Some friends of yours, Mr. Pender?" he remarked, naturally.
The gentleman allowed just a twinkle to appear in the corners of his eyes
as he nodded his head, and said:
"Well, er--yes, very particular friends of mine, Paul, and whom I would
be glad to see again right now. If you happen to sight such a machine,
and I am still at my old friend, Stormways, I wish you would let me know
about it."
"I certainly will, sir; and perhaps you'd like me to speak to the
gentlemen, and tell them how anxious you are to see them?" Paul went on;
at which the other gave a laugh.
"I see you are on to me, my boy. You guess that such is the very last
thing I would want you to do. Now, I'm going to take you into my
confidence, Paul," he went on, bending his head lower, and giving a quick
glance around.
"Yes, sir; that's very kind of you, Mr. Pender," said the lad, smiling.
"Oh! I don't know. I have an axe to grind in doing so; for I believe
that you can be of assistance to me. The two men in that motor car are
criminals, for whose capture I have come to this part of the country,
Paul."
"Goodness! that sounds interesting, sir. What have they been doing?"
asked the young scout leader, with boyish curiosity brimming over.
"I won't tell you that, Paul; but they are wanted by the Government. And
sometimes we agents have to go about our business with great caution, in
order to discover enough evidence on the suspects to convict. So, above
all things, I do not wish to alarm these clever gentlemen unduly, lest
they manage to hide, or get rid of the only burden of proof. In other
words, as a common expression has it, I want to get them with the goods
on. You understand?"
"Yes, sir; I think I do. And if I see or hear anything about that red
car, I'll tell you. But is it true that you and Jack's father were chums
long ago?"
"That's the positive truth, my boy," replied the agent, nodding; "why, we
took several voyages together, and had lots of queer adventures. I never
dreamed that my wild old friend Alan would settle down to this humdrum
life, as a lumber merchant, and the head of a family. But I suppose it
all came of his meeting a girl. And after knowing his fine wife I don't
blame him a bit; though I've kept right along in the same old groove, and
see more or less of adventure."
"He's a mighty fine man, and they think lots of him here," declared Paul,
who was amazed to learn that his chum's parent could have, once upon a
time, been reckoned a wild blade.
Paul walked on with his lips puckered up as if whistling, and his face
filled with the new interest that had taken possession of him.
He had read accounts in the papers of Boy Scouts being concerned in many
useful enterprises; and he wondered whether he and his patrol might not
find a chance to assist the officers of justice in rounding up a couple
of rogues who had apparently broken the laws of the land.
Then other things came up to draw his attention elsewhere.
He ran across boys on the street, who asked dozens of questions about the
many interesting features of the new organization.
These were often lads who had begun to think of uniting with one of the
rival troops; and Paul was only too glad to give them all the information
in his power.
They wanted more recruits, provided the applicants were of the right
sort. Those their committee rejected might find solace in joining forces
with Ted's crowd, who, not being at all particular, would receive them
with open arms.
That afternoon there was another meeting in the woods, at which every
member of Stanhope Troop No 1, as they now determined to call their
organization, did his best to be present.
Paul had given several of the boys duties to perform, that were part and
parcel of the grand scheme to whip his company into first-class shape in
a shorter time than it had taken any other troop.
Reports were received and filed of numerous things done which would count
in the final summing up. These were to be accompanied by vouchers from
the persons interested, which could be filed away for inspection when the
committee appointed by the giver of the fine banner looked through the
records of the several patrols competing for the prize.
Andy Flinn and Philip Towns reported that they had cleaned up the
beautiful green in front of the town high school, and which was generally
known as the campus. It was kept mowed by the town authorities; but
numerous scraps of paper and trash, blowing hither and thither in the
wind, gave it an unsightly appearance.
"Never forget that you have taken our campus under your protecting care,
Numbers Three and Four of the Gray Fox patrol," said the head scout,
after reading the report; "of course it is always your privilege to
enlist smaller boys in the job, if you can do so without actually hiring
them. That is expressly forbidden."
Then came Wallace Carberry and Tom Betts, telling how they had started
a crusade to cover the entire town with receptacles to contain stray
rubbish. Half a dozen cans had already been ordered, each one of which
was to have in startling red letters the significant picture of a staring
eye, and followed by the words, "Eat Trash!"
"We've got a contribution box ready, and every scout is privileged to
drop in pennies and nickels that he has earned. No others accepted; and
no larger amount at one time from any boy desired. Have already enough to
pay for two of the cans; and hope to increase the order soon!"
Cheers greeted this announcement. Others, who had heard about the good
work being started by Numbers Seven and Eight of the Red Fox patrol,
arose to announce that their mothers had promised to throw all sorts of
opportunities for earning money in their way, if it was to be devoted
to such a fine purpose.
"The Women's Club is to bring this thing up at its next meeting. My
mother says it shames them to know that the boys of the town are taking
such a leading part in cleaning it up," said Bobolink, when he found an
opening.
"Who's next to report?" asked Jack, who had charge of this end of the
meeting; while the "honorable secretary" made notes, and filed away the
various papers submitted.
Immediately all eyes were turned toward Bobolink and Bluff, which team
was known as Three and Four.
Bluff started to rise, when a groan greeted him; but he was not dismayed.
"Our r-r-report will be d-d-delivered b-b-by my c-c-confederate!" he
simply said, and subsided with a grin, as though he thought he had
hoodwinked his friends.
Bobolink arose slowly. When he chose he could be very tantalizing; though
in an emergency none might excel him in speedy action. But when he had
something to tell that he knew was being eagerly awaited, he liked to
keep his chums in suspense just as long as he dared.
Immediately all sounds died away. Every one seemed to know that Numbers
Three and Four had been delegated to attempt an actual scouting trip that
morning, into a hostile territory, so as to learn what progress a rival
camp was making in the various degrees of efficiency.
They had already heard about Manchester, and a few believed that they
would have little difficulty in excelling that town when it came down
to an actual test.
With Aldine it was different. From all sources had come hints to the
effect that the troop in that town was working most faithfully, with an
eye on that coveted banner. And every scout in Paul's patrol felt wild to
know how much truth there might be in these reports.