The Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill Part 26

I caught the rope as it came in through the window and fastened one end to the bed. Then I threw out the other end, climbed out myself, and shinned down.

"What's the matter?" I asked, as soon as I had reached the ground.

"Let's go around and untie the rope; then I'll tell you."

A few minutes later he was showing me a letter which he had from Mr.

Norton, who was away on business. This is what the letter said:

"DEAR FELLOWS:--I shall be at home in a few days and should like to have a meeting of Raven Patrol to talk up our camping trip. Are you thinking about it and planning where to go? The pasture above Peck's Falls would make an ideal camp. There is water and sunshine and shade and old Greylock.

That would suit me pretty well, but it is so near home it might not suit you. If not, I have a regular trip over the mountain in mind, one that will take a hike of several days to get us there.

Talk it over among yourselves and ask your folks about it. Then meet at my house next Sat.u.r.day night. We'll decide the matter and begin to get ready. Yours sincerely,

"CHARLES NORTON, Scoutmaster."

"Ain't he a brick?" said Skinny, when he had finished reading. "What do you say, old Scout?"

"I say hike," I told him. "That pasture above Peck's Falls is where Tom Chapin tried to paralyze a bull by the power of the human eye, like the school reader says, and got thrown over the stone wall by the critter.

No more of that for muh!"

"We'd have a rope along, you know."

"Yes, and who'd tie it and what would the bull be doing all that time?"

"I'd rather go over the mountain on a hike, myself," he said. "Come on, let's ask the other boys."

"Wait a minute while I fill the woodbox," I told him.

Skinny helped me do that and we were soon on our way.

The other boys felt just as we did about it. Of course, it is always fun to be near our cave and it is a fine place to get into when it rains, but we could go there any old time.

The folks seemed to think near home would be better, until we told them about the bull and how near we all came to getting killed. They had forgotten about that and so had we, almost.

Finally Pa settled it for me.

"I am willing to leave it to Mr. Norton," he said. "As long as he goes with you I don't care much where you go, for I know that he will take as good care of you as I could myself. His hold on you boys is remarkable and I am willing to back him in anything that he wants to do. I'll say this much, however. He is going to have his hands full when he undertakes to look after you boys for a week or two at a time."

We hardly could wait until Sat.u.r.day night to hear Mr. Norton's plan and decide what to do.

He seemed glad to see us when the time came, only he wouldn't hurry the meeting or leave anything out. Skinny, being patrol leader, always acted as chairman and pounded the table, when he could find one to pound.

"The meetin' will come to order," said he, looking around for something to thump and not finding anything but Bill Wilson, who dodged out of the way.

"The secretary will call the roll."

I called the names of the boys, and each one in turn arose and gave the Scout salute, first to Mr. Norton, then to Skinny.

"Is there any business to come before this 'ere meetin'?" he asked.

"Mr. President," I said, jumping up.

"The gentleman from Park Street," said Skinny, as big as life, just as Pa had taught us to do at meetings in our barn.

"We have with us this evening our Scoutmaster, who, I think, has something to say."

"'Tis well," said Skinny. "We'll harken unto his words of wisdom."

"Before I speak the words of wisdom which our patrol leader has so kindly mentioned," laughed Mr. Norton, "I will ask Mrs. Norton to refresh and fortify us with some lemonade."

Benny reached the door almost as soon as she did.

"Let me do it, Mrs. Norton," he said.

He grabbed the pitcher and tray and poured out a gla.s.s for her; then went around the circle. It tasted fine on a warm night.

"Mr. Chairman," said Mr. Norton, after we had emptied the pitcher. "I want to call up the question of our camping trip. Have you boys thought about the matter?"

"We haven't thought of much else," Hank told him.

"Well, how about it? Shall we camp out above Peck's Falls? What do you say, William?"

"It's too near home," said Bill. "Ma would get scared the first night and call me back."

"That certainly would be serious. What do you say, Mr. Secretary?"

"I say so, too," I told him. "It's fine up there and wild and all that, but let's go where we never have been before."

"How about it, Mr. President?"

"It's me for the hike," said Skinny.

The other boys all said the same.

"It seems to be unanimous," said Mr. Norton. "I thought that probably you would feel that way. Well, this is what I have in mind, in case you decide to take the trip, instead of remaining near home. What do you say to hiking straight east over Florida Mountain, as far as Deerfield and the Connecticut River? We can get a horse and carry our camping outfit and supplies in a wagon. We can take turns driving. It will rest us, and if anybody should give out the wagon will come in handy. We can take as long a time as we want on the way, camping out each night."

Mr. Norton stopped and looked at us to see how we liked the plan. Say, it didn't take him long to find out. Every boy jumped to his feet and shouted. Skinny forgot that he was chairman and started to march around the room, shooting and striking at the enemy, and we all fell in line after him except Bill. He stood on his hands, kicked his feet in the air, and whistled through his teeth.

Mr. Norton looked pleased.

"Mr. Chairman," he said, as soon as we had taken our places again. "I hardly think it necessary to put that to a vote except, perhaps, as a matter of form. The next question is, will your folks let you go?

Sometimes fathers and mothers have very decided notions about what they want their boys to do and more especially what they don't want them to do."

I told him what Pa had said about being willing to have us go anywhere with him, and the other boys said that their folks felt the same way.

"Good! We'll consider that settled and get down to details as quickly as possible. I should like to get started in about two weeks, which will be early in August. We'll call another meeting in a few days and I'll have a list of the articles needed and their cost ready to submit to you. I know where we can get tents, but there are a whole lot of things we shall need in the woods, besides things to eat. Is there any more business to come before the meeting, Mr. Chairman?"

"There is," said Skinny, who had been scribbling something on a piece of paper. He handed it to me to read, and this is what it said: