CHAPTER VIII
THE SURVEYING SQUAD
Terrill's words about "no foolin' with that kid," coupled with hisstartled look when he beheld the fragments of clothing, had starteda train of reasoning in the constable's mind. All he said to Tom,however, was: "Come with me, boy. I'm not hankering for Bill'scompany just now, though I may be keen to see him later. Come along."
Turning another corner, he led Tom across a vacant lot to a small,unkempt, dingy old house at the end of the path. In the yard ofthis dwelling a woman was hanging clothes on a line and a numberof mongrel hens were taking dust baths under some lilac bushes.The breeze wafted the fragrance of these blossoms to Tom's nostrilsas he and Thompson approached them.
"Hello, Mrs. Terrill!" said Thompson. "Busy day for you, eh? Whydon't you make Bill help you with the wash?"
"Bill's got enough to do washin' his innerds---with liquor!" grufflyretorted the woman, who seemed to be greatly vexed, even angry, atthe mention of her husband's name. "And just as if I haven't putup with him time and time again about it! I won't do it no more!And him daring to complain about my cookin' and my not mendin' hisclothes! Why, this mornin' he come home late, with his coat alltorn and his-----"
"What?" almost shouted Thompson. "What did you say, there m'am?"
---"I said his coat was all torn," repeated Mrs. Terrill, pleasedto find a listener who appeared to be sympathetic. "You know how'ternal careless he is, Mr. Thompson, and how much trouble he gives me."
"I do, I do indeed." The constable slowly drew out of his pocketthe clews Tom had given him. "Could this be a piece out o' Bill'scoat?" he asked in an offhand manner calculated to avert suspicion.
"That's it!" exclaimed Bill's long-suffering wife. "What of it?"she added quickly. "Anything wrong? I guess he must've got intoa fight, his face was so battered, but I hope-----"
"Hold on, Mrs. Terrill! Enough said!" interposed the constable,who felt sorry for the way he had led her into a trap. "I madea bet about these rags, and now I'm going to put it up to Bill.Do you know where I can find him?"
"No, I don't, but I guess _you_ know," the woman replied sharply."What's your bet?"
"I'll tell you bye and bye, if I win," said Thompson, with a forcedlaugh, as he and Tom walked away. "Now, boy, you heard what shesaid," he continued, when they were out of earshot. "You witnessedwhen she identified these rags. I reckon Bill Terrill's our man."
As quickly as possible they returned to the corner, where Thompsondived into the saloon, only to reappear after a few minutes---alone.
"Friend William has skipped out," he declared grimly. "His palsare in there, but our naughty little bird has flown! Never mind;I'll get him. He's either skulking around town somewhere or he'smade tracks to the station, hoping to get the 2.10 to New York.You said you were on your way to the station, didn't you? I'll gothere first with you."
Sure enough, when the train pulled in at the station, there wasBill Terrill waiting to board it! He had not counted on suchquick work on the constable's part, and was not aware of the assistancehis own wife had unwittingly rendered, so he had merely tried toget away before he was "spotted" among the crowd of idle menand boys gathered on the station platform. When he felt Thompson'sheavy hand on his shoulder, he started, tried to dodge him andescape, and, failing to do that, broke into a torrent of vileoaths and half-drunken protests as he was escorted away to thevillage jail.
Meanwhile, having told Thompson where he and Ralph and Art couldbe found if wanted later, Tom saw the Scout Master and four boysmaking their way over to the side of the platform, where a bus waswaiting to take them to the hotel. He was just in time to jointhem, and soon he was telling his story to Denmead.
"That's a good idea of yours, Tom," said the Chief, when Tom hadfinished. "I'll find out how many of the boys know anything aboutsurveying, and then I'll go and see Mr. Brett, one of the railroadofficials, and learn what can be done. I'd like to help yourfriend Ralph Kenyon. I was sorry to hear that he met with anaccident lately. It's a shame he killed those splendid eagles!Professor Whalen showed them to me. Why, I'd have been only tooglad to pay the lad well for the privilege of studying the birdsin their wild state. He ought to have protected them, as a Scoutwould do, not killed them! But Dr. Kane told me it was hissuggestion to Ralph."
"Yes, sir; so I understand," Tom answered. "Ralph isn't a scout,you know, sir; and he needed the reward the professor offered---neededit in a hurry---so he earned it honestly, even though he'd havechosen not to shoot the birds. He said he was mighty sorry afterward."
"I'm glad to know that. I thought he'd regret it. Well, we won'tcry over spilled blood now; it's much too late. By the way, how'she getting along?"
"Great, sir; he was able to walk around a little, without his cane,when Arthur and I left him this morning."
"Are you going back to the farmhouse until we start for camp?"inquired Denmead.
"If you've no objections, sir."
"None at all, my boy, as long as you can help your friend. You mustask him to visit us in camp when he has time."
"I will, I will!" exclaimed Tom. "I know he'd enjoy it."
"And if this surveying scheme of yours---or was it Ralph's?"
"Both, sir. At least, we talked it over together."
"If it can be carried out, and if the railroad will buy part ofRalph's farm, he will be able to go to the School of Mines?"
"Yes, sir, that's what he wants to do. You don't think, then, thatthere's any chance of finding iron ore on the property?"
"How should I know? Stranger things than that have happened, Tom."
Talking thus, they reached the hotel. Denmead was immediatelysurrounded by his troop of scouts, to whom he introduced the newrecruits, and presently they all fell to discussing plans forthe summer.
As the afternoon waned, Tom made ready to drive back to the farmhouse,declaring that he knew the way perfectly, and even if he didn't,old Keno wouldn't make any mistakes. Arthur decided to stay withthe others at the hotel, but Tom did not mind this at all, beingquite willing to return alone. The Scout Master promised to sendword just as soon as he had interviewed Mr. Brett, or his secretary.
"If, for any reason, we should decide to go direct from here toPioneer Camp, and should not go up around Silver Lake and thenceto Ralph's farm, to call for you, Tom," he added, "I will sendJoe to the farm, and he will guide you to camp through the backwoodsnorth of Pioneer Lake. That will be an interesting experiencefor you, and Joe is good company. Take good care of yourself, myboy, until we all meet again at camp."
"Certainly. Good-bye, all!" Tom sprang into the buggy and gatheredup the reins. "Good-bye!" he called out again as Keno turned andtrotted up the road at a brisk rate.
They watched him until horse and buggy were silhouetted against thesky on the brow of the hill; and, when he vanished down the furtherside in a hollow, they separated into little groups and went theirways in search of amusement.
Tom made the long drive homeward without further adventures. It wasafter sundown when he arrived at the farm and found Ralph, who wasreally an excellent cook, preparing supper. Broiled chicken, sweetpotatoes, asparagus and radishes grown under glass, custardpudding---it was a feast for these healthy, famished youths, andthey did ample justice to it; so ample, in fact, that each hadto let out his belt one notch! And what a good talk they had overthe events of the day! Tom was as interested in hearing all aboutwhat Ralph had done and seen as Ralph was in Tom's more varied account.
The fact that Bill Terrill was the thief did not greatly surpriseRalph. However, he feared that very little, if any, of his moneywould be recovered, when he learned that Bill and his cronies hadbeen drinking together. In this, we may add, Ralph was happilydisappointed, for a few days later he received from ConstableThompson a crumpled ten-dollar bill,---the remains of the stolenhoard!
The news that Scout Master Denmead would personally take up thematter of the survey was a great satisfaction to Ralph. It wasmore th
an that, it was a source of the most rosy-hued hopes anddreams in which he had indulged himself for many a long day.Almost the last thing Tom said to him before dropping off to sleepwas:
"The Chief'll persuade 'em to do it, I know he will. He can doanything. He's great!"
And that night Ralph dreamed that his farm, all of it which was notbought by the railroad, was converted into a great mine in whichscores of men were at work.
* * * * * * *
Two days later a party of four men drove into the farmyard, with axes,tape, level and other implements for surveying. They beganoperations at once and did not cease until close of day, when,declining Ralph's invitation to spend the night, they returnedto Oakvale. On the following day they came back, with anothersquad. Of this squad Blake Merton was lineman and George Rawsonrodman. The second squad began working from the eastern boundaryof the Kenyon farm, and Tom spent part of the day with them. Ralphcould not walk far, as yet, though with every day his ankle wasgetting stronger.
Each night so long as the work of the survey lasted, Rawson,---whowith Blake had accepted Ralph's invitation to stay at the farm,---spentan hour or two with the three boys, going over with them the methodsof surveying and explaining the local geological formations.
Meanwhile, at Pioneer Camp, Lieutenant Denmead was giving similardaily instruction to the troop, with frequent brief trips forpractical demonstration. He had not thought it best to ask thatmore of the scouts might assist in the railroad survey, fearing thatthey would hinder the trained workers. But Rawson and the boys were togive the rest a detailed report of their work on their return to camp.