OAKVALE GETS A THRILL
"What's the news, Alec?" demanded Billy Worth, some weeks after the
events narrated in the foregoing chapters took place.
They were just entering the town hall of Oakvale, where there was
about to be given a select entertainment consisting of the most part
of educational motion pictures. It was intended for the benefit of
the local orphan asylum, so that every seat in the big building was
being rapidly filled.
A number of the other members of the scout organization were gathered
near by, as a special section of the chairs had been reserved for
the troupe, for certain reasons which no one seemed exactly to understand.
It was only known that Hugh and Lieutenant Denmead, the regular scout
master, had made some arrangement with those who were, responsible for
getting up the benefit performance.
"Oh! I had a letter from my Aunt Susan in this afternoon's mail,"
replied Alec, as he nodded to several acquaintances near by, girls
belonging to Oakvale High School.
"About that place up in the country where we spent our last week-end
outing, and had such a lively time---eh, Alec?" suggested Billy,
with a wide grin.
"Yes, and the meanness of you fellows keeping the whole business to
yourselves all this time," commented Blake Merton, severely.
"We just know there was something _remarkable_ happened to you up
there," spoke up Don Miller, the leader of the Fox Patrol, "but no
matter what we hinted, never a word could we get any of you to explain
about it. What's it all mean, Hugh?"
"Wait and see," was the mysterious answer that again baffled the
curiosity of the eager listeners, some of whom had really begun to hope
that Hugh might think it time to remove the seal of absolute secrecy
with which the outing had been enveloped so long. "And Alec, suppose you
tell us what your aunt said in her letter. You don't look as if it
held good news, that's certain."
Alec laughed good-naturedly.
"Oh! she complimented me like everything because of those grand pictures
I sent her, and said that the account I gave of the thrilling happenings
up there made her satisfied with the little investment she had incurred.
I was welcome to the camera, and she also meant to send me another
present soon, because she found herself quite interested in scout
work. But she couldn't think of putting the deal through for
that---er---place. She says after what happened there, it's likely
to be a shrine for curious-minded folks for a long time to come, and
as she wants absolute quiet, that would not suit her. So you see, just
as I expected, that deal's off."
All this strange manner of talk greatly aroused the listeners curiosity.
They tried in turn to coax Hugh, Billy, Alec, Arthur or Monkey Stallings
to "open up and tell us what it all means, won't you like a good fellow?"
but those worthies only looked wise, nodded their heads, and told them
to "hold their horses," and in good time they would be treated to a
little surprise that would pay them for all their waiting.
The hall soon filled up, with seating space at a premium. It was
in a good cause and backed by the Women's League for Town Improvement.
The orphans needed a good many things to make them comfortable for the
winter, and this was to be one of several methods employed to obtain
these articles, which the town did not see fit to supply.
Walter Osborne, Bud Morgan and several of the other scouts had been
silently watching Hugh and his immediate chums. Their attention was
especially directed toward Billy Worth, who seemed to be so nervous
that he could hardly keep his seat.
"It's my opinion," remarked Walter, sagely, "that there's going to
be something of a surprise sprung on the rest of us to-night. I've
been keeping tabs on Billy, and to see him grin, and look so happy
and proud gives the thing away. He just can't keep his face straight,
he feels so important."
"But what can it be?" asked Jack Durham. "The whole entertainment
to-night is made up of Professor Wakefield with his violin, and three
selected moving pictures."
"Yes," added Bud Morgan, referring to a paper he held in his hand,
"and one of these is a comic, a second a trip through the island of
Ceylon, showing things just as if a fellow was there on the spot,
while the third and last seems to be a series of pictures showing
just how a company of players go about when engaged in making one of
their wonderful films."
"I don't see how Billy can expect to be in touch with any of those
things," commented Walter, more puzzled than ever. "We'll just have
to wait and see, as Hugh told us. It may be that they've coaxed Hugh
to consent to get up there on the platform to-night, and tell all
about what happened to them the time they went off to spend the week-end
up the country."
"Walter, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd guessed it, after all,"
said one of the other fellows; and then as a loud clapping of hands
announced that the well-known local violinist was about to make his
bow to the big audience, the boys stopped exchanging opinions, and
settled down to the policy of "watchful waiting" so often spoken of
by the occupant of the Executive Chair at Washington.
The educational value of the "Trip through Ceylon" could not be gainsaid,
and the humorous film caused much laughter, and boisterous merriment.
Finally the announcement was made that they were now about to be
treated to a most wonderful series of pictures, showing the details
of how one of the best-known companies of moving-picture artists went
about their work when engaged in producing a drama of olden days,
with an appropriate setting and background.
They were first of all discovered starting forth from their hotel in
the city, and taking train for some place in the country, together with
much paraphernalia connected with their undertaking, so that it looked
very much like an exodus on the part of a whole village of fashionables.
Next the pictures showed them leaving the train, at some country town,
where a whole string of capacious cars awaited them, into which they
crowded, joking and laughing, and carrying bundles without end.
Then another scene disclosed the company clad in all manner of remarkable
garments, all of which might be recognized as having to do with the
historical time of the Crusades, when knights in armor attended by
their faithful squires were wont to roam the country in search of
adventure.
Of course the younger element in the audience watched all this with
exceeding interest. They doubtless sensed with that intuition boys
always display, that sooner or later there would necessarily come along
heaps of fighting, and stirring pictures, when those men in shining
armor met in deadly combat.
One by one, the scenes passed in review, and finally there was flashed
upon the screen a picture of what seemed to be a veritable olden castle,
true to tradition, turreted tower, drawbridge, portcullis, deep moat,
apparently unscalable walls, and all.
Just at this interesting juncture, as the music happened to die down
temporarily, a boy who had been around some was heard to say aloud,
though he had not expected to make himself conspicuous:
"If that isn't the old place called Randall's Folly, I'll eat my hat!"
Walter Osborne gave Dud Morgan a quick dig in the ribs.
"Hey! it's coming, you mark my words if it isn't!" he hissed in the
other's ear. "Just look at Billy Worth there, bobbing up and down as
if he might be sitting on tacks. And see how he grins, and looks
prouder than a turkey gobbler. Something's going to break loose right
away, Bud, believe me."
Well, it did.
When presently, after that first onslaught of the gallant followers of
the hero knight, the motion-picture players were seen to be "resting
up" between acts, and those who had been injured in the fracas were
being attended to, a shout arose.
"Hey! what's this I see?" yelled a boy's strident voice. "Right
there along with all them knights and ladies there's a Boy Scout helping
take care of the fellows knocked out in that scrap. And, say, it's
our own Arthur Cameron, would you believe it?"
"And there's Hugh! Yes, and look at our Billy Worth strutting around
there as big as life. Oh, you Billy, it takes, you to get in, the
limelight every time!"
All sorts of shouts were rising in different parts of the hall as the
audience discovered the well-known lads belonging to their own town.
Most of them began to understand now why those fellows had persisted
in keeping so mute. Evidently they must have known that this wonderful
picture was coming in time to be shown at the benefit performance.
Everybody was eagerly waiting to see what followed. When the wall
fell there was a series of low exclamations of horror, for they were
intelligent enough to realize that this had not been a part of the
real programme, and also that the chances were some of the unfortunates
must have been severely injured.
Then came the picture revealing how the five scouts sprang forward
and assisted in the work of rescuing those caught by the falling rocks;
also how Arthur, as might be expected, did his part in taking care
of the injured. How proud many of those present felt at seeing the
manly way in which Hugh and his comrades rose to the occasion, and
did their calling great credit.
A tense stillness followed those loud cheers, for, an announcement
had been displayed relating how, owing to a shift of the wind, the
fire had spread, causing a sudden evacuation of the forces battling
in the passages and rooms of the castle; and also how through some
misfortune the lovely heroine was really and truly caught up there
in that lonely tower room, hemmed in by the cruel flames.
Then, as the startling scene moved on, the five hundred eager spectators
saw Hugh lead his fellow scouts to the rescue---watched three of them
vanish through that gaping window, to appear a little later on the roof,
followed with strained eyes their furious attack on the roof of the
tower, and finally saw them lower the lady in safety to the ground,
where Billy and Arthur, and many of the motion-picture players, waited
to receive them.
And last but not least, just as the scene closed, the three scouts
were discovered sliding swiftly down the rope past the hungry tongues
of fire.
The triumph of the scouts was complete. Men shouted, boys shrilled,
and women laughed and cried and kissed each other. Never before had
such excitement taken possession of an audience in Oakvale. How proud
it made them to realize that their local organization was being advertised
all over the broad land, yes, even in other foreign lands as well,
it might be, so that Oakvale would soon become famous because of its
scout troop.
Through it all Hugh seemed to sit unmoved, though he shook hands with
the admiring crowds as they came up to offer congratulations, and
laughed heartily to see how Billy Worth strutted around, swelled with
pride.
"It was a whole lot of fun while it lasted," Hugh was telling a bunch
of the fellows, after the show was over. "But when a thing is done
with you can't extract much enjoyment out of the memory. What I'm
more concerned about right at this, minute is where we are going to
find another chance for an outing in the coming Thanksgiving holidays.
I'd like some of you to get busy thinking up a scheme, that will just
about fill the bill."
That somebody did engineer a plan along lines that promised to take
some of the fellows out of the beaten rut for the brief holidays,
can be set down as certain, judging from the nature of the title of
the succeeding volume of this series, "The Boy Scouts on the Roll
of Honor," and which, it is hoped; all who have enjoyed the present
story will procure without delay.
THE END