LAYING A GHOST.
"IWELL, Elmer," remarked Mr. Garrabrant, the next morning, as he came
out of his tent and met the young scout leader face to face, "I must
have slept unusually sound last night, for the alarm failed to awaken
me!"
"There was no alarm, sir," smiled Elmer.
"Meaning that we did not have the pleasure of a second visit from
Diablo, the educated monkey, is that it?" asked the scout master,
pleasantly.
"Yes, sir," the boy went on, "Diablo must have secured enough rations in
his first raid to last him for twenty-four hours. But Mark and myself do
not think of giving our job up yet awhile. We expect to catch a likeness
of our hairy visitor, even if the trap fails to work, and hold him a
prisoner. I suppose Colonel Hitchens would be very glad to have the
beast back, if it turns out that this is Diablo?"
"I'm sure of it, and as he is a wealthy man, no doubt he would willingly
pay a round sum to those who would return his pet," Mr. Garrabrant
declared.
"Oh! we were not thinking of that, sir, I give you my word," declared
Elmer; "but possibly, if we did happen to succeed, the gentleman might
be willing to do something for poor Abe in return for our restoring his
pet."
The scout master looked keenly at Elmer, and then thrust out his hand
impulsively.
"That was well said, my boy," he remarked, with a little quiver in his
voice. "I am proud to know that you feel that way toward the
unfortunate. And I give you my word, if you are so fortunate as to
capture Diablo, I'll convince Colonel Hitchens that it is his _duty_ to
do a lot for Abe and his little flock. That boy is made of the right
stuff, I'm sure, and ought to have the advantages of an education. I'm
going to see that he has his chance."
"Yes, sir, just to think of a kid not over six years old being able to
set a muskrat trap, and actually take skins. Why, I know a lot about the
little varmints, and I give you my word, sir, they're pretty sharp. It
takes a bright boy to outwit an old seasoned muskrat. He showed me quite
a lot of skins he had cured, of course under his father's directions."
"And then that girl, Little Lou--think of her doing all the cooking for
the family ever since her mother was taken away?" continued the
gentleman. "She's a darling, if I ever saw one. I grew quite fond of
her, and mean to see more of them all. But I ought to be laying out the
program for to-day's work."
"What are we to try to-day, sir?" asked Elmer, who, as second in
command, had privileges in talking with the scout master that none of
the other lads dared assume.
"Well, as it promises to be a warm day, we might try the swimming test
for one thing," replied Mr. Garrabrant, thoughtfully. "At the same time
there is that feat of landing a big fish with a rod and a small line,
the said fish being of course an active boy, who does his best to break
away. While we're at it, we may as well go through our usual formula
whereby anyone who has been nearly drowned may be resuscitated again.
And last, but not least, we can have Dr. Ted give us his talk on first
aid to the injured. He will get back in good time if he leaves after
lunch for the Morris cabin."
"I think Chatz is waiting to speak to you, sir," remarked Elmer, who had
been noticing the Southern lad hovering near for some little time,
looking queerly in their direction.
"Is that so?" remarked Mr. Garrabrant. "Now I hope he hasn't been seeing
more of his hobgoblins. That is about the only weakness Charles seems to
have. Otherwise I find him a very sensible lad. If only he could be
cured of his belief in the supernatural it would be a good thing."
"Well," laughed Elmer, "some of us would be only too glad of the chance
to cure him. Shall I go away, and let him have an interview, sir?"
"No, remain, and hear what Charles has to say. It may be I shall need
your services. This time the tracks of the ghost may not have been
trampled out of sight, and you can give a guess at its character. I
never in all my life knew of so many queer happenings inside of so short
a time."
The scout master beckoned toward Chatz, and obeying the mandate the
Southern boy came quickly forward.
"You wish to speak with me, Charles, I imagine?"
"Yes, sir," replied the other, with a frown on his brow.
"Has something happened again to disturb you?" inquired Mr. Garrabrant.
"Yes, sir."
"Last night, I presume, since you would have spoken before, had it
happened yesterday?" the scout master continued, quietly.
"Last night it was, sir. I saw IT again!" remarked Chatz, appearing to
swallow something that was in his throat.
"Oh! you mean that mysterious white object which appeared to you on the
other occasion, and seemed to assume all the characteristics of a
supernatural visitor? In other words, Charles, your pet ghost?"
remarked Mr. Garrabrant.
The boy flushed, but held his ground.
"Of course," he said, slowly, "I understand what a contempt you have for
any such idea, sir; and indeed, I only wish it could be shown to me that
this is only some natural object, and not of the other world. I'd be too
glad to know it. I hate to think I'm given to such ideas, but they seem
to be a part of my nature, and I can't help it, try as I may."
"Well, perhaps we may be able to assist you, Charles," returned the
genial scout master, laying a hand on the lad's shoulder in a way that
quite won his confidence. "Now tell me what you saw, when and where,
also what it looked like."
"I think it was in about the same quarter as before, sir. My watch
happened to come late in the night this time, in fact just before dawn
broke. I heard again that blood-curdling sound, a plain 'woof'! and
raising my head I could just make it out in the darkness. It was white,
as before, and it moved! Then all of a sudden it seemed to vanish most
mysteriously."
"Well, did the other sentry see anything, Charles?" asked Mr.
Garrabrant.
"We had arranged it all between us, sir, Ty Collins and myself. And he
will tell you, sir, that he saw just what I did," replied Chatz,
earnestly.
"That sounds as though you might have seen _something_, then," smiled
Mr. Garrabrant. "And Elmer, you were so successful in picking out those
other tracks, suppose you try again."
"Shall I go now, sir?" asked the other, readily.
"I would like you to. If you find a trail, you might follow it up a
bit. Perhaps Charles would like to accompany you."
"Yes, sir, I would, if you didn't object," replied the Southern lad,
quickly.
"Very well," nodded the scout master. "Report to me when you are
through, Elmer."
So the two boys went away together. Some of the others, seeing them
bending down as though examining the ground, made a move as if to join
them, but Mr. Garrabrant was watching, and called them back.
He saw Elmer, followed by the wondering Chatz, walk slowly away, his
head bent low, as though he were following some sort of trail.
And the scout master laughed softly to himself as he muttered:
"I fancy Charles is about to have a little surprise, now that Elmer has
found a trail to follow. Because, as a true believer in ghosts, he must
realize that anything that leaves traces behind can hardly claim
supernatural qualities."
Twenty minutes afterwards, shortly before breakfast was ready, the two
boys came back again. Chatz was smiling in a queer way, but Elmer looked
like a sphinx.
The latter, obeying a beckoning finger, hurried over to join Mr.
Garrabrant.
"Unless my eyes deceive me, Elmer," remarked the gentleman, with a
quizzical expression on his handsome face, "you've been up to your old
tricks again, and finding out things. How is it, do you plead guilty to
the charge?"
"I guess I'll just have to, sir," replied the boy, also smiling now.
"Then you found a trail, did you?"
"Yes, sir," Elmer went on, "a positive one; though the ground was that
hard a greenhorn could never have seen it. And while Chatz kept at my
side I don't think he dreamed what I was doing as we went along. Then,
about a hundred yards away I heard that same queer 'woof' he spoke of."
"It didn't give you a shock, I warrant, Elmer?" remarked the scout
master.
"Well, you see, sir, I've had too much to do with cattle not to
recognize the snort of a startled cow! And that was what we saw just
ahead of us. She had been lying down, chewing her cud, and our coming
had caused her to get on her feet."
"Did she happen to have a white face, Elmer?" laughed Mr. Garrabrant.
"Just what she did, sir," the boy replied. "Chatz looked at me, and
turned pale, then red; after which he laughed till the tears ran down
his cheeks. I think we put quite a spoke in his spook wheel, sir. He
won't be so ready to believe in supernatural visitors after this."
"It was well done, Elmer, and I thank you for it. Now, let's to
breakfast, for we have a strenuous day before us," and the scout master
led the way to the place where a bounteous meal had been spread for the
entire troop of scouts.
During the morning the swimming tests were started, and Mr. Garrabrant,
who was a splendid swimmer himself, took charge of matters. Some
excellent work was done, and the timid ones taught how to strike out, to
float, and to tread water, as well as various races inaugurated that
were full of fun.
After that came the wonderful fishing contest, where the boys did what
they could to land one of their mates who played the part of a hooked
fish, fighting to get away, just as a monster scaly prize like a tarpon
might have done.
Of course Elmer was the leader in this game, for he had had much more
experience as a sportsman than any of the rest, but there were several
who proved themselves good seconds in the trial, and who would make the
winner look to his laurels in the near future.
That brought them to noon, and matters were allowed to simmer while they
got busy cooking a lunch to satisfy the tremendous appetites that the
vigorous labor of the morning had developed.
Ted and Lil Artha expected to take a tramp over to the lone cabin during
the afternoon. They could not start, however, until the concluding work
of the day had been attended to. As this was to be "first aid to the
injured" the presence of the only budding doctor in camp would be
required, in order to explain many important things connected with this
valuable adjunct to scout lore.
It was possibly nearly three o'clock before the two lads got started.
But that did not matter much, for by this time Ted had become very
familiar with the way of the blazed trail, and could follow it "with his
eyes blindfolded," as he boastingly remarked, though Elmer knew this was
hardly so.
Some of the scouts were out on the lake, trying to coax a mess of fish
to come closer to the fire and get warmed up. The taste of browned trout
haunted them, and even Mr. Garrabrant admitted that the way Elmer cooked
the fish, they were finer than any he had ever eaten. It was to have the
salt pork in a hot frying pan, until it had been well tried out, then
having rolled each fish in cracker crumbs, or corn meal if the former
were not handy, they were placed over the fire in the pan to brown.
Another time Elmer broiled the fish, and the boys were uncertain as to
which method they liked most. When they ate the trout cooked one way
that excelled, and next day when the other method was tried they
believed it could not be equalled.
Evening was not far away when a shout attracted the attention of all
those in camp. Even the few who happened to be inside the tents came
hurrying out to see what it meant.
"That must have been Lil Artha," declared Elmer immediately. "Nobody
else has so loud a whoop. Yes, there they come, he and Ted, hurrying
down the side of the mountain. They seem to be in something of a hurry,
too."
"And look at Ted waving his hand, will you?" exclaimed Toby, beginning
to get excited himself. "He wouldn't act that way, fellers, except that
there's something gone wrong. Gee! I hope now the old man ain't been
taken sudden, and handed in his checks! That would be tough on the kids,
now!"
Mr. Garrabrant heard what Toby said, but made no remark. He was waiting
for the coming of the two scouts who had gone across the mountain on
their errand of mercy.
The long-legged Lil Artha could have easily outrun his comrade had he
chosen, but he made no effort to do so. Still, as they drew closer, it
could be easily seen that both boys showed unmistakable evidences of
some tremendous excitement. And, naturally, their fellow scouts almost
trembled with eagerness to learn what could have happened to affect them
in this way.
Three minutes later and they drew up in front of the group, panting,
flushed--their eyes sparkling with suppressed news.