CHAPTER VI
A STRANGE SUGGESTION
"Who goes there?"
"A scout of the Red Fox Patrol!"
"Advance scout, and give the countersign!"
A figure came shuffling forward, bent over, and whispered a word in theear of the sentinel at the door of the old tobacco barn.
"Correct! Pass in, scout!" said the one on guard, solemnly.
But William chose to loiter by the door, and watch the gathering of theclans, for the boys arrived rapidly after that, usually in pairs.
"Where's the other twin?" asked Paul, seeing William alone.
"Unavoidably detained, Captain. May be on deck later. Here comes anotherbunch," and William stepped aside to allow the sentry to halt Andy Flinn,who had arrived in company with Jud Elderkin, the latter as tall and thinas the former was fat and pudgy.
"Pass along, gentlemen," sang out William, after the pair hadsuccessfully stood the test; "the animals went in two by two; theelephant and the kangaroo!" and as usual there was a laugh at thissally, which applied so aptly to the couple just entering.
"All here now, Paul," announced Jack Stormways, counting noses in thelight of half a dozen lanterns provided by Mr. Shipley, the owner of thebarn.
For an hour routine business was transacted.
There were just twenty-one names on the roll now, and all present savingtwo, Wallace Carberry and another. It was decided to organize two patrolsat once, the first to be under the charge of Paul as scout leader, whileJud Elderkin took the Gray Fox crowd.
The more the assembled lads learned concerning the duties and sports ofthe Boy Scouts, the greater became their enthusiasm. As the eveningprogressed they were fairly bubbling over with excitement, and it beganto look as though the success of the new movement were already assured.
But Paul knew that it must be a constant fight between the naturalrough-and-ready, give-and-take spirit which almost every boy inheritsfrom his ancestors, and the new idea that would have him a hero withoutbeing a bully or a brawler.
And he was not surprised when, later on, just before they thought ofbreaking up the meeting, William got the floor on the question of apersonal privilege, and threw a bombshell into the camp.
"I'm going to ask a favor of you fellows," he said; "and you can help mebreak even with that old rooster as well as have some fun. D'ye thinkyou can stand the racket?"
The others crowded around, for they knew very well that when William hadanything to propose it usually meant some frolic. But Paul noticed to hissurprise that the joker seemed worked up far more than he could everremember seeing him before, and he scented trouble ahead.
"Who is it this time, William? Tell us about it, old fellow! Of coursewe're bound to stand by you through thick and thin. That's one of thefirst duties of a scout, you know. Speak up, and give us a tip!"
It was Jud Elderkin who said this; but that he voiced the sentimentsof pretty much the entire group could be judged from the chorus ofexclamations that greeted his aggressive speech.
"It's that old grumpy miser, Peleg Growdy," said the orator, waving hishands to emphasize his words. "He never had any use for boys, you know,and often says he wonders why the pests were ever born. I don't rememberdoing him any mean thing in my life, but he's got it in for the wholecreation of boys, I expect."
"What did he do to you?"
"Yes, tell us, William. We'll stand by you, never fear."
"He needs a good lesson, the old skinflint. Tell us what happened!"
William grinned, for he saw that he had already captured the heartsof his comrades, and had small need to fear they would let him seeksatisfaction alone.
Jack Stormways was as deeply interested in the outcome as his chum Paul.
He remembered all his father had said at the breakfast table on thepreceding day, in connection with this same man Growdy.
William was proceeding to thrill his hearers some more. To hear him talkone might imagine his father was a celebrated lawyer instead of the townblacksmith, for William had a smooth tongue.
"I guess all of you know by this time what some fellers did to Growdy'spigs last Saturday night, painting 'em to beat the band? It's the talkof the town, and lots of folks says that it serves the old crusty justright. But I was tucked away in my little bed alongside t'other twin thatnight, as snug as two bugs in a rug; and consequently had my little_alibi_ ready to prove I wasn't in the bunch that paid him that slyvisit."
"Oh! we all know who did it, never fear!" cried Joe Clausin.
"He spells his name T-e-d!" echoed Bobolink.
"All right. Because some bad boys played that joke on old Growdy he seemsto have it in for every mother's son in Stanhope. I met him on the roadthis afternoon when I was out with a light wagon after some feed. He wason the way to town to deliver a big load of truck. Everybody's entitledto half the road; ain't that the law, fellers?"
"Sure it is, William; but that mean man wouldn't budge for you, hey?"said Jud.
"Not for an inch. Just hauled up there taking two-thirds of the road, andstarted to light his pipe. I was in a hurry to get along, and thoughtI could just squeeze by; but I made a mistake, and my wagon got upset inthe ditch. He went on, grinning at my trouble, and never offering toraise a hand to help me out."
Exclamations of indignation arose on all sides.
"He needs another lesson, boys!"
"Say the word, William, and we're with you. Guess I might think up a fewways for you to get even with the old skinflint!"
Paul saw that they were rapidly being swayed by their feelings of naturalresentment. He had no particular reason for liking Peleg Growdy any morethan the balance of the group; but the lesson of returning good for evilhad taken full possession of his soul.
Once he would have been only too ready to join in with his chums inredressing what seemed to be a positive wrong; but somehow it wasdifferent now.
Before he could speak, however, Jack had elbowed his way into the midstof the excited lads, his face full of determination.
"Wait a bit, you fellows, before you decide what you're going to do.I want to tell you something that ought to interest you."
"All right, Jack; speak up. Any objection to joining in with us andhaving a little fun while we help a brother even up his score?" demandeda voice.
Then Jack repeated as well as he was able the conversation that had takenplace at the breakfast table in his house. He went even further thanthis, for it happened that he knew something about the old man's past.
"Peleg Growdy is a crabbed old chap, I admit; but perhaps you wouldn'tblame him so much if you knew the trouble he has had."
"What was that?" asked one boy.
"His wife and two children were burned to death when his house caughtfire many years ago. Another child grew up to be a man, and committedsome crime that made him run away. His last one, a daughter, was killedin a railroad wreck. Ever since then the old man shuns people, and justworks as if he never wanted to know a living soul."
"That's tough, for a fact!" admitted one boy, slowly.
"But it don't excuse him for hating all boys. What business did he havesitting there and taking two-thirds of the road, to let William upset inthe ditch trying to pass him?" demanded Jud, still rebelling.
"Oh! well, that's a rule of the road that isn't always carried out. Forinstance, the loaded vehicle is generally given _more_ than its half; andWilliam admits he was going light, while the old man carried a heavyload," said Jack.
"Yes, that's so," grunted William, unable to hold out against such logic.
"And perhaps, if he told the actual truth, William would admit that therewas room enough for him to pass, if he had been a little more careful!"
"Sure; but I was in a hurry, you understand; and didn't see that the edgeof the ditch was crumbly. But he laughed, I tell you, and that riled me!"
"And now you want to bring a dozen and more of your friends down on hisplace to commit some prank that will make him dislike boys more thanever. It's all wrong,
I tell you, fellows, and for one I refuse to lenda hand," and Jack folded his arms as though his mind were made up onceand for all.
Paul saw that they were very near a division that might be fatal to thefuture good of the cause. He wondered whether he could swing the crowdto the other side, like the pendulum of a clock. It would takeconsiderable eloquence, as well as all his powers of leadership toaccomplish it; but the crisis was upon them, and he would be false tohimself if he did not meet the issue squarely.
"Will you listen to me, fellows?" he said, quietly, stepping forward tooccupy the place just vacated by Jack, and managing to whisper to theother in passing: "back me up for all you're worth, and we may win theday!"
"Of course we will! You're the scout leader, Paul, and when you hatch upany game it's sure to be worth the powder. Let her go!" came from Jud,who seemed to be a sort of ringleader in this little rebellion in thecamp.
"All right, boys. I'm going to make a proposition that will take yourbreath away; but I have strong hopes that after what you've listened tofrom that manual to-night, you'll be ready to back me up," continuedPaul.
"We believe in you, Paul. You never fooled us yet; and you never will.What's your queer game?" asked Bobolink, ready to swing over already,such was his faith in the one they had elected their leader.
The boys crowded around Paul, more than eager to hear what his proposalmight turn out to be; for novelty always appeals to the average lad.
"All of you know that old Peleg keeps his dooryard in a horriblecondition. Why, my mother says she doesn't believe it has been cleanedup in years; and he hardly ever takes the trouble to even put his wagonsand that old buggy in the shed. It's a disgrace to the town to have himso near. I've heard that the women talked about asking him to dosomething to make it look cleaner."
"He's a stubborn old man, and can't be driven, my dad says," remarkedJud.
"Now here's what I'm going to propose. You know he's pretty deaf, andcan't hear much that goes on. He used to have a savage dog, but it dieda couple of weeks ago, and since then he's been trying to get another,but so far without success. Get that?"
"Yes, but go on, Paul," demanded Bobolink.
"Let's go over to Peleg's in a body," continued the scout leader; "andwhile he sleeps clean up that dooryard of his so that in the morninghe'll just rub his eyes and begin to think the fairies have paid hima visit in the night. And when he learns who did it perhaps he may feelsomething like you did, William. Don't you see, _it'll be rubbing it ingood and hard_!"
Paul waited to see how his suggestion took.
The boys stared at each other in amazement. It is doubtful whether aparcel of wide-awake lads ever before had such a novel proposition madeto them. And perhaps it was the sensational character of the appeal thatstirred them more than any desire to return good for evil.
"Count me in that job, Paul," said Jack positively.
He had timed his interruption with exceeding cleverness. Boys are likesheep, and given a bell wether they will follow blindly where the leadergoes.
"Me too!" cried Bobolink, quickly.
"Ditto! I'm for the game just as Paul says!" exclaimed Nuthin'.
And every one in the crowd followed suit, laughing at the idea of theirturning the tables on the old farmer in such an unheard-of fashion;though several doubtless secretly scoffed at the project, and only agreedbecause it seemed to be a necessary evil if they wanted to become BoyScouts.