CHAPTER XXV
A CAMP IN THE WOODS
"Why, Paul, what's all this hurry mean?"
"I just want to get a few bites of supper, mother, and then rush off.I've sent out the call for a hurry meeting of the patrol. Some peoplecall it the emergency signal. Every one of the scouts knows what itmeans. Those who can get out will be gathering here inside of half anhour."
"But it must be something very unusual that urges you to do this. You'vebeen on the go all afternoon, and I don't know that it is wise to boltyour supper in such a style, just to be ready to greet the boys when theyarrive."
"Mother, you don't understand. Father hasn't come back from his afternoonround of visits, has he? Then you couldn't possibly know," went on Paul.
"Know--what, my son?" questioned his mother, seeing that the boy wasworked up more than usual.
"We're going to organize a searching party. Perhaps some of the scoutsmay be smart enough to get on the track. It's poor little Willie Boggs,mother."
"Searching party--Willie Boggs! Is the child lost?"
"Yes, and has been ever since before noon, in the big woods. You see it'sjust beginning to get dark now. Think of the poor little fellow wanderingperhaps miles off in the woods. What if a storm should come up?" andPaul's manner told how he felt.
"But there are no wild animals large enough to injure the child. The mosthe could suffer would be exposure to the night air; that and the frightof finding himself alone. Oh! it is a terrible thing though; and littleWillie is all his poor father has left. It would kill him if anythinghappened," declared the good lady, whose heart was very tender.
"Now you see why I'm in such a hurry to get a bite, mother. Every minutemight count, for perhaps he is wandering further and further away. You'lllet Jane get me something in a jiffy, won't you, now?" continued theeager lad.
"Gladly, and help her too, after you have told me more. How do you boysexpect to look for the child in the blackness of those woods?"
"Every scout will carry a lantern, with which we have practiced signalwig-wagging until we are able to send messages back and forth. Besidesthat, we can form a long line across the woods, and comb nearly every bitof it, looking into every stack of brush and waste to see if Willie haslain down. And mother, think if we should just find him, how glad you'dbe that we went out!"
"Indeed, I should! I shall pray that you succeed, my boy. And it does yougreat credit that you are so earnest in your desire to help others. Sitdown, and I'll wait on you myself," and Mrs. Morrison bustled away towardthe kitchen as she spoke.
As Paul was hastily devouring his supper, for he was as hungry as a wolf,who should come in but the doctor. And of course he had to be told;though Paul's mother took this task upon herself, giving the boy a chanceto eat.
Through the window Paul could see that already several fellows hadgathered; and other lanterns were meanwhile coming like giant firefliesthrough the gathering gloom of the night.
The prospect of bringing his scout troop into action for such a goodcause was particularly pleasing to the boy who temporarily filled theoffice of leader. Spurred to do their very best by a recollection of thevows they had so recently taken, the members of Stanhope Troop might bedepended on to bring credit to their organization.
By the time Paul issued from the house there were a full dozen of hischums present. He was glad to see that all the original charter membersforming the Red Fox patrol were on hand. They happened to live closerthan others who had joined later; and boys of a particular communitygenerally flock together.
Immediately a great hubbub ensued. Those who did not know what all thefuss was about had to be "put wise," as William said. And Paul was calledupon to explain his plans for the tracking of little Willie Boggs, whohad become as a chip on the torrent, a wanderer in that mysteriousforest, the end of which few Stanhope fellows had ever reached in theirwanderings up over the hills.
There were now fourteen present, and Paul determined not to wait for anymore of the troop to come to time.
"Fall in!"
Down the street they marched, the lanterns flickering as they swung toand fro.
No wonder people, rushing to the doors as shouts arose, began to askeagerly if the lost child had been recovered.
"It's the Boy Scouts; and they're going out to join the hunt!" some oneshouted.
"Oh! they're about a mile behind Ted and his crowd!" jeered one fellowwho must have had leanings toward the Slavin party; he had been detectedin cheating so often in every game boys played that for months now hefound himself left severely alone by decent fellows, and it was reportedhad applied for admission to the patrol Ward and Ted were getting up.
Out of the town, and straight to the spot where the lost boy had lastbeen seen Paul led his squad. He knew that it would be only a miracle ifthe many feet that had trod the ground over would have left any trace ofthe child's little shoes; but he still had hopes that the training someof his scouts possessed would bring more or less success.
The unique sight of all those lanterns on the road had attracted manypeople, so that when they arrived at the spot Paul had in mind, fullythirty followed, a number of them boys who came only to make sport of thescouts.
"Spread out, fellows," said the scout leader, quietly, "and examine everyfoot of ground. If you find a single impression of Willie's little shoe,give the signal, and I'll come; but hold your places every one."
Immediately the scene became an animated one. Lanterns flashed hitherand thither, swinging close to the ground; while young eyes searcheddiligently for a trace.
In less than five minutes the signal sounded, and Paul hurried over tothe one who had given the same. Jack was at his elbow, and between themthey examined the mark, to ascertain in what quarter it pointed.
Then the advance was taken up in that direction.
Again came the thrilling cry that told of a new footprint that had beenfound.
This time it was Wallace Carberry who had made the discovery. He talkedso intelligently about it that Paul determined to keep him close by.Wallace would be a valuable advisor in case he and Jack disagreed at anytime as to what the signs meant.
So they went on for an hour, finding a footprint now and then toencourage them. These came at more frequent intervals when they got farenough away to avoid the trampled soil where the crowd had hunted all theafternoon.
Those who had followed were now missing. They had seen that the scoutsmeant business, and did not care to wander so far from town. Hence, Paulpresently found that he and his patrol had the woods almost tothemselves.
Several times though he had seen other lanterns wandering around, andguessed that these were carried by some of the Slavin crowd, alsodiligently combing the woods in the hope of being the lucky ones tofind the missing boy.
The chief of police and his party had gone off in an altogether differentdirection.
"How long can we keep this up, Paul?" asked Jack, when they had beenmoving on for two hours, with no end in sight.
"Don't know, but we ought to be able to put our best foot forward justas long as that little fellow does, don't you think?" replied the other,reproachfully.
"Why, of course, and don't think I'm showing the white feather so earlyin the game. I've made up my mind never to go back until he's found. Why,we can camp right in the woods if it comes to it. And that would be abully experience for every Fox in the bunch. Think of having to make bedsout of branches! Ain't I glad some of us brought our camp hatchetsalong."
"And Jack, it would leave us in a good position to take up the hunt againin the morning; for you see we'd be right on the ground where the littlechap passed along. Suppose you call out again. He might hear, andanswer."
Jack obeyed, and repeated the name of Willie in a loud voice again andagain. But only the echoes of the great woods answered. If the boy werewithin reach of that cheery hail he must be wrapped in the sleep ofexhaustion, and unable to reply.
Finally Jack ceased to call, for he was growing very husky.
/> The search still went on with unabated zeal, each boy trying to vie withhis mates in the endeavor to make some new discovery. Paul examined everyfaint print of that little foot, desirous of fixing the time it was made.Wallace joined him in this, and it was clearly shown that hours must haveelapsed since the child passed that way.
"Still, he may be within fifty yards of where we are. Let's keep at it aslong as we can, and only camp when some are too tired to go on," declaredPaul, greatly disappointed to think that they had thus far been baffledby hard luck.
It was astonishing to see how far the little fellow had wandered; butfear always lends wings to the feet; and all the while Willie doubtlessreally believed he must be heading toward home.
And Paul noted another fact that somehow gave him new interest in theenterprise. By degrees the trail had swung around to the left, as isnearly always the case when grown persons are lost; and the principleseemed to hold good in the case of even a child.
In itself this was not strange; but Paul knew that if they kept on foranother hour the chances were they would come upon the old mill pond,nestling in the valley. The fact caused him to remember his friend Mr.Pender; to once more mentally see that red motor with the khaki-coloredtop; and to picture the two strangers who had asked him so manyquestions.
Was this really an accident, their being drawn out toward the farm of theunneighborly Sol Smithers; or might it turn out to be the working ofdestiny?
He was aroused by a call that he had been expecting to hear for some timenow.
One of the scouts felt forced to admit that he was "all in." They haddone manly work to keep up the tramp all this time, being but boys atbest.
It meant that camp must be made, and the balance of the night spent therein the woods, waiting for day to come to renew their search.
Poor little Willie was destined then to pass still more hours, surroundedby the terrors of the black and unknown forest. But probably by this timehe must be so exhausted through his unusual exertions that he was dead tothe world in sleep; so it would not matter very much.
Soon all was bustle as the fourteen lads began to make ready to spend atime in open camp. The sound of hatchets made pleasant music, as brancheswere cut, and beds made close to the fire that had been started.
Some of the smaller lads were so utterly exhausted that they just droppedto the ground, and went to sleep. Paul and Jack passed around to see thatthese wornout fellows did not lie too near the blaze; and that they werefairly comfortable.
In an hour's time it seemed as though every one were taking solid comfortafter such rude fashion as could be devised. One of the boys had broughthis camera along, keen to secure novel effects; and without warning heset off a flash that gave him a picture of the slumbering heroes on theirlowly beds, that would be ever afterwards treasured as invaluable.
At the brilliant illumination several sat up, and one even gave a cry ofalarm, thinking perhaps that lightning had struck a tree close by; butwith the coming of darkness again they settled back.
But Paul could not sleep. He was only waiting until some of the morerestless souls quieted down. Then he and Jack, together with Wallace,meant to again tackle the job of seeking for further imprints of thoseworn little shoes among the dead leaves, and in the soft soil under thegiant trees.
Somehow Paul believed that the hunt was bound to carry them to the verydoor of that farmhouse on the mill pond. He was induced to suspect thisbecause the last time they had examined the small shoeprints, the mark ofa much larger foot had appeared beside it; and after mature deliberationhe and Wallace came to the conclusion that some man, walking through theforest, had discovered the trail of the child, _and was following it_!
He looked around him. As near as he could tell every one of the tiredscouts was slumbering soundly.
So Paul silently arose, touching Jack on the shoulder, who immediatelygave Wallace Carberry the signal.
The three uttered no word, but moving softly back from the circle offirelight, carrying their almost exhausted lanterns, made ready to oncemore start out into the depths of the wood; with the lonely farmhouse nowrented by the surly Sol Smithers just half a mile further to the north!