Roy Blakeley's Bee-line Hike Part 19

"We--we take turns doing things like that," the kid said.

"The general appoints scouts to do that," I told her. "I appoint Westy Martin and Dorry Benton to----"

"I can't be drafted, I have a dependent ancestor," Dorry said.

Westy said, "I'm sorry, but I have heart trouble. I claim exemption."

I said, "You're a fine pair. I appoint Will Dawson and Warde Hollister to go up there and arrange terms----"

Warde said, "I'm sorry, but I'm not in uniform."

"I have a dependent mother," Will Dawson said.

"I'm a conscientious objector," Hunt Manners piped up.

The Warner twins said they were the sole support of a collie dog.

"Some bunch of warriors," I said. "I always heard that scouts weren't supposed to be afraid of a draught. What are we going to do? Go home?"

"If we had tanks----" the kid started.

"Well, go and get a couple of water tanks," I said.

"Isn't it exasperating?" one of the girls said.

"Can't you wait a little while?" Pee-wee shouted. "Wasn't the world war four years long? That shows what you know about history."

One of the girls said, "Do you still claim to be invincible?"

"Sure we do," Pee-wee said. "But of course everybody--a lot of people know that women helped in the war a lot--everybody knows that. We wouldn't be mad if you made a suggestion."

That Daring girl said, "Oh, I haven't a _single thing_ to suggest. We believe in action. Actions speak louder than suggestions. If you're really ready to admit that you're defeated I'll make a proposal. It isn't a suggestion, it's a proposal."

"Proposals are just as good as suggestions," Pee-wee said.

She said, "Well, if you're ready to admit that you're balked----"

"Even--even--even the Germans were balked on the Marne, weren't they?"

our young hero shouted.

I said, "Well, it doesn't look as if that giant with the bra.s.s b.u.t.tons is going to surrender. If we could get some propaganda past him to the people in the house----"

"Like they did with airplanes," Pee-wee said.

"Yes, but you see the shutters are closed," she said. "Girl scouts are _observant_. It _looks_ as if there were no one in the house but that horrid big giant."

I said, "What do you propose?"

Then Dora Dane Daring said, "I propose to lead you to victory if you will print it up on your banner that you were saved from disaster by the Girl Scouts of America, and keep that on your banner till you get home."

"I'd like to see you do it first," I said.

"You mean to tell me you're not afraid of that man?" Pee-wee said. "Do you think I'd let you--a scout has to be chivalrous. He has to protect women----"

"Give me your hatchet," she said, and she jerked it out of his belt.

"You better look out what you're doing," the kid said. "Do you want to get arrested?"

She swung Pee-wee's belt-axe in the air just like Carrie Nation or Joan of Arc and she said, "Follow me!"

Pee-wee said, "Dora Dane Daring, you'd better look out what you're doing."

She said, "Private Canary Bird Harris, you're a coward. Fall in line, everybody!"

Gee whiz, I thought that girl was crazy. Up she marched, right onto the porch, with all the rest of us after her. Pee-wee kind of hung back--safety first for him. I was ready to run any minute. We went across that porch as if we were stalking a bird.

But she didn't care. She just hit the door a good rap with the hatchet and kept pus.h.i.+ng the b.u.t.ton. Boy, I was kind of shaky!

Pee-wee said to her, "You'd better be ready to run."

I said, "I'm ready to go scout-pace for ten miles. I'm glad a scout can run."

I guess that big army all rolled into one with the bra.s.s b.u.t.tons must have known it was our crowd because he didn't come right away. Gee whiz, I pictured him getting madder and madder every second. I was ready to jump from the porch to the middle of the street. Pee-wee had one leg all ready for a good starter. All the while Dora Dane Daring kept pounding on the door and pus.h.i.+ng the b.u.t.ton.

All of a sudden the door opened. That's the end of this chapter.

CHAPTER XXV

PEE-WEE'S LOSS

Pee-wee gave a sudden start, then stopped. We all kind of stood back a little. Westy and Dorry stayed by the railing. We were all ready to retreat in disorder. There was that great big man filling up the whole doorway and his bra.s.s b.u.t.tons s.h.i.+ning. He looked like the Allied Army.

She just shouted right in his face,

"Stand aside and let these boys pa.s.s, in the name of the Girl Scouts of America!"

_G-o-o-d night_, as sure as I'm writing this, that great big colored man stood out of the way and in she marched waving Pee-wee's belt-axe. We all followed after her, kind of scary.

"You'd--you'd better look out," Pee-wee whispered to her. "He can lock us in here and have us all arrested. Maybe--you can't tell--maybe he meditates treachery. What--what are you going to do?"

"We're going to devastate his country, Private Canary Bird Pee-wee,"

she said. "Now you see what the Girl Scouts of America can do. Maybe sometime _you'll_ want to know how to break through hostile territory and then you'll remember Dora Dane Daring, won't you? Do you think _I'm_ afraid of a _butler_?"

"You'd--you'd better look out," Pee-wee said; "safety first."