Oh, but it was dark and it smelled bad in that hall. I guess they oughtto tear down that row of tenements. Pretty soon I rapped again, and Ifelt kind of funny, because I didn't know what I ought tosay--especially if a woman opened it. All of a sudden it opened verysoft, and, good night I who should be standing there but--who do youthink?
Westy Martin.
Jiminetty, but wasn't I flabbergasted! Even as surprised as I was, Ilooked down at his feet and sure enough he had on scout shoes, almostnew. Talk about plots growing thicker! This one was getting so thickyou couldn't drive a nail into it.
"Well--what--are--you--doing--here?" I gasped out just like that.
"Shh," he said, "keep quiet; come in, but keep quiet."
So I went in, all flabbergasted and there was a room with the paperall falling off the walls and no carpet On the floor, but anyway thewindows were wide open, that was one good thing. And over in the cornerwas an old cot without any sheets or anything and, oh, gee, it lookedbad because I've got a dandy bed up in my den--all brass and filigreework--you know.
But, crinkums, I didn't notice the cot much because there was a fellowon it and as soon as I looked at him I knew who it was, even though helooked worse than he most always did. It was Skinny McCord.
"You waked him up by knocking," Westy said
"It isn't the first knocking I did to--day," I said "but I guess I cansee how it is now--I guess I can."
"It's only a good turn," he said; "he did you a good turn, and so I hadto do one for him, that's all. It's for the scouts too, and I don'tcare what they say."
Then I happened to notice a catching mitt and a baseball over on a tablenear Skinny, where there was some medicine too. And then, all of asudden, everything seemed to glisten like, especially when I blinkedmy eyes. Gee, I know how easy it is for girls to cry, but afellow--anyway--when I saw Westy sit down on the edge of that cot andnot pay any attention to me, only to Skinny, I couldn't speak at all.I only just happened to think to do something and I'm glad I thoughtabout it. I just raised my hand and made Westy Martin the full scoutsalute. Patrol leaders don't do that mostly to the fellows in theirpatrols, but I should worry about rules and things like that.
"You're taking care of him?", I said as soon as I could, and I felt allfoolish sort of. "I tracked him, but I never thought"--and I justcouldn't say any more.
But even still Westy didn't speak to me, only he said to Skinny, "Here'sa real patrol leader come to see you--that's a big honor, that is, andhe just made you the full salute. You remember it in the Scout Handbook?"
"I made that salute to you," I said to Westy, all choking, I have toadmit it, "and I meant it too."
"You're a great tracker," he said; "wouldn't you like to be as good atracker as he is, Skinny?" And I could see that all he cared about wasamusing Skinny.
"Don't talk about me," I said; "I'm a big fool, that's what I am, buttell me all about it."
"There isn't anything to tell," said Westy, "except that Skinny alwayswanted to be a scout, but he didn't have any money and all like that.But anyway, he got the Handbook and studied it all up and it got him."
"Same as it gets any fellow that looks inside of it," I said.
"And the part that interested him most of all was tracking andsignalling. You see how he carved the tracking emblem on one of hisshoes--"
"You needn't show it to me," I said, "I saw it."
"Last night," Westy said, "he read that smudge signal, because helearned the Morse Code out of the Handbook, and he knew that somebodymight be coming up the river with the false report. He didn't know justwhat he ought to do and I guess he was scared to go up to your housebecause he didn't have any good clothes. So he ran down through themarshes and waited at the landing, because he knew Jake Holden would becoming up stream. Jake's one good friend to him, and he often took himout and he wasn't afraid of Jake.
"Pretty soon he heard Jake's boat coming up the river and saw the lightand he just waited there and when Jake come up alongside the float, thefirst thing Skinny heard him say was, Roy Blakeley is dead--didn't you,Skinny?"
But I could see that Skinny's eyes were shut now and he didn'thear.
"Go on," I said. "So Skinny told him it wasn't true, and told himabout the signal. Jake didn't pay much attention because he thoughtSkinny was just a little crazy on account of being so poor and hungryand all that and not having a good home. So he was going up to yourhouse anyway and Skinny cried and hung onto him, and begged him not to.I guess he went on kind of crazy, but he said he was sure because he knewthe Morse Code. Anyway, just to humor him, I guess, Jake promised himhe'd wait till early in the morning, and meanwhile you came home. Doyou see?"
Honest, I couldn't answer him.
"Skinny was the one who did it," he said. "That accounts for his tracks,don't you see?"
I shook my head to show him I understood. But I couldn't say it.
"And that's how tracking and signalling have brought the three of ustogether--see?" Westy said. "It's funny, isn't it, how it brings thethree of us together here in this tenement house."
"How did you come here?" I said.
"I was just starting for the house-boat this morning early, when I metSkinny's mother. She was going to do her day's washing. And she told mehow she had to leave him sick in bed, and she asked me if I'd go andstay with him till she got back. I went back and got the ball and mittbecause I thought maybe he'd like them. She said he got a bad cold inthe marshes and he was all excited and kind of crazy from the way he'dhung onto Jake and begged him not to go up to your house--what did thefellows think when I didn't show up?"
"You--you should worry," I just blurted out.
"Anyway I don't care so much about the troopor Mr. Ellsworth either," he said, "and even if I cared about Skinny itwouldn't do much good, because he's going to die--the doctor says so. ButI care a lot about you and he did you a good turn. I was afraid he mightdie before you had a chance to pay him back. So I just sort of tried topay him back for you--"
All the while he was talking I could hardly hear what he was saying andthere was one word ringing through my head.
It was the word slacker.
CHAPTER XVII
THE TWO CROSSES
I guess maybe I'd better tell you about Skinny now, so you'll know allabout who he is. Before I was a scout I used to call him Wash-board,because he was so skinny you could have used his ribs for a wash-board.I guess I used to think that was funny, but, gee, when you get to be ascout you find out what real fun is and you don't call names like that.
He always lived down in Barrel Alley and his mother goes out washing.Once Skinny's father hit him on the head and it made him queer like. Buthe got better mostly. Only he was always afraid of people after that. Hisfather went away and got killed. Sometimes Skinny sold papers at thestation, but he was always scared of people, especially rich fellows.How should I know he was interested in Scouts? He didn't have much toeat, I guess. Anyway Jake Holden was a good friend to him and he wasn'tscared of Jake. I guess maybe he had consumption.
He didn't wake up again then, anyway he didn't open his eyes, and as soonas his mother came home from her work Westy and I went home. I wasn'tthinking anything about the house-boat now. I was only thinking aboutSkinny and I had my mind all made up, too. I didn't say anything toWesty, but on the way home I decided what I was going to do.
It was the scout trail that took me to that tenement house and if youfollow a scout trail you're safe. That scout trail knew what it wasdoing all right. There wasn't any trail leading to the house-boat.Stick to your trail. That's the rule. And you can bet your life I wasgoing to stick to that trail now. If that trail was going to lead tothe cemetery, all right--that's what I said. But I had picked up SkinnyMcCord's trail and I made up my little old mind that I was going to hangon to it and follow it like a blood-hound.
That night we were going to have a special troop meeting to decide aboutchipping in money for our cruise up to camp, because we didn't have muchleft on account of spendin
g so much for paint and lumber and differentthings.
I knew how the fellows and Mr. Ellsworth would be feeling about me notcoming back and Westy not showing up, and I knew how the Silver Foxeswould feel, especially. But anyway, I had my mind all made up. Aftersupper my sister Ruth played a game of tennis with Westy. While theywere playing I went up to my room and got out the Scout Handbook. ThenI read the scout laws over, but anyway I knew them. I had read them alland I made two crosses with a pencil, one alongside of one law and onealongside another. Then I put the Handbook in my pocket and wentdownstairs.
It was time to go to the meeting now and so we started off.
"You seem awful funny," Westy said; "what's the matter?"
"It's patrol business," I said; "it's about--"
"Is it about me ?" he asked me.
"It's about my patrol," I said; "it's about the Silver Foxes. Did you everhear that a Silver Fox never makes a mistake about a trail?"
"No," he said, kind of puzzled.
"You want to read up natural history," I said to him. "A silver fox knowsthe tracks of all the different kinds of animals and if he could talk hecould tell you about them."
"Too bad he can't talk," Westy said, sort of jollying me.
"I can talk," I said. Then after a minute I laid, "It's about the Elkpatrol, too."
He didn't say any more and pretty soon we got to the troop-room--that'sin the Public Library. We were a little late, but I wanted it that way,so we wouldn't have any talk with anyone before the meeting started.Everyone said "hello" to us, but they were the coldest "helloes" you eversaw. "If I'd known it was going to be as cold as this. I'd have worn mysweater," I told Westy. Even my own patrol didn't say anything to us,and they all looked kind of glum. I heard Will Dawson say somethingabout our patrol being "in bad," but I didn't pay any attention--Ishould worry.
Now the way we sit at the beginning of troop meetings is in three rowsand each patrol is one row. The patrol leader always sits at the righthand end of the row and Mr. Ellsworth sits in front. If there are anylocal councilmen they sit in front with him. But it doesn't look muchlike that after things get started, I can tell you that, That night Mr.Bennett was there, too. He's on the Local Council.
When Westy and I went up to our row to sit down, nobody said anything tous at all, not even the fellows in our own patrol. Ralph Warner wassitting in my seat at the end, and he said, kind of cold like, "Do youwant to sit down here?"
"Of course I want to sit down there," I told him; "I'm the leader of thispatrol. Where should I sit?" So he moved over kind of glum and I sat downin my chair at the end, right beside the Silver Fox emblem that stands ina rack on the floor. Maybe they had an idea of electing a new patrolleader, hey? I should Worry.
As soon as we were all ready Mr. Ellsworth. called the roll and Westyand I were marked late. Then Mr. Ellsworth read a couple of notices andsaid the special meeting was called for several purposes. He said onewas to draft a letter of gratitude to Mr. Donnelle for loaning us theboat, and one was to decide (he always says determine, but decide iseasier) how much each scout could chip in for the expenses of our cruiseup the Hudson to Catskill Landing.
Then he looked very serious and said one of the patrols had all signeda petition (all except two absentees, he said) asking him to order anelection in that patrol for a new patrol leader.
"I have been asked," that's just what he said.
"I have been asked to administer a troop reprimand to a member of thepatrol of the Silver Foxes for absenting himself throughout the day fromurgent troop duties with no better excuse than a desire to play baseball.This I shall have to do. The new election is asked for in order that apatrol leader may be found who will not leave his patrol and his dutieson a mere pretext and not return. I authorize this election. MeanwhileWesleigh Martin will please stand up."
I could see that Westy's face was kind of white and his lips were tighttogether and I knew be didn't intend to say anything.
CHAPTER XVIII
SCOUT LAW NUMBER THREE
Now, I can tell you just exactly what Mr. Ellsworth said, because Iremembered it and I wrote it down right afterwards. First I was afraidWesty would say something and I didn't want him to, because--well,you'll see. So now I'll copy what Mr. Ellsworth said. Oh, jiminy, youcould hear a pin drop, everyone was so quiet. He said, "Wesleigh(that's Westy, you know), I have been asked by your own patrol to giveyou this public reproof, and I speak for the whole troop as well, whenI remind you that your action today in absenting yourself and therebyavoiding your share of the work we had undertaken to do, wasunscoutlike and unworthy of you, and unworthy of the patrol whose finetraditions you were bound to guard and support. You knew that to beentitled to your share of the pleasure of this purposed cruise, youwould have to do your share of the work. You knew that to--day was setapart for concerted effort by the whole troop to make this boat ready forstarting next Saturday. You knew that at the urgent request of some ofyou boys I arranged to spend the day helping you. You were one of theboys who asked me to do this. You remember?"
"We meet here to-night after a hard day's work, pleasant as work alwaysis, but hard nevertheless. You will have the satisfaction of knowingthat you will occupy a bunk which your companions have made ready foryou, and that you did not yourself hammer so much as a single nail.Arthur Ivan Arlen and Wigley Weigand, both weary and one lame, aftera frightful experience, were here and helped to make the boat safe andcomfortable for you. They were loyal to the Raven Patrol. I hope you maybe moved to appreciate the interest and spirit which they displayed whileyou were playing ball.
"When you have an opportunity, Wesleigh, I would like to have you readthe scout laws again and bear in mind particularly your obligation ofloyalty to your scoutmaster, which of course, means to your scoutduties--your troop and your patrol. I kept my word with you to--day andyou did not keep your word with me. The house-boat is ready for ourcruise, and I hope that you, along with all the members of the troop willfind the trip enjoyable. That is all, Wesleigh, unless you have somethingto say."
Oh, gee, you should have heard the silence--I don't mean heard it--butthere wasn't a sound. Then Westy said, "I haven't got anything to say."And then he sat down.
I knew that it was time then for me to do what I wanted to do, but Icouldn't get up because I felt all shaky. I was holding to the pole ofthe Silver Fox emblem that was right beside me, and, oh cracky, I feltfunny. All of a sudden I heard Mr. Ellsworth say that he wouldn't sayanything to Roy Blakeley because the patrol was going to have anelection and then I heard Will Dawson, of my patrol, say under hisbreath, sort of, that there'd be only one fellow to vote for me, andI knew he meant Westy Martin. Gee, I'm glad I heard him say thatbecause it gave me a kind of an idea what to say and it made me mad,and when you're mad you have courage--you know what I mean, you can getup and talk. Jiminy, I knew I couldn't make a speech like Mr. Ellsworthwith all long words, and besides I had to be careful that it didn'tseem as if I was just answering him back.
So then I grabbed tight hold of the emblem pole because, I don't know,it seemed to give me courage kind of, and it was my emblem and my patrolfor a few minutes yet, anyway. But oh, didn't my hand tremble. Anyway Icould see that Mr. Bennett was sort of listening and I wasn't so muchscared after I got up.
This is what I said, only I didn't say it as well as it sounds here onaccount of being nervous, but I should worry as long as I knew I wasright, hey? "I heard a fellow in my patrol say just now" that's the wayI began, "that there is only one Silver Fox would vote for me because Iwent away and didn't come back. I know he meant Westy and he's the onefellow I'd want to vote for me, anyway, you can bet. I don't care whathappens, I don't, if Westy will only vote for me. Because he's one realscout and none of the rest of you know anything about scouting alongsideof him--You don't. And anyway I don't care so much if I'm not leader anymore, if I could only be sure you'd elect him leader--"
"He stands a tall chance," I heard a fellow say.
"About as tall as Pee-wee
," another fellow said.
He was trying to be smart.
"Maybe he'll have a tall chance, as tall as the Woolworth Building," Isaid; "you'd better keep still. I want to ask Mr. Ellsworth if I can saysomething--while I'm still Silver Fox leader, that's all."
"Surely you may, Roy," he said, kind of pleasant.
"Because there's one more thing I'm going to say for my patrol. I--Istarted that patrol and--"
Oh, gee, then I broke right down, not exactly crying, but you know,there was something in my throat and I just couldn't talk for a minute."Go on, Roy," Mr. Ellsworth said, and he was awfully nice, I have toadmit that.
So I said how I started that patrol and did the best I could and alwaystold the fellows to be loyal and how disgrace spills all over just likeMr. Ellsworth himself told us.
"Anyway, Mr. Ellsworth," I said, "I can't say it as good as I'd like to,because--you know--"
"Take your time, Roy," he said.
"Anyway, you remember how you spoke about the laws." I was holding tightto the Silver Fox standard and it kind of helped me to speak, and I guesspretty soon my voice didn't shake. "I know all the laws," I said, "and Ithink more about them than I do about stunts and adventures and things--"
"How about baseball?" a fellow said, but I didn't pay any attentionto him, and Mr. Ellsworth frowned at him.
"And only to-night I looked at them," I said, "and I made marks next totwo of them." Then I fumbled in my pocket and got out the Handbook, andI reminded myself of a lawyer. Anyway I could see Mr. Bennett smile atMr. Ellsworth. "Gee, I wouldn't say anything against the laws, that'sone sure thing," I said, "because they're all dandy laws, you can bet.But maybe a fellow might not know which one to obey because he can'tobey them all at once, can he?"