The Banner Boy Scouts Afloat Part 21

He fully expected that Paul would now feel it necessary to raise his gun to his shoulder, and fire, on the spur of the moment. Contrary to his belief, he found that the scout master did nothing of the sort. Instead, Paul took a deliberate step forward, straight toward the animal that lay there, staring at the blinding light.

"Oh I my stars! he's going to scare him off with only that light!" said Bobolink, talking to himself; and yet, strange to say, he followed close at the heels of the advancing scout master, clutching his club tightly, and doubtless fully determined that if they were attacked, he would make the stout weapon give a good account of itself.

For a brief s.p.a.ce it seemed an open question whether the animal would turn tail and slink away, or openly attack the advancing boys. But there was evidently something in that approaching dazzling light, and the presence of human beings behind it, that proved too much for the beast.

He gave a sudden turn, and bounded off, vanishing in the denser scrub beyond; and for a short time the listening Bobolink could hear the sound of his retreat.

"Whew I that was the stuff, Paul!" cried Bobolink. "He just couldn't look you in the eye; could he? That fierce little staring orb was too much for him. But what was it, Paul, a panther?"

Some one laughed back of them, and turning, light in hand, Paul saw Nuthin.

"What ails you, and how did you get here?" demanded Bobolink.

"Heard what you said to Paul in the tent, and wanted to see what was up, so I just crawled out," answered the smaller scout, still grinning, as though he had discovered something comical in the adventure.

"Well, what ails you?" Bobolink demanded again, feeling irritated somehow.

"Panther! Well, I guess he hasn't got that wild, yet!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Nuthin.

Paul began to understand something about it.

"See here, Nuthin," he said, sternly; "you know that was a dog, as well as I do; have you ever seen him before? Do you know him?"

Nuthin laughed softly.

"Guess you fellows must have forgot that old mongrel dog, Lion, we used to have," he went on. "Well, he disappeared a long time ago, and we never knew what did become of him. There always was a sorter wild streak in the critter. And now it seems that he's found, it nicer to live like a wolf in the woods, than stay at home and be tied to a kennel. Because that was Lion, I give you my word for it!"

"Mebbe he smelled you here, and wanted to make up again?"

suggested Bobolink.

"Don't you believe it," retorted Nuthin. "He never did like me, and my dad wouldn't let me go near his kennel. When he skipped out we all felt glad of it. And to think he'd show up here, of all places! What d'ye reckon he's doin' over here on this island, Paul?"

"Listen. When he got away from you did he have a rope around his neck, with six feet of it trailing on the ground?" Paul asked.

"Did he? Not any that I know about. We always kept him fastened with a chain; and when he broke away, it was his collar that busted. I've got it home yet," was the response.

"Well, that dog had the rope, just as I described. He's been tied up, of late, and broke away," the scout master observed, with conviction in his voice.

"Then he must have been in the keep of these men who're doin' somethin'

queer over here on Cedar Island, and don't want a parcel of peepin'

scouts around; looks that way, don't it, Paul?" Nuthin inquired.

"I was wondering whether it could be that crowd, or the other," Paul replied, musingly.

"D'ye mean the wild man?" asked Bobolink.

"It might be," replied Paul. "If your old dog, Nuthin, has taken to the free life of the woods--gone back to the type of his ancestors, as I've heard of dogs doing many a time--why, you see, he'd just seem to fit in with a wild man who lived about like the savages used to away back."

"Wonder if he'll come again to bother us?" queried Bobolink.

"Honestly now, I don't think he will," Paul made answer. "That little evil eye of the torch threw a scare into him he won't forget in a hurry.

I suppose he must have been roaming around, and got a sniff of our cooking. That made him feel hungry, and he was creeping in closer and closer, in hopes of stealing something, when we broke up his game. And now, if it isn't time for me to go on duty, I'll crawl in again, and get a few more winks of sleep."

"Say, Paul, don't you think it'd be about right to leave that little flashlight with me, in case the dog comes around again?" asked Bobolink.

"I was going to say that very same thing; and when my turn comes you can hand it over again. Here you are, Bobolink; and don't go to fooling with it, unless you really hear something."

"I won't, Paul," replied the other. "But chances are, I'd better make the rounds and tell the other fellers about what happened; because they must have seen the flash, and heard us talkin' over here; which will throw 'em into a cold fit, wantin' to know all about it."

"A good idea, Bobolink," observed the other, as he and Nuthin moved toward the tents again.

The balance of the night pa.s.sed without any further alarm. If the wild dog came prowling around again, attracted by the presence of good things to eat, which may have reminded him of other days when he was content to remain chained up in the Cypher back yard, and take the leavings from his master's table, he certainly did not betray his presence nor could he muster up enough courage to crawl into the camp, when it was guarded by such a terrible flashing eye.

Morning arrived in good time, and the boys were on the alert. This novel experience was having its effect on them all. They showed that their sleep could not have been as sound as appearances might indicate, for many had red eyes, which were the cause of considerable comment, and not a little good-natured chaff on the part of those who betrayed no such telltale signs of wakefulness.

Breakfast was prepared about in the same fashion as the supper had been on the preceding night. Fires were carefully lighted, and such fuel chosen, which, in the opinion of the best judges, would be least apt to send up heavy smoke, such as might betray their presence on the island.

All these little things were supposed to be a part of their education as scouts and woodsmen. They aroused considerable interest among the boys, many of whom had never bothered their heads before to discover that kinds of wood burned in various ways; that one might give out only a light brown smoke, hard to discern, while another would send up a dense smudge that could not fail to attract the eye of any watcher.

Paul showed them that when they wanted to signal with smoke, as all scouts are taught to do when learning the wigwag code, they must be careful to select only this latter kind of wood, since the other would not answer the purpose.

He had been thinking deeply over the matter, and had about made up his mind as to what course they should pursue. Like most of his comrades, Paul was averse to being driven away from Cedar Island by unknown parties, without at least another effort to explore the mysterious place, and making an attempt to discover what sort of business these men were engaged in.

That it was something unlawful he was convinced, as much as any of his chums. Indeed, everything would seem to point that way. Men do not often hide themselves in an unfrequented section of the country, unless they are engaged in some pursuit that will not stand the light of day.

At one time Paul had even suspected that these men might be some species of game poachers, who wishing to defy the law that protected partridges, and all feather and fur-bearing creatures in the woods, during the summer season, had taken up their dwelling on lonely Cedar Island.

This was in the beginning. On thinking it over, however, he came to the conclusion that there was hardly enough game of all kinds within fifty miles of Stanhope to pay several men to spend their time snaring it; and so on this account he had thrown that theory overboard.

As they ate their breakfast the boys talked of nothing else but the mystery of the island, and many were the expressions of opinion that they must not think of leaving without doing everything in their power to lift the curtain.

They wanted to know who the strange men were who had brought some bulky object across from the mainland in a rowboat; what business they were engaged in there; who the wild man might be, and last of all whether he had any connection with the others.

"You see," declared Bobolink, in his customary impressive way of talking, "it looks to me as if they had him here to scare meddlers off. Who wants to rub up against a wild man? Everybody would feel like giving the hairy old fellow a wide berth, believe me. But Paul, if you make up a bunch to explore this bally old island, please let me go along."

There were others just as anxious and then again some gave no expression to indicate how they felt about it. So the wise scout master, not wishing to have any half-hearted recruits with him on such an errand, observed these signs, and made sure to pick only such as had pleaded for recognition.

"You can go along, Bobolink," he said, presently; "and I shall need five others in addition. Jack, you're one; then there's Bluff, Tom Betts, Phil, and Andy. Jud Elderkin will be left in full charge here, and every scout is expected to look to him as the chief while I'm gone. Is that all understood, fellows?"

Everybody looked satisfied--those who had been selected because they wanted to be with the party of exploration and the scouts who would remain behind because they had no particular desire to prowl through that dense undergrowth, looking for what might prove to be a jack-o'-lantern.

And as they continued to devour the food that had been cooked over the little fires they exchanged confidences, all sorts of queer theories and plans being suggested. For when eighteen wide awake scouts put their heads together, it can be set down as positive that little remains unsaid after they have debated any subject pro and con.

CHAPTER XX

THE EXPLORING PARTY