Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell - "Sylvia's Lovers"

Martin Luther King - "The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 1995, Memorial Issue."

George W. Cable - "Strong Hearts"

John Galsworthy - "To Let"

The Boy Scouts Patrol

R >> Ralph Victor >> The Boy Scouts Patrol




"I heard them planning," explained Win. "I was up in the woods
to-day and I heard some one talking, and I listened to hear who it
was."

"What did they say?"

"Monkey said he guessed there'd be a surprise party here in the
morning, when you found you didn't have any boat to row with. Sam
asked how they could do it, and Monkey said they would go down to
the boathouse to-night, after it got dark, and fix it. Sam didn't
want to go very much, but Monkey said it was all right, and nobody
would know who did it."

"Do you think he meant our shell?"

"Sure," replied Win. "He said he was going to get square with Rand
Peyton and Pepper Blake. So I hid in the bushes until they went
away, and I came down here to tell Gerald."

"Thank you, Win," said Rand; "we are ever so much obliged to you."

"Don't let them know I told you," pleaded Win, "or they will half
kill me for telling."

"Sure not," promised Rand. "You can slip off again and no one will
know you have been here."

"Well, what do you think of that!" exclaimed Pepper, when Win had
gone.

"Shure, an' phat mischief are ye's plotting now?" demanded Gerald,
who came across the lawn as his brother slipped away.

"More monkey tricks," responded Rand. "Monkey is going to surprise
us to-night."

"Is he now?" asked Gerald; "and phat is he up to now?"

"He is going to smash the shell so we can't row to-morrow," replied
Donald.

"Faith, I think he'll find it a hard nut to crack," asserted Gerald,
dropping his brogue in his indignation. "Though there isn't anything
surprising about that. I don't think Monkey could surprise us,
except by trying to be good."

"And I don't believe he'll try that," laughed Pepper.

"What shall we do about it?" asked Gerald. "Tell the colonel?"

"I am no sure there is anything to it," said Donald. "And it may
be possible we can take care of Monkey and Sam ourselves. In my
opinion, it would no be a bad plan to go down to the boathouse and
capture them if they come."

"That isn't a bad idea," agreed Rand. "We can slip away, one at
a time, so if they see us they won't suspect anything. I will go
first and the rest of you can join me later. There isn't any moon
to-night, and we can easily find places to hide around the house."

"Faith," whispered Gerald, "we'll beat them at their own game."

Acting upon Rand's suggestion the boys separated, each taking a
different course, meeting later at the boathouse. The place was in
darkness when Rand, who was the first to arrive, got there. Making
a hasty examination by the light of a match he saw that the shell
was all right. Keeping in the dark, he waited until the others,
slipping up like so many shadows, had come.

"Seen or heard anything?" asked Donald, as they consulted behind
the house.

"Not a thing," responded Rand. "Perhaps they have given it up."

"You can no depend upon what they may do," commented Donald.

"That's right, old Solomon," agreed Pepper; "so it's just as well
to be prepared for anything."

"What shall we do if they come?" asked Donald.

"Jump out and scare them to death," suggested Gerald.

"No," advised Rand. "Let's give them a chance to get in. If they
go to the door or window, Don or I will give the call and we will
all rush on them and grab them."

"Don't wait too long or they may spoil the shell," said Pepper.

"We will just give them a chance to get inside," went on Rand,
detailing his plans. "I think it will be better if we each hide
in a different place. Pepper can go over there behind those bushes
and watch the road. Don can watch the door, and I will go on the
other side and look out for the window."

"And phat will Oi be doing?" asked Gerald, who could not resist
his fun-making instincts.

"You can hide down by the shore and watch the river."

"We ought to have some kind of a signal if we hear them coming,"
suggested Pepper.

"Like Paul Revere, 'one if by land, and two if by sea,'" quoted
Rand. "If you hear them coming down the road, Pepper, you can give
the whip-poor-will call, and Gerald, if he hears anything, can give
the owl call."

"Owl right," responded Gerald, as they each went to their appointed
stations.

The night was warm and pleasant. No sound, except the soft lapping
of the waves on the shore, the chirp of a cricket or the occasional
croak of a tree frog, disturbed the quiet of the night. As the time
wore on, without any disturbance, the watches began to doze until
Gerald was suddenly roused with a start by a splash in the water
and saw a boat gliding silently toward the landing.

"Faith, it looks as if there might be some fun after all," whispered
Gerald to himself, softly hooting a couple of times and concealing
himself behind an upturned boat.

"What was that?" asked one of the rowers at the sound of Gerald's
call.

"Aw, it's nothing but an owl," replied the other. "Whatcher 'fraid
of?"

The boat was now at the landing, and the taller of the two stepping
out fastened the boat and went toward the house, calling upon his
companion to follow.

"There will be some fun here in the morning," chuckied the foremost,
whom Gerald now recognized as Monkey Rae.

"Sure there ain't anybody 'round?" asked the other, hesitating.

"Of course there ain't," responded Monkey confidently. "Aw, come
on! What yer 'fraid of? Nobody knows anything about it but you
and I, and we ain't a-shoutin' it."

"I thought I heard a noise," demurred the other.

"Oh, bother!" returned Monkey impatiently. "You're always hearing
something."

"How are we going to get in?"

"Don't worry about that," answered Monkey, "I fixed the window all
right to-day."

While talking Monkey had opened the window and started to crawl
into the house. "If you're afraid to come in," he said scornfully
to the other, "stay outside and keep watch. It won't take me more
than a minute to crack this shell."

At this instant Rand, with a shrill, clear whistle, sprang out from
his hiding place and in a moment all was confusion.

"Shure, the fat's in the fire now," chuckled Gerald to himself.

As the whistle sounded Monkey sprang back through the window,
landing in a heap almost at Rand's feet, but was up and off before
Rand could get a hold on him, and sped after his companion, who
had started off at the first alarm, in a race down the landing to
their boat.

"Hi! stop them, Gerald!" shouted Rand, dashing after them.

Donald, at the alarm, rushed toward the window, and, tripping over a
coil of rope, stumbled against a stack of oars, sending them down
with a crash that could be heard a mile. Picking himself up, he
ran after Rand down the landing.

There was a splash in the water, and the sound of rapidly receding
oars, but there was no one at the landing.

"What has become of Gerald?" asked Rand, looking around.

"He can't be far off," replied Donald, "Give him a call."

"Hello-o-o, Gerald!" shouted Rand, but Gerald did not answer.

"Hello, there! What's ail the noise about?" demanded Colonel Snow,
who had followed Pepper onto the landing. "Why, boys, what are you
doing here?"

"We can't find Gerald," explained Donald, who was looking in ail
kinds of impossible places.

"I shouldn't think you would in such a place as that," said the
colonel, as Donald turned over some small boxes. "What is it now,
hide and seek, or has Gerald been losing himself?"

"I don't know," replied Rand. "We heard that Monkey Rae was going
to smash the shell tonight, so we came down to catch him, but he
got away from us."

"Monkey Rae again!" exclaimed the colonel. "I should think there
was at least half a dozen of him the way he gets around. But what
has that got to do with Gerald?"

"Why, Gerald was out here on the landing, and now we can't find
him. I don't know what has become of him, or if he is just hiding
for fun," explained Rand; "though I don't see where he could hide
here," he added.

"Sure of that?" questioned the colonel. "Let's take another look
around." Lighting a lantern from the boathouse they made a thorough
search of the place without finding anything of their missing
comrade.

"Perhaps he got tired of waiting and went home," suggested the
colonel.

"That wouldn't be Gerald," averred Rand and Donald. "He wouldn't
go off and leave us without saying anything and, besides, he was
here when they came, for he gave us the signal."

"Well, he isn't here now," decided the colonel after another look
around. "Hello, Gerald!" he called, and the boys sounded the call
on their bugles.

"He ought to answer that if he is anywhere around," said Rand.

"Do you think they could have carried him off?" asked Pepper.

"I don't know what to think," replied the colonel. "It's queer.
You boys certainly have an amazing faculty for getting into trouble."

"But how did you get here?" asked Rand.

"I was just taking a stroll," replied the colonel, "when I heard
the noise and came down to see what it was."




CHAPTER XXI

A SURPRISE


"W-W-WHAT was that?" stammered Pepper. "I t-thought I heard a cry.
T-t-there it is again," as a faint call came from the river.

The three boys were standing on the landing with Colonel Snow,
still discussing the mysterious disappearance of Gerald.

"T-that you, Gerald?" shouted Pepper.

"Where are you?" cried Donald; but, without waiting for a reply, he
threw off his coat and shoes and plunged into the river, swimming
in the direction from which the cry had come,

"He's all right!" came the reassuring cry from Donald a little
later. "I have got him," and shortly afterwards reappeared paddling
a boat in which was the bewildered Gerald, who was helped onto the
landing by the colonel and the others.

"H-h-how did you g-get into the boat, Gerald?" asked Pepper when
Gerald had somewhat recovered from the effects of his experience.
"Did you think it was a good time to take a row?"

"It looks that way," replied Gerald. "But when Rand called to me to
stop them I ran out to try and head them off, but something gave
me a rap on the head and the next thing I knew I found myself lying
in that boat. Say, I feel as if I had a head like a pumpkin."

"I s-should think it would feel more like a s-squash," commented
Pepper.

"That is going altogether too far," asserted the colonel indignantly.
"It might have had a very serious ending. I think that there is a
bad quarter-of-an-hour in store for that Rae boy if I can get hold
of him in the morning."

As there was no likelihood that Monkey Rae would return to renew
his attempt to injure the boat the house was locked and the boys
went back to the town discussing, as they went, the events of the
evening. The colonel was very indignant.

When they came near to the top of the hill they were met by Jack,
who was running at full speed down the road.

"Hello!" called Rand when he came near. "Where are you going in
such a hurry?"

"Hello," returned Jack, slowing up and joining the others. "Where
have you been? I have been looking all over for you."

"Down to the boathouse," replied Rand.

"Down to the boathouse!" exclaimed Jack. "What took you down there
tonight?"

"Why, we heard that Monkey was g-going to s-smash the boat," answered
Pepper.

"Monkey!" cried Jack. "I wish I had been there----"

"Wouldn't have done you any good," said Donald. "He was too quick
for us."

"Was any one with him?" asked Jack.

"Only Sam Tompkins."

"Ah!" returned Jack. "What did I tell you?"

"Don't know," replied Pepper; "you tell us so many things that we
can't remember them all. What did you tell us this time?"

"About Monkey Rae and Sam Tompkins, and the queer coins you picked
up in the road that day."

"I believe you did say something about Monkey and the coins,"
admitted Donald, "but I no paid much attention to it."

"But what has that got to do with the present excitement?" asked
Rand.

"Listen to this," exclaimed Jack, stopping under an electric light
to read a circular that he drew from his pocket.

"Three hundred dollars reward. Escaped from jail. Three hundred
dollars will be paid for the arrest and detention of one James Rae,
alias 'Limpy,' who escaped from the jail at Melton on June fifth.
Said Rae is about forty years old, stoutly built, and five feet
eight inches in height. Has smooth face, red hair, and walks with
a limp. James Robinson, Sheriff."

"W-w-why, t-t-that must be M-M-Monkey Rae's father," stammered Pepper
when Jack had finished reading. "I knew he was away somewhere, but
I didn't know he was in prison."

"Shure, there's lots of things ye don't know, me darlint," interjected
Gerald.

"And he is the man who was with Monkey on the river," added Rand.

"And the man that was in the boat the other day," put in Dick.

"I hope they catch him!" said Pepper vindictively.

"Go for him, Pepper," encouraged Gerald.

"And that is what Monkey stole the fish for," continued Pepper.

"Of course it was," replied Jack. "Didn't I tell you there was
something back of this monkey business?"

"But I no see it yet," remarked Donald.

"Of course you don't," said Jack. "You want it explained with a
diagram. It was Rae who robbed Judge Taylor's office, and Monkey
and Sam Tompkins helped him. He was hiding in the woods when we
saw him."

"But what has that got to do with the coins?" demanded Donald.

"Why, they stole them out of the judge's office and lost them where
Rand and Pepper found them. I've been studying this thing out ever
since the night we were in the judge's office. You see, there was
suspicion of some of us and I wanted to clear it off. It's all as
clear as day now."

"Whin the fog's so thick ye c'ud cut it with a knife," put in
Gerald. "Give us a diagram av it."

"Why, the robbery was done by Rae and some of his pals," explained
Jack. "They sent Monkey up between the buildings and he opened the
window and got in and then opened the doors for the others. When
they got through all they had to do was to walk out, and Monkey
closed and fastened the doors after them and went down the same
way as he got in."

"But how do you know that Rae did it?" asked Rand.

"By putting two and two together," replied Jack. "I knew that the
coins you found were like some that had been stolen. Monkey Rae
and Sam went over the road just before you found them. They had
not been lying there long, or they would have been covered up in
the dirt, or some one else would have found them."

"'Tis no way impossible," admitted Donald.

"Then some of the tools they used had been taken from Wilson's
blacksmith shop, and you know Dick said that Monkey and Sam used
to come in there almost every day, so that it was quite probable
that they took them; that's number two."

"Go on," urged Rand. "It is growing interesting."

"Well, there isn't much more; but I saw, from this circular, that
Rae had escaped from prison, so I concluded that the man we saw in
the boat was Rae, and I put the two and two together and worked it
out that it was he who robbed the judge's office."

"What was he after?" asked Pepper.

"I don't know exactly," replied Jack; "but it was papers of some
kind."

"Well, it does look as if you were right," conceded Donald; "but
you haven't got any proof."

"No," admitted Jack; "but I have given the officer the tip, and
told him about the shack in the woods where Pepper saw Rae. They
are going to make a raid on it tomorrow, and perhaps they will find
some of the stolen property in their possession; then we have the
impression of a hand on this paper, and we can get one of Monkey's
hands and see if they aren't the same."

"Faith, hunting is wan thing and finding's anither," commented
Gerald.

Which proved to be quite true in this case, for when the officers
reached the cabin in the woods they found it deserted and dismantled.
The occupants had evidently taken alarm and disappeared, leaving
no trace, although the boys were destined to meet them again under
decidedly unpleasant circumstances.




CHAPTER XXII

THE RACE


The race had been set for 9 o'clock in the morning, but, with
the sun, there had come up a strong breeze from the west that had
stirred up the water into such a lumpy condition that any kind of
time would be impossible, and the advantage would be all on the
side of the Altons. So the race was put off from time to time in
the hope that the wind would die down so as to equalize the chances,
and it was not until late in the afternoon that the committee
decided to have it rowed, although the wind was still blowing and
the water rough.

The course, as agreed upon, was a straight-away three miles over
a clear stretch of the river from off the Creston landing.

"What have you got there?" asked Dick, as Rand pulled a coin from
his pocket and began rubbing it up on his sleeve.

"That's his mascot," laughed Jack. "It's the coin he found in the
road, and he keeps it for luck."

"Well, I guess it has its work cut out for it, all right," went on
Dick. "He will have his hands full--if it is a he--to keep us in
the procession. Alton has a crew of blacksmiths."

"So much the more weight to carry," replied Rand, who made the best
of everything.

"Not much chance for us," put in Jack.

"Oh, I don't know," returned Rand.

"'Stranger things than that have happened,' as the old woman said
when she kissed her cow."

"You mean as the man said when he married his cook," corrected
Donald.

"Well, there wasn't anything strange about that," returned Rand,
"if she was a good cook."

"Or if her cooking was good," added Jack.

"Are you ready, all?" now called the starter, and each one of
the different crews grasped his oar with quickened tension as the
coxswains responded: "Ready!" and there followed the sharp report
of the pistol.

As the report rang out the oars of the three crews, all like a
piece of accurate machinery, struck the water at the same instant
and the boats leaped forward as if shot from a spring.

At the start the weight of the Alton crew told, and their boat
darted to the front, only to be hugged a moment later by Highpoint,
while the Uncas trailed just behind them.

"Easy, boys, easy," cautioned Gerald. "There are three miles of
it, you know."

The three boats were all together. Alton a bit in the lead, but
without any daylight showing between them. The Uncas last, but
still in the race.

"Shure, 'tis foine, ye'r doing," cried Gerald. "Ye have thim all
scared. See how they are running away from ye!"

For the first mile there was no change, Alton still leading, but
the pace was telling, and Highpoint was creeping up--Uncas still
in the rear.

In the next mile there was still no change in the order, and it
looked like Alton's race, but as the second mile was passed Highpoint
poked its nose in front, Uncas still hugging them. "Now, then!"
cried Gerald, as they entered on the last half mile, "hit it up,
boys; we are still in it!"

"The mascot's working overtime," panted Dick, "but he's making
good."

The boys quickened their stroke in response to Gerald's call, and
inch by inch, the Uncas pulled up on their rivals and, just as the
finish was reached, slid across the line a scant six inches in
front. It was only six inches, but enough, and though the boys
could scarce sit up, their fatigue was forgotten in the joy of the
unexpected victory.

"Tra-la-la," trilled Gerald on his bugle, but its notes were drowned
by the call of the leader of the Highpoints for three cheers for
the Uncas, which were given with a will by both the losing crews.

After cheering each other, until they were hoarse, the three crews
went their ways with an agreement to row another race later in the
season.

"That's one for the mascot," drawled Rand, when the boat had been
rowed to the landing, where the colonel, with Pepper and others,
were waiting for them.

"Well, boys," said the colonel, after he had congratulated them on
their victory, "you look as if you had been doing a day's work on
a farm."

"Well, I don't know," responded Rand. "It was hard work, but I think,
after all, I had rather be the man with the row than the man with
the hoe."

"That reminds me--" began Dick.

"It does, eh?" questioned Donald. "Well, I don't know why, I am
sure."

"That, speaking of roses--" went on Dick.

"Roses!" ejaculated Jack. "Who said anything about roses?"

"Well, talking about roses, anyhow--" continued Dick.

"I don't see anything about here to remind you of roses," contended
Donald.

"Can you tell me," persisted Dick, "what kind of rows never come
singly?"

"The kind you have to hoe," responded Donald, whose father had a
garden.

"I guess that's right, Don," agreed the colonel

"Shad roes," proclaimed Dick.

"Pooh!" sniffed Don; "that has an ancient and fishlike flavor."

"Which reminds me," remarked the colonel, "that I provided some
refreshments, as a consolation for your defeat, but as you won I
suppose you won't care for them now."

"Speaking for myself," said Dick modestly; "it sounds good to me."




CHAPTER XXIII

CONCLUSION


"I hope I am not too late to congratulate you on your victory," said
a pleasant voice, and the boys looked up to see a young gentleman
standing in the doorway of the room, where, having finished the
repast the colonel had provided, they were sitting around talking
over the details of the race.

"I have been looking for you for a couple of weeks," he went
on, coming into the room and offering his hand to Rand. "It was a
splendid race and pluckily rowed, and you deserved to win."

"Thank you," replied Rand. "Did you say you were looking for me?"

"For all of you," replied the gentleman. "I see you don't remember
me. I am Frank Whilden, whose sister you saved from drowning the
other day. Come in, Nellie," he called to a young girl who was
standing outside. "These are the young men who came to our rescue."

"I just want to thank you all--" began Nellie.

"Oh, it was no anything," returned Donald.

"It was very much to me," began Nellie.

"I mean," explained Donald confusedly "it's no great thing to make
a claver about."

"But it was a great thing to have saved you," interposed Rand, with
an emphasis on the you.

"That's very nice," replied Nellie. "Won't you shake hands with
me, all around?"

"Faith, you won't be asking me twice to do myself the favor," replied
Gerald. "Sure I wasn't there to have the pleasure of saving you,
but I would have been there if you had sent me word."

"Don't forget the most important part, Nellie," her brother reminded
her when she had finished shaking hands.

"Mother sends her regards to you all," went on Nellie, "and hopes
you will accept the little present she has sent you."

"But we don't want any reward for what we did," protested Rand.
"It was reward enough to have helped you."

"This isn't a reward," continued Nellie; "just a little token of
her esteem. We had it sent down to-day. Frank and I thought if you
didn't win the race it might console you a little. We do hope you
will like it."

Frank had gone from the room, but returned now with a handsome Dart
motorcycle.

"Crickets!" cried Pepper. "I-i-it's a beauty, ain't it?" while the
boys gathered around it to examine it. "S-s-say----"

"Whistle it, Pepper," said Jack. "I don't know what it is you want
to say, but I guess we all agree with you."

"We can take turns using it."

"We can draw lots for the first ride on it."

"Or toss up for it," proposed Donald.

"I am glad you like it," began Nellie.

"We most certainly do," chorused the boys; "and we are ever so much
obliged. We couldn't have had anything that would have suited us
nearly so well."

"There are five more just like it outside," went on Nellie; "one
for each of you, and we hope you will get a lot of pleasure from
them."

"But we can't accept all these," protested Rand, while the others
stood silent in stupefied amazement.

"Crickets!" exclaimed Pepper. "I will be awful sorry to-morrow."

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