Remington noticed the fog that had crept stealthily up until the whole
bay south of Flat Island was a blank wall of impenetrable mist.
“Come, come--we must get back now!” And Mr. Remington soon had his
convoy arranged and the launch chugged away for Isola Bella wharf where
it left Benton and his party the richer by several fine haddocks.
The Sunset Islanders reached the float-stage just before the fog shut
them in.
“Make up a good fire in the bungalow,” said Mrs. Remington to Billy and
Dudley. “And every one see that the tent-flaps are close shut to keep
out as much of this dampness as possible.”
The novelty of the fog was at first delightful to the younger boys but
when they realised that they were forbidden to even get into a boat
while the treacherous white veil covered the island, they revised their
judgment.
Elizabeth was a little aggrieved, too. “Just think, Uncle Tom and Aunt
Edith will arrive in the morning and I wanted to go over to Rosemary to
meet them. Now, this old fog will probably last two or three days.”
And so it proved. On account of this white barrier the Captain alone
took Mr. Remington to Rosemary, Uncle Tom’s summer home on the
mainland below Saturday Cove. From there, the Charlton’s motor conveyed
the now transformed Islander to the New York express train at Rockland.
The only blight on the camper’s joy in Maine was the necessity for
“business fathers” to leave their families there and return to the
hot city. But often, an extra week-end was tucked in by both Mr.
Remington and Mr. Farwell. Fate seemed to so arrange it however, that
both men were rarely on their respective islands simultaneously. Uncle
Tom Charlton was more fortunate as his business allowed him a long
continuous vacation which he always enjoyed to the utmost.
“Captain,” said he to the returning launch-man, “as soon as this fog
clears, we’ll be over to see you all. Tell Fred that two young college
boys are going to be my guests for the week-end and I want them to
get a taste of salt-water. They are from Georgia and while they are
out-of-doors fellows they have always lived inland.”
This message was received with interest by Fred and the other campers
and the fog was again appropriately consigned to “Halifax.”
“Never mind,” consoled Mrs. Remington; “use this enforced curtailment
of your liberty by doing some listing up of your Woodcraft work.”
“That’s so! After we have filled the wood-boxes and helped Captain
clean and salt those fish we’ll just look up the Nature _Coups_ and
see how much this Pentagoet Tribe knows about the denizens of the
briny,” said Fred.
“Am I in your Pentagoet Tribe, now?” asked Paul.
“We will formally take you in at our first Council,” replied Fred.
“Me too!” cried Dudley. “That’ll be great! I was wondering how we’d fix
it ’cause I want to be in a Woodcraft Tribe and not by my lonesome all
summer.”
Nature books, pencils and paper, to say nothing of the “thinking caps”
were all called upon that evening to do active service, so the fog was
forgotten. Paul and Dudley triumphantly passed the examination of the
twenty-five different fish they had listed up and identified. The lists
were the same, as the two boys had been together in the pursuit of this
Nature _coup_.
With genuine pride they copied the list on the backs of their official
Honour claims for the fish _coup_.
Fish _Coup_.
1. Mola--or deep-sea Sunfish
2. Cunner
3. Hake
4. Haddock
5. Mackerel
6. Pollock
7. Harbour Pollock
8. Tom Cod
9. Cod
10. Skate
11. Shark
12. Dog-fish
13. Monk-fish--or Angler
14. Toad-fish--or Puffer
15. Sculpin
16. Salmon
17. Flounder
18. Sword-fish
19. Halibut
20. Herring
21. Shad (Fresh water fish)
22. Brook Trout (Fresh water fish)
23. Catfish (Fresh water fish)
24. Brook Sunfish (Fresh water fish)
25. Suckers (Fresh water fish)
Elizabeth helped Edith print the names of her list which varied
a trifle because she had gold-fish on her fresh-water list and a
lump-fish on her salt-water list of fish.
“Oh,” cried Edith, “I wish you all could have seen my little green
lump-fish--he was _so_ cute! Just like a little mould of jelly.”
“Like a jelly-fish?” asked Paul.
“Mercy no! It was shaped like a real fish only it was lumpy. Captain
brought it to me in a bucket of water but I let it go again ’cause he
was so little and funny.”
“Say, isn’t it lucky for our lists that we were all down in New London
last summer and saw the fish there before they were cut up for the
market,” said Dudley.
“You just bet! That gave us a good start--that sword-fish and halibut
they showed us there,” affirmed Paul.
“Oh, look, boys! The fog is lifting!” cried Elizabeth.
“Perhaps it will be clear to-morrow,” added Fred.
So, cheered by this hope they all retired to their tents which only the
use of oil-stoves had rendered dry in the dripping moisture of the fog.
The morning was lovely and the brisk nor’wester blew away all memory
of the fog. In spite of the hard pull in the breeze, the boys insisted
upon visiting their lobster pots.
“Oh joy! a lobster to-day for every one of us excepting Paul. But there
are two in Fred’s trap,” counted Billy.
“Yes, and one of them’s big enough to enter for the prise contest.
I’m going to weigh and measure it,” said Fred, steering the boat into
Treasure Cove.
A launch whistle sounded “toot-toot!” while the scales and tape were
being used for the lobster, and there was the Orion bringing Uncle Tom
and the two big boys eager for the sights of the island camp.
Friendships are quickly made under such conditions and when the Orion
returned Shelby Jordan and Henry Pou were left for an over-night visit
with Fred.
“I’ll lend them anything they need and besides, we do not dress up for
fishing you know,” Fred assured his uncle and aunt, as they were saying
good-bye to the boys.
The whole island was explored and one of the things that keenly
interested the visitors was the Woodcraft Council Ring. So many
questions were asked that Fred suggested a Council for that afternoon,
that the boys might see for themselves just how one was conducted.
“Captain says we’re not going to under-run the trawl to-day, as he
wants to put the fish we already have on the flats to dry. He’ll take
us down to Flat Island in the launch and then drop us off at Isola
Bella so we can invite the folks there. Then we’ll come back and hold a
Council here at four o’clock,” planned Fred.
“Take along oil-skins and rubber caps,” warned his mother, “or you’ll
all get wet on the way back.”
The visitors were intensely interested in the fish-drying operations
and asked numerous questions of Captain Ed. The latter had to admit
that the fog had been mighty bad for the “sweet” process of drying.
“But they always smell a _leetle_ anyway, and a few days of good hot
sun will soon cure them now.”
It is doubtful however, if Shelby and Henry manifested the same
appetite for salt-fish after being present at the scene on the flats
where the “perfume factory” was all-sufficient.
The first Common Council was a merry and impromptu affair although
conducted with due form and in parliamentary fashion. Fred was in the
chair as “Island Chief” which was indeed the meaning of his Woodcraft
title of Wita-tonkan.
For the benefit of the visitors he gave a little talk on Woodcraft and
explained why they called the various groups Tribes, and chose Indian
names in recognition of service or prowess.
“You see, we belong to the Woodcraft League which is composed of groups
of young folks and older people, too, who like outdoor life and believe
it helps make better citizens.
“We Woodcrafters prove that sensible exercise in the outdoors,
preferably with some desirable aim in view, prepares us for the
business of life.
“The pioneers of this country learned genuine Woodcraft from the
Indians, and that is one reason why, here in America, we use Indian
ceremonies in our Councils--sort of ”America First“ don’t you know.
“Why should we go back to Greece for examples of runners when the
fleetest-footed Marathoners could have been given points by the village
heralds of an Indian Tribe?
“When we hold a Grand Council we usually try to give it the semblance
of a genuine American Indian affair. Indian costumes and customs are
not necessary at all to Woodcraft but it adds a romantic touch. Looking
up all of these things really teaches one a lot of American history,
too.
“The same training and observation, and what I’ve heard a professor
call ‘Co-ordination of mind and muscle’ with which the sturdy pioneers
conquered the wilderness enables us to get along better in more
civilised times--but maybe we’re not more civilised after all, with
this war in Europe and our share in the savage condition of things.
“Well, to conclude, we boys are the Pentagoet Tribe of Woodcrafters and
the girls, during our life on this Island, belong to us, too. At home,
though, we have separate tribes that we boys and girls belong to.
“Now, brothers, we will begin by singing the Omaha Tribal Prayer which
means, ‘Father, a needy one stands before Thee--I that sing am he.’”
With this, the Chief concluded and Elizabeth read the Tally of the last
summer’s last Council and the Chair appointed her Tally-Chief again for
the current meeting.
The roll-call showed fourteen present, counting visitors, and the
reports of the scouts were confined to the mola and the trawling. But
Billy--or to give him his ceremonial name of Shingebis--was interested
in the prospect of swimming, so he reported on the temperature of
the water in Treasure Cove. In spite of the recent fog it was growing
warmer every day although it never was really comfortably warm.
The first business transacted was the welcoming of Paul and Dudley into
the Pentagoet Tribe, as they were being transferred from the Grey Fox
Band started by Mrs. Remington the previous winter for the Baker boys
and their friends. The two boys did not have to take an initiation
again as that had been attended to at the founding of the Grey Foxes.
Then came the awarding of Honours. The two Georgia boys were quite
surprised by the businesslike way in which the _coups_ were claimed and
joined in the chorus of “Hows” as Wita-Tonkan presented the coveted
_coup_ feathers, symbolic of attainment.
When Edith was called upon she replied: “Oh Chief! I want to claim my
_coups_ when papa is present.”
“So do I, Oh Chief!” asserted Elizabeth, so the entertainment continued
with various challenges--the visitors taking part in hand-wrestling,
tub-tilting, and racing, to their great satisfaction. Shelby Jordan
introduced a new stunt called “Japanese Cane-crawling” and it proved to
be a popular game.
It was nearly supper time when the Council closed and the boys heard
Mose ring the bell. The Isola Bella contingent said good-bye and
were soon on the homeward sail while the Islanders hastened to avail
themselves of the call to supper.
Having two Southern boys present to appreciate his culinary skill, Mose
outdid himself. The spoon-bread and molasses and cocoanut pie vanished
that night like dew before a morning sun.
Two extra cots were placed in Fred’s sibley-teepee and the visitors had
the unusual experience of undressing and going to bed before a little
fire in the centre of the tent: a comfort not to be despised on a cool
Maine night.
On the morrow a little southwest breeze was blowing and the boys all
hurried off to the trawl, Shelby and Henry disguised in old trousers
and sweaters found in the “slop-chest,” as the closet back of the
living-room was termed.
When the boat reached the mooring buoy Shelby asked, “What do you call
that craft?” indicating an old patched-sail lumberman that was tacking
across the water toward Sunset Island.
“That’s a two-masted schooner,” replied Billy. “Isn’t she a beauty?
Guess she’s old enough to vote.”
“Maine hasn’t got equal suffrage yet, or I guess she would have been
voting these many years,” chuckled Fred.
“Say, Cap! Look at her now--she’s trying to run down our Island,” cried
Billy.
For some moments past the Captain had been watching the old schooner
and now he exclaimed: “By Heck! They must all be asleep or dead on
board her. If she clears the south-end she’ll drift down on our
Medric!”
Fear made the Captain turn his launch and make for the little sloop
Medric which was anchored off the float-stage of Sunset Island.
With a booming crash, however, and a terrifying slatting of sails, the
old schooner piled up on the rocks of the little peninsula-point on the
extreme south of the island, named Cape Horn by the Islanders.
Two lank youths were seen scrambling out of the companionway of the
vessel’s cabin and a third was observed aft of the wheel. The breeze
was increasing every minute and the situation of the stranded schooner
was such that it was dangerous to board her from the water. But, it was
nearly high tide and her bowsprit almost touched the grass on the high
bank, or spur of ledge that Billy called Pulpit Rock. Consequently, it
didn’t take long for the trawlers to land and swing themselves aboard
the wreck by means of her jib-sheets and bobstay.
Mrs. Remington and the girls had heard the crash and the shouts from
the schooner and they all ran from the bungalow to see what had
happened; soon, they too joined the others in the unusual excitement of
trying to save a wreck.
The young skipper and mate of the schooner were crestfallen for it
appeared they had been fast asleep after a night of dancing and revelry
in their hometown of Rockport. The third youth was even more disgusted
with himself for he had been steering and had actually stretched
himself out and dozed while he left the wheel in a cleat.
“You’ve only got half an hour of tide to help yuh git floated off,”
called Captain Ed.
“Don’t we know it,” surlily replied the older boy, most likely thinking
of the reckoning with his stern father who owned the Edward Everett.
“Well, I kin set you over to Sat’aday Cove so’s you kin git some one to
tackle this job,” offered the kindly Captain.
“And they ought to do it right away, too, or she’ll break up,” added
Fred.
Without loss of time, therefore, the Rockport crew accepted the
Captain’s offer. Luckily for them, the wind died down toward sunset.
In the meantime, the boys had under-run the trawl and added to their
abundant stock of fish on Flat Island.
The next day the irate father of the luckless mariner arrived with two
small fishing schooners and a load of empty blue barrels which had
once contained “Pennsylvania Fluid.” The men worked hard all morning,
securing the barrels beneath the Edward Everett, then when high tide
came the now leaky old craft was kedged back out of her rocky berth.
“Good-bye, Ned!” cried the irrepressible Dudley, waving his cap at the
departing schooner.
“Boy, you shouldn’t speak disrespectfully of an old grand-daddy
like that, er call him by his first name,” admonished the Captain,
jocularly.
The Orion had appeared in time to watch the old antique craft retire
after her hardy bout with Sunset Island rocks and when the excitement
was all over Uncle Tom called to Shelby and Henry to get their things
together as he was going to tote them back to Rosemary.
The two boys were really sorry to go but they realised that it was Mr.
and Mrs. Charlton they were visiting and at least a single day of the
week-end was due their hosts.
Farewells were said and Elizabeth, who had been wildly scribbling while
the boys were preparing to embark on the Orion, now presented them
with a memento of their visit in the form of a parody on “The Last
Buccaneer” which she entitled “The First Wreck on Here.”
The winds were yelling, the waves were swelling
All sunny and fair in the morn,
When the crew who were adoze, brought the Edward Everett’s nose
On the ledges of Old Cape Horn.
Up the ledges ran her keel, and to leeward did she heel,
Till her jib-sheets flapped on Pulpit Rock;
And the sleeping Rockport boys awakened by the noise,
Laid sprawled around by the shock.
“Oh, from Rockport’s clammy shore, where southerlies oft roar
With our wheel in a cleat did we steer.
Above I was asleep and below in slumber deep,
My comrades were wrapped without fear.”
Oh, to-morrow shall be borne from the rocks of stern Cape Horn
A loud cheer and a louder cry,
As along the old jib-boom, for as many as there’s room,
Shall the pirates of Sunset Island hie.
Oh, the Medric, our pride, securely now may ride,
In the breath of the balsam around,
“Oh, Captain, there’s no use, to go and cut her loose,
For the Edward Everett’s aground.”
The next few days passed swiftly by in doing the usual camp-work varied
by Billy’s efforts to run the launch--he was hoping to own one himself
some day; and the other boys’ indifferent success at wood-chopping to
keep the boxes filled, showed the youthful engineer that they wished
they could be with him.
Then came the day set aside by Mrs. Remington for a “laundry party.”
She said she hadn’t the courage to send such awful clothes to the
Islesboro Steam Laundry.
However, the sting of this occasion was removed by the unexpected
promise of the first swim that season when the wash was finished.
While the boys were soaking their trawling duds in hot soapy water,
good-natured Mose brought them a large bottle of household ammonia. As
he drew near the tub he pretended to believe they were preparing a new
kind of fish chowder.
“Yo’ don’ tell me dem are cloe’s yo’ got fermentin’ in dat tub,” cried
he aghast. “Why, dey’s got scales like a fish, an’ dey smells like
a fish, an’ Ah b’lieve yo-all tryin’ t’fix up a new-fangle kin’ ov
fish-soup! It looks lak some ov dat tin-soup broth! Ah spec’s hit’ll
tas’ mos’ de same, too,” and Mose sniffed at the aroma with a true
chef’s expressive disdain.
The boys laughed and Mose hoaxed them until every one was in a good
humour, then the wise old cook went back to his work chuckling to
himself. “Hit all depen’s on how yo’ han’le boys when dey gotta nasty
job on ’er han’s to do!”
Then, how the boys enjoyed their plunge in the sea, even though Paul
and Dudley confided to each other that they were quite sure the
temperature was below zero that day.
Mrs. Remington herded them out in a few minutes and the balance of the
day was spent in trying various athletic exercises to restore the quick
circulation of the blood of youth.
[Illustration: THE WAR BONNET OF THE SAGAMORE.
_Woodcraft Boys on Sunset Island._ _Page 76_]
CHAPTER FOUR
COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON
“Uncle Bill! Uncle Bill! Council this afternoon!” came a chorus of
voices over the stretch of water between the sailing dory and the
Farwell’s launch which had just made a landing at her pier.
“You just got here in time: three o’clock this afternoon,” added Fred,
as he steered the dory closer to the launch.
“Hey! Don’t run me down,” laughingly joked Mr. Farwell. “There, that’s
better! Now, Miriam, come over here and kiss your old father.”
As the dory gently glided alongside the launch, Miriam sprang aboard
and hugged her jolly father.
“Oh, papa! I’m going to win a _coup_ to-day! I’m so glad you’re here to
see me get it. And Paul’s going to have one of the green tassels cut
off his badge, too. Cousin Fred has been training us all.”
“Well, well! Fred has so many _coups_ now, I suppose he can spare you
some, eh?”
“Oh, papa! you _know_ I couldn’t take any one else’s _coups_! I have to
win them myself!” declared Miriam.
“Never mind him, you know he is only teasing you,” said Fred,
soothingly. “But Uncle Bill, Miriam is going back with _us_ as she
has to make out her _coup_ claim properly and she is going to help us
prepare for the Council. Please, everybody come! We just count on you,
Uncle Bill, to liven everything up, you know.”
“Depend upon your Uncle Bill! Now, young ’uns--lively about it, if
you’re going! I’m about starved and nothing will keep me here a minute
longer. If I don’t show up at the house pretty soon, Bridget will think
I’ve had luncheon, and what a calamity that would be! See you all
later--three o’clock sharp!” And Uncle Bill caught up his suitcase,
jumped out on the wharf, and called to his wife: “I’m starved! I’m
starved! Fee fo fi fum!”
Meantime Mrs. Farwell had been talking confidentially to Elizabeth and
Miriam. Then, as she laughed and promised them to keep the secret, they
left her. She watched them climb safely down to the dory again before
she turned to give some orders to the Captain of the Zeus, finally
turning to follow her shouting and singing lord and master up the path
to the house.
The two girls pushed off from the launch, Fred let the sheet run out
and before a light southerly breeze, the little dory soon showed her
heels to the wharf at one island and in about ten minutes was lying at
the float-stage of the other.
While Fred furled the sails of the dory, Billy ran down the cliffs to
meet the sailors. “Say there! You’d just better hurry up! Lunch is most
ready!”
Quiet reigned during the first part of the luncheon as every one was
hungry. But as appetites abated, Billy started a discussion as to some
of the entertainment for the Council in the afternoon. It appeared that
he and Dudley and Paul had a motion picture play of a jitney which they
were anxious to give.
“Have you rehearsed it--do you know if it is any good?” asked Fred,
sceptically.
“You know we don’t want anything below par,” added Elizabeth.
“Well, if you doubt us, we’ll do it right here to let you judge!”
offered Paul, eagerly.
“Guess you’d better,” replied Fred.
So, the three boys left the table and placed three chairs--two side by
side and one directly in front of the other two. Bill played the part
of chauffeur and went through all of the motions of starting a jitney.
No sooner was it running than a passenger (Paul) hailed him to stop.
The chauffeur made the motions of applying brakes, getting out to open
the door and assist the passenger inside, then tried to crank up again.
No sooner had he succeeded in starting the engine again, than a second
passenger (Dudley) hailed the jitney to stop. Billy repeated the same
actions as before but the first “fare” refused to move over in the
seat and the second one tripped over his outstretched feet.
Again the chauffeur cranked and at last they were off! ’Twas the “rocky
road to Dublin” all right, for the luckless passengers swayed and
bumped in their seats, until suddenly the car stopped on a hill. Try as
he would, the poor chauffeur could not start it again.
He came to the door and implored the two passengers to help him push
the machine up the hill. They were indignant but finally consented. The
brow of the hill reached they all jumped in again and down the jitney
coasted. Just as the engine was nicely started again, the car struck a
rut and overturned.
When Billy signalled the overturn, Paul, Dudley and he, tipped over the
chairs and all lay sprawling on the floor.
A chorus of “Hows” greeted the performance and the juvenile contingent
judged it worthy of the Council audience.
“Well, maybe we can improve on this, too, when we once feel the spirit
of the Council move us,” ventured Billy.
“Oh sure thing!” bragged Paul, chestily.
And the others laughed heartily at his manner, but nothing daunted,
Paul added, “Practice makes perfect, you know.”
A quiet half hour was spent in signing up _coup_ claims and looking
over the Tally of the last Council. Then, every one retired to the
tents to dress in ceremonial Woodcraft costumes.
As the last Brave left his tent the chugging of engines was heard and
the launch Orion rounded the south end of Sunset Island, while at the
same time the Zeus arrived from Isola Bella.
The Orion brought Aunt Edith and Uncle Tom from the mainland. With them
were some visitors and Miss Travis, known to the boys and girls as Aunt
Flo-flo. Aunt Edith introduced one of the visitors to the members of
the Pentagoet Tribe.
“This is my little friend Trixie Ashe--she has come to spend several
weeks at Rosemary.”
Trixie was about thirteen but looked older. Being the only child and
always in the society of elders she felt out of her element in the camp
of the young Woodcrafters. Then, too, she was expensively dressed in
apparel more adapted for a house-party than for a rough outing.