CHAPTER XVI
UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS
Paul had settled it all in his mind as to what their course shouldbe. He drew a mental map of the island, and its surroundings; andalso remembered certain conclusions he had previously entertainedconnected with the depth of water on all sides, between their latecamp and the mainland.
So the _Comfort_ set the pace, which was not very fast; for they wanteddarkness to settle fully over the lake, in order that they might movearound without being seen from the island.
"Tell me when the island is out of sight, Jud," remarked Paul; for someof the time the two boats were side by side, and nothing interfered witha clear view in the rear.
"Why, it's swallowed up already in the night mist; I can just make outthat old cedar that stands on top of the little hill," came Jud's reply.
"Good. Then we'll have an easy time slipping back, I reckon," said Paul.
"Going all the way over to the shore; are you?" asked the other.
"Might as well; though we'll have to feel our way. Pretty shallow; ain'tit, Jud?" for the scout master had set the other to work sounding withone of the setting poles, by dropping it over every little while.
"Touch bottom every time but seems to be plenty of water. Guess thislake ain't near so deep as that other one up by Rattlesnake Mountain,"Jud remarked.
"Oh! it's many times deeper on the other side of the island," observedPaul. "I picked out this way across for a good reason."
"I suppose you did," Jud said, with a sublime confidence that wasrefreshing.
"Because, you see," added Paul, "when we start back again, we'll have todo without the help of our motors, for, muffle them as we might, they'dmake enough noise to betray us."
"Oh! I see now," declared Jud, chuckling. "In place of the motor businesswe'll use good hard muscle with these setting poles. And so long as wecan touch bottom right along, it ain't going to be a very hard jobgetting back to the island. You don't think it's more'n half a mile; doyou, Paul?"
"Not much more, and we can take our time, Jud. The one thing above allothers we've got to keep in mind is silence. Nobody ought to knock apole against the side of a boat under penalty of being given black marks.And as for talking, it'll have to be in whispers, when at all."
"S-s-sounds g-g-good to m-m-me," said Bluff, who somehow seemed to havegone back to his old stuttering ways; though it might be the excitementthat caused the lapse.
Nothing more was said on the way over, though doubtless the boys kept upconsiderable thinking. They were tremendously worked up over thesituation. This scheme proposed by the scout leader seemed to appeal tothe spirit of adventure which nearly every boy who has red blood in hisveins feels to be a part of his nature.
There was one among them, however, who was silent because of anotherreason; for Old Dan Tucker always declared it a very bad and injuriousplan to try and converse when one's mouth was crammed full; and crackers,too, being apt to get in the wind-pipe, may do all manner of chokingstunts. So he said never a word.
They presently could see the other shore looming up, though it wasgetting very dark, just as though a storm might be threatening to againdemoralize them.
"Getting more shoal, Paul," warned the pole heaver.
"How much water have you now?" demanded the leader, ready to give thesignal for bringing both motorboats to a stop, when it seemed necessary.
"Eight feet, last time; now it's about seven, short," announced Jud.
"Keep on sounding, and when it gets down to three, let me know,"ordered Paul.
They were creeping along at a snail's pace now, so even should eitherboat strike mud bottom, which Jud had declared it to be, no particulardamage would result.
The shore was very close, and still Jud admitted that there wasplenty of water.
"Keeps up in great shape, Commodore," he remarked, "reckon we could goashore here if we felt that way."
"Which we don't," declared Gusty Bellows, in a low tone.
And not a single voice was raised in favor of such a proceeding; if therewere any timid souls present, they failed to exhibit their weakness,either through fear of boyish ridicule, or some other reason.
Then Paul shut off power, and when he no longer heard the sound of the_Comfort's_ exhaust, Jack followed suit.
"We'll hang out here for half an hour, and then head back,"explained Paul.
"The outlet isn't far away from here; is it?" Joe Clausin asked.
"Not very far--on the right," Paul replied. "I had that in mind whenchoosing to come this way. You see, if we were intending to only goashore, they'd expect to see a fire burning somewhere. As it is, they'llbe sure to think we've dropped down into the Radway, preferring to riskall sorts of danger from the rocks and snags there, rather than stay hereanother night."
"Makes me think of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow," remarked Nat Smith inthe other motorboat.
"Oh! come off, will you?" ridiculed Bobolink. "Napoleon was a good one,but not in the same class with _us_. He never came back, like we're goingto do. This retreat is only a fine piece of strategy, remember, while hiswas in deadly earnest."
They talked in low tones that were cousins to whispers, and certainlycould not be heard half way over to the mysterious island, eventhough water does make the finest conductor of sound possible, asevery boy knows.
Finally, when about half an hour had gone, Paul said it was time to makea fresh start. He had thought it all out, and while taking one polehimself, asked the expert, Jud, to handle the other in their boat.
Jack and Tom Betts were to look after those in the _Speedwell_; for thescout master knew that Tom could be very careful, given a job thatrequired caution.
They took their time, and by degrees Paul led the way across the shallowpart of the lake. Bobolink had aptly described their movement, when hesaid it reminded him of the words in the song: "He came right in, andturned around and walked right out again."
Now it was so dark that most of the scouts found themselves confused asto their bearings, the minute they lost sight of the trees along theshore. Some wondered how Paul was going to go straight back over theirrecent course, when he did not have even the stars to guide him.
But then, there were many other things he did have, one of which was theslight breeze that blew in his face, and which had been directly behindthem at the time they left the island.
Slowly and laboriously, in comparison with their other trip, the scoutscrossed the stretch of water. And when finally those who were so eagerlywatching out for that cedar on the top of the little elevation in themiddle of the island whispered to Paul that it was dead ahead, theyrealized with wonder that the pilot had led them in a direct line backover their course.
Now they altered the line of advance a little. This was in order toapproach the island about the place where the little bay extended intoits side, as described by Jack. And Paul allowed the other to take thelead, since Jack would be more familiar with the locality than he himselfmight feel.
Noiselessly did the two boats enter that miniature bay, and glide alonguntil close to the bank, where the overhanging trees afforded theprotection they wanted, in order to conceal the craft.
Landing was next in order, and then all their things must again be takenashore, from tents and blankets, to cooking kettles and eatables.
By now the scouts had reduced many of these things to a system. Every boyknew just what was expected of him; and presently there was a processionof burden bearers carrying things into the brush along a certain trail,once in a while perhaps stumbling a little, but keeping strict silence.
They seemed to enjoy it hugely, too. Their nerves tingled while carryingout this part of the programme--at least, Bobolink said he had such afeeling, and doubtless several more were in the same condition.
Of course there were those who trembled with anticipation of some suddenalarm. And then again, others might be beginning to think they would soonnearly "cave away" with the empty feeling they had; that was what OldDan Tucker confide
d in a whisper to Joe Clausin, resting firm in thebelief that none of the others knew about the pocket full of crackers,that he called "life preservers"--which, alas, were all gone now, to thelast crumb.
Paul led the line and picked out the easiest method of reaching theplace he had selected for the new camp among the rocks and trees. It wasin a depression, too, the others noticed, when he told them to droptheir bundles. That would enable them to have a little fire, since itcould not be seen as it would be if they were on a level, or anelevation. And really, a fire was necessary, if Paul meant they shouldhave any supper at all.
"As we brought about all we need, there's no use of making another tripto the boats," Paul remarked in a low tone; from which the others judgedthat conversation was not going to be entirely cut out, only they mustnot elevate their voices above a certain pitch, so long as things were asquiet as at present.
Now began the task of getting the three tents in position again. And wellhad the scouts learned their lesson in this particular; some of them evengoing so far as to declare that they could do the job with their eyesblindfolded, so familiar were they with every part of the operation.
"Like learning type-writin' by touch in school," Bobolink had said.
After all the tents had been raised, and the blankets placed inside, Paulgave permission for a small cooking fire to be made.
To some boys a fire is always a fire, no matter what its intended use;but the scout who has camped out soon gets to know that there is a vastdifference between a camp fire, for instance, and one meant only forgetting meals over.
The former may be composed of great logs and branches that send up acheery and brilliant blaze; but which is next to useless when the cookwants to get close in, and attend to his various kettles and frying pans.
Sometimes a hole is scooped out of the ground, and the fire for cookingmade in that, especially when on level ground, and danger exists ofhostile eyes discovering the blaze, however small.
As a rule, however, such a fire is made about after this fashion: Twologs may be used, if they have flat surfaces, having been more or lesssquared off; but when stones can be procured they are to be preferred.Two sides are fashioned out of flat stones, somewhat in the shape of theletter V, only not having the line quite so pronounced. Thus a coffeepotwill rest snugly over the smaller end, while the big frying pan cozilycovers the larger.
The fire need only be small, but when the cooking commences, thereshould be for the most part red embers in the fireplace, capable ofsending up great heat, with but a minimum of blaze. And there a cookcan work in comfort, without dodging back every time a fierce blazedarts toward him, threatening to singe his eyebrows, and shorten hiscrop of hair.
Jud knew just how to make such a fire, and as they would need several, inorder to cook for such a host, some of the other boys busied themselvesin copying what he did. They had seen him make such a stone fireplacebefore, any way, and some of them had practiced the art in private, beingdesirous of knowing how to do many of the things the leaders were soproficient in.
Soon they had more light, when Jud got his fire started; and it wasthen that the boys realized just how fitting that spot was for a hiddencamp. Their tents could not be seen thirty feet away; and as for thesmall amount of light made by the three cooking fires, little danger ofit being noticed, unless some one were close by, and actually stumbledon the spot.
In fact, the greatest chance they had of being discovered, as Paul wellknew, did not come from any sense of sight or hearing, but that of smell.Should the odors from their supper chance to be carried across theisland, and in the direction of where these men were staying, they mightbegin to suspect something was wrong, and start an investigation thatwould lead to the discovery of the new camp.
But Paul had also noticed that the night breeze was doing them anothergood service; it had helped him find his way back to the island throughthe darkness resting on the big lake; and now, blowing toward the distantshore, the odors of cooking coffee, and frying bass would be takenentirely away.
And anyhow, there were eighteen half-starved scouts who had to be fed,come what might. So the cooking went on apace, and in due time supper wasannounced as ready. At which more than a few of the waiting lads heavedsighs of satisfaction, and Old Dan Tucker, as usual, managed to be thefirst to sit down.