CHAPTER XII
THE BEE TREE
Matt's presence in the tree beneath which Glen walked with J. Jervicewas neither accident nor coincidence. He had business there--businesswhich he considered important, which he did not wish, to share eitherwith J. Jervice or Glen Mason or any other person. At least he did notwish to share it right at that moment; later on would be another story.
Matt was making a bee tree. Perhaps you did not know that bee treescould be made, nor how to make them. Matt himself was not very clear oneither of these heads. He was experimenting, and back of his experimentwas a desire to get even with Chick-chick.
Henry Henry, commonly called Chick-chick, did not desire to shine as agreat athlete, sport leader, a water witch, or in any of the otherspecialties in which Matt reveled, but he did pretend to know a littlesomething about beetles, bugs, butterflies and bees. He had longcherished an ambition to find a "bee tree." At last night's camp firehe had announced his positive belief, based on observations of the day,that such a tree was somewhere in the vicinity of the blazed oak. He hadwatched the bees until dark without definitely locating his tree but hehad not given up.
Matt decided that it would be a great pity to let all Chick-chick'sefforts go for nothing. He proposed to help find such a tree, or to putChick-chick in the way of it so that he would be bound to find it. Hewanted the find to be public, and the interest in it to be so popularthat all thought of buried treasure--especially treasure buried in abread-box--would be obliterated forever from the minds of those in camp.
Matt had gone to some little trouble in his fixing. He had neatlylettered a sign: "Wild honey. Prepared by the Honey Bees forChick-chick." This he stuck into the bottom of the hollow limb, only anend protruding. Then he put in a good chunk of honeycomb, begged fromBob. From a small jar he then released some half dozen bees which he hadallowed himself to borrow from Mr. Ryder's hives. His supposition wasthat these bees would fill up and fly back to the hives. Soon they wouldreturn bringing their mates with them. In a short time a steady streamof bees would be passing in and out of that hollow limb, which would bejust the time for Chick-chick to make his proud discovery and announceit.
After Matt had fixed the tree to his satisfaction his chief trouble wasto lead Chick-chick to make the discovery in a perfectly natural manner.The best opportunity came as they went back to camp after the morningswim. Chick-chick was always a wanderer, likely at any moment to dartoff in sudden pursuit of something. This morning it was a butterfly, andto Matt's delight he ran in the direction of the loaded tree. The crowdjoined in the pursuit. They were within a short distance of Matt's treebefore they gave it up.
"How about that bee tree you were going to get, Chick-chick?" suggestedMatt. "Round here somewhere, isn't it?"
"Why not?" asked Chick-chick. "Why not. Why ain't this good place as anyfor bee make her happy cupboard?"
"Show it to us, Chick-chick. You're hiding it. We know what you aretrying to do. You want to keep all that honey for yourself."
"Chick-chick wants all the honey for himself," chimed the chorus. "Leadus to your bee tree, Chick-chick. Don't be selfish."
"A'right, boys. There's bee tree in these woods. I don't wantdinner--want bee tree. All who feel just so an' similar follow me. Hereflies honey-bee right now. Watch her!"
And the bee sailed right to Matt's tree.
"Oh, look at the bees buzzing around that hole. Let me get at it," criedan excited scout.
"Not too familiar," warned Chick-chick. "Bees have feelin's. D'ye neverhear the piece:
"How doth the little honey bee In self defense excel. She gives her life for one sharp sting Yet hath she spent it well."
"Leave it to the expert, fellows," cried Matt. "Let him get at it. Makeway for the sum of all knowledge."
"It's me he means," modestly admitted Chick-chick. "He wants me totackle this peculiar tree. Peculiar tree an' peculiar bees!"
"Why peculiar?"
"They've done changed theirselves since I saw 'em yes'day. To-daythey're Italians--the nicest kind of tame bees we have. Yes'day they waswild, black Germans--nothing like this."
"What changed 'em?"
"Jes' naturally smart, reckon. See, they scratched the bark gettin' uptree, too. Here's place one of 'em rested number nine shoe an' cut barkthrough. Most remarkable honey bees ever heard of."
"Why don't you go up an' find out about 'em?"
"Answer me this botanical riddle first. What's difference between treeand a plant?"
"We give it up."
"You too, Matt?"
"Sure I give it up. What is it."
"Well, Matty, Great an' Only; in this case ain't no difference. This istree an' plant too. 'Tain't a bee tree but it's bee plant, see. Watchthe bees. Ought to be comin' in loaded an' goin' away light. But theyain't--they're doing just totherwise. Somebody's put some stuff upthere. Who d'ye reckon?"
But Matt was already stealing away.
"Let him go," directed Chick-chick. "Bees are all buzzing 'stung' theyare. But no stinger in me."
After that, no one cared further what the tree held. They rushed back tocamp, for the dinner hour was upon them and their appetites were briskfrom their swim.
Dinner was almost ended when Chick-chick, who was acting as a waiter,was called to the end of the table where the scoutmaster sat with WillSpencer.
"Mr. Spencer is wondering about Glen Mason," said Mr. Newton. "He hasn'tcome in, yet, for dinner. Was he at the swim?"
"No, sir. I haven't seen Brick since morning."
The scoutmaster rose to his feet.
"Mason has not appeared at dinner. Has any one seen him since teno'clock?"
There was no answer; the boys waited in silence. At last Chick-chickheld out a crumpled sheet of paper.
"I haven't seen him, but here's what found near tree where Matt thoughthe'd found bee tree," he explained.
It was the note from J. Jervice. Mr. Newton read it in silence.
"I don't know who could have written such a note," he remarked, handingit to Jolly Bill.
Then Matt Burton found his voice.
"I was in the neighborhood where the note was dropped this morning and Isaw Mason in company with the very disreputable peddler fellow who camehere Sunday. They seemed very intimate and were going off together."
"What do you mean by going off together?"
"I mean they were just walking along through the woods like they'dalways known each other and were planning something. The thought cameto me that they might be accomplices and the peddler had sent the boyinto our camp just to work something up."
"He sure did it," volunteered Chick-chick.
"Something up and something down," suggested an irresponsible listener.
"That's enough, boys." Mr. Newton brought them sharply to order. "Burtonhas no right to such a guess nor you to such remarks. They don't makefor harmony. They aren't helpful. You may all go now, except the patrolleaders and assistants and the signal corps."
When the little group had collected Mr. Newton continued his remarks.
"Glen Mason is a scout--a member of this troop--and we are responsiblefor him in more ways than one. Mr. Spencer and I know enough about himto be sure that there is no reason why he should go away with thepeddler excepting under misrepresentation. Perhaps nothing out of theway has happened, but we have just a suspicion that Jervice is making aneffort to get Glen into his hands for a reward which he thinks he willget."
"He'll have a sweet time holding him in his hands after he gets him,"interrupted Jolly Bill.
"Unless he has help," corrected Mr. Newton. "And this is notimprobable. Because of this I want the scouts to divide into groups offour and explore the territory I lay out. Each patrol leader and eachassistant will take three boys. Signal and make for headquarters at onceif you find anything. If there is any need of a rescue don't attempt itwithout me. Henry may start at the place where he found the note."
Thus it happened that a short time later, C
hick-chick, Goosey and twoother scouts were making a careful search around the bee tree.
"Everything's trampled flat around here. That crowd this morning didit," announced Chick-chick. "Every fellow spread out ten yards to hisleft."
It was Goosey who found the trail.
"Here it is," he cried. "It's Brick's trail all right. Mr. Spencer saidto look for marks of heel plate on the right shoe and here it is. Therewas somebody with him."
The ground being soft and damp in spots there was no difficulty infollowing the trail. It led them to an open glen which showed a recentcamp fire and the travel of many feet. Leading off toward the road werethe broad depressions made by the tires of an automobile.
"My find, now," cried Chick-chick. "Here's where we do some real finework, an' we can do it on the run, we can. See the tracks. What arethey?"
"Automobile tracks," yelled the squad.
"What kind of a tire made 'em?"
There was no enthusiastic shout this time.
"An automobile tire," ventured Goosey.
"Jes' so, Goosey. Jes' so! It was rubber one, too, why don't you say?Good, safe guess--rubber."
"All right, Chick-chick. Be as funny as you want. If my father ran agarage I reckon I'd know something about tires, too."
"'Scuse me! You certainly right, Goosey. Who ought know automobile tiresif not me. What I want you see is these tires can be followed anywhere'cause they're non-skid with that peculiar bar formation. They'll showup on road so we can follow on dead run, we can."
"How do you know we want to follow? What makes you suppose Mason hasgone in the car? Maybe we'll find his tracks going on away from here."
"Bright thought, Goosey. Ev'body look for tracks leading 'way fromhere."
They searched industriously but in vain.
"No good," decided Chick-chick. "Got old Brick in their wagon, allright, all right. We must go after him, we must."
"Mr. Newton said not to attempt any rescue."
"We ain't was going to. Back to headquarters an' report an' me for mymotor-bike. Mr. Newton mebbe can get a car in Buffalo Center an' mebbehe can't; but no heavy old buzz-wagon can get where my motor-bike can'tcatch 'em."
Mr. Newton agreed to Chick-chick's plan of chase rather more readilythan he had expected.
"It's perhaps as good a thing as we can do," he asserted, discussing theplan with Will Spencer. "I have a good many of the younger scouts in myespecial care and cannot afford to leave camp on a wild goose chase."
"Motor-bike carries two," suggested Chick-chick. "Apple go with me?"
"Yes. You and Corliss may go. Don't do anything foolish. If you overtakethe car get the peddler to stop. If Glen is a captive use your coolestjudgment about interfering. The man may be armed and it would be farbetter to push on to the nearest town and get help than to risk abullet. Of course, if Glen should be going of his own wish you must justcome back and tell me."
"No fear of that," said Spencer.
"What shall we do if he isn't to be seen and the peddler won't let uslook inside?" asked Apple.
"A scout's judgment and ingenuity ought to be worth something in such acase," replied Mr. Newton. "I prefer not to instruct you. I'm notsending you two big fellows out as messenger boys but as scouts. Use allthe knowledge and courage and skill that you have, but don't takeunnecessary risks."