OFF FOR CAMP
All too quickly for the girls and the boys, the visit of the folks from
Cedarville to Valley Brook farm came to an end. During the week the boys
took the girls on several trips in the touring car, and once all went for
a picnic up the Swift river.
“You must write to us often, Dick,” said Dora, on parting. “If you go
camping, tell us all the particulars.”
“I certainly will, Dora,” he answered. “And you let me know all about
what you are doing. And don’t forget to urge your mother to take a trip
somewhere.”
The boys had already written to their former school chums and fellow
travelers, Fred Garrison and Hans Mueller, and those boys had written
back that they would arrive at the farm, with an outfit for camping, on
the following Saturday.
“That will just suit!” cried Sam. “We can rest up over Sunday and start
for camp Monday morning.”
“I’m anxious to see what Hans will bring,” came from Tom, who was
perusing a long communication from the German American youth. “He seems
to have the notion that this outing is to last into cold weather, and
that we are going to hunt bears and lions and a few other wild beasts.”
“Oh, maybe he is only trying to be funny,” answered Sam.
“Hans is funny without trying to be,” put in Dick. “Just the same, he is
one of the best boys in the world.”
Fred Garrison and Hans Mueller had arranged to arrive at Oak Run on the
same train, and the Rover boys went to meet them as they had the folks
from Cedarville, in the new touring car.
“Here she comes!” cried Sam, as the distant whistle of the locomotive
reached their ears. Then the train hove in sight and they saw Fred’s head
sticking out of one window and Hans’ head, out of another.
“Hello, Fred! How are you, Hans!” was the cry.
“Say, is this really the station?” asked Fred, with a grin. “I’ve been
watching milk depots for the last hour.”
“This is really and truly the metropolis of Oak Run!” sang out Tom. “Move
lively now, or you’ll be carried further.”
The two young travelers alighted, each with two suit-cases. In addition
Fred carried a fishing rod. Hans was loaded down with a fishing rod, a
shotgun, a big box camera, and a bundle done up in a steamer robe.
“Hello, Hans, did you just come across the Atlantic?” questioned Dick, as
the boys shook hands all around.
“Atlantic?” repeated Hans Mueller. “Not much I didn’t, Dick; I come from
home, chust so straight like der railroad runs alretty.”
“You brought a few things along I see.”
“Sure I did. Vy not, of ve go camping by der voods? I got my fishing
shtick, and my gun, and a planket, and a camera to took vild animals.”
“Going to take their pictures first and then slay ’em, eh?” remarked Tom.
“Dot’s it.”
“Got your license, I suppose.”
“License. Vot license?”
“To snap-shot the lions and tigers and bears, Hans. It costs two dollars
and ten cents to snap-shot a bear now, and lions and tigers are a dollar
and forty-five.”
“Vot?” gasped the German boy. “Do da make you bay to took pictures?”
“Why, didn’t you know that? I thought you read the new patent and
copyright laws.”
“No, I got somet’ing else to do, Dom. By chiminy! Of da charge so much as
dot I ton’t took no bictures, not much!”
“Well, maybe we can fix it so you won’t have to pay any license,”
returned Tom, calmly. “But jump in—dinner is waiting for us at home.”
“Say, what a dandy car!” cried Fred. “I’ve been anxious to see it ever
since you wrote about it.”
“Tell us all about dear old Putnam Hall,” said Sam to Hans, when the
crowd were on the way to the farm, and the German boy told them all the
news. Then Fred told about himself, and how he was thinking of going into
business with his uncle.
“Where are you going to camp?” asked Fred, just before the farm was
reached.
“We thought of going up the Swift river,” said Dick. “But maybe we’ll go
over to Lake Nasco. There is a fine spot up there for camping, and we can
have the use of a small sailboat.”
“That would be fine, Dick!”
“We’ll talk it over tonight—after you have had supper.”
Fred and Hans had been at the farm before and the old folks greeted them
warmly. As usual, Mrs. Rover had a substantial meal prepared, and it did
her good to see how both Hans and Fred relished the things provided. The
German youth especially had a good appetite, and he stowed away so much
it looked as if he would burst.
“Say, we’ll have to take along lots to eat,” whispered Sam to Dick. “If
we don’t, Hans will clean us out in no time.”
“Well, we’ll take all we need,” answered the big brother.
After supper the five lads talked over the plans for camping out, and it
was finally decided that they should journey up the Swift River to Lake
Nasco. They were to remain in camp for a week or ten days, and possibly
two weeks.
As my old readers know, the Swift River could not be navigated around the
Falls—those awful falls where the boys had once had such a harrowing
experience. But further up, the watercourse was fairly deep and smooth,
and from that point the boys decided to take the small sailboat and
either sail or row to the lake, two miles further on.
“We’ll drive to the boat landing with the farm wagon,” said Dick. “Jack
Ness can take us, and bring the wagon back.”
On Sunday the entire family went to the village church and the visitors
accompanied them. In the afternoon the boys inspected their outfits and
took it easy. Fred and Hans sent letters home, stating they had arrived
safely, and the Rovers sent letters to Cedarville.
“Hans, while you are in camp, don’t forget to take a picture of the
Pluibuscus,” said Tom. “They don’t charge to take those.”
“Vot is dot?” asked Hans innocently.
“What, didn’t you ever see a Pluibuscus!” demanded Tom, in astonishment.
“It’s a sort of a Cantonoko, only larger. They live in holes, like bears,
only they have four wings, located between the sixth and the seventh
legs.”
“Mine cracious, Dom, vot you talkin’ apout, ennavay?” demanded the German
boy. “I ton’t know no animals vot got legs and vings alretty. Vos da very
pig?”
“No, they are not pigs.”
“Vot? I tidn’t say pig. I say vos da pig—pig—pig. Ton’t you understand?”
“Sure I understand. They are not pigs.”
“Dot ain’t it at all. I say vos da pig—so pig or so pig?” And the German
boy put out his hands, first close together and then wide apart.
“Oh, you mean large?”
“Yah, dot’s him.”
“Oh, they are about the size of a horse, that is, when they are young. As
they grow older they get smaller, so that an old Pluibuscus is about the
size of a dog. But it’s the horns you have to look out for. They are
pointed like daggers and very poisonous.”
“Du meine zeit! Den I ton’t vont to meet none of dose Pluricustibusters,
or vot you call dem,” and Hans shook his head, decidedly.
“If you see one I advise you to run,” put in Sam, who was enjoying the
fun.
“Run? You bet my life I run!” cried Hans.
“The best way to get away is to run into the water,” went on Tom. “They
hate the water. Just run into the lake and duck down and keep hidden for
five or ten minutes and the Pluibuscus will walk away in disgust.”
“How vos I going to keep mine head under der vater fife oder den
minutes?” questioned Hans, in perplexity.
“Oh, take a deep breath,” suggested Fred.
“I can’t do him so long as dot.”
“Poke a hole in the water to breathe through,” suggested Dick.
“Say, I guess you vos making fun!” cried Hans, suspiciously. “Maybe dare
ain’t no Pluicusisduster at all. Dot’s—vot you call him?—Yah! He is a
fish story!”
“Tom, you’re discovered!” screamed Sam, and then there was a roar of
laughter. Hans looked a bit sheepish, but took the fun in good part.
“Put I get square, see of I ton’t!” he said, shaking his finger at Tom.
Sunday evening there was a light shower and the boys were much worried,
thinking it might keep on raining. But the shower passed by morning and
the sun came out bright and clear.
“And now ho! for camp!” cried Sam “Come on, the sooner we start the
better.”
An early breakfast was procured, and the camping outfit, consisting of
the tent, their fishing and hunting outfits, blankets and extra clothing,
and a quantity of food, canned and otherwise, was loaded on the big farm
wagon.
“All ready?” asked Dick.
“All ready, so far as I can see,” answered Sam.
“Vait! vait!” cried Hans, “I got to get mine ear coferings!” And he ran
back into the house.
“Ear coverings?” queried Tom.
“Yes,” answered Fred, with a smile. “His mother made him a pair of
coverings of mosquito netting, so that ants or other insects couldn’t
crawl into his ears while he was sleeping.”
“Not such a bad idea,” said Dick. “But he needed them more in the West
Indies than he’ll need them here.”
Soon Hans appeared with his ear coverings, and then the lads said
good-bye. The whip cracked, and they were off on their outing. Little did
they dream of how the holidays were to come to an abrupt end.
The road along the river was a rather rough one and they had to proceed
slowly, for fear of jouncing off part of the load. But the lads were in
the best of spirits and as they rode along they sang and cracked jokes to
their hearts’ content. Tom had the last of his “doctored” cigars with him
and he passed this over to Jack Ness, and all had a hearty laugh when the
hired man lit up and was treated to a dose of the “worms.”
“By gum! I might have remembered about them cigars!” murmured the wagon
driver. “I laffed at Ricks an’ now you got the same laff on me!”
“Never mind, Jack, you buy something worth smoking, when you go to town,”
said Tom, and slyly slipped a silver quarter into the hired man’s palm.
It was noon-time when they reached the spot where they could get the
sailboat. This was hired from a man living in the vicinity, and that
individual’s wife supplied all hands with dinner, for the boys did not
want to touch their stores until necessary. Then the sailboat was loaded
and the boys got on board.
“We’ll have to row,” said Dick. “There isn’t breeze enough to do any
good.”
“Well, rowing suits me,” cried Sam, and caught up an oar and Tom did the
same.
“I’ll spell you after a bit,” said Fred. “It is not fair to let you do
all the work.”
“So will I,” added Dick.
“Yah, and me,” nodded Hans.
“Good-bye, Jack!” cried all, and waved their hands to the hired man.
“Tell the folks not to worry—that we will be all right,” added Dick.
“Have a good time!” answered Jack Ness. Then Sam and Tom started to row,
and slowly the boat moved in the direction of Lake Nasco.