THE GOAL IN SIGHT.
It was fine of the mayor to say that. Had the women who had labored so
long and so arduously in order to accomplish this end overheard what he
remarked, they might have whispered among themselves that it was a great
pity Mr. Strunk could not have reached the desired resolution many
months previously.
But then “better late than never,” and if his eyes were now opened to
the enormity of the offenses that had previously been winked at as
unavoidable in a bustling community of Oakvale’s size and rapid growth,
there was good hope of the future.
Before Hugh and Ralph left the parsonage to hurry home to supper they
had heard the whole thing thrashed out, and even found their opinions
asked by the trio of deeply interested gentlemen.
A plan was fairly well arranged that would serve as a trap, for from
what Ralph had caught, the conspirators would not be in position to
attempt the daring robbery until then. In fact, as Ralph very well
understood, it was actually Hugh who proposed the idea upon which the
minister, Doctor Kane and the mayor finally settled as promising the
best results. But then Ralph saw nothing strange about that, for as a
member of the scouts he was accustomed to have Hugh Hardin naturally
take the lead in almost everything.
Ralph was greatly pleased. He considered, and rightly, too, Hugh told
him, that once again his knowledge of woodcraft and the Indian art of
creeping up close to an enemy’s camp had proved of value to the cause he
represented. Many fellows similarly situated, even if they had thought
to make the attempt, might have bungled, and only brought down some sort
of chastisement on their own heads for their temerity.
It was to remain a dead secret; even the rest of the scouts would not be
told why Hugh ordered them to be at their place of meeting on the
following night, prepared to have a number of the stoutest and most
adept chosen for a special mission.
The mayor promised to see Chief Wallis on the following morning and get
him interested in the matter, so that he and several of his men could
have a hand in trapping the thieves. Just as likely as not these men
would be in a desperate mood, and liable to show fight when they
realized how completely the tables had been turned upon them. Hence it
was deemed wise to have some of the regulars on the police force handy
in order to assist the scouts make the arrests.
No doubt the home folks at the Hardin and Kenyon domiciles must have
thought the boys were unusually serious all that evening, perhaps
absent-minded, for often they would start when spoken to suddenly, as
though wrapped up in some far-away subject.
However, as it was known that their hearts were concerned in the
successful carrying out of the cleaning up of Oakvale, allowances were
made for them. Fond mothers, though, may have found themselves wondering
if it were really wise to allow such weights to rest upon young
shoulders.
Another day came around, and its duties were taken up by the scouts with
their accustomed alacrity. Every fellow seemed to vie with his mates in
doing his share of the work in a way that would allow of no fault
finding. There was indeed what might be called a healthy rivalry among
the scouts, to see who could command the highest number of clean scores;
for Hugh had arranged matters in the shape of a contest, to make it more
interesting.
The opposition had not yet died out, for when men have fallen into
certain bad habits that become as second nature, it is most difficult to
break the bonds binding them.
True, the drivers and chauffeurs in and about Oakvale had by degrees
become accustomed to the new order of things, which was moving along as
smoothly as clockwork. They found there was absolutely no need of any
friction, and that while occasionally held up by the amateur “traffic
cop” in order to allow a safe passage for a squad of school children,
they really lost little or no time. Besides, a vast amount of argument
and hard words was saved by this orderly way of running things at
congested crossings.
Already the new system had borne fruit, for the railway company, while
not compelled to do so by any town ordinance, doubtless falling in with
the general scheme of uplift, stationed a flagman at the perilous
crossing, who would be on duty from six in the morning until sundown.
Those of the scouts who had the duty of searching for infractions of the
health code ran across the greatest trouble, because they were dealing
with private individuals, some of whom nursed petty “grouches” against
them because compelled to do what the boys demanded or take the chances
of being summoned before a Squire and heavily fined.
Hugh used considerable diplomacy in dealing with these offenders. He did
not wish the scouts to make any enemies when it could be avoided. So
when there happened to be some stubborn fellow who firmly believed he
had a right to do things that were offensive to the neighbors and the
community at large, just because he was on his own grounds, and
threatened to go to law to resist, Hugh tried other measures besides
violence and threats.
In several instances he performed what seemed next door to miracles, in
the eyes of the boys, and the amused people as well. Hugh could
“blarney” most any one into coming around to his way of thinking, given
half a chance, was what Billy Worth always said, and in fact the young
scout master proved the truth of this assertion in several instances.
One crabbed and rich old fellow in particular, who had little to do with
his neighbors, but persisted in keeping several fierce dogs that barked
most of the night, upon being threatened with the passage of a new law
that would proclaim such animals within the corporate limits of the town
a public nuisance if complaint were handed in signed by six neighbors,
told them they could pass all the regulations they wanted and he would
take out an injunction, which by the delay of the law would allow him to
do about as he pleased the rest of his life.
Judge Coffin, from the town of Lawrence, whose acquaintance some of the
scouts had made at the time of the famous flood,[1] when they were
enabled to save several lives and win the esteem of the entire
community, chancing to visit Oakvale on some official business just
about that time, confided to Hugh the fact that unfortunately what Mr.
Griffin claimed was true, and that by successive injunctions it was
possible to fend off a decision for months, sometimes years.
This was not the worst of it, for if one man could baffle the desire of
the community in that way his example might become contagious and the
precedent thus set be copied by others, until all the good the reform
wave had done would be lost.
So clever Hugh had figured out it was essential that Mr. Griffin be won
over to the cause, even if it took much of his spare time to accomplish
the seemingly impossible result.
Like a wise general, Hugh first looked over the field. He knew that when
a battle is to be fought the side that knows the various conformations
of the ground always possesses an advantage over those less posted.
In making all sorts of inquiries Hugh learned a lot about the past of
this crabbed old man who seemed so like vinegar. There was a reason, it
seemed, for his “drawing within his shell,” and refusing to have more
than casual communication with his neighbors.
Mr. Griffin had suffered a cruel shock many years before, losing his
wife and two lovely children in a fire. One girl was left to him, and
she grew up to womanhood, gave him a great deal of trouble, and finally
ran away with a worthless fellow. Some years afterwards, the old
gentleman, now become estranged from the world that had treated him so
cruelly, went away, and came back with a child he announced as his
grandson, the last of his stock, for the daughter had died.
Alas! this little boy was a cripple and deformed. Hugh had seen him
several times, but the old man kept a strict watch, and allowed no
intruders in his grounds where those dogs roamed at night time.
The hunchback was now all of ten years of age, and when Hugh saw Mr.
Griffin buying some boys’ books before Christmas he understood that the
little fellow at least must love to read.
Here then was the scheme which Hugh worked out. He had plenty of books
that told of the doings of Boy Scouts. Besides, he had an old manual
that he could easily spare. So he bribed the grocer’s boy, who daily
visited the Griffin home, and admitted that he chatted with the
hunchback frequently, to give Archibald the package of books on the sly,
and tell him the leader of the Wolf Patrol had sent them with his
compliments to help a “shut-in” realize what scout life meant.
Hugh heard from his kind act, for on the very next day he received a
splendid little note from the boy, thanking him heartily for his
thoughtfulness, and saying that he would devour those books
“ferociously,” he was so “crazy” about reading of what boys more
fortunate than himself were doing.
Hugh kept it up after that, and before long there was a most friendly
feeling springing up between the two. One fine day Hugh was surprised to
have Mr. Griffin stop him on the street, and he realized that the severe
look could leave the face of the well-named man when he chose to drop
the mask.
“My little grandchild has been telling me about your kindness in sending
him books to read,” the gentleman started to say. “Now, I have been very
particular about the type of books I select for him, because I want the
poor little fellow to know only the better side of life. At first I was
afraid you had broken down the barrier I have erected, but when I came
to look over the handbook of the scouts, and found what a splendid
foundation the organization is built upon I felt sure that books written
along similar lines could do a boy only good. I am pleased to say that
upon glancing over those you sent him, I have been immensely satisfied.”
He offered his hand to Hugh, something no boy in Oakvale had ever known
Mr. Griffin to do in all the years past. Hugh flushed with a sense of
satisfaction upon realizing that he was on the road to success, and that
his diagnosis of the stern old gentleman’s real nature had not been
amiss.
“I am glad you do not think I was playing a mean part in getting those
books to Archibald,” he said, simply. “We scouts feel for any chap who
is deprived of the glorious chances we have to spend many good times in
the open. I thought he would be glad to learn about scout life, even if
he could never hope to enjoy it himself.”
“What is more to the point,” continued Mr. Griffin, “I’ve had my eyes
opened to the fact that it is a bad thing for any man to allow himself
to remain in ignorance with what is going on around him as the years
progress. I am ashamed to admit that I never dreamed there had been such
a vast revolution in the training of boys during the years I’ve kept
aloof from the world. I’ve seen mention of the scouts many times in my
papers, but never took the trouble to investigate—in fact, treated the
whole matter as somewhat of a military movement copied after the Old
World methods. I am delighted to learn that such is not the case.”
Then he went on to say Archibald was eager to meet Hugh, and that if
only he could come over and take supper with them that evening it would
give both of the “shut-ins” great pleasure indeed.
Such luck Hugh had hardly anticipated, but he was only too glad to
accept the invitation in the spirit it was given.
“I have some more really splendid books I want you to let him read,” he
went on to say with spirit. “If you don’t object I’ll come over this
very evening,” for, as we happen to know, the scout master believed in
“striking when the iron is hot.”
After that it was easy for Hugh. Once he had gained entrance to the
Griffin home he found a means for occupying a place in the hearts of
both the hunchback boy and his grandfather. By a wise system of
approaching the subject discreetly Hugh quickly found a way of getting
Mr. Griffin to change his mind about keeping those noisy dogs.
It was once more a case of the gentle sun’s rays accomplishing what even
the most violent wind could not do.
Hugh never boasted of his victories, but in some way the truth became
known. Possibly Mr. Griffin, now mingling more than in the past with his
neighbors, secretly amused, told it himself. At any rate it served to
add to the laurels Hugh had already won as a diplomat, as well as a
scout leader.
So the good work went on. This incident connected with Mr. Griffin and
his pests of barking dogs was only one example of how the scouts managed
to accomplish their ends. It is not by mere promises of prosecution
alone that nuisances can be abated, for sometimes reason goes a great
ways toward effecting a cure.
A few threats had been made, but so far none of the boys had really
suffered actual violence. Truth to tell, the cowards who had been
bullies knew that when they assailed the scout uniform they really went
up against the entire vested authority of the town as represented by the
mayor, the police, and the better element of the citizens.
Speedy retaliation had fallen upon those astonished offenders who had
laughed at the warnings given by the Auxiliary Police. They realized
that because a fellow is under a man’s size and wears a khaki uniform,
it is no sign that he cannot enforce his authority.
Things had apparently been going on swimmingly, and there seemed every
indication that victory was in sight when Ralph by accident overheard
that plot to bring about the undoing of the scouts in the estimation of
the town people. It was plainly the last desperate effort of the
opposition. If they were beaten in this round the chances were there
would be a clean sweep to crown the efforts of those who were working so
hard for home protection in Oakvale. It would have been proven
conclusively that a new rule must hereafter be reckoned with, which was
founded on _order_ and the rights of the community as against private
privileges.