CHAPTER III
NEAR THE HAUNT OF THE "SPOOKS"
"WE might as well hold up here a little bit, so as to let that crowdpass on," suggested George. "I never did take any stock in Connie Mallonanyway. He's got a pretty bad name down around our way. My father sayshe'll land in the penitentiary before he's two years older, except hereforms, and I'd never believe he'd change his ways."
"Oh! Elmer, I wonder now, could they know about those splendid nuts, andmean to skin the trees ahead of us?" exclaimed Toby, as though nearlyoverwhelmed by a staggering thought.
"You've some reason for saying that, Toby?" Elmer told him.
"Why, don't you know, it flashed over me just like a stroke oflightning," was what Toby went on to say, excitedly, a troubled look onhis face. "You remember that when I was talking to you over thetelephone, Elmer, and telling you about wanting to get the boys to comeup here with me Saturday, I said several times somebody was rubbering,and once even told 'em to get off the wire, which they did, only to comeon again."
"Yes, I do remember something like that," admitted the other scout.
"Well, our telephone is on a four-party line, and one of the otherthree houses is Jackson's down the street. Phil Jackson is one of thecronies of Connie Mallon, and he's sitting there in that wagon rightnow."
"Then you think he must have heard all you were telling me that man saidabout the immense crop of nuts up here at the Cartaret place, and hasput the others wise to it?" Elmer asked.
"I wouldn't put it past Phil a minute!" Toby declared, with anexpression of pain, "and now it looks like we mightn't get what we cameafter, unless we fight for it."
"I knew it!" muttered George; "call me a doubter all you want, but letme tell you things ain't always what they seem. There's a string tied tonearly everything you think you're going to get so easy. Oh! I know whatI'm talking about, and for one I'm not surprised at anything happening."
"Don't throw up the sponge so easy, George," Elmer told him. "We mayhave our troubles, but scouts are supposed to be wide-awake enough toknow how to overcome any kind of difficulties that happen along. AsSheridan said at the battle of Cedar Creek, we'll have those camps back,or the nuts in our case, or know the reason why."
"Lithen to that kind of talk, would you?" burst out Ted, brimming overwith confidence in their leader; "why, we haven't begun to get buthyyet. That Connie may think he'th tholen a march on our crowd, but thay,he'll have to cut hith eye-teeth before he can beat Elmer here layingplanths."
"It may turn out to be a false alarm, after all, boys," Elmer continued,while Toby still restrained the impatient Nancy; "but even if we getthere to find that they're on the ground ahead of us, we'll hatch up ascheme to turn the tables on that crowd, I give you my word for it."
"That's the ticket!" Chatz exclaimed, being inclined to display animpetuous style of talk and action, as became his hot Southern blood;"if they've sneaked this idea from Toby by listening over the wirethey've got no business up here. I'd call it rank piracy, and treat thelot like I would buccaneers of the Spanish Main. Why, it'd serve 'emright if that ghost they tell about jumped out at them, and sent the lotscampering off like crazy things."
"That's just what I had in my mind, Chatz," said Elmer, chuckling; "andperhaps we'll find some way to coax the spook to help us out."
"Elmer's got the dandy idea, all right," said George; "you leave himalone, and he'll sure bring home the bacon. But how much longer do wehave to stay here? I wonder if anybody's getting cold feet about now?"
"Speak for yourself, George!" cried Toby; "I'm for going on three timesas much as I was before we saw that bunch cutting in ahead of us. WhenElmer gives me the word I'll start things moving."
"You might do that now," said the leader, "but take it slow, Toby. Iwant to keep an eye on the track of their wheels. If they turn off atany fork in the road, or into the woods, we want to know it."
"Thith theems to be getting mighty interethting," observed Ted; "and Iwant to thay right now that I've got tho much confidence in Elmer andthe whole of our crowd that I'd call the chances five to one we'll gohome with a full cargo thith afternoon."
"Good boy, Ted; and I second that motion!" Chatz announced, heatedly.
The mare was allowed her head, but Toby kept a tight rein, so that theydid not begin to whirl along with half the speed the other wagon haddisplayed as it came out of the side road on to the main thoroughfare.
Elmer kept his gaze firmly fixed ahead, where he could plainly see themarks of that other vehicle in the dust of the road. Thus they continuedfor a short time; then the leader put out his hand, and Toby againpulled in.
"They've left the road, and entered the woods back there twenty feet orso," the acting scout master told them.
"On the left, wasn't it, Elmer, that they turned out?" asked Chatz,eagerly.
"Just what it was, which shows that you were using your eyes, as a scoutshould always do," came the reply. "Back up, Toby, and we'll followsuit."
"Do you think we're at the place already?" asked Toby.
"I certainly do, though I'm some surprised that they knew where to hitthat little grass covered wagon-road that led off among the trees,"Elmer replied. "It was once used as a way through the forest to the rearof the Cartaret place, so I was told when I asked a man about it whoused to work for the judge long ago. They must have been busy doing someof the same kind of missionary work, because I don't believe any of themhas ever been up here before--to stop I mean."
"Well, what if we get in where the nut trees are growing to find thatlot skinning every tree, and ready to put up a rattling fight beforethey'll let us have even a look-in; what are we goin' to do about it?"Toby wanted to know.
"First of all we'll just hang around, and watch them work," Elmerdeclared.
"That's all very fine, Elmer," interposed George, who was always thefirst one with any objection; "but once they cover the ground with nuts,we'd find it a hard proposition to chase the bunch away, and lay claimto what they'd gathered."
"But they'd be really _our_ nuts," interrupted Toby, "because didn't thebright idea flash right into this brain of mine; and ain't firstdiscoverers entitled to the land always? It's the rule of the world.They hooked the idea from me by unfair means, and ain't entitled to anyconsideration at our hands. If Elmer can manage to scare them away youwatch and see how quick I'll start to filling my bag with some of thenuts they've knocked down."
"I only want the chance to do the thame," Ted insinuated.
"Ditto here, because, as we said, they're only a pack of wolves orpirates, and have no rights honest people are bound to respect," Chatzadded as his quota to the discussion; "after we've filled all our bags,if there happens to be some more nuts to be had why they're welcome tothe same. Gentlemen first, every time, we believe, down our way."
"Pull up, and let's listen, Toby," Elmer counseled; "I thought I heard ashout or two just then; and perhaps they've started to work."
When the mare had been made to stand they could all readily hear thesounds that welled up some little distance ahead. Loud laughter andboyish shouts attested to the fact that a party of nut gatherers must bebusily engaged in the grove; for with other sounds could be heard theplain swish of poles beating the branches of the trees in an effort torattle the nuts down.
"Just our luck!" muttered George, disconsolately.
"Well, what would you have?" demanded Toby, like a flash; "it ain'tevery bunch that can have a lot of fellows knock down their nuts for'em, is it? Think of all the hard work it's going to save us. Elmer, themore I look at that grand little scheme of yours the better I like it.Go it, Connie, Phil and your mates; keep the ball arollin' right along.The more the merrier, say we. And now, Elmer, do we hide our rigsomewhere around, so they won't happen on the same if they come to skipout of that grove in a big hurry?"
"That's the idea, Toby," Elmer told him; "turn out to the left here, andwe'll like as not run across a good hide-out for the wagon. When we'vegot the nuts all sacked we can come back f
or the outfit, and head forhome."
A short time later they found the place they were looking for. Itoffered concealment for the wagon and the mare; and Toby soon had thelatter securely hitched to a limb.
"Fetch the bags along with you, boys," remarked Elmer at this stage ofthe proceedings, and picking up several himself as an example.
Toby saw that the others had cleaned out the entire assortment of sacks,which fact caused him to grin with satisfaction. He calmly secured therather bulky package that lay in the bottom of the wagon, and trottedafter the rest of the scouts.
They made a sort of detour in approaching the spot where all that noiseannounced a busy lot of boys covering the ground with shell-barks andother varieties of choice nuts.
"Whee! looky over there, Chatz; ain't that the house you c'n see throughthe trees? I never thought I'd ever have the nerve to come up here, andbreak in on the enchanted ground given over to hobgoblins and spooks andowls ever so many years."
When George said this in a low and rather shaky tone he clutched the armof the Southern boy, and pointed toward the left. Of course Chatzeagerly followed the line of his extended finger; for he had beenwishing to catch the first glimpse of the haunted house for severalminutes back.
"Yes, that's it, all right, George," he replied, with a sighing breath,as though something he had long yearned to see was now before him.
"Come on, you fellows back there," said Elmer, who did not like to havethem lagging so; and accordingly George and Chatz hurried their steps.
It was certainly anything but a cheerful place, for a fact. The treeswere very much overgrown, and the undergrowth had year after yearincreased its hold until it would have been difficult to force one's waythrough this, only for wandering cows having made paths which could befollowed.
"Elmer, I c'n see 'em workin' like beavers over there!" whispered Toby,who had forged alongside the leader, still burdened with that packagewhich the others believed must contain some new fangled contraption ofhis connected with the science of aviation.
The five scouts gathered in a group, being careful not to exposethemselves in a way to draw attention. They could see a boy in achestnut tree, and plainly hear the rattle of nuts from the openedburrs, whenever he switched the branches with the long pole he wascarrying, secured somewhere in the woods near by.
"Did you ever hear it hail nuts like that in all your born days?" gaspedGeorge as they stood there, sheltered by the bushes and watchedoperations.
"Oh! listen to him talk from the other side of his mouth, fellows?" Tobymuttered. "George has seen a big light; he ain't a doubter any longer,you notice. He hears the rattle of the nuts, and sees 'em falling likehail. Talk to me about beavers and busy bees, that crowd would take thecake for business. Look at that one climbing to the very top of thehickory tree to get the best nuts that always grow up high. There hestarts in slashing, and it's like a regular bombardment on the ground.If they get away with all that lot I'll die of a broken heart. Therenever was, and there never will be again, such a bully chance to lay ina big winter's supply of nuts in double-quick time. And I never did liketo take other people's leavings."
"Make up your mind to it we don't have to," Elmer assured him.
"Might as well make ourselves comfy while we're about it," suggestedGeorge, as he dropped down, and sat tailor-fashion, with his legsdoubled under him.
"Yes, for we may have to stay here quite some time," admitted Elmer,copying his example without hesitation.
"Ain't it nice to watch other people working for you?" observed Ted,after a while.
"Only they don't know it," added George; "but, Elmer, suppose you givethe rest of us a hint what you mean to do. I see you've been cutting thebark off that white birch tree, and got the same in your hand. It's usedfor marking canoes, and picture frames as well. Some persons even writeon the brown back of the bark, but I don't think you mean to send them anotice from spookland, telling them that if they don't clear outinstanter the bully old ghosts will grab them tight?"
"Not the kind of message you're thinking about," replied Elmer, smiling."In the first place I don't know what sort of hand writing ghosts wouldbe apt to use; and then again, I don't believe they'd pay much attentionto that sort of thing. Watch and see if you can guess now."
With that he rolled the large strip of bark so that it looked like agreat cornucopia. So had Elmer seen Indian guides fashion a horn whenwishing to call the aggressive moose on a dark night, away up inNorthern latitudes.
"Oh! now I see what you're meaning to do!" exclaimed George; "that lookslike a regular megaphone now, the kind they use when there's a boat raceon, or at college games. You're going to throw a scare into them bywhooping it up through a horn; is that right, Elmer?"
"You've hit it to a fraction, George, because that's exactly what I'mmeaning to do with this birch bark horn. And as some of the bunch havestarted to slip down the trees even now, thinking they've got enoughnuts on the ground to keep them busy picking the same up, we'll watchuntil they've gathered all they want, and then you'll see some fun--thatis, it'll be fun at this end, but a serious business for them. Lie lowwhen I give you the signal."
They hovered there for a full hour while the four boys were gatheringthe nuts, and stowing them away in sacks that had been brought for thepurpose.
At last Elmer decided that matters had gone far enough. There wereevidences that one of the boys had been sent to fetch the horses andwagon up, in order to load the numerous bags that had been filled. Socautioning his chums to lie low so they might not give the game away,Elmer raised the bark horn to his lips.