CHAPTER V
JUST AFTER THE CLOCK STRUCK TEN
"Here we are, monarchs of all we survey," remarked Bobolink, as the lastof the other scouts went off, leaving the four guards to their task oftaking care of those two fine motorboats for the night.
It was nine o'clock.
The well-known sounds from the church steeple had told them that; andsomehow every fellow counted the strokes aloud, as though on this nightin particular they meant far more than at other times.
Stanhope, not being a manufacturing town, like Manchester, was, as arule, rather quiet of nights; except when the Glorious Fourth was beingcelebrated; or some other holiday kept the younger element on the move.
Bobolink had been given the post of "Captain of the Guards;" while TomBetts was to be considered the second in command. They were to divide theduties in such fashion that there would be two of them on deck at a time.
"I'll take Andy for my mate; and you can have Spider to help out,"Bobolink had told Tom, when they were arranging the programme.
"And how long will the watches be?" demanded Spider, who liked to sleepabout as much as any fellow in the troop; he had gained that odd name notbecause he was artful and cruel; but on account of his slender legs,which long ago some smart boy had likened to those of a spider; and itonly requires a hint like that to establish a nick-name.
"Two hours each, divided into four," replied the chief, feeling theresponsibility of his position; for this was really the first timeBobolink could remember being placed over any of his fellow scouts--Paulwished to "try him out," and discover what sort of reliance could beplaced in the lad.
"That's an awful short time to get a snooze," complained Spider, yawning."Why, you'd hardly get asleep before you'd have to wake up."
"Then what's the use going to sleep at all, at all?" remarked AndyFlinn, with a broad smile. "Let's draw lots to say who'll stand guardthe whole night"
"Well, I guess not," objected Spider, vigorously. "Half a loaf is somebetter'n no bread, they always say; and four hours ought to make afellow feel as though he hadn't been shut out altogether from hisneeded rest."
"Needed rest is good for you, Spider; the only trouble is you need toomuch," Bobolink remarked. "But here's the way we'll fix it: Andy and me,why, we'll be the pioneers on the job, starting in right now, while youothers curl up somewhere, and get busy taking your forty winks. Ateleven-ten we'll give you the foot, and take your places. Jack left mehis little watch, so we could tell how time goes; but sure, you can hearthe clock in the church steeple knock off the hours. And for the lasttime, listen to me; not one wink must any sentry take while on duty.Sleeping on post is the most terrible thing you can do. They shootsoldiers in war time who betray their trust that way. Get yourinstructions, fellows?"
"I'm on to what you mean, all right," said Spider; "and I guess I know myweakness, as well as anybody. To prove that I want to do the right thing,I'm going to fix it up with my mate to give me a jab with this pin, everytime he gets a notion in his head that I'm drowsing."
"Say, that sounds heroic all right," remarked Bobolink, doubtfully; "butyou don't want to get too gay with that same pin, Tom. It'd be a shame towake Andy and me up every ten minutes, making Spider give a yelp. Betterjust shake him if he acts sleepy. And above everything else, keep abright watch along the shore."
"Think they'll be apt to come from that direction, do you?" asked Spider.
"Just as like as not," the other returned; "but that isn't saying youought not to keep an eye on the other side, and all around. I wouldn'tput it past that Ted Slavin to swim down this way from some place above,thinking he could do his little trick by fooling us, and coming aboard onthe water side."
"Whew! do you really think, then, he'd dare board these boats, knowingthat they belong to two of the richest and most prominent citizens ofStanhope?" asked Spider, who occasionally liked to air his command offine language.
"Well, you ought to be on to the curves of that Ted Slavin; and if youjust look back to things he's been known to do in the past, why, lotsof times he's played his pranks on people that had a pull. Why, didn'the even sneak into the loft over Police Headquarters once, and rig up ascare that came near breaking up the force. Ted fixed it so the wind'dwork through a knot-hole in the dark, whenever he chose to pull astring over the fence back of the house, and make the awfullestgroaning noise anybody ever did hear. It got on the nerves of ChiefBillings and his men. They hunted that loft over and over, but ofcourse the groans didn't come when they were up there. Why, he had 'emso badly rattled that they all just about camped out on the pavementthe rest of that night."
"Sure, I remember that," declared Andy Flinn, laughing. "Three nights didhe play the same joke, and then they got on to him. Wan officer do besneakin' up to the loft, while the rist pretended to be huntin' arounddownstairs. He discovered the sthring, cript downstairs again, wint outon the sly, and, be the powers, followed it to the fince. Then he wintaround, and jumped on Tid while the bhoy was a pullin' his sthring likesmoke, makin' worse groanings than any time yit. Sure they thried to hushthe joke up, the police was that ashamed; but it cript out some way."
"Well, get off to bed, Spider and Tom;" said Bobolink, "we'll wake you upwhen it's time to change the watch. And remember what a nice littlesurprise we've got ready for anybody who thinks he can meddle with thingsthat don't belong to him. Skip out now, both of you."
The two motorboats had been lashed side by side. They were about of asize, and something like twenty-four feet in length, with a rathergenerous beam, because their owners went in for pleasure and comfort,rather than racing. Still, one of the boats, the _Speedwell_, was said tobe capable of doing a mile in seven minutes, if pushed, on flat water;while the other, called the _Comfort_, being broader, could not doanything like that.
It was easy to pass from one boat to the other, as they lay there. Eachhad a canopy top, and curtains that could be dropped, and buttoned,during a wet spell, or if the owner chose to sleep aboard; but on thisoccasion Paul had believed it best that these latter should remain up, soas to allow of free observation all around.
A stout hawser secured the boat nearest the shore to a big stake thathad been driven deeply into the earth. Thus the boats lay close besidea short dock that was called a landing stage. As the current of theBushkill was always pretty strong there must be more or less of astrain on that hawser; but since it was comparatively new, the boysfelt that there could not be the slightest danger of its breaking,unless some outside influence were brought to bear on it, such as akeen-edged knife blade.
In that case, as it was very taut, it would naturally part readily; andwith consequences disastrous to the safety of the two boats, which mustbe carried off down-stream in the darkness, possibly to be driven ashoreon some rocks below.
And so Bobolink, having been duly warned with regard to possible troublein connection with that same hawser, had mentally called the rope his"dead line;" and he watched the shore above that point three times asmuch as any other place.
He and Andy had planned not to talk while on duty. If they found itnecessary to say anything at all, which was hardly likely, thecommunication would be in the lowest whisper.
Bobolink was not greedy, but he really hoped that if any sort oftrouble did come it would come along while he and Andy were holding thepost of guards. He had a little fear that Spider Sexton might not bedepended on, no matter what his good intentions, while Tom Betts was anunknown quantity.
In case Andy happened to be sitting in one boat, while Bobolink wasoccupying the other, they had fixed it up so that by taking a leadpencil, the "commander" could give a few little light taps on the side ofthe craft, using his knowledge of the Morse code to send the message, andin this way ask whether his assistant were wide awake, and on the job,when Andy would send back a reply along the same order; for he aspired tobe a signal man of the troop, and was daily practicing with the wigwagflags, as well as smoke and fire signals.
The town clock boomed out the hour of
ten.
Bobolink had himself begun to feel rather sleepy, and more to arouse hisdormant faculties than anything else, he sent a message along the woodentelegraph line. The reply was a bit slow in coming, which made him thinkAndy might also be inclined to fall into a doze.
So Bobolink decided that he must bestir himself, and give the signal morefrequently. He would not have this, his first important commission, turnout poorly, for a good deal. Perhaps his whole future usefulness as ascout who could be depended on in emergencies rested on the way heaccounted for the safety of the motorboats this night.
When he found himself letting his eyes shut, even for a minute, he wouldimmediately try to picture the consternation that would ensue should afire suddenly envelope the boats that had been placed in the hands of thescouts, and for which they would be held responsible.
He knew Ted Slavin of old, and felt that the town bully would nothesitate at even such a thing as that.
Then there was such a thing as cutting the hawser, and letting the boatsdrift down-stream, to bring up against some rocks that might stave a holein the delicate planking. Who could tell but what the rope had partedunder a strain? Sometimes a break may look like the work of a sharpknife; and anyway, as darkness lay upon the scene, with a cloudy skyoverhead to hide the young moon, the identity of the vandal could neverbe absolutely known.
All these things Bobolink was turning over and over in his mind as he satthere trying to keep awake.
It is one of the hardest things to do, and especially when the subject isonly a half-grown lad, with but a dim idea of the responsibilitydepending on the faithful discharge of his duty.
Hello! what was that? Bobolink thought he surely heard a sound likemuttered conversation. But then, even in steady old Stanhope, there werea number of happy-go-lucky chaps who tarried late in the saloons; andwhen they finally started homeward, used to talk to themselves along theway. Perhaps it was only one of these convivial fellows trying to findthe way home, and getting off his course, coming to the open place alongthe river bank, intending to lie down and sleep his confusion off.
Bobolink was thrilled, however, a minute later, when he felt sure hecould again hear the low mutter of voices. It struck him that severalpersons might be urging each other on, as though inclined to feel theneed of backing.
It came from up-river, too, the point he meant to watch more than anyother; and this fact increased the suspicious look of the case.
"Oh! it's coming," whispered the eager boy to himself; "and I only hopethe water will be hot enough, that's all."
His words were mysterious enough to suit any one; and even while he wasspeaking in this manner Bobolink started to crawl under the canopy thatsheltered him from the dew of the night. He allowed the end of his pencilto throb against the side of the boat, giving the one significant word:"Come!" An immediate answer assured him that Andy heard, and understood.Another minute, and the Irish boy came shuffling over from the otherboat, trying to keep from making any more noise than was necessary.
"Take hold," Bobolink whispered in his ear, pulling the other's head downclose to his lips; "They're coming! Be ready to go at it licketty-splitwhen I say the word. Get that?"
"Sure!" came in the faintest tone from the other; whereupon Bobolink,feeling that his hour had arrived, started once more to crawl back to hisformer position.
But now he had something in his hands that looked very like a snake; orsince Bobolink was known to fairly detest all crawling creatures, itmight be a rope, although there are still other things that have thatsame willowy appearance--a garden hose, for example.