CHAPTER XIV. A NOVEL PROPOSAL.
"Well, what do you think of my proposal?"
Mr. Mainwaring's eyes twinkled as he regarded the three lads seatedopposite him in the library of his home which he had called Ancon Hill,possibly in remembrance of that other Ancon Hill in the far off CanalZone.
Tubby gulped; Merritt's eyes shone and his face flushed excitedly, but hecouldn't find words just then.
"Well, Rob, what do _you_ say to transplanting the Boy Scouts, or part ofthem, down along the big Ditch?"
"I--I--that is, we--it's too big--too glorious to just realize it all atonce, isn't it, fellows?" stammered Rob.
"Pshaw! I thought the motto of your clan was 'Be Prepared'. Now you oughtto be just as much prepared to accept my invitation to go to Panama asyou would be to cook a meal in a given time or light a fire with onematch."
Mr. Mainwaring regarded the young faces opposite him with a quizzicallook. Then he spoke again.
"I know just what you fellows are thinking," he said. "You'd like to go,but----"
"It's--it's our folks, you see----" Tubby managed to sputter. The othersnodded solemnly. This proposal of Mr. Mainwaring's, that while theAcademy was closed they should go as his guests to the Canal Zone and seethe wonders of that region, both natural and man-made, had fairly takenthem off their feet, as the saying is.
"We'll come to that part of it later," responded Mr. Mainwaring. "Ishouldn't be surprised," he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "if itcould all be arranged satisfactorily. You see, I'm not going to take youlads down there to idle. Far from it. Idleness is the worst thing forboys or men. I've work for you to do. As I told you, this young scampJared, who is really more fool than knave, has skipped out for theIsthmus. That I have found out as you know. With him went Alverado andEstrada, the latter having suddenly resigned his diplomatic post atWashington. A third party went also, who I more than suspect is thekeen-faced young man you told me you had seen in Jared's company at thebarn, at the ball game, and also on the evening Jared took his abruptdeparture.
"Now, of course, they are on the _qui vive_ on the Isthmus for thisprecious outfit who, undoubtedly, mean mischief of some sort. Just whatit is I am not prepared to say, but I can tell you that I have a shrewdsuspicion. Now you boys have plenty of pluck, resource andenterprise--don't turn red, I'm not in the habit of flattering anybodyand I mean it. You are the only people that I know of that have actuallyseen Alverado and who would be able to pick out this miserable, misledJared."
"You want us to do detective work!" gasped Tubby in an awe-struck tone.
Mr. Mainwaring laughed and threw up his hands.
"Heaven save the mark! I suspect you of reading dime novels, MasterTubby. No, there is nothing Old-Sleuth-like about what I would want youto do; nothing very thrilling or exciting about it. I'd simply want youto accompany me and maybe point out the men you have seen plottingtogether, for the benefit of the Isthmian police; so you see there is nodanger, no glamour, no promise of adventure about it; only a hum-drumtrip, but one that I am sure will prove full of interest."
Had Mr. Mainwaring possessed a prophetic eye he might not have spokenexactly as recorded above. But not being blessed with such an organ he,of course, had no means of knowing into what danger and adventure the BoyScouts were destined to be thrust while on the Isthmus.
"Oh, but we'd like to go!" sighed Rob.
"It's like a beautiful dream," struck in Merritt with a far-away look inhis eyes.
"I suppose that there's plenty to eat down that way?" asked Tubby rathersuspiciously.
The tension was relieved by a hearty laugh from them all.
"Well, I only asked, you know," remarked Tubby in an injured tone.
"And now that that's all explained," said Mr. Mainwaring, after themerriment had subsided, "I may as well tell you that all your parentsknow of my wish and are quite willing that you should go, in spite of thefact that for some weeks they will be deprived of your interestingsociety. And----"
But all discipline was at an end for the nonce. The boys' spirits fairlybroke bounds. They leaped up, joined hands and danced round in a circle.It was like some impossible, glorious dream coming true; for each of themhad long cherished a desire to see Uncle Sam's wonderful diggingoperations which, under the Stars and Stripes, were to join two mightyoceans.
In the midst of the excitement the door opened and in came FredMainwaring; but Lucy was not with him, rather to the disappointment ofone of the Scouts. Fred, after the boys had all shaken hands warmly andindulged in another war dance, announced that his sister had had to leavesuddenly for the West the night before, as her mother, who was stoppingwith relatives there, had absolutely forbidden the project of taking heralong.
It was not till after they had taken their leave and were walking withFred down the drive leading to the road back to Hampton that Lucy'sbrother seized an opportunity to draw Rob aside.
"What are you looking so glum about?" he demanded with a twinkle in hiseyes.
"Who? Me?" rejoined Rob indignantly, "I never felt better in my life."
But his looks belied him. And, strange to say, Rob's gloom dated from themoment that Fred had announced Lucy's departure.
"Say, old fellow," laughed Fred merrily, "if you don't remind me of theostrich in the fable! Here,--here's her address,--take it and be happy.Bless you, my children," and without waiting for an answer, Fred thrust abit of paper into Rob's hand and darted off with a merry:--
"See you to-morrow. We'll have lots to talk about."
Rob rejoined his companions, who had walked on some distance ahead. Hisgloomy look had vanished like snow in the spring.
"Isn't it great, glittering, glorious?" cried Merritt as he came up.
"I simply can't believe it yet," cried Tubby. "I'm afraid I'll wake uplike I do some nights when I'm dreaming about a banquet at which I'm anhonored guest."
"----and I can always send postcards from the Isthmus," breathed Rob,which remark did not seem very germane to the conversation. Hiscompanions looked at him in amazement for an instant and then,comprehending, broke into a roar of laughter, for which Rob chased themhalf way back to Hampton, catching Tubby at last and belaboring thatstout youth till he roared for mercy.
But the fat boy had his revenge. As soon as he was released he sought asafe refuge and then, holding his staff like a guitar, he rolled his eyesupward in imitation of a troubadour, and howled at the top of hisvoice:--
"On a bee-yoot-i-ful night! With a bee-yoot-i-ful gy-url!"
Rob didn't know whether to laugh or be angry.