A NEVER-TO-BE-FORGOTTEN SUPPER.
AND a rattlesnake it proved to be, sure enough!
When Elmer, followed helter-skelter by every one of the others, drew
near the spot where Ginger stood, with a short stick in his hand, and
now looking very much frightened after hearing what a narrow escape he
had had, they discovered the angry poisonous reptile coiled, and buzzing
away at a great rate.
Locusts had been singing near by during the drowsy noon hour, and that
accounted not only for the common mistake of the black man, but why none
of the others had paid any attention to the sound. Several remembered
having heard it, when their memory was jogged later.
Elmer quickly found a longer pole with which he assailed the coiled
terror of the rocky hills, and with a lucky stroke he finally broke its
back. All the boys crowded around to look at the ugly thing, shuddering
as they noted its vicious fangs.
"Better look out, fellowth," warned Dr. Ted. "I've heard they often hunt
in coupleth, tho' there may be another of the vermin near by!"
But a hasty search failed to reveal a mate to the dead reptile. Mr.
Garrabrant seized upon the occasion to read a lecture to the scouts,
telling them to live up to their motto, "Be prepared," and always keep
an eye out when in the woods.
"That's one danger we must never forget up here," he said; "and I've got
a little phial I want every scout to carry along with him constantly.
To-night I'm going to explain just how to act in case any one of you
finds himself struck by a snake, which, however, I sincerely hope will
never happen, because they're nasty things at best, and there's always a
chance that the remedy may not work in time to save the patient."
Ginger begged for the rattle, to serve as a reminder of his narrow
escape, and so Elmer cut it off for him.
"If I had time I'd like to skin the beast," the latter remarked, "for
he's beautifully marked, and would make a nice tie, or a pocketbook. But
in order to make a good job I'd require an hour or more, and we don't
want to carry the thing along with us until night."
"Why do you say 'he' when you mention the rattler, Elmer?" asked Mr.
Garrabrant, who was not above seeking new information from one who had
been fortunate enough to experience the actual realities of wild life.
"Well, you see that the skin has black diamond-shaped marks on it. If it
had been a female these would have been more along a brownish order. At
any rate, that's what I've been told out where I met with these things
frequently," Elmer stated.
"And I've no doubt but what you're quite right, Elmer," remarked the
scout master. "I've noticed the same thing in connection with quite a
number of birds, the female being coated a modest brown, whereas the
male was a lustrous black. But we must be moving. I'm glad, Ginger, that
it isn't necessary to practice on you for snakebite."
"Yas," muttered the black man, "an' de wustest t'ing 'bout de hull
bizness am de fack dat dey ain't eben a single drap ob snake pizen in de
hull bilin crowd. So 'deed, I is right glad myself now dat de leetle
critter didn't git tuh me."
"And there goeth the only chance I've had this many a day to get a
little anatomical practice," Ted was grumbling; though of course the
boys understood that although his manner of talk might seem so
blood-thirsty, the amateur surgeon was only joking.
But Ginger, after that, often watched Ted suspiciously and refused to be
left alone in camp with him.
Ten minutes of stout rowing brought them to the mouth of Paradise Creek,
where the waters from the other lake emptied into Jupiter. Joyfully they
started to navigate these unknown regions. Elmer's boat was in the lead,
though for that matter not a single one in the party had ever before
been as far up the chains of waterways as this.
When even the scout master realized that those who handled the oars were
becoming exhausted, he called a halt and changed around, bringing fresh
recruits forward. He himself did yeoman service pulling, and Ginger also
made his muscles add considerable value to the progress of the second
boat.
"Dis am suah de t'ing tuh make de appatite," Ginger kept saying, as he
tugged away, with the perspiration rolling down his black good-natured
face. "Specks I done want dubble rations dis berry night, Cap'n. De
laborer am worthy ob his hire, de good book say. An' dis am sartin suah
hard wuk."
As the afternoon slowly passed they realized that they must be getting
closer and closer to the second sheet of water. Nobody was sorry. And
when the sun hung over the elevated horizon anxious looks began to be
cast ahead.
Finally, almost without warning, the leading boat ran out of the creek,
passing around an abrupt bend, and a shout of delight announced that the
lake had been reached at last.
It was indeed well named. Solitude seemed to hang over the whole
picture, and if it could impress them in this way while the sun was
still shining, what gloom must follow after the shades of night had
fallen.
"Look around on this shore for a good site for a permanent camp, Elmer,"
remarked the scout master, pointing to the left. "I choose that because
we will get some shelter from the wind, in case of a sudden storm.
Across the broad lake it would be apt to hit us doubly hard. Am I
correct, Elmer?" Mr. Garrabrant went on.
"Yes, sir," replied the boy, quickly, "I should have done just as you
did, and I think I can see a good spot for our camp; anyhow it looks
that way from here. Give way again, fellows, and I'll head the boat for
our haven."
Ten minutes later, and the two boats had been run ashore. Then an eager
troop of aching lads tumbled out, to stretch themselves, and express
delight over having finally reached their goal. Quite a number of them
had really never before been away from home over night, so that it
required more or less assumption of gayety on their part to conceal
their real feelings. But by degrees these would grow accustomed to the
separation, and in the end it was bound to make them more manly fellows.
Once again were the tents pitched. This time more care was taken, for
they anticipated a long stay, and ere breaking camp for the return trip
it was not unlikely that they would be visited by one or more storms. So
the stakes were driven well in, and each tent had a little gulley dug
around the upper side, so as to turn water to the right and left in case
of a flood in the shape of a down-pour.
Other of the scouts started making fire-places from the numerous stones.
They had had practice along these lines before now, closer at home, and
the watchful eyes of the scout leaders took note of everything that was
being done. When they saw that matters were not going just as cleverly
as they could, a few words, perhaps a helping hand, straightened out the
difficulty.
By the time the sun passed beyond an outlying spur of the mountain
things began to take on a pretty decent look. Several of the boys who
were fond of fishing had been set to work digging bait, and going in the
boats to likely spots pointed out by the experienced Elmer. Their
excited cries presently announced that there was some prospect of the
bill-of-fare that night having the magic name of "trout" among the tasty
food exhibit.
"And my word for it we'll need all we can get," laughed Mr. Garrabrant
aside to his assistant, as he nodded his head to where Ginger was
working lustily, and smacking his lips as he kept one eye on the busy
fisherman, "because Ginger tells me he's awful fond of trout! It's going
to keep me hustling to supply all the appetites in this Camp Content of
ours; for they're developing most alarmingly."
But really Mr. Garrabrant was joking. He had foreseen just such a
condition as this, knowing boys as well as he did, and made sure to add
good measure to the quantity of food first planned for.
The fishermen presently brought in what catch they had made. Every one
was both surprised and delighted to see the splendid size of the trout
that had taken the bait.
"Why, this sure is a great snap!" exclaimed Lil Artha, who had been
looking all around for various views which he anticipated capturing on
succeeding days. "We can have the toothsome trout whenever the spirit
moves, and the fishermen get busy."
"And they pull like a house afire, too," declared Matty Eggleston, who
had been one of the anglers. "I've caught black bass lots of times, but
this is my first trout experience. Yum, yum, say, don't they just smell
fine, though? Look at Ginger walking up and down over by the shore of
the lake! He's that near starved he just can't stay around any longer
and sniff that delicious odor! Boys, ain't it near time to call us to
the fray? Oh, I'm that hollow I'm afraid I'll break in two!"
"Supper's ready, Mr. Garrabrant!" announced Ty Collins, who had been
given a free hand as chief cook on this evening, while Elmer paid
attention to various other things.
"Call the boys in then, and we'll see if it tastes as good as it smells.
Sound the assembly, Mark," called the scout master, himself not at all
averse to the pleasant duty of satisfying the inner man's clamorings.
So the bugler sent out the sweet call, and even Ginger seemed to know
what it meant, for he came hurrying along to serve the dinner, a broad
grin stamped on his ebony face, and his mouth stretched almost from ear
to ear.
"This is what I call solid comfort," observed Mark, as he tasted the
crisp trout, and decided that it was finer than any fish he had ever
eaten in all his life.
A chorus of approving grunts and nods followed his assertion, for as a
rule the scouts were too busily occupied just then to say much. Ginger
had not been compelled to wait until they were through, under the
existing conditions that would have been next door to a crime, because
the poor old chap was really frantic for something to stop the awful
craving he had. So, after helping the entire bunch he was allowed to dip
in and sit in a retired spot, where the tremendous champing noise he
made while "feeding" might not annoy the rest.
Afterward, when everyone admitted that "enough was as good as a feast,"
they lay around taking things easy. Ginger gathered up the cooking
utensils, and the numerous pannikins and tin cups used by the troop. It
was to be his duty to wash these things after each meal, and thus the
boys were enabled to avoid one very troublesome part of camp life. And
hence they were glad to have Ginger along.
As before, arrangements were made looking to a constant detail to serve
as sentries. There was no danger anticipated, of course, but since the
scouts wished to learn everything that was connected with life in the
open, they must carry out the game in all its parts. And guarding the
camp against a possible foe was one of these things.
Two were to be on duty at the same time, the entire night being suitably
divided up into watches, as on board a ship. From ten o'clock up to five
meant seven hour shifts, with two boys on duty at a time.
Elmer and Mr. Garrabrant were exempt from this drudgery if they so
pleased, but the chances were, both of them would obtain less sleep,
that night at least, than any of the others. Even Ginger was given his
"spell," though it was doubted whether he could keep awake an hour, for
he was a very sleepy individual after he had finished his task with the
tin pans.
"To-morrow we start in with some of our tests," remarked the scout
master, as the time drew near for the bugler to sound taps. "That's one
thing I want to drill you boys in, while we're up here. We'll pit the
two details against each other, and see which can set up a tent in the
shortest order, and in the best manner. Then we'll start on the
first-aid-to-the-injured racket, and take a step further than we've ever
gone before. After that I'm going to get our assistant scout master to
show us a lot of mighty interesting things about following a trail, and
what the different tracks of such animals as may be found up here look
like. And another day some of us will hike to the top of that mountain,
while another detachment tries to climb the second rise, after which
they can wigwag to each other, in Signal Corps language, and hold a long
talk, to be verified later on in camp from the records kept. That is the
program, boys. Now, go to your blankets and sleep over it."
They were as a rule a pretty tired lot that lay down. The two sentries
had to continue moving about to keep from going to sleep on post, which
might be considered a serious offense, and lose them no end of good
marks.
Twice did Elmer creep out of his tent, and make the rounds in order to
ascertain whether all were going well. The last time was along about two
in the morning, and the first thing he heard was a whip-poor-will
calling shrilly to its mate not far away.
When he came upon Chatz, who had the outer post, he was surprised to
find him exhibiting all the well-known signs by which he was wont to
indicate that he had been "seeing things" again. And knowing him so
well, Elmer hardly needed to ask what was the matter. Evidently the
ghosts that haunted Chatz must have been paying the superstitious
Southern boy another visit.