CHAPTER XVI
THE FIRST NIGHT OUT
"Well, it's started in to snow!"
Jud Elderkin made this surprising statement after he had gone to thedoor to take a peep at the weather.
"You must be fooling, Jud," expostulated Tom, "because when I lookedout not more'n fifteen minutes ago the moon was shining likeeverything."
"All right, that may be, but she's blanketed behind the clouds rightnow, and the snow's coming down like fun," asserted Jud.
"Seems that we didn't get here any too soon, then," chuckled Bluff.
"Oh! a little snow wouldn't have bothered us any," laughed Jack. "We'dnever think of minding a heavy fall at home, and why should we worrynow?"
"That's a fact," Bobolink went on to remark, with a look of solidsatisfaction on his beaming face. "Plenty of wood under the shed nearby, and enough grub to feed an army. We're all right."
After several of them had gone to verify Jud's statement, and hadbrought back positive evidence in the shape of snowballs, the boysagain clustered around the jolly fire and continued to talk on varioussubjects that chanced to interest them.
"I wonder now," remarked Bobolink, finally, "if Hank took Mr. Briggs'money as well as set fire to his store."
As this was the first mention that had been made concerning thissubject Tolly Tip showed considerable interest.
"Is it the ould storekeeper in Stanhope ye mane?" he asked. "Because Idid me tradin' with the same the short time I was in town, and sorry abargain did I ever sacure from Misther Briggs."
"Plenty of other people are in the same boat with you there, TollyTip," Sandy told him with a chuckle. "But his run of good luck has metwith a snag. Somebody set fire to his store, which was partly burneddown the other night."
"Yes, and the worst part of it," added Bobolink, "was that Mr. Briggsaccidentally, or on purpose, let his insurance policy lapse, so thathe can get no damages on account of this fire."
"And the last thing we heard before coming away," Phil Towns went onto say, "was that the safe had been broken open and robbed. Poor oldLevi Briggs' cup is full to overflowing I guess. Everything seems tobe coming his way in a bunch."
"I suspect that this Hank ye're tillin' me about must be a wildharum-scarum broth av a boy thin?" remarked the old woodsman, puffingat his pipe contentedly.
"He is the toughest boy in town," said Phil.
"And several others train with him who aim to beat his record if theycan," Spider Sexton hastened to add as his contribution.
"There's absolutely nothing they wouldn't try if they thought theycould get some fun or gain out of it," declared Jud emphatically.
"Do till!" exclaimed their host, shaking his head dolefully as thoughhe disliked knowing that any boys could sink to such a low level.
"Why, only the other day," said Bobolink, "Jack and I saw the gangpick on a couple of tramps who had just come out of Briggs' store. Sofar as we knew the hoboes hadn't offered to say a word to Hank and hiscrowd, but the fellows ran them out of town with a shower of stones.Didn't they, Jack?"
"Yes. And we saw one tramp get a hard blow on the head from a rock, inthe bargain," assented Jack.
"Wow! but they were a mad pair, let me tell you," concluded Bobolink.
"By the same token," observed Tolly Tip, "till me av one of the trampshad on an ould blue army coat wid rid linin' to the same?"
Bobolink uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"Just what he did, I give you my word!" he replied hastily.
"And was the other chap a long-legged hobo, wid a face that made yethink av the sharp idge av a hatchet?" the old trapper questioned.
"I reckon you must have seen the pair yourself, Tolly Tip!" observedBobolink. "Were you in Stanhope, or did they happen to pass thisway?"
At that the taker of furs touched his cheek just below his eye withthe tip of his finger, and smiled humorously.
"'Tis the black eye they were afther giving me early this day, sure itwas," he explained. "Not two miles away from here it happened, wherethe road cuts through the woods like a knife blade. I'd been out tolook at a few traps set in that section whin I kim on the spalpeens.We had words, and the shorter chap wid the army coat ran, but theother engaged me. Before he cut stick he managed to lave theimprission av his fists on me face, bad luck to the same."
"I guess after all, Jack," remarked Bobolink, "they must be a coupleof hard cases, and Hank did the town a service when he chased themoff."
"It would be the first time on record then that the Lawson crowd wasof any benefit to the community," Jack commented; "but accidents willhappen, you know. They didn't mean to do a good turn, only have whatthey call fun."
"So the shorter rascal didn't have any fight in him, it seems, TollyTip?" Bobolink observed, as though the subject interested himconsiderably.
"Oh! as for that," replied the trapper, "mebbe he do be aftherthinkin' discretion was the better part av valor. Ye say, he had oneav his hands wrapped up in a rag, and I suspect he must have beenhurt."
"That's interesting, at any rate!" declared Bobolink. "When we saw himhe had the use of both hands. Something must have happened after that.I wonder what."
"You're the greatest fellow to _wonder_ I ever knew," laughed SandyGriggs.
"Bobolink likes to grapple with mysteries," said Jud, "and from now onhe'll keep bothering his head about that tramp's injured hand, wantingto know whether he cut himself with a broken bottle, or burned hisfingers when cooking his coffee in an old tomato can over thecampfire."
"Let Bobolink alone, boys," said Paul. "If he chooses to amuse himselfin that way what's the odds? Who knows but what he may surprise uswith a wonderful discovery some day."
"Thank you, Paul," the other remarked drily.
After that the subject was dropped. It did not offer much of interestto the other scouts, but Paul, glancing towards Bobolink severaltimes, could easily see that he was pondering over something.
After all, the snow did not last long. Before they finally went to bedthey found that the moon had once more appeared through a rift in theclouds, and not more than two inches of fresh snow had covered theground.
There was considerable skirmishing around done when the boys commencedto make their final preparations for spending the first night in theirwinter camp. No one would think of taking Tolly Tip's bunk when hegenerously offered it, and so straws were drawn for the remainingthree, as well as the cot upon which Mr. Garrity slept when up at hisDeer Head Lodge.
The fortunate ones turned out to be Paul, Bluff, Frank and Bobolink,though the last mentioned declared positively that he preferredsleeping on the floor as a novelty, and insisted that Phil Townsoccupy his bunk.
They managed to make themselves comfortable after a fashion, thoughthe appearance of the "dormitory" excited considerable laughter, withthe boys sprawled out in every direction.
All of the boys were up early, and they were eager to take up the manyplans they had laid out for the day. Breakfast was the first thing onthe calendar; and while it was being prepared and dispatched thetongues of that half score of boys ran on like the water over thewheel of the old mill, with a constant clatter.
There was no necessity for all of them to remain at home to work onthe new bunks, so Paul picked out several to assist him in that work.The others were at liberty to carry out such scout activities as mostappealed to their fancy. Some planned to go off with the woodsman tosee how he managed with his steel traps, by means of which, during thewinter, he expected to lay by quite a good-sized bundle of valuablefur. Then there was wood to chop, pictures to be taken, favorableplaces to be found for setting the camera during a coming night so asto get a flashlight view of a fox or a mink in the act of stealing thebait, as well as numerous other pleasant duties and diversions, all ofwhich had been eagerly planned for the preceding night as the boys satbefore the crackling fire.