CHAPTER VII.
TUBBY REFUSES TO FORGET.
"Too bad they got you, too, Joe!" said the wounded man; and yet therewas something like satisfaction on his face, along with the grin hegave; because misery likes company, and if his companion had managed toescape it would have seemed doubly hard for him to be retaken, and badlyhurt at that.
"This man isn't able to walk all the way back to the road, Chief," Robwent on to say, indicating the tall fellow, who lay there with his legbound up the best Merritt could do with so little at hand to aid him.
"I reckon, son," returned the big officer, so pleased with the successthat had come to him that he was ready to grant almost any favor thesescouts asked, "we'll just have to carry him, then."
"And that would hurt him almost as much as limping along," Robcontinued; "so if you hold up for a little bit, we'll try and fix astretcher that ought to answer; though it's going to be a mighty poorsort of thing, without even a camp hatchet to cut poles with. Get busywith me, boys, and show the Chief what you know."
Now this was one of the things in which all the Eagles had beenthoroughly drilled. They knew how to go to work to make a comfortablestretcher on which an injured person might be carried for miles. Butjust as the patrol leader said, not having a hatchet handy was likely toprove something of a handicap. However, scouts always try to do the bestthey can, no matter what difficulties they run up against, and Merrittwas the first to start scurrying around, looking for stout poles thatwould serve for the sides and handles of the stretcher.
Once more did those three police officers stand and watch what the boyswere doing with both wonder and interest written on their faces. Why,they had never dreamed that half-grown lads could be so resourceful; andeven after a number of fairly straight poles had been collected,calculated to bear easily the weight of the injured man, none of the mencould guess just how these were to be utilized, or fastened together.
Judge of their astonishment, then, when they saw the boys make anotherlittle side hunt and come back with strands of pliable vines that couldbe twisted about the poles, fastening them together, each live vinestronger three times over than a cord of the same size would have been.
Each scout took pride in being able to render his share of the work; andRob, on his part, was filled with satisfaction to find how well thingsbegan to shape themselves under the nimble fingers of his chums andhimself.
As the rude but effective stretcher began to assume its desired form,the Chief gave each of his men a nod and a wink, as though calling theirattention to the clever way in which these ready lads met an emergencyby "being prepared"; letting them understand, also, that a useful lessonmight be drawn from the happening.
Even the two captured rogues manifested considerable interest in whatwas going on, the wounded fellow because he had good reason to bethankful for receiving so much consideration, and the shorter rascalbecause he had never been given a chance to see scouts work before.
"There's your stretcher, Chief," said Rob, when less than ten minuteshad slipped by, "and it's going to answer all right, I think."
"No question about that, lad," replied the big officer; "and made sostrong into the bargain that it would bear even my weight withouttrouble. And now let's get Con on it so we can start for the wagon."
This was quickly done. The man winced when they moved him, but otherthan that managed to repress all signs of his suffering. The two menaccompanying the Chief took hold of the handles that had been provided,and had not the slightest trouble in walking away with the wounded rogueon the stretcher. As for the Chief, he took the other prisoner incharge. Rob walked in the van, accompanied by his chums, and tried topick out the easiest way, always thinking of the pain that the wretchedCon must be enduring every time one of the bearers stumbled over a root.
"This is what I call great work," Tubby said, as he managed to keepalongside the one who bore the torch, so that he could get the fullbenefit of its light; for he did not fancy going down on all fours everylittle while when some vine happened to be in the path.
"And I'll surely never forget this scene," Andy remarked, showing thatit had made a great impression on him. "Lots of times I'll shut myeyes, and see us all stringing along this way with that fellow laid outon the stretcher. And say, when you look around and see how these oldvines hang down, you'd almost believe we were making our way throughsome tropical forest like lots of men we've read about."
"Well," spoke up Tubby briskly, "mebbe, now, we may be doing that samething before a great while, if only Uncle Mark makes up his mind to sendme down there to Mexico to straighten out his mixed affairs. I almostbelieve he would right now, if only Rob, here, was going to be along,because he's heard so much about him. And it wouldn't cost us a redcent, either, because Uncle Mark'll stand for it. But the trouble iswe're bound to school right now, and can't get away, hang the luck!"
"Careful there, Tubby," warned Merritt just then; "you're getting tooexcited, and you don't watch your steps as you ought. That time younearly knocked me down banging against me so suddenly."
"But aren't we nearly to the road, Rob?" pleaded Tubby, who wasbreathing hard, partly on account of his exertions in keeping close tothe leader, and also because he persisted in wasting so much wind intalking.
"More than half way, Tubby, so cheer up; the worst is yet to come,"chuckled the patrol leader. And then as the fat scout gave a dismalgroan Rob hastened to add: "That was only said for fun, because we aregoing to have it easier right along after this. I think in five minuteswe shall come out on the road."
When about that time had expired, Rob flashed the light of his torchahead, and then called out:
"There's the white birch that hangs over the road, boys; and the wagonis not far away from that, you remember."
"What d'ye think of that, Chief? If he didn't go and fetch us straightback to the place we started from!" Andy called out.
"That was easy," Rob told him; "because I only had to follow our owntrail, you understand. And here we are!"
The horse whinnied at their approach, just as though he might have knownthey were friends; and possibly the poor tired beast was as hungry for agood feed of oats as animals of his class can get.
The rude stretcher, having served its purpose, was cast aside, and thewounded man made as comfortable as possible in the bed of the wagon. Allof the scouts but Merritt settled themselves as best they could, as didalso two of the officers. The Chief and his prisoner occupied the seatwith the driver, where the recaptured rogue could be constantly watched.
In this way, then, they set out to cover the two miles or more that laybetween them and Hampton. Naturally the scouts felt quite jolly over theremarkable success that had accompanied their labors of the evening.
"Well, who would have thought when the water came a-rushing into ourboat, so we had to run her ashore and leave her there till morning, thatwe'd come on the finest chance ever to show what we knew aboutscoutcraft?" Andy burst out after they had been rumbling along the roadsteadily for a short time. Merritt had been cautioned not to try andmake speed on account of the poor fellow who had hard work to repress agroan with every jolt.
"That's the way things come around, sometimes," Rob told him. "You nevercan tell how they're going to turn out. Lots of times I've heard myfather say that the very things he looked on as disasters proved to beblessings in disguise. And for one, I could almost forgive the fellowwho played that miserable trick on us, because of the great time we'vehad since landing."
"Well, I don't join with you there," grumbled Tubby, who did not oftenhold a grudge against anybody, and therefore made his present action themore singular. "What if that plug had dropped out when we were out inthe middle of the bay, with the wind and waves like they were? Wouldn'twe have been in danger of our lives? I can see a feller of my sizeswimming a mile and more! Huh! that was a coward's trick, let me tellyou. And just wait and see if I don't fasten the guilt on the wretchthat played it on us. I've got all the evidence needed right here in mypocket;
and given a little time, I'll fix him,--but I'm not mentioningany names _yet_!"
Both Andy and Rob pretended to consider Tubby's intention to playdetective in the nature of a great joke, because they did not believethat the fat scout had any particular gift along such lines; but hecertainly seemed in deadly earnest, and took himself seriously, for afact.
"We are likely to be late to supper to-night, boys!" Rob remarked, asthey saw the lights of Hampton ahead, and knew that presently they wouldbe in the home town.
"What of that, when we've got such a splendid excuse?" Tubby said, as hepuffed himself up with pride. "I know my maw and Uncle Mark'll listena-holding their breath while I tell of all the wonderful adventures thatcame our way since we started after Rob's select oysters! Um! don't Iwish I had a few to sample right this minute! But then, I ought to behome pretty quick now, and I guess I can hold in. Friday night we alwayshave Boston baked beans at our house; and you know I'm particularly fondof those. And this is Friday, isn't it?"
He heaved a contented sigh, as though making up his mind that supperwould taste all the finer for being held back so long; and that wasTubby's way all over.
"I'll jump out here, Chief," said Rob, as Merritt held up the horse,knowing they were close to the banker's house. "I reckon I can tote thatsack of oysters such a short way. So-long, fellows; see you first thingin the morning, Merritt. I'd like mighty much to get my boat homebefore that old hurricane from the West Indies comes tearing up thecoast. Good night, Chief, and I'm glad we were able to lend you a hand.I hope you get a doctor busy with that swollen leg Con's carrying aroundwith him. It'd be rough if blood poisoning set in."
So saying, the patrol leader allowed the two boys in the body of thewagon to heave the half bushel of prime shellfish over his rightshoulder, and walked off with his burden as though it did not amount tomuch, anyway.
The cheery words of the policemen followed him; but pleasant as thesemay have been, it was something entirely different that caused Rob tolaugh softly to himself as he heard it. And this was the shrill"k-r-e-e-e" of the Eagles, sent after him by his chums, as a token oftheir esteem, and in recognition of the great aid scoutcraft had provento them during the last hour or more.
Thus closed one of the most interesting experiences that had ever fallento the lot of the Eagle Patrol scouts; one that they would be apt toremember years afterwards, when time had caused them to forget manyother adventures that had come their way. And doubtless Tubby did keephis folks breathless while he narrated the exciting details over thesupper table--after he had taken off the first sharp edge of hiswonderful appetite.