Lew Ashwood’s suggestion of an all-day hike to Round Rock River was the first event scheduled. This was to take place on the following Saturday. In the succeeding week all had agreed to make a second trip to Bluff6 Creek[148] about six miles east of town, and there spend two days and two nights in camp.
Each boy had already secured permission to make the Round Rock trip and Mr. Trevor and Sammy Addington’s father had promised to follow the boys Saturday evening and bring them home in the automobile7. Even the mothers of all agreed to honor each boy’s requisition for food. There was such general endorsement8 of Mr. Trevor’s work in organizing the patrol and of his kindness in contributing uniforms for all, that it would have been hard for any parent to refuse co?peration.
The sick boy was no worse. He was yet so weak that no one was admitted to his room. Morning and night, when the doctor came, there was a report for the Scouts9, all of whom had come to look on the sick boy as a personal friend, although not one of them had ever spoken to Bonner and he was not conscious of ever having seen one of them. Yet he had spoken to them. At the first flight of the aeroplane he had called to them gruffly: “Chase yourselves, you kids.”
Each boy recalled this, but with no feeling of ill will. It was now generally agreed that the words were meant kindly10. At this time came[149] the first of three moves on the part of the Goosetowners which were to set Scottsville by the ears again. The first action was most unexpected. The Elm Streeters saw at once that the olive branch of peace they had extended was not accepted in the same spirit. Envy and jealousy11 were too much for Hank Milleson.
Wednesday evening, as the Wolf Patrol was forming for its daily dress parade, quiet Elm Street suddenly resounded12 with the sound of fife and drum. The clamor came from far up the street and rolled through the leafy tunnel of the grand elms with martial13 resonance14. The patrol line dissolved into listeners and then came together in a knot of indignant, red-faced boys. Straggling along in shiftless formation, with Hank Milleson at their head and a fifer and a drummer just behind him, appeared the entire Goosetown gang in a burlesque15 of the Wolf Patrol. Behind the drummer and the fifer one of the marchers carried a square of muslin on a lath. On this was the word “KIOTES.” As the marching humorists began to file by the Elm Street crowd, all the bitterness that led to the sycamore-tree fight revived. Without a word to each other the Wolves moved forward. The Coyotes were grinning[150] and attempting some uniformity of step with the aid of a chorus of “hep, hep, hep.” Connie saw that another crisis was at hand.
“Attention, Wolves!” he exclaimed. “Fall in!”
No one moved.
“Patrol, fall in!” came a second, quick command.
“The Wolf who doesn’t fall in on the next command,” whispered Connie with determination, “loses his uniform and is discharged. Attention! Fall in!”
With lips quivering, and white about their mouths, every Wolf did his duty. The line was formed. Then Connie whirled about. With all the dignity of a captain reporting to his superior, not a trace of irritation17 showing on his face, he brought his right hand to a full salute18. Not to be outdone, the head of the Coyotes returned the salute, his followers19 accompanying the act with snorts of laughter and loud guffaws20.
There were eleven boys in the mock parade. Each had made some attempt to add to the humor of the occasion by painting his face, by[151] the use of odds21 and ends of clothing or by wearing some bit of old uniform, old hat or even feathers in his hair. The marchers were Hank Milleson, Job Wilkes beating an old snare22 drum, Joe Andrews blowing a fife on which he had no skill whatever, Nick Apthorp carrying the improvised23 standard, Matt Branson, Buck24 Bluett, Tom Bates, Pete Chester, Mart Clare, Carrots Compton and Tony Cooper.
Hank’s costume was the one that aroused the bitterest resentment25. He was puffing26 at his black pipe and his bare feet and legs showed beneath his trousers which were rolled up to the knees. His flaunting27 insult was a soiled gingham apron28 which was tied about his waist and a faded sunbonnet which partly concealed30 his face. But this stinging affront31 was allowed to pass in dead silence.
The other costumes were less irritating, and reflected little originality32 on the part of the performers; an old political marching cap and cape33, a poor imitation of an Indian, three guns, one sword with clanging scabbard, a woman’s beflowered bonnet29, one boy with an infant’s nursing bottle, a great deal of colored chalk on hands and cheeks, and goose and chicken feathers[152] generously ornamenting34 hats and caps, make a fair summary.
The crowning feature was more to the point. At the rear of the single file cavalcade35 came Tony Cooper, the Sammy Addington of the Goosetowners. Tony was dragging at his heels a fat, little yellow cur puppy. On each yellow side of the pudgy little animal this word had been inscribed36 with tar3:
“WOLF”
A piece of twine37 encircled the puppy’s neck. Either frightened or in pain the dog was waddling38 along and pulling backwards39 with jerks and jumps. The unexpected salute by the leader of the Wolves, and Hank Milleson’s embarrassed return of it, created surprise in both groups of boys. Tony Cooper, at the end of the line, crowded forward to get the details of what was happening. As he did so, his mind off the captive puppy, the rolypoly little beast gave a new jump and the string came out of Tony’s hand. Like a big ball of yellow yarn40, the “Wolf” leaped away with all his might. The captive had torn itself free!
Not even Patrol Leader Connie tried to keep his face straight. The Wolves roared with laughter as Tony lit out after his charge.
[153]
“Wolf too much for you, eh!” yelled one of the Elm Streeters. “Look out he don’t bite! Them wolves is fierce!”
Taunts41 came from others of the Wolf Patrol but Connie made no attempt to detect the culprits as he was yet laughing himself.
“Better cage him!” called another scout. “Take all of you to handle him!” was another yell.
“An’ at that,” retorted Nick Apthorp from the street, “he’s the fiercest wolf I ever see.”
When it was seen that Tony had recaptured his puppy the fife and drum broke out anew. At this, Connie advanced into the street and approached Hank Milleson.
“Hank,” began Connie, “you know the boy ’at got hurt in the circus aeroplane is over to Trevor’s?”
“Pretty soft fur him I reckon,” replied Hank. “I knowed he is.”
“Well, we don’t play around there. We don’t make no noise at Trevor’s ’cause he’s purty sick.”
“I heered he was goin’ to likely die,” commented Hank absently.
“I don’t know if he is or not,” answered[154] Connie. “But the doctor says they oughtn’t to be no noise where he can hear it.”
Hank hesitated, grew sober and then said:
“This is as fur as we was goin’ anyway.” In order not to show weakness, however, he added: “We jus’ thought we’d come over here and tell you not to come a-paradin’ ’round in our part of town wearin’ them baby clothes.”
“Why do you come over here then, wearin’ monkey clothes?” retorted Connie.
“’Cause it suits us. What you goin’ to do ’bout it?”
“Nothin’,” answered Connie. “March where you like. But, when you’ve laughed yourself sick I wish you’d read this. It’s great,” and he handed Hank his own new manual. “It’s a present,” he added.
“What you givin’ it to me fur?” asked the puzzled Hank.
“’Cause I liked it and all our fellows do. I think you’ll like it too.”
Hank looked at it as if in much doubt. Then he opened it, by chance, at the picture of a camp scene with tents, camp fires, flagstaff, and picturesquely42 clad young scouts lying beneath tall, shady trees.
“Purty swell,” he commented slowly.[155] “You guys goin’ to do that?”
“You bet,” answered Connie.
“I reckon we’ll have to visit you.”
“Sure,” responded the Wolf Leader. “We’ll have eats enough for all.”
With a half wistful look at Connie, but with no reply to this invitation, Hank turned and shambled away. He still held the open book in his hand and, the decorated gang crowding closely about him, without the sound of fife or drum and with Tony Cooper carrying the puppy in his arms, the lately defiant43 crowd moved down the street.
Two hours later, when Connie came out from supper to hasten to the usual “talk gathering” in Art’s front yard, he found Nick Apthorp sitting on the curb44 in front of his home.
“Kind o’ out o’ your bailiwick, ain’t you, Nick?” exclaimed Connie with a smile.
“Say,” replied Nick ignoring the banter45, “you got any more o’ them books? Hank hung onto the one you give him. It’s full o’ pictures. I wish’t I could get one.”
“Mebbe Art Trevor’ll let you take his,” suggested Connie. “I got to get another one myself.”
“I don’t want no favors o’ that guy,” responded[156] Nick. “Can’t you get me one? How much do they cost?”
“Twenty-five cents,” explained Connie. “I’m goin’ to send for another. I’ll get you one if you like.”
“Well, you do it,” replied Nick. “Here’s a quarter ’at I got fur passin’ soap samples. But I wish’t you wouldn’t say nothin’ ’bout it—not to my gang nor to yours neither. Hank thinks he’s the whole cheese. I’ll show him.”
“Sure,” said Connie taking the money. “I’ll—”
“When you guys goin’ campin’?” interrupted Nick as if that was his only interest in seeing Connie.
“We ain’t goin’ campin’ right away,” responded Connie innocently. “Saturday we’re goin’ to hike to Round Rock an’ cook our breakfast at the cave. Then we’re goin’ to go up the river to Borden’s Ford46—that’s ’bout four miles. There’s good bass47 fishin’ at the ford. We’re goin’ to cook dinner there an’ fish awhile. An’ then we’re goin’ up to the old quarry48 an’ loaf ’round till they bring the automobile for us.”
“I caught some fine bass at the ford,” volunteered Nick. He paused rather wistfully[157] for a few moments. Then with renewed requests about secrecy49 as to his book he slouched up the street. Connie did not speak to the other boys of Nick’s visit nor of the book the boy wanted.
The eventful Saturday came at last. With haversacks packed the night before, thirteen boys awaited the dawn with impatience50. Before five o’clock the wrought-up scouts were off. In open order the squad51 was soon out of town.
With two stops for water at convenient wells the patrol reached the dusty lane leading to the caves of Round Rock River just before half past six. Once they were within the shade of the grove52 bordering the river bank at the cave, “Break ranks” was given and the perspiring53 young campaigners threw themselves on the grass. But boys rest quickly. At the first mention of breakfast the patrol was on its feet. The place was one used for picnics and tables were standing54. When haversack contents were dumped on one of these, the table resembled a delicatessen shop.
“Say,” protested Colly Craighead. “That[158] ain’t fair. I’m hungry. I brought them baked beans for breakfast.”
“You’ll want ’em worse at noon,” answered Connie. “Go help make the fire. Duke,” he added, “fill that pan with water.”
At the last moment they had been compelled to borrow a stew56 pan to boil the frankfurters. And this had been Duke’s extra equipment. Each boy had also strung a tin cup on his belt, and Davy Cooke carried a teapot.
About seven o’clock the open-shirted, hatless gang gathered about a table covered with newspapers. Before each was a cup of tea with sugar but no cream, and the portion of food for each boy: four large frankfurters, hot and steaming to the point of bursting, three inch-thick slices of bread, half a dill pickle57, two hard-boiled eggs, one doughnut and two cookies. In the center of the table were butter, pepper, salt, mustard and sugar. In ten minutes every scrap58 of food had disappeared. Colly again brought up the question of baked beans but he was instantly suppressed.
“One hour for restin’ or explorin’,” ordered Connie when haversacks had been repacked and stored in a heap and the pans washed. “But, remember, no swimmin’ until I give the[159] word. Wart59,” he added, “you’ll guard the haversacks.”
“Me?” exclaimed Wart in a shocked voice. “I brung a candle to explore the cave!”
“Well, you may as well hand it over to some one else. You’re on guard duty. Blow the recall whistle in one hour!”
There was a scattering60 of boys in all directions: some to the woods, several to a flat-bottomed boat lying partly on the shore, and others to the cave, a low opening into a rocky bluff, celebrated61 mainly for its ever dripping water and its bottom of sticky clay mud.
Connie walked along toward the farmer’s house. The last look he gave Wart revealed the disappointed boy gazing over the river beyond. It was well for the sentinel that Connie did not hear his muttered comment.
“They ain’t nothin’ in my book ’bout guardin’ nothin’ where they ain’t nobody to do nothin’.”
When Connie returned, Wart was fast asleep, hunched62 up at the foot of a tree. His leader blew the return whistle.
“I reckon I dropped off in a kind o’ doze,” began the aroused boy.
“You did, for half an hour. You’ll carry[160] the stew pan an’ the teakettle the rest o’ the day.”
“Who—?” began Wart in protest, his face reddening.
“You mean ‘who says so?’” interrupted Connie. “I do. Is that enough?”
At half past eight o’clock the patrol was off for Borden’s Ford.
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1
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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exacting
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| adj.苛求的，要求严格的 | |
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tar
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| n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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7
automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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endorsement
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| n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注 | |
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scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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10
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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12
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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13
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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resonance
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| n.洪亮；共鸣；共振 | |
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15
burlesque
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| v.嘲弄，戏仿；n.嘲弄，取笑，滑稽模仿 | |
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16
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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18
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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19
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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20
guffaws
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| n.大笑，狂笑( guffaw的名词复数 )v.大笑，狂笑( guffaw的第三人称单数 ) | |
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21
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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22
snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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23
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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24
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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25
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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26
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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27
flaunting
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| adj.招摇的，扬扬得意的，夸耀的v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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28
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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affront
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| n./v.侮辱，触怒 | |
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originality
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| n.创造力，独创性；新颖 | |
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33
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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34
ornamenting
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| v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的现在分词 ) | |
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35
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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36
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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37
twine
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| v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕 | |
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38
waddling
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的现在分词 ) | |
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39
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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40
yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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41
taunts
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| 嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 ) | |
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42
picturesquely
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43
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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44
curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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45
banter
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| n.嘲弄，戏谑；v.取笑，逗弄，开玩笑 | |
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46
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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47
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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48
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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49
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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50
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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51
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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52
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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53
perspiring
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| v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 ) | |
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54
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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55
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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56
stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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57
pickle
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| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
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58
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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59
wart
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| n.疣，肉赘；瑕疵 | |
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60
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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61
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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62
hunched
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| （常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的 | |
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63
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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