CHAPTER XV
A SCOUT'S EDUCATION
"WHAT do you make of it, Elmer; is it a sure enough bomb?" demanded LilArtha, whose face was working strangely under the violence of hisemotions.
"Looks like it was that, and nothing else," admitted the scout master,slowly, with a wrinkle across his forehead, as though he might beconsidering weighty matters, as indeed he was just then, for one soyoung.
"And there can't be any doubt but what he meant to blow up the cabin ofthe man he forced himself to believe was his enemy, the kindest-heartedgentleman you and the rest of us ever met up with--tell me that, Elmer,didn't he?"
"Hold on, Lil Artha, don't explode!" cautioned Elmer, soothingly. "Iunderstand how you feel about this ugly business. Yes, that must havebeen the scheme that brought Zack away up here in the dead of winter.Whether he meant to do Uncle Caleb bodily injury or not we've no meansof knowing. Let's hope that the limit of his revenge was confined to thedestruction of the cabin, and all the valued treasures it held."
"Well, that would be arson, and the law sits down mighty hard on anybodywho deliberately, and 'with malice aforethought,' as I've heard my dadsay, sets fire to the property of another. He deserves being kicked out,and we'll have to attend to his case, the whole bunch of us."
The excited scout made a quick movement, as though about to rush intothe cabin, waving the piece of gas-pipe which had been fashioned into arude but deadly bomb with a fuse to it; Elmer, however, tightened hisgrip on his chum's sleeve.
"Wait! Don't be in such a hurry, old fellow. Let's reason this thing outa little before you spill the fat in the fire!" he told Lil Artha, inthat quieting voice of his that carried such weight with the otherscouts.
"But, Elmer, don't you see he's a regular firebrand!" urged the tallboy, twisting a little, as though struggling to get loose from thedetaining hand; but only in a faint-hearted fashion, because as alwaysthe influence of the scout master predominated. "How do we know but whatright now he's figuring on doing us all some mean trick? We're friendsof Uncle Caleb, and he must look on us as his enemies."
"You forget something, Lil Artha," urged Elmer.
"Oh! yes, in my hurry I'm always forgetting things; but tell me whatI've let slip now, Elmer."
"It was yesterday that Zack was heading toward this cabin, breathing allsorts of ugly threats against Uncle Caleb, wasn't it?" Elmer continued,in that smooth argumentative tone he knew how to use so well, and whichas a rule was so wonderfully convincing.
"Why, of course it was, Elmer," admitted the other, weakly, yetcuriously.
"And something has happened since then, you know, Lil Artha?"
"Oh! sure, several things," replied the tall scout.
"Zack Arnold had an accident, and found himself facing what might be theend of his evil career," continued Elmer. "Now, life is sweet even tosuch a man; and he couldn't but feel alarmed at the idea of being frozenin the snow forest, because of his broken arm, and having no way tosupply himself with food or fire. Then in his desperation he forgoteverything else, and came to the cabin of the man he had been callinghis enemy. You know what sort of a reception he got, Lil Artha?"
"You bet I do, Elmer; it couldn't have been warmer if he'd been alife-long comrade of Uncle Caleb!"
"All right, then," the scout master told him, emphatically; "and you candepend on it Zack has had an experience unlike anything he ever ran upagainst before. I've been watching him, and trying to figure out whatmight be passing through his brain; and the fact of his throwing thisbomb as far away as he could shows that he's heartily ashamed of everentertaining the notion that Uncle Caleb was an enemy of his."
"Do you really think so, Elmer? And could such a scoundrel ever reform?"asked Lil Artha, half skeptically, just as though he were DoubtingGeorge.
"Of course I wouldn't like to stake my reputation on it," Elmercontinued; "but all the signs point that way. The man is just now in adaze. He never met with anything like this before, and hardly knows whatto make of it. In other words, Lil Artha, he has arrived at thecross-roads, and the next few days will either see him turning over anew leaf, or going back to his old ways again. It must depend prettymuch on Uncle Caleb."
"I reckon it will, Elmer!" muttered the tall scout, beginning to driftacross the line, and agree with what the other advanced. "And don't youthink we ought to let Uncle Caleb know about this gas-pipe thing?"
"Yes, but I don't think it'll make any difference with his way oftreating the man. Uncle Caleb has sized Zack up to a dot, and he'strying to get the whip-hand over him by sheer kindness. And I think hewill, sooner or later. It wouldn't surprise me if it all ended in Zackturning right-about face, and caring for Uncle Caleb just as much as hethought he hated him. Such men when they do change never make a half-wayjob of it; they go the whole thing."
"Shall I call Uncle Caleb out here now while we're at it, Elmer?"
"I'll do it, and you wait here," the scout master told him.
"All right, then; you know how to go about it better than I do. I'll beready to spring my little surprise on our host," said Lil Artha.
So Elmer stepped over, and opening the door quietly, caught the eye ofUncle Caleb, when he crooked his finger. The meaning of this gesturecould not well be mistaken, and presently the old scientist joined themoutside the cabin, making some excuse as he passed out.
When Lil Artha showed him the queer piece of gas-pipe that had beencharged with some high explosive apt to carry great destruction with itwhen discharged, Uncle Caleb did not appear to be greatly astonished.
"I imagined it might turn out to be something of the sort, boys," heinformed the scouts; "and it was my full intention to look around lateron, so as to discover what it was Zack threw away last night; for I sawhim standing there in the doorway just as both of you seem to have done.You've saved me the trouble of making the search, Lil Artha. But let mehide this ugly thing. I wouldn't like Zack to know it had been found sosoon."
"Then you won't turn him out for coming up here on such a terribleerrand?" asked Lil Artha, weakly.
Uncle Caleb looked at him, and smiled. Lil Artha understood then whatwas in the mind of the kindly scientist, who loved his fellow men sowell that he could even believe the worst of them must have _some_ goodin him, however small, if only one could discover its location, andcoax the wavering spark to glow into a steady flame.
"I don't believe Zack ever had a chance," he told them, seriously, "andI'm going to give him one right now, if it's in my power. As scouts,neither of you would surely deny it to him, I'm certain. Besides, it'sgoing to give me considerable pleasure in studying the working of thegerm that has been planted in his heart by this piece of good luck.Perhaps that broken arm may mean everything to Zack Arnold. A year fromnow we'll take stock, and see how things come out. In the meantime saynothing, and leave it all to your Uncle Caleb."
Willingly both boys declared that they were only too glad to do so. Theyasked, and readily received permission, to tell George and Toby, when achance came. And as they entered the cabin later on, to see Zack stillfollowing Uncle Caleb with his wondering, yes, even admiring glance, itstruck the scouts that perhaps the sensible old scientist had made astudy of human nature as he had the habits of wild animals, and knewfull well what he was doing.
During the balance of that day he treated the wounded man just as thoughthe intruder might be one of the family. Uncle Caleb was too wise togush over the injured guide; he simply showed Zack that he had a deepinterest in his welfare, and meant that he should have every care whileunable to look out for himself that could be expended on him.
Elmer, who was observing these things closely, without betraying thefact that he had more than a passing interest in them, told himself thatit would not be surprising if when they came to leave the cabin in theforest a pact had been arranged between Uncle Caleb and Zack Arnold, bymeans of which the big guide was to stay up there the balance of thewinter, and act as a side partner to the man he had once been so foolishas to consider his enemy.
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"There'll be no chance for him to hobnob with his real enemy, which youcan take it from me is strong drink," the scout master told the otherboys when they talked matters over, away from the cabin that afternoon;"and before spring comes, I wouldn't be surprised if Uncle Caleb hasweaned him from his old habits, so that nothing can ever tempt him to goback to them again."
"I hope you're right, Elmer," ventured George; "I don't feel quite asstrong as you do about it, because I just can't, that's what; but it'dbe splendid if Uncle Caleb did reform that beast."
"And I think it's just wonderful," Toby admitted, having heard the wholestory with great eagerness and interest; "I never knew Uncle Caleb wassuch a splendid sort of a man. And honest now, I don't see how anyfellow could hold out against his winning ways. No wonder Zack keepswatching him all the time; I tell you he's as near hypnotized as anybodycould be."
And so they concluded to let the matter rest, confident that the goodman of the lonely cabin in the snow forest knew what he was doing, andthat the chances were he was not making any mistake.
The boys now proceeded to enjoy themselves to the best of their ability,each according to his bent. Of course all of them were keenly interestedin the remarkable success with which the scientist was meeting in hiseffort to secure amusing and instructive flashlight pictures of thewoods animals at night. He showed them how he set his snares, socleverly arranged that when the fox or the mink came to take thetempting bait that had been cunningly placed, he was compelled to pull acord that released the hammer by which the fulminating cap wasdetonated, and the flashlight cartridge set going, thus causing thelittle animal to take his own picture.
That very night every one of the four scouts accompanied Uncle Caleb toset several of these ingenious traps. The novel experience appealed toall of them; and even Lil Artha, usually an ardent hunter, was heard toadmit that it afforded all the excitement necessary for enjoyment,anticipation and realization combined, without having to destroy thelife of the cunning little creatures that, in roaming the woods, andseeking their natural food supplies, were only working out theirindividual destinies.
"Anyhow," Lil Artha confided to Elmer, later on, when they werereturning to the warm cabin where Zack had been left in full charge, "Idon't believe I'd like to become a regular fur trapper, though once ona time I did seem to hanker after such a life. It's all well enough toshoot game when you're hungry, just like you'd knock over a chicken whenthe dominie is coming to dinner; but this thing of trapping littlethings like mink and muskrats just for the money their skins bring inthe market doesn't strike me as quite right. I'd never see a ladywearing a fur coat again without feeling queer, like all the innocentlittle animals I'd gone and slaughtered were parading before me. Nixeyfor mine, I give you my word."
Elmer did not make any reply in words, but the satisfied glance he gavethe speaker was eloquent enough. Truth to tell he was well pleased withthe change that was working in Lil Artha. At one time the tall scout hadshown signs of becoming so infatuated with hunting that quite a savagedesire to slay things had begun to manifest itself in his disposition.Already had the mild influence of Uncle Caleb begun to make itself felt.
Zack Arnold would not be the only one benefitted by contact with theowner of the cabin. Some of the scouts would return home with new ideasconcerning things. Already Elmer could see where this midwinter holidaytrip was going to repay them a dozen-fold for all it cost. He wassatisfied with the promising results, and would not have had thingsdifferent, could the choice be his for the taking.
While they were gone Zack had tidied up the cabin after a rude fashion,considering that he did not know much about keeping things looking nicein the first place, and had only one arm to work with in the second. Butit was the fact that he was beginning to take a decided interest inthings that pleased Uncle Caleb, who was not slow to commend histhoughtfulness, and Elmer could see the glow that flashed into the eyesof the big guide, telling that he had already begun to desire to do thatwhich would commend itself to his kind benefactor.
"And it's going to be all right," Elmer told himself, as he lay downlater in his bunk, watching the two men who were still sitting by thefire, talking about the habits of animals, for Zack having been a guideall his life was brimfull of such lore; "he's got Zack going, andnothing can stop him now. It must give a fellow a mighty nice feeling toknow that he's changed such a life, and for better things. But if weonly knew all that has happened in Uncle Caleb's past I reckon we'd findthat this is just one little incident in a long string."
And that night neither Elmer nor Lil Artha dreamed of keeping watchbecause of the presence of so desperate a character as Zack Arnold underthe same roof that sheltered them. Indeed, so greatly had their opinionschanged that they would have been willing to put considerable trust inthe loyalty of the rough guide. His very face did not seem one-half sorepulsive, now that it no longer showed the marks of passion and pain.In fact, Elmer could see where in good time Zack might turn out to be apretty fair looking sort of a man; for once when he allowed a smile tocross his face he was rather attractive.
So the night wore away, and another day dawned. The boys, knowing thattheir vacation was moving swiftly along, and feeling that they mustcrowd everything possible into the few remaining days, had laid out aplan of campaign that would make this a busy period. And Uncle Caleb wasready to join them in any undertaking that had for its object thesatisfying of their desire for rollicking fun, or their education alongthe line of a more intimate acquaintance with the little woods folks inwhom he took such a decided interest.