TEMPLE CAMP
The scouts of the village stood upon the wharf and waved a last good-bye
to the three as the _Good Turn_ chugged merrily away.
"I'm going to give that fellow the full salute," said Tom, raising his
hand to his forehead. "He's a wonder."
The scouts on shore received this tribute to their comrade with shouts,
throwing their hats in the air and giving three lusty cheers for the
"Silver Foxes and the Elks" as the launch, swerving out into midstream,
bent her course for Catskill Landing.
"He sure is a wonder," said Roy.
"I told him all about you," chimed in Pee-wee, "and all the stunts you
can do."
"He seems to be prouder of his Ford jokes than of his signal work,"
laughed Roy. "He----"
"Oh, crinkums, he knows some dandy Ford jokes, and his wrist is so
strong from paddling that he can stick a shovel in the ground and turn
it around with one hand; oh, he's got that paddle twist down fine, Roy;
but, gee, he says you're all right; even before you came he said that;
as soon as I told him who it was that signaled----"
"Do you think they'll come up?" Roy interrupted.
"Sure they will; I told them all about the camp and how they could have
a cabin to themselves--they're only a small troop, one patrol, and he
wants to know you better; gee, I told him all about you and how you
could----"
"All right, kiddo," laughed Roy.
"They're coming up in August. Say, that fellow's got eleven merit
badges, but the one thing he's crazy to get is the gold cross."
"He'll get it," said Tom, who had been wiping the engine.
"He says the trouble is," added Pee-wee, "that he can't save anybody's
life with great danger to his own--that's what it says in the Manual,
isn't it?"
"Yes," said Tom, quietly.
"He says the trouble is nobody ever gets in danger. The trouble with his
troop is they all know how to swim and they're so blamed clever that he
never has a chance to rescue one of them. He said he tipped the canoe
over with one fellow and the fellow just wouldn't be saved; he swam
around and dived and wouldn't let Garry imperil his life--and that's the
only way you can do it, Roy. You've got to imperil your own life, and he
says he never gets a chance to imperil his life."
"Must be discouraging," said Roy.
"Oh, jiminys, you'd laugh to hear him talk; he's got that quiet way
about him, Roy--sober like. I told him there's lots of different ways a
feller can imperil his life."
"Sure, fifty-seven varieties," said Roy. "Well, I'm glad they treated
you so well, kid, and I hope we'll have a chance to pay them back. What
do you say we tie up in Kingston and have a soda?"
Early the next day they came in sight of Catskill Landing. Roy stood on
top of the cabin like Columbus, his rapt gaze fixed upon the dock.
"We have arrove," said he. "Gee, I'm sorry it's over."
[Illustration]
The trip _had_ been enjoyable, but now their every thought was centered
upon Temple Camp to which they were so near and they were filled with
delightful anticipations as they made ready for the hike which still lay
before them. The boating club, with the hospitality which a love of the
water seems always to inspire in its devotees, gave them a mooring buoy
and from this, having made their boat fast, they rowed ashore and set
out with staves and duffel bags for the quaint little village of Leeds.
The distance to Leeds depends upon who is making the journey, or from
whom you get your information. The farmers will tell you it is five
miles. The summer boarders are likely to tell you that it is ten. To be
exact, it is somewhere between two miles and twenty miles, and you can't
get back to Catskill Landing for dinner.
"I think it's ten miles there and twenty miles back," said Roy; "_we_
should worry! When we get to Leeds we make our grand dash for the lake."
"Like Peary," said Pee-wee, already bubbling over with excitement.
"Something like him, yes."
Their way took them through a beautiful hilly country and for a while
they had glimpses of the river, which brought them pleasant
reminiscences of their rambling, happy-go-lucky voyage.
"Who does the _Good Turn_ belong to?" Tom asked.
"I think it belongs to Honorable Pee-wee Harris," said Roy. "He did the
trick that won it."
"I'll tell you who she belongs to," said Pee-wee. "She belongs to the
First Bridgeboro Troop, Boy Scouts of America."
"Raven, Fox and Elk!" said Roy. "Right you are, Pee-wee. United we
stand, divided we squall."
A tramp of a couple of hours over country roads brought them to Leeds,
and they hiked along its main street contributing not a little to its
picturesqueness with their alert, jaunty air, their brown complexions
which matched so well with the scout attire, their duffel bags and their
long staves. More than one farmer and many an early summer boarder
stared at them and hailed them pleasantly as they passed along.
"I like this village," said Pee-wee.
"I'll have it wrapped up for you," said Roy; "Take it, or have it sent?"
"How do we get to Black Lake?" Tom asked of a man who was lounging
outside one of the shops.
"Ye ain't goin' to walk it, be ye?" he answered, scrutinizing them
curiously.
"Right you are," said Roy. "How did you guess?"
"Ye got a pooty smart walk afore ye," the man said, dubiously.
"Well, we're pretty smart boys," said Roy. "Break it to us gently, and
let us hear the worst."
"Baout five mile 'f ye take th' hill rud."
"Gracious, goodness me!" said Roy, "are they all the same length?"
"Haouw?"
"The miles; lads, I'm just reckless enough to do it."
"Wall," drawled their informant, "Ye go 'long this rud t'l ye come t' a
field whar thar's a red caouw, then ye cut right through th' middle uv
it 'n' go on over a stun wall 'n' ye'll come to a woods rud. Ye foller
that t'l ye come to a side path on the left on it that goes up hill.
Black Lake's t'other side that hill. Ye got to pick yer way up through
the woods 'long that path if ye kin foller it, 'n' when ye git t' the
top ye kin look daown 'n' see th' lake, but ye'll have a smart climb
gettin' daown th' hill."
"That's us," said Roy. "Thanks--thanks very much."
When they had gone a little way he halted Tom and Pee-wee with a
dramatic air.
"Lads," said he, "we've got the _Motor Boat Heroes_ and the _Dauntless
Chums_ and _Submarine Sam_ beaten to a frazzle! We're the _Terrible Trio
Series_, volume two million. Lads, get out your dirks and keep up stout
hearts. We have to cut through the middle of a red cow! That man said
so!"
Three-quarters of an hour more along an apparently disused road and they
came upon a trail which was barely discernible, leading up a steep and
densely wooded hill. In places they had to climb over rugged terraces,
extricating themselves from such mazes of tangled underbrush as they had
never before seen. Now and then the path seemed to peter out and they
found it again with difficulty and only by the skilful use of scout
tracking lore. The long, steep climb was filled with difficulties, but
they pressed on amazed at the wildness all about them.
At last, by dint of much hard effort and after many wasted steps through
loss of the trail, they came out upon the summit, and looked down upon
a sight which sent a thrill to all three. The other side of the hill
was, perhaps, not as steep as the side which they had mounted, but it
was thickly wooded and at its base was a sheet of water surrounded by
lofty hills, all covered with dense forest, which extended right down to
the water's edge. The lake was perhaps a mile long, and lay like a dark
jewel amid the frowning heights which closed it in. The trees along
shore were dimly reflected in the still, black water. The quiet of the
spot was intense. It was relieved by no sign of habitation, save a
little thin, uncertain column of smoke which rose from among the trees
on the farther shore.
The solemnity of the scene, the blackness and isolation of that sheet of
water, the dense woods, rising all around it and shutting out the world,
was quite enough to cast a spell on anyone, and the three boys looked
about them awestruck and for a moment speechless.
"Jiminy crinkums!" said Pee-wee, at length.
Tom only shook his head.
"Reminds you of Broadway and Forty-second Street," said Roy.
They started down the hill and found that their descent was quite as
difficult as the ascent had been, but at last they reached the foot and
now, from this lower viewpoint they could catch a glimpse of the wood
interior on the opposite shore. There were several log cabins
harmonizing in color with the surrounding forest and, therefore,
inconspicuous. Farther from the shore the boys glimpsed another and
larger structure and at the water's edge they now saw a boat drawn up.
It was evident that the way they had come was not the usual way to reach
the camp, for there was no sign of trail along the shore, and to pick
their way around, with the innumerable obstacles which beset the way,
would have taken several hours.
"It must be lively around here on Saturday nights with the crowd out
doing their marketing, and the movie shows----" began Roy.
"Aw, shut up!" said Pee-wee.
They raised their voices in unison and shouted, and the echo resounded
from the hills across the water, almost as loud and distinguishable as
their own call. Roy yelled long and loud, slapping his open lips with
the palm of his hand, and a pandemonium of similar sounds came back as
if from a multitude of voices.
"I tell you, when John Temple does a thing he does it right!" said
Pee-wee. "Gee, you can't deny that!"
In a few moments a man approached on the opposite shore and leisurely
got into the boat. As he rowed across, he looked around once in a while,
and as the boat drew near the boys saw that its occupant had iron gray
hair, a long drooping moustache, and a face deeply wrinkled and browned
almost to a mulatto hue.
"Hello," called Roy. "Is that Temple Camp over there? I guess we came in
the back way."
"Thet's it," said the man. "You some o' the Bridgeboro boys?"
His voice was low and soft, as of one who has lived long in the woods by
himself. There was a humorous twinkle in his eye which the boys liked.
He was long and lanky and wore khaki trousers and a coarse gray flannel
shirt. His arms, which were bare, were very sinewy. Altogether, the
impression which he made on the boys was that he was perfectly
self-possessed and at ease, so absolutely sure of himself that nothing
in all the wide world could frighten him or disconcert him. The
President of the United States, kings, emperors, millionaires--including
John Temple--might want to be rowed across and this man would come
leisurely over and get them, but he would not hurry and he would be no
more embarrassed or flustered at meeting them than a tree would be.
Nature, the woods and mountains and prairies, had put their stamp upon
him, had whispered their secrets to him, and civilization could not
phase him. That was the way he struck the boys, who from being scouts
had learned to be observant and discerning.
"Are you Mr. Rushmore?" Tom asked, and as the man nodded assent he
continued, "My name is Tom Slade; we're members of the Bridgeboro Troop
and I'm the one selected to help you. I don't know if you expected me
yet, but my scoutmaster and Mr. Temple thought I better come ahead of
the other fellows so's to help you and get acquainted--like. These
fellows came with me just for fun, but, of course, they want to help get
things ready. The rest are coming up in July."
This was a good deal for Tom to say at a stretch, and it fell to the
voluble Pee-wee later to edify Mr. Rushmore with all the details of
their trip, winding up with a glowing peroration on Roy's greatness.
"Waal, I reck'n I'm glad ye've come--the hull three on ye," Jeb Rushmore
drawled.
"That's some trail over that hill," said Roy, as they rowed across. "We
lost it about a dozen times."
"Thet? Thet ain't no trail," said Jeb. "Thet's a street--a thurafare.
I'm a-goin' t' test you youngsters out follerin' thet on a dark night."
"Have a heart!" said Roy. "I could never pick that out with a
flashlight."
"A what? Ye won't hev no light o' no sort, not ef _I_ know it."
The boys laughed. "Well, I see we're up against the real thing," said
Roy, "but if that's a thoroughfare, I'd like to see a trail--that's
all."
"Ye don' need ter see it," drawled Jeb. "Ye jest _feel_ it."
"You must have a pretty good sense of touch," said Roy.
"Ye don' feel it with your hands, youngster, ye jest _sense_ it."
"_Good night!_" said Roy.
Tom said nothing. He had been watching Mr. Rushmore and hanging with
rapt attention on his every word.
They found the hill on the opposite shore not as steep as it had looked
from across the water, and here at its base, in the dim solitude by the
shore, was Temple Camp. There was a large open pavilion built of
untrimmed wood, which would accommodate eight or ten troops, allowing to
each some measure of privacy and there were as many as a dozen log
cabins, some large enough for two or three patrols, others intended
evidently to accommodate but one. There was a shack for the storage of
provisions and equipment, in which the boys saw among other things piles
upon piles of wooden platters.
"Not much dishwashing here," said Pee-wee, joyfully.
Here, also, were half a dozen tents and every imaginable article
necessary to camp life. Close by was a cooking shack and outside this
several long mess boards with rough seats; and just beyond was a spring
of clear water.
Jeb Rushmore had a cabin to himself upon the outside of which sprawled
the skins of as many as a dozen different sorts of animals--the trophies
of his life in the West.
John Temple had certainly done the thing right; there was no doubt of
that. He had been a long time falling, but when he fell he fell hard.
Temple Camp comprised one hundred acres of woodland--"plenty of room to
grow in," as Jeb said. It was more than a camp; it was really a
community, and had somewhat the appearance of a frontier trading post.
In its construction very little bark had been taken from the wood; the
whole collection of buildings fitted well in their wild surroundings;
there wasn't a jarring note.
But Temple Camp was unique not only in its extent, its rustic character
and its magnificent situation; it was the fulfilment of a grand dream
which John Temple had dreamed. Any troop of scouts could, by making
timely application to the trustees, go to Temple Camp and remain three
weeks without so much as a cent of cost. There was to be absolutely no
favoritism of any kind (and Jeb Rushmore was the man to see to that),
not even in the case of the Bridgeboro Troop; except that troops from
cities were to be given preference over troops from country districts.
Jeb Rushmore was to be the camp manager, working with the trustees and
the visiting scoutmasters; but as it turned out he became a character in
this scout village, and if he fell short in executive capacity he more
than made up for it in other ways. Before the first season was over
people came miles to see him. There were also a doctor and a cook,
though a troop occupying a cabin could do its own cooking and mess by
itself if it chose.
There were some rather interesting rules and regulations. If a scout won
a merit badge while at camp this entitled his whole troop to lengthen
its stay by two days, if it so elected. If he won the life scout badge,
four extra days was the reward of his whole troop. The star badge meant
an extra week, the eagle badge ten extra days. A scout winning the
bronze cross was entitled with his troop to occupy "Hero Cabin" and to
remain two extra weeks at camp. The silver cross meant three extra
weeks; the gold cross four extra weeks. If a troop could not
conveniently avail itself of this extra time privilege in the current
season it could be credited with the time and use it, whole or
piecemeal, in subsequent seasons.
On the lake there were to be several boats which were not yet ready, and
every scout winning a life saving medal was to have a boat named for
him. At the time the boys arrived there was only one boat and that was
named _Mary Temple_.