A CAMP IN THE WOODS
"Why, Paul, what's all this hurry mean?"
"I just want to get a few bites of supper, mother, and then rush off.
I've sent out the call for a hurry meeting of the patrol. Some people
call it the emergency signal. Every one of the scouts knows what it
means. Those who can get out will be gathering here inside of half an
hour."
"But it must be something very unusual that urges you to do this. You've
been on the go all afternoon, and I don't know that it is wise to bolt
your supper in such a style, just to be ready to greet the boys when they
arrive."
"Mother, you don't understand. Father hasn't come back from his afternoon
round of visits, has he? Then you couldn't possibly know," went on Paul.
"Know--what, my son?" questioned his mother, seeing that the boy was
worked up more than usual.
"We're going to organize a searching party. Perhaps some of the scouts
may be smart enough to get on the track. It's poor little Willie Boggs,
mother."
"Searching party--Willie Boggs! Is the child lost?"
"Yes, and has been ever since before noon, in the big woods. You see it's
just beginning to get dark now. Think of the poor little fellow wandering
perhaps miles off in the woods. What if a storm should come up?" and
Paul's manner told how he felt.
"But there are no wild animals large enough to injure the child. The most
he could suffer would be exposure to the night air; that and the fright
of finding himself alone. Oh! it is a terrible thing though; and little
Willie is all his poor father has left. It would kill him if anything
happened," declared the good lady, whose heart was very tender.
"Now you see why I'm in such a hurry to get a bite, mother. Every minute
might count, for perhaps he is wandering further and further away. You'll
let Jane get me something in a jiffy, won't you, now?" continued the
eager lad.
"Gladly, and help her too, after you have told me more. How do you boys
expect to look for the child in the blackness of those woods?"
"Every scout will carry a lantern, with which we have practiced signal
wig-wagging until we are able to send messages back and forth. Besides
that, we can form a long line across the woods, and comb nearly every bit
of it, looking into every stack of brush and waste to see if Willie has
lain down. And mother, think if we should just find him, how glad you'd
be that we went out!"
"Indeed, I should! I shall pray that you succeed, my boy. And it does you
great credit that you are so earnest in your desire to help others. Sit
down, and I'll wait on you myself," and Mrs. Morrison bustled away toward
the kitchen as she spoke.
As Paul was hastily devouring his supper, for he was as hungry as a wolf,
who should come in but the doctor. And of course he had to be told;
though Paul's mother took this task upon herself, giving the boy a chance
to eat.
Through the window Paul could see that already several fellows had
gathered; and other lanterns were meanwhile coming like giant fireflies
through the gathering gloom of the night.
The prospect of bringing his scout troop into action for such a good
cause was particularly pleasing to the boy who temporarily filled the
office of leader. Spurred to do their very best by a recollection of the
vows they had so recently taken, the members of Stanhope Troop might be
depended on to bring credit to their organization.
By the time Paul issued from the house there were a full dozen of his
chums present. He was glad to see that all the original charter members
forming the Red Fox patrol were on hand. They happened to live closer
than others who had joined later; and boys of a particular community
generally flock together.
Immediately a great hubbub ensued. Those who did not know what all the
fuss was about had to be "put wise," as William said. And Paul was called
upon to explain his plans for the tracking of little Willie Boggs, who
had become as a chip on the torrent, a wanderer in that mysterious
forest, the end of which few Stanhope fellows had ever reached in their
wanderings up over the hills.
There were now fourteen present, and Paul determined not to wait for any
more of the troop to come to time.
"Fall in!"
Down the street they marched, the lanterns flickering as they swung to
and fro.
No wonder people, rushing to the doors as shouts arose, began to ask
eagerly if the lost child had been recovered.
"It's the Boy Scouts; and they're going out to join the hunt!" some one
shouted.
"Oh! they're about a mile behind Ted and his crowd!" jeered one fellow
who must have had leanings toward the Slavin party; he had been detected
in cheating so often in every game boys played that for months now he
found himself left severely alone by decent fellows, and it was reported
had applied for admission to the patrol Ward and Ted were getting up.
Out of the town, and straight to the spot where the lost boy had last
been seen Paul led his squad. He knew that it would be only a miracle if
the many feet that had trod the ground over would have left any trace of
the child's little shoes; but he still had hopes that the training some
of his scouts possessed would bring more or less success.
The unique sight of all those lanterns on the road had attracted many
people, so that when they arrived at the spot Paul had in mind, fully
thirty followed, a number of them boys who came only to make sport of the
scouts.
"Spread out, fellows," said the scout leader, quietly, "and examine every
foot of ground. If you find a single impression of Willie's little shoe,
give the signal, and I'll come; but hold your places every one."
Immediately the scene became an animated one. Lanterns flashed hither
and thither, swinging close to the ground; while young eyes searched
diligently for a trace.
In less than five minutes the signal sounded, and Paul hurried over to
the one who had given the same. Jack was at his elbow, and between them
they examined the mark, to ascertain in what quarter it pointed.
Then the advance was taken up in that direction.
Again came the thrilling cry that told of a new footprint that had been
found.
This time it was Wallace Carberry who had made the discovery. He talked
so intelligently about it that Paul determined to keep him close by.
Wallace would be a valuable advisor in case he and Jack disagreed at any
time as to what the signs meant.
So they went on for an hour, finding a footprint now and then to
encourage them. These came at more frequent intervals when they got far
enough away to avoid the trampled soil where the crowd had hunted all the
afternoon.
Those who had followed were now missing. They had seen that the scouts
meant business, and did not care to wander so far from town. Hence, Paul
presently found that he and his patrol had the woods almost to
themselves.
Several times though he had seen other lanterns wandering around, and
guessed that these were carried by some of the Slavin crowd, also
diligently combing the woods in the hope of being the lucky ones to
find the missing boy.
The chief of police and his party had gone off in an altogether different
direction.
"How long can we keep this up, Paul?" asked Jack, when they had been
moving on for two hours, with no end in sight.
"Don't know, but we ought to be able to put our best foot forward just
as long as that little fellow does, don't you think?" replied the other,
reproachfully.
"Why, of course, and don't think I'm showing the white feather so early
in the game. I've made up my mind never to go back until he's found. Why,
we can camp right in the woods if it comes to it. And that would be a
bully experience for every Fox in the bunch. Think of having to make beds
out of branches! Ain't I glad some of us brought our camp hatchets
along."
"And Jack, it would leave us in a good position to take up the hunt again
in the morning; for you see we'd be right on the ground where the little
chap passed along. Suppose you call out again. He might hear, and
answer."
Jack obeyed, and repeated the name of Willie in a loud voice again and
again. But only the echoes of the great woods answered. If the boy were
within reach of that cheery hail he must be wrapped in the sleep of
exhaustion, and unable to reply.
Finally Jack ceased to call, for he was growing very husky.
The search still went on with unabated zeal, each boy trying to vie with
his mates in the endeavor to make some new discovery. Paul examined every
faint print of that little foot, desirous of fixing the time it was made.
Wallace joined him in this, and it was clearly shown that hours must have
elapsed since the child passed that way.
"Still, he may be within fifty yards of where we are. Let's keep at it as
long as we can, and only camp when some are too tired to go on," declared
Paul, greatly disappointed to think that they had thus far been baffled
by hard luck.
It was astonishing to see how far the little fellow had wandered; but
fear always lends wings to the feet; and all the while Willie doubtless
really believed he must be heading toward home.
And Paul noted another fact that somehow gave him new interest in the
enterprise. By degrees the trail had swung around to the left, as is
nearly always the case when grown persons are lost; and the principle
seemed to hold good in the case of even a child.
In itself this was not strange; but Paul knew that if they kept on for
another hour the chances were they would come upon the old mill pond,
nestling in the valley. The fact caused him to remember his friend Mr.
Pender; to once more mentally see that red motor with the khaki-colored
top; and to picture the two strangers who had asked him so many
questions.
Was this really an accident, their being drawn out toward the farm of the
unneighborly Sol Smithers; or might it turn out to be the working of
destiny?
He was aroused by a call that he had been expecting to hear for some time
now.
One of the scouts felt forced to admit that he was "all in." They had
done manly work to keep up the tramp all this time, being but boys at
best.
It meant that camp must be made, and the balance of the night spent there
in the woods, waiting for day to come to renew their search.
Poor little Willie was destined then to pass still more hours, surrounded
by the terrors of the black and unknown forest. But probably by this time
he must be so exhausted through his unusual exertions that he was dead to
the world in sleep; so it would not matter very much.
Soon all was bustle as the fourteen lads began to make ready to spend a
time in open camp. The sound of hatchets made pleasant music, as branches
were cut, and beds made close to the fire that had been started.
Some of the smaller lads were so utterly exhausted that they just dropped
to the ground, and went to sleep. Paul and Jack passed around to see that
these wornout fellows did not lie too near the blaze; and that they were
fairly comfortable.
In an hour's time it seemed as though every one were taking solid comfort
after such rude fashion as could be devised. One of the boys had brought
his camera along, keen to secure novel effects; and without warning he
set off a flash that gave him a picture of the slumbering heroes on their
lowly beds, that would be ever afterwards treasured as invaluable.
At the brilliant illumination several sat up, and one even gave a cry of
alarm, thinking perhaps that lightning had struck a tree close by; but
with the coming of darkness again they settled back.
But Paul could not sleep. He was only waiting until some of the more
restless souls quieted down. Then he and Jack, together with Wallace,
meant to again tackle the job of seeking for further imprints of those
worn little shoes among the dead leaves, and in the soft soil under the
giant trees.
Somehow Paul believed that the hunt was bound to carry them to the very
door of that farmhouse on the mill pond. He was induced to suspect this
because the last time they had examined the small shoeprints, the mark of
a much larger foot had appeared beside it; and after mature deliberation
he and Wallace came to the conclusion that some man, walking through the
forest, had discovered the trail of the child, _and was following it_!
He looked around him. As near as he could tell every one of the tired
scouts was slumbering soundly.
So Paul silently arose, touching Jack on the shoulder, who immediately
gave Wallace Carberry the signal.
The three uttered no word, but moving softly back from the circle of
firelight, carrying their almost exhausted lanterns, made ready to once
more start out into the depths of the wood; with the lonely farmhouse now
rented by the surly Sol Smithers just half a mile further to the north!