HOW THE “UPLIFT” WORKED.
As the days went by, every one became convinced that a great change, and
for the better, had come upon Oakvale. The scouts had entered upon their
share in the uplift with boyish enthusiasm. They had already, most of
them, seen service along somewhat similar lines, and felt as though they
were veterans. Besides, they were constantly encouraged by the kind
words and praise of the women whose weighty influence was back of the
movement to encourage everything that was for the betterment of
conditions in and around Oakvale, so as to make it a model town for
clean living.
There were mistakes, plenty of them, but the scouts learned from
experience, and it might be noticed that the same fellow seldom if ever
committed the same blunder.
As the days went by, they became more and more proficient in their
tasks, earning hearty praise from all those who were so deeply
interested in the work. After a few drivers and chauffeurs had been
fined, and some of them locked up for a spell, they began to realize
that the scouts were not to be reckoned with as a big joke. When a boy,
in the now respected khaki, standing in the middle of the street at that
dangerous crossing, held up his white-gloved hand, traffic came to a
sudden stop, and there was safe passage across for the groups of small
children on the way to and from school.
It only delayed things for a minute at the most, but precious young
lives were rendered safe from accident. Those boys who were given this
privilege in regular rotation showed by their manner that they felt
proud to fulfill their duties; nor did they in any instance abuse the
privilege their badges gave them above their fellows.
What had at first seemed like a lark in the eyes of other boys not
members of the troop presently became a serious matter. When some of
them started to annoy members of the new Auxiliary Police they were soon
startled by a visit at their homes by the stern Chief himself, who
warned their folks that a second offense would mean severe punishment.
Possibly some of those parents took it upon themselves to start
operations by selecting a nice stout switch and keeping it in view.
However, gradually order came out of chaos. Hugh worked faithfully
trying to remedy whatever proved to be faulty, and, of course, there
were numberless things that constantly required attention.
Those were busy days for the regular police, and it kept them on the go,
warning offenders against the sanitary code that affairs must be
speedily altered; for those wide-awake eyes of the thirty scouts on duty
all the time seemed to discover a myriad of things that were not being
conducted according to law, and were a disgrace to any decent community.
The mayor was now heart and soul in the work. He realized that he had
the backing of the solid people of the town, as well as all the church
members, and the women besides.
Once Oakvale had experienced the delight of being really clean it would
require an upheaval to make them change back to old conditions. There
was an element, however, as is always the case in every community, that
looked upon these happenings with more or less angry mutterings and
frowns, for with the change had passed their source of gain and
livelihood. They knew better than to talk openly against the new order
of things, but whenever and wherever the opportunity arose they would
try to excite derision for the “uplift” movement.
It seemed as though these people who loved darkness rather than light
felt especially sore toward Hugh Hardin and his scouts. They believed
that somehow the khaki boys were the backbone of the whole business, as
they were the ones whose eyes detected offenses and reported the same to
headquarters every day. With a score and a half of bright lads
constantly on the scent it was difficult for anything unlawful to escape
notice.
Without the help given by Hugh and his scouts the movement could never
have attained such wonderful success from the beginning—that was as good
as acknowledged by almost every one on both sides. It was not singular
then that some of the lower elements, finding themselves hedged about
with so many difficulties in gaining a livelihood in such a
spick-and-span town, should get their heads together with the object of
devising some shrewd method by means of which the old conditions might
be brought back again.
Plainly then to do this the easiest way would be to conjure up some
means whereby the new order of things would be brought into contempt.
Hugh himself had more than once been given obscure threats that unless
he relaxed his vigilance and shut his eyes to certain things if they
started up again, he would find himself in a peck of trouble.
Not once did the boy flinch, even though he felt that some of these men
were of a desperate nature, and would descend to almost any mean depths
when their former lawless habits were interfered with. Hugh consulted
with the minister, Mr. Dobbs, and the mayor of Oakvale, both of whom
promised to stand by the scouts through any difficulty.
These things aroused the women greatly when they heard of them. Plainly
the enemies of the community were becoming alarmed, thinking they had
been cast out for good. If conditions did not soon improve there would
have to be considerable emigration to other communities that did not
have ambitions to merit the name of “Spotless Town.” But it was believed
that before they yielded up the fight these people would very likely
make one last great effort to turn the tables on the reformers.
They had been engaging legal talent in Oakvale to look up the law and
ascertain whether the mayor had not overstepped his authority when he
ordered certain resorts closed where young fellows had been in the habit
of congregating to play pool. Although no actual proof had as yet been
produced, it was widely understood that other games far less innocent
had also been played there, and that indeed liquor could be procured on
the premises by those who “knew the ropes.”
But there were other lawyers on the side of the mayor, backed by the
women and the reform element. They made certain that things were kept
within the bounds granted by the law. Then the town Council, now wholly
committed to the new order of things, announced themselves ready to pass
any additional law necessary to continue things as they were.
A week later and Hugh began to breathe easier. He felt that matters had
advanced so far that they could plume themselves on making the movement
a success. He was every day hoping to hear that the elements they had
cause to fear were commencing to leave town. As long as they continued
to abide in Oakvale the danger was that of a snake “scotched, not
killed,” and liable to come to life again at any time.
All this while he had not found a good chance to keep his promise to Tom
Sherwood, mostly on account of the press of business. With so many
things depending on him while acting in the place of Lieutenant Denmead,
still absent from home, as well as his studying for the spring
examinations, Hugh certainly had his hands full.
But whenever he happened to meet Tom, and saw that look of entreaty on
the other’s face, Hugh took himself to task for not finding time to
enter upon the little side campaign for the redemption of Benjy
Sherwood.
So far as he knew, the latter did not seem to be in the company of the
Norris boy on the various occasions when Hugh had noticed the latter on
the street. That was no reason, however, that Benjy did not seek his
society at other times, and perhaps visit at Park’s house, where
possibly cards were not prohibited as a source of boyish amusement.
“I’m going to start something doing in that direction by to-morrow,”
Hugh was telling himself as he walked toward home one afternoon, after
making a report to the Chief and receiving the usual congratulations on
his proficiency.
It was the sight of Benjy across the way that caused him to say that,
for the other had come out of the store where all sorts of games, from
baseball goods and skates down to playing cards, were for sale and
exhibited in the windows.
It seemed to Hugh, although he admitted that perhaps his imagination
made him think so, that Benjy Sherwood glanced to the right and left as
he came out, as a fellow might who was trying to hide something, or else
felt conscience stricken. He noticed that the other was also trying to
keep a package he carried close to his body as he walked on.
Suddenly Hugh saw Benjy turn and hurry down a side street, almost
running, in fact. He hardly knew what to make of this until, chancing to
look further along, he discovered Tom Sherwood in sight. It hardly
seemed likely that the other had noticed his younger brother’s very
suspicious action in wanting to elude him.
Hugh felt a strange fascination in connection with the matter. It was
growing more interesting than ever, and more mysterious, he admitted.
What had Benjy been doing in that store that he should dislike to have
his brother see him, and actually turn and slink away?
“I’ll know something about this before a great while,” Hugh was telling
himself as he walked slowly on, trying to figure out what his best plan
of campaign might be under the circumstances. As a wise scout he always
tried to make ample preparations before starting in on a game.
As once before, Hugh had gotten almost within sight of his home fence
when he heard his name called from the rear. It was not Tom Sherwood
this time who came running after him, but Ralph Kenyon.
Ralph had always been a great favorite of Hugh’s. There was a time when
the other had been making money trapping small fur-bearing animals up
above Oakvale, and proving himself quite a woodsman, in so far as having
a knowledge of the habits of these four-footed forest denizens went.
That was before Ralph became interested in the scouts and finally joined
the troop. He could not be induced to set a single cruel steel trap now,
because he looked at things in an entirely different light from those
other days. But he was without a peer in the whole troop when it came to
a question of following a trail, or being able to understand what the
thousand-and-one little signs in the woods stood for.
Ralph looked excited, Hugh saw, as the other drew near, and the first
thing the scout master thought the cause to be some fresh insult from
the rough element in town opposed to the new conditions.
Hugh was ready to turn right-about face and go back to the office of the
Chief, if Ralph’s complaint seemed serious enough to warrant it. He was
determined that the work so well begun should not be put back by any
underhand methods.
Ralph soon came up, gulping in big draughts of air. His face was red,
and what seemed to be a look of indignation, according to Hugh’s mind,
could be seen there.
“Something got twisted and needs straightening out, eh, Ralph?” asked
the scout master pleasantly.
“Worse than that, I’m afraid, Hugh,” replied Ralph.
“None of the boys hurt, I hope?” quickly inquired Hugh, for the one
thing he had been dreading was an open rupture between the rival forces
in town, with stones flying and a near-riot in the process of forming.
“Well, not yet, Hugh, but if things keep on there’s going to be the
dickens to pay,” panted Ralph, leaning against the fence as he spoke.
“Fact is, those gamblers and law breakers have got desperate, and
they’ve schemed to put us scouts in a bad hole, so the mayor will have
to discharge us and start the whole uplift game tumbling in the soup;
that’s what makes me look so scared like, Hugh!”