THE SCOUT LIFE GUARDS' BEACH PATROL
Bruce and two companions, Romper Ryan and Jiminy Gordon, were passing the
Post Office just as Morton McCabe, the little old man who delivered mail
in the southern district of Woodbridge, came down the broad stone steps.
"How are you, Mr. McCabe?" saluted Bruce.
"Hello, boys; fine, fine, thanks. Say, did you get your letter?" said
the diminutive postman, Who always talked very fast and tried to crowd as
many sentences as he could into a single breath.
"Letter?" demanded Bruce, "what letter?"
"Why, I left a letter up at headquarters for you this morning. It was
addressed to you, care of Quarry Troop No. 1, of Woodbridge. Came from
Old Harbor Beach, Maine. Saw the postmark. Big letter. Looked
important."
"Is that so? Thank you, Mr. McCabe," said Brace.
"Who do you know at Old Harbor Beach, Bruce?" asked Romper.
"That's what I was wondering. I can't figure it out. The letter must be
meant for all of us, or else it wouldn't have been mailed to
headquarters. Come on, fellows, we'll see what it is."
Ten minutes later the three lads arrived at headquarters. There was the
big blue envelope sticking under the door. Bruce picked it up and ripped
it open, while his companions crowded around and looked over his shoulder.
Hastily the patrol leader's eyes ran through the first paragraph. Then,
as if he could not believe what he had read, he started to go over it
again.
"Out loud, out loud. Don't be so blamed stingy," said Romper, who was
eager to hear the news it contained.
"I--er--aw, say, this must be a joke. Gee, if it isn't, it's the
biggest piece of luck the troop has had in some time. Listen, fellows:"
Bruce Clifford, Chief of the Motor Cycle Fire Department, Woodbridge, Vt.
My Dear Bruce: From what I have heard of your motor cycle fire department
I have come to the conclusion that the members of your troop are exactly
the boys I need to help me this summer. I would like to hire the
services of ten scouts to take charge of a motorcycle life-saving corps I
am organizing at Old Harbor Beach.
I own all the bathing concessions here and we have a strip of the finest
beach along the Atlantic Coast. It is fifteen miles long, just as firm
as concrete. The bathing here is treacherous at times, however, and
there have been several lives lost far this summer. I do not care to
have any more such accidents and I want a good crew of life savers to
help me. This crew will cover the beach on especially designed
motorcycles. I know you scouts are trained in first aid work and are
well fitted for these duties, and that is why I am eager to have your
services. Of course I want only the ten best swimmers in the troop.
It is necessary that you come to Old Harbor Beach at once, as the
International Automobile Races will be held here next week, and these
with several large conventions will bring thousands of people to Old
Harbor from now until the end of the summer. I will pay transportation
for ten scouts and will board you and pay each of you $5.00 a week. If
these terms are satisfactory, wire me at once and I will send a cheek to
cover expenses.
Very truly yours,
J. Arthur Herrick,
President,
Old Harbor Improvement Association.
"By Jiminy, what do you think of that?" exclaimed Gordon in amazement.
"Jove, I can't believe it. Seems like a--well, I think some one is making
fun of us," said Bruce. "Wait, I'll read it over again and see if I can
see a joker in it somewhere." Once more he read it aloud, while Romper
and Jiminy Gordon listened.
"Sounds mighty good on second reading," asserted Romper.
"It sure does," exclaimed Gordon enthusiastically, "and just think,
fellows, if we go we can see the Internationals. Jove, I was looking
over the entry list in the paper this morning. The best automobile
drivers in the world will be there--St. Clare, Dublan, Osterhout,
and--and--best of all, Dan Dacy, the American, who has been smashing
all of the old records. The papers say Dacy is the favorite. He's going
to make a new record in everything from five to fifteen miles and trim
the Frenchmen and the Germans an--"
"Oh, say, quit! We're not there yet. Gee, you almost make me believe
I'm really going," said Romper.
"But what's to prevent?" demanded Jiminy.
"Well--well--I don't know, unless this letter is a joke."
"We'll find out if it is or not by sending a wire immediately," said
Bruce, who had been thinking the situation over.
"Yes, but first why not get the troop together and see if we can get ten
good swimmers whose parents will let them go? We can call a meeting this
afternoon and send our telegram to-night," said Romper.
"Right-o; good suggestion," said Jimmy.
"And I really think we should submit the whole thing to Mr. Ford and get
his opinion before we take definite action. If some one is joshing us,
he'll be able to see through it all right."
But subsequent events proved conclusively that the letter was not a joke.
The scouts called their meeting immediately, and after a careful study
of the troop's merit badge list, and a painful process of elimination,
the ten oldest and best fitted scouts of the troop were selected to
become members of the life-saving crew. Then Bruce, Romper and Jiminy
took the letter to Mr. Ford and gave him the whole details of the case.
Mr. Ford read the letter slowly, carefully considering every detail.
Then he laid it down and removed his glasses.
"Well, boys, if you want my opinion on the whole matter, I would say that
you were quite the luckiest lot of chaps I've ever heard of. I spent a
summer in Old Harbor Beach three years ago, and, of course, I met Mr.
Herrick. He is quite the finest man I ever hope to come in contact with;
big, stout and jovial, and as good-hearted as can be. If your parents
will let you, I would advise every one to accept the offer."
"Cracky, we are in luck, fellows. I move we telegraph our acceptance
right away," said Romper.
"I move we turn the matter over to Mr. Ford and let him telegraph. He's
our Scoutmaster, and I'm sure Mr. Herrick would feel better about the
whole thing if he found he was dealing with a grown-up person," said
Bruce.
"Right," said Jiminy and Romper.
"Well, if that's how the wind lies, I'll do it," said Mr. Ford; "only you
boys consult your parents first and tell me what they have to say."
"Whoop-e-e, we will see the Internationals!" exclaimed Jiminy.
"Yes, and we get a month at the seashore. When'll we start?" demanded
Romper.
"Just as soon as the money arrives. About Tuesday, I should guess," said
Bruce, as the lads left Mr. Ford's house.
It is hardly natural for ten thoroughly healthy scouts to be confined to
the restricted limits of a day coach for four solid hours without
becoming extremely weary of the monotony of it all. Bruce and the rest
of the members of Quarry Troop No. 1 became quite restive before the long
journey to Old Harbor Beach ended. Indeed, the lads were thoroughly
pleased when, after the engine whistle had emitted a prolonged shriek,
the conductor poked his head in at the door and drawled--"'Old
Har-b-o-r--, Old Harbor Beach! Next stop Port Junction."
"Thank goodness we're here at last," exclaimed Nipper Knapp, as he began
to gather his luggage together.
"That's the best news I've heard to-day," insisted Bud Weir, swinging his
suitcase to his shoulder and crowding out into the aisle with the rest of
the scouts.
A stout good-natured looking man with a little five-year-old girl in a
bathing suit perched on his shoulder and a big collie dog romping by his
side, was easily the most conspicuous individual on the long station
platform. Bruce caught sight of him as he descended the steps of the
coach.
"That's Mr. Herrick, or I'm a duffer at guessing," he said to Romper, who
was just behind him.
"You're not a duffer, for here he comes to welcome us," said Ray Martin,
who had overheard the remark.
Indeed, as soon as the big man saw the group of uniformed scouts leaving
the train he hurried toward them.
"Hello, there, boys. I'm the one you're looking for, I guess. My name's
Herrick."
"My name is Bruce Clifford, Mr. Herrick," said the patrol leader,
extending his hand, "and these are the life-savers you have been looking
for."
"Good, I'll learn your names later, boys, and if I don't, I'll give you
names that'll be just as good, won't I, May? Boys, this is my daughter
May. Now come along with me to my office on the pier and I'll outline
just what my plans are. I want you to go on guard as soon as you can,
for the crowd at the beach is getting larger with every train that pulls
in. The Internationals start to-morrow, you know. The racing cars are
all here. For a week past they have been tearing up and down the beach
from sunrise until the bathers begin to turn out for their morning dip.
Sort of tuning up for the big events."
"Will we be able to see the races?" asked Gordon eagerly.
"I don't see why not. They start to-morrow and will last for three
days," replied Mr. Herrick.
"Won't that be great," exclaimed several as they fell in line behind Mr.
Herrick and accompanied him through the resort toward the pier.
Old Harbor Beach was like all other high-class watering places along the
Atlantic Coast, only a great deal larger than the average. At least a
dozen tremendous hotels were located on the heights back of the beach.
There were the usual number of shore restaurants and candy stores, too,
and a board walk that stretched along the entire waterfront. Below this
was a great wide beach of pure white sand as firm as a well-paved road,
and fairly crowded with bathers. This beach was known throughout the
world as an automobile race course, and many a speed record had been made
on it.
"So this is the famous Old Harbor Beach race course?" said Jiminy, as he
eyed the straightaway.
"That's what it is, son, and if you'll look away down there you'll see a
number of low green sheds. Those are the garages where the speed maniacs
store their high-powered cars."
"Jiminy!" whispered Gordon, thoroughly awed.
Mr. Herrick's office was in the big white building at the shore end of
the steel recreation pier. Without any ceremony he ushered the lads into
the room and had them make themselves at home. This invitation the
scouts accepted by promptly taking a seat on whatever was handiest,
including window sills, tables and even the floor; Mr. Herrick sat down
at his desk, while the collie curled up at his feet and his daughter took
her place on his knee.
"Scouts," he said, "there have been three very sad occurrences at the
beach this Summer, and while in each case the fault lay entirely with the
bather, I feel very much disturbed by the accidents, and I don't want any
more to take place this year. I have called upon you boys to help me
prevent them. Remember, from now on you lads are the guardians of the
lives of bathers at Old Harbor Beach." He spoke the last sentence very
impressively.
"Here's my plan," he continued after a pause. "Last Winter I was out to
California, and at one of the beaches I saw a motorcycle life-saving
corps that had been organized by an old-time lifesaver. It pleased me so
much that I decided to have the same sort of a patrol on my beach. I
ordered two motorcycles built along the lines of the machines used there.
They arrived here two days ago and are now in their garages waiting for
you. These cars are equipped with all kinds of life-saving and first-aid
devices, including a stretcher, a pulmotor, bandages and medicines of all
kinds. There will be two men to a motorcycle; a driver and a man on the
tandem seat, ready to spring from the wheel and plunge into the surf and
make a rescue. He should be the best swimmer of the pair, of course.
"All along the beach I have had signal towers built, each of which will
be manned by a scout. He will keep constant vigil, and, at the first
sign of trouble in his vicinity, he will flash a warning to the next
tower. The scouts in that tower will flash the signal on until it
reaches the lookout at the garage. Then the motorcycle will be off to
the scene of trouble, tearing down the beach at a mile-a-minute clip.
How does that strike you?"
"Great," exclaimed several of the scouts in unison.
"Well, don't get the idea that it's all fun. Indeed, it's mighty serious
business, I'll have you know. On your quickness to respond to an alarm
and upon your bravery and cool-headedness in a crisis will depend a human
life, perhaps several of them," said Mr. Herrick.
"We realize that," said Bruce soberly.
"I guess you'll do, all right. I've heard a great deal about you Vermont
scouts and I guess you'll be able to do what I ask of you and do it
right. Now, if you are ready, we'll go down to one of the garages; there
are two of them. If you will look out of the window you will see one
about a mile down the beach there. The other is a mile to the north of
us. The distance between the two stations includes all of the beach
reserved for bathers and it will give each machine about a mile to
patrol.
"The garages have just been completed. Each will contain sleeping
accommodations for five boys. You will divide your crew into two
patrols, with a leader for each patrol. One patrol will occupy the north
station and the other the south. There will be two life savers and three
watchmen to each patrol. Do you understand?"
"Indeed, we do," said Bruce.
"Good," said Mr. Herrick. Then, after sending his little daughter out on
to the beach to romp with her collie companion, he continued: "Come on
and we'll inspect your new quarters." And, with Mr. Herrick in the lead
the scouts filed out upon the pier and down a long iron stairway to the
beach below.
Through crowds of bathers the lads made their way until they arrived at a
long, low structure built near the board walk. This was the south
station.
Carpenters and painters were putting the finishing touches on to the
building, and it looked to the scouts as if they were going to have a
capital home in which to spend the month of August.
Inside the big double doors were two rooms. The rear room was equipped
with five white iron beds and several chiffoniers and wash stand, while
the front apartment contained the life guard's motorcycle.
"Jimmy, look at that machine," exclaimed Gordon, who was the first one to
enter the building.
"Cracky, it's the best make on the market, too," said Nipper Knapp,
examining the maker's name plate.
"Bet it will burn up the beach, eh, fellows?" said Romper.
"It sure will. It's a two-cylinder tandem. It'll make fifty miles an
hour, or I'm no judge," said Bruce enthusiastically.
"Like it, boys?" queried Mr. Herrick, who had been watching them as they
inspected the apparatus.
"Like it! Gee, we couldn't help but like it. It's a corker. But what's
that side car paraphernalia, that long box and the cigar-shaped tin can
and the reel with wire cable on it, and all that?"
"I'll explain that to you right away," said Mr. Herrick. "That long,
flat-topped box on the side car serves several purposes. When you want
to take an unconscious person to the emergency hospital over on Beach
Avenue you can use the box as a stretcher. Just put your patient on to
the top of it and while the man on the tandem seat holds him fast the
driver can rush the machine off to its destination at top speed; regular
mile-a-minute ambulance service, you see.
"Under that flat top are a lot of interesting things. The box contains
several compartments in which are all sorts of first-aid preparations,
including bandages, medicines, aromatic stimulants and the like. And,
last of all, there is a pulmotor."
"Oh, I've heard of the pulmotor and always wanted to see one in use,"
said Bud.
"Well, I'll tell you how they work," said Mr. Herrick. "It is the latest
thing in the way of first-aid appliances. It pumps oxygen into the lungs
of an unconscious person automatically. Firemen and life savers all over
the world are using them now. That blue tank there contained oxygen.
This machinery under the glass covering is a pump that works by the
pressure of the oxygen. A little of the oxygen escapes from the tank and
moves the pump, which forces the life-giving gas into those long pipes.
That muzzle at the end of the pipes is placed over the victim's mouth and
nose, and in that way the oxygen enters the lungs. You boys can study
the directions for its use on the cover of the box here. When you have a
pulmotor around you won't have to resort to the artificial respiration
drill described in your Handbook. Try it out on each other until you
know exactly how to handle it."
"You bet we will. We'll work out a regular rescue exercise, won't we,
fellows?" said Bruce.
"Right-o!" exclaimed half a dozen lads in unison.
"Fine. Now, I'll explain the way a rescue is made by the California life
savers. That reel of wire cable and the cigar-shaped float attached to
the rear end of the side car is a very important factor in rescue work.
The float has a life belt attached to it, as you can see. When a rescue
is to be made the motorcycle comes to a stop at the water's edge and the
man on the tandem seat leaps off and seizes the float. He buckles the
life belt on to him as he plunges into the water and the man on shore
reels out the cable as the rescuer swims to the person in trouble. When
the life saver reaches the man or woman he is after he does not have to
struggle to keep afloat, for the buoy holds him on top of the water. If
he has to dive for the drowning one, he merely unbuckles the life belt
and when he comes to the surface the buoy is right there for him to seize
hold of, or, if he chose to, he could strap it fast to the one he is
trying to save. The wire cable is very light, but very strong, and when
the buoy is made fast to any one, the man on shore hauls away and drags
the body out, just as he would haul out a big fish."
"Jove, but _that's_ an outfit for you," exclaimed Romper.
"Well, I'm glad you like it, Scouts. The outfit in the north station is
identically the same. I didn't spare any money to have your equipment
the finest."
"That's mighty good of you," said Bruce.
"Why, it's to my own interest, lads. A single life saved is worth more
to me than all the money I've put into this scheme. Now it's up to you
boys to make good my investment."
"We'll do it," shouted the scouts in unison.
"Alright, boys, that's all I ask. I'll leave you now. You can organize
your own patrols and select your own leaders without my help. When you
get hungry, go to the Pine Grove Hotel I've arranged to have all your
meals served to you there.
"You can spend the rest of the afternoon becoming familiar with the
apparatus, and I guess you'll have all the time you want to practice
during the next two or three days, for while the races are on no bathers
will be allowed on the beach. Well, good-by and good luck to you."
And the genial bath house proprietor left the scouts to their own devices.
"Jiminy, fellows, I can't believe it. Some one pinch me, please. I want
to see if I'm awake. Just think of being in charge of such an outfit,"
said Gordon after Mr. Herrick had left.
"It does seem like a dream, doesn't it?" said Bruce, examining the
contents of the first-aid chest that formed the body of the side car.
"Come on, let's dig into this and see what we have to work with."
That invitation was unnecessary, for several of the lads were rummaging
through the chest while others were inspecting the machine and still
others were wandering through the building looking their new quarters
over. So occupied were they in this pleasant occupation that they
completely forgot the time. Indeed, it was after six o'clock before they
realized it. And since six o'clock was the dinner hour at the hotel the
lads hustled off up the beach to find their boarding place.
For an hour after they left the hotel the scouts wandered through the
resort acquainting themselves with the place. At eight they all returned
to the south station, for they realized that they still had a great deal
to do that evening.
When the electric lights were lit and the scouts were comfortably
situated in the bedroom of the Station, Bruce called a meeting. The four
best swimmers were selected first. They were Jiminy, Romper, Bud and
Bruce. After a vote Jiminy and Bruce were selected to man the motorcycle
in the south station, while the two others were appointed operators of
the apparatus in the north station. The six remaining lads were
appointed lookouts to man the beach towers. Three were attached to the
north station crew, of which Bud was made leader, and the other three
were appointed members of Bruce's south station crew.
Before the meeting adjourned it was decided that all ten scouts remain in
the south station for the night, since there would be very little work
for them to do next day. Bruce also thought it wise to have all the lads
together while they were learning to use the pulmotor and becoming
familiar with their apparatus. Then, too, the south station was better
located to afford the lads a view of the automobile races next morning,
which counted for a great deal.
By sleeping two in a bed and disregarding any slight discomforts the ten
lads found that they could occupy quarters meant to accommodate only
five. And after a round of pillow fights and similar nocturnal
diversions they were finally all tucked in and ready for sleep.
"Well, good-night, fellows. Hope we all sleep comfortably," shouted
Romper after the lights had been turned out.
"Good-night yourself," shouted Jiminy. Then he added, "Hi, fellows, the
Internationals to-morrow! Whoop--e-e-e!"