A SIGNAL STATION IN A TREE-TOP.
"Oh! that's the finest thing that ever could happen, Thad;" was the way
the delighted Smithy put his feelings into words. "And just to think
that right here you can make use of scout knowledge to tell Allan what's
happened. Why, without the wigwag telegraph we'd never be able to let
him know one single thing."
"Just what I was thinking myself, Smithy," returned the scout-master.
"And as you get deeper into the splendid things a Boy Scout is supposed
to learn, while he climbs the ladder, you'll find that never a day
passes but what he can help himself, or some other fellow, by what he
knows."
"I'm quite certain about that, Thad," Smithy went on, brimming over with
satisfaction, and wonder at the cleverness of his chum. "Why, I was just
thinking it all over this morning, and what great chances a scout has to
do things that an ordinary boy would never be able to even try, because
he had not learned. Right now I'm positive I know how to best stop a
runaway horse without endangering my life more than is absolutely
necessary."
"That's the kind of talk I like to hear, Smithy; it shows that you
understand what the scout movement stands for; and mean to make the most
of the opportunities."
"Then suppose a chum of mine got in the water, and was taken with a
cramp," Smithy went on hurriedly, his blue eyes sparking with delight;
"why, after what you showed me this morning, I believe that as soon as I
know a little more about swimming, I could get him ashore."
"And when you had done that?" questioned Thad, who was meanwhile keeping
his eyes around him for the purpose of discovering the best tree which
he could use as a signal tower, in the carrying out of his bold plan for
communicating with the balance of the Silver Fox Patrol.
"Why, I wrote down every little thing you did when showing us how to
revive a partly drowned person; and Thad, I practiced on a dummy when
nobody was around to laugh. I'm positive I have it down pat, and could
do the business."
"Laugh!" repeated the pleased scout-master; "I'd just like to see any
scout under my control make fun of a fellow who was so much in earnest
that he devoted some of his spare minutes to practicing the art of
saving a human life. I hope you may never have to put that knowledge to
practical use, Smithy; but if the occasion ever does come along, I
firmly believe you'll be equal to it. I'm more than pleased at the
earnest way you've taken hold of these things."
"Thank you, Thad," replied Smithy, actually with tears in his eyes; "but
if I have, you can lay it partly to the fact that up to now I've been
half starved in respect to all the things that most boys know and do,
and just wild to learn; and also that I've had the finest chum that ever
drew breath to coach me. Oh! yes, there are dozens of other things I've
learned that are bound to widen the horizon of any boy. It was a
fortunate day for _me_ when you coaxed my mother to let me join the Boy
Scouts. Nobody else could have done it but you, Thad."
Smithy was growing more and more excited; and Thad thought best to end
that sort of talk. Besides, the time and place were hardly suited for an
exchange of opinions with respect to the advantages of the scout
movement.
"We'll talk it over another time, Smithy," he said, kindly. "Just now we
ought to bend our minds wholly on finding the right sort of tree for my
wigwag station. Come along, and let's take a look at that tree just up
the bank yonder. Seems to me it ought to answer my purpose."
So he led the way to the tree in question, which happened to be close
by. It was little effort for Thad to climb up into the branches, leaving
Smithy below; with directions to return to the beach when he heard a
whistle from his chief; it being Thad's idea that the presence of some
one below might draw attention to his flag work above, and interrupt the
message.
The higher he climbed the better he was satisfied; for he found that the
tree was dead from a point half-way up, and consequently there was a
stronger chance that he could manage to attract the attention of Allan,
on the hill a mile and a half away.
Finding the perch that seemed to answer his purpose best, Thad broke off
a few small dead branches that threatened to interfere with the free use
of his arm. After that he gave the whistle to let Smithy know the
signalman was fixed, and that he had better go back to the beach to
wait.
As yet he had seen nothing of Allan. The bald top of the hill was in
plain sight from where the scout-master sat, perched aloft, but he
scanned it in vain. Thad would not allow himself to doubt that presently
the second in command of the patrol would show up there. He knew Allan
was a stickler for obeying orders to the very letter, and if his
superior had said that he should reach the crown of that hill at exactly
seven minutes after ten, the chances were fifty to one Allan would make
his appearance on the second; or there would be trouble in the camp.
So, to amuse himself while waiting Thad turned partly around, and
looked after Davy. At first he was astonished not to see the floating
log on the troubled surface of the lake to leeward, where it had been
moving at a pretty fast clip when the scout-messenger left the island.
He experienced a sudden sensation of alarm, but immediately took a fresh
grip on himself. Surely the waves were not so very boisterous now, for
the wind seemed to be diminishing, if anything. And Davy was a pretty
fair swimmer, all things considered.
Thad presently gave expression to a little sigh of relief; for far away,
just under the fringe of trees bordering the extreme end of Lake Omega,
he had discovered a moving object. It was the flash of a breaking wave
over the same that had attracted his attention first; and he now made
out the floating log.
Then Davy must have made much better time than he, Thad, had expected
would be the case. No doubt he had assisted the progress of his novel
craft by swimming, being desirous of reaching land as soon as possible.
So Thad divided his time between the bald top of the signal station
hill, and the log that as he knew concealed the swimming scout.
"There he goes, creeping through the shallow water and heading for the
bank," he presently muttered to himself in a pleased way. "And I can
give a pretty good guess that right now Davy is the happiest fellow in
the county; because he just loves adventure of any kind, and he's sure
getting his fill. There, he pulls himself up on the shore, and ducks
behind that bunch of brush! Good boy, Davy; that ought to count for a
merit mark, all right. Nobody could have done it better, and few as
well."
After that Davy vanished from his sight. He knew that the other was
making for camp at his best speed; but as he had a difficult task, with
the way so rough, it must be a couple of hours at least before he could
expect to bring up at the tents, where the flag floated gaily from the
mast.
Turning wholly, so as to devote his full attention to the signal station
hill, Thad counted the minutes that seemed to drag so heavily.
Once or twice he thought he heard some sort of rustling sound down on
the island somewhere. He hoped that nothing was happening to Smithy; but
of course it was utterly out of the question for him to call aloud, to
inquire whether the tenderfoot scout was safe.
"He ought to be showing up soon now," Thad was muttering as he kept
watch of the smooth hilltop; "Every minute lost counts now. I hope
nothing has happened in camp to disarrange the programme I laid out."
He had hardly spoken when he started, and a pleased look came over his
anxious face; for at last there was a movement on the bald top of the
elevation, as if something might be doing.
Yes, a human figure was climbing steadily upward, now and then stopping
to make some sort of gesture to an unseen comrade at the base of the
hill, either with his arm, or one of the signal flags he carried.
Eagerly Thad watched the ascent of his chum. He knew that Allan was
carrying the precious field glasses, for he saw the sun glint from their
lens when the other stopped to take a survey.
Oh! if he would only look toward the island now; for Thad was already
waving his handkerchief up and down, and ready to make a certain signal
which had often been used as a sign of importance between himself and
this chum from Maine. Once Allan detected it, he would know instantly
that the person waving was the scout-master, and that he had news of
great importance to communicate.
But it seemed as if Allan were devoting all his attention to the other
quarter, where he doubtless anticipated seeing the second signalman
begin to tell him that the station was ready to receive messages.
Still, knowing that three of the patrol had gone that very morning to
the mysterious island, to investigate further into the strange things it
seemed to hide, it would seem that presently Allan _must_ turn his head,
and sweep the shore of the same with his glasses.
Ordinary curiosity should cause him to do that; Thad thought as he
waited; waving his handkerchief and fixing his eyes on the far-away
figure of the khaki-clad scout with the flags.
He even found himself hoping that the one sent to a more distant station
might meet with some unexpected delay on the way; so that, becoming
weary of looking for a sign, Allan would presently amuse himself by
taking a view of other quarters.
Five minutes later, and Thad's heart gave a throb. He could see that his
wish was coming true, for the sun flashed more brightly than ever as it
glanced from the moving lens of the field glass. Allan was now surveying
the landscape around him, and gradually his attention must be drawing
nearer the island.
So Thad began to make the circular movement, followed by a downward
plunge of his handkerchief, that would surprise Allan when he noticed
it, for he was bound to understand what it signified.
A few seconds of suspense, and then Thad breathed with relief.
He had seen the other focus his glasses straight toward the tree, in the
dead upper branches of which, he, Thad, was clinging, and wildly waving
his improvised signal flag.
"He sees me! Good for that!" Thad said to himself; while his heart was
pounding wildly within its prison, because of the excitement that had
seized him in its grip.