Tom Slade on the River Part 30

"I remember you three fellows," said the freckled scout. "Don't you remember? I was in that store in Albany--"

"Sure, we got lost," began Roy.

"Shhh," interrupted Artie.

"We-we thought you were dead," said Tom, startled somewhat out of his usual composure.

"Dead? No," laughed the boy. "I haven't been dead for quite a while.

What's the idea?"

"Have-have you got anything the matter with you?" stammered Pee-wee, staring blankly at him.

"I've got a wart on my left thumb," said the freckled scout, "but that won't stop me helping Uncle Sam if we have to sc.r.a.p it out with Germany."

"Haven't you got anything else the matter with you?" Pee-wee asked imploringly. "Even if you're alive, you ought to have _something_ the matter with you-- Gee!"

The freckled scout began to laugh and then came _his_ surprise, for he broke off as Garry came ash.o.r.e, and grasped him by the hand.

"h.e.l.lo, Everson," said he. "Don't you know me?"

"For the love of tripe!" said Garry. "You don't live in Warrentown, do you? Down near Edgevale?"

"Sure, when I'm alive," laughed the freckled scout. "But these fellows seem to think I ought to be dead. What's the idea, anyway?"

"Well, what _are_ you doing alive, I'd like to know," said Garry.

"Fellows, this is-Everett, I think your name is, isn't it?"

"Warren Everett," said the boy.

"I thought I recognized you," said Garry. "I didn't get a good enough squint at you down the lake yesterday-if that _was_ you."

"Sure it was me-I saw you fellows out there in the boats. I see I've got you all guessing."

"Where's the other fellow?"

"Oh, he's knocking around somewhere in camp here. We just canoed up for a squint at the place. I've often seen you in Warrentown," he added, turning again to Garry. "I heard you fellows over in Edgevale started a troop."

"It fizzled out," said Garry, resting his arm on Raymond's shoulder.

"We're the last of our race. But, for goodness' sakes, tell us how you come to be alive, anyway? We saw you fall down that cliff--"

Warren Everett laughed again. "You see it was this way," said he. "On our way up the Hudson we ran into a moving picture bunch. They had a big launch and a hydro-aeroplane--"

"A what?" said Tom.

"They said we were just the fellows they wanted because there was a scene they were going to make where a scout climbs up a steep mountain and then slips and falls down. They wanted to take pictures of him climbing and then more of him falling. They had the hill all picked out and they wanted to know if I'd climb it.

"'Believe me, that's my middle name,' I told them. 'Let's see the hill.'

"'We haven't got it with us,' the man said, 'but it's a peach, all right-it looks harder than it is.'

"I asked him about the falling down part, and he said, 'Don't you worry about that. We've got a rag dummy to do the falling. All you've got to do is to climb till you get to the grove near the top and when you get inside of that you'll find the rag dummy on a log. Just push it over and let it fall down the hill.'"

"Well-I'll-be-jiggered!" said Roy.

"Good idea?" laughed Everett. "Of course, the rag dummy went all the way down to the bottom--"

"You bet it did," said Connie.

"But in the picture it won't be that way. You'll see me climb up the hill and you'll see the dummy start down, and then-zip, goes the fillum-and the next you see is a first-aid scout bandaging up another scout's head."

By this time Everett's companions had joined the party and having properly presented him to the newcomers, the freckled boy resumed his original seat astride the cannon.

"You see," said he, "we were down near Glens Falls when we picked up the movie men. They had a hydro and a big cabin boat. They gave us the money for a uniform for the rag dummy and we went back to Albany and bought it.

When we got back they were waiting for us, and believe me, we had some fun dressing up that dummy. I took the new suit and gave him the old one.

_He_ didn't care."

"He should worry," put in Roy.

The freckled scout continued his story, swinging his legs and greatly delighted at the astonishment of his listeners.

"This is a most remarkable thing," said Mr. Ellsworth.

"Can you beat it! Well, we all started north with our canoe tagging behind. It was all right, wasn't it, Frank, because we were going that way anyway. When we got into the lake the man in the hydro left the water and said he'd meet us on the top of the cliff. He told me just where he'd leave the dummy. Oh, gee, but he looked nice as he went sailing up in the air! We got out of the boat at Westport[4] and Frank and I helped them lug the camera and things to the mountain. We had it all fixed just what we'd do and when the man found a good place up the hill a ways, where they could get enough sunlight on the only original Boy Scout movie star-that's me!-Frank and I went back to Westport, and paddled up in our canoe, just as if we were coming to the mountain for the first time. We got out under the cliff and I started up. Frank stayed down below so he could get the dummy! Believe me, that dummy has some busy life! They use it for a policeman and a soldier and a poor orphan child-gee, you ought to see the clothes that poor dummy's got!

"Well, I guess you fellows know the rest. I got to the top all right, and take it from me, when I got my fists on that rag dummy, I gave it one-good-chuck-_ker-bang!_ G-o-o-d-night!

"Then I trotted over to the big field on top of the cliff where the fellow with the aeroplane was waiting. Pretty soon along came Frank dragging the poor dummy after him by the leg. He came up the easy way.

And goodnight, Mary Ann! I'm glad I wasn't that poor dummy--"

"I'm glad you weren't," said Mr. Ellsworth, dryly, thinking of the harrowing hours they had spent searching for his dead body.

"Well, they said they had the picture all right and it would be a beaut'.

So then the man told us to jump in the aero and he'd bring us up to Plattsburg. You see that red boat over there with _Back to Nature Film Corporation_ on it? That's ours-I mean, theirs. They're going to take some pictures here if they can get permission. But we're out of the movie business for good-aren't we, Frank? And we're going to s.h.i.+p our little old canoe down home and get the train tonight-- Hey, Everson," he said, breaking off suddenly and turning to Garry; "why in the deuce don't you be a good scout and come over to Warrentown and give us poor fellows a hand? Mr. Wentworth, our scoutmaster, is on the Mexican border and three of our fellows have gone out west to live-the Harris boys-maybe you know of them. Gee, a fellow like you could help us an awful lot. You could be a sort of scoutmaster till the Local Council scares one up. And you don't live so far-going scout pace. What do you say? Will you?"

_Would he!_

"He will on one condition," said Mr. Ellsworth. "You and your friend must join us on our homeward cruise. I've heard of the Warrentown Troop and Garry ought to be glad to get into it--"

"They ought to be glad to get him!" shouted Pee-wee.

"Sure, he's a bargain," put in Roy. "Now's their chance."

"Yes, I think myself it will be an honor both ways," said Mr. Ellsworth, who had grown very fond of Garry. "He will bring you the Silver Cross--"

"And he's no rag dummy," interrupted Roy.

"Our plan," said Mr. Ellsworth, "is to look about the camp here and set off again in the morning, for time is beginning to be precious. We shall leave Raymond at Temple Camp, in the Catskills, where he's to stay for the balance of the summer. Then, if you like, we'll drop you boys and Garry at Edgevale. Our larger boat and one of our members, to whom it belongs, we shall leave at Nyack. The rest of us live in Bridgeboro, New Jersey-we're the First Bridgeboro B. S. A. Probably some of our boys will hike it home from Nyack while the rest of us cruise down into New York Bay and up our own small river."

"It's just a one-patrol river," said Roy.