THE BOY FROM THE BLUE RIDGE.
"I expected this, but not so soon!" quavered Bumpus, dropping in a heap
on the ground, and continuing to mop his heated face with that enormous
bandana.
The other two walked forward.
"We must make sure that this is the same place," remarked Thad.
"Because, you see, there might happen to be two little sandy beaches
very much alike."
"No danger of that, suh!" declared Bob, with conviction in his manner.
"I took right good notice of a heap of things, and they all seem to
tally. This is the same place, I give you my word on that."
"Well, here's all the proof we want," said the scout-master, pointing
down at his feet, as they stood close to where the little waves were
running over most of the sandy stretch. "The water has washed out some
of our footprints; but you can still see where Bumpus tripped at the
edge of the rise here, where that root sticks up a little. Remember
that, don't you Bumpus?"
"That, you're IT," replied the fat boy, getting up to come forward, and
stare at the marks he had made, as though they confirmed his worst
fears. "And now fellers, you see the blessed old island _has_ got people
hidin' on it! They came back here and hooked our boat while we were
poking along through the scrub like a bunch of geese. Now, how are we
going to get back home? We'll just starve to death out here. And
Step-hen he c'n turn my bag inside-out while I'm gone, too!"
That last seemed to worry him more than anything else, Thad noticed,
with a little surprise; because he did not believe for a minute that
Bumpus knew anything about the compass which Step-hen accused him of
hiding.
They looked across the wide stretch of water. The waves were indeed
dancing at quite a lively rate now, showing that a fresh breeze had
started up since they started on their little exploring trip.
Thad suddenly conceived an idea. Perhaps it was the wash of the waves
against the bank that gave it to him.
He turned on Bumpus.
"See here, how far up did you pull that boat?" he asked, suddenly.
The fat boy stared, and scratched his head.
"Do you mean when we first landed; or afterwards when you told me to
come along or stay here, just whichever I liked?" he asked; but it was
only to gain a little time that he said this, because he already knew
what the answer would be.
"When Bob and myself were going into the brush I told you to pull the
boat up, and either stay here, or follow. Did you do it, Bumpus?" Thad
went on.
"Oh! I heard you say it, all right," admitted the fat boy, frankly; "but
when I looked back, it seemed to me that the old boat was far enough up
on the sand; and then you fellers were making off so fast I just thought
you'd leave me alone if I didn't hurry. So I just put after you,
pellmell."
"Well, that's what's the matter," said Thad, with a look of disgust.
"Next time see to it that you obey orders, no matter what you happen to
think."
"Then the boat's drifted away, suh, you think?" Bob remarked, eagerly.
"That's what I imagine," replied Thad. "Notice which way the wind is
coming, and you can see that it throws the water up on this beach, which
is wasn't doing when we left here. Once she was loose and the same
breeze would make her move along past that little wooded point yonder. I
reckon that if we climb out there, we'll see the boat adrift."
"But why haven't some of the boys ashore noticed it, and let out a whoop
to draw our attention?" asked the boy from the Blue Ridge.
"They may have been too busy to look this way," answered Thad; "and
then, besides, the boat would be carried behind the island so they
couldn't see it. Come on, and we'll soon find out."
"But if we don't find it however am I going to get on the main land
again?" complained Bumpus.
"Well, it would serve you right if you did have to stay here alone
awhile," Thad told him, with a sternness in his face which the merry
twinkle in his eyes belied. "After being so shiftless as to let such an
accident happen, you surely deserve to suffer. Isn't that right, Bumpus;
own up now?"
"Oh! I suppose it might be;" the fat boy admitted; "but I hope you won't
think of leaving me out here all alone. I might get a scare, and be
tempted to jump in; and you know what a poor swimmer I am, Thad. Oh!
bully, bully, there she is, Thad, and floating along just as sassy as
anything!"
The boat was not more than a hundred and fifty feet away, though by
degrees moving further off all the while, as the wind and the waves
influenced her movements.
"Now somebody will have to strip and go after her," said Thad. "And if
you were a better swimmer, I'd say it ought to be you, Bumpus."
"You'll have to excuse me this time, Thad," declared the other,
earnestly. "But are you sure it was only the wind that carried her off?"
"You can see for yourself that there's no one in the boat, using the
paddle," the scout-master replied.
"That's so, Thad, but seems as if I c'd see somethin' in the water under
her bow; and it looks like two hands holding on to the gunnel above,
just as if somebody might be swimmin' along and dragging the boat after
him."
Both the others broke out into a laugh at that.
"I see that imagination of yours is working overtime, Bumpus," remarked
Thad; and then turning to the Southern boy he went on: "Shall it be you
or I, Bob?"
"I hope you'll let me go after her, suh," said the other, quickly,
beginning to throw off some of his clothes, as if anticipating a
favorable decision on the part of his superior officer in the Silver Fox
Patrol.
"Go then, if you want to, Bob," suggested Thad, smiling; for he was
being drawn closer to this gallant son of the Sunny South every day; and
constantly found new causes for admiring the other's self sacrificing
disposition.
Inside of three minutes Bob White went in from the headland with a
splash, and swam toward the floating boat like a water spaniel. Reaching
the runaway he was seen to clamber aboard, after which he picked up the
paddle, and started to urge the boat toward the shore again.
Not until then did Bumpus seem to heave a sigh of relief. Evidently the
poor fellow had really expected to see some dreadful enemy clasp Bob
around the neck as he started to slip over the side of the boat.
After Bob had resumed his clothes, they entered the boat, and left the
vicinity of the island. Thad kept looking it over as they gradually
moved further away, as if not satisfied, by any means, with what little
he had seen of the place.
"Yes," he remarked, "I'm pretty much of a mind to put it to the fellows;
and if the majority favors, we'll change our camp to-morrow, for a try
on the island. There's _something_ about that place that seems to draw
me."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," declared Bumpus, dolefully; "because I
just know they'll want to ferry over--Allan because he's ready to do
anything you say; Step-hen, for he wants to meet up with all sorts of
adventures, and says he means to get away out in the Rockies some of
these days; Smithy because he's afraid you'll all think him weak and
girlish if he draws back; and Giraffe too when he gets the idea that
mebbe we'll be leaving the bear behind; because it'll mean just so much
more left for him to eat. Huh! if I'm the minority, might as well make
it unanimous, and be done with it. Can't die but once, anyhow, so what
does it matter?"
Of course neither of the others paid much attention to what Bumpus said.
He always liked to hear himself talk; and as his comrades said, his
"bark was worse than his bite." Bumpus often said he wouldn't, and
changed his mind immediately.
When they landed the others were just about starting out to have Allan
show how the long talked-of Indian picture writing was done. They asked
questions, of course but neither Thad nor Bob would gratify their
curiosity.
"We're going to keep all that for around the camp-fire to-night boys,"
declared the scout-master, firmly. "Wouldn't interrupt this arrangement
for anything. And to tell the truth we didn't find anything so serious
as to warrant a recall. So go right along with the game, Allan, and let
the rest of us in on it; because Bob here is as eager to learn as any
of the boys."
Bumpus, however, declared he was that tired he preferred staying in the
camp, to keep the bear company.
"He might get loose and try to clean us out of all our grub," he
suggested, with a broad smile.
"Sure," replied Step-hen, sneeringly; "and I just warrant you've already
got your tree all picked out beforehand, if he does. Much good you'd be
trying to defend our provisions. Now, if it was _me_, I'd fight to the
last gasp before I'd let him make way with a single piece of cheese, or
even a cracker."
"I believe you would, Step-hen," replied Bumpus, calmly; "and by the
way, perhaps my knapsack has aired enough by now, so I'll put it in the
tent again."
Step-hen made a face at him, and hurried away after the rest; but from
the manner in which he looked back a number of times, and continued to
shake his head as he talked to himself, it was plain to be seen that he
still believed the fat boy was hiding something in that same haversack,
which he did not wish any one, particularly a fellow named Step-hen
Bingham, to set eyes on. And what else could that be but the missing
compass, which Bumpus had once so indignantly denied having seen, after
he handed it back to its owner?
Allan did not intend going far, since there was no need of it. He could
illustrate all he wished to in the way of the famous Indian picture
writing, which Boy Scouts in other troops had found so interesting a
study in connection with woodcraft. Even Thad, who had dabbled in it to
some extent in the past, was deeply concerned; because he knew that the
more these boys became interested in observing things that were
happening all around them, the sooner they would climb up the ladder
leading to merit badges, and a right to the name of a first class
scout.