The Banner Boy Scouts on a Tour Part 13

And there was Bobolink gripping that s.h.i.+ny bugle nervously, and keeping one eye on the scout leader the while. When Paul gave the signal he would be primed for his part in the proceedings.

Finally, as far as a careful count went, it seemed as though all who meant to start out on the long tour had arrived.

Paul made a gesture to the official bugler, and immediately Bobolink raised his instrument to his lips. The roll of the drum had become familiar music to those listening hundreds; but when the clear notes of the bugle floated through the morning air there was an instantaneous raising of hats, and hardly had the a.s.sembly call died away than a stupendous cheer seemed to make the very church tremble.

"Fall in! fall in, fellows!"

Every boy knew his place.

At the head of the double line stood the flag bearer, Wallace Carberry carrying the glorious Stars and Stripes, while further back, Tom Betts waved the beautiful prize banner which Stanhope Troop had fairly won in the preceding Autumn, when competing with the other troops of the county.

Then came Bluff with his busy drum, and Bobolink holding his bugle ready to give the signal for the start.

After that the scouts came, two and two, each in his appointed place, and the leaders of the second and third patrols heading their commands.

Paul was of course compelled to act in the place of Mr. Gordon, so that temporarily Jack served in Paul's stead with the Red Fox Patrol.

Amid great cheering and waving of hats and handkerchiefs, the troop finally put their best foot forward as one man, and headed away up the road that would, after many miles of weary marching, take them to their distant goal.

At the rear came the wagon, upon which were piled the tents, blankets, and provisions for the two weeks' stay in camp. When the worried parents of the boys saw the large amount of eatables they began to lose their fears about hunger attacking the little troop. But then, a score of healthy lads can make way with an astonis.h.i.+ng amount of food in that time; yet Paul had also counted on securing a supply from some neighboring farmers to help out the regular rations.

To the inspiring music of drum and bugle they marched away from Stanhope. A bend in the road hid their homes from view, and only the steeple of the church could be seen.

Perhaps more than one boy felt a queer sensation in his throat as he realized now what it meant to leave home, tramp out into the wilderness.

But if this were so they made no sign. The wistful look several cast behind changed into one of manly determination, as they kept pace with their comrades, and faced the future with new hopes.

Paul soon moderated the pace. He was wise enough to know that at this rate some of the boys would early complain of being tired or footsore, since they were hardly yet in condition to "do stunts" in the way of travel.

Two miles out of town they came to a cold spring up among the rocks at which many wishful eyes were turned, so the acting scoutmaster gave the order to halt, and break ranks.

"We'll stop here for half an hour, and get refreshed," he said, as they cl.u.s.tered around him; "because, now that we've left our base of supplies and cut loose from all our homes we must go carefully. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link, you know, fellows. And several of our number are not used to long tramps."

After drinking their fill of the cool and refres.h.i.+ng water the scouts lounged around, each taking a favorite att.i.tude while indulging in animated discussions concerning what might await them far to the north.

It was while the troop was taking things in this easy manner that Jud Elderkin suddenly jumped to his feet.

"Look what's coming, fellows!" he exclaimed, and everybody of course sprang up.

CHAPTER XI

THE COMING OF THE CIRCUS CARAVAN

"Hey!" cried Bobolink, as he rubbed his eyes, "wake me up, somebody, won't you? I've got the nightmare, sure; I'm seein' things I hadn't ought to."

"Gee whiz! it's sure an elephant, fellows!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Joe Clausin.

"And what's that coming along behind the same? Get on to his curves, would you, boys? We're the gay defenders of Lucknow, for as sure as you live the camels are coming, heigho, heigho!" sang William, striking an att.i.tude.

"It's the circus that was billed to show in Stanhope this very day,"

declared Jack, with sudden conviction.

"That's what it is!" echoed Jud, with a grin; "heard they gave a turn over at Warren last night. Say, I bet they've been on the tramp the rest of the night, and the way that old elephant moves along proves it."

"They do look tired for a fact," admitted Paul; "I wonder if our horse will get gay when the animals pa.s.s so close. Most horses are just crazy with fear when they smell a tiger or a lion near by."

"Huh! I'd just like to see some spirit in old Dobbin," laughed Philip Towns. "He's a plugger at best, and I expect we'll have to help him up many a hill with that big load. There come the people of the show, and three cages of beasts. My! but don't they all look like they'd been drawn through a knot-hole, though?"

The night march had indeed f.a.gged both beasts and human performers.

Horses walked with downcast heads, and some of the men limped painfully.

Altogether it was not a sight to arouse much enthusiasm in the heart of a boy, accustomed to seeing the outside glitter of a circus, with prancing steeds, gay colors, music, and the humorous antics of the clown.

Paul pushed to the front just then.

"I've got something to propose, fellows," he said; and the announcement was as usual sufficient to rivet the attention of all his comrades; for when Paul made a suggestion they knew that as a rule it was worth listening to.

"Hear! hear!" said several, nudging each other secretly, as they crowded around.

"I can see that there are a large number among us that so far to-day have not found a chance to do something to help another. Yes, I'm in the same boat myself, for you see my badge is turned upside-down. How many are there who would like to wipe out that debt, and clean the slate for the day?"

Paul held up his hand as he spoke. Immediately every fellow followed suit, even those who had been fortunate enough to ease their conscience so early in the day feeling perfectly willing to repeat the obligation.

As I have said before, it is a rule with most scouts to do some little thing of a helpful nature every day. Sometimes this takes the form of a.s.sisting a poor widow with her firewood, running an errand for a mother, helping a child across the street where horses act as a source of danger--there are a thousand ways in which a boy can prove his right to the name of a true scout, if he only keeps his eyes about him, and the desire to be useful urges him on. But of course some lads are always blind, and they never make good scouts.

"Now you see how high up this fine spring is, fellows," Paul went on; "and then perhaps they don't even know about it, because they are strangers here. The horses can't get up here any more than old Dobbin could. You carried two buckets of water down to him, and he thanked you when he drank it. See the point, fellows?"

"It's great, and we'll do it!" declared several at once.

"Once we put out a fire; and now we can quench a big thirst!" shrilled William.

"Huh! if you expect to fill up that camel and elephant I see our finish.

Why, my stars! they never could get enough!" lamented Bobolink.

"But do you like the idea, fellows? Every one agreeable say yes!"

persisted Paul.

A thunderous response followed, during which Bluff managed to get in a few bangs at his drum, and Bobolink tooted his bugle shrilly.

Immediately there were signs of animation about the caravan. Heads of women performers began to protrude from a couple of dingy-covered wagons, and every eye was turned up to the rocky hillside where the flags fluttered in the morning air.

"Come on then, let's get down to the road, boys," remarked Paul, starting to lead the way.

"Bring on your buckets," said William, gayly, "we're the boys when it comes to running a line of pails. Hey! you, mister with the big elephant, don't you want a drink of the coldest spring water on earth?

We've got it up yonder, and it won't cost any of you a cent either."