CHAPTER II
THE MAN WHO LOVED NATURE
"Give it to them, boys!" Josh was shouting as he started to send hisfirst ball straight at the group of busy tormentors who were showeringthe helpless old man with their icy balls that must have stung almostas much as so many rocks.
He seemed to be lame, for while he tried to advance toward the youngrascals waving his stout cane wildly, they had no difficulty in keepinga safe distance off, and continuing the cruel bombardment.
The smashing of that ball flung by Josh, who was pitcher on the Lenoxbaseball team, and a fine shot, was the first intimation the threetormentors of the old man had that the tables had been turned.
"Hey! look here what's on to us!" shrilled one of the trio, as he feltthe sudden shock caused by the first snowball striking the back of hishead.
Upon that the bully of the town and his two allies were forced to turnand try to defend themselves against this assault from the rear. Theyfought desperately for a very short time, but their hands were alreadyhalf frozen, and five against three proved too great odds for theirvalor.
Besides, every time Josh let fly he managed to land on some part of theperson of Tony Pollock or one of his cronies. And those hard balls whendriven by the sturdy arm of the baseball pitcher stung mercilessly.
The old man stood and watched, with something like a smile on his face.He seemed to have forgotten all about his own recent predicament inseeing these young rowdies receiving their just dues. If he had notbeen old and lame possibly he might have insisted on joining in thefray, and adding to the punishment being meted out to the threecowardly boys.
Once a retreat was begun, it quickly merged into a regular panic. Tomstayed to talk to the old man while his comrades pursued the fleeingtrio, and peppered them good and hard. When finally they felt that theyhad amply vindicated their right to be reckoned worthy candidates forscout membership they came back, laughing heartily among themselves,to where Tom and the old man were standing.
"Why, I've seen that old fellow before," Josh remarked in a lowtone as he and Carl, George and Felix drew near. "His name is LarryHenderson, and they say he's something of a hermit, living away up inthe woods beyond Bear Mountain."
"Sure thing," added Felix, instantly; "I've heard my folks talkingabout him lots of times. He does a little trapping, they say, butspends most of his time studying animated nature. He knows every animalthat ever lived on this continent, and the birds and insects too, Ireckon. He's as smart as they make 'em, and used to be a collegeprofessor some people say, even if he does talk a little rough now."
For some reason all of them were feeling more or less interest in theman who walked with a cane. Perhaps this arose from the fact that oflate they had become enthusiastic over everything connected withwoodcraft. And the fact that Mr. Henderson was acquainted with athousand secrets about the interesting things to be discovered in theGreat Outdoors appealed strongly to them.
"These are my chums, Mr. Henderson," said Tom, when the others came up;and as the name of each one was mentioned the hermit of Bear Mountaingrasped his hand, giving a squeeze that made some of the boys wince.
"I'm glad to meet you all," he said, heartily. "It was worth beingattacked by that lot of rowdies just to get acquainted with such a finelot of boys. And I want to say that you gave them all the punishmentthey deserved. I counted hits until I lost all track of the number."
"Yes," said Felix, with a grin on his freckled face; "they're rubbingmany a sore spot right now, I reckon. Josh here, who's our star pitcheron the nine, never wasted a single ball. And I could hear the samefairly whistle through the air."
"Gosh all hemlock! Felix," objected the boy mentioned, "you'restretching things pretty wide, aren't you? Now I guess the restof you did your share in the good work, just as much as I."
"All the same I'm thankful for your coming to my assistance," saidMr. Henderson. "My rheumatism kept me from being as spry in dodgingtheir cannonade as I might have been some years ago. And one ballthat broke against that tree had a stone inside it, I'm sorry tosay. We would have called that unsportsmanlike in my young days."
"Only the meanest kind of a fellow would descend to such a trick!"exclaimed the indignant Josh; "but then Tony Pollock and his crowdare ready to do anything low-down and crooked. They'll never beable to join our scout troop, after we get it started."
"What's that you are saying?" asked the old man, showing suddeninterest.
"Why, you see, sir," explained Josh, always ready to do his shareof talking if given half a chance, "our chum here, Tom Chesney, wasvisiting his cousins over in Freeport, and got interested in theirscout troop. So we've taken the thing up, and expect to start theball rolling right away."
"It happens," Tom went on, "that there is a young man in town who onceserved as scout master in a troop, and I've just had him promise tocome around to-night and tell us what we've got to do to get thenecessary charter from scout headquarters."
"You interest me very much, boys," said Mr. Henderson, his eyessparkling as he spoke. "I have read considerable about the wonderfulprogress this new movement is making all over the land; and I want tosay that I like the principles it advocates. Boys have known too littlein the past of how to take care of themselves at all times, and also beready to lend a helping hand to others."
"The camping out, and finding all sorts of queer things in the woodsis what makes me want to join a troop!" said Josh; "because I alwaysdid love to fish and hunt, and get off in the mountains away fromeverybody."
"That's a good foundation to start on," remarked the hermit, withkindling eyes, as he looked from one eager face to another; "but Iimagine that after you've been a scout for a short time your ideaswill begin to change considerably."
"How, sir?" asked Josh, looking unconvinced.
"Well," continued the old man, softly, "you'll find such enjoyment in_observing_ the habits of all the little woods folks that by degreesthe fierce desire you have now to slay them will grow colder. In theend most of you will consider it ten times better to sit and watch themat their labors or play than to slaughter them in sport, or even tokill them for food."
"But Mr. Henderson," said Josh, boldly, "I've heard that you trapanimals for their pelts; and I guess you must knock a few over whenyou feel like having game for dinner, don't you?"
"Occasionally I go out and get a rabbit or a partridge, though notoften," admitted the old man; "and as for my trapping, I only try totake such animals or vermin as are cruel in their nature and seem tobe a pest to the innocent things I'm so fond of having around me. Iwish you boys could visit my cabin some time or other, and make theacquaintance of my innumerable pets. They look on me as their bestfriend, and I would never dream of raising a hand to injure them.Kindness to animals, I believe, is one of the cardinal principlesof a true scout."
"Yes, sir, that's what it is," responded Josh, eagerly. "I've got thewhole twelve points of scout law on the tip of my tongue right now.Here's what they are: A scout has got to be trustworthy, loyal,helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,brave, clean and reverent."
"Whew! that's going some!" declared Felix, who being prone to putthings off to a more convenient season could readily see that hewas sure to run up against a good many snags if he tried to keepthe scout law.
"Then you can easily understand," continued Mr. Henderson, "what atreasure-house the woods is going to be to every observing boy whospends some time there, and becomes interested in seeing all thatis going on around him."
"I'm sure of that, sir," responded Tom, earnestly. "I know for one thatI've never paid a quarter of the attention to such things as I ought tohave done."
"No, you are right there, my lad," the hermit continued, beingevidently on a favorite subject, "the average boy can walk througha mile of forest and hardly notice anything around him. In fact, hemay even decide that it's only a gloomy place, and outside the cawingof the crows or perhaps an occasional squirrel at which he shies astone he has heard and seen noth
ing."
"Then it's different with a scout, is it, sir?" asked George Cooper.
"If he has been aroused to take a keen interest in nature the samewoods will be alive with interesting things," the other told them. "Hewill see the shy little denizens peeping curiously out at him from acover of leaves, and hear their low excited chattering as they telleach other what they think of him. Every tree and moss-covered stoneand swinging wild grape-vine will tell a story; and afterwards thatboy is going to wonder how he ever could have been content to remainin such dense ignorance as he did for years."
"Mr. Henderson do you expect to remain in town over night?" asked Tom,suddenly.
"Why yes, I shall have to stay until to-morrow," came the reply; "Iam stopping with my old friend, Judge Stone. We attended the same redschool house on the hill a great many years ago. My stock of provisionsran short sooner than I had counted on, and this compelled me to comedown earlier than usual. As a rule I deal over in Fairmount, but thistime it was more convenient to come here. Why do you ask, Tom?"
"I was wondering whether you could be coaxed to come around to-night,and meet the rest of the boys," the boy told him. "We expect to have adozen present, and when Mr. Witherspoon is explaining what a scout mustsubscribe to in joining a troop, it might influence some of the fellowsif you would tell them a few things like those you were just describingto us."
The old naturalist looked at the eager faces of the five lads, and asmile came over his own countenance. Undoubtedly he was a lover of andbeliever in boys, no matter whether he had ever had any of his own ornot.
"I shall be only too pleased to come around, Tom; if Judge Stone canrun his car by moonlight. Tell me where the meeting is to take place."
"The deacons of the church have promised to let us have a room in thebasement, which has a stove in it. The meeting will be at eighto'clock, sir," Tom informed him.
"I hope to be there and listen to what goes on," said the hermit. "Andafter all I'm not sorry those vicious boys thought to bombard me theway they did, since it has given me the opportunity to get acquaintedwith such a fine lot of lads. But I see my friend, the Judge, comingwith his car, and I'll say good-bye to you all for the present."
He waved his hand to them as he rode away beside the white-beardedjudge, who was one of the most highly respected citizens of Lenox.
"Well, he's a mighty fine sort of an old party, for a fact!" declaredGeorge, as they looked after the receding car; nor did he mean theslightest disrespect in speaking in this fashion of the interesting oldman they had met in such a strange way.
"I'd give something if only I could visit Mr. Henderson at his cabin,"remarked Felix; "I reckon he must have a heap of things worth seeing inhis collection."
"Who knows," said Tom, cheerily, "but what some good luck might take usup that way one of these fine days."
"Let's hope so," added Josh, as they once more started toward home.