The Banner Boy Scouts Part 23

"Is it so bad as that then? Oh well, there are other girls just as pretty as Arline; and you've always been a great favorite with them, Paul; but hold on, why not let me try to straighten this thing out? You've helped me all right; and t.i.t for tat is fair play."

"H'm! how do you think you could do anything, Jack? I don't suppose you'd care to go straight to her, and ask her point blank what I'd done to make her treat me so cruelly? I shouldn't think of allowing that at all?"

Paul tried to display an air of indifference; but it was poorly a.s.sumed; and his chum knew full well that he was much more pained at these strange actions on the part of Arline than he cared to admit.

"Oh! there are ways and ways. For instance, you know that Dorothy is one of the crowd of high school girls Arline goes with. Ward's sister Mazie is another; and that might account for her being at his house so much.

Now, suppose you let me tell Dorothy. She'll keep it a dead secret, and in some way manage to get a confession. Say you will, Paul!"

"Have it your own way, old fellow. I'm just about ready to wash my hands of the whole business. Besides, I've really too many irons in the fire to be bothering over the silly notions of girls."

It was bravely put, but did not deceive Jack even a little bit; for he happened to know just how very fond his friend was of the particular girl in question.

"All right, then. Consider that settled, and I won't say any more about it until I can report progress," remarked the latter.

"Let's talk of other things than my poor affairs. You insisted on knowing; and wouldn't take no for an answer. h.e.l.lo! there's Carlo asking to come in again. Shall I let him past the door, Jack?"

"Why, of course. This is his den as well as mine. I keep sugar on tap, so as to put him through some of his paces. Here Carlo, how's your sweet tooth coming on?" and Jack snapped his fingers in a peculiar way.

Immediately the educated dog squatted on his hind quarters, sat upright with his forepaws drooping appealingly, and waited, c.o.c.king his eyes in a humorous way at his young master, who had opened a drawer in his desk.

"Just one piece left. Somebody else likes sugar as well as Carlo, I guess. Well, here you are, now. On trust, boy, on trust!"

So saying he laid the piece of sugar upon the nose of the dog, balancing it so there could be no falling off.

Carlo, knowing what was expected of him, sat there like a drum major, quivering with eagerness, yet not daring to move as long as he failed to hear the command.

"Say, isn't he a sport, all right, Paul? Don't he sit up like a soldier?

Look at his eyes fixed on me. Did you ever see such agony?"

Paul was laughing now.

"He's speaking with his eyes, and begging you not to stretch it out too far, Jack. Have a little mercy on the poor beggar. Look at his tongue coming out and reaching up. I think he just wants to taste that sugar.

Give it to him now!"

"Well, Carlo knows that he can't expect to have anything on trust; but it's a different thing when it's paid for!"

With the last two words, spoken in a natural tone, Carlo became galvanized into sudden action. He had received the cue for which he was waiting so patiently. Immediately he made an upward spring; the lump of sugar was thrown into the air, and as it came down one quick snap secured it, after which there was a crunching of canine teeth, and a look of bliss appeared on Carlo's dog face.

"There's the supper gong. Come on down to the bathroom and wash up, Paul!

And you come, too, old dog. No more sugar here; see, the drawer is empty.

Carlo never comes up here without sniffing at that drawer, and looking at me knowingly. Go ahead, Paul, and I'll put out the lamp."

So they went downstairs, and after a while sought the dining room, where Paul met both parents of his chum, as well as a gentleman who was visiting Mr. Stormways.

"Mr. Jared Pender, an old schoolmate of mine, and with whom I made several voyages abroad years ago," said Mr. Stormways. "He is in the employ of the Government now, and has to make visits all over the country, you know."

Paul had once met a gentleman who was a post-office inspector, and somehow took it for granted that Mr. Pender might be engaged in some similar business; at any rate it concerned him not at all he concluded, just what the gentleman's private affairs might be, and he gave the subject little thought.

CHAPTER XIX

THE WARNING OVER THE WIRE

After supper the two boys once more ascended to the snuggery near the roof.

There was no further reference made to either the disappearance of the old coins, or Paul's little heart trouble with his girl chum.

They had a number of books loaned them by the good old minister and which were full of interesting facts connected with the wonderful Boy Scout movement, especially over in England, where it originated.

Paul was deeply interested in picking out all features that would appeal to American lads. Until they had found the right party to take the position of troop master he wished to play the part of scout leader in such fas.h.i.+on that no one could pick a flaw with his management.

Usually it is some adult to whom this important position is entrusted from the start; Paul, however, had long been known to be so deeply interested in many of the branches which concern life in the open, that his mates were only too glad to have him occupy the exalted position of leader for the time being.

When they knew as much as Paul did, they believed they would be well qualified to pa.s.s for a first-cla.s.s scout's a.s.signment.

So Paul, with the a.s.sistance of his comrade, was selecting many interesting compet.i.tions. By means of these the boys could be tested as to their knowledge of those things so important to the boy scouts.

He made many charts showing the different footprints of wild animals, as well as those of the domestic cat and dog. By following the tracks of a rabbit a most interesting as well as instructive story could be made out. It was possible just from the marks on the ground, or the snow, to tell how the animal had been frightened into wild flight, by what sort of enemy it had been pursued, where the swoop of owl or eagle had brought specks of blood upon the leaves or white snow, and finally the picked bones of poor bunny would reveal the secret of the windup of the chase.

So, in every case, the student of nature could weave a story out of the marks discovered. It was so in the days of the Indian, when old Leatherstocking and his long-barreled rifle were leading factors in the life of the wilds. Daniel Boone and his pioneers used to read such signs as easily as any boy might the pages of this book. And the deeper any lad dips into such fascinating studies the more he wants to learn.

When half past nine came Paul said he must be going.

"I've had a jolly evening of it, Jack, and enjoyed every minute with you.

When we get the boys together again we can have half a dozen compet.i.tions going on at once," he said as he arose and stretched himself.

"That's so," replied the other, following suit; while even Carlo arched his broad back, and prepared to follow them downstairs; "and the best of this thing is that the more you go into it the greater it gets. I'm fairly wild to keep it up."

Just as the boys reached the lower floor the telephone bell rang, and Jack, being near, stepped over to the small table in the hall on which the receiver rested.

"Yes, sure, he's here. Hold the wire," Paul heard him say, as he smiled; and then turning to his friend Jack continued: "here, Paul, take hold.

Somebody wants to talk with you. Says he called up your house, and they told him you were over at my home."

Paul of course wondered who could be wanting him so positively that he even followed him over to the Stormways house.

"h.e.l.lo! h.e.l.lo!" he said, quietly.

"That you, Paul?"

"It's Bobolink, I guess," remarked Paul, for the benefit of his chum who stood by, listening curiously.

"That's right," continued the voice over the wire.

"What's doing to make you chase me up this way, Number Three?" Paul went on.

"That's the trouble; I just don't know for sure. But when I caught Ted's voice among the bunch I said to myself, they're up to no good; and I bet it's Paul they are laying for."