CHAPTER X
OFF ON THE LONG TOUR
"Get up, you lazybones!"
It seemed to Paul that he had just managed to drop into his first realsleep of the night when he heard William say this. The unusualexperience of hearing the loud strokes of the big clock up in thesteeple above, had done much to keep him wakeful, even when it was nothis time to be on guard.
He immediately sat up, to find the other fellows yawning, andstretching, as if they, too, had been dragged back from dreamland byWilliam's turning-out call.
"Oh! rats, it sure can't be five o'clock yet!" grumbled Bobolink,showing signs of rolling over again, and taking another spell of sleep.
"Ain't it?" remarked the sentry, indignantly; "Well, you just take alook up at that window, and you'll see the sun, all right. Besides, theclock tried to get in the reveille, though I tell you it was mighty hardwork, with the lot of you snoring to beat the band. Tell 'em to crawlout, Paul. We've got heaps to do this morning, all right."
"Say, is this the day we start on that long hike?" demanded Bobolink,with a dismal groan; "oh! my, but I feel punk. Who's been kicking mewhen I was asleep? I'm sore all over, and I guess you'll have to leaveme behind, Paul, or else fix up that stock wagon into a sort ofambulance."
"Oh! slush!" exclaimed William, indignantly, "wouldn't that be a nicecinch for you, now, to be reclining at your ease among the tents andblankets, while the rest of us tramped and sweated along the trail? Isee you doing it, in my mind's eye."
"Jump up and stretch, Bobolink. You've only got a few kinks in yourmuscles," remarked Jack, who was already working his arms like flails.
"I suppose I'll just have to, even if it kills me. Oh! what a shootingpain in that left leg. What ails me, anyhow?" grumbled the afflictedone.
"I know," quoth William, readily enough. "You put too much steam intothose kicks last night. Didn't I hear Ted give a yelp every time you gotnear him; and there were others. Everything in moderation, my boy.You're just paying the price now on your speed. Tone down like I do, andyou won't have such aches the next day."
By degrees Bobolink managed to get rid of his sore feeling, which mayhave come, after all, from an unaccustomed bed on the floor. Despitethe blankets which he had tucked under him, at some time during thenight he possibly rolled out of his snug nest, and the hard boards leftan impression.
In a short time the gymnasium was made to look orderly. Paul did notwish those kind friends who had been so good to the scouts to find anyreason for regretting their courtesy and benevolence.
Then, after all were out, he locked the door, before making for his ownhome, in order to finish his preparations, and secure a good breakfast.
Already Stanhope was all astir. Boys who usually slept until the callfor breakfast disturbed their happy dreams, were up and doing. Indeed,many of them had, if the truth were known, stolen out of bed at varioustimes before dawn, anxious not to oversleep. For this was to be one ofthe greatest days the younger generation of Stanhope had ever known.
The long roll of Bluff Shipley's drum could be heard at intervals, andhow their pulses thrilled at the sound, knowing that it was meant forthem alone! Not since away back in '61, when little Stanhope, then avillage, mustered a company to send to the front to serve their country,had such intense excitement abounded.
Who could sleep when in some score of homes the hope of the householdwas rushing up and down stairs, gathering his possessions, buckling onhis knapsack half a dozen times, and showing all the symptoms of asoldier going to the wars?
Every girl in town was on the street, many of them to wave farewell tobrother or friend. And besides, there were the envious ones connectedwith the "Outcast Troop," as Ted and Ward called their fragment, becausethey had been unable to obtain a charter from the National Council,being backward in many of the requirements insisted on.
These fellows had been delayed in making their start, and were planningto slip out of town some time later in the day. They possibly wanted tomake sure that the scouts were actually headed in the direction ofRattlesnake Mountain; for not a few among them secretly doubted whetherPaul and his comrades would have the nerve to venture into that wildcountry.
And now, by ones and twos, the young khaki-garbed warriors began togather in the vicinity of the church. Each carried a full knapsack, andall were supplied with a stout, mountain staff, which would assist theirmovements later in the day, after the muscles of their legs began togrow weary.
Paul was amused at the stuffy appearance of those same knapsacks.Evidently some of the boys' fond mothers or older sisters entertained ahealthy fear that their darling might fare badly at meal time; and theyhad been cooking doughnuts, as well as various other delicacies belovedof youth, to be crammed into the confined space of the shoulderhaversack.
But that was to be looked for, since this was their first real hike.After one experience every fellow might be expected to know better, andscoff at the idea of a true scout going hungry as long as camp storesabounded, and a fire could be kindled.
With each passing minute the tumult grew apace. Fathers and mothersgathered to witness the triumphal passing of the troop, in which theirown boy must of course appear to be the one particular star.
By eight o'clock several hundred people had congregated near the oldchurch. For one morning, business in Stanhope was forgotten or stoodstill, for neither clerks nor proprietors seemed to evince any desire toshow up.
Those boys who did not belong to the troop pretended to scoff at theidea of undertaking such a wearisome march; but this was pretty muchmake-believe. Deep down in their hearts they were bitterly envious ofthe good fortune that had befallen their comrades; for few boys thereare but who yearn to get out _somewhere_, once in a while, and meet withsome sort of adventure.
Bluff was kept busy displaying his skill as a drummer. He always had agroup of admirers of both sexes around him. And Bluff showed his wisdomby saying never a word. Silence with him was golden, because, as hehimself was wont to say, he "never opened his mouth, but what he put hisfoot in it."
And there was Bobolink gripping that shiny bugle nervously, and keepingone eye on the scout leader the while. When Paul gave the signal hewould be primed for his part in the proceedings.
Finally, as far as a careful count went, it seemed as though all whomeant to start out on the long tour had arrived.
Paul made a gesture to the official bugler, and immediately Bobolinkraised his instrument to his lips. The roll of the drum had becomefamiliar music to those listening hundreds; but when the clear notes ofthe bugle floated through the morning air there was an instantaneousraising of hats, and hardly had the assembly call died away than astupendous cheer seemed to make the very church tremble.
"Fall in! fall in, fellows!"
Every boy knew his place.
At the head of the double line stood the flag bearer, Wallace Carberrycarrying the glorious Stars and Stripes, while further back, Tom Bettswaved the beautiful prize banner which Stanhope Troop had fairly won inthe preceding Autumn, when competing with the other troops of thecounty.
Then came Bluff with his busy drum, and Bobolink holding his bugle readyto give the signal for the start.
After that the scouts came, two and two, each in his appointed place,and the leaders of the second and third patrols heading their commands.
Paul was of course compelled to act in the place of Mr. Gordon, so thattemporarily Jack served in Paul's stead with the Red Fox Patrol.
Amid great cheering and waving of hats and handkerchiefs, the troopfinally put their best foot forward as one man, and headed away up theroad that would, after many miles of weary marching, take them to theirdistant goal.
At the rear came the wagon, upon which were piled the tents, blankets,and provisions for the two weeks' stay in camp. When the worried parentsof the boys saw the large amount of eatables they began to lose theirfears about hunger attacking the little troop. But then, a score ofhealthy lads can make way with an astonishing amount of food in that
time; yet Paul had also counted on securing a supply from someneighboring farmers to help out the regular rations.
To the inspiring music of drum and bugle they marched away fromStanhope. A bend in the road hid their homes from view, and only thesteeple of the church could be seen.
Perhaps more than one boy felt a queer sensation in his throat as herealized now what it meant to leave home, tramp out into the wilderness.But if this were so they made no sign. The wistful look several castbehind changed into one of manly determination, as they kept pace withtheir comrades, and faced the future with new hopes.
Paul soon moderated the pace. He was wise enough to know that at thisrate some of the boys would early complain of being tired or footsore,since they were hardly yet in condition to "do stunts" in the way oftravel.
Two miles out of town they came to a cold spring up among the rocks atwhich many wishful eyes were turned, so the acting scoutmaster gave theorder to halt, and break ranks.
"We'll stop here for half an hour, and get refreshed," he said, as theyclustered around him; "because, now that we've left our base of suppliesand cut loose from all our homes we must go carefully. The chain is onlyas strong as the weakest link, you know, fellows. And several of ournumber are not used to long tramps."
After drinking their fill of the cool and refreshing water the scoutslounged around, each taking a favorite attitude while indulging inanimated discussions concerning what might await them far to the north.
It was while the troop was taking things in this easy manner that JudElderkin suddenly jumped to his feet.
"Look what's coming, fellows!" he exclaimed, and everybody of coursesprang up.