The Boy Scouts of the Flying Squadron Part 11

Much more along these same lines did the three Boy Scouts hear from the two venturesome air pilots during the balance of their stay in the experimental camp. It was an experience they could never forget.

Ralph fairly hugged himself with satisfaction because he had obeyed the spirit that tempted him to pay a visit to his old camping grounds during the short Thanksgiving holiday season.

"Think what I would have missed if I'd told myself it was foolish to waste my time out here, when I never expected to set a single trap again!" he declared, as the signal was given to tell them that dinner was ready and they prepared to join the two officers at their mess.

"It's been one of the greatest times of my whole life," admitted Bud, a happy grin on his face as he looked over at his crude but effective model of a monoplane, all done up, waiting transportation again; and Hugh could easily guess what delightful dreams must be crowding through his chum's mind, which later on it must be his painful duty to dissolve.

They certainly did enjoy that meal, eating heartily of the camp fare.

At least Uncle Sam provided bountifully for those whom he employed in his new Flying Squadron, the boys told each other; for one of the men in camp was a real _chef_, and could get some mighty appetizing dishes together on occasion.

As there were several pack animals available, Lieutenant Fosd.i.c.k proposed that they load the model upon one of these. A soldier would accompany them as far as the nearest farm house on the road to town, where they could hire a vehicle, and then bring the animal back.

When the time came to say good-by to the aviators, the boys all expressed their grat.i.tude on account of the kindnesses they had received.

"Don't mention it," Lieutenant Fosd.i.c.k replied, shaking each of the scouts by the hand; "the pleasure has all been on our side. And besides, you did us a great favor by warning us about those foreign spies. Some time I hope we'll meet again. Until then, the best of luck attend you, Hugh, Ralph and Bud! Goodby, lads!"

CHAPTER XII

HOME AGAIN

The three scouts intended stopping long enough at the lonely shack in the woods to look about, and see that they had forgotten nothing. All of them declared they had had the time of their lives, and would certainly never be apt to forget the remarkable experiences that had come their way.

"There she is!" exclaimed Bud, pointing ahead.

"The cabin, you mean," Ralph added, as he, too, caught a glimpse of the familiar shack which had given them such friendly shelter. "And it looks as quiet and peaceful as can be, too."

"Why, what else would you expect?" Bud asked him. "Hugh, didn't we close that door when we came away; seems to me I can remember doing the same, after you told me it was best?"

"You certainly did pull it shut after you," Hugh quickly replied.

"Well, it's part way open right now, you can see for yourself if it isn't," Bud a.s.serted strenuously.

"That's right, it is, Bud."

"I wonder if the wind could have done it," the other mused. "It does play some queer pranks, I happen to know from past experiences.

Guess that fastening is a bad one, and don't hold worth a cent."

"It's too late for us to bother fixing anything now, Bud," said Ralph; "though to tell you the truth I always thought the door held as tight as anything."

"Then what opened it, do you think?" demanded Bud, as they continued to approach the shack, the soldier who was accompanying them to take back the horse interested in what they were saying.

"I don't know, if you ask me point blank," Ralph admitted, frankly.

"It might have been that you didn't fasten it the right way. Then again p'raps some one has pa.s.sed along here, and stepped in to see if there was anything worth taking."

"Whee! I hope that last isn't the right answer," was what Bud hastened to observe; "I've got a few little things there I'd hate to lose, let me tell you. Now, if you come right down to---oh! Hugh!"

"What's the matter with you?" demanded the one whose name had been uttered so wildly.

"Didn't you see that---where were your eyes that you didn't see what poked out of the open door just then?" cried Bud, coming to a complete standstill in his astonishment and perplexity.

"I'm sorry to say that I didn't happen to be looking that way just when you spoke," Hugh admitted. "But tell us what it was you saw, Bud!"

"A head! A bear's head!" exclaimed Bud.

"That begins to sound interesting," said Ralph, as his face lighted up.

"But Ralph, you said there were no bears around here any more, so how could that be?" Hugh asked, as he turned on the other.

"Hardly that, Hugh; I told you I had never happened to run across one while trapping up here; but there was a time when they were said to be thick around this section; and who knows but what one may have wandered back, to see what the country promised him in the way of food."

Bud began dancing up and down in new excitement.

"We did leave a lot of grub in there, fellows," he told them; "and chances are that the old black sinner has gone and spoiled what he couldn't eat. That's a habit with bears, I'm told; they're about as bad as hogs that way."

"Well, what are we going to do about it?" asked Hugh, looking around at his two chums.

"We've got a gun!" suggested Bud.

"But we didn't come up here to do any hunting, and besides, scouts as a rule don't go around gunning for game," said Ralph.

"Hugh," said Bud, trying to appear cool and collected, "you've got to decide this for us, because I look at it one way, and here's Ralph saying it wouldn't be right for us to try and plug this old bear.

Will we just try to shoo him away, or give him a few cold chunks of lead?"

Hugh smiled and nodded to Ralph.

"You lose this time, Bud," he said, "because I'm siding with Ralph here. If we were really hungry and in need of food, of course I'd say we had a right to get fresh meat; but we're on our way home now, and seems to me it would be a shame to spoil all our splendid sport by being cruel to a poor old bear that doesn't know any better than to gobble flour and anything else he finds lying around loose."

Now Bud was a good loser. Perhaps after all he did not really feel as ferocious as he pretended; and to tell the truth might have been sorry if Hugh had sided with him, so that war was declared upon the hairy invader of the shack.

"How'll we get him out of there?" he proceeded to ask. "If he knows a good thing when he tastes it you bet he won't be in any hurry to leave."

"How about you going in and telling him his room is better than his company?" asked Hugh.

"You'll have to excuse me this time, I'm afraid," Bud quickly announced.

"I pa.s.s it up to Ralph here; he knows more about the way of animals in a minute than I do in a year."

"Can you fix him up, Ralph?" questioned Hugh, turning to the boy who had studied animals so long that he might be looked on as an authority.

Ralph was always willing to oblige.

"To be sure I can, and will, Hugh," he hastened to say, with one of his rare smiles. "The rest of you stay back here, and when he once gets clear of the door start to shouting as loud as you can."

"Which is to add to his alarm, I suppose?" suggested Hugh.

"Just about what it is," and saying no more, Ralph started for the cabin.