Bluff3 Creek4 got its name from a high bank of clay at a bend in the stream where small fossil forms were plentiful5. The water cutting into the bluff constantly presented new specimens6—“crinoids” the boys’ teacher termed them. The second day of the outing a number of the campers turned enthusiastic geologists7. In their eagerness to secure specimens the boys worked long and hard. When they turned in at an early hour the Goosetowners were practically forgotten.
Art and Colly Craighead were on the first watch from nine until twelve o’clock. They had taken station above and below the three tents, meeting occasionally behind the camp in a grove8 of cottonwoods for company. While they were on one of these absences from the[176] creek bank three naked forms dropped silently into the water from the opposite bank, and concealed9 by the water, made their way quickly to the shadow of an overhanging walnut10 tree in front of the camp. They then disappeared within the gloom of the walnut’s spreading, cave-like roots.
As Art and Colly separated, the former passed between the tents, within which his companions were loudly snoring. Then he stood for a few minutes on the overhanging bank and glanced up and down the glimmering11 creek, for the moon was nearly half full. With his love for the romantic Art glanced at his watch, walked around the tents once more and then, shouldering his staff, exclaimed in a low voice:
“Eleven o’clock an’ all is well.”
While he turned and walked down the stream, three naked forms crouching12 just below him in the walnut tree roots, nudged each other. Almost immediately, one water-glistening head of carroty hair rose cautiously above the bank. Then two other water-dripping heads followed.
In front of the center tent a tall sapling had[177] been set in the ground with a little pulley at the top from which for two days the Wolf Patrol pennant13 had snapped gayly in the breeze. These colors had been lowered at sundown and were now tied about four feet from the base of the flagpole. Against the same flagpole eleven of the precious scout1 staffs were stacked in pyramid form.
Three pairs of eager but cautious eyes fixed14 themselves on the camp and then three sinuous15 forms drew themselves, snakelike, over the grassy16 bank. The carroty-haired form crawled forward and, the two figures behind him watching in the directions of the receding17 sentinels, the forward invader18 reached the flagstaff. One after another the pennant-tipped Wolf staffs were silently caught and passed to the rear. Without a sound all were hastily transferred to the bank of the creek.
Then Carroty-head drew himself up to the flagstaff and attempted to loosen the gorgeous Wolf pennant. The cords seemed to hold fast. Apparently19 the thief was trying to tear the colors from the lines. Those behind him, emboldened20 by the silence, crawled to his side and also got on their feet. There were quick and[178] low whispers and then the three grasped the coveted21 bunting.
At that instant two things happened. Colly Craighead, reaching the end of his beat, where a willow22 thicket23 deepened the gloom, paused for a few minutes’ rest. As he turned, he caught sight of the shadowy forms before the camp. He saw them only dimly in the dark, for the half moon scarcely pierced the night shadows beneath the trees. But what he saw resembled moving bronzes. While he hesitated, a chance moonbeam shot through the black trees, giving the indistinct group the silvery outlines of human figures.
In the moment Colly hesitated, another thing occurred. Struggling and straining with the pennant (for the invaders24 had no knife) they gave the cord a yank and the dry pulley wheel squeaked25 like a whistle. Like the snapping of a camera shutter26 the flaps of the middle tent flew apart and Alex Conyers sprang through the opening. As he yelled “What’s that?” a Wolf cry rang out from Colly’s station and almost instantly came a signal from Art’s end of the beat.
As the Wolf pickets27 came crashing through the grass and dead timber, Connie hurled28 himself[179] on the nearest figure, and two naked bodies dived headlong into the creek. There was a moment’s silent struggle in the dark and then came the uproar29 of the arriving sentinels and the commotion30 of the outpouring, half awakened31 scouts. It did not need a light to reveal Carrots Compton as the leader of the midnight invaders. With the torn emblem32 in Carrots’ clutch he and Connie rolled over and over in each other’s embrace.
Art and Colly threw themselves into the fray33. The struggling boys, no one speaking, had edged toward the stream. As the two pickets sprang to assist Connie the overhanging bank of the stream suddenly gave way and the four boys tumbled into the creek. The camp had been located at this point because of the deep “hole” and Carrots and his would-be captors sank “over their heads” at once.
As for Art and Colly, they were fully34 clothed and it was necessary for them to look out for themselves. The gap in the bank was already lined with scouts in pajamas35. There was a play of moonlight on the water but the shadows of the overhanging trees made it hard to tell friend from foe36. The shouting boys on the bank, who were waving staffs and trying to[180] secure lights, could make out only a thrashing about in the water, exploding breaths as the floundering boys cleared their mouths, and foam37 of rapid strokes as each tried to reach the bank.
Art and Colly were soon in safety, but as they were being drawn38 up the bank, Art loosed his grasp on a staff and plunged39 into the stream again.
“There they go,” he shouted as he realized that the naked Carrots and Connie in his pajamas were lunging across the narrow creek. Colly followed Art but they were too late. As Connie, slowed up by his clinging night garments, reached the shallow water, Carrots, the stolen pennant in his grasp, had been joined by his two companions and all were off on a dead run over the gravel40 and sand.
“They got to get their clothes,” yelled Connie. “Come on! We’ll see who the other kids are.”
But the feet of the Boy Scouts were not as indifferent to the jagged stones as were those of the Goosetowners. The open shore of the other bank of the stream ran west a few hundred feet, skirting the clay bluff, and then broadened out into a “bottom.”
[181]
It was not an inviting42 looking place. As the bluff dropped down to the low ground, sand covered with driftwood and overgrown by willows, it gave way to a dark pathless “bottom”—the driftwood standing43 like skeletons in the half luminous44 night. To add to the embarrassment45 of the pursuers a wire fence, tangled46 into a rope of sharp spikes48, lay among the water weeds and drifted sand.
“Look out for that old wire fence,” called Art in reply, his soaked shoes squirting water and his clinging pants rasping like a file as he stumbled after Connie. His advice came too late. The excited patrol leader had seen the shadows of the flying marauders pass into the willow waste and he plunged ahead in the same direction. Then his wet and dragging trousers caught in a half buried fence-wire barb49 and Connie shoved his head into the wet sand.
When he was again on his feet, Art and Colly had joined him, and more yelling scouts were swimming the creek. The breathless Connie was not injured. With another shout that the fugitives50 would have to stop somewhere to[182] dress, he sprang ahead again into the black jungle of river willows. In the midnight shadows the three boys were instantly lost. They were not only lost as an expedition but, a little later, they were lost from each other. Colly, forcing himself through the tangle47 in one direction, soon found himself, scratched and bleeding, again on the shore of the creek, completely turned around. The re?nforcements attempted to proceed no farther than the edge of the willow swamp. Far in its depths Art could be heard calling, and guiding calls were sounded in return. He had stumbled upon a little opening where a shallow bayou was margined51 with swamp grass and deep-voiced frogs. In the glint of the moon he had seen a moving eddy52 in the pool and the thought of a snake sent him lunging once more into the thicket.
Connie had disappeared without further sound or signal. Five minutes later, from a point east of the swamp, came a low, familiar call—the cry of the Wolf. Before the excited scouts behind him could organize an advance in that direction, the call was heard again, this time down near the big bluff. Like sore-hoofed and drenched53 sheep the water-soaked, and now shivering scouts made their way as rapidly as[183] they could in that direction. They were in time to see their leader sliding down the clay bluff to the creek bank. His face was smeared54 with swamp soil, the trousers of his pajamas he carried in his arms and his legs were scratched and bloody55.
“Well,” he shouted as he got his breath, “they’ve done the business! They got the flag and they got our horse an’ wagon56! They was six of ’em!”
“The horse and wagon?” roared a chorus.
The grocery wagon and the horse had been left in the corner of a pasture on the road back of the bluff, by special arrangement with a farmer who had also undertaken to feed and water the animal. The wagon road did not cross the creek and this was the nearest point to the camp where the horse could be cared for. When Connie had made his way through the swamp he was in sight of the wagon camp and he could just make out moving forms gathered about the wagon.
“An’ the kids left their clothes in the wagon. I snook along the fence till I got close enough to see some of ’em. They was only six. Carrots[184] Compton was one of ’em. He got the flag. An’ the two others ’at swum the crick was Matt Branson and Buck58 Bluett. I think Nick Apthorp was one o’ the others. One of ’em was already on the seat an’ I couldn’t see him. But it was Hank Milleson all right, you bet you. There was another one but I didn’t see him an’ he didn’t say nothin’.”
“They ain’t done nothin’ else,” went on Connie. “An’ I reckon that’s ’bout the limit. That comes purt nigh bein’ stealin’. Somebody’s goin’ to sweat for this,” he continued, trembling with nervousness and absent-mindedly wiping the blood off his bleeding legs with his wet pajamas.
“Oh, I never thought of that,” retorted Connie ironically. “I might have. They was only six of ’em. An’ besides, they started on a gallop61 ’fore I got plum to ’em. But I’ll get ’em to-morrow, don’t you forget that,” he concluded significantly. “We’ve stood for enough from them guys. We’ll have ’em took up an’ see how a good dose o’ calaboose goes with ’em.”
[185]
With unanimous and enthusiastic approval the bedraggled, shivering boys turned campward again, outwitted and humiliated62. A cool breeze had sprung up and the moon was waning63. Led by Connie they crossed the creek again in disgust. In default of dry night-clothes the camp fire was fanned into new life and in a few minutes thirteen naked boys danced around the crackling blaze to dry and warm themselves.
As their spirits revived, some one discovered that he must have food. Others became suddenly as hungry. It was after twelve o’clock but despite the cooler atmosphere the cheery camp fire seemed to turn the crowd into Indians. With yells and posturing64 the scouts marched and danced about the crackling flames. Connie joined in and when the old sycamore grove began to resound65 with war whoops66 of defiance67 and vengeance68 the leader lost his sense of discipline and ordered out the big pot of beans baking overnight in a hole beneath the camp fire.
“Who cares?” he shouted. “It’s our last night in camp. To-night we’ll merry, merry be an’ to-morrow we’ll go hungry.”
Just before two o’clock in the morning, satisfied that there was no more to be feared from[186] the enemy, after the camp fire had been smothered69, thirteen happy boys wrapped themselves in their blankets and only an empty bean pot told of the midnight revel70.
A telephone message from the nearest farm house at seven o’clock the next morning to Mr. Trevor resulted in the arrival of old man Bristow’s dray at the camp about noon. Everything eatable on hand was prepared for dinner, and camp was struck about two o’clock and a last swim taken. In the midst of this, out of curiosity Art and Colly crossed the creek and made a daylight tour of the willow swamp.
There seemed nothing alarming about the place in the sunlight and its wildest portions were penetrated71 with ease. A sudden yell from Colly startled the boys in the creek. And when he came rushing out of the willow wilderness72 with the lost patrol flag in his waving hand, another naked war dance was held on a sand bar in the creek.
“Carrots lost it,” yelled Colly. “He dropped it. I reckon we was purty close to him.”
Connie sprang forward and grabbed the pennant. The corners were torn but otherwise the emblem was intact.
[187]
“An’ just for that,” exclaimed the young leader, “we’ll carry our flagpole back to town; pole, flag, pulley and cord.”
The adventure of the stolen horse and wagon had apparently aroused new feelings of enmity in every one of the Wolves. The old dray driver went on ahead to town and when the Wolves reached Scottsville at five o’clock, without a protest from Connie, with the lost and recovered pennant flying from the tall sapling, the patrol marched defiantly73 through the heart of Goosetown. Somewhat to the boys’ surprise, not one of the enemy was in sight. Leader Conyers, with lips set, even countermarched once through this section of the town. Not a boy appeared. As the cavalcade74 crossed the railroad the last time, some one caught sight of Tony Cooper. Tony had not been with the night raiders but he had a worried look. Connie called to him:
“Where’s the gang? Tell ’em they’ll have to come again to get our flag.”
Tony seemed to know what Connie meant. But he made no reply and seemed about to escape when Art added:
“You can tell ’em they’d better bring our[188] wagon back. We know ’em all, an’ don’t you forget it!”
“Who got it?” demanded Art.
“The marshal. An’ he made ’em take it over to Addington’s. But they was goin’ to take it anyway.”
“Where’s the gang?” persisted Art.
“In the calaboose?” asked Connie.
Tony nodded his head.
“All of ’em?” went on Connie excitedly.
“All ’at was there,” answered Tony. “I wasn’t with ’em.”
“What’d he lock ’em up for?” added Art anxiously.
“Why, for horse stealin’,” whimpered Tony. “An’ they’re tryin’ to get some money to hire a lawyer.”
While the scouts stood aghast—open-mouthed and silent—Tony added:
“The marshal says they’re all goin’ to the penitentiary77.”
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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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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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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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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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geologists
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| 地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 ) | |
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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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12
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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pennant
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| n.三角旗；锦标旗 | |
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14
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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invader
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| n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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emboldened
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| v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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squeaked
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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26
shutter
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| n.百叶窗；(照相机)快门；关闭装置 | |
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pickets
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| 罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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32
emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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pajamas
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| n.睡衣裤 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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41
willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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42
inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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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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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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45
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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46
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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48
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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49
barb
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| n.（鱼钩等的）倒钩，倒刺 | |
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50
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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51
margined
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| [医]具边的 | |
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52
eddy
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| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
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53
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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54
smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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55
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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56
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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57
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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58
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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61
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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62
humiliated
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| 感到羞愧的 | |
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waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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64
posturing
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| 做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 ) | |
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65
resound
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| v.回响 | |
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66
whoops
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| int.呼喊声 | |
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67
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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69
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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70
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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71
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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72
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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73
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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74
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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75
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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76
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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77
penitentiary
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| n.感化院；监狱 | |
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