CHAPTER XII.
BUMPUS MAKES A FIND.
"I say, Thad, come over here with me; I've got something to show you,"remarked Allan, about half an hour after they had finished lunch, andwhile most of the boys were lying around, taking it easy.
The young acting scout-master quickly followed his chum, who led the wayback of the tents and into the timber. Here they discovered Giraffe,bending down, and so industriously engaged with some object he had inhand that he seemed to pay no attention to anything else.
At first Thad thought the boy was sawing something, for there was acontinuous movement to his right arm, and a sort of low, buzzing sound;but then he knew they had not brought a saw of any kind along with them,an ax and a hatchet being the only tools considered necessary in camp.
Presently Giraffe halted, to draw out a red bandana handkerchief withwhich to wipe his dripping forehead, while he stared hard at the objecthe had before him, and looked dubious enough.
Thad saw now what it was, and he could hardly keep from laughing as thedetermined boy once more started sawing away as though his very lifedepended on his accomplishing the end he had in view.
The object he had in his right hand was a queer sort of a little bow,made by fastening a stout cord to a piece of bent hickory. This cord wasdoubled around a stick that stood upright, its pointed lower end placedin a sort of hollow wooden dish where a socket had been scooped out. Theupper was also kept from burning the hand of the aspiring scout byanother bit of wood.
Of course Thad knew what Giraffe was trying to do. Deprived of matchesfor the balance of the day, and feeling a gnawing desire to see a firesparkling, the scout had started in to try and make a blaze after theold-fashioned method used by some South Sea islanders. But evidently theboy did not twirl the stick fast enough to produce sufficient heat tomake the fine tinder smoke, and then take fire. Giraffe's ambition wascommendable, however, and so Thad said nothing; only crept away again,after touching Allan on the arm, and beckoning.
"What are you going to do about it?" asked the latter, when they hadreached a safe position, where their voices might not be heard by theobject of their attention.
"Why, nothing, I suppose," replied Thad, smiling. "Did you ever see sucha fellow in all your life? He's a regular fire worshipper. I think hemust have come down from the old Aztecs in Mexico. He's never happywithout his little blaze."
"But he might get fire after all?" protested Allan.
"Between you and me, my boy, I don't think he will this time. Evidentlyhe's never tried that game before; and no fellow ever succeeds at it thefirst time. It's harder than it seems. Let Giraffe work away; he'll havehis fingers sore with the business before he gives up."
"But what do you think makes him experiment that way right now, when heknows you're trying to put a curb on his weakness for building fires?"the other demanded.
"Well, in the first place, I suppose he feels like starting _something_;and then again, Allan, it's a part of a boy's nature, you know, toalways want to do that very thing he's been told he musn't do. Now,Giraffe wants to show me that even keeping matches away from him won'tprevent a really smart scout from making a fire, in case he feels likeit. My praise of this morning must have spurred him on to let us seejust what he can do."
"But if the bow and spindle way turns out bad, there's an easier chancefor him, if he only thinks of it," said the Maine boy.
"What's that?" asked Thad, smiling calmly.
"Why, all he's got to do is to take one of the lens out of the fieldglasses we have along with us; and as the sun is hot enough, he couldset fire to some tinder in three shakes of a lamb's tail. Why, I'vestarted fires that way dozens of times myself, when matches were scarewith us in the pine woods."
Thereupon Thad quietly drew something, from each pocket in his khakitrousers.
"Well, I declare, you thought of that same thing, didn't you?" exclaimedthe astonished Allan; "and took the trouble to remove both lens, so asto upset his calculations if he started to try the dodge. Giraffe has tobe pretty cunning to get ahead of you, all right, Thad."
"But I never imagined he'd be trying that saw method," admitted thescout-master. "There, he's given it up and thrown his bow away. Nexttime he'll like as not make some improvement on that outfit. It musthave been faulty, so he just couldn't get enough speed out of it. Forthe thing can be done; and I've seen it more than once, though I nevercould make fire that way myself."
"Giraffe has one good quality," admitted Allan, "and that's persistance.Once he makes up his mind to do a thing and he hates the worst kind toquit."
"Especially around grub time," chuckled the other.
"Oh! that's a little weakness of his. Step-hen says he must have hollowlegs, or how else could he stow away all he does, and never show it. Butjust look how the sun shines on the trees over across the water, wherethat pretty little island lies in the middle of the lake. I never saw anicer camping place, Thad."
"And the same here," admitted the scout-master. "I've about made up mymind I'd like to investigate that island, even if we can't hope to getthe whole outfit over. You're a good swimmer, Allan, what do you say togoing across?"
"Alone, or with you?" asked the other, quickly.
"Oh! I wouldn't think of sending any one alone," remarked thescout-master. "You know, some of the boys have already said the islandhad a terrible mysterious look, as though it might be concealing somewonderful secret. The more they talk about it, and speculate that way,the stronger grows my desire to explore it."
"Then let's call it a go. Think we can leave the rest of the patrolalone for an hour or two this afternoon?" asked Allan, eagerly, as hetoo cast wistful looks across the shimmering water toward the strangelittle island that lay nestling there so modestly.
"If they're put on their honor to behave, they'll be all right," repliedThad. "A scout must never dream of breaking his word, once given. Thatis a part of his creed, you know, Allan; and even Bumpus understandsthat."
"By the way, where is Bumpus; I haven't noticed him around in camp forten minutes or more?" remarked the second in command.
"I suppose he's wandering around somewhere close by," replied Thad."Bumpus certainly has got a big bump of curiosity, and is always pokinginto everything he can think of. I heard him asking you this verymorning when you would find a bee-tree for him, the way you used to doup in Maine. He's just bound to get honey, if there's any to be foundaround this region."
"Yes, and I said I would try it out while we were up here, if thechance came. You see, perhaps there mightn't happen to be any wild beesaround, for I haven't noticed 'em working."
"Oh! make up your mind to that," declared Thad. "I've heard severalfarmers tell how they lost a fine swarm, no matter how much racket theykicked up with dishpans and all sorts of tin buckets. There are lots ofbee trees in this region I'd be willing to wager now. And if we couldfind one, it would be great. I like honey about as well as the nextfellow, don't you forget it, Allan."
"There goes Giraffe into the tent; and from the sly way he lookedaround, I've got an idea he's suddenly remembered the lens in that fieldglass, and means to try one of them with the rays of the sun, to make alittle fire."
"Yes, Allan, I saw him; and just as you say, if his manner counts foranything, that's just what Giraffe has in hand. But won't he be the mostsurprised boy in seven counties when he finds that the lens have beentaken from the glass?"
"There he comes out now, and say, don't he look sheepish, though?" Allanwent on to remark. "I can see him peeping out of the corner of his eyeat you; and just make up your mind Giraffe is saying to himself thatit's a mean game to cheat a poor fellow out of a little expectedpleasure that way."
"On the other hand," remarked the scout-master, "I reckon he feels cheapto know that I'm on to his game, and have made ready to upset hiscalculations. But next time I'll put him on his honor not to try andmake a fire in any way, shape or style. Now, I don't fancy going awaywith Bumpus absent. He might get into trouble while we were off. Perh
apsI'd better take his bugle, and give a few notes to let him know he'swanted."
"A fine idea, Thad," observed Allan; "I'll go and get it for you, as Ihappen to know just where Bumpus keeps it inside the tent here. He'sjust the opposite of Step-hen, and never leaves his things scatteredaround."
He had even climbed to his feet, for they were sitting at the time, whenthere broke out a sudden clamor that caused Allan to turn quickly, andgive his superior officer a meaning look.
For the voice that made all that racket was only too well known to bothboys; in that it belonged to the very scout about whom they had beentalking.
Bumpus must be in some trouble again, if they could judge from the noisehe was making. Immediately visions of rattlesnakes, and all manner ofdangers connected with the forest trails, flashed into the mind of Thad.What could the luckless fat boy have stumbled into now? That bump ofcuriosity which he was pleased to term his "investigating spirit," musthave led him into some fresh difficulty.
The boys were all on their feet by this time, and several had evensnatched up the stout staves which had proven so useful during theirarduous tramp from home to this far-off region of Lake Omega.
"He's coming this way!" called out Step-hen, excitedly.
"Yes, suh, and on the full gallop, too, believe me!" added Bob White,actually taking a step forward, as if ready to meet the danger half way,should there any peril develop.
Thad did not give the order to advance because he had 'ere nowdiscovered that there was no evidence of fright in the shouts of Bumpus.Rather could he detect a note triumph, as though the fat boy believed hehad accomplished something worth while, and was deserving ofcongratulation.
And now all of them could make out what he was calling as he camestumbling along.
"Hey! fellers, what d'ye think, I've found--oh! that old vine nearly cutmy neck in two, plague take it--a boat! Yes, a regular boat, hid away inthe brush where I was looking for rabbits' tracks; meanin' to learn howto follow the same. And better still, it's got a paddle in it, too. Nowwe c'n go fishing, and have a bully old time exploring that island outyonder. Don't you think I ought to get a merit badge, Thad, for being sosmart, hey?"