IN FOR A GLORIOUS TIME
"A WILDCAT!" exclaimed Ty Collins, excitedly.
"Mebbe only an old owl," Lil Artha ventured; "because I remember you
fellows told us there were some whoopers up here; and when an old house
has got bats in its belfry it's likely to have owls too."
"The house is over that way, ain't it?" questioned Landy Smith, showing
a mild interest in the matter; but his indifference was more than made
up for by the excitement on the part of the Southern scout, whose dark
eyes fairly danced with eagerness.
"I should say it was," he told Landy, "and if you think that's only an
owl, or even a wildcat, suh, I reckon you've got another guess coming to
you."
"Listen to that, would you?" broke from Ty; "our chum from Dixie here
believes in ghosts, and he even thinks that was one warning us away from
the haunted house. It'd take a dozen of the same to scare _me_ off. I
may light out before an enraged bull, but you don't find me sneaking
away when there's a white thing waving up and down in the road. Had a
lesson once, when I found it out to be just a rag hangin' from a branch,
and since then nothing spooky ever faizes Ty Collins."
Chatz looked keenly at the speaker, and nodded his head. Although he
made no remark, his manner was that of a prophet, and Elmer, noticing
it, could imagine him saying: "Just wait, and we'll see what sort of
nerve you've got, Ty Collins. Things seem different at high noon from
what they do when it's midnight. And if I have my way you'll get a
chance to see a real ghost, for once in your life; because I just
believe in the things, make all the fun you want to."
Whatever the strange thrilling cry may have been, at least it was not
repeated. Nancy was quieted by Toby, and the other scouts stood there,
listening earnestly, for fully five minutes, but nothing developed worth
noticing.
Finally Elmer called out to them:
"Here, get a move on, Toby, and come along. We've got lots to do before
we can cook our first dinner; and I don't know how you fellows feel, but
I'm as hungry as a wolf. Make a sharp turn here, Toby, because we want
to push straight into the woods, and reach that spring."
Of all the scouts, George was really the only one who, as they walked
on, turned his head and glanced back several times toward the region
from which that strange sound had come.
Chatz noticed it, and smiled grimly, as though making up his mind that
perhaps he might find a convert in his belief in George, especially if
anything remarkable did come to pass, as he felt almost sure would be
the case.
Presently they came to the running water, and by following this up a
short distance found the spring.
"Hurrah! here we rest! Alabama for mine!" cried Lil Artha, as he turned
and surveyed his surroundings, with the eye of one who had camped on
numerous previous occasions, and might be expected to know something
about such things.
Then ensued a bustle, as the scouts began to unload the contents of the
wagon, stake out the mare, and start to get things arranged.
Every fellow had his share of the work apportioned to him, so that there
was little real confusion, or getting in each other's way; and it was
wonderful how things seemed to almost grow like magic.
Two khaki-colored waterproofed tents soon stood there, facing toward the
south, and with the spring only twenty feet away. Inside these the
scouts began immediately to arrange their blankets, though the beds
would not be made up until after the coming of night.
Another pair attended to the very important duty of making the cooking
range, on top of which they would spread the metal top that was to serve
as a gridiron, to hold such utensils as were necessary for cooking
purposes.
When this had been constructed to their satisfaction a fire was quickly
kindled, for the air was still rather sharp, even for a November day,
and all of them felt they would be much better for a warm lunch.
Amidst more or less good-natured chaffing the meal was prepared. There
was no lack of assistant cooks to help Ty, who had taken upon himself
the duties of _chef_ for the occasion, since long ago he had proved his
capacity in that line; everybody seemed only too willing to help, such
is the potent effect of genuine hunger.
Even George was bustling around, trying to hurry things along, picking
out all the best wood in order to make a hotter fire, and occasionally
peeping in under the covers of the two kettles to learn if the contents
might not be sufficiently cooked.
It was about an hour after noon when dinner was ready, and all of them
admitted the result was well worth waiting for. That frosty November air
had given them an enormous appetite, and everything tasted better than
it could possibly do at home; so for a certain length of time little was
said, since they were too busy in disposing of the meal to talk.
When the edge had been taken from their appetites they fell into a
disjointed conversation, and almost every subject under the sun was
discussed from the standpoint of scouts.
Afterwards they lounged around for a while, being really too full to
think of doing anything strenuous. As this was not supposed to be a
regular camping trip of the whole troop, Elmer had not laid out any
particular programme looking to their practicing the various "stunts"
which scouts are interested in. Under ordinary conditions there would
have been all manner of events underway, such as wigwagging classes,
tracking advocates, new wrinkles in nature-study unfolded; photography
of wild animals and birds in their native haunts undertaken, and many
other educational features that make the camping out experience of Boy
Scouts so vastly superior to those of other lads who simply go to the
woods to loaf away the time, swim, and fish, and eat.
Of course each fellow was at liberty to employ himself as best he
thought would give him the most pleasure, only there was no authority
brought to bear, and no one felt constrained to do anything that he did
not particularly care for.
"Where's Chatz gone?" asked Lil Artha, after they had been knocking
around in this fashion for nearly an hour after eating, and several of
them showed signs of wanting to be on the move.
"Oh! I saw him slip away a while back," remarked Toby, "and chances are
he's prowling in and out of that old shebang over beyond the trees, the
haunted house that Judge Cartaret built fifty years or so ago. Chatz is
clear daft on the subject of spirits, you know. And from what I've seen
of him, it wouldn't surprise me a little bit if the fellow before we
left here, tried to get us to make some sort of a ghost trap, to grab
that wonderful spook in."
"If he ever did that," Elmer remarked, "it would show that deep down in
his heart Chatz didn't believe in any such notion; because if there was
such a thing as a real ghost no trap we could manufacture would ever
hold it. If Chatz proposed that to us he'd be as much as saying he
believed the ghost to be a man, playing a game for some reason or
other."
"But," interposed Ty Collins, "what sort of a game would make anybody
prance around here night after night, with a sheet wrapped around him,
and p'raps luminous paint on his face, like I remember a ghost once did.
But in that case there was a good reason, for he wanted to give a bad
name to the property so he could buy it in for a song. That wouldn't be
the case here with the Cartaret place, you know."
"Well, it's foolish trying to guess a thing when we haven't even seen
the ghost," George interrupted the others to say; "and I've got to be
shown such a thing before I'll take the least stock in it; though I must
say that as a rule Chatz is a long-headed chap, and not easy fooled."
When Elmer heard George say this he fancied that it would only take one
mysterious ghostly manifestation to make the doubter an ardent believer
in supernatural things. Scoffer that George was, once he saw with his
own eyes, he went to the other extreme, and became firmly convinced. It
was just like the swing of the pendulum with him every time.
"Oh! let's forget all that stuff about white-sheeted things that walk in
the middle of the night!" exclaimed Landy Smith, "and pick up a more
cheerful subject. Now just yesterday I chanced to be reading an account
that told how three scouts in this very state made a study of hunting
for the hives of wild honey bees up in the hollow limbs of trees in the
woods. Elmer, do you think we could run across a hive filled with
delicious honeycombs around here?"
"Whee! you make my mouth water just to hear you talk about it," Lil
Artha arose to say, "and if so be any of you make the try for a hive
just count me in, will you?"
"You bet we will," Landy hastened to assure him, "and right now consider
yourself appointed commissioner-in-chief, whose principal duty will be
to climb the honey tree, after we locate the same, and cause the
warm-footed little innocents to vacate, so that we can gather in a store
of the nectar. Wow! I'm going right away to see if I can't find the
tree. Who'll be my backer? Don't all speak at once!"
Lil Artha and Ted proved to be the most eager for the adventure. Upon
making inquiries it was found that Landy had read all about how to
locate a bee tree, if by good luck any such happened to be in the
neighborhood, and was ready to show his chums how the thing ought to be
done.
His talk concerning the subject proved to be so interesting that when a
start was made he had gained another convert, being Ty Collins.
"I rather think I'd like to see how that thing's done, myself," this
worthy admitted, "so with your permission, Landy, I'll tag along, and if
you need any help in carrying the stock of honeycomb home count on me.
Right now I feel like I could tackle a few big wedges myself, and enjoy
the same."
"All right, come along with us, Ty," Landy told him, cheerfully; "but
I'd feel a whole lot easier in my mind if you'd take off that red
sweater, and wear something else."
"What for?" demanded Ty, who could be pretty stubborn when he chose.
"This is going to be a bee hunt, not a bull fight, that I know of. Why
should you object to me going warmly clad, I'd like to know?"
"Oh! well," replied Landy with a grin that told he had only been drawing
the other on for a purpose; "there might be an old king bee that had a
detestation for red, just the same as a bull does, and he'd make it so
warm for us we'd have to get out of the woods in a hurry."
"Rats!" the other shot back at him, "bees don't bother about what they
see; I've been told by an old bee man that it's _sounds_ they get mad
at. And then there ain't such a thing as a king bee anyhow--queens,
drones and workers make up a colony. Oh! I ain't quite such a ninny as
some people think. So I guess this beautiful red sweater goes along."
"All right, if you're willing to take such a terrible risk it's nothing
to the rest of us, is it, fellows?" Landy told him, with a chuckle; and
then went on to add: "Now, we'll carry a little sugar water along to use
if we happen to run across any bees flying around, which at this late
day ain't likely. Best we can do is to watch every tree-top and try to
hear the buzzing of a swarm of young bees. They come out every fine day
as long as the weather lets 'em, around noontime, and try their wings.
An old bee hunter can get on to the little hum far off and locate the
hive that way. Let's see if we've got ears worth anything."
"The best of luck go with you!" called out Elmer, who was busy with
something or other; "and if you need any help come back after the rest
of the bunch. I see you're carrying our camp ax, Lil Artha; be careful
and don't lose it, because we need that same thing right along."
"Don't worry about that, Elmer," the elongated scout shouted back. "I
wouldn't let that get away from me for all the honey in seven counties.
But in case we do find a tree that looks good to us I'm ready to swing
the ax for all I'm worth," and so saying he strode away after the other
three.
That left just Elmer, Toby and George in camp.
"I'd be tickled half to death if they _did_ find a tree, and got a lot
of honey," Toby remarked, grinning in anticipation, and licking his lips
at the same time; "and I can just see that Lil Artha whooping things
when the tree drops, and he rushes headlong in among the branches to
scoop up some of the sweet stuff that bursts out of the crack, with a
million bees swarming around his ears. If I was you, Elmer, I'd get some
witch hazel ready to put on stings, for they'll need it right bad."
"Time enough for that when they report a find!" declared Elmer, who
evidently did not have a great deal of confidence in the ability of
Landy Smith to locate a hive, especially at that time of year, when the
little insects were apt to be lying more or less dormant.
An hour passed by. Then Elmer began to wonder what could be detaining
Chatz so long, for he several times looked in the direction where he
knew the old deserted Cartaret house must lie, as though half expecting
to see the Southern boy come on the full run, with some wonderful story
of sights he had seen, or imagined he had, which was the same thing.
When Chatz did appear he was walking slowly, and his face had an
expression of subdued disappointment resting on it. Apparently, then,
all his prowling in and out of the building could not have met with any
particular reward. In other words the Cartaret ghost was not very
accommodating, and respectfully declined to make its appearance at such
an unheard of hour as three in the afternoon; when every one knew that
all respectable spirits only manifest themselves around the midnight
hour.
"You didn't run across anything new, did you, Chatz?" Elmer asked him,
as he came into camp, took a drink of cool water, and threw himself on
the ground to rest.
"Not a single thing, suh; but then I didn't really expect to in broad
daylight. Wait till to-night, and I reckon there may be something
doing," and then Chatz allowed his brow to show three wrinkles that
told of perplexity, for he had heard Elmer chuckle; and all at once it
struck him that on the former occasion the scout master had gone back
into the house after he and the other comrades had left; and once more
the Southern boy who had the vein of superstition in his make-up asked
himself what Elmer could have seen on that occasion to make him look so
knowing, and have that queer smile cross his face whenever the ghost was
mentioned.
But Elmer did not offer to explain, and so Chatz had to content himself
with the thought that perhaps on the coming night the veil of secrecy
might be lifted from the mystery.