The Banner Boy Scouts Snowbound Part 7

"You have to thank Paul for getting you off," a.s.serted one scout, warmly. "Had it been left to the rest of us you'd have been in soak long before this."

"For my part," said Paul, "I feel that so far as punishment goes Jud has got all that is coming to him, for that arm will give him a lot of trouble before it fully heals. I hope every time it pains him he'll remember that scouts as a rule are taught to heap coals of fire on the heads of their enemies when the chance comes, by showing them a favor."

"But, Paul, you're forgetting something," urged Tom Betts.

"That's a fact, how about the broken window, Paul?" cried Joe Clausin, with more or less indignation. For while it might be very well to forgive Jud his spying tricks some one would have to pay for a new pane of gla.s.s in the bas.e.m.e.nt window, and it was hard luck if the burden fell on the innocent parties, while the guilty one escaped scot free.

It was noticed that Jud shut his lips tight together as though making up his mind on the spot to decline absolutely to pay a cent for what had been a sheer accident, and which had already cost him a severe wound.

"I haven't forgotten that, fellows," said Paul, quietly. "Of course it's only fair Jud should pay the dollar it will cost to have a new pane put in there to-morrow. I shall order Mr. Nickerson to attend to it myself. And I shall also insist on paying the bill out of my own pocket, unless Jud here thinks it right and square to send me the money some time to-morrow. That's all I've got to say, Jud. There's the door, and no one will put out a hand to stop you. I hope you won't have serious trouble with that arm of yours."

Jud stared dumbly at the speaker as though almost stunned. Perhaps he might have said something under the spur of such strange emotions as were chasing through his brain, but just then Bobolink chanced to sneer. The sound acted on Jud like magic, for he drew himself up, turned to look boldly into the face of each and every boy present, then thrust his right hand into his b.u.t.toned coat and with head thrown back walked out of the room, noisily closing the door after him.

Several of the scouts shook their heads.

"Pretty fine game you played with him, Paul," remarked George Hurst, "but it strikes me it was like throwing pearls before swine. Jud has a hide as thick as a rhinoceros and nothing can pierce it. Kind words are thrown away with fellows of his stripe, I'm afraid. A kick and a punch are all they can understand."

"Yes," added Red Collins, "when you try the soft pedal on them they think you're only afraid. I'm half sorry now you didn't let us carry out that ducking scheme. Jud deserved it right well, for a fact."

"It would have been cruel to drop him into ice water with such a wound freshly made," remarked Jack. "Wait and see whether Paul's plan was worth the candle."

"Mark my words," commented Tom Betts, "we'll have lots of trouble with him yet."

"Shucks! who cares?" laughed Bobolink, "it's all in the game, you know. There's Paul getting ready to go home, so let's forget it till we meet to-morrow."

CHAPTER VIII

BOBOLINK AND THE STOREKEEPER

According to their agreement, Jack and Bobolink met on a certain corner on the following morning. Their purpose was to purchase the staple articles of food that half a score of hungry lads would require to see them through a couple of weeks' stay in the snow forest.

"It's a lucky thing, too," Bobolink remarked, after the other had displayed the necessary funds taken from his pocket, "that our treasury happens to be fairly able to stand the strain just now."

"Oh, well! except for that we'd have had to take up subscriptions,"

laughed Jack. "I know several people who would willingly help us out.

The scouts of Stanhope have made good in the past, and a host of good friends are ready to back them."

"Yes, and for that matter I guess Mr. Thomas Garrity would have been only too glad to put his hand deep down in his pocket," suggested Bobolink.

"He's an old widower, and with plenty of ready cash, too," commented the other boy. "But, after all, it's much better for us to stand our own expense as long as we can."

"Have you got the list that Paul promised to make out with you, Jack?

I'd like to take a squint at it, if you don't mind. There may be a few things we could add to it."

As Bobolink was looked on as something of an authority in this line, Jack hastened to produce the list, so they could run it over and exchange suggestions.

"Where shall we start in to buy the stuff?" asked Bobolink, presently.

"Oh! I don't know that it matters very much," replied his companion.

"Mr. Briggs has had some pretty fine hams in lately I heard at the house this morning, and if he treats us half-way decent we might do all our trading with him."

"I never took much stock in old Levi Briggs," said Bobolink. "He hates boys for all that's out. I guess some of them do nag him more or less.

I saw that Lawson crowd giving him a peck of trouble a week ago. He threatened to call the police if they didn't go away."

"Well, we happen to be close to the Briggs' store," observed Jack, "so we might as well drop in and see how he acts toward us."

"Huh! speaking of the Lawson bunch, there they are right now!"

exclaimed Bobolink.

Loud jeering shouts close by told that Hank and his cronies were engaged in their favorite practice of having "fun." This generally partook of the nature of the old fable concerning boys who were stoning frogs, which was "great fun for the boys, but death to the frogs."

"It's a couple of ragged hoboes they're nagging now," burst out Bobolink.

"The pair just came out of Briggs' store," added Jack, "where I expect they met a cold reception if they hoped to coax a bite to eat from the old man."

"Still, they couldn't have done anything to Hank and his crowd, so why should they be pushed off the walk in that way?" Bobolink went on to say.

As a rule the boy had no use for tramps. He looked on the vagrants as a nuisance and a menace to the community. At the same time, no self-respecting scout would think of casting the first stone at a wandering hobo, though, if attacked, he would always defend himself, and strike hard.

"The tramps don't like the idea of engaging in a fight with a pack of tough boys right here in town," remarked Jack, "because they know the police would grab them first, no matter if they were only defending themselves. That's why they don't hit back, but only dodge the stones the boys are flinging."

"Oh! that's a mean sort of game!" cried Bobolink, as he saw the two tramps start to run wildly away. "There! that shorter chap was. .h.i.t in the head with one of the rocks thrown after them. I bet you it raised a fine lump. What a lot of cowards those Lawsons are, to be sure."

"Well, the row is all over now," observed Jack. "And as the tramps have disappeared around the corner we don't want to break into the game, so come along to the store, and let's see what we can do there."

Bobolink continued to shake his head pugnaciously as he walked along the pavement. Hank and his followers were laughing at a great rate as they exchanged humorous remarks concerning the recent "fight" which had been all one-sided.

"Believe me!" muttered Bobolink, "if a couple more scouts had been along just now I'd have taken a savage delight in pitching in and giving that crowd the licking they deserved. Course a tramp isn't worth much, but then he's _human_, and I hate to see anybody bullied."

"It wasn't Hank's business to chase the hoboes out of town," said Jack. "We have the police force to manage such things. Fact is, I reckon Hank's bunch has done more to hurt the good name of Stanhope than all the hoboes we ever had come around here."

"If I had my way, Jack, there'd be a public woodpile, and every tramp caught coming to town would have to work his pa.s.sage. I bet there'd be a sign on every cross-roads warning the brotherhood to beware of Stanhope as they might of the smallpox. But here's Briggs' store."

As they entered the place they could see that the proprietor was alone, his clerk being off on the delivery wagon.

"Whew! he certainly looks pretty huffy this morning," muttered the observing Bobolink. "Those tramps must have bothered him more or less before he could get them to move on."

"It might be he had some trouble with Hank before we came up," Jack suggested; but further talk was prevented by the coming up of the storekeeper.

Mr. Briggs was a small man with white hair, and keen, rat-like eyes.

He possessed good business abilities, and had managed to acc.u.mulate a small fortune in the many years he purveyed to the people of Stanhope.

Latterly, however, the little, old man had been growing very nervous and irritable, perhaps with the coming of age and its infirmities. He detested boys, and since that feeling soon becomes mutual there was open war between Mr. Briggs and many of the juveniles of Stanhope.