The Boy Scouts at the Panama Canal Part 15

"Humph! I just fell down," grunted Tubby.

And then, without more discussion of the mean trick that had been played them, the Scouts marched off. After that glorious evening they all felt that they could well afford to ignore such contemptible pranks as those of Max Ramsay and his crowd.

As for Rob and Merritt, proud as they felt of the honor that had been paid them that night, they somehow could not help valuing even more highly the quiet thanks that had come to them from full hearts before the public demonstration had been thought of. It is a Scout's duty to do his work without hope of reward, save that which comes from a sense of work well done, which, after all, is the best reward and the most enduring that any boy, or man, either, for that matter, can have.

CHAPTER XIV.

A NOVEL PROPOSAL.

"Well, what do you think of my proposal?"

Mr. Mainwaring's eyes twinkled as he regarded the three lads seated opposite him in the library of his home which he had called Ancon Hill, possibly in remembrance of that other Ancon Hill in the far off Ca.n.a.l Zone.

Tubby gulped; Merritt's eyes shone and his face flushed excitedly, but he couldn't find words just then.

"Well, Rob, what do _you_ say to transplanting the Boy Scouts, or part of them, down along the big Ditch?"

"I--I--that is, we--it's too big--too glorious to just realize it all at once, isn't it, fellows?" stammered Rob.

"Pshaw! I thought the motto of your clan was 'Be Prepared'. Now you ought to be just as much prepared to accept my invitation to go to Panama as you would be to cook a meal in a given time or light a fire with one match."

Mr. Mainwaring regarded the young faces opposite him with a quizzical look. Then he spoke again.

"I know just what you fellows are thinking," he said. "You'd like to go, but----"

"It's--it's our folks, you see----" Tubby managed to sputter. The others nodded solemnly. This proposal of Mr. Mainwaring's, that while the Academy was closed they should go as his guests to the Ca.n.a.l Zone and see the wonders of that region, both natural and man-made, had fairly taken them off their feet, as the saying is.

"We'll come to that part of it later," responded Mr. Mainwaring. "I shouldn't be surprised," he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "if it could all be arranged satisfactorily. You see, I'm not going to take you lads down there to idle. Far from it. Idleness is the worst thing for boys or men. I've work for you to do. As I told you, this young scamp Jared, who is really more fool than knave, has skipped out for the Isthmus. That I have found out as you know. With him went Alverado and Estrada, the latter having suddenly resigned his diplomatic post at Washington. A third party went also, who I more than suspect is the keen-faced young man you told me you had seen in Jared's company at the barn, at the ball game, and also on the evening Jared took his abrupt departure.

"Now, of course, they are on the _qui vive_ on the Isthmus for this precious outfit who, undoubtedly, mean mischief of some sort. Just what it is I am not prepared to say, but I can tell you that I have a shrewd suspicion. Now you boys have plenty of pluck, resource and enterprise--don't turn red, I'm not in the habit of flattering anybody and I mean it. You are the only people that I know of that have actually seen Alverado and who would be able to pick out this miserable, misled Jared."

"You want us to do detective work!" gasped Tubby in an awe-struck tone.

Mr. Mainwaring laughed and threw up his hands.

"Heaven save the mark! I suspect you of reading dime novels, Master Tubby. No, there is nothing Old-Sleuth-like about what I would want you to do; nothing very thrilling or exciting about it. I'd simply want you to accompany me and maybe point out the men you have seen plotting together, for the benefit of the Isthmian police; so you see there is no danger, no glamour, no promise of adventure about it; only a hum-drum trip, but one that I am sure will prove full of interest."

Had Mr. Mainwaring possessed a prophetic eye he might not have spoken exactly as recorded above. But not being blessed with such an organ he, of course, had no means of knowing into what danger and adventure the Boy Scouts were destined to be thrust while on the Isthmus.

"Oh, but we'd like to go!" sighed Rob.

"It's like a beautiful dream," struck in Merritt with a far-away look in his eyes.

"I suppose that there's plenty to eat down that way?" asked Tubby rather suspiciously.

The tension was relieved by a hearty laugh from them all.

"Well, I only asked, you know," remarked Tubby in an injured tone.

"And now that that's all explained," said Mr. Mainwaring, after the merriment had subsided, "I may as well tell you that all your parents know of my wish and are quite willing that you should go, in spite of the fact that for some weeks they will be deprived of your interesting society. And----"

But all discipline was at an end for the nonce. The boys' spirits fairly broke bounds. They leaped up, joined hands and danced round in a circle.

It was like some impossible, glorious dream coming true; for each of them had long cherished a desire to see Uncle Sam's wonderful digging operations which, under the Stars and Stripes, were to join two mighty oceans.

In the midst of the excitement the door opened and in came Fred Mainwaring; but Lucy was not with him, rather to the disappointment of one of the Scouts. Fred, after the boys had all shaken hands warmly and indulged in another war dance, announced that his sister had had to leave suddenly for the West the night before, as her mother, who was stopping with relatives there, had absolutely forbidden the project of taking her along.

It was not till after they had taken their leave and were walking with Fred down the drive leading to the road back to Hampton that Lucy's brother seized an opportunity to draw Rob aside.

"What are you looking so glum about?" he demanded with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Who? Me?" rejoined Rob indignantly, "I never felt better in my life."

But his looks belied him. And, strange to say, Rob's gloom dated from the moment that Fred had announced Lucy's departure.

"Say, old fellow," laughed Fred merrily, "if you don't remind me of the ostrich in the fable! Here,--here's her address,--take it and be happy.

Bless you, my children," and without waiting for an answer, Fred thrust a bit of paper into Rob's hand and darted off with a merry:--

"See you to-morrow. We'll have lots to talk about."

Rob rejoined his companions, who had walked on some distance ahead. His gloomy look had vanished like snow in the spring.

"Isn't it great, glittering, glorious?" cried Merritt as he came up.

"I simply can't believe it yet," cried Tubby. "I'm afraid I'll wake up like I do some nights when I'm dreaming about a banquet at which I'm an honored guest."

"----and I can always send postcards from the Isthmus," breathed Rob, which remark did not seem very germane to the conversation. His companions looked at him in amazement for an instant and then, comprehending, broke into a roar of laughter, for which Rob chased them half way back to Hampton, catching Tubby at last and belaboring that stout youth till he roared for mercy.

But the fat boy had his revenge. As soon as he was released he sought a safe refuge and then, holding his staff like a guitar, he rolled his eyes upward in imitation of a troubadour, and howled at the top of his voice:--

"On a bee-yoot-i-ful night!

With a bee-yoot-i-ful gy-url!"

Rob didn't know whether to laugh or be angry.

CHAPTER XV.

OFF FOR THE ISTHMUS.

The _S.S. Caribbean_ lay at her dock at the foot of West Twenty-fifth Street, New York City, with steam up in readiness for her departure for Colon, which, as every boy knows, is the easterly port of the Ca.n.a.l Zone and the terminus on that side of the Isthmus of the Panama Railroad.

Everything appeared to be a perfect maze of confusion. Derricks rattled, steam winches roared and wagons clattered about the dock in every direction. From the 'scape pipe of the big steamer white wisps of steam were pouring, while black smoke rolled from the squat, black funnel. At the foremast flew the Blue Peter, that blue flag with a square white center that, all the world over, signifies "Sailing day."