The Banner Boy Scouts on a Tour Part 17

"All right. You and I will be on deck to receive them. I've fixed it so our turn comes after eleven, for I knew the new moon would be gone by then. That gives us a chance to s.n.a.t.c.h some sleep beforehand," remarked Paul.

Once more, just before taps was sounded, he made the rounds of the encampment in order to rea.s.sure himself that all was well.

At that time nothing suspicious caught his eye. If any of their foes were hovering near by they knew well how to conceal themselves so as not to be discovered.

Dobbin was still munching the sweet gra.s.s as far around him as his rope would permit. Like most old raw-boned horses he seemed never able to get enough to eat. Still, Paul thought that the expedition would be reduced to more or less straits if deprived of old Dobbins' services; and so he ordered that the animal be led up closer to the camp, being secured to a tree where he could be watched.

With the warning call from the bugler there was an immediate dispersal of the merry group around the campfire. These boys had been drilled in the duties that devolve upon organized forces in the field. They understood that without discipline nothing could ever be accomplished; and all were ready to obey orders to the letter.

There was a little good-natured scrambling when the rude beds were made up; but as soon as "taps" really sounded all activity ceased. No fellow was anxious to be the first to get bad marks registered against him in the record of the big hike.

Those selected for doing duty during the first part of the night paced their posts, and exchanged low calls whenever they drew near one another. They were expected to keep a vigilant watch over the entire camp, and if the least suspicious thing caught their attention, a signal had been arranged whereby Paul would be notified, even though he were asleep at the time.

Two hours pa.s.sed without the slightest alarm. Then came the time to change sentries. Paul and Wallace were among the quartette that now came on duty; for the acting scoutmaster insisted on sharing the duties of his men. He refused to benefit by the circ.u.mstances that had conspired to thrust him into the exalted position usually filled by Mr. Gordon.

Just as Wallace had predicted, the moon faded out of sight before half-past eleven came around. After that it was certainly dark, and perhaps it seemed more so on account of the contrast.

Believing that if any peril hung over them, now was the time for it to make itself known, Paul redoubled his vigilance as he kept back in the shadows among the trees and eagerly watched in the direction of the camp.

For half an hour nothing happened. He heard the customary sounds in the woods, with which he was so familiar, and which he so dearly loved.

Then, while he was gazing at the dying camp fire he suddenly made a discovery that gave him quite a start.

Some moving object caught his eye, not upon the ground as might have been expected, but up in the branches of a wide-spreading oak tree.

CHAPTER XIV

THE CHASE

Paul looked again, and more closely.

The light from the fire was becoming fickle. Once in a while the flame would start up, and give quite some little illumination. Then dying down lower than ever, it allowed a condition of half darkness to prevail.

Of course it had been during one of these former periods that Paul made his startling discovery; and he waited in considerable suspense until the flame took a notion to feed upon another little stock of tinder.

Could it really be a bear up there in that big oak, the branches of which reached out, and shook hands with those of other trees? Paul chuckled at the idea; it was so absurd. Save for an occasional traveling Italian with a trained bear, no such animal had been known to exist in all this section for many years.

A bobcat then? That was very nearly as impossible. Still, the hasty glimpse he had secured told him that it was at least larger than a racc.o.o.n or a 'possum, animals frequently seen in the vicinity of Stanhope.

Well, what was to hinder a _boy_ from coming into compet.i.tion with other things, when an explanation of the mystery was sought? Some boys can climb like monkeys; and he knew of several who would think little or nothing of making their way from one tree to another, when the great limbs interlocked.

There, the flame again began to show up, and dispell the gloom. Eagerly did Paul make use of his eyes; nor was he disappointed this time.

There _was_ a swinging object dangling from the limb on which he had fastened his gaze. Even though the light proved so deceptive Paul knew that he was looking at a hanging boy, caught in the act of changing his location by the sudden return of the light, and meaning to remain still in the hope of escaping discovery.

Were there others also in the oak? Could it be that the entire Slavin crowd had managed to elude their vigilance, and was now hovering over the camp, ready to carry out some dark plot?

Paul did not believe this possible. Only an expert climber might succeed in accomplis.h.i.+ng such a clever feat. He considered a minute, and then felt certain that he could give a guess concerning the ident.i.ty of the one aloft.

Among the partisans of Ted was a fellow named Eggleston, who was usually known among his fellows as "Monkey." This because of his fondness for doing all manner of wonderful tricks on a trapese or the parallel bars. He could hang by his toes from the limb of a tree, and never seemed alarmed in the slightest degree because twenty or more feet lay between his dangling figure and the earth below.

Of course, then, this was Monkey Eggleston. He had received his orders from Ted, and was carrying them out with more or less delight. Paul calculated that he intended to drop down into the centre of the camp, unseen, his presence unsuspected by the sentries, who would be looking the other way for signs of trouble.

Then what?

A vicious boy let loose in a camp for half an hour, with a good sharp knife in his possession, can do a tremendous amount of destruction. Why, he might begin by cutting the bags that held their sugar, so that every bit of it mixed with the soil and was lost. Half a dozen other things seemed to flash through Paul's mind as he crouched there and watched the dimly seen figure descending slowly from limb to limb.

Two courses were open to the scout leader. He could shout out, and bring every sleeper das.h.i.+ng from the tents; after which the tree might be surrounded, and the spy compelled to surrender. Then again he could wait and watch.

His curiosity was aroused to some extent. He really wondered what the game of Monkey Eggleston could be. And so he determined to simply creep up closer, without giving the alarm. At the proper time he would start things moving.

Of course, if one of the sentries happened to think that the fire should be looked after, and came forward to throw on more fuel, it might interfere with the plans of the boy in the tree. But Wallace would not do this unless Paul gave the signal agreed on; and the patrol leader was rather of the opinion the other two fellows might be sound asleep, being unaccustomed to such a vigil.

He just caught a fleeting glimpse of something dropping lightly to the ground close beside the mess tent. This he knew must be Monkey. He had accomplished the first part of his errand, and now came the question of what he meant to do next.

Paul pushed in closer, anxious to see what was going on, for the spy was in the midst of the supplies gathered under the canvas cover. Just as though his coming might have been discovered, a dark figure made a sudden spring away from the spot. As the intruder bounded past the smouldering fire he seemed to bend over and throw something into it.

Instantly a bright illumination took place, dazzling in its effect.

With the crash of the spy's retreating footsteps echoed the loud cries that arose from the spot where Wallace was keeping guard:

"Fire! fire! turn out here and save your bacon, fellows!" he shouted at the top of his voice.

Figures came tumbling out of the tents. Every scout had been aroused by that dreadful summons, which might mean the wind-up of their jolly expedition before it had been started.

Of all the disasters that in a camp must be viewed with anxiety, a fire ranks next to a sudden hurricane. Paul had spoken about these things so much that every fellow realized the seriousness of the case, even though he might be a tenderfoot, who had up to now never slept under canvas.

Of course, as is usually the case, many lost their heads in the excitement. It could hardly have been otherwise, since they were new hands at the business. They ran back and forth, trembling with eagerness to do something heroic and grand, yet unable to collect their wits enough to see what ought to be accomplished first.

Luckily all of them were not built that way. Had it been so there must have followed a dire disaster that would have put a damper on their budding hopes.

Paul saw Wallace jumping directly for the sputtering fire that was running so strangely from point to point, and eating its way toward the shelter under which all their precious stores had been heaped up.

"Whatever it is, he'll get it!" was the thought that flashed through Paul's brain at that instant.

Relieved of this fear, he could turn his full attention toward the escaping spy. Monkey Eggleston must not get clear, if it could possibly be avoided. He had engaged in some sort of miserable trick, calculated to harm those who were paying attention to their own private business.

He must be caught and made to confess.

So, with that determination urging him on, Paul sprang in swift pursuit of the rapidly-disappearing form.

Since the moon had gone down, and darkness prevailed, it was not easy to see the figure of the runner; but if Paul's eyes failed him his ears did not. The fugitive was making a tremendous amount of noise as he slammed through the woods. He collided with trees, stumbled over trailing vines, and sprawled across more than one half rotten log that chanced to lie in his path.

Paul did much better. Perhaps he happened to possess eyes that were able to see in such semi-darkness; then again it might be his absence from the fire had much to do with his ability to discern obstacles in time to avoid contact with them.

At any rate he knew one thing, which was, that slowly but surely he was overtaking the spy sent by the Slavin crowd to create havoc in the camp of the scouts.