"You planning to go farther than that?" he asked us.
"Yes, but we have to think of a way," Westy called up to him.
Mr. Jenson began laughing and he said, "You kids'll have to do some tallthinking to get past that old building."
"That's all right," Westy said; "the human mind can move anything."
Mr. Jenson just said, "All right, over she goes."
Some of us got on the car and the others walked along and the girlsstayed around, laughing. A couple of them got on the car, but most ofthem were kind of afraid, I guess. Maybe they thought it would neverstop. Some men stood around watching and laughing, too. What did wecare?
The locomotive pushed the car so slow that we could walk ahead of it. Ithardly moved. We felt pretty important when we saw the gates go downacross Main Street and people and automobiles waiting till we got past.Most of the scouts who had come from other towns had gone home and onlyour own troop and the girls and a few others were there. But a whole lotof people were standing around watching and laughing at our oldramshackle car. It went right over Tony's new mushroom farm, and thenMr. Jenson's fireman came down and we helped him haul a big piece oftimber across the tracks about in the middle of the field, because thebrakes on that car weren't much good.
Pretty soon the locomotive stopped and our old car just moved so slowthat it hardly moved at all. Then, kerplunk, the wheels ran against thepiece of timber, and the first stage of our what-d'you-call-it,memorable journey, was over.
After that we helped Tony get his lunch wagon back to where it belonged,and we all gave Mr. Jenson three cheers when the milk train pulled out.The boy scouts are all right, and you can see for yourself that you cando a lot by concerted appetite. But you need brains, too. And if ithadn't been for the Girl Scouts and the Erie Railroad, where would webe, I'd like to know? So that's why my favorite heroes are the GirlScouts and the Erie Railroad. Maybe they're both kind of slow--I'm notsaying--but good turns are what count.
CHAPTER XIII--AFTER THE BATTLE
So there we were with the first hard part of our big enterprise over,and the hardest part staring us in the face.
"We're past the first trench line, anyway," Westy said.
"Yes, but I'd like to know how we're going to get past that old repairshop," Connie put in. "That's what _I'd_ like to know."
We were all sitting in the car resting before going home.
"You leave that to me," I said. "Where there's a will there's a way.I've got an idea."
"Have you got it with you?" Dorry Benton wanted to know.
"I'm not going to bother with that old grouch, Mr. Slausen," I said."He's worse than a rainy Sunday, that man is."
"I'm glad I'm not his son," one of the fellows said.
"Believe me," I told them, "when it comes to picking out fathers Ipicked out a good one."
"Well, what's the idea?" one of them wanted to know.
"This is the idea," I said. "Two or three of us will go and see Mr.Downing, who owns the field and the blamed old garage and everything,and we'll tell him all about it and maybe he can make Mr. Slausen let ustake down a few boards where the track runs through. Mr. Downing's amighty nice man, I know that, because he gave a hundred dollars in thescout drive."
"Well, and suppose that fails?" Westy wanted to know.
I said, "Well, then, it means a lot of trouble; maybe we'll have to allget to work and take up the tracks and lay them to the left of thegarage where they cross Willow Place."
"That will take us all summer," Charlie Seabury said.
"Well," I said, "we've got this far and will find a way to get the restof the distance, that's sure. Where there's a will there's a way."
Just then in came Mr. Slausen, all of a sudden, kind of angry like.
"All tickets, please," I said. Because he made me think of a conductor.
He said, "Now see here, what are you youngsters doing here in this car?"
I said, "Is it a conundrum? How many guesses do we have? We're sittingin it."
"You'll have to clear out of here with this thing," he said. "You'll bein the way, and this is private property, you know."
"So is this car private property," I said.
"Well, it's on private land," he said.
"That's all right," I told him; "it's private property just the same.Even if it were on the moon it would be private property. It belongs tous. And the field doesn't belong to you, either. It belongs to Mr.Downing."
Just then several of the fellows started singing an old tune that weused to fit words to when we were travelling around the country in thatcar.
"We're on our way to the river, We're on our way to the river, We'd rather have this than a flivver.
We'll get there never fear, And when we get there, we'll be there And while we're here, we're here."
"Well, you'll have to clear out of here with this thing," he said. "I'llsee your parents about it. I'll notify the police. I use all this land,you can't stay here."
"We don't intend to stay here," I said. "We're going to move down to theriver, into Van Schlessenhoff's field. We're just stopping here. Youshould worry."
"Well, you'll have to have this thing moved back," he said, very cross.
"Scouts don't move back," I said; "they move forward. The only thingthat will stop us is the river. Excelsior! That's our middle name."
"That's what you pack china in," Pee-wee shouted.
"It means _Forward_," I said. "It's what somebody or other had on abanner, in a poem. Scouts don't have any reverse movement."
"Now you boys know you can't get past here," Mr. Slausen said. "What areyou up to? How do you expect to get past here?"
"We should worry our young lives about how we're going to get past," Isaid. "Italy stood in our way--you saw what happened. This is the Berlinto Bagdad Railroad--branch of the Erie. We're going to subdue all theland between here and the river. We should sneeze at the Sneezenbunkerland. We're going to make all the cats in Cat-tail Marsh pay anindemnity. Maybe you think you're more important than Belgium, but we'llgo through you all right. You leave it to us. Food won the war so far,didn't it? Posolutely, quoth he.
"We haven't opened our next campaign yet, but, anyway, we're not tooproud to fight. Please don't bother us now; we're planning our next bigdrive. We're going to make the world safe for the boy scouts. If thepolice and our parents know what's best for them they'll stay neutral."
"Do you want to make a treaty with us?" Connie piped up. "Come on overto Bennett's and we'll treat you to a treaty."
Then we all began singing.
We're here because we're here, We are not in despair; And when we are no longer _here_ Why, maybe we'll be there.
Mr. Slausen just went out and slammed the door. Gee whiz, that man can'ttake a joke.
CHAPTER XIV--SOMETHING MISSING
Now I'm going to tell you all about what happened that night. Beforedark Westy rode up to my house on his bicycle, because I had told himthat I'd help him clean it up. We weren't thinking about the car,because we had decided that we'd go and see Mr. Downing the nextmorning; that would be Sunday.
We knew Mr. Downing took a lot of interest in the scouts, and we weren'tworrying, because we thought he would fix things for us. The way wetalked to Mr. Slausen is the only way you can talk to a man like that,because he's an old grouch. Everybody knows him.
Now out by the road in front of my house is a carriage step, and Westyand I sat on that while we cleaned up his bike and oiled it and greasedit. We kept working there till it was nearly dark. He has a dandy bigflashlight and we used that to light up places that we couldn't see verywell.
Pretty soon the bike was all clean and the dirt was all on us. So wewent in to wash up. I was the first to get through, so I went out on theporch and lay down on the swing seat.
Now there's a wide lawn between our house and the road. I ought to knowbecause I mow it every week. That's where my sister and Harry
Donnelleplay tennis. He's a big fellow.
It was pretty nearly dark and I was waiting for Westy to come out. Hewas going to stay to supper at my house. My mother likes him a lot. Butthat night we didn't feel much like supper. While I was lying there anautomobile passed along the road and stopped right in front of the houseand somebody got out. I thought whoever it was was coming up to thehouse when I saw that person get in the car and ride away again.
Just then Westy came out and I said, "Somebody got out of a car down atthe road."
He looked kind of funny for a second, then he said, "Let's go down."
His bicycle was leaning against the carriage step and a few tools andthings were on the step.
I said, kind of anxious, "Are they all there?"
"I don't see my flashlight," he said.
I said, "Let's look around in the grass."
But we couldn't find it anywhere.
Gee, I didn't think anybody in an automobile would be so mean as to stopand pick up a thing like that. Maybe it was worth two or three dollars.
I said, "We shouldn't have left the things out here, but, jiminies, Inever thought anybody would be so mean as to stop and take a thing likethat. If he had taken the bicycle it wouldn't have seemed so bad."
"Let's run," Westy said.
"I'm with you," I told him.
He said, "It's got my initials on, that's one thing."
We gathered up the stuff in a hurry and wheeled the bicycle in to theporch and then started along the road, going scout pace. We couldn't usethe bicycle because the tires were flat. There was one machine quite away ahead of us. It turned into Main Street and we caught up with it alittle because it had to go slow there.
About two blocks down Main Street it turned into Willow Place. If youlook at the map I made you'll see where that is. It went faster now andwe were falling behind all the time.
Pretty soon Westy panted, "I know that car."
"Whose is it?" I asked him.
"Wait a minute; you'll see," he said.
Just then it turned in and crossed the sidewalk and disappeared. Westyand I just stopped and stood there panting and staring at each other.
"What--do--you--know--about--that?" I just blurted out.
"Slausen's," he said, all out of breath.
"Sure," I said; "that's Charlie Slausen."
CHAPTER XV--A SCOUT'S HONOR
I knew that fellow in school and I never had much use for him. Hegraduated when I was in the primary. At recess he used to take ourmarbles, just to make us mad. And after we started our troop he used tocall us the boy sprouts. I guess he thought he was funny. Harry Domicilehasn't got much use for him either, and you bet your life Harry Domicileknows.
"Gee, I didn't think he'd do that," Westy said.
"Come ahead," I told him; "he won't get away with it anyway."
We went right up to the garage and I walked straight inside. The men hadgone home and it was all dark except for the headlights on Charlie'scar. It wasn't his, it was his father's. But he told all the girls itwas his. He was just stepping out and I went right up to him, becauseWesty was so kind of ashamed that any one would do such a thing that hejust couldn't speak of it. He's a dandy fellow, Westy is.
I said, "Will you please give us the flashlight that you took?"
"Hello, sprouts," he said; "what's troubling you now?" And he gave me akind of a push, you know, just as if he was jollying me.
I said, "Will you please give me the flashlight you took?"
"Light? What light?" he said, very innocent like.
"The one you took from in front of my house," I said. "You'll eithergive it to me or I'll have you arrested. If you think I'm afraid of you,you're mistaken. And you can keep your hands off me, too. You betterbutton your coat or you'll be stealing your own watch next."
He just began laughing.
"That's all right," I said; "I mean what I say."
He took the flashlight out of the car and said, "You don't mean this, doyou?"
"Yes, I mean that," I said; "it's got this fellow's initials on, so youneedn't try to make us think it's yours."
He just gave me a poke with it and kept on laughing. Gee, I was mad.
"Your hands remind me of tanglefoot flypaper," I said.
"Yes?" he just laughed. "Well, here's your old light. What's the matterwith you kids? Can't you take a joke? I just wanted to see if you weregood at tracking. You claim to be such great Buffalo Bills----"
I said, "Yes? Well, you've got Jesse James looking like a Sunday Schoolteacher."
"I see you're all right at trailing," he said; "here take your light. Iwas giving you a test. What's the matter with you?"
He was very easy and offhand like, but I could see he was kind ofnervous.
He said, "And I suppose you'll be telling the whole town about yourgreat stunt."
"Don't worry," I told him. "I'd be ashamed to remind the town thatthere's such a fellow as you here. All we want is what belongs to us."
He began digging down in his pocket, all the while saying, "Well, we'lljust keep it a little secret between ourselves and----"
I guess just then he found he didn't have any money. Because he finishedup by saying, "And we'll have some ice cream sodas the first time I meetyou on Main Street. Now how's that?"
"Sure," I said, "and we'll put the spoons in our pockets when we getthrough."
"Well, now, you're not going to go round shouting, huh?" he said, kindof anxious.
Then for the first time Westy spoke. He said, "We promise not to tellanybody, if that's what you mean. So you needn't worry about that."
"How about you, Kiddo?" Charlie Slausen asked.
"Oh, I promise," I said.
"Well, then, let's see if you're as good at keeping your word as you areat tracking," he said. "I thought you'd find me. Now it's a go, is it?Not a word?"
"That's what we told you," I said. Gee whiz, I was so disgusted I couldhardly speak to him.
"Climb out through that window," he said.
Then for the first time I noticed that he had closed the big door.
"Go ahead," he said; "I'll come out after you."
He was such a blamed peculiar kind of a fellow that we didn't have anyidea what he was up to. Whatever he did seemed to be kind of on the sly.
The window was on the side of the garage. After we had climbed throughwe started back up Willow Place. Pretty soon we saw a dark figure goingacross the street very quietly and we thought it must be him.
"I guess he doesn't want his father to know he was using the car," Westysaid. "That's why he sneaks out."
"He had to come in with it, though," I said.
Westy said, "Sure, but that isn't any reason for him not watching hisstep when he goes away. He wasn't going to show himself on Willow Placetill he was sure no one was there."
"Well, there's no harm done," I said. "We've got the flashlight."
"Yes, and he's got our promise," said Westy.
"He needn't lose any sleep over that," I said. "A scout's honor is to betrusted--Law one, page thirty-four. Correct. Let's go over and get acouple of sodas."
CHAPTER XVI--TWO--SEVEN!
I went to bed early that night because I was good and tired. I don'tknow how long I had been asleep, but all of a sudden I was wide awakelistening to the fire whistle. I guess it must have been the firewhistle that awakened me. I heard four blasts, because I counted them.That would mean the fire was 'way down South Bridgeboro. Then it startedagain, and I realized that I had only heard the end of it. I counted allthe blasts this time. There were two, then seven. I said to myself,"That's somewhere near the station." I could hear the engine siren along way off. Then I went to sleep again.
The next day was Sunday, and as long as I live I will never forget it.When I went down to breakfast there were my mother, father and sisterMarjorie at the table. The sun was shining right through the bay window,and that made it seem like Sunday, because on Sundays we don't h
avebreakfast till about the time the sun gets around there. It made it seemlike Sunday, too, because my father had his smoking jacket on.
As soon as I sat down my father said, kind of offhand, "Did you hear thefire whistle last night, Roy?"
"Sure," I said; "I think it was near the station."
He said, "You didn't get up and go to it, eh?" He said that because Ialways go to fires. I stayed up all night when the High School burneddown.
I said, "Have a heart. I was dead to the world all night. We had somejob getting our car moved."
My mother said, "Why, of course."
Then my father said, kind of funny like, he said, "You got it moved allright, eh?"
"You bet we did," I said.
"And what's the next move?" he asked me, very nice and pleasant.
"To get it across Willow Place to the Sneezenbunker land," I told him."I guess maybe we can do that next Saturday."
I don't know, but something in the way he looked made me feel awfulfunny. Then he pushed back his chair and looked straight at me and said,"Roy, Mr. Slausen's repair shop was burned to the ground last night. Didyou boys have any altercation with Mr. Slausen yesterday?"
Gee, you could have knocked me down with a feather. "Burned to theground?" I just stammered out.
He said, "Yes; nothing left of it." He looked awful funny.