Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morganand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team athttps://www.pgdp.net
_The tree had caught Jem Shock fairly in a trap_]
Tenderfoot Squad; _or, Camping at Raccoon Lodge_
BY CAPTAIN ALAN DOUGLAS SCOUT MASTER
M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY CHICAGO :: NEW YORK
Copyright, 1919, BY NEW YORK BOOK COMPANY
Made in U. S. A.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I. SURVEYOR RUFUS AND HIS FRIENDS 11 II. THE GAME POACHER, JEM SHOCK 22 III. "HIT THE KNOT AND HIT IT HARD!" 33 IV. SHOWING THE GREENHORNS 46 V. THE SPIRAL OF BLUE SMOKE 55 VI. A LITTLE WOODS MINSTREL 66 VII. MAKING A BARGAIN WITH CONRAD 75 VIII. A PERIL THAT LAY IN WAIT 89 IX. THE STRANGE MESSAGE JEM LEFT 102 X. A CABIN IN THE CLEARING 111 XI. WHEN THE STORM BROKE 122 XII. SCOTCH BLOOD 133 XIII. A CALL FOR HELP 146 XIV. SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE 155 XV. RUFUS MAKES A STAND 166 XVI. "ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL!" 177
TENDERFOOT SQUAD
CHAPTER I
SURVEYOR RUFUS AND HIS FRIENDS
"ALL aboard for Raccoon Bluff. Those who can't get aboard take the railroute! Hi! Elmer, squeeze in!"
"On deck, Lil Artha; but do you expect me to climb on top of thatmountain of camp duffle, and other luggage you've got piled up, so thatyour car looks like a tin peddler's outfit?"
"Oh! we've reserved just one crack for you, Elmer. That's right!" sangout the khaki-clad boy at the wheel, "work your way in alongside GeorgeRobbins, who's holding down the rear seat with Lil Artha. I've got AlecMcGregor beside me here. And after all, worse luck, I had to leave somethings behind that I wanted to take the worst kind."
"What's this sticking out--a gun? You ought to know that it's the offseason for most kinds of game, Lil Artha," expostulated the latestpassenger, as, following directions, he painfully forced his way intothe heavily laden car.
"Yes, I know, and I don't intend to do any great stunts at hunting,Elmer. I only thought it might be good policy to fetch my littlereliable Marlin along, because sometimes it's mighty pleasant to knowyou've got some means of defense handy in case of trouble."
"Hear! hear!" ejaculated the boy answering to the name of GeorgeRobbins, and who it may be said in passing--for the reader would soonfind it out anyway--was a regular born "Doubting Thomas," who nearlyalways had to be shown, and seldom believed any statement unless it werebacked up with abundant proof. "Sometimes there are other beasts abroadin the wild woods besides the common four-footed kind. I believe nowwe've all had our experiences with tramps and yeggmen of the WearyWillie species. For one, I'm glad you fetched your gun along, LilArtha."
Meanwhile the driver had once more started the car, and they were movingalong the streets of the home town. Several groups of boys, some of whomalso wore the well-known khaki of the scouts, called out to them ingreeting, and even waved their hats with a salute. Envious eyes followedthe car as it sped along in a cloud of dust; for it was pretty generallyknown that the lucky five were starting off on a week's camping trip;and those fellows of the Hickory Ridge group of Boy Scouts couldanticipate a glorious time ahead for the favored ones.
While the big old seven-passenger touring car, which the father of RufusSnodgrass had loaned them for the occasion, is speeding along, doingvery good time as long as the road is fair, a few words connected withthese lively lads may not come in amiss.
Elmer Chenowith was the leader of the well-known Wolf Patrol, and thoseboys who have had the good luck to own some of the previous stories inthis series do not need to be told that he was a capable and resourcefullad, who through his merits as a first-class scout had received fromHeadquarters the privilege of acting as assistant scout-master, a roleonly filled by the most efficient in a troop.
"Lil Artha" was really Arthur Stansbury. When he was very young he hadbeen given this nickname, and even after he suddenly shot up like amushroom, so that he now measured a full head taller than any of hismates, he could not shake off the ridiculous appellation. People alwayssmiled when hearing it for the first time; but then Lil Artha treatedthe matter as a huge joke, and often joined in the laugh when thesubject came up.
George Robbins was a pretty good sort of a chap, only he did worry hischums by his continual fault finding, and that everlasting desire tohave everything proved before he could "swallow" it. At one time he hadbeen inclined to be thin, and a rather poor hand at meal times; but oflate his folks seldom had to ring the dinner bell twice for George;indeed, as a rule he was keeping an ear to the ground listening for thewelcome sound.
The other two boys were new members of Hickory Ridge Troop, and had notas yet progressed beyond the greenhorn stage. Indeed, it was partly withthe hope that various opportunities for teaching the "tenderfootsquad"--as Lil Artha persisted in calling the pair--all sorts of usefulknowledge that scouts must sooner or later acquire, that had inducedElmer to give up another partly formed plan and consent to accompany theexpedition into the woods.
Rufus Snodgrass was a rather peculiar boy, taken in all. Elmer believedhe had never up to that time come in contact with just such an oddfellow. He had been somewhat spoiled by a doting mamma, though Elmerbelieved he possessed many good qualities about him, if only somerevolution could only bring them forward.
In the first place Rufus lacked self-reliance to a remarkable extent. Hecould not seem to feel confidence in himself when some sudden oralarming emergency arose. On this account he turned out to be somewhatof a failure as a baseball player, for when he saw a high ball driven tohis outfield his heart always sank "to his shoes," as he told himself henever could get that fly in the wide world; and lacking confidence heseldom did hang on to it.
Elmer had faith to believe he could cure Rufus of this grievous fault ifonly he associated with him in camp for a time. He would show him ascore of things such as go to make good scouts, and teach him how to"hit the knot squarely in the centre," when chopping wood, to beginwith.
Alec McGregor was a boy who had not been a great while in America. Hisfolks, needless to say, hailed from Scotland, and freckle-faced andred-headed Alec had a delightful little "burr" to his tones whentalking. Like so many of his kind he was inclined to be a bitpugnacious, and hot-tempered; still Elmer believed him to be bothwarm-hearted, and as true as steel. After he had been with the scouts awhile, and picked up a few lessons in the broad principles of the craft,the patrol leader fancied that Alec would prove one of the smartestmembers of the troop.
He had a little sister named Jessie at home, a pretty rosy-cheekedScotch lassie, who was the pride of his heart. The boy never tired ofchanting her praises, and often sang ballads, in which "Sweet Jessie,the Flower of Dumblane," occupied the leading part. And Alec had arobust tenor voice in the bargain, which his mates always liked to hearwhen seated about the camp fire.
Now as to their reason for taking this thirty-mile trip, laden down withtent, camp duffle, edibles enough for a regiment, and all sorts of trapsin the bargain, so that the car did resemble a moving van, just as Elmerhad remarked when it stopped at his gate for him to work his way aboard.
Mr. Snodgrass was a rich man who had latterly taken up his residence inthe town. He had come into possession of a large tract of land, partlyheavily wooded, and lying up along Raccoon Bluff, a place the boys hadoften heard of, but none of them ever visited.
Now, it seemed that R
ufus had just one great ambition, which was tobecome a civil engineer when he grew up. His mother had supplied himwith all the necessary instruments for the calling of a surveyor, andfor several years now Rufus had associated himself at odd times withsome people engaged in the business, doing very hard work for a boy ofhis customary easy habits, simply because his heart was enlisted in thegame.
He now believed that he could carry out the lines about a tract ofground as well as the next one; and upon hearing his father say that hedistrusted the accuracy of a recent survey that had been given him ofthe new territory purchased, Rufus became possessed of an idea which hewas now engaged in carrying out.
His folks had readily given their consent that he should get several ofhis scout chums to accompany him up to Raccoon Ridge, and assist him tore-survey the ground. Indeed, Mr. Snodgrass, who was not blind to thefailings of his only son and heir, insisted that he coax Elmer Chenowithto go along, as a necessary preliminary to his loaning the big car andalso paying all the expense in the way of provisions.
The real-estate man was a good reader of human nature, and after hearingall the fine things that were being said about the Chenowith boy he tookoccasion to have a heart-to-heart talk with Elmer, in which he told thepatrol leader how much he hoped association with a fellow like him wouldbe worth to Rufus, and actually begged him to consent to be a member ofthe little company.
So that was the way things stood. Rufus, of course, did not know aboutthis secret understanding between his father and Elmer; had he done sohe might have rebelled, for he was exceedingly high-spirited. As it washe felt that all these good fellows were only keeping him companybecause of their love for outdoor life.
It was that sly rascal, George, who had managed to get possession of theear of Rufus, and gain his consent to make out the list of edibles theywould likely want while away. Which fact accounted for the "younggrocery store," as Lil Artha termed it, that was taken along. But then,no healthy boy has ever been known to be dismayed at a superabundance ofgood things to eat; and as Rufus's father did not object to the size ofthe bill, none of them felt he really ought to say a single word.
They made no attempt to speed, for what did thirty-odd miles amount towhen in a car, with an abundance of gasolene to take one through? Anhour saw them well on their way. Farmhouses were now becoming "as scarceas hens' teeth," to quote Lil Artha. As they had not started untilnearly ten in the morning, owing to various causes, it was now gettingwell on toward noon.
"What say we pull up at the next farm-house we strike, and get dinner,if the good woman of the place will agree?" asked the driver of theexpedition, who had in the beginning laid down the law that no one wasgoing to spend one cent except himself, for his father had insisted onthis.
"Suits me, all right," said George, with alacrity. "You see, I hadbreakfast pretty early this morning, and right now I'm feeling about asempty as Si Hunker's hen-coop was that morning after the gypsies campednear his place."
Some ten minutes afterwards they found a wayside farm-house, and thewoman, for a consideration, agreed to cook dinner for the crowd. Elmeron his part took occasion to pick up considerable useful informationconcerning the region which generally went under the name of RaccoonBluff, possibly because there chanced to be an unusually large number ofthose "ring-tailed varmints" so destructive to corn fields, and poultryflocks, making their dens in hollow trees around that vicinity.
Among other things the farmer warned Elmer to keep an eye out for JemShock. The oddity of the name impressed the boy, and he asked what theremight be about the said Jem to give them any cause for uneasiness.
"Well, Jem has been a thorn in the flesh of folks up in this neck of thewoods for nigh ten years now, I guess," was what the tiller of the soiltold him. "He c'n work when he wants to, but he'd a heap rather loaf,with a gun over his shoulder. He fishes and hunts out of season. I'veseen him spearing trout, and more'n once heard how he was known to betaking meat home in the close season, that couldn't have been sheep orveal. Besides that, he's a quarrelsome man, and a desperate character. Iwouldn't trust him out of my sight, for I believe he'd steal from a campas quick as anything. But I hope you don't have any trouble with Jem."
Elmer hoped so, too. At the same time he found himself wonderingwhether, after all, some of those country people might not be judgingthe man harshly. Perhaps Jem Shock might not be such a bad character, onbetter acquaintance. And Elmer decided that if the opportunity shouldcome to him he would take occasion to know the old poacher at closerange, so as to study him well.
Once more they were on the move, and as this farm-house would be thelast they expected to run across, all of them were keenly on the lookoutfor signs of the ridge which would mark their arrival at Raccoon Bluff.
They had possibly gone six or seven miles since eating that gloriousfarm dinner, when suddenly as they were passing slowly through a pieceof woodland where the road was a bit soft and wet, there rang out thenearby report of a rifle, startling them all, and causing George Robbinsto involuntarily duck his head, as though his first suspicion was thatsome one had fired at them.
Then came a crashing in the bushes, and across the road sprang a buck,whose antlers were just reaching their full growth after the laterutting season.
Never had the boys seen a prettier picture than when that buck boundedlightly across the road. Lil Artha mechanically reached out a handtoward his gun, though, of course, he never would have thought of usingthe same while the law protected the game. Then the frightened animalplunged into the thick copse on the opposite side of the woodland road,and could be heard bounding swiftly away.