CHAPTER III--The Hermit of the Woods
The reply to Mike's hail was so prompt that he thought it was the echoof his own voice. He looked in the direction whence the answer came,and, seeing nothing to account for it, shouted:
"I obsarved 'Hello!' and I take it kindly that ye did the same," and headded to himself: "Now, Mr. Echo, let me see what ye can do with themwords."
The response was unexpected and startling. Nothing was heard, but a mancame into sight among the pines and walked with slow, steady stepstraight toward the astonished lad, his keen eyes fixed inquiringly uponthe youth, as if uncertain of his nature.
The person was tall, thin, slightly stoop-shouldered and certainly wellpast the age of three-score and ten. His straggling hair and abundantbeard, which descended over his chest like a fleecy veil, were as whiteas snow. The nose was well formed, inclined to Roman, and his gray eyesunder the shaggy grizzled brows were of piercing intensity. He grasped along crooked staff in his right hand, the top rising a foot above hishead, and used the stick for a cane in walking. He wore no hat orcovering of any kind for his crown, but his attire was a suggestion of aNorfolk coat such as Scout Masters wear. It was buttoned down the frontand closed about the waist by a girdle or belt of the same material,which was olive-drab cotton cloth, with two pleats before and behind.Although the garment was well worn it was clean and unfrayed. Thetrousers of the same kind of cloth reached to the top of the coarse,strong shoes. Under the coat was a dark flannel shirt, though itscarcely showed because of the closed garment and the beard curtain.
"I wonder if he intends to walk over me," mused Mike, as he met thesteady gaze and held his position; "it looks that way."
A half dozen paces away, however, the old man abruptly halted, staredand remained silent. Mike raised his hand and made a military salute.
"With me compliments and best wishes and many of the same."
"Try that again, young man," said the stranger in a mellow voice, "youdidn't do it properly."
"I did the best I know how," replied the astonished Mike, "and I wasthinking it couldn't be much improved upon."
"None the less it is wrong."
"If ye'll be after insthructing me it's mesilf that will try to do youjustice."
"Are you not a Boy Scout?"
"Not just yit, though I'm hoping to honor the Scouts by allowing thesame to put my name on their roll."
"Why then do you wear their uniform?"
"Would ye have me take it off and wear the rigimintals I was born in?I'd be feared of the scratches from the bushes, though I should like tobe obliging."
"Are you on your way to the Boy Patrol camp?"
"That's me distination, as me uncle said whin he looked down at theground as he was falling from a balloon."
"You are walking away from instead of toward it. The Boy Patrols are twomiles to the rear."
"I don't wish to drop down on 'em too quick; ye have heard of sudden joykilling a person and I want to approach 'em slow and grand like, thatthey may have time to give me a proper reciption."
Fearing that his jocosity might not be acceptable, Mike added:
"I may as well own up, me friend, that I've lost me way, but beforegoing thither will ye insthruct me as to how to make the Boy Scoutsalute?"
"It is simple; observe; crook your right little finger inward; keep itdown flat by pressing your thumb upon it; hold the other three fingersupright, palm outward and bring the hand in front of the forehead; tryit."
With the example before him, Mike had no trouble in making the salute.
"That is right; so long as you wear the uniform of the Boy Scouts, andsince as you say you expect to become one of them, you must use theirmethod of greeting one another."
"And now will ye put me under bigger obligations by showing me the exactcoorse to folly to reach the camp of me friends?"
The old man raised his staff from the ground and pointed to the left ofthe lad.
"If you will hold to that direction, you will go straight to them."
"Now that ye have told me I won't furgit it."
"All the same you will; you know so little about the woods that you willbe lost before you have gone a fourth of the distance."
"How can I do that wid such plain instructions as ye have given me?"
"Were you not directed before you set out for your friends' camp?"
"But not by such an intilligent gintleman as yersilf."
The twitching of the beard at the side of the old man's mouth showedthat he was pleased by the whimsical compliment.
"It is easy to see from your blarney that you were born in Ireland: whatis your name?"
"Mike Murphy; me father, Mr. Patrick Murphy, has charge of Mr. Landon'sbungalow on Southport Island, where I make me home wid him whin I'm notliving somewhere ilse. 'Twas his boy Alvin that sint fur me to jine theBoy Patrols on Gosling Lake."
"I called there yesterday and spent most of the day with them. They area fine set of youths and have an admirable Scout Master; I expect soonto see them again; the troop, as it is called, numbers three Patrols,that of Mr. Hall, the Scout Master, being the Blazing Arrow."
"Ye said there were three Patrols in the troop: what are the ithers?"
"The Stag and the Eagle. Now it has occurred to me, Michael, that sinceyou expect to join the Boy Patrols and know comparatively nothing ofthem, it will be wise for you to go to my home, which isn't far off, andspend the night with me; I'll teach you enough, not only to pass a goodexamination but to astonish the other Scouts by your knowledge."
This offer brought out the question that had been in the mind of Mikefor some minutes:
"Ye are very kind and I'm thankful for the invitation, but may I ask whoye are?"
"That is your right, since you have already introduced yourself. My nameis Elkanah Sisum, more generally called 'Uncle Elk'; a long time ago agreat sorrow came to me; it drove me into the woods, where I put up acabin and have lived for fifteen years; but I have not lost my love formy fellow men and especially for boys; I can never look upon a youthlike yourself without being awed by the infinite possibilities for goodor evil slumbering in him, and my heart yearns to help all along theright path."
"How is it ye know so much about the Boy Scouts of America?"
"Living by myself, I spend a good deal of time in hunting, fishing andcultivating the little patch of ground on which my cabin stands, but Ifind leisure for reading and study. I became interested a year ago inthe accounts of the Boy Scout movement, which owes so much toLieutenant-General Sir Robert S. S. Baden-Powell of England. I should bestupid indeed to pass so many years in the wilderness without learningwoodcraft, campcraft, trailing and the ways of the woods."
Mike had set his heart on joining his friends that day--for you know hehad been tardy in following directions and Alvin and Chester would bedisturbed over his failure to show up--and the distance was so shortthat he could easily traverse it before night. With the confidence ofyouth, he felt no fear of losing his way, despite the assertion of UncleElk. But the presentation of the case appealed strongly to him. He had anatural dread of going into the Boy Patrol camp as the championignoramus of the party. Alvin and Chester would have rare sport withhim, for they knew only too well what he would do had the situationsbeen reversed. But to stride among them with the proper salute, which heknew already, and, when subjected to the preliminary examination, topass triumphantly would be an achievement which would make his bloodtingle with pride.
What a lucky stroke of fortune it was that in losing his way in thewoods he had met Uncle Elk, whose language showed him to be a man ofculture and qualified to give him the very instruction he needed. Theincident was another illustration of the truth that many a misfortune isa blessing in disguise.
"I thank ye very kindly," said Mike, with hardly a moment's hesitation;"I shall be glad to spend the night in yer home."
"Come on then; darkness is not far off and it is quite a walk to mycabin. I make one condition, Michael."
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"I'm listening."
"You must bring a good appetite with you; I have no princely fare tooffer, but it is substantial."
"It would be ongrateful fur me to disapp'int ye, and ye may make sartinthat ye shall not be graived in that respict."