CHAPTER VIII
HOW ELMER'S PLAN WORKED
"HOW had we better arrange about the nuts, Elmer?" asked Toby, when theywere drawing close to the border of the town, with the twilightgathering around them.
"I've been thinking about that, Toby," replied the other; "and the bestway all around would be for you to keep the whole lot in your barn. Someday we'll get together and divide up, because, as they stand now somebags have only walnuts, others hickories, while a couple have got mostof the chestnuts in them."
"Are the rest agreeable, and do they trust me as far as that?" demandedToby.
"Trust you with my pocketbook, Toby," George assured him.
"That's because there's never a red cent in the same, then," the driverflashed back, as quick as anything; "but see here, Elmer, what about theother four half-filled sacks?"
"I was coming to that," replied the scout master; "and unless somebodyobjects to the programme, why, I'll drop around after supper, say beforenine o'clock, and between us, Toby, we'll lift all our own bags out, andstow the same away in that room in your barn that's got a lock to it.Then I'd like you to hitch up Nancy again, so we can go around and dropthese other bags in the yards of the four fellows. It's apt to be prettyquiet along about that time, even if it's Saturday night; and not muchdanger of anybody spying on us."
"Just as you say, Elmer; I'm with you," replied Toby, who was a veryaccommodating fellow, and easily influenced; "I guess I'll feelstronger, and more like tackling the job after I've had my supper."
There was no objection to that plan, since it had already been decidedto work things that way; and possibly George, as well as Ted, felt thatthey were escaping some hard labor when they allowed these two comradesto shoulder the burden.
At various corners the others jumped off the heavily loaded wagon, andmade for their homes. It happened that no boys were abroad just then toask where they had been, for supper time came early in most of theHickory Ridge homes during the fall and winter days; and so Toby was notforced to explain that he and his four chums had been off nutting.
True to his word by half-past eight Elmer made his appearance at theJones domicile, and with Toby and a lighted lantern proceeded to the bigbarn. Here they found that the wagon stood just where it had been leftwhen Toby unharnessed Nancy, and stripping off their coats the two ladsproceeded to complete their job.
It was no light one at that, lifting out those sacks filled with nuts,and stowing the same away in the man's room near by; but both werehusky fellows, and by degrees managed to complete their task.
"There," said Toby, wiping his streaming brow, "that part's done, andthe rest won't be so hard, because the bags are only half filled; but Ikind of wish we had 'em planted O.K., and were on the way home again.Whew! what would happen, d'ye think, Elmer, if Connie Mallon dropped inon us when we were dumping a sack over the fence into his yard?"
"That'd be hard to say," replied Elmer; "but what's the use crossingbridges before you come to them? Time enough to bother with that when ithappens. And if you knew Connie as well as I do, because he doesn't livefar away from my house, you'd never expect him to be home at nineo'clock on a Saturday night. He's too fond of loafing down in the poolroom with his crowd; or being off on some lark, robbing some orchard oflate apples. Now, suppose you lead Nancy out, after you've got herharness on, and we'll hitch up."
This was soon done, and afterwards Toby started to back the vehicle outof the barn, while Elmer extinguished the lantern.
"I'll leave it here alongside the door, so we can find it again when wecome back," he told the driver; after doing which he mounted besideToby, and they started off on their queer errand.
Phil Jackson lived close by the Jones home, so they paid the first visitthere. Lights could be seen through the windows, but the boys found itan easy thing to lift one of the half-filled sacks of nuts out of thewagon, and silently slip it over the fence, leaving it there to bediscovered by Phil is the morning.
After that a second visit was made, and their end was accomplished quiteas easily as at the Jackson house. The third one proved a little harder,for there were some people standing at the door as the boys drove past.
"Better make a turn around the block, Toby," suggested the scout master;"they've been having visitors, and perhaps they'll be gone when we getback again."
This proved to be the case, and having decided just where they wished toleave the sack of nuts, the boys drew in the animal and quickly droppedtheir burden over the picket fence.
"Things are booming," remarked Toby; "that makes three of the lot, andonly one left, which is Connie Mallon's bag."
He seemed to be a little nervous about approaching this place, for thebully had a bad reputation as a fighter among the boys of the town; buteverything appeared to be quiet, and there was not a single light to beseen in the small house where the Mallon family lived.
All the same Toby breathed freer when he felt the bag slip from hisgrasp over the fence. Hardly had they managed this than there was anexplosion of savage barks and a bulldog came rushing toward the corner.
"Wow! ain't I glad that Towser's on the other side of the fence?" Tobyexclaimed, as he hastened to jump up on the wagon; while the dogcontinued to bark fiercely, with his blunt nose pressed against thepalings surrounding the enclosure; "hurry, Elmer, and let's get away. Idon't think he can climb fences, but I won't take any chances with thatbrute. He's spoiled one pair of trousers for me already."
Soon afterwards the two boys parted at the gate of the Jones place.
"I feel like we'd had a great time of it to-day, don't you, Elmer?" Tobywas saying; and then, not waiting for an answer, he continued: "and Ihave to laugh every time I think of what a crazy scramble that Connieand his bunch put up when you gave 'em the ghost walk with that birchbark horn. Most people like to see the ghost walk on pay days, but thisone wasn't the same kind. Wouldn't I give a cooky, though, to see whatthey look like to-night, and hear what they say about bein' chased bythat Cartaret spook!"
"Well, it's been a good enough day for us, Toby; and I think we ought tohave a great time if we go up in that region for our Thanksgivingcamping trip. Good night," and with that Elmer walked away, not a littletired himself, for it had been a pretty strenuous day, all told.
In the morning he was up early, because he had an object in view, andElmer was not the one to sleep late at any time, even though it wereSunday morning.
From a certain place up in the loft of the barn he knew he could see theMallon yard quite plainly; and taking a field glass he owned along withhim, he now proceeded to occupy this lookout.
As he had already had some breakfast he was nor bothered by gnawinghunger as he continued to sit there, and watch the back door of theMallon cottage.
He saw Connie's mother come out several times, and judged she wasgetting breakfast ready. Then the big hulking boy himself appeared,bearing a bucket in his hand, and yawning at a great rate.
Elmer sat up and watched closely, for he anticipated that a fellow whopossessed as sharp eyes as Connie, could not help but see the bag thatlay in plain sight near the fence. The dog had already been chained tohis kennel by Mrs. Mallon, the watcher fancied, though he had not seenher do this. Connie stopped to speak to the ugly looking beast, and fromthe way Towser wagged his crooked stump of a tail it seemed as though hemust be somewhat fond of his master.
Then the big boy shuffled on toward the well, where he was evidentlyexpecting to draw a bucket of drinking water.
Suddenly Elmer, who was using the glasses now, saw him come to astandstill, and look straight at the bag, as though he could hardlybelieve his eyes.
Down went the water pail, and Connie hastily strode across the yarduntil he reached the bag lying where Elmer and Toby had dropped it, snugup against the fence palings.
He bent down, and opening the bag by cutting the stout cord that hadbeen wound around the flap above the store of nuts, stared hard at thelatter. Elmer saw that he was greatly staggered, for he started toscr
atch his head after the manner of one who did not know what tobelieve. Just as Chatz had suggested, perhaps he began to think theprize must have rained down in the night, for he examined the sack, andevidently recognized it as one of those he had taken with him on thepreceding day when starting out on that nutting expedition with the ideaof getting ahead of the scouts.
Then again it might be that he began to believe all that affair of thepanic and flight must have been a bad dream, and that after all he andhis cronies had brought back some spoils when they returned. Again Elmersaw him put his hand up to his face and feel of his cheek.
"He's got a cut there to show where he banged against a tree," the scouttold himself, "and that's plain proof there was a panic. There, he'sexamining the bag again, as if he thought it would speak and explain themystery. This is surely worth watching. Hello! there comes Phil Jackson,and that Benners fellow on the run. Looks like they had found their bagsat home, and are coming to see what Connie has to say about it. And nowthere'll be a high old time, I expect."
There was, after the two newcomers had discovered that one of the bagshalf filled with nuts stood in the Mallon yard, just as they had foundat their homes.
Elmer sat there for fully fifteen minutes, watching them talk and makegestures. He imagined that they had quickly figured it all out, and mustknow to whom they were indebted for a winter's stock of nuts. What theymight choose to do about it was another question, however. Elmer hopedfor the best, yet was prepared to meet the worst, whatever might come.
"Anyway, Connie's concluded not to refuse the nuts just because theycame to him through the scouts he hates so bitterly," Elmer concluded,as he saw the Mallon boy shoulder the sack and carry it to the house,after saying good-bye to the other two, who hastened away, possibly tolearn if the fourth and last member of the expedition had likewise beenfavored by a visit from the fairies during the night.
School held for the next three days, and then came glorious Thanksgivingwith its turkey, and pumpkin pies, and all the splendid things that goto make up the annual feast. All this while there had not been the leasthint from Connie or his three allies that they knew who put those nutsthere. It almost seemed as though they purposely avoided meeting Elmerand his chums. Even at school they kept away from the others, and Tobydeclared that it was mighty queer, because he had fully expected to havea tongue lashing from the big bully, even if nothing more serious cameto pass.
Elmer was satisfied with the way things had turned out. As a scout hecould feel that he had done the right thing, and deep down in his hearthe hoped it might in some fashion show Connie Mallon there was such athing as returning evil with good.
Nothing might come of it just then, but Elmer hoped the seed would findlodging, and perhaps later on germinate.
When they got to talking it over, as they made preparations for leavinghome bright and early on the morning after Thanksgiving, George ofcourse professed to doubt whether it had made even a dent in the calloussurface of Connie's mind.
"Take my word for it, fellows!" he declared, pompously, "you'd have toswing a sledge hammer and give more'n a little tap at that, to make anyimpression there, he's so extra tough. Chances are he just don't want tostir us up for fear we'll tell the whole story, and all his pals wouldhave the laugh on him for running away from a ghost!"
Toby himself seemed more than half inclined to believe something alongthese same lines; but Chatz knew Elmer must be looking beyond thisexplanation, and still entertained hopes that the olive branch extendedmight not be wholly wasted.
They had all their arrangements made that night, and expected to startwith the rising of the sun on Friday morning. This would give them twonights in camp, even if they did have to come back on Sunday afternoonin order to be ready for school on Monday.
"And it looks like we might have fine weather along with us, too," Elmertold the others, as they said goodnight at his door; "there's a tanglike frost in the air even now, and you can see your breath easily. Thatmeans we'll enjoy a camp fire more than ever, because it never feelshalf as good on a hot summer night. Look for you bright and early, Toby,with the wagon and the tent and all the stuff. I'll be ready with mybundles, and that piece of ham."
All preparations having been made they parted with mutual good wishesfor a fair dawn, and Elmer, standing there in the doorway, found himselfa little disappointed because there had been no response to theinvitation extended to Connie Mallon to bridge over the chasm, at thetime they left those nuts in his yard.
Elmer was astir long before daybreak on the following morning, becausehe meant to get himself a light breakfast, so as to be ready for thewagon when it came along about sunrise. Having satisfied his hunger, andseen that all his various bundles were ready he stepped out of the backdoor to listen, in expectation of hearing the sound of wheels.
Then he had a little surprise, for hanging there on a nail beside thedoor was a brace of freshly killed rabbits; and Elmer knew to acertainty nothing the kind dangled there on the preceding evening.
He took them down, and laid them on the kitchen table, while a whimsicalsmile crept over his boyish face, and a glow of satisfaction could beseen in his eyes as he rubbed his hand along the sleek side of thelarger bunny.
For Elmer chanced to know that Connie Mallon had spent Thanksgiving dayoff in the woods and meadows hunting; and the very fact that he had thusshared the results of his tramp with the boy he had fought against solong gave Elmer a queer feeling of triumph deep down in his heart.
Then the wagon came along, with all the other boys aboard, and the bedof the vehicle pretty well filled with their camping outfit; so Elmergot in his seat, wondering what Doubting George would have to say whenhe learned how a good action may set even the worst boy in town tothinking, and changing his ways.