A NOVEL PROPOSAL.
"Well, what do you think of my proposal?"
Mr. Mainwaring's eyes twinkled as he regarded the three lads seated
opposite him in the library of his home which he had called Ancon Hill,
possibly in remembrance of that other Ancon Hill in the far off Canal
Zone.
Tubby gulped; Merritt's eyes shone and his face flushed excitedly, but he
couldn't find words just then.
"Well, Rob, what do _you_ say to transplanting the Boy Scouts, or part of
them, down along the big Ditch?"
"I--I--that is, we--it's too big--too glorious to just realize it all at
once, isn't it, fellows?" stammered Rob.
"Pshaw! I thought the motto of your clan was 'Be Prepared'. Now you ought
to be just as much prepared to accept my invitation to go to Panama as
you would be to cook a meal in a given time or light a fire with one
match."
Mr. Mainwaring regarded the young faces opposite him with a quizzical
look. Then he spoke again.
"I know just what you fellows are thinking," he said. "You'd like to go,
but----"
"It's--it's our folks, you see----" Tubby managed to sputter. The others
nodded solemnly. This proposal of Mr. Mainwaring's, that while the
Academy was closed they should go as his guests to the Canal Zone and see
the wonders of that region, both natural and man-made, had fairly taken
them off their feet, as the saying is.
"We'll come to that part of it later," responded Mr. Mainwaring. "I
shouldn't be surprised," he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "if it
could all be arranged satisfactorily. You see, I'm not going to take you
lads down there to idle. Far from it. Idleness is the worst thing for
boys or men. I've work for you to do. As I told you, this young scamp
Jared, who is really more fool than knave, has skipped out for the
Isthmus. That I have found out as you know. With him went Alverado and
Estrada, the latter having suddenly resigned his diplomatic post at
Washington. A third party went also, who I more than suspect is the
keen-faced young man you told me you had seen in Jared's company at the
barn, at the ball game, and also on the evening Jared took his abrupt
departure.
"Now, of course, they are on the _qui vive_ on the Isthmus for this
precious outfit who, undoubtedly, mean mischief of some sort. Just what
it is I am not prepared to say, but I can tell you that I have a shrewd
suspicion. Now you boys have plenty of pluck, resource and
enterprise--don't turn red, I'm not in the habit of flattering anybody
and I mean it. You are the only people that I know of that have actually
seen Alverado and who would be able to pick out this miserable, misled
Jared."
"You want us to do detective work!" gasped Tubby in an awe-struck tone.
Mr. Mainwaring laughed and threw up his hands.
"Heaven save the mark! I suspect you of reading dime novels, Master
Tubby. No, there is nothing Old-Sleuth-like about what I would want you
to do; nothing very thrilling or exciting about it. I'd simply want you
to accompany me and maybe point out the men you have seen plotting
together, for the benefit of the Isthmian police; so you see there is no
danger, no glamour, no promise of adventure about it; only a hum-drum
trip, but one that I am sure will prove full of interest."
Had Mr. Mainwaring possessed a prophetic eye he might not have spoken
exactly as recorded above. But not being blessed with such an organ he,
of course, had no means of knowing into what danger and adventure the Boy
Scouts were destined to be thrust while on the Isthmus.
"Oh, but we'd like to go!" sighed Rob.
"It's like a beautiful dream," struck in Merritt with a far-away look in
his eyes.
"I suppose that there's plenty to eat down that way?" asked Tubby rather
suspiciously.
The tension was relieved by a hearty laugh from them all.
"Well, I only asked, you know," remarked Tubby in an injured tone.
"And now that that's all explained," said Mr. Mainwaring, after the
merriment had subsided, "I may as well tell you that all your parents
know of my wish and are quite willing that you should go, in spite of the
fact that for some weeks they will be deprived of your interesting
society. And----"
But all discipline was at an end for the nonce. The boys' spirits fairly
broke bounds. They leaped up, joined hands and danced round in a circle.
It was like some impossible, glorious dream coming true; for each of them
had long cherished a desire to see Uncle Sam's wonderful digging
operations which, under the Stars and Stripes, were to join two mighty
oceans.
In the midst of the excitement the door opened and in came Fred
Mainwaring; but Lucy was not with him, rather to the disappointment of
one of the Scouts. Fred, after the boys had all shaken hands warmly and
indulged in another war dance, announced that his sister had had to leave
suddenly for the West the night before, as her mother, who was stopping
with relatives there, had absolutely forbidden the project of taking her
along.
It was not till after they had taken their leave and were walking with
Fred down the drive leading to the road back to Hampton that Lucy's
brother seized an opportunity to draw Rob aside.
"What are you looking so glum about?" he demanded with a twinkle in his
eyes.
"Who? Me?" rejoined Rob indignantly, "I never felt better in my life."
But his looks belied him. And, strange to say, Rob's gloom dated from the
moment that Fred had announced Lucy's departure.
"Say, old fellow," laughed Fred merrily, "if you don't remind me of the
ostrich in the fable! Here,--here's her address,--take it and be happy.
Bless you, my children," and without waiting for an answer, Fred thrust a
bit of paper into Rob's hand and darted off with a merry:--
"See you to-morrow. We'll have lots to talk about."
Rob rejoined his companions, who had walked on some distance ahead. His
gloomy look had vanished like snow in the spring.
"Isn't it great, glittering, glorious?" cried Merritt as he came up.
"I simply can't believe it yet," cried Tubby. "I'm afraid I'll wake up
like I do some nights when I'm dreaming about a banquet at which I'm an
honored guest."
"----and I can always send postcards from the Isthmus," breathed Rob,
which remark did not seem very germane to the conversation. His
companions looked at him in amazement for an instant and then,
comprehending, broke into a roar of laughter, for which Rob chased them
half way back to Hampton, catching Tubby at last and belaboring that
stout youth till he roared for mercy.
But the fat boy had his revenge. As soon as he was released he sought a
safe refuge and then, holding his staff like a guitar, he rolled his eyes
upward in imitation of a troubadour, and howled at the top of his
voice:--
"On a bee-yoot-i-ful night!
With a bee-yoot-i-ful gy-url!"
Rob didn't know whether to laugh or be angry.