The next few weeks were busy ones for Bob and Betty Dalton. The plan was
a big one--the Safety Scouts of America. Growing out of an idea planted
by Colonel Sure Pop, it sprouted and grew surprisingly fast. Already the
news was spreading like wildfire among the boys and girls all over the
city.
Joe Schmidt was out again, his head as good as ever. George Gibson,
always brim full of energy and enthusiasm, had set his heart on becoming
a Safety Scout Master and heading a troop of his own. Even Chance
Carter, hobbling about on crutches, had caught the fever of Safety
Scouting and was making all sorts of plans as to what he would do when
his broken leg got well.
Chance really had changed, somehow. The twins supposed it was all due to
his accident, but the real reason was Colonel Sure Pop. Chance seemed
almost magnetized by the little Colonel and never lost a chance to be
near him.
"Honestly now, Colonel," he owned up to Sure Pop one day, "I'd read so
many stories about reckless heroes and all that, I got in the habit of
thinking I had to be reckless. Story books seem to make out that it's a
brave thing to risk your life--and wasn't that exactly what Bob did when
he found that live wire?"
Sure Pop laid an understanding hand on Chance's shoulder.
"Listen, Chance! You've caught only half the point, that's your main
trouble. It _is_ a manly thing to take a risk--_when it's necessary_.
When somebody's life is in danger, it's the manliest thing on earth to
take a risk for the sake of saving it. That's why Bob's act in
patrolling the live wire earned him a Safety Scout button--the lives of
those smaller boys were in danger, to say nothing of anybody else who
might blunder across the wire just then--that's where the difference
comes in."
"That's so. I never thought of it in just that way."
"I know you haven't. When you stop to think it over, you see it's a
fellow's plain duty to take a chance when it's necessary, but it's
downright foolish to do it on a dare. One thing about Bob's live-wire
adventure I don't believe even he realizes," added Sure Pop. "It was
that hurry-up patrol of small boys that he threw out around the live
wire which really gave him the idea of how to organize the Safety Scouts
of America. I knew the idea would strike him and Betty sooner or later."
Chance looked admiringly at the little Colonel. What a wise Scout he
was, sure enough, as keen and clever at reading signs of the trail as
any Indian fighter that ever stepped in deerskin!
The boy looked longingly after the Safety Scout Patrol, which was just
starting off on an "observation hike," as Bob called it. Part of the
training Bob had laid out for his men was an hour's brisk walk, after
which each Safety Scout wrote out a list of the unsafe things he had
noticed while "on the trail."
"There's one thing that stumps me, though," said Chance. "How did Bob
_know_ that was a live wire?"
"He didn't. He simply had sense enough to treat _all_ fallen wires as if
they _were_ alive. See? Better safe than sorry. Just the same in turning
on an electric light: it _may_ not harm you to touch an iron bedstead
with one hand while you turn the light on with the other--but it's
taking a chance. Same's the fellow who turns an electric bulb on or off
while standing in a bathtub: he _may_ go on with his bath in safety--and
then again he may drop lifeless in the water.
"It's a good deal like the gun that isn't loaded, Chauncey. There _was_
a lad, you know, who found a gun was dangerous without lock, stock, or
barrel--his father whipped him with the ramrod! A real Scout knows how
to take care of himself--and of others. And that's especially true of
Safety Scouts."
"Well, Colonel," said Chance, reaching for his crutches and rising
painfully to his feet, "I'm _for_ it! Perhaps if I make good, the
fellows will quit calling me Chance and call me either Chauncey or
Carter, I don't care which--but Chance makes me sick!"
"Here's _to_ you, Carter!" said Sure Pop, with a hearty handshake. Again
came that smile of satisfaction as he watched the boy hobble off on a
slow "observation hike" of his own. In Carter's mind, too, the big idea
was taking root.
Ten days later, Colonel Sure Pop was reviewing Dalton Patrol.
"Safety Scouts," he said, saluting the even ranks drawn up before him,
"your Colonel is proud of the work you're doing. These 'observation
hikes,' as your Scout Master calls them, show better than anything else
how much more alert you are to danger signs than you were a month ago.
"Now, I've been sizing up these risks as covered by your patrol reports.
They seem to be of three kinds--home, street, and railroad risks.
"Nobody can study these reports without seeing that our work is plainly
cut out for us for the next few months. Charity and every other good
work begin at home--though they end there only with the weak-minded! So
our work in Safety patrolling will naturally begin in our homes and with
ourselves, and will begin with the risks which these reports show to be
most common. Let me read you a few of the common risks reported by the
Scouts of this patrol:
Matches: left on floor where they may be stepped
on; or where mice may nibble them; or next the
stovepipe or chimney; or thrown down before the
last spark is out.
Celluloid things: brushes and combs handled near
the gas jet, where they may burst into flame.
Kerosene: poured on the fire to make it burn faster
(three bad cases of burns reported from this cause
alone).
Gasoline: left near a flame, or anywhere except
clear outside the house.
Gas: lighting oven of gas stove without first
opening oven door; leaving gas jet burning near
window, where breeze may blow curtains across (five
fires started that way during last month).
Electric wires: loose wires crossing, which often
cause fires.
Bathers: venturing too far out in deep water. In
nearly every case, it is the rescuer who drowns.
Never take a chance that may cost another's life.
Safety pins: left open within baby's reach. You all
know what happened to Mrs. Fuller's baby girl two
weeks ago, all through an open safety pin.
Hot water and grease: left standing where children
may get into them.
Dogs: left unmuzzled and running loose.
"These are only a few of the common dangers shown in your scouting
reports. So far, our work has been hunting out these risks and listing
them. From now on, we'll fall to with a will and set them right as fast
as we can, in our own homes first and next among our neighbors.
"Just one word of caution before we take up this new patrol duty. Let's
be careful how we go about setting these things right. Remember, we can
catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, so let's not give people
the idea we are criticizing them--just suggesting.
"For instance: if a Safety Scout sees a mop and a pail of scalding water
on Mrs. Muldoon's back steps and one of her babies in danger of pitching
into it headfirst, he'd better not walk up and begin to scold about it.
Mrs. Muldoon may have done that for years without scalding any one yet.
More likely than not she'd just order you off the place--and go right on
as before. But if, instead, a Scout steps up and begins playing with
the baby, he can first get baby out of harm's way and _then_ watch his
chance to say, 'Baby seems to have his eyes on that pail of hot water,
Mrs. Muldoon. Two babies over on the west side were scalded to death
last week; did you hear about it?' Chances are Mrs. Muldoon will be
around warning all her neighbors before you've been gone ten minutes.
Get the idea?--honey instead of vinegar."
"Honey works better down in South America, anyhow!" said a deep voice,
and a tall, handsome man stepped forward, saluted, and shook hands
cordially with Colonel Sure Pop. He was brown as a berry from the
tropical sun and he carried his left arm in a sling.
"Uncle--Uncle Jack!" The Dalton twins forgot that the troop was on
review, forgot Mrs. Muldoon's babies, forgot everything and everybody
but Uncle Jack. What a surprise! And he knew Sure Pop, too!
"Sure pop, I do!" laughed the explorer, kissing Betty warmly before the
whole admiring troop. "Here, look out for that lame arm, you rascals!
Our surgeon told me it would be well in a month, but he was too
optimistic, for once!" For Bob and Betty were fairly swarming over their
favorite uncle, home at last from the jungle.
"Nellie," said Uncle Jack to Mrs. Dalton that night, when the Safety
Scouts were off to bed at last, "those twins of yours are making
history--do you realize that?"
"Well," said his sister, "they have their faults, like all the rest,
but they're pretty fine youngsters at that. But, oh, Jack, they're
growing up so fast!"
"They are, sure enough, like weeds; but their harvest isn't going to be
any weed crop, now mark my words. I heard most of what was said at their
patrol review this afternoon before anybody saw me; and on my word,
Nell, those youngsters have started something bigger than they have any
idea of, something that no power on earth is going to be able to stop.
After all, I'm just as pleased that the old chief's spear thrust sent me
home in time to see the Safety Scouts of America in the making!"
_A real Scout knows how to take care of himself--and
of others._--SURE POP
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