CHAPTER XII
CAMP BRITCHES
Spring came, and with it more training for Romulus, until Sampronounced him a fairly well-broken bird dog. May drifted into Juneand June into July. Another school year came to a close and anotherlong vacation period began. The great dog show was now a thing ofancient history and things were a bit slow in Boytown. It appearedessential to the happiness and welfare of numerous boys and dogs thatsomething new should be undertaken.
It was Jimmie Rogers who suggested it, though there were a dozenactive, eager minds ready to seize upon the idea and develop it. Theywere sitting on the bank of the swimming hole near the brickyard,resting after an hour's swim and warming themselves in the sun. Thedogs were either wandering restlessly about in search of newadventures, or were stretched out at their masters' feet. The boyswere somewhat languidly discussing the events of the Glorious Fourthjust past, and bemoaning the fact that another one would be so long incoming.
"Fourth o' July's all right," remarked Jimmie, "but I think the mostfun in the whole world is camping out."
"Ho!" scoffed Harry Barton. "When did you ever go camping out?"
"I camped out one night with my father in an old shack over Oakdaleway," asserted Jimmie.
"That isn't camping out," said Harry. "Camping out is living in a tentin the woods all summer, catching your own fish and cooking your owngrub and--and everything."
"Did you ever do that?" demanded Jimmie.
Harry was forced to admit that he never did.
"Gee, I wish we could all go camping out this summer," said ErnestWhipple. "It would be great fun to take the dogs along."
"Well, why can't we?" inquired Jimmie.
Many of the boys held inwardly a well-founded notion that there wouldbe serious parental objections to a plan of this kind, but their readyimaginations caught fire at the idea and they were soon in the midstof a lively discussion of plans that gradually settled down from thewild and fantastic to the faintly feasible. When they separated thatafternoon it was with the hopeful belief that they were going toorganize a camping expedition.
The expected parental opposition developed promptly and decidedly, butwhen a dozen American boys get their hearts set on anything short ofdiscovering the North Pole something is sure to happen. They did notquickly abandon their rosy project and they set about conquering theopposition by means of a determined siege.
The chief point of objection, of course, which indeed appearedinsurmountable, was the natural belief on the part of parents that itwould not be safe or wise to let their boys leave home and go campingout without the guardianship of some older person. No arguments couldbe invented to prevail against this. But help came from an unexpectedquarter.
Theron Hammond's older brother, Alfred, a student at Yale and asteady, reliable sort of fellow, was spending his summer at home andwas finding Boytown a bit dull after the activities of Junior year atcollege. One evening, when Theron had broached the subject for thefortieth time and his father had once more given a firm refusal,Alfred put in his oar.
"Aw, father," said he, "let him go and give us a little peace in thehouse. It won't hurt him."
"But, Alfred," said his father, "you know very well it would never doto let those boys go off alone. None of the parents would permit it."
"Suppose Horace and I went with them," suggested Alfred. Horace Ameswas a classmate of Alfred's who was also languishing in summeridleness in Boytown.
That put another face on the matter entirely. It must not be supposedthat the victory was won at once, however. It required two weeks moreof the siege to win capitulation all along the line. But the boysconquered at last. They liked and admired the college students andaccepted their alliance with enthusiastic acclaim. Alfred talked itover with his chum, and the more they discussed it the more they feltthat the conducting of this boy-and-dog camp would be great fun.Horace had brought home with him from New Haven the ugliest-lookingand gentlest-tempered bulldog ever seen in the streets of Boytown. Hisname was Eli and Horace vowed he would give Eli the pleasure ofcamping out with the other dogs of Boytown. Eli was in training as afootball mascot, and Horace asserted that a summer experience of thissort was just what he needed.
As their interest in the project grew, Alfred and Horace decided totake an active part in the campaign, and they called personally onevery one of the doubting parents. Little by little they won them overuntil at last the success of the plan was assured. Mrs. Whipple wasthe last to give way, but Mr. Whipple had already been enlisted in thecause and he proved, as ever, a loyal advocate.
"You must remember, mother," said he, "that Jack is eleven years oldnow."
"Yes," said she, dubiously. In her eyes Jack was still a rosy-cheekedbaby.
"It is never too soon for boys to gain self-reliance," said Mr.Whipple. "This camp will do Jack a lot of good, and Ernest, too.They'll have to hold their own on a common footing with the otherboys, which is what they must do in later life. And Alfred and Horaceare as reliable and trustworthy a pair of young fellows as I know.They won't let anything happen to our boys."
So at last even Mrs. Whipple granted a reluctant consent, and fourteenboys, besides the two older ones, were at last enrolled as members ofthe expedition. At first it had been understood that the camp was toinclude only members of the Humane Society, and would be a sort ofclub outing, but Mrs. Hammond suggested that the invitation beextended to include also any boy in town who owned a dog, on theground that this might serve to recruit new members for the society.Alfred seconded this.
"The more the merrier," said he.
So the invitation was sent abroad and had already been accepted in twocases when the troublesome question of Dick Wheaton again arose. Theboys didn't want Dick at the camp, and Dick evinced no interest inthe project, but the bars had been let down and there seemed to be nogood excuse for not admitting Dick. Mrs. Hammond advised them toinvite him, but before they had done so, the matter was taken out oftheir hands; the difficulty was solved for them.
One night Gyp, tired of his ill treatment, heartbroken, hopeless ofever being able to win his master's true affection, and doubtlessseeking a happier home, ran away and was never again seen in Boytown.So Dick, since he no longer owned a dog, was automatically eliminated,much to the relief of those who did not want him. It seemed a justretribution that he should lose the creature that loved him so, but itis doubtful if Dick cared very much.
"I only hope," said Mrs. Hammond, when she was told about it, "thatthis will teach Dick a lesson and that poor Gyp will find a goodmaster and pass the rest of his days in peace and happiness. He is adear, loving little dog, and he deserves it."
Including Eli, there were fourteen dogs in the party, which was morethan had at first been counted on, for not all the members of theHumane Society were dog owners, though the outsiders all had to be. Ithappened in this way: Frank Stoddard had long been pleading with hisparents to be allowed to have a dog, and at last they surrendered andgave him one on his birthday. Mr. Stoddard believed in doing nothingby halves and so he purchased a really fine young collie, sable andwhite, named MacTavish, and usually called Mac for short. So Frank hada canine companion for the camp and his cup of joy was full.
And there was still another new dog in town. Elliot Garfield's uncle,who knew of the boy's earnest desire to own a dog, sent him early inAugust an Old English sheepdog. The uncle wrote that he was going totravel a bit, and that if Elliot would guarantee to give his dog agood home, he might have him for his own. You may believe that Elliotwas not slow in agreeing to that proposition. It was a pedigreed dog,named Darley's Launcelot of Middlesex. That was a name no one could beexpected to use in calling a dog, and even Launcelot seemed a bitstrange. So Elliot, who possibly lacked originality, rechristened himRover.
Most of the residents of Boytown had never seen an Old Englishsheepdog before, and Rover attracted not a little attention on thestreet. Some people even laughed at his big round head, with hair overhis eyes, and his shambling gait and lack of a t
ail, but they soon gotused to him and came to admire his wonderful gray and white coat. AndRover turned out to be one of the jolliest dog companions in Boytown.He loved the water, and when he got his coat thoroughly wet heseemed to shrink to half his normal size. He was really not muchbigger than Romulus, but when his hair was dry and all fluffed out helooked as big as a Newfoundland.
With Rover and Mac added to the party, it began to look like a prettybig affair, as indeed it was. Alfred and Horace entered into thespirit of the thing with zest and arranged for the tents and generalequipment. They had both been camping in the Adirondacks, and theyknew just what was needed. So they drew up a list of the things eachboy must provide for himself--warm blankets, a bag to be stuffed withsweet fern for a pillow, mosquito netting, and an aluminum plate,bowl, and cup for each boy, a dish for his dog, knives, forks, spoons,etc., besides the requisite clothing and toilet articles. It was alldone very systematically.
There was one thing that bothered Alfred and Horace, and that was thecooking. They ordered a store of supplies, the boys having allcontributed to a fund for that purpose, but that did not solve theproblem of three meals a day. The boys had been inclined to pass overthis detail somewhat lightly, but Alfred and Horace knew fromexperience that feeding a dozen hungry boys was no joke, and theydidn't intend to have their vacation spoiled by the necessity ofturning to themselves and doing all the work.
One day Mr. Morton stopped Alfred Hammond on the street and asked himhow the plans for the camp were progressing.
"Everything is going finely," said Alfred, "except for two things. Weshall have to postpone our start for a day or two because the tentshaven't come yet. Then there's the question of the cooking. I'mblessed if I know how that gang of youngsters is going to be fed."
Mr. Morton stood and thought a moment.
"Maybe I can help you out," he said at length. "I'm just starting offon a little vacation myself, and I've been wondering what I'd do withMoses." (Moses was Mr. Morton's colored man-about-the-place.) "Ihaven't enough to keep him busy during my absence and it wouldn't dofor him to fall into habits of idleness. How would you like to takeMoses along with you, and guarantee to keep him out of mischief? Hewas once an assistant chef or something in a summer hotel, and Ibelieve he's a first-rate cook. His services would cost you nothing,because I have to keep up his wages anyway. I'd be mighty glad to knowthat he was being kept busy."
"Say, that's mighty white of you, Mr. Morton," said Alfred. "Moses forours. He's just what we need."
So that matter was settled. Mr. Morton explained to Moses just whatwas required of him, and Moses became a not unwilling member of theparty.
The tents, which had been ordered from New York, came at last. Therewere two of them, good-sized ones, each capable of accommodating sevenof the younger boys and one of the older ones. Horace Ames had a smalltent of his own which would serve for Moses. On the appointed day theboys congregated at the Whipples' stable, each bringing his personalequipment strapped up in his blanket. The camp site that had beenchosen was at Mallard Lake, about nine miles from Boytown, and twowagons with drivers had been engaged to convey the outfit.
Presently one of these wagons appeared, containing Moses, Alfred,Horace, the tents, a stack of old lumber, a box of cooking utensils,and a second-hand kitchen range, besides a number of boxes containingprovisions. When the boys had heaved their personal belongings aboardit made a big load. Then the human part of the expedition loadeditself into the second wagon, with much laughter and skylarking, andthe party was ready to start. The dogs were allowed to run alongside,and a lively pack they were. Mrs. Whipple, with a look of anxietystill on her face, came to the gate to wave good-by.
They arrived at Mallard Lake about noon, and after unloading andsending back the wagons, they sat down to partake of the picniclunch that each had brought with him. Then came the task of pitchingcamp. It was no small thing to accomplish before dark, but there weremany hands to engage in it and efficient leadership.
The camp was located in some pine woods that ran down close to theshore of the lake. On the other side of a little cape was a sandybeach that looked like a good swimming place. Across the lake therewere two or three farmhouses, where the leaders had arranged forsupplies of milk, eggs, butter, bread, and baked beans. All theavailable floating craft on the lake had been hired, and threerowboats and a canoe lay drawn up on the bank. A little way back inthe woods was a spring of clear, pure, cold water for drinkingpurposes, and a pool where the milk and butter could be kept fresh.
The leaders told the boys, however, that they would have to waitanother day before indulging in an exploration of the surroundings ofthe camp. There was much to be done before night, and all must get towork. The two tents were pitched on a little rise of ground back fromthe water, and each boy was set to work gathering balsam boughs forhis bed. These were strewn a foot thick on the ground inside the tentsand the blankets were spread upon them, each boy being assigned hisplace. They also stuffed their pillows with balsam, waiting tillanother day to gather the fragrant sweet ferns in a near-by pasture.Each boy also cut stakes and drove them into the ground about his bedto hold his mosquito netting. Ropes were strung overhead to holdclothing, and there were two lanterns for each tent.
Moses, meantime, had pitched his own tent and made his own bed, andnow they all turned to to help him knock together a rough shack toserve as cook house and pantry. Then a long dining table and bencheswere built and a frame erected over them on which was spread an oldawning. The range was set up in the cook house, the provisions werestored away, firewood was cut, and Moses started preparations forsupper. Soon a fragrant smoke was issuing from the stovepipe, whichbefore long was mingled with the smell of frying bacon and otherthings cooking that made every boy acutely aware of his appetite.Still Alfred and Horace kept them at work, cleaning up around camp,laying a stone foundation for a campfire, and erecting a lean-toshelter for the dogs in stormy weather, for it was voted not to allowthe dogs to come into the tents.
Moses made good his reputation as a cook, and a prodigious amount ofprovender disappeared at supper that night. The boys were in highspirits and so were the dogs. The latter, not yet accustomed to theirnew surroundings, and not realizing that they were to stay there,were restless and excitable and gave some trouble, but they were atlast persuaded to quiet down. It was decided to tie them to thelean-to for a few nights until they should learn the rules andregulations.
After supper, while the boys were gathering brushwood for a campfire,Jimmie Rogers hoisted the camp ensign, which created a roar oflaughter. I must explain about this ensign and the name of the camp.
Some time before they had discussed the subject of naming the camp,but could agree on nothing. Mrs. Hammond had suggested Camp B. H. S.,the letters being the initials of the Boytown Humane Society. This didnot fully please the popular fancy, and yet they did not like todiscard Mrs. Hammond's suggestion. They began trying to find a word orwords in some way made up of B. H. S. Alfred Hammond suggested CampBeeches. That sounded something like B. H. S., he said, and they wouldvery likely find beech trees about the camp. They adopted this namefor want of a better one, until Jimmie, in a moment of inspiration,changed it to Camp Breeches. This name really had no very deepmeaning, but somehow it tickled the boys and it stuck, being stillfurther revised in process of use to Camp Britches. The ensign whichJimmie tied to a sapling in front of the camp was an old pair of boy'strousers.
It would require a whole book to tell of all the episodes that went tomake up the life of Camp Britches during the next week, of the fishingand swimming, the exploring expeditions and berrying parties, of howthe boys built a landing wharf for the boats and a diving raft, andhow they divided up the routine duties of the camp. Some of theseepisodes were glorious fun; some were not so pleasant; taken alltogether they made up a memorable experience. Moses proved to be amaster at making griddle cakes and other good things, and once ortwice a boy ate not wisely but too well, and required the attention ofthe camp physician, Horace
Ames. But for the most part they werehealthy and happy, and incidentally they learned many things aboutlooking out for themselves.
One night a thunderstorm broke, a veritable cloudburst, and the boyshad to put on their bathing trunks and go out and dig deeper trenchesaround the tents to keep the water from running in and soakingeverything. On another occasion a high wind blew one of the tents downon its sleeping inmates, causing more fright than damage.
Perhaps the best part of it all was the evening campfire. By that timethe boys were physically sufficiently weary to enjoy resting, and, thepangs of hunger being well satisfied through the ministrations ofMoses, they would light their pile of brushwood and lie about it,wrapped in blankets on the cool nights, and watch the flames andfondle their dogs, and gossip drowsily. Sometimes there was storytelling, at which Albert Hammond was an artist. And one afternoon SamBumpus came by special invitation, walking all the way from his shack,and that evening they had stirring tales of moose and deer hunting inMaine.
Then, of course, there were always the dogs. Sometimes it seemed asthough there were too many of them, and it was necessary to make eachboy strictly accountable for the actions of his own. Mr. O'Brien was aconstant source of trouble and unrest, and there were times when italmost seemed as though they would have to send him home. Still,everybody liked Mr. O'Brien, after all. Wicked as he was, he was assmart as a whip and he had a way of worming into your affections inspite of you. Romulus and Remus had to be watched because of atendency to go roaming off together on hunting expeditions of theirown. Rags was, as ever, a general favorite and heaps of fun, andRover, the Old English sheepdog, proved to be almost as playful andhumorous. He was wonderfully active for a dog who appeared to be soclumsy. He could hold his own in a scrap, too, as Mr. O'Brien learnedto his sorrow. In aquatic sports, Rover shone.
Speaking of the dogs, there came a night when one of them nearly upsetthe entire camp. It was the handsome collie, MacTavish. He strayedaway from camp in the evening and managed to get into trouble with alittle animal that is sometimes found in the woods whose method ofdefense is peculiar. It was a black and white skunk. MacTavishreturned, very unhappy, just as the boys were getting to sleep.Seeking help and consolation in his distress, he entered the tentwhere his master lay. In less time than it takes to tell it everyinmate of that tent was out in the open air. Moses and Horace took thecollie down to the lake, washed him as thoroughly as they could withstrong tar soap, and then tied him out in the woods where the poorunfortunate's howls disturbed the camp's rest all night. They couldnot send him home, and it was two or three days before he was entirelyfit for human companionship again.