CHAPTER X
IN FOR A GLORIOUS TIME
"A WILDCAT!" exclaimed Ty Collins, excitedly.
"Mebbe only an old owl," Lil Artha ventured; "because I remember youfellows told us there were some whoopers up here; and when an old househas got bats in its belfry it's likely to have owls too."
"The house is over that way, ain't it?" questioned Landy Smith, showinga mild interest in the matter; but his indifference was more than madeup for by the excitement on the part of the Southern scout, whose darkeyes fairly danced with eagerness.
"I should say it was," he told Landy, "and if you think that's only anowl, or even a wildcat, suh, I reckon you've got another guess coming toyou."
"Listen to that, would you?" broke from Ty; "our chum from Dixie herebelieves in ghosts, and he even thinks that was one warning us away fromthe haunted house. It'd take a dozen of the same to scare _me_ off. Imay light out before an enraged bull, but you don't find me sneakingaway when there's a white thing waving up and down in the road. Had alesson once, when I found it out to be just a rag hangin' from a branch,and since then nothing spooky ever faizes Ty Collins."
Chatz looked keenly at the speaker, and nodded his head. Although hemade no remark, his manner was that of a prophet, and Elmer, noticingit, could imagine him saying: "Just wait, and we'll see what sort ofnerve you've got, Ty Collins. Things seem different at high noon fromwhat they do when it's midnight. And if I have my way you'll get achance to see a real ghost, for once in your life; because I justbelieve in the things, make all the fun you want to."
Whatever the strange thrilling cry may have been, at least it was notrepeated. Nancy was quieted by Toby, and the other scouts stood there,listening earnestly, for fully five minutes, but nothing developed worthnoticing.
Finally Elmer called out to them:
"Here, get a move on, Toby, and come along. We've got lots to do beforewe can cook our first dinner; and I don't know how you fellows feel, butI'm as hungry as a wolf. Make a sharp turn here, Toby, because we wantto push straight into the woods, and reach that spring."
Of all the scouts, George was really the only one who, as they walkedon, turned his head and glanced back several times toward the regionfrom which that strange sound had come.
Chatz noticed it, and smiled grimly, as though making up his mind thatperhaps he might find a convert in his belief in George, especially ifanything remarkable did come to pass, as he felt almost sure would bethe case.
Presently they came to the running water, and by following this up ashort distance found the spring.
"Hurrah! here we rest! Alabama for mine!" cried Lil Artha, as he turnedand surveyed his surroundings, with the eye of one who had camped onnumerous previous occasions, and might be expected to know somethingabout such things.
Then ensued a bustle, as the scouts began to unload the contents of thewagon, stake out the mare, and start to get things arranged.
Every fellow had his share of the work apportioned to him, so that therewas little real confusion, or getting in each other's way; and it waswonderful how things seemed to almost grow like magic.
Two khaki-colored waterproofed tents soon stood there, facing toward thesouth, and with the spring only twenty feet away. Inside these thescouts began immediately to arrange their blankets, though the bedswould not be made up until after the coming of night.
Another pair attended to the very important duty of making the cookingrange, on top of which they would spread the metal top that was to serveas a gridiron, to hold such utensils as were necessary for cookingpurposes.
When this had been constructed to their satisfaction a fire was quicklykindled, for the air was still rather sharp, even for a November day,and all of them felt they would be much better for a warm lunch.
Amidst more or less good-natured chaffing the meal was prepared. Therewas no lack of assistant cooks to help Ty, who had taken upon himselfthe duties of _chef_ for the occasion, since long ago he had proved hiscapacity in that line; everybody seemed only too willing to help, suchis the potent effect of genuine hunger.
Even George was bustling around, trying to hurry things along, pickingout all the best wood in order to make a hotter fire, and occasionallypeeping in under the covers of the two kettles to learn if the contentsmight not be sufficiently cooked.
It was about an hour after noon when dinner was ready, and all of themadmitted the result was well worth waiting for. That frosty November airhad given them an enormous appetite, and everything tasted better thanit could possibly do at home; so for a certain length of time little wassaid, since they were too busy in disposing of the meal to talk.
When the edge had been taken from their appetites they fell into adisjointed conversation, and almost every subject under the sun wasdiscussed from the standpoint of scouts.
Afterwards they lounged around for a while, being really too full tothink of doing anything strenuous. As this was not supposed to be aregular camping trip of the whole troop, Elmer had not laid out anyparticular programme looking to their practicing the various "stunts"which scouts are interested in. Under ordinary conditions there wouldhave been all manner of events underway, such as wigwagging classes,tracking advocates, new wrinkles in nature-study unfolded; photographyof wild animals and birds in their native haunts undertaken, and manyother educational features that make the camping out experience of BoyScouts so vastly superior to those of other lads who simply go to thewoods to loaf away the time, swim, and fish, and eat.
Of course each fellow was at liberty to employ himself as best hethought would give him the most pleasure, only there was no authoritybrought to bear, and no one felt constrained to do anything that he didnot particularly care for.
"Where's Chatz gone?" asked Lil Artha, after they had been knockingaround in this fashion for nearly an hour after eating, and several ofthem showed signs of wanting to be on the move.
"Oh! I saw him slip away a while back," remarked Toby, "and chances arehe's prowling in and out of that old shebang over beyond the trees, thehaunted house that Judge Cartaret built fifty years or so ago. Chatz isclear daft on the subject of spirits, you know. And from what I've seenof him, it wouldn't surprise me a little bit if the fellow before weleft here, tried to get us to make some sort of a ghost trap, to grabthat wonderful spook in."
"If he ever did that," Elmer remarked, "it would show that deep down inhis heart Chatz didn't believe in any such notion; because if there wassuch a thing as a real ghost no trap we could manufacture would everhold it. If Chatz proposed that to us he'd be as much as saying hebelieved the ghost to be a man, playing a game for some reason orother."
"But," interposed Ty Collins, "what sort of a game would make anybodyprance around here night after night, with a sheet wrapped around him,and p'raps luminous paint on his face, like I remember a ghost once did.But in that case there was a good reason, for he wanted to give a badname to the property so he could buy it in for a song. That wouldn't bethe case here with the Cartaret place, you know."
"Well, it's foolish trying to guess a thing when we haven't even seenthe ghost," George interrupted the others to say; "and I've got to beshown such a thing before I'll take the least stock in it; though I mustsay that as a rule Chatz is a long-headed chap, and not easy fooled."
When Elmer heard George say this he fancied that it would only take onemysterious ghostly manifestation to make the doubter an ardent believerin supernatural things. Scoffer that George was, once he saw with hisown eyes, he went to the other extreme, and became firmly convinced. Itwas just like the swing of the pendulum with him every time.
"Oh! let's forget all that stuff about white-sheeted things that walk inthe middle of the night!" exclaimed Landy Smith, "and pick up a morecheerful subject. Now just yesterday I chanced to be reading an accountthat told how three scouts in this very state made a study of huntingfor the hives of wild honey bees up in the hollow limbs of trees in thewoods. Elmer, do you think we could run across a hive filled withdelicious honeycombs around he
re?"
"Whee! you make my mouth water just to hear you talk about it," LilArtha arose to say, "and if so be any of you make the try for a hivejust count me in, will you?"
"You bet we will," Landy hastened to assure him, "and right now consideryourself appointed commissioner-in-chief, whose principal duty will beto climb the honey tree, after we locate the same, and cause thewarm-footed little innocents to vacate, so that we can gather in a storeof the nectar. Wow! I'm going right away to see if I can't find thetree. Who'll be my backer? Don't all speak at once!"
Lil Artha and Ted proved to be the most eager for the adventure. Uponmaking inquiries it was found that Landy had read all about how tolocate a bee tree, if by good luck any such happened to be in theneighborhood, and was ready to show his chums how the thing ought to bedone.
His talk concerning the subject proved to be so interesting that when astart was made he had gained another convert, being Ty Collins.
"I rather think I'd like to see how that thing's done, myself," thisworthy admitted, "so with your permission, Landy, I'll tag along, and ifyou need any help in carrying the stock of honeycomb home count on me.Right now I feel like I could tackle a few big wedges myself, and enjoythe same."
"All right, come along with us, Ty," Landy told him, cheerfully; "butI'd feel a whole lot easier in my mind if you'd take off that redsweater, and wear something else."
"What for?" demanded Ty, who could be pretty stubborn when he chose."This is going to be a bee hunt, not a bull fight, that I know of. Whyshould you object to me going warmly clad, I'd like to know?"
"Oh! well," replied Landy with a grin that told he had only been drawingthe other on for a purpose; "there might be an old king bee that had adetestation for red, just the same as a bull does, and he'd make it sowarm for us we'd have to get out of the woods in a hurry."
"Rats!" the other shot back at him, "bees don't bother about what theysee; I've been told by an old bee man that it's _sounds_ they get madat. And then there ain't such a thing as a king bee anyhow--queens,drones and workers make up a colony. Oh! I ain't quite such a ninny assome people think. So I guess this beautiful red sweater goes along."
"All right, if you're willing to take such a terrible risk it's nothingto the rest of us, is it, fellows?" Landy told him, with a chuckle; andthen went on to add: "Now, we'll carry a little sugar water along to useif we happen to run across any bees flying around, which at this lateday ain't likely. Best we can do is to watch every tree-top and try tohear the buzzing of a swarm of young bees. They come out every fine dayas long as the weather lets 'em, around noontime, and try their wings.An old bee hunter can get on to the little hum far off and locate thehive that way. Let's see if we've got ears worth anything."
"The best of luck go with you!" called out Elmer, who was busy withsomething or other; "and if you need any help come back after the restof the bunch. I see you're carrying our camp ax, Lil Artha; be carefuland don't lose it, because we need that same thing right along."
"Don't worry about that, Elmer," the elongated scout shouted back. "Iwouldn't let that get away from me for all the honey in seven counties.But in case we do find a tree that looks good to us I'm ready to swingthe ax for all I'm worth," and so saying he strode away after the otherthree.
That left just Elmer, Toby and George in camp.
"I'd be tickled half to death if they _did_ find a tree, and got a lotof honey," Toby remarked, grinning in anticipation, and licking his lipsat the same time; "and I can just see that Lil Artha whooping thingswhen the tree drops, and he rushes headlong in among the branches toscoop up some of the sweet stuff that bursts out of the crack, with amillion bees swarming around his ears. If I was you, Elmer, I'd get somewitch hazel ready to put on stings, for they'll need it right bad."
"Time enough for that when they report a find!" declared Elmer, whoevidently did not have a great deal of confidence in the ability ofLandy Smith to locate a hive, especially at that time of year, when thelittle insects were apt to be lying more or less dormant.
An hour passed by. Then Elmer began to wonder what could be detainingChatz so long, for he several times looked in the direction where heknew the old deserted Cartaret house must lie, as though half expectingto see the Southern boy come on the full run, with some wonderful storyof sights he had seen, or imagined he had, which was the same thing.
When Chatz did appear he was walking slowly, and his face had anexpression of subdued disappointment resting on it. Apparently, then,all his prowling in and out of the building could not have met with anyparticular reward. In other words the Cartaret ghost was not veryaccommodating, and respectfully declined to make its appearance at suchan unheard of hour as three in the afternoon; when every one knew thatall respectable spirits only manifest themselves around the midnighthour.
"You didn't run across anything new, did you, Chatz?" Elmer asked him,as he came into camp, took a drink of cool water, and threw himself onthe ground to rest.
"Not a single thing, suh; but then I didn't really expect to in broaddaylight. Wait till to-night, and I reckon there may be somethingdoing," and then Chatz allowed his brow to show three wrinkles thattold of perplexity, for he had heard Elmer chuckle; and all at once itstruck him that on the former occasion the scout master had gone backinto the house after he and the other comrades had left; and once morethe Southern boy who had the vein of superstition in his make-up askedhimself what Elmer could have seen on that occasion to make him look soknowing, and have that queer smile cross his face whenever the ghost wasmentioned.
But Elmer did not offer to explain, and so Chatz had to content himselfwith the thought that perhaps on the coming night the veil of secrecymight be lifted from the mystery.