CHAPTER VI
THE GREAT CRUISE OF THE SCOUTS BEGUN
When Bobolink again reached the bow of the _Comfort_, and peered abovethe side, he glued his eyes to the spot where he knew the rope lay thatheld the boats moored to the shore.
And as the half moon condescended to peep from behind the dark cloudsthat had until now hidden her bright face, the scout could make out aflattened figure, that seemed to be hugging the earth, while creepingslowly forward.
Not only one, but three more, did he see, all in a line, as though inthis way the conspirators had arranged to keep their courage up to thesticking point. Each fellow might watch his mates, and see that no onelagged behind.
Bobolink was quivering with eagerness and excitement. He figured thatthese night crawlers had only five more feet to cover before they wouldbe as close to his "dead line" as prudence would dictate that he allow,since it might require only a single sweep of the knife to cut that rope.
They kept on advancing as though anxious to get the job over with, nowthat they had keyed their courage up to the proper pitch.
Another foot was all that Bobolink meant to allow, and then his timewould come to act. Those last few seconds seemed fairly to crawl, sowrought-up was the waiting scout; but finally he concluded that it was nouse holding off any longer. So he suddenly called out the one word:
"Now!"
Instantly a new sound broke the silence. Bobolink elevated the objecthe was hold in his hands. There came a queer, whizzing noise, likewater squirting from the end of a nozzle; which was exactly what itwas, and _hot_ water in the bargain, not actually scalding, but of sucha temperature to make a fellow wince, if it happened to sprinkleover-his face.
It was all Bobolink's idea. He had brought a little garden pump aboardduring the afternoon, with the hose that went with it. There was akerosene cookstove aboard each boat, used when going ashore might beunwise on account of rainy weather; and on this the artful schemer hadheated his water. Every time he went back to that quarter he tested itstemperature, to see whether it kept up to the pitch he meant it shouldbe. And Andy's part of the job was to manipulate the handle of the littlepump with all his vim and power.
Imagine the consternation of four plotters, who, when just about tocarry out their pleasant little scheme, suddenly and without warning,found a spray of hot water touching every exposed part of their skin!
Do you wonder that they immediately let out a few yelps, and scramblingto their feet, rushed headlong away, followed by the laughter and jeersof Bobolink and his hard-working assistant.
"Go it, you tigers! My! what sprinters you can be, when you only halftry! Come again, when you cool off a bit! Plenty more of the same kind ontap! Don't be bashful, Teddy; let's hear from you again, and often. Whee!just listen to 'em howl, would you?"
Perhaps some of those who were with Ted Slavin in his little game weremore frightened than hurt by the hot water, but they certainly didchatter as they kept on up the river bank. Little danger of them makinganother try to injure the boats again that night!
Of course Spider and Tom Bates had jumped up at the first outbreak, readyto help repel boarders. Their assistance was not needed; but they enjoyedthe joke as much as their chums and for the next half hour all sataround, talking, and comparing notes.
But finally silence again rested over the scene; Spider and Tomcondescended to crawl under their blankets again for another "cat-nap,"as the former dubbed it, while Bobolink and his able assistant resumedtheir duties as sentries.
The night, however, was disturbed no more by any outbreak. Those would-bejokers seemed to know when they had taken hold of what Bobolink termedthe "business end of a buzz-saw;" at any rate they were only conspicuousduring the remainder of the night by their absence.
Of course every one of the boys on board the two motorboats was glad whenthe first peep of dawn came. It had seemed about "forty-eleven hourslong," Spider admitted; though he also triumphantly asked Tom Bettswhether the other had had occasion to jab that pin into him even once,which the second scout laughingly admitted he had not.
"See there," Spider had declared, "can't I keep awake when dutycalls me? You needn't be afraid to trust a Sexton, when you need afaithful watcher."
Before the sun appeared Paul and Jack were on hand, to make sure thateverything was in shape for an early start, for they hoped to get away bynine o'clock.
Others of the scouts began to drop around, and from the appearance oftheir eyes Paul was of the opinion that a full night's sleep had not beenenjoyed by many of the members of the troop. Of course, it was theexcitement of starting out on such a glorious cruise that kept themawake; for it is not given to scouts very often to enjoy such a prospect,afloat, with staunch motorboats given over into their keeping.
Since so many things had been looked after on the preceding afternoon,there was really little to be done that morning. Every fellow wassupposed to be on hand at a certain time, ready with his little blanket,and his haversack, in which he would carry a towel, some soap, a brush,an extra shirt, some socks and handkerchiefs; and if he could find aspare bit of room, why, he was entitled to cram in all the crullers orother dainties he could manage; for after that supply was gone therewould be only plain camp fare until they got home again.
Paul was kept busy seeing that everything was stored away in the rightplace. Of course the supplies of food and the tents, as well as thenumerous blankets, had to be divided as equally as possible, so that eachboat would have its fair cargo.
When the roster of those who could go was taken, just before the timecame to start, and the others were ordered ashore, it was found that alltold there were just eighteen fellows lucky enough to be in the lot.
Some of the boys who could not go looked pretty doleful as they watchedthe preparations. There were the twins, William and Wallace Carberry,whose parents insisted on their going to the sea-shore; and Horace Poole,as well as Cliff Jones, of the second patrol, also compelled to obey theparental injunction; when, if given their choice, they would ten timessooner have remained at home, and had the chance of starting out on thiswonderful cruise with their chums.
Sandy Griggs, the butcher's son, was laid up with a lame leg; whileGeorge Hurst happened to develop a touch of malaria, and his parentswould not hear of him going on the water at such a time. As for RedConklin and Lub Ketcham, for some reason or other which they did not careto explain, they had been positively refused permission to go along;perhaps they were being punished for some misdemeanor; and if so, tojudge from the long faces they showed, the like would not be apt tohappen again very soon; for it pained them dreadfully to think that theywere to be debarred from all that glorious fun which the fortunateeighteen had ahead of them.
With nine to a boat there was considerable crowding; but this came mostlyon account of the tremendous amount of material carried. Why, one wouldalmost be inclined to think those boys were going off for a whole threemonths, instead of not more than two weeks at most, to judge from thestuff they carried. It takes boys a long time to learn to plan such tripsas this in light marching order, doing without everything save absolutenecessities.
Why, there was Bobolink, who ought to have known better, actually tryingto get Paul to allow him to take along that little garden pump, with itsline of hose. Just because it had come in so happily when those jokersmeant to cut the hawser, and set the two boats adrift, Bobolink declaredthere could be no telling how many times it would prove a blessing; butPaul utterly refused to carry such a burden; and so in the end it wasput ashore, and given in charge of the twins to return in safety to theLink garden.
When nine o'clock struck, everything seemed to be ready.
"I can't think of anything else; can you. Jack?" Paul asked his second incommand, and who was to take charge of the _Speedwell_, while Paulhimself ran the other craft.
"I see you've got the extra gas aboard, and that was one thing I had onmy mind," replied Jack. "There's nothing else that I know. Look atWilliam Carberry, will you? I honestly be
lieve he's figuring in his mindright now whether he dares go, against his home order, and jump aboard,to sail with us."
"I wouldn't let him, now that I know he couldn't get permission,"remarked Paul, promptly. "We want to make a start with a clean record. Nofellow is going without the full permission of his folks. I'd hate tothink that any scout sneaked off, and came anyhow. He wouldn't have agood time, because all the while he'd be thinking of what was coming whenhe got back."
"Bobolink is rubbing his chin every time he looks at that little gardenpump," Jack went on, chuckling mightily, as though he enjoyed watchingthe faces of his comrades, and reading all sorts of things there. "Hejust can't see why you wouldn't let him carry it along. I heard him tellhow it would be good for giving us all a clean-off shower bath, when wewent in swimming; and all that sort of thing. When he can't have what hewants, Bobolink is a hard loser; isn't he, Paul?"
"Well, he beats any one else in hanging on," replied the other. "Nowtake those boxes that little old professor stored one night in yourfather's mill--Bobolink just can't get them out of his mind; and henever will be happy till you find out what was in them. After that he'llforget all about the things. But if everything is ready, I guess wemight as well start."
When the _Speedwell_, being on the outside, started to "popping," andthen moved off, there was a cheer from fully five score of throats;and counting the girls who had also come down to see the beginning ofthe motorboat cruise, there must have been nearly double that numberon the bank.
Then the roomier _Comfort_ also made a start, and following in the wakeof the pilot boat, turned until her nose pointed down-stream. Flags wereflying from fore and aft of both boats; and the boys waved theircampaign hats, while they sent back hearty cheers in answer to the manygood wishes shouted after them by the crowd ashore, while Bobolink blewcheery blasts on his bugle, and Bluff Shipley would have beaten a livelytattoo on his drum, only it had been decided best to leave thatinstrument at home.
And with all this noisy send-off, the two boats began to chug-chug downthe Bushkill, bound for that far-away island in Lake Tokala, about whichso many strange stories had from time to time been told.
"Well, we're off at last, Bobolink," said Jack, who had that individualaboard with him.
"That's right, and everything seems lovely, with the goose hanging high,"replied the other. "But seems to me the troop owes us guards a vote ofthanks for serving as we did. Just think what a lot of grunters we'd havebeen this fine morning, if our boats had been set adrift, and brought upon the rocks down below, with chances of holes being knocked in thesides! Say, we've got a whole lot to be thankful for, Jack; and my oldgarden pump stood up to the racket first-rate, too."
"That's true, Bobolink; and as soon as we're settled in camp I'm going tomake sure that the troop acknowledges its indebtedness to you fourfellows by a vote of thanks, see if I don't."
"Oh say, now, I didn't mean to hint that way," objected the other,turning a little red in the face with confusion. "We only did our duty,after all, if we did lose a lot of sleep. But then, I guess we got asmuch as a lot of the fellows that went to bed at home. Yes, we're off atlast, and things look great. I'm as happy as a lark, and that free fromcare--well, I would be, that is, if only somebody could up and give mejust a hint what those boxes had in 'em. It was so funny to have thatqueer professor store 'em with your father in his mill; and then to havesomebody sneakin' around, wantin' to steal them. Needn't grin at me thatway, Jack; you know I'm a little weak in that quarter. I sure _do_ wantto know! Don't suppose you've heard anything new since I talked with youlast about it?" and as Jack shook his head in the negative, Bobolinklooked disappointed, and turned away.