CHAPTER XIII
WELL DONE, SCOUTS!
Hugh was glad that he had foreseen just such an emergency as the onethat now confronted the motion-picture players. It afforded him achance to get busy without wasting any precious time in laying outplans.
The men who had been inside the building began to come rushing out,some dragging comrades who may have temporarily found themselves unableto walk, owing to the fatigue influenced by their recent terrificefforts, and also the weight of the armor which they were wearing.
Everybody looked alarmed and distressed, and with reason, for it wasnow seen that the wing where the girl was shut up in that turret roomwas enveloped in real flames, which, whipped by the rising wind,threatened to consume the whole structure in so far as it consistedof wood made to resemble genuine stone.
The director was again shouting hoarsely through his megaphone, buthe was now up against a situation that none of them had foreseen, sothat consequently no preparations had been made toward meeting it.Men ran this way and that as though they had temporarily takenleave of their senses. Women could be seen wringing their hands,and shrieking wildly.
Although the outside camera man undoubtedly realized that this wasanything but a sham now, he never once ceased grinding away at hismachine. Long experience in these lines had convinced him of thegreat value of a stirring scene like this; and besides, his serviceswere hardly needed in the work of saving the one whose life seemedto be in deadly peril.
"We must do something, and right away at that!" called Hugh. "Comealong with me, every one, I've got a scheme that may be made to work."
They followed close at his heels. Evidently it did not enter intothe head of the scout master to think, of applying for permissionfrom the stage manager before starting to try out his suddenly formedplan. Hugh realized very well that this was an occasion where thatenergetic gentleman would be at a loss what to tell him. Besides,a wideawake scout, accustomed to doing his own thinking, should bebetter equipped to manage such an affair as this than a man whosetalents ran in quite another direction.
The first thing Hugh sought to get hold of was a long and stout ropewhich he had noticed lying on the ground near by, together with numerousother things which the company had thought to fetch along with them,having an eye to possible need.
"Lay hold of that ax, Alec!" he told the other, who had managed toleave his beloved camera back of a tree, under the impression that itwould hinder him in the execution of the work Hugh had laid out forhimself and churns to perform.
Some of the players had by this time begun to notice the little bunchof khaki-clad lads running toward the burning wing of the castle.They commenced to shout out to them, perhaps encouragingly, or it maybe intending to warn them not to attempt anything rash.
Little Hugh cared what their cries might mean. He had his plan arranged,and believed it could be carried to success if only speedy actionwere taken.
"We've got to get to the roof of that tower!" he told the others, asthey drew near the fire, and could begin to feel the heat it wasbeginning to throw out as it crept upward, whipped by the rising wind."Billy, I want you and Arthur to stay down under the walls and beready to receive the girl, if we manage to, get things going. Understandthat, both of you?"
"All right, if you say so, Hugh!" replied Arthur, though it could benoticed that he looked greatly disappointed because he had not beenselected to accompany the rescuing party.
Billy did not make any reply. Perhaps he was, secretly, as well pleasedto be assigned to that task, because Billy, being a heavy-weight,never made a success of climbing; and from all appearance there wasbound to be more or less of that style of work ahead of those who werechosen to go aloft.
Having thus divided his party, Hugh hurried toward a window of themain building close by. He remembered that it was possible to gain,the roof of the castle---and unless the flames became too menacing---bycreeping along this they would be able to reach the top of the turrettower. If no other means were found available for gaining accessto the room of the prisoner, Hugh expected to make good use of thataxe, and force an entrance through the roof itself, as he had seenthe Oakvale volunteer firemen do on more than one occasion.
Billy and Arthur watched their chums climbing hastily through thatwindow. Doubtless their hearts were throbbing with excitement, anddeep down those two were hoping and praying that not only would Hugh,Alec and Monkey Stallings be able to come back alive and unharmed,but that they might also accomplish the object that had enlisted theirservices.
Meanwhile the trio of scouts found themselves groping their way alongsmoke-filled passages. Hugh made the others keep in close touch withhim while this was going on. He did not mean that they should becomeseparated, and something dreadful mar their endeavor to make themselvesuseful.
Fortunately the fire had not as yet reached the stairway leading upward,so that in a brief space of time the three scouts found themselvesin the corridor where so lately a terrific combat had been takingplace. They even stumbled over some fragment of imitation steel armorwhich may have been hurriedly thrown aside at the time the alarm offire had sounded, causing such a hasty stampede on the part of themotion-picture players.
Apparently, while the retreat of the actors in this near-tragedy hadbeen of a hurried nature, they had seen to it that no one of theirnumber had been left in the corridor to become a victim of the flames.Hugh made sure of this, even as he pushed his way along.
A minute later and the boys were climbing out of a certain window onto the roof. Hugh had taken note of that very circumstance himselfwhen prowling about the remarkable building; in fact, he had evenhalf pulled himself up to see what the roof looked like, though neverdreaming at the time he would so soon find need of his knowledge.
Monkey Stallings was, of course, in his element. None of the otherscould do nearly so well as he when it came to this sort of thing.Probably Hugh had remembered this circumstance when picking the acrobatout as one of his party, instead of choosing Arthur Cameron.
He sent the Stallings boy on ahead, and gave him to understand that hewas expected to assist the others whenever he could. So they managedto gain the roof of the main building, and started in, the directionof the wing that was being fast enveloped in fiercely leaping flames.
When the trio of scouts were discovered by the clusters of appalledactors down below, and many fingers were pointed up at them, cheersbegan to arise. Undoubtedly those quick-witted players guessed whatHugh had in mind, and as it seemed to be the only possible chance tosave the poor girl from her prison room, they one and all wished thecourageous lads godspeed in their mission.
Hugh felt considerably relieved when he discovered that it would bepossible to gain the other roof from the main structure. There wasreally no time to lose, however, for the fire seemed to be gettinga pretty good headway, and any delay was likely to imperil their chancesof success.
They had to get down on their hands and knees and crawl part of theway across. Had they been less agile they never could have made it,and just here it was seen how wisely the scout master had acted whenhe failed to choose clumsy if willing Billy Worth as one of theirnumber.
Once upon the smaller roof covering the turret tower, Hugh found thatit was a matter of impossibility to lower themselves so as to gainthe slits of windows in the walls, made more for appearances thanfor any particular use. And even though they were able to reach oneof these he doubted whether any of them could manage to crawl through.
There was nothing for it then but to attack the roof with the ax,which Alec had managed to cling to through all his climbing. Hughsnatched the implement from the hands of his churn, and went at it.The ax bit into the roof with each hearty blow, and Hugh worked likea beaver, knowing that there was constant danger they might be caughtby the creeping flames before their object had been accomplished.
Afterwards, when speaking about their experiences up there on thatroof, Alec and Monkey Stallings always declared they had never seenany o
ne wield an ax with more telling effect than Hugh did on thatwonderful occasion. Those who were below had a fair view of whatwas going on aloft, whenever the wind carried the smoke aside, astheir encouraging cheers testified from time to time.
When Hugh found his muscles beginning to lag, he handed the implementover to Alec, knowing the other must be fairly wild to have a handin the labor. How the chips did fly and scatter with each and everyblow of that descending ax! Alec put every ounce of vim he couldmuster into each stroke, while if he faltered there was Monkey Stallingsopening and shutting his two hands as though eager to take up thegood work.
Then came the critical moment when the ax cut through, and a smallgap appeared out of which a spiral of smoke began to ooze. Largergrew the hole, and then Alec, dripping with perspiration, fairly gaspingfor breath, handed the ax over to the third member of the group, afterwhich the work continued furiously.
Finally Hugh stopped Monkey Stallings and made motions that he wasabout to go through the aperture. The others saw him vanish, anda brief but terrible period of suspense followed. Then through thegap in the roof appeared the head of the young woman who was playingthe romantic part of the Jewess, Rebecca. Through all this tragichappening she, must have managed to retain her self-possession ina way that was simply wonderful, for she was now able to do her parttoward working up through the hole in the roof, assisted by the twoscouts above.
When those below discovered how success had thus far rewarded theefforts of Hugh and his equally quick-witted fellow scouts, the cheerthat broke forth could have been heard miles away, so great was theiradmiration for the work of the three boys.
However, there was still more to be done if they would escape fromthe trap arranged between the rival elements, the wind and the fire.To return over the same route by which they had come was now impossible,since the fire had cut off escape by that course.
This was a possibility foreseen by Hugh when he concluded to takethat long and serviceable rope aloft with him. By this means thegirl could first be lowered to the ground at a point where the flameshad not yet reached; and afterwards it would be little trouble for,himself and chums to also slide down to safety. Hugh always paidmuch attention to details.
Accordingly this was what they hastily set about doing. They werefortunate in having to deal with a plucky little woman. She understoodjust what was expected of her, and indeed, to see the way she assistedthem secure the rope about her body under the arms, and then bade themswing her free, from the parapet of the tower, one might suspect thatshe had long since practiced for just this sort of thrilling picture.
All went well, and one by one the three scouts came sliding down therope later on, none of them so much as having an eyelash singed, thoughthe flames roared as if angry at having lost a victim.
"And," Billy was heard to remark when the boys could break away fromthe excited players, all of whom wanted to squeeze their hands, andsay what they thought of the clever work, "Don't forget everyminute of the time that camera man was turning his crank like fury.He got it all down pat, too, boys, as maybe we'll see for ourselvesone of these fine days."
CHAPTER XIV
OAKVALE GETS A THRILL
"What's the news, Alec?" demanded Billy Worth, some weeks after theevents narrated in the foregoing chapters took place.
They were just entering the town hall of Oakvale, where there wasabout to be given a select entertainment consisting of the most partof educational motion pictures. It was intended for the benefit ofthe local orphan asylum, so that every seat in the big building wasbeing rapidly filled.
A number of the other members of the scout organization were gatherednear by, as a special section of the chairs had been reserved forthe troupe, for certain reasons which no one seemed exactly to understand.It was only known that Hugh and Lieutenant Denmead, the regular scoutmaster, had made some arrangement with those who were, responsible forgetting up the benefit performance.
"Oh! I had a letter from my Aunt Susan in this afternoon's mail,"replied Alec, as he nodded to several acquaintances near by, girlsbelonging to Oakvale High School.
"About that place up in the country where we spent our last week-endouting, and had such a lively time---eh, Alec?" suggested Billy,with a wide grin.
"Yes, and the meanness of you fellows keeping the whole business toyourselves all this time," commented Blake Merton, severely.
"We just know there was something _remarkable_ happened to you upthere," spoke up Don Miller, the leader of the Fox Patrol, "but nomatter what we hinted, never a word could we get any of you to explainabout it. What's it all mean, Hugh?"
"Wait and see," was the mysterious answer that again baffled thecuriosity of the eager listeners, some of whom had really begun to hopethat Hugh might think it time to remove the seal of absolute secrecywith which the outing had been enveloped so long. "And Alec, suppose youtell us what your aunt said in her letter. You don't look as if itheld good news, that's certain."
Alec laughed good-naturedly.
"Oh! she complimented me like everything because of those grand picturesI sent her, and said that the account I gave of the thrilling happeningsup there made her satisfied with the little investment she had incurred.I was welcome to the camera, and she also meant to send me anotherpresent soon, because she found herself quite interested in scoutwork. But she couldn't think of putting the deal through forthat---er---place. She says after what happened there, it's likelyto be a shrine for curious-minded folks for a long time to come, andas she wants absolute quiet, that would not suit her. So you see, justas I expected, that deal's off."
All this strange manner of talk greatly aroused the listeners curiosity.They tried in turn to coax Hugh, Billy, Alec, Arthur or Monkey Stallingsto "open up and tell us what it all means, won't you like a good fellow?"but those worthies only looked wise, nodded their heads, and told themto "hold their horses," and in good time they would be treated to alittle surprise that would pay them for all their waiting.
The hall soon filled up, with seating space at a premium. It wasin a good cause and backed by the Women's League for Town Improvement.The orphans needed a good many things to make them comfortable for thewinter, and this was to be one of several methods employed to obtainthese articles, which the town did not see fit to supply.
Walter Osborne, Bud Morgan and several of the other scouts had beensilently watching Hugh and his immediate chums. Their attention wasespecially directed toward Billy Worth, who seemed to be so nervousthat he could hardly keep his seat.
"It's my opinion," remarked Walter, sagely, "that there's going tobe something of a surprise sprung on the rest of us to-night. I'vebeen keeping tabs on Billy, and to see him grin, and look so happyand proud gives the thing away. He just can't keep his face straight,he feels so important."
"But what can it be?" asked Jack Durham. "The whole entertainmentto-night is made up of Professor Wakefield with his violin, and threeselected moving pictures."
"Yes," added Bud Morgan, referring to a paper he held in his hand,"and one of these is a comic, a second a trip through the island ofCeylon, showing things just as if a fellow was there on the spot,while the third and last seems to be a series of pictures showingjust how a company of players go about when engaged in making one oftheir wonderful films."
"I don't see how Billy can expect to be in touch with any of thosethings," commented Walter, more puzzled than ever. "We'll just haveto wait and see, as Hugh told us. It may be that they've coaxed Hughto consent to get up there on the platform to-night, and tell allabout what happened to them the time they went off to spend the week-endup the country."
"Walter, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd guessed it, after all,"said one of the other fellows; and then as a loud clapping of handsannounced that the well-known local violinist was about to make hisbow to the big audience, the boys stopped exchanging opinions, andsettled down to the policy of "watchful waiting" so often spoken ofby the occupant of the Executive Chair at Washington.
> The educational value of the "Trip through Ceylon" could not be gainsaid,and the humorous film caused much laughter, and boisterous merriment.Finally the announcement was made that they were now about to betreated to a most wonderful series of pictures, showing the detailsof how one of the best-known companies of moving-picture artists wentabout their work when engaged in producing a drama of olden days,with an appropriate setting and background.
They were first of all discovered starting forth from their hotel inthe city, and taking train for some place in the country, together withmuch paraphernalia connected with their undertaking, so that it lookedvery much like an exodus on the part of a whole village of fashionables.
Next the pictures showed them leaving the train, at some country town,where a whole string of capacious cars awaited them, into which theycrowded, joking and laughing, and carrying bundles without end.
Then another scene disclosed the company clad in all manner of remarkablegarments, all of which might be recognized as having to do with thehistorical time of the Crusades, when knights in armor attended bytheir faithful squires were wont to roam the country in search ofadventure.
Of course the younger element in the audience watched all this withexceeding interest. They doubtless sensed with that intuition boysalways display, that sooner or later there would necessarily come alongheaps of fighting, and stirring pictures, when those men in shiningarmor met in deadly combat.
One by one, the scenes passed in review, and finally there was flashedupon the screen a picture of what seemed to be a veritable olden castle,true to tradition, turreted tower, drawbridge, portcullis, deep moat,apparently unscalable walls, and all.
Just at this interesting juncture, as the music happened to die downtemporarily, a boy who had been around some was heard to say aloud,though he had not expected to make himself conspicuous:
"If that isn't the old place called Randall's Folly, I'll eat my hat!"
Walter Osborne gave Dud Morgan a quick dig in the ribs.
"Hey! it's coming, you mark my words if it isn't!" he hissed in theother's ear. "Just look at Billy Worth there, bobbing up and down asif he might be sitting on tacks. And see how he grins, and looksprouder than a turkey gobbler. Something's going to break loose rightaway, Bud, believe me."
Well, it did.
When presently, after that first onslaught of the gallant followers ofthe hero knight, the motion-picture players were seen to be "restingup" between acts, and those who had been injured in the fracas werebeing attended to, a shout arose.
"Hey! what's this I see?" yelled a boy's strident voice. "Rightthere along with all them knights and ladies there's a Boy Scout helpingtake care of the fellows knocked out in that scrap. And, say, it'sour own Arthur Cameron, would you believe it?"
"And there's Hugh! Yes, and look at our Billy Worth strutting aroundthere as big as life. Oh, you Billy, it takes, you to get in, thelimelight every time!"
All sorts of shouts were rising in different parts of the hall as theaudience discovered the well-known lads belonging to their own town.Most of them began to understand now why those fellows had persistedin keeping so mute. Evidently they must have known that this wonderfulpicture was coming in time to be shown at the benefit performance.
Everybody was eagerly waiting to see what followed. When the wallfell there was a series of low exclamations of horror, for they wereintelligent enough to realize that this had not been a part of thereal programme, and also that the chances were some of the unfortunatesmust have been severely injured.
Then came the picture revealing how the five scouts sprang forwardand assisted in the work of rescuing those caught by the falling rocks;also how Arthur, as might be expected, did his part in taking careof the injured. How proud many of those present felt at seeing themanly way in which Hugh and his comrades rose to the occasion, anddid their calling great credit.
A tense stillness followed those loud cheers, for, an announcementhad been displayed relating how, owing to a shift of the wind, thefire had spread, causing a sudden evacuation of the forces battlingin the passages and rooms of the castle; and also how through somemisfortune the lovely heroine was really and truly caught up therein that lonely tower room, hemmed in by the cruel flames.
Then, as the startling scene moved on, the five hundred eager spectatorssaw Hugh lead his fellow scouts to the rescue---watched three of themvanish through that gaping window, to appear a little later on the roof,followed with strained eyes their furious attack on the roof of thetower, and finally saw them lower the lady in safety to the ground,where Billy and Arthur, and many of the motion-picture players, waitedto receive them.
And last but not least, just as the scene closed, the three scoutswere discovered sliding swiftly down the rope past the hungry tonguesof fire.
The triumph of the scouts was complete. Men shouted, boys shrilled,and women laughed and cried and kissed each other. Never before hadsuch excitement taken possession of an audience in Oakvale. How proudit made them to realize that their local organization was being advertisedall over the broad land, yes, even in other foreign lands as well,it might be, so that Oakvale would soon become famous because of itsscout troop.
Through it all Hugh seemed to sit unmoved, though he shook hands withthe admiring crowds as they came up to offer congratulations, andlaughed heartily to see how Billy Worth strutted around, swelled withpride.
"It was a whole lot of fun while it lasted," Hugh was telling a bunchof the fellows, after the show was over. "But when a thing is donewith you can't extract much enjoyment out of the memory. What I'mmore concerned about right at this, minute is where we are going tofind another chance for an outing in the coming Thanksgiving holidays.I'd like some of you to get busy thinking up a scheme, that will justabout fill the bill."
That somebody did engineer a plan along lines that promised to takesome of the fellows out of the beaten rut for the brief holidays,can be set down as certain, judging from the nature of the title ofthe succeeding volume of this series, "The Boy Scouts on the Rollof Honor," and which, it is hoped; all who have enjoyed the presentstory will procure without delay.
THE END
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