THE SCOUTS' SECOND CAMP
They had gone half a mile from the copse, when their attention was
drawn to a bramble-brake which seemed to be alive. It shook, it
twisted, it rocked to and fro. They went up to the spot, and found a
fat ewe on her back in the heart of it. She was struggling furiously
but quite hopelessly; the brambles were wrapped about her fleecy body
like cords of steel, and would hold her there till she died of
exhaustion.
'I suppose she belongs to the chap who waled me,' said Dick. 'Well, I
can take my knot out all right this time, Chippy. I'll chuck the cut
of the whip and the sheep in as a good turn.'
'He don't deserve it,' cried Chippy; 'but we've got the poor beast to
think of, an' that's a scout's job.'
The boys set to work at once, and it took them a good half-hour with
knife and axe to free the terrified creature. At last they had it out
of the brake, and placed it on an open patch of grassy land, and left
it to recover.
Within a mile again they were surprised to enter a dry, dusty land once
more. They had passed the region of the thunder-burst. It had been a
local shower, not general, and the point where it had ended was shown
in quite a sharp line drawn across the way they were following.
'All the better for us,' said Chippy. 'We can camp to-night, instead
o' havin' to look for a barn or hay-loft, or suthin'.'
In the distance a yellow van was jogging over the moor. It was moving
along a road which crossed their track at right angles.
'That's a baker's van,' said Dick. 'Let's tun on and catch it. If we
can get a loaf, we shall be set up, and can break our march where we
like.'
'Righto,' said the Raven; 'the flour's all gone.' And the scouts ran
forward. They caught the van at the crossroads, and bought a
threepenny loaf. Dick entered the purchase in his notebook; they had
now spent two shillings and a penny three-farthings, and had plenty of
food in hand for their fourth day. From this point on they surveyed
the country with a single idea--the finding of a good spot for a camp.
They had now reached the border of the moor, and the land was studded
by woods, coppices, and coverts. Pheasants flew across their path, and
rabbits ambled about in every direction; for evening was coming on, and
the bunnies were swarming from their burrows.
'Sportin' country, this,' observed Chippy; and Dick agreed.
Suddenly the boys came on a little brook, and both said, 'Here we are,'
for they knew that somewhere along the brook there would be a spot to
suit them. They left the road, and followed the little stream for
three or four hundred yards, and then pulled up at a smooth grassy
patch on the sunny side of a pine-wood. In the evening light the great
tall red trees stood up quiet and splendid, and the scouts knew that
their dark depths would make a happy hunting-ground for firewood and
bedding.
They started their fire, and collected a huge pile of dried sticks with
which to feed it. They gathered armfuls of pine-tips from the lower
branches, but could find no logs for a framework; so they made the bed
much broader, and worked in some strong dried branches at the side, and
hoped the plan would answer well. They tested it by rolling on the
bed, and all seemed firm and steady. Then, with ravening appetites,
they turned to preparations for supper.
Bread and tea were easy enough to prepare, but how were they going to
cook the eels? Chippy had been enthusiastic over the delicious
richness of fried eels, and there was the billy to fry them in, but
what were they going to do for grease?
'A bit o' lard, now,' murmured Chippy.
'Wait a bit,' said Dick. 'I'll put you right, cook.'
He opened his haversack, and took out a small tin box. 'Here you are,'
said Dick. 'Mutton fat. I boiled it down myself. Grand stuff to rub
on your feet if you get a sore place, but we haven't wanted it yet.'
'No, we ain't tenderfeet,' grunted the Raven.
'Hope not,' said Dick. He opened the box and smelled the contents.
'Has it gone bad?' asked his companion.
'Not a bit of it,' replied the Wolf; 'sweet as a nut. Here's a lump
for your pan.' And he dug out a piece of the solid mutton fat with his
knife.
The eels were washed and skinned, and soon were hissing and spluttering
delightfully in the mutton fat in the billy. The two biggest eels,
weighing more than half a pound each, were treated in this manner, and
proved quite as good as Chippy had promised. While the hungry scouts
devoured them, some smaller ones were set on to boil, for the Raven had
heard boiled eels were good also, though he hadn't tried them. So the
billy was rubbed round and three parts filled with water, and on went
some more eels in a new form of cookery. When it came to the test of
eating, the scouts did not think the boiled were quite so tasty as the
fried, but they vanished before their raging appetites, and the two
boys ate every eel they had sniggled.
They built up their fire and turned in before the daylight had gone,
for they were fatigued by the long journey they had made that day.
'If a scritch-owl turns up this time,' chuckled Chippy, 'we'll just
turn over and let 'im scritch.'
'And if a jackass rambles round, we won't be frightened and make three
instead of one,' laughed Dick.
About one in the morning Dick was aroused from sleep by finding that he
was very uncomfortable. The bed lacked the support of the side-logs,
and the pine-tops had worked loose, and Dick had worked through them,
and was lying on the ground. His hip-joint was aching, and the
discomfort had awakened him.
'Hallo,' thought Dick, on recognising what had happened, 'I've reached
the bottom shelf. I shall have to dig that little hole about the size
of a teacup which B.-P. recommends for you to tuck your hip-joint in.'
He turned over on his back and lay still for a few moments.
The night was very still and bright, and the moon was low down in the
west, but clear, and shining strongly. The Raven was soundly asleep,
and his breathing was deep and regular. Dick sat up and looked at the
fire. It had burned down to a mass of embers hidden under a coating of
ashes. He rolled out of his blanket, got up, and threw an armful of
sticks on the fire. They began to crackle at once, and he stood for an
instant to watch them.
Suddenly he lifted his head and sniffed: the wind was tainted as it
blew lightly towards him along the lee of the wood: he could smell
tobacco-smoke.
'Who's about?' thought Dick. 'What does it mean? We're far off from
any village according to the map. But that's tobacco, and no mistake.
I'll have a look round.'
He glanced at his companion, but Chippy was still wrapped in heavy
slumber.
Dick stepped forward, then paused. 'No, I won't wake him,' murmured
the Wolf. 'It would be a shame to fetch him up for nothing. I'll see
who's in the neighbourhood first.'
Dick slipped on his shoes, drew the laces tight, for they were rove
scout fashion, tucked in the ends, took his staff, and began to creep
up-wind like a hare stealing from its form.