CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE SCOUTS MEET JOHN DUNSTAN
The following day while the scouts were washing the dinner dishes, ayoung man came across the plateau. He was dressed in nice clothes andwore a straw sailor hat. As he neared the camp, he lifted his hat andsmiled.
"Why--it's the hunter!" cried Julie, dropping the dish-mop and drying herhands on her apron.
"So it is--where is Verny!" added Joan.
"Didn't you know me, ladies?" asked the visitor.
"You looked so different the other day in your hunting clothes," saidJulie, smiling graciously.
Ruth and Betty had gone to find the Captain, and now they came back withher.
"This is John Dunstan, Verny," said Betty, simply.
The young man was invited to sit down with them, and being a genuine sonof Nature, he felt quite at ease anywhere, so he began to chat with Mrs.Vernon.
_He sat down and began to chat with Mrs. Vernon_]
"Granny told me about the scouts calling on her," said he, showing howmuch he appreciated the visit.
"Yes, and we are going again, as we enjoyed our first one so much," saidthe Captain.
"She says you had a son in the aviation field 'over there,'" continuedJohn.
"Yes, and I do so want to talk with you about that; but first, let meask you if you knew of those convicts being at large in the woods thelast time you were here to help the scouts finish the roof?"
"That was why I wanted to see you," said John. "I had reason to_believe_ that two tramps were somewhere about this mountain, and Ifeared they might start for the village. If they did, they would comeacross this camp, and I didn't like to think they might annoy thescouts."
"You didn't know they were convicts, then?" said Julie.
"If I had, do you suppose I would have allowed you girls to win thehonor of catching them? I would have taken them myself."
"How could you--all alone?" said Joan.
"The same way I rounded up five Huns when they shot down my plane ontheir side of the battle-line. I managed to get them, too, and marchedthem across No Man's Land at night, and brought them in prisoners to ourCaptain."
"Oh, oh! tell us all about it?" entreated the girls.
"Some other time, scouts, but now I want to answer this lady'squestions," said John, laughingly.
"Only tell us this much--is that what you got the medal for?" beggedJulie.
"That, and one other trick I turned," said John, without any sign ofself-importance.
"My boy enlisted before the United States entered the war," began Mrs.Vernon. "Because we had no air service, he entered the Royal FlyingCorps in Canada. He was with them until we declared war on Germany, thenhe wanted to fight under his own Flag. It was in his first battle as anAmerican Flyer that he was shot down."
"I was with the Royal Flying Corps, too, at first. But I didn't get yourname, Captain, so I really do not know the name of your son," said John.
"Oh, don't you know my name--it is Vernon; and my boy's name was MylesVernon. He was a Lieutenant in the Lafayette Escadrille."
"Why--Mrs. Vernon! Myles and I were flying and fighting together when hewas shot down! That is the very battle I was just telling of, when Ibluffed the Germans into such fear that they gave up and marched acrossto the American lines as my prisoners."
"Oh, oh, really! How happy I am to find some one who saw him at thelast. Do tell me all you know, my boy, for we had very littleinformation to console us."
John then told how bravely Myles fought and how he had shot down threeplanes of the enemy before they got him.
"I saw his plane burst into flames but he managed to get into hisparachute and cut loose. Then as he dropped nearer the earth, a machinegun riddled the parachute and he fell.
"I know he met death instantaneously, for I fell very near the sameplace, and saw his body immediately afterwards. I was handed thepersonal effects he had with him, and had charge of them while I spoketo the interpreter who took down the name and address. Then I had togive them over to their authorities.
"Mrs. Vernon, I saw the Germans place his body on a bier and carry itaway to a house removed from the line of battle. And some weeks later, Ivisited the lovely little farm where he is buried. It is cared for by amother who lost three sons for France, and now she takes the greatestjoy in caring for the flowers she has planted on American Boys' graves.
"I can tell you of many valiant battles Myles Vernon fought, before hewas killed in that one. I saw several of these fights myself, and myfriends told me of others--when they heard Myles was gone."
"Oh, I am so happy to hear this. I feel as if you are the direct answerto prayers. Long have I desired to hear about my boy from some one whoknew the facts!" cried Mrs. Vernon, with eyes streaming.
"But were you not injured when your plane fell that day?" asked Julie,eagerly.
"By some strange freak, the wings caught in a giant tree and stuckthere. The upper branches were broken and hung down from the impact, butthe lower boughs and trunk stood up firmly beneath the terrific jar. Iwas so shaken up that they thought my neck was broken, and I pretendedto be a great deal worse than I was, because I believed I could find away to escape.
"They left me with the doctor and a few nurses, and when it was learnedthat I was partly recovered I had to help them. It was the freedomaccorded any one who assists in looking after the sick prisoners thatopened a way for my escape."
The scouts were so anxious to hear all about his experiences that heentertained them the greater part of the afternoon. When he finallystood up to go home, he was begged to come again very soon.
"I will tell Granny that you expect to come up and call on her again?"said he, shaking hands with Mrs. Vernon.
"Yes, but be sure and come down to see us soon, won't you?" said she.
John left, and Mrs. Vernon excused herself for a time. She went in theold hut, and Julie leaned over to whisper: "Now she'll go and cryherself to pieces!"
"No, Julie, I think she is going to pray out her thanks to God for Hismercy in sending her such glorious news of her boy," returned Betty,gently.
And Betty was right. For when the Captain returned to the scouts, herface was shining with a radiance that seldom was seen on her face.
"Girls, where shall we have the new members build their hut?" asked she,as if nothing had ever caused her to think of aught but the scouts andtheir work.
"Why not move Hepsy's shed along and have them use that site for theirhouse?" suggested Joan.
After much planning and arguing, it was decided that the new memberscould choose their own site and choice of building. "They may prefer tolive in a tent--for all we know," said Ruth.
The four scouts worked hard all that week to present as fine a camp ascould be found to the new members, and when the five girls drove up inthe car to taste the joys of a scout camp, they were duly impressed withthe order and neatness of everything about the camp.
How these nine girls formed a Troop of splendid Girl Scouts, how theywon badges for prowess in many tests and trials, and how they were theenvy of all the school-girls in Elmertown, is too long a tale to tellhere.
But this much can be said: The reward for the $1000 was paid over to thescouts, and the Captain placed it in the Bank of Freedom, to the accountof "Girls of Dandelion Patrol." That was the beginning of their savingsto pay expenses of a Camp in the Adirondacks the following season.
And how they finally went to the much-longed-for camp where Mr. Gilroywelcomed them for a whole summer's visit, is told in the second volumeof the Girl Scouts Mountain series, called "Dandelion Troop in theAdirondacks."