CHAPTER IX
WORKING TO WIN
Not since the days preceding the Firemen's Tournament when the motorcyclefire department was being outfitted had the scout engineers been busierthan they were the following few weeks. Every afternoon after theacademy let out, and every evening they could spare from their studieswas devoted to the construction of the moth trap. They worked with snapand vim, for upon the success of their product depended the possibilityof a troop motorboat.
And it was well that they had this enthusiasm, for a time limit had beenset on the contest. According to the information received from theMayor's office the contest would close the last Monday in June and thefive days following would be devoted to testing the various methods andappliances entered. With the assistance of Mr. Ford the lads had alreadymade their entry, sending drawings and details of their device to thecommittee of judges. But in spite of their fast work It was apparentthat they would not complete their contrivance until the middle or latterpart of the week set for the test.
They were determined that $100 of the $200 offered by the town should beadded to the troop's account in the Woodbridge bank, however, and whenscouts take that attitude in any matter one can rest assured of a periodof industry. They worked like beavers and the _rap, rap, rap_ ofhammers, the _buzz-z-z_ of band and jigsaws and the _hum-m_ of motorscould be heard in their workshop on the first floor of the headquartersbuilding at almost any hour.
Of course, the boys were not entirely sure that they would win first oreven third prize, because there were any number of others competing forthe same honors. Indeed, farmers and even business men in and aroundWoodbridge were experimenting with chemical exterminators and variousother ingenious devices and all of these would have an equal chance withthe appliance invented by the boys. But the lads were sportsmen enoughto take their chances with the rest. Indeed, they even went so far as tostake some of the precious motor money on the result, for they tookfifteen dollars from the Woodbridge bank to pay for the lumber and othermaterial needed to build Nipper's big vacuum pest catcher.
"If we don't win that prize now all our chances for a motorboat are gonefor sure," said Babe Wilson when Bud Weir announced the withdrawal ofpart of the fund.
"Well, that isn't the way to look at it. Just say we are going to winthe prize and then get busy and work for it," insisted Bud, trying toinstil confidence in the stout scout.
Day by day the neatly finished boards grew to represent Nipper's idea ofa moth exterminator. And finally, after what seemed to the boys anunusually long time, the suction fan arrived from Bruce's father's mill.It was already attached to a one-quarter horsepower electric motor, forMr. Clifford knew that none of the motors in the scouts' workshop weresmall enough to be used on a fan with six-inch blades. By this time thelads had all but finished the big wooden trumpet and it was onlynecessary to set the fan, bolt the motor into place and give the wholething a coat of paint.
But already the last Monday of the month had passed and only a day or tworemained in which the boys could test their machine before the judges.Day and night since the beginning of the week contestants had beenclaiming the attention of the judges with their schemes forextermination. Most of these had been tried out and many were said to bevery successful. On one or two occasions the scouts had gone out to lookover these tests, but to their mind none of them looked as effective asthe moth trap they were building.
On Thursday night Mr. Ford visited headquarters looking rather anxious,for he had heard very little from the boys during the last few days andhe was afraid they were not going to put their machine together in timeto appear before the judging committee with it. He was greatly relievedto find that the lads were about to put the motor and fan in place and herealized that this marked almost the last stage of their work.
"Well, boys, it looks all right to me," he said."When are you going to be ready for the official tryout?"
"Just as soon as we can put the automobile lamp into place. We arebuilding some iron brackets for that now. We'll be all ready by tomorrowevening, I guess. That will give us one full day leeway. The tests canbe conducted up to midnight Saturday, can't they?"
"Sure, I'll see that the judges are ready for you. I have an engagementthat may keep me a little bit late, but I'll get there. Where are yougoing to test it?"
"Out on the back road here; down by the bend opposite Chipman's Hill,"said Nipper.
"Fine, I'll be there. Say, by the way, I was talking about your ideadown town this evening and a reporter from the _Journal_ heard me. Heseemed very much interested when I told him about your work and he wantsto come up and see the machine. He'll probably be up some timeto-morrow. Perhaps I can get him up to see the test. If I canI--Listen, is that some one coming? Sure enough, perhaps it is he.Open the door, Bruce."
Bruce swung open the big double door and Rogan, one of the reporters forthe Woodbridge _Journal_ and the local correspondent for the St. Cloud_Call_, entered.
"Hello, boys," he shouted good naturedly. "Heard you have a new wrinklein moth catchers. Is that the machine? Looks mighty businesslike. Isit ready to test? Well, if there isn't Mr. Ford. How are you? What doyou think of the scout's invention? How does it work? Whose idea is it.Where--?"
"Oh, goodness gracious, don't ask 'em so fast," said Bruce. "We'llanswer them one at a time and explain the machine to you if you'll giveus a chance."
"Sure. Excuse me. Go right ahead," said Hogan, his inquisitive blueeyes taking in everything in the room.
Nipper had the honor of describing his own invention, which he did withno little pride. And evidently Rogan was impressed for, after crossexamining Mr. Ford and going into the device from every angle, he wrote atwo-column story which appeared on the first page of the Journal thefollowing morning. Also he telephoned a story to the St. Cloud paperwhich the boys read the following afternoon.
As soon as the Academy closed the next day the scouts hurried toheadquarters, for they had a great deal to do before they could carry outthe test that evening. Two or three attended to the work of removing oneof the searchlights from "Old Nanc" and putting it into place on top ofthe moth catcher, while the rest of the boys strung a temporary line ofwire from the headquarters' switchboard to a point about two hundredyards up the road. They intended to conduct the test there and throw thesearchlight into the trees on Chipman Hill across the valley.
It was dinner time when the wires were in place and the scouts, after alast look about, all went home to get something to eat and to wait thecoming of darkness.
They began to return to headquarters about half past seven. Bruce,Nipper Knapp, and Ray Martin were the first to arrive and, to theirsurprise, they found at least two dozen people waiting outside ofheadquarters.
"Well, what does this meant" inquired Bruce of Nipper.
"Well, I guess they read Rogan's story in the Journal. He said we weregoing to have a test to-night, you know."
"Then we're going to have a gallery of spectators! Oh, well, we don'tmind, do we, boys?"
"You bet we don't--if the thing will only work," said Nipper.
Soon, other scouts arrived and presently an automobile rolled up to thedoor and four of the town's councilmen climbed out. The party wascomposed of Mr. Bassett, Mr. Bates, Mr. Adams and Mr. Franklin, allmembers of the Mayor's committee of judges. The lads were disappointednot to see Mr. Ford among them, but they felt confident that he wouldappear in time for the official test.
The Councilmen looked over the moth trap with critical eyes and askedinnumerable questions. Then finally Mr. Bassett, chairman of thecommittee, spoke.
"Well, Scouts, it surely looks like a good plan, but will it catch 'em,that's what we want to know?"
"We are not certain of that ourselves, sir, but we'll take it out andtest it. Then we'll surely know," said Nipper. In a few moments themoth catcher had been loaded into "Old Nanc" and the scouts, judges andabout one hundred townfolk who had gathered to see the demonstration,started
up Otter Creek road. By the time the boys had loaded the mothcatcher into "Old Nanc" the entire troop was there.
Twilight had gone and the stars were coming out when "Old Nanc" arrivedat the appointed location. Every one was extremely curious and themoment the moth catcher was put on the ground men and women alike beganto inspect the contrivance closely. It was fully twenty minutes beforethe boys could connect the wires to the searchlight and the motor. Thena scout was sent post haste back to headquarters to throw the switch andlet the current into the new line.
When this was done Nipper, who was in charge on this occasion, took hisplace beside the contrivance. Scouts with staffs were detailed to keepthe small crowd back and away from the front of the machine.
"Are you all ready, Nipper?" said Bruce.
"Sure," said Nipper. Then, "say, is Mr. Ford here? I wish he was; I'dlike to have him see this. Oh, Bruce, if it will only work! I'm gettingas nervous as a cat." He glanced toward the automobile where the fourjudges sat waiting.
"Tut, tut, don't get fussed," said Bruce, trying hard to conceal his ownsuppressed excitement.
"All right, here goes," said Nipper as he turned the lamp switch, and amoment later the motor switch.
Instantly a long arm of light reached out across the valley and focusedon the heavy growth of elm trees on the opposite hill side. The motorbegan to hum and the fan to buzz loudly. Every one was attention. Everyeye was riveted in the long shaft of light that stretched forth into thenight. A minute they waited, two minutes, five minutes! Nothinghappened!
"Oh--this suspense is terrible," groaned Nipper.
"You're right, it is," whispered Bruce.
Every scout felt the same way. Was it a failure? Was their idea onlyvisionary, alter all? Oh, why didn't something happen to relieve thetension. Why didn't--
"Look! There's a moth," said some one.
"Where?" asked half a dozen breathlessly.
"Out there! Look! Can't you see him?" said others.
Sure enough, coming down the long pathway of light was a solitary mothwinging its fitful way toward the lamp. Now it was in the light and nowit dodged out into the darkness. But always it returned a few feetnearer to the waiting scouts. It seemed irresistibly drawn toward theauto lamp.
"Come on, come a little closer and we'll have you," whispered Nipperexcitedly.
On it came toward the upturned mouth of the vacuum. It was ten feetaway, then eight, seven, six. Now it felt the air disturbance, for itbegan to flutter harder. Then--_zipp_!
It was caught in the air current and in a twinkle disappeared down theyawning month of the sucker.
A mighty cheer went up. But they were silenced quickly when another mothappeared. But before this one had gone half way down the light shaft,two others came. Then came two more, then three or four, until they werefluttering in the white light like so many scraps of paper. And alwayswhen they reached a point over the opening of the sucker they werewhisked out of sight like a flash, to be carried into the big bag at theother end of the machine.
The crowd began to press in closer. The men were talking loudly now andcongratulating the young engineers, and as for Nipper and his comrades,well, they were pleased, and showed it by the smiles they wore.
But just at this moment the sound of an automobile coming from thedirection of headquarters was heard and the next instant Mr. Ford's cardashed up.
"Hello, boys, how's she working?" he inquired and there was something inthe tone of his voice that disturbed the scouts.
"Why, it's running in great shape. We have nearly half a bag full ofmoths now. What's the matter?" queried Nipper.
"Well, I have some bad news for you. I'm sorry, fellows, but your littlemachine isn't as original as we thought it was. Here's a telegram Ireceived this evening from my attorneys in Washington. They say that amachine like yours was invented in Germany several years ago and patentedin this country, too. They say several stories were printed about it inGerman and American magazines at the time. That means that we can't putit on the market as we had visions of doing and--!"
"Well, well, that's too bad," said deep-voiced Mr. Bassett, who had comeout of the automobile with the other judges to hear what Mr. Ford had tosay. "Too bad they can't get a patent on it. I thought the lads had anA-1 business proposition here and I was about to make 'em a spot cashoffer for an interest in it. Why, it's the best thing we've seen in allthe tests. No one has had anything anywhere near as good."
"But--but--you don't mean we can't win the contest," stammered Nippernervously, looking at Mr. Bassett.
"Win! Win! Why, lads, you've won in a walk. Hasn't he, gentlemen? Wehaven't seen anything as good as this, have we?"
"We certainly have not," said Mr. Adams. "Of course, the boys win. Theyget the $100 prize, but that's a mighty small amount for such ingenuity.If it wasn't for that German inventor you could have made thousands ofdollars out--"
"Pshaw, we only wanted first prize," exclaimed Nipper Knapp. Then heshouted, "Hi, fellows, we win, and we'll have our motorboat Whoope-e-e-e!Three cheers." And all, including the men, joined in:"Hip--hip--hoo-ray!" the noise of which didn't bother the moths in theleast as they kept on fluttering toward the light and disappearing intothe trap.