UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS
Paul had settled it all in his mind as to what their course should
be. He drew a mental map of the island, and its surroundings; and
also remembered certain conclusions he had previously entertained
connected with the depth of water on all sides, between their late
camp and the mainland.
So the _Comfort_ set the pace, which was not very fast; for they wanted
darkness to settle fully over the lake, in order that they might move
around without being seen from the island.
"Tell me when the island is out of sight, Jud," remarked Paul; for some
of the time the two boats were side by side, and nothing interfered with
a clear view in the rear.
"Why, it's swallowed up already in the night mist; I can just make out
that old cedar that stands on top of the little hill," came Jud's reply.
"Good. Then we'll have an easy time slipping back, I reckon," said Paul.
"Going all the way over to the shore; are you?" asked the other.
"Might as well; though we'll have to feel our way. Pretty shallow; ain't
it, Jud?" for the scout master had set the other to work sounding with
one of the setting poles, by dropping it over every little while.
"Touch bottom every time but seems to be plenty of water. Guess this
lake ain't near so deep as that other one up by Rattlesnake Mountain,"
Jud remarked.
"Oh! it's many times deeper on the other side of the island," observed
Paul. "I picked out this way across for a good reason."
"I suppose you did," Jud said, with a sublime confidence that was
refreshing.
"Because, you see," added Paul, "when we start back again, we'll have to
do without the help of our motors, for, muffle them as we might, they'd
make enough noise to betray us."
"Oh! I see now," declared Jud, chuckling. "In place of the motor business
we'll use good hard muscle with these setting poles. And so long as we
can touch bottom right along, it ain't going to be a very hard job
getting back to the island. You don't think it's more'n half a mile; do
you, Paul?"
"Not much more, and we can take our time, Jud. The one thing above all
others we've got to keep in mind is silence. Nobody ought to knock a
pole against the side of a boat under penalty of being given black marks.
And as for talking, it'll have to be in whispers, when at all."
"S-s-sounds g-g-good to m-m-me," said Bluff, who somehow seemed to have
gone back to his old stuttering ways; though it might be the excitement
that caused the lapse.
Nothing more was said on the way over, though doubtless the boys kept up
considerable thinking. They were tremendously worked up over the
situation. This scheme proposed by the scout leader seemed to appeal to
the spirit of adventure which nearly every boy who has red blood in his
veins feels to be a part of his nature.
There was one among them, however, who was silent because of another
reason; for Old Dan Tucker always declared it a very bad and injurious
plan to try and converse when one's mouth was crammed full; and crackers,
too, being apt to get in the wind-pipe, may do all manner of choking
stunts. So he said never a word.
They presently could see the other shore looming up, though it was
getting very dark, just as though a storm might be threatening to again
demoralize them.
"Getting more shoal, Paul," warned the pole heaver.
"How much water have you now?" demanded the leader, ready to give the
signal for bringing both motorboats to a stop, when it seemed necessary.
"Eight feet, last time; now it's about seven, short," announced Jud.
"Keep on sounding, and when it gets down to three, let me know,"
ordered Paul.
They were creeping along at a snail's pace now, so even should either
boat strike mud bottom, which Jud had declared it to be, no particular
damage would result.
The shore was very close, and still Jud admitted that there was
plenty of water.
"Keeps up in great shape, Commodore," he remarked, "reckon we could go
ashore here if we felt that way."
"Which we don't," declared Gusty Bellows, in a low tone.
And not a single voice was raised in favor of such a proceeding; if there
were any timid souls present, they failed to exhibit their weakness,
either through fear of boyish ridicule, or some other reason.
Then Paul shut off power, and when he no longer heard the sound of the
_Comfort's_ exhaust, Jack followed suit.
"We'll hang out here for half an hour, and then head back,"
explained Paul.
"The outlet isn't far away from here; is it?" Joe Clausin asked.
"Not very far--on the right," Paul replied. "I had that in mind when
choosing to come this way. You see, if we were intending to only go
ashore, they'd expect to see a fire burning somewhere. As it is, they'll
be sure to think we've dropped down into the Radway, preferring to risk
all sorts of danger from the rocks and snags there, rather than stay here
another night."
"Makes me think of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow," remarked Nat Smith in
the other motorboat.
"Oh! come off, will you?" ridiculed Bobolink. "Napoleon was a good one,
but not in the same class with _us_. He never came back, like we're going
to do. This retreat is only a fine piece of strategy, remember, while his
was in deadly earnest."
They talked in low tones that were cousins to whispers, and certainly
could not be heard half way over to the mysterious island, even
though water does make the finest conductor of sound possible, as
every boy knows.
Finally, when about half an hour had gone, Paul said it was time to make
a fresh start. He had thought it all out, and while taking one pole
himself, asked the expert, Jud, to handle the other in their boat.
Jack and Tom Betts were to look after those in the _Speedwell_; for the
scout master knew that Tom could be very careful, given a job that
required caution.
They took their time, and by degrees Paul led the way across the shallow
part of the lake. Bobolink had aptly described their movement, when he
said it reminded him of the words in the song: "He came right in, and
turned around and walked right out again."
Now it was so dark that most of the scouts found themselves confused as
to their bearings, the minute they lost sight of the trees along the
shore. Some wondered how Paul was going to go straight back over their
recent course, when he did not have even the stars to guide him.
But then, there were many other things he did have, one of which was the
slight breeze that blew in his face, and which had been directly behind
them at the time they left the island.
Slowly and laboriously, in comparison with their other trip, the scouts
crossed the stretch of water. And when finally those who were so eagerly
watching out for that cedar on the top of the little elevation in the
middle of the island whispered to Paul that it was dead ahead, they
realized with wonder that the pilot had led them in a direct line back
over their course.
Now they altered the line of advance a little. This was in order to
approach the island about the place where the little bay extended into
its side, as described by Jack. And Paul allowed the other to take the
lead, since Jack would be more familiar with the locality than he himself
might feel.
Noiselessly did the two boats enter that miniature bay, and glide along
until close to the bank, where the overhanging trees afforded the
protection they wanted, in order to conceal the craft.
Landing was next in order, and then all their things must again be taken
ashore, from tents and blankets, to cooking kettles and eatables.
By now the scouts had reduced many of these things to a system. Every boy
knew just what was expected of him; and presently there was a procession
of burden bearers carrying things into the brush along a certain trail,
once in a while perhaps stumbling a little, but keeping strict silence.
They seemed to enjoy it hugely, too. Their nerves tingled while carrying
out this part of the programme--at least, Bobolink said he had such a
feeling, and doubtless several more were in the same condition.
Of course there were those who trembled with anticipation of some sudden
alarm. And then again, others might be beginning to think they would soon
nearly "cave away" with the empty feeling they had; that was what Old
Dan Tucker confided in a whisper to Joe Clausin, resting firm in the
belief that none of the others knew about the pocket full of crackers,
that he called "life preservers"--which, alas, were all gone now, to the
last crumb.
Paul led the line and picked out the easiest method of reaching the
place he had selected for the new camp among the rocks and trees. It was
in a depression, too, the others noticed, when he told them to drop
their bundles. That would enable them to have a little fire, since it
could not be seen as it would be if they were on a level, or an
elevation. And really, a fire was necessary, if Paul meant they should
have any supper at all.
"As we brought about all we need, there's no use of making another trip
to the boats," Paul remarked in a low tone; from which the others judged
that conversation was not going to be entirely cut out, only they must
not elevate their voices above a certain pitch, so long as things were as
quiet as at present.
Now began the task of getting the three tents in position again. And well
had the scouts learned their lesson in this particular; some of them even
going so far as to declare that they could do the job with their eyes
blindfolded, so familiar were they with every part of the operation.
"Like learning type-writin' by touch in school," Bobolink had said.
After all the tents had been raised, and the blankets placed inside, Paul
gave permission for a small cooking fire to be made.
To some boys a fire is always a fire, no matter what its intended use;
but the scout who has camped out soon gets to know that there is a vast
difference between a camp fire, for instance, and one meant only for
getting meals over.
The former may be composed of great logs and branches that send up a
cheery and brilliant blaze; but which is next to useless when the cook
wants to get close in, and attend to his various kettles and frying pans.
Sometimes a hole is scooped out of the ground, and the fire for cooking
made in that, especially when on level ground, and danger exists of
hostile eyes discovering the blaze, however small.
As a rule, however, such a fire is made about after this fashion: Two
logs may be used, if they have flat surfaces, having been more or less
squared off; but when stones can be procured they are to be preferred.
Two sides are fashioned out of flat stones, somewhat in the shape of the
letter V, only not having the line quite so pronounced. Thus a coffeepot
will rest snugly over the smaller end, while the big frying pan cozily
covers the larger.
The fire need only be small, but when the cooking commences, there
should be for the most part red embers in the fireplace, capable of
sending up great heat, with but a minimum of blaze. And there a cook
can work in comfort, without dodging back every time a fierce blaze
darts toward him, threatening to singe his eyebrows, and shorten his
crop of hair.
Jud knew just how to make such a fire, and as they would need several, in
order to cook for such a host, some of the other boys busied themselves
in copying what he did. They had seen him make such a stone fireplace
before, any way, and some of them had practiced the art in private, being
desirous of knowing how to do many of the things the leaders were so
proficient in.
Soon they had more light, when Jud got his fire started; and it was
then that the boys realized just how fitting that spot was for a hidden
camp. Their tents could not be seen thirty feet away; and as for the
small amount of light made by the three cooking fires, little danger of
it being noticed, unless some one were close by, and actually stumbled
on the spot.
In fact, the greatest chance they had of being discovered, as Paul well
knew, did not come from any sense of sight or hearing, but that of smell.
Should the odors from their supper chance to be carried across the
island, and in the direction of where these men were staying, they might
begin to suspect something was wrong, and start an investigation that
would lead to the discovery of the new camp.
But Paul had also noticed that the night breeze was doing them another
good service; it had helped him find his way back to the island through
the darkness resting on the big lake; and now, blowing toward the distant
shore, the odors of cooking coffee, and frying bass would be taken
entirely away.
And anyhow, there were eighteen half-starved scouts who had to be fed,
come what might. So the cooking went on apace, and in due time supper was
announced as ready. At which more than a few of the waiting lads heaved
sighs of satisfaction, and Old Dan Tucker, as usual, managed to be the
first to sit down.