CHAPTER TWELVE
AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE
When dinner was cleared away, Mrs. Vernon and the scouts gathered youngspruce tips from the trees growing so profusely near the Cave. Thesewere woven into a soft springy mattress on the floor of the buckboard,by placing a row of tips where the head would be. The next row of tipswas so placed that the stems ran under the soft resisting tops of theformer row. So on, row after row was woven, until the floor of thevehicle was covered.
Mr. Gilroy was then helped up and partly carried over to the spruce-bed.He had been preparing for this ordeal, and managed to get up on thebuckboard, but then he sank back in a half-faint. The scouts were athand, however, with water and a paper fan.
The return trip took more than two hours, and when the trail wasfollowed that led direct to the camp Hepsy jogged along without urgingand without balking.
Joan and Julie sat on either side of their patient, with their feetdangling from the rear. Mrs. Vernon drove Hepsy very carefully, and theanimal seemed to sense that she must step circumspectly. Not a bowlderor rut did she cause the vehicle to encounter.
"For which we are duly grateful to tricky old Hepsy," declared Julie, asthey neared the camp.
The scouts entertained Mr. Gilroy on this ride down the mountainside, sothat he smiled and almost forgot he was a patient. In fact, the scoutsforgot he was a stranger, so pleasant was this middle-aged man offorty-five, with his fine face and gray hair.
On the last hundred yards to the Camp, Hepsy pricked up her ears.
"She smells oats for supper, and a good bed," laughed Joan.
"I'm awfully glad we had Hepsy with us to bring back this couch for Mr.Gilroy," said Betty.
"Yes, and we're all glad there is such a nice hut ready to receive Mr.Gilroy. All we will have to do will be to carry the spruce tips fromhere to the cabin and make the bed," added Julie.
Then they told Mr. Gilroy all about the hut and the rugs and thewonderful furniture, that had taken more than two weeks to build. Theywere still laughing over the perfect work done on the roof by the younghunter, when Hepsy pulled the vehicle up on the plateau near the hutsand stopped.
"Our camp is under those pines, right beside the tumbling waters,"explained Ruth, pointing out the spot to the tired-looking eyes of theman.
"Well, I've enjoyed the ride, dear young ladies, but I am greatlyrelieved to be here," sighed Mr. Gilroy.
"Verny, can't you make Hepsy bring the buckboard over to the hut so Mr.Gilroy won't have to walk?" said Joan.
"I was just going to suggest it. I will lead her by the head, so shewon't balk, but you girls remain seated and see that our guest does notroll off."
Ruth and Betty followed behind, and the Captain led the horse carefullyover the grass until the camp was reached. All that was now necessarywas for the man to wait until the spruce bed was removed from the wagonto the hut.
"You girls run and make room in the hut so we can lay the bed on thefloor. Move the furniture against the walls," said the Captain.
Julie and Joan, being foremost, ran over to begin the work while Mrs.Vernon unhitched Hepsy to take her to the shed. Ruth and Betty wereabout to push the buckboard under the trees when a heart-rending crycame from the hut.
The Captain thought instantly of the tramps, and held her heart as sheran to help. Ruth and Betty left the wagon where it was and startedafter Mrs. Vernon. Even Mr. Gilroy, forgetting his weakness, slid fromthe buckboard and crept along in wake of the others.
"Oh, Verny! Our lovely, lovely hut! Oh, oh!" wailed Joan.
"Everything ruined! Who could have done it!" cried Julie, stamping herfoot furiously.
When the others crowded about the door, they beheld a scene indeed! Mr.Gilroy sank upon the grapevine seat just outside the door, and pantedforth:
"Those rascally vandals! They did it!"
"Oh, oh! everything gone or broken! But why did they do it? It won'thelp them any!" wailed Ruth.
The table and chairs had disappeared completely, and bits of grapevineand ends of boards scattered everywhere, testified to the cataclysm thatstruck the inside of the hut. The pictures were torn from the walls, andthe flowers were tossed, with their holders, into the grass near thehut. The willow and grass mats were in strips, some of them showingwhere the demons had tried to set fire to them, but they were too greento burn readily.
Suddenly Mrs. Vernon gasped and said: "The annex, girls!"
She feared that the tramps might be hidden there. But the girls thoughtshe meant the food-stock, so they ran pell-mell out of the new hut intothe old one, Mrs. Vernon trying to hold them back.
The scouts found the food-stuff had been taken, too. This was too muchfor them! They fairly screamed with rage. Mrs. Vernon had all she coulddo to calm their hysterical anger.
"I'll kill them if I get sight of them!" screamed Ruth, with clenchedhands, jumping up and down.
"Oh, if we only had that hunter's gun!" added Joan.
"And shoot each other--no thank you!" declared Julie, in somatter-of-fact a tone that it did more to stop the howling than anythingelse. Even Mr. Gilroy felt like smiling, in spite of the troubles theseinnocent scouts had had thrust upon them.
"Verny, don't you suppose those poor convicts have gone without food forso long that they had to take ours!" ventured Betty, kindly.
"Oh, oh! how _can_ you pity them, Betty Lee!" cried Joan.
"Betty, if you don't swear to avenge this outrage, I'll spank you goodand hard--so there!" threatened Julie, her eyes gleaming dangerously asshe leaned towards poor Betty.
"I can't swear, Julie, but I am sorry for two terribly wicked men whodon't know better than to hurt Mr. Gilroy and then ruin our lovely home.The food I s'pose they needed," explained Betty, with more spirit thanshe had ever expressed in her life.
The scouts were so amazed at Betty's self-defense that unconsciouslythey pardoned her charity towards the vagabonds.
"Besides, Verny, they couldn't have carried the boxes very far, youknow, when it took Hepsy and all of _us_ to carry them in," added Betty.
"And the furniture was awfully heavy, too," said Ruth.
"And too clumsy for them to handle well," Betty added, but she had besthave left that unsaid, as Julie's wrath exploded.
"How can you call the furniture clumsy? They were just as handsome asanything I ever saw!"
But no one abetted this statement, so she modified her words. "Well, not_very_ clumsy--only heavy, maybe."
Mr. Gilroy had been thinking very quickly during this conversation, andnow he called to the Captain. They all ran over to him to see if he wasall right.
"Oh, yes, I feel all right; but I was wondering if you can find itpossible to have Hepsy drive on down to that village you mention?"
"To Freedom? What for?" asked Julie, surprised.
"Because I have a theory about this vandalism, and the sooner the policehear of it, the better for the safety of all," replied Mr. Gilroy.
"Do you think you can stand the extra journey?" now asked Mrs. Vernon.
"I feel so strong and improved since I see what the rascals did herethat I really will be better off if we go to the village than if Iremained here chafing against the delay of catching them."
Mrs. Vernon knew that an unsettled mental condition was worse thanactual healthy fatigue, so she agreed to drive on down to Freedom. "Butit will be too late for us to return to-night!"
"Oh, you must not think of it! In fact, you must not camp here againuntil the convicts are taken," hastily replied Mr. Gilroy.
"I suppose we can find a good farm-house where we can board for a time,"suggested Mrs. Vernon.
"We'll ask the grocery man who comes up for our orders," added Julie.
By the time Hepsy was hitched again to the buckboard, the scouts hadpacked some things in suitcases to take with them. Mr. Gilroy refused torecline on the spruce bed again, so he sat up between the two girls.
Hepsy was inclined to balk when she found she was wanted to drive downto Freedom; but Mr
s. Vernon was most emphatic with a persuasive hickorystick, so that Hepsy decided that "discretion was the better part ofstubbornness."
Once warmed up to the going, Hepsy kept on traveling at a great rate, sothat the village of Freedom was seen in less than an hour's time afterleaving the camp. While Mrs. Vernon asked the keeper of the generalstore about hotel accommodations for all, Mr. Gilroy went to thetelephone and called up the police station at Junction.
The scouts had not heard the first part of his conversation, as theywere interested in hearing about rooms for the night, but when thestore-keeper held up a hand for silence, they heard Mr. Gilroy sayexcitedly:
"Is that so! Well, I really believe I can get them for you. My name isChester Gilroy, and my home is in New York State, but the young ladiesare Girl Scouts. The Captain's name is Mrs. Vernon, of Elmertown--theother side of this ridge, you know. And the scouts are Juliette andElizabeth Lee, Ruth Bentley and Joan Allison."
The scouts exchanged glances with Mrs. Vernon, but they had no clue tothe conversation at the other end of the wire.
"What's that?" asked Mr. Gilroy. "Oh--yes! They lost all theirfood-stuff, furniture, and other things from camp, so they are compelledto stay at Freedom until the rascals are caught."
After saying "good-by" Mr. Gilroy hung up the receiver and came over tothe group waiting to hear what was to be done.
The excitement and tiresome trip, followed by the sudden relaxation andsatisfaction he experienced now, caused the man's head to whirl, so thathe dropped into a wooden chair for a time.
As he sat there recovering himself, he quickly planned. Then he lookedup at the store-keeper.
"Mr. Grocer, I can show you an express order on a bank at Junction frommy home bank in New York State. I want you to take it--not to cash, butjust to prove to you that I mean business."
The scouts looked perplexed, and the store-keeper said: "What sort ofbusiness do you want to transact?"
"I want you to act as a constable for me--or get a real one, if there isone, at once. Then I want you to collect as large a posse of men as youcan, and begin and search that mountainside thoroughly. Begin at anoutside circle and narrow down as you reach the camp-huts. We've got toget those escaped convicts and hand them over to the police before wecan feel safe." The canny grocer shook his head dubiously.
"If the men of Freedom round up and land two dangerous criminals, thinkof the story the newspapers will tell about it. Why, Freedom will be onthe map in big headlines!" Mr. Gilroy was beguiling.
When Mr. Gilroy concluded, the store-keeper said: "How much do yuhkalkerlate on spendin', mister?"
"How many men can you get to go on this quest?" Mr. Gilroy countered.
"Wall--there air loungers hangin' about th' post office, in that storeover thar, an' there be young fellers what'll want to chase the convictsfer fun, an' others what will do it fer the dollars. I kin raise 'boutforty er fifty, I rickon."
"Fine work! I'll pay them $2 for every half-day they are out, with extramoney for meals and night work. But the bosses will get double themoney. I'll pay you a dollar for every man you sign up."
"Signed up--what fer?" asked the suspicious grocer.
"To contract to hunt these criminals. You see, we've got to do the thingbusiness-like, and once they start out they might work a whole day ortwo, and be entitled to honest pay. But others who never moved may comein at pay-time and claim money for nothing. I've got to have thesignatures of my men so that I know who I am paying, see?"
The old grocer felt satisfied with the explanation, and said: "I knowthe constabule pritty well, and he'll 'tend to the posse if I divideeven. He knows the best men to send on a job like this. I'll besatisfied with half, if I get my picksher in a New York news-paper. Iallers wanted to do that afore I die!"
Mrs. Vernon could not refrain from smiling at such a desire and ideal,but the scouts laughed outright. Mr. Gilroy said: "Youth laughs becauseit does not believe in death."
"When do ye want 'em to start?" queried the grocer eagerly.
"As soon as you can possibly get them off. Those convicts may escapefrom the mountainside in another twenty-four hours."
"I'll git Lem on the telerphone now, and start him off. He's ourconstabule, ye know, and a lively one, tew."
Soon after this, Lemuel Saunders called to see Mr. Gilroy. "Ef yuh willstep over to my office, I've got a line o' men waitin' to sign up."
The scouts wanted to watch the rest of this exciting plan, so Mrs.Vernon accompanied them to the constable's room behind the Post-OfficeGeneral Store.
Mr. Gilroy hastily wrote upon a sheet of fool's-cap paper, then handedit to Mr. Saunders to be signed by the applicants. A long line filed in,and, signing, went out again. To each man one dollar was paid in advancefor a meal, and advice given as to taking guns, clubs and other weaponswith them.
The spirit of adventure, added to a good financial return, had attractedevery one in the village, so that wives and mothers had packed up heartylunches, and seen to it that the hunters were provided with firearms orcudgels for defense.
Scarcely a man or grown boy could be found in town who had not agreed togo out and hunt the felons for Mr. Gilroy. Before sundown that eveningthe village was left without a man in it. But here and there on thegreat mountainside twinkling lights could be seen, as the posse movedcarefully upwards towards the camp.
The following morning found Mr. Gilroy feeling rested and eager tofollow the villagers in their search for the outlaws. But the doctor whohad sewed up the gash in his head advised the patient to rest all thatday.
The girls made a great fuss over their sick guest--or at least theyinsisted upon calling him sick in spite of his protests to thecontrary--and promised the physician that they would take everyprecaution to keep Mr. Gilroy quiet.
But they had no idea of how their promise was to be tested. They weresoon to know, however.
On the first train that stopped at Freedom came the Chief of Police anda number of his officers from Junction, to capture the two escapedconvicts. They went straight to Mr. Gilroy to learn all the facts fromhim, and having taken down his statement they spoke of securing horses,or a car, to take them up the mountainside.
"I hired all the horses and vehicles to be had in Freedom," explainedMr. Gilroy, "but I will gladly turn over the auto to you, providing youtake me with you on this trip."
"Why! You can't leave this porch, Mr. Gilroy," exclaimed Julie.
"The doctor said we were to keep you very quiet," added Joan.
"But that was more than an hour ago; I am quite recovered now, mydears," laughed Mr. Gilroy.
"That makes no difference with us--we were ordered to see that you keptquiet," declared Ruth.
"I can keep just as quiet while riding in the car with the Chief as if Isat on this chair," argued Mr. Gilroy.
"Impossible! The excitement of the chase will give you a fever," saidJulie, emphatically.
"Why, they are two poor convicts who are most likely in chains by thistime. Our posse has captured them long before this, and all I have to dois to pay off my men," explained the stubborn patient.
"Well, you'll find they are not quite tame, or as easy to secure, as youfancy," ventured the Chief. "One of those rascals is a member of thatgang that tried to bomb New York City recently. And the other one is aleader of a group of 'Reds' that the secret police rounded up lately.Both, being aliens, were kept in jail until they could be deported. Butthey managed to make their escape."
"How did you get the orders to capture them?" asked Mr. Gilroy.
"Why, the Police Chiefs all over the country were sent secretcommunications with descriptions and photographs of the fellows; justthe other day, a young man who lives with his granny on this mountain,said he had seen two evil-looking tramps somewhat resembling thepictures. So we quickly planned to start a round-up when we heard fromyou. Then last night I got a message over the wire that two suspectswere trailed as far as Junction or its vicinity, and we were to lookcarefully to see if any disguised s
trangers were hanging about ourtown."
"Well, well! This is certainly interesting, but now I am more determinedthan ever to go with you when you start. Are we waiting for anything?"said Mr. Gilroy.
"Nothing except the consent of your nurses," laughed the Chief.
The four girls looked obdurate, and Mr. Gilroy began to smile, then heturned to the Chief.
"You feel reasonably sure that I will be taking no risks in accompanyingyou back to the campsite?"
"Oh, certainly! Those two outlaws will never hang about a spot where somany people are liable to stop."
"Well, then, is there any objection to my four nurses going with me tosee that I keep quiet to-day?"
"Oh, Mr. Gilroy! How splendid that will be!" cried Julie,
"Oh, yes! Do let us go, Chief!" exclaimed Joan, eagerly.
But at this moment Mrs. Vernon came out on the piazza. She overheard thelast words and instantly shook her head in disapproval.
"But why not, Verny? The Chief says the ground is perfectly safe aboutour camp!" pleaded Julie.
"Why, not a mother in the land would ever allow her girls to join theScout Organization if they thought I was a sample of a Captain--the veryidea! to let you girls run right into such a hotbed of danger!" Mrs.Vernon glanced scornfully at Mr. Gilroy as if to dare him to say anotherword.
But he smiled in return and said: "Just step inside for a moment, Mrs.Vernon,--I have a word to speak to you."
Wonderingly, the Captain followed him indoors, and whatever he whisperedmust have had a wonderful power, for a radical change took place in Mrs.Vernon's opinions before she joined the girls again.
"Mr. Gilroy has convinced me that it is to our _advantage_ to go back tothe huts, but still I refuse to go unless the Chief can assure me thatwe will not be anywhere near those outlaws, or run any risk by returningto camp," said she.
"As far as that is concerned, I told Mr. Gilroy that the two rascalswere too experienced to stay near the camp, but were most likely overthe mountain by this time, making tracks for some out-of-the-way placewhere they could hide again for a few days."
"Maybe they will go back to Bluebeard's Cave, now that they got our foodand other necessities," suggested Joan.
"I only hope they do," laughed the Chief. "For in that case we willsmoke them out with sulphur."
After many misgivings as to the wisdom of this trip, and fearing thecondemnation of all the parents of the girls, as well as the disapprovalof the Girl Scouts Organization should they ever hear of the escapade,Mrs. Vernon followed her charges to the car.
By the time the police and the scout party arrived at the campsite, thevillage posse were far past that spot and were beating the woods up onthe mountainside. The Chief went carefully over every visible sign ofthe destruction in the camp, but shook his head smilingly after he hadconcluded his investigation.
"I don't believe the rascals stole the furniture, you know, Mr. Gilroy,as it would hamper them too much in their get-away and it would be of noearthly value to any one but these scouts. Neither do I believe thatthey carried off much food. Only enough to last them for the present.But they doubtless made a cache of it somewhere, believing that thescouts would be too timid ever to return to this camp, and then theycould take up their quarters here. If they were left unmolested, theycould move back the furniture and food later."
"That's what I thought, too," agreed Mr. Gilroy. "And by depriving thegirls of food and camp-beds, they were sure of driving them away fromhere at once."
"Exactly. Now, I should propose to the scouts that they thrash thebushes near here to see if the villagers have not passed over the hiddenstores or pieces of furniture. Of course they ought to have beaten thewoods too well to miss anything, but one never can tell as, in theirzeal, they are hunting _men_, not food," said the Chief.
"We will search if you are quite sure it is safe for us to do so. If thehunters who sought first missed the chairs or table, why couldn't theypass over a recumbent form of a man?" said Mrs. Vernon.
"Oh, I do not think the tables or chairs are left standing intact. Andthe food-stuffs will not be in boxes, either; but small installments ofit probably will be found here and there under the leaves, in hollows,or hidden under roots of trees."
"Well, Chief, you leave two of your best men here with us forprotection, and then go as far as you like over the mountain-top,"agreed Mr. Gilroy.
So two big fighting men were detailed to remain behind with thecamp-party, and the rest of the police started in different directionsto hunt out the desperadoes.
After the police were out of sight, Joan said: "I wish we could find ourfood-stuff and furniture before a rain-storm comes."
Mrs. Vernon laughed. "If the grapevine could withstand the snows andrains of many years before we found it, now that it is turned intofurniture for us it will surely not suffer from a slight storm."
"Well, _I_ am not thinking of storms, but of hunger. Let's go to workand hunt, then we can stay on in camp--if we find the food," said Julie.
So in short order every one was beating the bushes and leaves as if insearch of diamonds. The policemen had given the girls a "safety zone" inwhich to work, while they themselves wandered further afield.
Not long after they began seeking, Mrs. Vernon found a cooking-pot undera bush. Then Joan found some groceries. In all sorts of out-of-the-wayholes and nooks, well-covered from curious eyes, different articles werefound, but the greater part of the food-stuff was still to be regained,when the Captain told her girls to rest for a short time and eat some ofthe crackers Ruth had found.
A dish-pan of water was brought from the spring and the scouts sat downto eat and drink, while reviewing the thrilling adventures of the pasttwo days.
"I still must say that I am dubious about the reception this presentundertaking will receive, when it is known that I am so weak-minded asto give in to four coaxing girls and Mr. Gilroy, who has a wonderfulplan for you girls to win a lot of money--but in a manner that isninety-nine chances against one to its success."
"Oh, Verny! Do tell us what it is!" exclaimed Julie.
"Is that what he whispered to you that made you change your mind?" askedRuth.
"Yes, I was foolish enough to believe that it was possible, but now thatI am here I see that it is not! I wish to goodness we were back safe atFreedom!"