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  CHAPTER IV

  LAYING IN THE STORES

  Well, it was a busy day for the scouts of Stanhope Troop.

  There was the greatest running back and forth, and consultations amongthe lads, ever known. Where a parent seemed doubtful about givingpermission for a boy to take part in the intended cruise, influence wasbrought to bear on coaxing neighbors to drop in, and tell how glad theywere their boys were independent, as it was the finest thing that couldever come to them; and also what slight chances there seemed to be of anyaccident happening that might not occur when the lads stayed at home,where they would go in swimming anyhow.

  And owing to the masterly way in which the objections of certain parentswere met and overcome, long before noon every boy who had a ghost of achance of sailing on the two motor-boats reported that he had gainedconsent; even Curly Baxter admitted that his folks had been won over,and that he "could go along, if so he he chose to shut his eyes to facts,and just trust to luck," which, be it said, he finally did, just as Paulhad believed would be the case.

  Meanwhile Paul and Jack were making their purchases of provisions, usinga list that had been found useful on their other camping trip; althoughseveral little inaccuracies were corrected. For instance, they had takentoo much rice on that other occasion; and not enough ham, and salt pork,and breakfast bacon.

  Eggs they hoped to buy from some farmer over on the mainland; andpossibly milk as well. Jack even hinted that they might feel disposed, ifthe money held out, to get a few chickens, and have one grand feed beforebreaking camp.

  "And this time we'll try and make sure that none of our grub is hooked,like it was when we camped up on old Rattlesnake Mountain," Jack haddeclared, with emphasis, for the memory of certain mysterious thingsthat had happened to them on that occasion often arose to disturb someof the scouts.

  "Oh! it ought to be easy to look out for that part of the job," Paul hadmade answer; "because, you see, we'll have the two boats to store thingsin, and they can be anchored out in the lake, if we want, each with aguard aboard."

  By noon the whole town knew all about the expected cruise. Boys who didnot have the good luck to belong to Stanhope Troop became greatly excitedover it; and by their actions and looks showed how envious they were oftheir schoolmates.

  Just about then, if the assistant scout master had called for volunteers,he could have filled two complete additional patrols with candidates; forthe fellows began to realize that the scouts were having three times asmuch fun as any one else.

  But Paul was too wise for that. He believed in selecting the right sortof boys, and not taking every one who offered his name, just because hewanted to have a good time. These fellows would not be able to live up tothe iron-clad rules that scouts have got to subscribe to, and which arepretty much covered in the twelve cardinal principles which, each boydeclares in the beginning, he will try and govern his life by--"to betrustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."

  Some of the scouts were at Headquarters, as the room under the church wascalled, getting the supplies there in order, to take down to the boatslater on, when they were surprised to have a visitor in the shape of oldPeleg Growdy.

  This man lived just outside the town limits, on the main road. He hadonce kept his wagon yard in a very disgraceful condition, much to thedisgust of the women folks of Stanhope. The boys, too, looked upon Pelegas a crusty old fellow, who hated their kind.

  He had done something to offend one of the scouts, and it was proposedthat they play some sort of trick on the old fellow in order to pay himback; but Paul ventured to say that if the scouts went in a body to hisplace, when he was asleep, and cleaned up his wagon yard so that itlooked neat, he would have his eyes opened to the debt he owed thecommunity.

  Paul, it seemed, had learned the main cause of the old man's holdingaloof from his neighbors. It came from the fact that some years back hehad lost his wife and children in the burning of his house; and eversince had looked upon boys as especially created to worry lone widowerswho wanted only to be let alone.

  Well, the scouts certainly made a great friend of Peleg Growdy. He hadeven tried to induce them to let him purchase their suits to show that hewas a changed man; but of course they could not allow that, because eachtrue scout must earn every cent of the money with which his outfit in thebeginning is bought. But in many ways had old Peleg shown them that hewas now going to be one of the best friends the boys of Stanhope Troophad ever possessed.

  He had heard about their intended trip, when he came to town with someproduce; and rather than go back home with some things for which theredid not seem to be any sale at the price he wanted, he had come aroundwith his wagon to ask his boy friends to please him by accepting them ashis contribution to the cause.

  They could not disappoint the generous-hearted old man by refusing; andbesides the half-bushel of onions, and double the quantity of newpotatoes, looked mighty fine to the lads.

  About two o'clock, when it seemed that their list was about complete,even though they would doubtless think of a lot of things after it wastoo late to get them, Paul decided to send for the wagon that was to haulthe tents and other things, including blankets for the crowd, broughtfrom various homes to the meeting place, down to the waiting boats.

  "I wanted to get Ezra Sexton, but he was busy," Jack explained, when hehad carried out the errand given into his charge; "fact is, I hear,Bobolink, that Ezra came early this morning with an order from theprofessor, and took all those big cases away in his two wagons."

  "Well, that was quick work now, wasn't it?" grumbled Bobolink; "reckon Iwon't ever have a chance to see what was inside those boxes. Say, seehere, d'ye happen to know where Ezra hauled 'em? Not to the railroad, Ishould think, because they only came that way yesterday."

  But Jack shook his head.

  "Some distance off, I reckon, because the trucks don't seem to be backyet, so I couldn't get to see Ezra," he remarked; "but when we come homeagain, I'll ask my father about it, and relieve that curiosity of yours,Bobolink."

  "Huh! that means mebbe two weeks or so I'm to go on guessing, I s'pose,"the other remarked, in a disconsolate way that made Jack laugh.

  "Funny how you do get a notion in that coco of yours; and it'd take acrowbar to work it loose," he observed, at which the other onlygrinned, saying:

  "Born that way; must 'a made a mistake and left the wrong article at ourhouse for the new baby; thought it was a girl; always wantin' to knoweverything, and never happy till I get it. But Jack, I'll try and keepthis matter out of my mind. Don't pay any attention to me, if I lookcross once in a while. That'll be when it's got me gripped fast, and I'mtryin' to guess."

  "I've known you to do the same when you had one of those puzzles, tryingto work it," chuckled Jack Stormways. "Fact is, I remember that once youtold me you sat up till two o'clock in the morning over that ringbusiness."

  "But I got her, Jack--remember that; won't you? If I hadn't I'd beenburning the midnight oil yet, I reckon. 'Taint safe to make _me_ apresent of a puzzle, because I'm just dead sure to nearly split my poorweak brain trying to figger it out. And Jack, I'll never be happy till Iknow what was in those boxes; and why did that sly little professorbelieve someone wanted to steal his thunder and lightning?"

  It took several loads to carry all their traps down to the boats. Butfinally, as the groceries had also been delivered, the scouts took countof their stock, and it was believed they had about everything, save whatthe boys might bring in the morning from home.

  Paul advised them to go slow with regard to what they carried along, asthey did not expect to be gone six months. If any garments gave out, why,there would be plenty of soap and water handy; and the fellow who did notknow how to wash a pair of socks, or some handkerchiefs, had better takea few lessons on how to play laundry woman in an emergency.

  "If things keep on multiplying much more," the scout master remarked, ashe looked around at the tremendous amount of stuff which th
e boys werenow beginning to stow away systematically; "why we won't be able tonavigate the boats through that shallow canal at all. They'll just stickfast, because they'll be so low down in the water; and chances are we'llhave to spend all our vacation slobbering around in that mud trying tocoax them along. Go slow, fellows; bring just as little as you possiblycan in the morning. If there's any doubt about it being a real necessity,why leave it at home. We're all scouts and true comrades, ready to shareand share alike; so, no matter what happens, no one will go without."

  Of course there were many persons who came down to watch the loading ofthe supplies, for half of Stanhope was interested in the expedition; andgroups of envious boys could be seen in various nooks, taking note of allthat went on, while they wished they had such good luck.

  No one was allowed on board who had no business there. Of course when anyof the fathers or mothers of the boys who were going happened along, theywere only too proudly shown through both boats, and had everythingexplained by half a dozen eager scouts. But a couple of guards stood atthe gangplank, and no boy was allowed aboard unless accompanied by hisparents; and even then a strict watch was kept, because there were somepretty mean fellows in town, who believed in the motto of "rule orruin." When they were not allowed to play, they always tried their bestto see to it that no one else played, either.

  "There's Ted Slavin and Ward Kenwood sitting up on the bank over there,Paul," remarked Jack, about half an hour before the time when the scoutswould have to be going home to their suppers.

  "I've been watching them," replied the scout master; "and from the waythey carry on, laughing when they put their heads together, I had justabout made up my mind that they were hatching up some mischief."

  "Mischief!" echoed Bobolink, who was close by at the moment, and heardwhat was being said; "say, that's too nice a word to use when talkingabout the pranks of that combination. Ward, he supplies some of thebrains, and all of the hard plunks; while that bully, Ted Slavin, doesthe work, or gets some of his cronies to do it for him. Now, I wonder ifthey'll try to come aboard here, and play hob with our stuff, like theydid once before when we were all ready to hike off on a jaunt?"

  "Don't bother yourself about that, Bobolink," said Paul, quietly. "I haddecided, even before I noticed Ward and Ted, that we must have a guardstay on board all night. I'm going to see right now what fellows can bespared. They can go home to supper, and some of us will wait for them tocome back."

  "Let me be one, Paul; won't you?" pleaded Bobolink.

  "But you are so quick to act, and it might bring on trouble," objectedthe other.

  "Oh! I'll promise to think five times before I act once; and besides,there'll be some fellow along, like Jack here, who can keep me quiet. Ofcourse, though, if you believe I'm not fit to do the work, why--"

  "That'll do for you, Bobolink," Paul broke in, "if your folks say you canstay, come back ready to camp on board. I'll find you one or twomates--four if possible--so you can sleep in relays of twos. And I'llalso try to fix up some dodge that will cool those fellows off, in casethey try to jump aboard between sunset and daylight."

  "Huh! I'd rather _warm_ their jackets for 'em," growled Bobolink; who,having suffered before at the hands of the meanest boy in Stanhope, TedSlavin, had only the poorest opinion of him, and of those who trained inhis company.

  "When I come back tonight, after supper," continued Paul, "I'm going tofetch my shotgun along. It might come in handy on the cruise in case weran up against a wildcat, or something like that. And I've known such athing as a double-barrel to be mighty useful, when fired in the air, tomake sneaking boys nearly jump out of their skins with alarm--but alwaysin the air, remember, Bobolink."

  "Oh! don't worry about me; my bite is not half as bad as my bark. I liketo make out I'm just fierce, when all the while, if you could lookinside, you'd find me chuckling to beat the band. I wouldn't shoot a gunat anybody, unless it was to save another fellow's life; and then I'd tryto pepper his legs. Fetch the gun, Paul; it'll come in real handy."

  So, when Paul did come back after dark, he carried the weapon under hisarm in true hunter style; for Paul had been several times up in Maine,and knew a good deal of woodcraft, having had actual experience, which isbetter than theory, any day.

  These four scouts were left in charge of the two boats, when finally Paulwent back home to get some sleep before the eventful day that was towitness the sailing of the motorboat expedition:

  Bobolink; Tom Betts; Spider Sexton, of the Black Fox Patrol and AndyFlinn, who belonged to the Gray Foxes; and firmly did they promise Paulto keep a bright lookout to make sure that no harm came to the boatsduring the long night.