CHAPTER XXIV
A CALL FOR HELP
Mr. Pender swooped down and seized Paul's hand, which he squeezed soheartily that he almost made the tears come to the boy's eyes.
"That sounds good to me, my boy. Please tell me about it. Where was it atthe time? And do you think it can have gone beyond Stanhope? I hope youdidn't give the gentleman any idea that you had ever heard a word abouthim or his car?"
"Oh! I give you my word, sir, that they never dreamed I knew a thingabout them. A scout has to learn how to keep his feelings in check, yousee, Mr. Pender. I acted just as naturally as Jack did; and he knewnothing."
"Well, tell me about it now, please."
Stopping at the corner, Paul started in to relate all the incidentsconnected with that meeting on the road. The gentleman hung upon everyword. He certainly looked pleased, and Paul realized that he had donesomething worth while. To his credit be it said that never once had heentertained the thought of receiving any sort of reward for his services.
"All this is of the greatest importance to me, my boy. I am frank totell you that the successful capture of those two men you have so ablydescribed, thanks to your scout training, will mean much to me. Anddepend upon it, if success rewards my efforts, I shall certainly rememberthat you gave me very valuable assistance in the undertaking."
"Then you think I might have a reward, don't you, Mr. Pender?" he said.
"I most positively do, and right now and here I'm willing to promiseyou--"
"Wait a little, Mr. Pender. There's only one thing you could do to pay mefor the little assistance I have been to you. Some time later on, afteryou get back to Washington, write me a letter on your official paper,stating just what aid the Boy Scouts of the Red Fox patrol were to youin furthering the ends of justice. That's all any of us could accept,sir."
"By Jove! I'm proud to know such boys, and proud to shake handswith the fine scout leader at their head!" exclaimed the Governmentrepresentative, as he cordially thrust out his digits.
But "once bit, twice shy"; and Paul shook his head as he caressed hisfingers.
"Excuse me, won't you, Mr. Pender; but once at a time is enough. I expectto have a lot of use for my right hand to-night, sir," he laughed.
"Oh! pardon me, my dear boy!" cried the other, "I was forgetting that itwasn't the hand of a tiller of the soil I squeezed. I'll be more carefulnext time. But your news was so unexpected, coming at a moment when I hadreceived some depressing information by mail, that I quite forgot myself.Please continue to keep these facts to yourself for a little whilelonger, Paul."
"Yes, sir; until you give me leave to speak I won't tell anybody, noteven my own folks at home. And if we are so fortunate as to get thatletter from you, Stanhope Troop will have a big advantage over othercompetitors. You know, sir, we are competing for an elegant banner; andthe other patrols have been working all summer; so that we've just got toget busy if we hope to have a show in."
"I don't care if they've been going along a year, I'd be willing to wagerthat Stanhope will win the prize. That shows what faith I put in theleader of the Red Fox patrol. Nothing is going to ever hold you back. Ican see the spirit glowing right now in your eyes," and Mr. Pender noddedhis head wisely as he said this.
Paul turned red under the praise.
Mr. Pender was apparently anxious to know all he could about the placearound the abandoned mill.
"Have you seen this party named Solus Smithers?" he asked, presently, asthey walked slowly on in company.
"Yes, sir; several times. He's a very tall and thin man, with a face Inever liked. He's driven some of us boys away from the mill pond thislast summer. We have always fished there, and nobody ever said a word;but he acted as if he had an idea some of us would steal his old house.He even brought out a gun once, and warned three fellows off. After awhile no one cared to go up there. Some of the boys even said theybelieved the old man was daffy, and that he might shoot if anybody madehim real mad."
"Oh! yes; I see; and he didn't want trespassers on his farm, eh? Does themill pond stand on the ground he's rented?" asked the gentleman.
"Oh! yes, and all the ground around there. It must cover four hundredacres, but most of it is in woodland, you see, sir," replied Paul,promptly.
"Can you tell me what Smithers looks like, Paul?"
"He's very tall, stoops quite a lot, uses snuff like they do down inNorth Carolina, and has small blue eyes and a queer nose. Some of theboys say it looks as if it had been broken. That man in the red car knewit when Jack called it a hooked nose, sir."
Mr. Pender slapped his thigh as though in great glee.
"Well, this is great luck, sure enough. From your description I believethat I know this Mr. Solus Smithers, though that isn't his name at all.It keeps on getting better and better, the deeper I grub. And if allturns out well, I shall owe you a heavy debt, my dear boy."
"Make it up in that letter then, sir. The stronger the better. And if youhappen to need any further assistance don't hesitate to call on us. We'vegot some dandy trackers in the Red Fox patrol; and it would have to be apretty smart fellow to pull the wool over their eyes, sir."
"Good for you, Paul," said the gentleman, warmly; "always ready to soundthe trumpet for your comrades; but if the truth were told I reckon I'dfind the scout leader at the top of the bunch when it came to a knowledgeof woodcraft."
"Please don't, sir," pleaded Paul.
"Jack has been confiding to me all about how you've always been deeplyinterested in outdoor life," went on Mr. Pender; "but as you have toldme all you know about this red car that has gone along the GrapevineRoad, headed for the old mill pond, I believe I'll have to leave you.Take my hand, won't you, Paul? I promise to be good, and not put onpressure, though my heart is very warm toward you, lad."
So Mr. Pender hurried away.
Paul turned back. He had noticed an air of unusual excitement inside thepost-office, and his curiosity was stirred. While Mr. Pender and hisstrange mission was in the foreground, of course, he had been able to paylittle attention to anything else; but now that this was shelved he couldnot resist the inclination to return, and ask what made the people standaround in knots as though exchanging views.
He discovered Ted Slavin and three of his friends jabbering away justinside the door, and heard one of them exclaim:
"Course we will go along; it'd be a big feather in our cap, fellers, ifwe'd be the ones to bring him back."
"Yes, send out word for the boys to get together, Ted. We'll show 'emwhat we fellers that has hunted since we was knee high, know aboutfollerin' a trail!" another remarked.
"Let up, you; d'ye want to give the whole snap away? See who's here!"whispered Ted; but in such a hoarse tone of voice that Paul could nothelp hearing.
Of course his curiosity was still further aroused. Whatever could havehappened in quiet Stanhope, to cause all this gathering of people, andsuch earnest consultations?
He saw Chief Billings, who was in charge of the police force in the town,leaving the post-office, and noted that a large delegation trailed afterhim.
Could it be possible that the local authorities had in some manner becomeaware of the fact that law breakers were abroad in the land? Was Mr.Jared Pender, the Government expert, about to have rivals in the field?When those cronies of Ted spoke of following a trail could they have hadany reference to the track of the wonderful red automobile with thekhaki-colored top; and occupied by the two parties whom Mr. Pender wishedto catch, as he said, "with the goods on?"
Paul hoped not. It would complicate things very much; and in theconfusion the rascals might manage to slip away. Paul had known ChiefBillings to undertake a clever piece of business before now; but neversucceed in accomplishing one.
Some one banged into him as he turned a corner in the building.
"Why, hello! Paul, that you?" said a voice.
It was Si Growdy, who claimed to be a nephew of old Peleg, but who hadnever been known to be recognized by the crusty old farmer. He clerkedin
one of the general stores, of which Stanhope boasted several big ones,where everything, from a package of pins to a coffin could be purchased.
"What's all the row about, Si?" demanded the acting scout master, as heseized hold of the clerk, to head him off; for Si seemed to be in a hurryas usual; he worked for a man who was a driver, and had to give anaccount of every minute of his time.
"Ain't you heard nawthin' about it, Paul? Where you ben all thisafternoon?" was the way the clerk answered one question with another.
"Up in the woods with the scouts, doing stunts. But tell me what's gonewrong? Another robbery at the jewelry store; or has some one sneakedaway with one of the coffins your house carries?" pursued Paul.
"If anybody ever got off with a pin that didn't belong to 'em at ouremporium, the fact ain't never been known. I've seen the boss chargin'customers with the cracker they eat when samplin'. We got orders to makelight weight if they buy. But about this rumpus; they's a child lost!"said Si.
"Who's child?" asked Paul, instantly deeply interested.
"Mr. Boggs' little Willie. The Chief was just in to talk with him. He'sall broken up over it, because you know, he uses a crutch, and can't helphunt."
Paul knew Mr. Boggs assisted the post-master in his duties; and many atime had Paul chatted with the pretty little chap who played around thebuilding while his father was assorting the incoming mails. Willie Boggshad always been a universal favorite. He was the sweetest child in allStanhope, and everybody loved him.
Paul was shocked at the news. Still, he hoped it might not be as bad asSi said.
"Where did it happen? How do they know? Who saw little Willie last? Whathas been done to find him?" he fired at the clerk like the discharge ofa Gatling gun.
"Glory! expect me to tell the hull story, with my boss asettin' thereinside the store, watchin' the clock, an' dockin' me for every minute I'mlate? All right, who cares? And besides, Paul, p'raps that troop of yoursmight be useful in follerin' the tracks of poor little Willie," Si wenton.
"Where, when, how?" demanded the scout master, resolutely.
"This mornin' it happened. Willie went with Annie Spooner to get someleaf mould in the edge of the woods, for her ma's flowers. She came backjust at noon an' sed Willie had strayed away in the woods."
"Did anybody go to look for Willie?" asked Paul.
"Three boys went out to bring him in. They hunted high an' low, but hewa'n't there. Then a dozen people set out to search the woods. Just nowthey come back to say Willie ain't to be found high nor low. That stirsthe big chief some. He 'low he knows how the thing's to be did; and sohe's agoin' to organize a hunt for the lost child. That's all. Now, letme get back to my slave tasks, Paul."
"And night coming on," murmured Paul, as he looked out of the door towhere people were assisting the crippled Mr. Boggs across the square inthe direction of his nearby home, where his wife was no doubt waitingeagerly for some news of the missing darling.
Si Growdy shot out of the door, and headed in the direction of the storewhere he gave his valuable services daily from seven in the morning untillate in the evening, for a miserable pittance.
Paul walked thoughtfully out of the post-office. He was tired from hisexertions of the afternoon; but all that was immediately forgotten whenhe mentally pictured the weeping mother in that little cottage where thehoneysuckle climbed above the door. Then he thought of the terror of thelittle fellow, wandering about in the great woods with night coming down,and all sorts of strange noises arising to chill his blood.
"I'll do it!" exclaimed Paul presently; "the chance is too good to belost. Why let Ted and Ward have the inside track? Just as soon as I cansend word around we'll test our new system of bringing a bunch of theFox scouts together. And then, if the boys are willing, we'll try anddiscover where Willie Boggs has wandered. It's a glorious opportunity tofind out if what we've learned is worth having. Here goes then, to sendout the call for help!"